"Is there anything else I can do for you? Anything at all."
Edward grumbled under his breath as his "sister" searched for new ways to make herself useful.
"You know, Rose, there is one thing."
The blond brightened as she she turned her attention fully upon her mind reading brother.
"Just name it, Edward."
"Get the hell out of my room and leave me alone."
It had been nearly two weeks since the vase incident and the boy had grown tired of her constantly assistance. At first it had been entertaining. So much so that he had let her believe that he was still in agony several days after his meeting with Carlisle. It seemed appropriate to have her waiting on him hand and foot after he sacrificed of his hide to save hers, so why not make the most out of it? Edward enjoyed being the focus of hero worship and there was a deep sense of satisfaction in having his own servant, but that feeling faded fairly quickly. Now he just wanted life to go back to normal. He wanted his peace and quiet again.
"You don't mean that," she said as she set about gathering his laundry.
"Oh for God's sake, would you put my drawers down? I can wash them myself."
"But I don't mind."
"Well I do mind."
He snatched his clothes from the bewildered woman and dropped them back into a pile on the floor.
"Rosalie, I'm not helpless. I can take care of myself."
"I just want to repay your kindness, Edward."
"You have," he replied as he held his hands up to ward her off. "We're square. Okay? You don't owe me anything else. Now please just let me have my life and privacy back. The last thing I want is to have someone shadowing my every move. It's kind of creepy. Try bothering someone else for a change. Let them absolve you or something. Jeeze."
Carlisle looked up from his paperwork as the faintest of knocks sounded on the door frame to his study. Much to his bewilderment, there stood a fidgeting Rosalie eyeing him anxiously .
"Hello, kitten," he called with a smile. "This is a pleasant surprise."
"You said if I needed to talk," she replied while demurely lowing her gaze.
"Of course, sweetheart. Come in."
Carlisle extracted himself from his chair and met her halfway as he directed her towards the settee on the far side of the room.
"If you're too busy, I can come back later."
"I'm never too busy. The bills aren't going anywhere. They'll wait. You are far more important. Besides, I appreciate the reprieve," he said as he sat and patted the adjacent cushion invitingly.
Rose took a seat little distance from him where she continued to fidget nervously. Her posture was stiff and her eyes were trained on the carpet. As she worried her thumbnail, she reminded Carlisle of a little girl recently caught with her hand in the cookie jar. It was obvious that something was terribly wrong with his newest child, but what?
"Kitten?"
The beauty looked up with wide dark eyes glistening with barely withheld tears. The startling shift in her normally self-assured demeanor ignited a protectiveness in the patriarch.
"Is it Edward? Has he done something to upset ..."
She immediately cut him off with a dismissive sound and shake of her head.
"No. Edward has been very kind. Too kind really."
"I hardly think that's possible."
Quickly looking away, she nodded before hugging herself in an obvious attempt at self-comfort.
"It's true. I've acted terribly towards him. He's such a good person, while I'm an absolute monster."
"Rose, you shouldn't say such things. Whatever it is, I'm sure you're being too hard on yourself," he softly chided while tenderly brushing his thumb along her cheek.
"No, I'm not. You have to believe me. It's all true. He placed himself at risk for me. Poor Edward was a victim. I can't repay him for his heroics, and now he won't even let me try."
Carlisle watched, startled, as a single crystalline tear trickle down her cheek. Intense emotion darkened her eyes even further before Rose bowed her head in shame.
The doctor felt his heart break for the distressed girl. Over the last several weeks she had made it clear that his touch was not appreciated, shrinking away from any contact with him, but he couldn't stop himself. Scooting over, he cautiously wrapped his arms around her, giving a quiet sigh of relief when she not only returned his hug, but melted into his supportive embrace.
Burying her face against his broad chest, she cried softly as he muttered words of comfort while trying to keep his own anxiety in check. What could have happened within his tiny family to have such a dramatic effect on Rose? He tried to imagine the cause of her breakdown, but for the life of him he couldn't come up with a single idea. If Edward wasn't the cause of her upset, then what? Certainly not Esme, and he couldn't think of anything he had done. Perhaps it was someone outside of their home.
A sudden spark of anger flared within him causing Carlisle to have to swallow a growl before it could sound and distress his daughter further. Mentally the doctor swore to himself that he would find the culprit responsible for hurting his treasured girl. When he did they would regret the day they were born.
"I'm sorry," the young woman whimpered against his neck while thick, sticky tears continued to soak through his shirt.
"There's no reason for apologies."
"There is."
"No, baby. Tears are healing. Never apologize for them."
Rose sniffled and shook her head again.
"That's not it."
"What then?"
"You're going to hate me," she whined.
"Oh, kitten. I never could."
"Yes, you can and will. I've been horrible. I won't be surprised if you throw me out on the street. You have every right not to want me darkening your door ever again."
"Enough of that," he gently scolded. "You're a beautiful young woman with an even lovelier soul. I know you've been through hell..."
With a sudden movement she pulled away from him and violently shook her head.
"I let Edward take the blame for something I did. He was ... You... did that to him because I didn't have the courage to tell you the truth," she admitted in a sure tone before the tears broke free again to cascaded down her face, stealing her voice in the process.
"Rosalie," the doctor called. "I'm sorry, honey, but I'm not following you."
"No, I'm the one who is sorry. I'm trying, but I'm scared. I was too scared then to say anything, and now... " She looked up at Carlisle with shimmering pleading eyes. "I know I deserve it, but please don't rip out my tongue."
The doctor jerked up straight in his seat as an expression of utter shock stole across his handsome face.
"What? Baby, wherever did you get an idea like that?"
"I been lying, and that's how liars are punished," she answered in a small strained voice.
"Not in this house. No, sweetheart. Dismemberment is not and never will be an acceptable form of discipline. I don't know who..."
"But Edward said..." Stopping short, she covered her mouth with her hand and lowered her eyes. She shouldn't have said that. Hadn't she caused Edward enough trouble for one lifetime? Closing her eyes, Rose desperately willed herself to disappear.
"I should have known," Carlisle muttered with a quiet sighed. "When I'm done with that boy..."
Rosalie's head snapped up, fear in her features.
"Oh no. Please. I didn't mean to say anything. None of this is his fault. It's not."
"It most certainly is," the patriarch gently assured her. "Now everything is beginning to fall into place. I should have seen it sooner. You've been acting nervous around me ever since the afternoon of Edward's correction. I can't believe I didn't realized what was going on. Now it's all so obvious. That boy put some false ideas in your head to scare you. Well he definitely won't be making that mistake again."
"Carlisle, please."
"Edward Anthony Cullen, come here," he called in a tone just loud enough to carry across the house to the sensitive ears of his eldest.
Several seconds later Edward appeared in the doorway. The sight of Rosalie sitting with Carlisle sent a knowing shiver racing along his spine. A quick scan of their thoughts verified his assumption.
Damn it, Rosalie. Why couldn't you have kept your trap shut?
"I can explain," he said while thrusting his hand deep in his pockets to still them.
"I certainly hope so," the doctor stated as he tilted his head and raised an inquiring brow.
"I was..." A variety of excuses and tales spun through the boy's mind as he grasped for anything that might get him out of this mess. With a sinking feeling he dismissed the fanciful tales and thin excuses. He was doomed and he knew it. SHIT! His shoulders sank as he mumbled, "I was being an ass."
Carlisle's expression remained neutral watching as his son grow increasingly uncomfortable while seconds ticked away before silently asking, "Why, Edward? What possessed you to say something like that?"
"No idea."
"That's not an acceptable response."
"I just did, Carlisle. Haven't you ever done anything just because you could?"
"No, Edward. I haven't. And if I ever was to do so, it wouldn't be something cruel."
"I wasn't trying to be cruel."
"Look at her."
The bronze-haired boy bowed his head.
"I said LOOK AT HER!" Carlisle silently demanded while his eyes flashed dangerously.
Shocked by the raised voice still ringing in his head, Edward glanced over at the pitiful looking woman. He didn't need to read her thoughts to tell she was miserable. It was written all over her face and in her body language. A pang of regret shot through him. He didn't particularly like her, but he didn't really want to see her like this either.
"Are you proud of your accomplishment, son? Did you get the results you were hoping for?"
He cringed at the coldness of the mental reprimand before slowly shaking his head.
"Look, Rosalie. I'm sorry I made you believe that Carlisle would hurt you. He wouldn't. Though he may kill me. I was angry and looking for someone to take it out on. You were conveniently in the crossfire. I should have never said the things that I did to you. It was really stupid and childish of me."
"You had a right to be angry, Edward," Rose said in a near whisper. "You were innocent, but took the blame for me anyway. It's me who is sorry for causing your suffering."
The mind reader rolled his eyes.
"It was my shitty attitude that caused me to suffer, not some stupid broken vase."
"Language, Edward."
"But I was the catalyst. If I hadn't broken the vase, or at least owned up to it, you wouldn't have been blamed and none of this would have happened. You were whipped because of something I did. It's all my fault."
Edward averted his eyes and let out a long suffering sigh before looking back at the closest thing he had to a sister. He frowned quite suddenly. Where had that thought come from? But the longer he gazed at her, the more truth he found in the word. She was his little sister. The realization brought on a feeling of protectiveness that hadn't been there before. As annoying as she was, and she most certainly was annoying as hell, Rose was still a part of his family now. As her older brother, he had a responsibility towards her which didn't include needless torture.
Damn it.
"I wasn't whipped, and even if I was, it wouldn't have been your fault," he softly said while crossing the room to crouch down in front of her. "Yeah, I was mad, but that isn't a good excuse for the way I acted. I've been around Carlisle longer than you. I know how to really make him mad, and I was pushing it. That was all me. You can't blame yourself for me acting like a jackass and reaping the benefit. It wasn't your fault. It never was."
"If I hadn't broken the vase," she tried again, but was quickly cut off.
"If you had admitted to breaking the damn vase, I wouldn't have been blamed. That's true. But I dug my own grave. You just handed me the shovel. I lost my temper. If I had tried talking to Carlisle instead of fighting with him, he would have eventually believed me. He's never been unfair. Even when logic dictates that I'm the only possible suspect, if I say I didn't do it, he has always accepted my innocence."
Edward took a breath and met his creator's compassionate gaze.
"I owe you an apology; a real one. My behavior..."
Carlisle raised a hand and Edward immediately quieted.
"Water under the bridge, son. You've already been forgiven."
The youth nodded, grateful for his father's understanding, and began to relax.
"But," the elder continued, drawing a muted groan from the boy. "You're not off the hook for the state you put Rose in. That's inexcusable."
"I know it is," Edward agreed as he hung his head.
"Carlisle, you can't punish him anymore. Can't you see that he's learned his lesson? Please, let this go," Rosalie pleaded, bringing a slight sad smile to the doctor's face.
"Sweetheart, that isn't for you to decide."
"But I started this entire mess. It's not Edward who should be in trouble. I'm to blame."
"And we'll continue our discussion in a few minutes. Meanwhile," Carlisle said as he slipped his wallet from his pocket and withdrew a few bills. Handing the money to his son, he instructed, "You will escort Esme to the store and help her with the shopping. I know she has a few household items on her list that need purchasing, but you're going to add on a little extra. You, young man, are to purchase a cake of soap of your choosing."
Edward's eyes widened.
"I don't really thing that's necessary."
"I think it is."
"Seriously?"
"I'm very serious, Edward. Unless you feel that sterner measures are required?"
The boy moaned, but refrained from further complaint as he lowered his head in acceptance of his leaders orders.
"You can expect a little discussion on decorum later this evening. Bear in mind that not only did you lie to Rosalie and frighten her, but you also lied to me when you accepted blame that wasn't yours," Carlisle informed his wayward boy.
"You're not going to whip him again, are you?" Rose fearfully chimed in.
"That's entirely up to Edward," the doctor answered while silently adding, But I hope it doesn't come to that, for his son's benefit.
"Don't worry about me, Rose. I've already told you, I can handle Carlisle. Appreciate the concern, but I'll be alright. You just worry about yourself and know that if you ever really need me, I'll have your back."
In an unprecedented move, the boy gracefully rose then leaned over and kissed Rosalie's cheek before whispering in her ear, "Be brave, sis, and trust that you're always safe."
"Thank you, Edward."
The youth nodded in recognition of his father's comment then quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.
"You shouldn't punish him," Rose said breaking the momentary silence that had settled over them.
"I shouldn't? And why is that?"
"Because he's already been punished. Your point has been made."
Carlisle offered a half smile then reached out and gently caress her cheek with the back of his fingers.
"So much like Esme," he muttered with an inward sigh. "This is going to be incredibly difficult."
"I'm not trying to be difficult."
"I know that, kitten." I was wrong in thinking that girls were easier. Maybe I would have been better off stopping with just Edward. "Sweetheart, why didn't you come to me as soon as this happened?"
"I was scared."
"Why? Have I done something that makes you fear me?"
"No," she answered after a moment's contemplation. " But I didn't want to disappoint you, and I knew Esme treasured that vase. I was only dusting. I was trying to be useful and do something to repay the kindness she's shown me, but instead..."
Rose swallowed hard as she turned away from the man's searching gaze.
"I wanted to admit to it. I wanted to apologize, but I couldn't find the words."
"The only words you needed were the truth."
"I know, but..."
"No, Rose. There are no buts in this. I need you to be honest with us. There's nothing we can't fix as long as we know what's going on. Edward was wrong for having lied and frightened you, but you were wrong for having kept this accident to yourself. If you had been honest from the start, he wouldn't have had that sort of power over you. The truth would have saved everyone a great deal of distress, don't you think?"
Huge onyx eyes stared back at him reflecting fear, but Rose stilled the slight shaking of her hands and raised her head higher before nodding.
"Then I guess I'm going to be..."
In an instant her rising courage fled and she found that she couldn't get the word out.
"Do you think you deserve it?" Carlisle quietly asked. "For your dishonesty?"
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. It was all an accident that turned into a misunderstanding."
"Which could have been easily cleared up by the truth."
Rose shook her head.
"But I tried."
"Try harder next time, kitten," he implored.
The doctor studied the terrified woman for a moment. In his opinion, she deserved to be punished, but he wasn't sure that it was needed. He has a feeling that she wouldn't be repeating this type of behavior any time soon. Certainly, it would be easier on him to let her off with a warning. That worked well enough for minor transgression, and there was nothing to make him believe that wouldn't work here.
Still.
"Rose, if you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don't deserve to be punished for withholding the truth, I'm prepared to let you walk out of here. We'll never mention any of this ever again. It will be as if it never occurred. But..." He wagged a raised finger in her direction to secure her attention. "You need to think about the repercussions of this lie of omission. Consider how it has affected your family. Make sure that you are comfortable enough to reconcile your feelings and move on. I know you feel guilty. You need to be able to let that go. We all forgive you. Can't you forgive yourself?"
Carlisle saw Rose shiver and knew he had hit a nerve.
She went still and silent for many long minutes as she weighed his words and thought about her near future. He was offering her a get out of jail free card, but was that what she really wanted? She knew what she didn't want. She didn't want to find herself punished like Edward had been. Rose couldn't imagine how awful that must be. Her brother had been in so much pain afterwards, and he hadn't even done anything to deserve that sort of treatment.
But she had.
"Edward," she finally remarked in a whisper as she gazed down at her intertwined fingers.
"What about Edward?"
"If I was to walk away unscathed, that doesn't seem fair to him."
"You don't owe Edward anything. You never have."
"But I do, Carlisle," the young woman replied as she looked over at him. "I know you say that he wasn't ... It wasn't because of the vase, but it was. If I hadn't broken the vase..." She took a breath and held it for several seconds before slowly exhaling. "If I had admitted to breaking it as soon as it happened, you wouldn't have blamed him and he wouldn't have lashed out at you. He may have been wrong to act the way he did, but there's no reason to believe that he would have acted like that if I hadn't hidden the truth. It's really is all my doing. It was me who caused his pain."
"Does that mean you've come to a decision?"
Rosalie closed her eyes and swallowed hard.
"How bad does it hurt?" she asked after several moments of reflection.
"Enough to act as a deterrent," Carlisle answered as honestly as he could.
"What if I can't take it?"
"Kitten, look at me."
Her eyes fluttered open to lock onto compassionate amber eyes.
"Do you trust me?" he quietly inquired.
"I don't know. I think so, but..."
Carlisle's heart constricted painfully, but he did his best not to allow the hurt to show in his face.
"Then this could be a chance for me to earn your trust. Since the punishment is to correct a lie, it wouldn't do for me to lie to you and say that I'm not going to hurt you. Chastisement, in any form, hurts. Its goal is to inspire you to change your behavior. Sometimes that takes some strong encouragement that's not very pleasant.
I know that you've already made a choice, but you're teetering because you're frightened. There's no reason for your fear. If I was going to truly hurt you, I would have already done so."
Her eyes widened as she slightly withdrew from him.
"Don't, honey," Carlisle called as he placed a hand on her knee, feeling her shudder under his touch. "Please, don't be afraid. I love you. While you may not understand this yet, you're my daughter. I would lay my life down protecting you. Think about it for just a moment. It would be senseless for me to try to keep you from harm while simultaneously looking to do harm to you."
"You said that you will hurt me."
"Mildly. And only to discourage you from doing things that stand to harm you far worse," he agreed with a nod. "All of our actions, all of our decisions, come with consequences. That's all this is. It's the consequence for making a poor decision. Nothing more. Nothing less."
Rose swallowed hard as she found logic in his statement. Tucking her chin against her chest, she closed her eyes her steadied her breathing.
"How does this work?" she asked in a whisper so soft that Carlisle almost missed it.
"I'll ask you to lay down over my lap, and once you're reasonably comfortable we'll begin. I'll only be using my hand this time. You'll also be allowed to retain your pants, but I'll warn you now. Should you repeat your offense and I have to correct you again, there's a high probability that your backside will be bared for that. I suggest you keep that in mind."
She nodded in understanding, then opened her eyes and met his steady gaze.
"I think I'm ready. I know that I earned some form of punishment, and if this is what you think it should be..."
Tears flooded her eyes and blurred her vision.
"You don't have to say anymore. I know it's scary, sweetheart, but you're going to be okay. I promise." With that, Carlisle sat back and gave his thigh a pat. "Come here, kitten. We've put this off long enough. Let's end your misery."
Rosalie scooted closer to him then allowed herself to be guided over his lap. She was surprised with how gentle he was given the circumstance as he maneuvered her into an almost comfortable position with the sofa supporting her.
"Alright, Rosalie, I'd like you to tell me how you've wound up in this spot," he said as he rubbed her back soothingly to relax her and familiarize her with his touch.
"I got Edward into trouble."
"No, baby. I understand that's where your guilt is stemming from, but you didn't get Edward into trouble. I need you to tell me what you did wrong."
"I had an accident and broke Esme's vase."
"Yes, you did, but that isn't why you're being punished, is it?"
"I guess not."
Carlisle let go of a held breath. He knew she was stalling. At any other time he wouldn't tolerate that behavior, but he promised himself that he would give her the extra patience she needed. However, that didn't mean he couldn't let her know that she was pushing the limit.
"Rosalie Lillian, I dislike repeating myself," he reprimanded. "I'm only going to ask this once again, and I suggest you give me the correct answer. Now, young lady, why is your fanny about to come under fire?"
His voice was soft, but there are a sharpness to his tone that caused her to stiffen as she immediately answered, "I lied."
"Did you?"
"Yes. I hid the truth and let Edward take the blame for me. I shouldn't have done that. I should have gone to Esme and told her what happened, but I didn't. I should have spoken up when you first blamed Edward, but I didn't. I didn't want to be in trouble, so I thought I could keep it all to myself, but I can't. It hurts too much. Now I'm in worse trouble than I would have been had I only told the truth at the beginning. I'm sorry, Carlisle. It won't happen again."
"Good girl," he quietly praised. "Accidents happen all the time. They're easily forgiven, but what you call hiding the truth, is a lie of omission, and lying will never be tolerated. We must to be able to trust one another. Lying puts a serious strain on that trust. I want to believe anything you tell me, Rose, but the only way I can do that is if you're honest with me."
"You didn't believe Edward. Don't you trust him?"
"I do, and I found it increasingly frustrating when he kept proclaiming his innocence. He is normally very truthful, so I couldn't figure out what had gotten into him. Of course, he did end up lying, didn't he?"
"To protect me," she sighed as a tear dropped onto the cushion and quickly disappeared.
Carlisle mentally groaned. It was painfully obvious that the guilt was crushing her. While he needed her to understand the reason for the punishment she was about to receive, he knew she was accepting it for the wrong reason. She was clinging to the idea that she needed to be punished to make up for wronging Edward, and that just wasn't the case. Still, she required a firm hand to help release her from the grip of that guilt before it caused irreparable harm to her spirit. This was no longer just a learning opportunity. This was the good doctor doing what he did best; healing.
With a heavy sigh, Carlisle cleared his throat.
"Kitten, are you ready?"
"No," she replied as she shook her head before burying her face in the cushion.
"No one ever is," he said with a slight smile as his hand came to rest on her bottom. "Alright, Rose. Let's see if we can repair some of the damage and start rebuilding that trust in each other."
She nodded only to give a startled yelp as his hand was whisked away and brought back down with a sharp smack to her right cheek. Biting her lip, she tried to silence her cries as he slowly and methodically began to pepper her behind. It wasn't as horrible as she imagined, but the mild stinging strokes gradually began to overlap, painting her entire back end with fire.
Squeezing her eyes tightly closed, she fought back the tears as she reminder herself about how much she deserved this and more. She had allowed Edward to sacrifice himself because she had been to much of a coward to do what she knew was right. He had been in this same position, but unlike her he had been innocent of the crime he was accused of. If she could turn back time and take his place she would, but that was impossible. Since there was no fix for what she had done, the best she could offer was to finally suffer what he had suffered. And she would do that in silence.
Carlisle felt the young woman's entire body stiffen. She was fighting the pain. She was fighting him for control instead of letting him lead her where she needed to go. Luckily, he had experience with this phenomenon. He knew the easiest way to regain his control over his miscreants.
Raising his right knee slightly, he shifted her position to give him better access to the tender under-curve and tops of her thighs. While the first stroke to the ultra sensitive area wasn't overly hard, it cracked her resistance with ease.
Rose cried out and struggled to twist away, but a firm hand in the well of her back kept her pinned in place.
"Let me go, Carlisle. Please. Enough."
"You have to be the first to let go, Rosalie," he calmly replied as he kept up a steady easy cadence.
"I don't know what you're..." she began before tears claimed her voice.
"Stop fighting me. Stop being brave when there's no need. Rose, you have to trust me. You have to let go of the emotions that are poisoning you."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can," he said as he tipped her a fraction further forward and really set her rump ablaze with minimum effort. "I don't blame you for being scared, honey. Edward doesn't blame you. Esme certainly doesn't blame you. The only person blaming you is you. It's over. Now, let it go."
Tears leaked out from beneath her closed lids and trickled over her cheeks, breaking her will and freeing their counterparts in a flood of crystal venom droplets.
Rose automatically gasped for unneeded air as her sore tight muscles began to relax.
Carlisle's blows, which hadn't been particularly hard, lightened a little more as he felt his daughter accept the pain that set her guilt free. Her body stilled and soften as she sobbed across his lap. With a few harder smacks to further encourage the cleansing tears, the spanking stopped and Carlisle's hard hand immediately returned to gently rubbed her back and shoulders.
"You've done really well, kitten. I'm so proud of you. You're very brave."
"I...I don't...feel brave," she whimpered into the couch.
"Then that's just something else you're going to have to trust as well, because you are."
"It hurts."
"I know, sweetie, but it doesn't last."
"Edward was hurting for days," she shared as her tears continued to flow.
"No he wasn't," Carlisle said with an answering smirk. "Within a few hours the worst of this will have faded into a memory."
"But..."
"Rose, who do you trust more, me or Edward?"
Sniffling, she tried to ignore the pain in her blazing backside enough to think.
"You," she finally answered and realized that was the truth.
"Good, because I will never lie to you. Edward, on the other hand, seems to need a refresher course on how to behave like an honorable gentleman."
With her tears slowing, Rose began to push herself up off Carlisle's lap. Seeing her intention, the doctor gently assisted her to rise then stood her between his knees until he was sure that she was steady her on her feet.
"Are you going to beat him with that bar of soap?" she asked as she swiped the back of her hand across her eyes to dry her remaining tears.
The doctor's brow creased in confusion. Taking he her hand, he pulled her down and carefully sat her on his lap.
"Why in the world would you think something like that?" he inquired as he enveloped her in his arms.
Resting her head against his shoulder, she sighed.
"I heard that men will sometimes do that. They put soap in a sock and beat people."
Carlisle chuckled softly and chucked her beneath her chin before shaking his head.
"No, baby. I will not be beating Edward with a bar of soap. For one thing, he wouldn't feel it. For another, the soap would most likely explode on impact making a mess no one would want to have to clean up."
"Then why did you send him for soap?"
"To wash his mouth out for his lies."
Rose's still damp eyes widened as she sat up to look at him directly.
"Are you going to wash mine, too?"
"No, sweetheart. Your punishment is over and all is forgiven. Your slate is clean," Carlisle said before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Do you think Edward will forgive me? Maybe if you changed your mind about that soap thing, he could."
"You're determined to defend Edward even after all that he put you though?"
"He helped me when I needed it the most. I know we're not friends, but I don't want to see him suffer any more. Don't you think he's learned his lesson? I think he has."
"You are more than friends. You two are siblings, and that's exactly how you act. I don't know how I'm ever going to keep Edward under control if I'm going to have you and Esme arguing his case for him from now on."
"Not forever. Just for now. Will you at least think about it?"
Carlisle tucked a stand of hair behind her ear with a sigh.
"I'll think about it. No promises, Rose, but I will consider your argument, and that's going to have to be good enough."
After a moments consideration, she nodded.
"I can live with that."
"That's so good to hear, kitten," he said with a smile. "I would hate to have you languishing until I come to a decision."
Exhaling, she once again laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Am I really forgiven?"
"I promised you that I would never lie to you, didn't I?"
"You did."
"Then yes, baby. You are completely forgiven. I don't want you to fret about this incident any longer. You made a mistake in judgment. Nothing more. And I trust you'll be a bit wiser the next time something like this comes up."
"Oh, I will. I never want to be spanked again."
"Good, because I would be thrilled to never have to put you over my knee again. It's no fun for me, at all."
"I'm sorry," she muttered as she relaxed in the warm comfort of his embrace, allowing it to calm and reassure he of his continuing affection.
AN: There you go, guys. Hit a few road bumps along the way that slowed it down, but we got there eventually. Thought about give Rose that pass, but she wouldn't let me. Carlisle was all for it, but that stubborn woman was determine to have her way. *shrugs* Might add another chapter to wrap this one up. Maybe a little brother/sister bonding. We'll see. What do y'all, think? And hey, do you think Carlisle should give Eddie a reprieve and skip the soap? Let me know.
Thanks for reading. Love you all. *hugs*
Now off to track down Jane and Alec.