Disclaimer: Do not own Twilight or any of its wonderful characters

Warning: This story contains non-sexual, disciplinary spanking. If that's not your thing, then DON'T bother READING or FLAMING!

A/N: Truly enjoying all your amazing reviews guys! Haven't read all of then yet, but they really make my day! Well, except for that idiotic loser who decided to post this huge ass review listing the 95 things they hate about Twilight. It did make me laugh, but what a waste of time, haha!

On a side note, for those who fear I may be taking down the original Drunken Consequences, don't be. I'll keep it up as long as I have an account.

Chapter 5: Intriguing Discussion

Carlisle's POV:

My mind was racing as I tried to figure out what to do. Bella had just asked me whether or not I was going to inform Charlie of what happened last night, and I truly was at a loss. He was her father so he had a right to know, but…

"Bella, what do you believe your father would do if I were to inform him of what you did?" I asked, curious if my beliefs were true.

Bella gave an unhappy sigh before answering, "He'd lecture me before deciding to ground me for the rest of my life."

"For the rest of your life?" I questioned with an amused look on my face.

Bella responded with a mild glare and pout before grumbling, "It's not funny Carlisle. If he grounds me then that means I won't be able to see Edward anymore, and we already don't see each other enough as it is."

"You see Edward everyday at school Bella, and then every night," I remarked.

"It's not enough!" was her prompt reply, and I looked at my child in concern as I clearly heard the hint of desperation and panic in her voice. My heart clenched at the shimmer of fear I saw in her expression, and I knew this was a direct result of our abrupt departure from her life. No matter what I said she still feared that Edward would abandon her once more, so she physically and mentally craved his presence. It was unhealthy, but I was certain that with time this insecurity would leave her. However, for the moment it would be best for her and Edward to spend as much time together as possible. They both needed each other.

"What do you propose I do then, Bella?" I eventually asked her, and she looked at me with a surprised expression. I raised a questioning eyebrow to show her that I expected a response, so she took a breath before replying in a hesitant tone, "I don't think you should tell Charlie because I- well, I just couldn't stand being apart from Edward right now. I know it's stupid, but I-I just need to be with him," she tried to explain before I placed a finger on her lips.

Giving her a reassuring smile, I said, "It is not stupid, and I understand perfectly. I also agree with you, so I will not inform Charlie of what happened."

Bella looked at me in surprise once more before giving me a wide smile. "Thank you Carlisle," she spoke in a sincere voice, the relief clear evident in her tone and expression. I gave her a small nod as I caressed her cheek softly.

Well, now that we had that settled did that mean I should punish Bella? She definitely deserved it, but I was not sure how she would respond. I had informed Bella how I viewed her as one of my children, but while she appeared happy at my admission, I did not know how she viewed me. If I decided to punish her, would she even comply? Did I even have the right? I gave an internal sigh. I never anticipated that I would be put in this situation with Bella while she was still human.

"Is that all you propose?" I then decided to prod, curious as to whether or not she felt she even deserved any punishment.

Bella blinked up at me, blushed, and then nodded her head. "Yes, that's all," she said before hastily looking away from me.

Hmm, I mused thoughtfully. Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. None of my other children would have ever willingly admitted to deserving punishment; well, perhaps Jasper, but even he has begun to try and talk his way out of punishments now.

I mulled over what to say or do next, but my silence must have unnerved her for she gave me a nervous look. When I went to ask her what she was nervous about she hastily looked away, so I let the question die on my lips.

"Are you going to punish me?" Bella suddenly asked in a quiet voice as she played with a loose strand of her shirt. I stared at her, caught off guard by the question.

"Why do you think that?" I asked, making sure to keep the surprise out of my tone and expression. Bella gave me an utterly confused and unsure look before looking down at her lap and hesitantly stating, "Well, I-I guess I figured that since you see me a-as your daughter, and-and well since I see you as a father… I mean, since Charlie is obviously not going to be-to be p-punishing me, I-I assumed that meant that y-you would be…" she trailed off quietly doing her best to avoid eye contact.

"You consider me a father?" I then questioned, unable to keep the smile off my face. Bella glanced up at me before returning my smile with an embarrassed one of her own. "I've been looking to you as a father for a while now, I-I just didn't realize it until last night," she explained softly. I nodded my head in understanding before pulling her in for a hug.

"You have no idea how happy your words have made me, sweetheart," I whispered into her ear as she returned my hug.

As I held her in my arms I finally came to a decision: I was going to take charge of Bella's punishment. Not only did I feel she needed it, but Bella was also expecting it. This certainly made things easier on me because I did not fancy the idea of forcing punishment on her. Decision made, I held Bella in my arms for a few more moments before gently pulling her away from me. It was time to get down to business. It was time to teach my newest daughter that the kind of behavior she exhibited the previous night would not be tolerated in this household.

"Bella," I began in a gentle tone, "you asked me if I was going to punish you, and my answer is yes. Your behavior yesterday was, quite frankly, deplorable." Bella attempted to look away at this point, but I pulled her chin back towards me.

"You are my daughter Bella, and I love you dearly," I told her, noticing as her eyes grew wide and her heart picked up in speed. "Being a father is a job I take very seriously," I continued to speak, my gentle voice taking on a firmer edge to it. "As a father it is my job to love, protect, and guide you. Your happiness brings me happiness, your triumphs fill me with pride, and when you are upset or pained my heart aches along with you as I do everything in my power to fix the problem and help you." I paused to allow Bella time to absorb what I had told her. She continued to stare at me with wide eyes, and I could see how vulnerable she was feeling at this moment.

"There is one aspect of fatherhood though," I eventually continued, "that I absolutely loathe, and that aspect is when I need to punish any of my beloved children."

Bella frowned slightly before asking, "Then why do you do it?"

I chuckled softly at the innocent question. "I do it," I answered with a smile, "because in order to protect and guide you I need to correct your mistakes. Children, especially eternal teenagers," I added with a teasing roll of my eyes, "make mistakes, and it is my job to help you learn from them so you can grow to be that great person I know you are."

Bella continued to frown, but she nodded her head in understanding nevertheless.

"I do not know how Charlie or Renee handled things when you misbehaved, so I am going to explain how things are done in this family," I announced, and Bella responded with a worried look before giving a small nod. "To begin with, I want to assure you that when you are in trouble Esme and I will always allow you to explain yourself. We will never punish you without giving you the chance to speak your mind. Now, in regards to punishment, that will obviously vary depending on what you have done. For lesser misdeeds you may receive a scolding, corner time, yes, corner time," I repeated with a grin at Bella's look of surprise, "mouth washing, or loss of privileges. Groundings come after that, and those can vary in length from a few days to months." I paused, noting that Bella was slightly confused at the concept of grounding vampires. "During a grounding," I explained, "you are usually confined to your bedroom, unless of course the grounding is to go on for months. You are only allowed out with permission, and you are only allowed to leave the house with Esme or me. Privileges are usually taken away as well, depending again on how bad the behavior was. Are you following me so far?" I asked.

"Yes," Bella replied in a quiet voice, and I noted that her heart rate was beginning to increase. I was preparing myself to explain about spankings, and I wondered if she was anticipating this. Did she know about spankings? I doubted Edward would have ever willingly told her, but I would not put it past Emmett or Alice to have mentioned it to her.

"For serious misbehavior, you will receive a spanking," I finally stated. Bella turned beet red at my words, but she did not look surprised. "Did Edward tell you about this?" I asked her curiously, and she jerkily nodded her head, all the while flushing from embarrassment most likely. "Yes, he told me about it after-after we got back from Italy," she explained as she avoided eye contact with me.

I grimaced as I understood what she was telling me. I had been quite upset with my son over his little trip to Italy and I had expressed my displeasure by giving him the worst spanking of his life. I had used my belt for most of it, and I knew my poor boy had been in incredible pain afterwards. I had gotten my point across though, and even months afterwards my little man was still suffering from what I had deemed 'post-spanking syndrome'. This meant he was being extremely well behaved and overly polite and respectful with me as he no doubt was not too keen to feel my wrath any time soon. All my children would go through such a phase anytime I spanked them, but it usually lasted from a few days to a month at most, except for Emmett of course who could not behave for more than a few days at a time. Anyways, my son had no doubt been unable to hide his discomfort from Bella, and she had wheedled the information from him.

"What did Edward tell you?" I then asked, but Bella just shrugged her shoulders as she replied, "Not much. He was too embarrassed that I knew, so I just let the subject drop." I nodded my head, deciding how best to approach this topic when I noted that Bella looked as though she wanted to say or ask something. "What is it you want to say or ask me, sweetheart?" I coaxed.

Bella bit her lip, and I allowed her a few moments to collect her thoughts before giving her a nod of encouragement. "Edward was in a lot of pain for several days," she finally spoke, glancing up at me fleetingly before looking away. "Is it always like that?" she asked, and I cringed at the fear I heard in her voice. I was about to answer her but I closed my mouth when she began to speak once more. "He told me—he told me that you used your belt on him, but he also told me that you don't use it often. Why do you use it? Why did you use it on him?" she questioned, and I frowned at the slight accusation in her tone. "Edward explained to me why you sp-punish your kids like that, but I still don't really get it—I don't like it, and I don't agree. I'm sorry Carlisle," she cried, looking up at me with wide eyes full of pleading, worry and fear. "The thought of being punished like that terrifies me," she whispered, and with that she looked away, wiping at the tears that fell down her face. I could clearly see the shame and fear she felt at having expressed her thoughts to me.

I felt sickened and my heart clenched painfully at the fact that a spanking caused my baby girl such fear. None of my other children had ever felt such fear towards this punishment. I mean they obviously did feel some, but nowhere near the amount Bella was exhibiting at this moment. Her fear bordered on terror and I had not even hinted at the fact that I was almost certain her behavior from last night had earned her a trip over my lap. I thought about where her terror may be coming from when it suddenly hit me. I mentally cursed myself for being so foolish and blind. I had been expecting Bella to react as my other children had, but I had completely forgotten that Bella had grown up in a different time than they had. The others had all been familiar with spankings, even Rosalie who had never received one and Alice who had no human memories. They all clearly hated being spanked and almost always pleaded and cried with me to choose any other punishment, but they had never pleaded with me out of terror or questioned why I did it or why I felt it was an appropriate form of punishment.

My sweet Bella on the other hand had grown up in a time where spankings were no longer considered an acceptable form of punishment. In fact, it was considered a form of abuse, which I found to be completely ridiculous. I was well acquainted with forms of abuse, and a spanking, if delivered correctly definitely did not fall into that category. I suppose I was old fashioned, but I could not help but agree with the old adage, spare the rod and spoil the child. Bella had obviously never been given a spanking, so she feared it. People always feared what they did not understand. I heaved an internal sigh at these thoughts. I treated all my children the same and Bella would be no different. I would answer her questions, be sympathetic and understanding as I did my best to alleviate her fears, but I would also make sure she understood that she would not be exempt from this form of punishment.

Staring at my trembling child I gathered her into my arms and soothingly rubbed her back to help calm her. "Calm yourself, baby girl; you are always welcome to give me your opinion," I spoke to her comfortingly. "You have no reason to feel embarrassed or fearful, do you understand?"

"Mmhmm," Bella murmured as she nodded her head. When she pulled away from me she still looked nervous, but her heart beat had returned to normal and she had lost the look of fear. I ran a hand through her hair, giving her a smile.

"Alright baby, I want you to listen closely now because I am going to answer your questions, understood?" Bella bit her bottom lip before giving me a wary nod. "Good, now regarding your first question on if a spanking is always as painful as what Edward received that one time, my answer is no. The pain from his spanking was worse than usual and took longer to heal due to the fact that I used my belt. As Edward told you I rarely ever use it so your average spanking will never be as painful. A spanking hurts, I will not lie to you, but it is a temporary pain that will disappear within a few days at most," I explained. Bella grimaced and said nothing, so I decided to continue.

"I use my belt only for extreme occasions where I feel that my hand alone will not get the point across. I absolutely abhor using it, but it has proved itself to be beneficial," I remarked and Bella immediately shook her head unhappily. "How could it ever be beneficial?" she asked incredulously.

I gave a small sigh as I considered her question. I was not sure how to respond as Bella still did not understand why a spanking would ever be needed at all. So how then could I explain that sometimes a simple spanking was not enough of a deterrent to someone who was against the concept all together? She would not understand, but I knew I had to come up with something to say. "Bella," I finally spoke with a soft sigh, "it is beneficial because the extra pain and longer discomfort cause my children to think things through more carefully than they normally would. I have only used my belt a handful of times, and whatever offense was committed to receive it has never been committed again. My belt is the harshest punishment I will ever administer, and it is one all my children have learned to avoid at all cost. If I ever threaten you with it, then you had best straighten up quickly because it means you are dangerously close to crossing a forbidden line with me."

Bella's eyes were wide at the end of my explanation, and I could once more see the fear in her eyes. I was certain she had not missed the fact that I used 'you' in my last sentence. "As I already said though," I quickly added, wanting to alleviate some of her fear, "my belt is only used for the worst of offenses. I know you want to know why I used my belt on Edward, but I will not answer your question. Punishment is private, and I will never share any details of how or why I punish you with anyone but your mother and the same goes for each of your siblings. I will say that Edward more than earned his punishment, but if you want details you will have to ask him," I informed her in a firm voice.

"He didn't deserve it though!" Bella exclaimed. "He was distraught from being apart from me, and then he thought I had died! Don't you think you were just a little"—

"Bella, that's enough," I interjected in a sharp tone. I would be patient and understanding, but Bella had to learn that I would not tolerate overprotective mates when it came to punishments. I had gotten enough of that from Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and even Alice. Thankfully they had toned down those protective feelings, so instead of fighting and arguing with me they usually settled for glares and mumbled words I was sure were insults and threats that they knew better than to let me hear.

Bella's POV:

I promptly shut my mouth at his words, not at all liking the tone he had taken with me. Quickly averting my eyes from his stern gaze I tried the best I could to sort through all the confusing thoughts and feelings I was having due to this discussion.

I had not meant to start accusing Carlisle of being too hard on Edward, but just recalling the pain, physically and emotionally that he had been in caused me pain. I knew Edward had messed up, and I too had been upset that he had reacted to my supposed death so drastically, but I didn't think he had deserved such a harsh punishment. I had told Edward this, but he had defended Carlisle, saying that he had deserved every bit of it for what he had put me and our (I had smiled when he had said 'our') family through. I understood what he was telling me, but I just couldn't get over the fact that he was in pain because of his father.

I began to think over everything both Edward and Carlisle had told me about spankings and I couldn't help the way butterflies began to erupt in my stomach. I understood what both of them had told me, but I still didn't like it. I had meant what I had told Carlisle. I was scared. I had never been spanked. I was afraid of how much it would hurt, of how it would be done, and of how I would react.

"Bella," I heard Carlisle sigh softly, causing me to look up at him with distressed eyes.

"I'm sorry," I told him repentantly. "I don't mean to sound accusing. It's just—well, just thinking about Edward's punishment caused me to remember how much pain he was in, and how much pain I was in because of it. I know you would never abuse him, but I still can't help but feel you were too harsh," I finished somewhat stubbornly, wondering if I had said too much when Carlisle's gaze remained blank.

I felt myself relax though when he gave me a somewhat affectionate smile. "Apology accepted sweetheart," he remarked kindly, "And you are always welcome to giving me your opinion if you do so in a respectful manner. I may not agree with you as in this case, but that does not mean you should fear telling me what you think or feel." I gave him a weak smile at this, glad that I hadn't landed myself in more trouble.

"Does the thought of a spanking still scare you?" Carlisle then asked me, and I gave him a slightly wary look as I nodded my head. I hoped he wouldn't be angry or disappointed in me for thinking so. I wished I could be braver, but I just couldn't.

"I'm sorry," I muttered pitifully when his gaze turned pained, hating myself for sounding and being so pathetic.

"Stop that Bella," Carlisle chided softly and I gave him a look of surprise and curiosity. Stop what?

"Stop thinking so negatively of yourself," he told in a mildly stern voice as he pulled me into his lap for the umpteenth time today. "You have nothing to feel ashamed of, baby," he remarked gently. "It is only natural for you to feel scared, so please stop feeling disappointed or angry with yourself because I am certainly not; and you have nothing to apologize for, either," he finished, looking me in the eyes to make sure I believed him.

I gazed right back, and when I saw the truth in his eyes I nodded my head, letting out a breath of relief. If I knew anything about Carlisle it was that he didn't lie, so if he said he was neither disappointed nor angry with me, then he wasn't.

"Bella," Carlisle spoke, causing me to gaze at him once more. "I understand your fear, sweetie. You have grown up in a different time than I, Edward, or any of your siblings, and I understand that today's society has a negative view on spankings, but I assure you that it is not abuse. I will never lay a finger on you out of anger or spite, and I will never spank you anywhere other than your bottom" he explained in a soft and careful tone. I could tell he was choosing his words carefully and monitoring me closely to see that he was not frightening me, but I could not help as my heart pounded away. He wasn't scaring me, but that didn't mean I wasn't still anxious or embarrassed over the topic we were discussing.

"It is natural to be afraid," he continued as he rubbed soothing circles on my hands, "but I do not want you to ever feel terrified of the punishment or of me."

"I'm not afraid of you," I declared abruptly as I gazed at him with imploring eyes. "I could never be afraid of you."

Carlisle gave me one of his brilliant smiles as he gazed at me with loving eyes. "Well," he amended, "then I do not want you to feel terrified of the punishment."

"Too late," I answered, avoiding his gaze.

"Hmmm," he mused as he lifted my chin so I would look at him, "What can I do or say to allay your fears, dear one?"

"Tell me you won't ever spank me," I replied brazenly, and I was rewarded with a raised eyebrow and slight twitch of the mouth.

"I am afraid not, my sweet child," he responded mildly. "I treat all my children the same, and that includes you. It would not be fair if I spanked them and not you."

"So don't spank any of us," I quipped somewhat challenging, cringing a little with his gaze turned slightly stern. I sighed unhappily.

"What is it that is causing you so much fear?" Carlisle questioned concernedly.

"I don't know," I mumbled, not really wanting to explain my fears.

"Please Bella," Carlisle pleaded with earnest eyes, "How can I help if you will not explain to me your fears?" I saw and heard the sincerity in his voice, and I gave a sigh as I decided to give him what he wanted.

"I-I'm afraid of how much it will hurt, of h-how you w-will do it, and-and of how I-I will r-react," I admitted, face turning red from embarrassment. I knew Carlisle had said he was not disappointed or angered by my fear, but I still couldn't help feeling like a coward.

"There is no need for you to feel embarrassed, Bella," he told me as he once more lifted my chin so that I would look at him. "Your fears are completely understandable and to be expected. Would you feel better if I explained things to you in more detail?" he then asked, and I gave him a slightly wide-eyed stare.

"M-maybe," I hedged, not really sure that more details would help. In fact, I was pretty sure it would only make me more afraid.

Carlisle gave me a knowing look, and I could not help feeling mildly annoyed that he could read me so well. I hated being such an open book.

"Very well," he said with a nod of his head. "When I spank you it will almost always take place in my office. In fact that is where most discussions occur when any of my children are in trouble, a fact which has caused them to fear entering it even when they are not in trouble," he explained with an amused glint in his eyes that I did not share. He seemed to notice that for his expression quickly turned serious once more.

"As I mentioned before, we will always discuss why you are being punished before proceeding. I want to make absolutely sure that you understand the reason you are receiving this punishment, because if you don't, then the punishment would be ineffective. You will always be over my lap," he informed, and I blushed at how childish that sounded. "The closeness helps," he added, having noted my embarrassment, "Trust me." I gave a short nod, not sure if I really believed him or not. Carlisle had that all knowing look in his eyes again, but he continued his explanation anyways.

"I normally only ever use my hand, but if you are foolish enough to push me over the edge, I will take my belt to you," he warned, and I was surprised to see a pleading look in his eyes asking me to never ever put him in that position because he would follow through with his threat. While a part of me felt a strong jolt of fear at the thought of being spanked with a belt, another part of me felt touched at how much the thought of such a punishment was causing him to be afraid as well; or perhaps pained was the better word. It was becoming clearer and clearer to me as the conversation went on that Carlisle really did not enjoy spanking his kids, and somehow that was making me feel better.

"I have to add," Carlisle then said, "that depending on the severity of your actions, your spanking may or may not be on the bare." I immediately turned beet red, staring at him with wide eyes. "In fact," he continued on with some reluctance, "if I have to spank you while you are still human, it will almost certainly be on the bare so that I can assure that I am not causing you permanent damage."

Horror and embarrassment flooded through me as I took in his words. No way. No freaking way! I shook my head at him, which somehow caused him to become more resolved. "Yes," he declared firmly. "I will not risk your punishment turning into abuse so you can salvage your pride." I took in his words, understanding his reasoning, but once more not happy with it at all. Carlisle gave me an understanding smile before thankfully letting the topic drop.

"Now," he announced, "onto the matter of how you will react." My heart began to pound even more as I once more gazed at him with wary eyes. He returned my look with a gentle one of his own as he explained, "There is no set way on how you are supposed to react to a spanking. I do have some rules though," he added, and I braced myself for what they would be. "Do not try and stop me. This means no trying to stop me with your hand, no trying to get out of my grasp, and definitely no biting, kicking, punching, or clawing at me. It will not work, and I will make you regret having tried," he remarked simply, and I readily nodded my head in understanding.

"That said, I understand that a spanking hurts," he told me, "and you are more than allowed to yell, holler, and cry all you want; in fact I expect it. You can plead and beg all you want if it helps you feel better, but I tell you now it never works," he said with an empathetic smile. "You cannot, however," he informed me, his tone once more stern, "rage and curse at me. I hope you will be smart enough to realize that in such a vulnerable position it would be detrimental to you to do such a thing, but alas, it has not stopped the others, so this is my warning to you. As with attempting to stop me, if you rage or curse at me I will make you very sorry." I gulped at his words, once more nodding my head in understanding although my heart pounded away in fear.

"After the spanking is over, I will hold and comfort you until you settle down. I will tell you that no matter what you have done I will always love you; and also, that once a spanking is over with, you are forgiven, always," he declared in an emphatic tone, making sure that I believed him. When I once more just nodded my head dumbly he went silent, just observing me as he knew I needed time to digest all that he had told me.

My mind raced as I processed all that Carlisle had explained to me, and contrary to my belief, his explanation did help me feel better—if only slightly. My terror was beginning to dwindle, but my embarrassment was increasing as I imagined myself lying over his knees, bare-bottomed like a small child. I gave a slight shake of my head to rid myself of that image before taking a deep breath. I really needed to get myself under control. There was no reason for me to be freaking out, especially since Carlisle was only discussing with me what his punishments were and not what my punishment would be. He wouldn't spank me for what I had done…right?

I focused once more on Carlisle who gazed at me concernedly. "Any better?" he asked.

"Yeah," I responded quietly, "a little better." He responded with a relieved smile as he said, "I am glad."

I said nothing at that, my mind still coming to terms with the fact that I could be facing a spanking much sooner than I ever wanted. My palms began to sweat as my heart began to pound as I considered this.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Carlisle questioned, his tone clearly worried.

"Nothing," I replied automatically, before adding, "I just, um—what now?" I gazed at him in trepidation, wondering when we would reach the topic of last night's activities.

"What—Oh," Carlisle responded as he suddenly became pensive. When it seemed he had reached a decision, he gave me a caring look as he ran a soothing hand through my hair. "I believe it is time we take this discussion up to my office," he eventually told me, and I could not help the soft groan I let out.

"Do we have to?" I asked despairingly.

"Yes, now come," Carlisle ordered as he helped me to my feet and guided me to the stairs. With a look that said 'after you', I regrettably led the way to what I was sure was going to be a very, very difficult discussion.

A/N: Alright! Another chapter done and Bella has somewhat come to terms with the fact that she might find sitting to be very uncomfortable in the near future. Please let me know your thoughts by REVIEWING!