Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer, not me.
Warning: This chapter contains disciplinary spanking so if this bothers you, then don't read and don't flame!
A/N: Your guys' reviews are AMAZING and HILARIOUS! I SO LOVE hearing all your comment and opinions on all that has happened. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
This was definitely my fav chapter, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Chapter 13: Parental Duties and Affections
Bella's POV:
I watched my mother walk out and close the door before turning and facing my father. He was sitting in his chair, leaning forward with his head in his hands. His eyes were closed and he took slow, steady breaths. I wasn't really sure whether he was trying to calm himself down or readying himself for what was about to happen.
I felt guilt just watching him as it was my actions that had caused this. We could've been having a good time hanging out, joking and laughing as we had just been doing if I hadn't been so idiotic. Instead, I had once more put Dad in a position he detested being in.
Butterflies fluttered through my stomach as I thought of my impending punishment, but I no longer felt the paralyzing fear like yesterday. I was nervous, that's for sure, but I knew that once it was over and done with I would feel a whole lot better.
Dad finally let out a loud sigh before lifting his head, opening his eyes and turning towards me. Stern and unamused Dad was once more showing, and I lowered my eyes as I sat myself once more on the couch.
"You really disappointed me today, Bella," he began quietly, and I glanced up at him in clear shame. "As you are aware, I cannot help but feel as though you did not listen to a word I said yesterday as you repeated nearly the same key mistake. You let your temper get the best of you and you were careless with your safety." He gazed at me with stern eyes, and I forced myself to maintain eye contact. I wanted to apologize, but I had a feeling he'd heard enough apologies from me already.
"I obviously failed in making a suitable impression on you, but I promise you I will not make that same mistake again," he declared, his soft voice taking on a harder edge. "I am going to spank you for the second time in as many days, and I am warning you now that yesterday's spanking will seem like love pats compared to what it awaiting you."
My eyes widened at his words, and my palms began to sweat as my anxiety increased. Worse than yesterdays? I thought yesterday's punishment had been bad enough!
"Why?" I finally managed to choke out. "How is what I did today worse than what I did on Friday?"
"You put yourself in more danger today than you did on Friday. However, while that is a factor, the biggest reason today's punishment will be worse is because this is a repeat of a lesson I felt you had learned yesterday," he explained. "I was obviously wrong so I am hoping that a sore bottom will prove to be a better teacher." I frowned at his words, becoming even more nervous if possible.
"Besides," he then stated, "I gave you less than you deserved yesterday. It was your first spanking and I wanted to make sure I did not overdo it. I am more aware of what you can handle, so I feel more comfortable applying a little more force," he told me in a casual tone.
"You sure you don't need to go easy on me again today?" I decided to ask in a hopeful tone. "What if you're wrong?"
He gave me a knowing look as he answered, "I am not wrong, but if you are so worried we can always practice today and do the actual punishment spanking tomorrow morning."
I balked at the mere idea and rapidly shook my head negatively. "No, uh, I trust that you know what you're doing, Dad," I said hastily, and he smirked briefly.
"Very well Bella," he announced shortly as he stood up, "I see no reason in dragging this out. You know what you did wrong, so let us be done with this unpleasantness. Stand up," he ordered.
A cold chill passed through me at his order and I found myself frozen to my seat. Alright, so maybe I was a tad bit more nervous that I had originally thought. It's Dad's fault. I mean, why in the world he thought it a good idea to tell me I was getting a worse spanking than yesterday was beyond me. I was better off not knowing.
"Stand up Isabella," my father ordered once more, his voice becoming much firmer, and I reluctantly got up before moving aside to allow him to sit down. My heart was pounding and I was shaking from nerves and fear. Tears were already prickling at my eyes and we hadn't even begun.
Once Dad settled himself he gave me a scrutinizing look before saying, "Sweats down and over my lap." I groaned before quickly doing as he said. The quicker this started the quicker this would end. I had given Dad enough trouble today, so there was no use in putting up a fuss for this punishment when I knew I had thoroughly earned it.
Dad adjusted me to his liking, pulling me forward a little and wrapping a secure arm around my waist. He then pulled my panties down and I immediately latched on to a throw pillow and buried my head in it. I could feel my face heating up as I let out another groan. This was so mortifying.
"Why are you receiving this spanking, Bella?" Dad suddenly asked and I lifted my head off the pillow long enough to answer, "For disobeying your order to not leave the house and for endangering my life by going into the woods."
"Correct," Dad responded as he soothingly rubbed my back. "Are you ready to begin?" he then asked and I just groaned in response. Apparently he took that as an affirmative because he tightened his hold before bringing his ice cold hand down on my upturned bottom.
Smack! I let out a gasp at the pain before clenching my teeth tightly and burrowing my head into the pillow. I was determined to take this spanking with a little more dignity than the last one.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Ouch! Did it hurt this much yesterday?
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
I whimpered as tears began to fall down my face.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Ouch!" I finally yelped as he alternated smacks between one side and the other. The tears cascaded down my cheeks as I desperately fought the urge to fidget or reach a hand back.
Smack! Smack! "Ow, I'm sorry!" Smack! "Ah!" Smack!
He kept his swats slow and steady which unfortunately allowed my mind to register the increasing sting before the next swat landed.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Owwww Dad, please! I'm sorry!" I yelled out, now past the point of caring about my dignity.
Smack! Smack! "Ouch!" Smack! Smack!
I was openly crying now, still trying to keep from fidgeting or trying to protect my burning backside, but finding it increasingly difficult. This man sure knew how to spank.
"I do not appreciate my rules being broken or forgotten so easily, Isabella Swan," Dad began to lecture in a stern tone, and I screamed out a repentant, "I'm sorry!"
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
"I am not trying to control your life, but I am trying to keep you safe," he continued. "You have chosen to be a member of my family and I accept and love you more than you know, but there are a few things you are going to need to learn lest you plan on landing yourself in this position quite frequently." I began to cry even harder when he said he loved me as I was feeling quite undeserving at this point.
"Are you listening to me, Isabella?" he then asked, pausing the spanking, which allowed me time to catch my breath so I could choke out a, "Y-yes Dad!"
"I do not set many rules, but the ones I do are to be obeyed without question," he informed me. "This will be even more important once you become a vampire, but I would appreciate it if you would learn this lesson now. I know you are used to doing as you please, and that Charlie and Renee have never really given you many rules, but as I am sure you have realized, that is not the way things work here." His voice was strict as he spoke, although his hands were comforting as one rubbed my back while the other rested on my bottom acting like a much appreciated ice pack.
"Esme and I are your parents and from here on out I will expect you to treat us with respect and to follow our rules. If you find yourself in trouble it will be us who you answer to, and I warn you now not to try and keep things from us because we always find out," he warned.
I nodded my head in understanding, still too upset to really speak. I hoped this meant the spanking was over, but that hope was quickly dashed when I felt another burning swat land on my backside.
Smack! Smack! "Ahhhh, Daddy please, I'm sorry!" I sobbed, but he continued to bring his hand down.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Owwww!" I screamed.
"This is not a lesson I want to repeat again, Isabella Marie Swan, so you had best take it to heart. You do not disobey my orders and you do not endanger your life so needlessly. Learn to think before you act because I would really hate if anything were to happen to you because of carelessness. You are loved by every member of this family and the thought of losing you is unbearable," he spoke, his voice hoarse from the emotion he was holding back.
"I-I-I'm s-so sor-sorry!" I stammered in shame, hating myself for the pain I had caused. "I-I won't be-be re-reckless ever a-again!"
"I hope so, baby," he replied before pausing my spanking for the second time. I used this break to catch my breath again as I had been gasping from the effort of trying to speak through my sobs. I once more found myself hoping for this to be the end, but like before my hopes were dashed.
"Give me your hands, Bella," he ordered softly, and I blinked in confusion. Why did he want my hands?
"Now Isabella," he repeated more firmly and I hastened to comply. He wrapped his left hand around both my wrists in a gentle, yet firm hold. Uh oh, I couldn't help but think. He's keeping me from reaching back.
I heard as he took in a deep breath. "This next part is going to be extremely painful, but it will be over quickly," he informed me, his voice determined yet tinged with sadness. "Brace yourself," were the last words I heard before the fire was lit once more.
His hand began to come down hard and quick, much quicker than before. I tensed at the increasing pain before beginning to wriggle and yell. My bottom was on fire. The way he was spanking allowed no time for my body to adjust to the increasing pain so all I could do was holler and sob pitifully.
"Ow, oww, owwwww!" I roared, desperately trying escape his grasp. I was sure this spanking could get no worse when he abruptly began to work on my sit spots.
Oh god. "AHHH! Daddy, please stop! I'm sorry!" I begged. He said nothing and it was shortly afterwards that I just went limp. My energy was spent and I no longer fought or begged. I could only sob.
Carlisle's POV:
She has given in, I thought in relief, and I immediately stopped the spanking. My heart broke at the mournful wails my baby girl gave, especially since I could hear my wife's sobs as well. Oh Esme, I thought sadly, this is why I wished you had not stayed.
Reluctantly pushing thoughts of my sobbing wife out of my head, I turned my attention fully on my little one. I rubbed her back in comfort with my left hand while placing my right hand gently on her tender bottom. I could feel the increased heat coming off and I knew my cool hand had would help soothe some of the pain. I had worn out my poor daughter's behind real good and I knew she would feel this for at least a couple days.
This spanking had been extremely difficult for me to give, but I had managed to see it through to the end. I had gotten the idea to add the small breaks to give her some time to recover before continuing once more so I could insure she could endure the punishment I had planned for her. I also spanked slower in the beginning to allow her time to adjust to the pain as I increased the intensity. I believe I overwhelmed her with the first spanking I gave her both physically and emotionally so that was why she was not able to handle the entire punishment. This time though, she had managed to endure everything I had planned on giving her before giving in.
My heart clenched tightly when I noticed Bella's sobs were not decreasing in the slightest. Lifting her up, I slowly and gently pulled up her panties and sweat pants before setting her on my lap. She began to cry even louder as she immediately latched onto me, one arm wrapped around my neck while the other held on tightly to my shirt.
"Shhh baby girl, shhh," I spoke soothingly. "It's over and you are completely forgiven."
"I-I-I'm s-sor-sorry!" she somehow managed to choke out in between her sobs, and I immediately responded, "I know Bella, and I have forgiven you. It's alright now, there is no need to be sorry anymore."
Her sobs did not lessen though. "I love you so much, my baby," I whispered lovingly into her ear, "And I promise you that I and your mother are no longer upset with you." She continued to wail loudly into my shirt as she shook her head at my words. I wondered what that was about, but she was too distraught to verbalize.
I was seriously beginning to worry. Never had any of my children remained so inconsolable after a punishment, and I wondered if I had overdone it. Did I hurt her?
I rubbed the back of Bella's head as I whispered loving and comforting words over and over to her, but it did no good. She kept crying and shaking her head at me.
"Bella, what is it?" I asked desperately, near tears now as I was close to panicking. "Did I hurt you terribly?" She just shook her head, but I had no idea if she was truly hearing what I was saying or just shaking her head every time she heard my voice.
"Please, please talk to me," I begged, and she forced out a nearly incoherent "sorry". I was too hard on her, I thought, furious with myself. What if I bruised her? I should apologize, I considered wildly before grimacing. I made it a point to never apologize to my children for having spanked them as it would make it seem as though I were in the wrong. No matter how much I hated being the cause of my children's pain I knew that I was doing what was best for them, so no apology was needed.
I am going to apologize, I decided. I must have seriously harmed her, and she is too afraid to say anything to me. "Bella, baby, I am so"—
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Carlisle Cullen!" I suddenly heard my wife interject sharply, and I snapped my mouth shut. "You have done nothing wrong, do you hear me? Bella deserved every bit of that spanking and you will not apologize.
"She will not stop crying," I responded too quickly for Bella to understand. "I do not know what to do, and every time I speak she just shakes her head at me."
I heard as my wife sighed before speaking. "Carlisle, take a deep breath and calm down, your distress will not help our daughter," she ordered firmly and I frowned lightly before doing as I was told. "Good," she said, "now listen to me closely. You told me so yourself that Bella takes our chastisements much harder than her siblings, so why are you so surprised that she is so inconsolable?"
"She did not react this way yesterday," I defended, and my wife sighed before muttering to herself. I wasn't sure what she said, but I was sure it was an insult towards me.
"She did not react like this because you gave her a very mild spanking," Esme countered in forced calm, and I could tell she was both frustrated with me and saddened over Bella's mournful cries. "I also have a feeling she felt guiltier about what landed her this spanking than yesterdays, so that could be a contributing factor."
I pondered her words, and relaxed slightly as I sensed the truth in them. Jeez Cullen, I thought self deprecatingly, you have not been in top form these past few days. You need to pull yourself together and quit having so much self doubt. Bella is not your first child, she is your sixth, so you have plenty of practice in dealing with rambunctious teenagers.
I took in another deep and calming breath before shamefully apologizing to my wife. "I am deeply sorry, my dear," I spoke repentantly. "I have not been myself"—
"Oh darling," Esme sighed, "stop castigating yourself and bring Bella over to our bedroom. After today's antics and this punishment I have no doubt she must be exhausted, so perhaps we can both give her enough comfort so that she may fall asleep."
I smiled at the suggestion. "That is a brilliant idea, Esme," I praised lovingly before picking my young daughter up and making my way towards my bedroom. Her cries had begun to quiet somewhat, but as I entered my bedroom and began to lay her on the bed, they picked up in tempo and volume as she gripped onto my shirt with both hands.
"N-No Daddy, p-please do-don't l-leave me!" she sobbed, and my heart broke at both her words on tone. Glancing up at my wife I saw that she was covering her mouth to contain her sobs while tears cascaded down her cheeks.
"Of course I am not leaving you, baby," I immediately responded reassuringly as I quickly lay down beside Bella. "I told you before, I will never leave you." Bella began to cry even harder than before as she wrapped both arms around me and buried her head in my chest. I absolutely hated seeing Bella so upset, especially when I was the cause.
I held my daughter close and rested my cheek on her head as she let out all her pent up emotions. Esme was still crying, but she lay down right next to Bella and began to rub the back of her head. Bella jumped in surprise as she whirled her head around to see who was touching her, and when she saw it was her mother she twisted around and until she was lying on her stomach and wrapped one arm around Esme while the other held tightly to my shirt.
"Mom!" she screamed and Esme quickly began to coo and murmur sweet nothings into our baby's ear. Bella tugged at my shirt and I moved closer, so that Esme and I were basically sandwiching her between us. I dimly wondered if Bella was cold, but with the sweatshirt and sweatpants she was wearing I figured they kept her warm. That or she did not care or notice the cold our proximity caused.
I let out a small sigh of relief when Bella's cries finally quieted down. Tears continued to fall silently, a whimper given every now and then, but she seemed to be recovering. I rubbed her back in comfort and eventually the tears stopped all together as her breathing began to even out. I could tell she was falling asleep and I exchanged a relieved grin with my wife.
At this point Bella let go of my shirt and let go of Esme. Shifting herself so that she was now laying on her side she then grabbed hold of my hand and brought it in front of her. Realizing what she wanted I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close so that her back was up against my chest. Bella then wrapped her right arm around Esme and lay her head down on Esme's outstretched arm. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes.
I looked at Esme to see her looking at Bella with adoring eyes. A soft lullaby began to emerge from her and I recognized it as one she had sung to the children on different occasions when they been upset. She had even sung it to me once and I had found it to be very soothing.
I lay my head down right next to my daughter and just inhaled her flowery scent. Thank you God for gifting me with such a precious daughter. I will love, cherish, and protect her for as long as I live.
The night passed too quickly for me and my wife. We said nothing to each other for fear that the slightest noise would disturb our slumbering child, but our exchanged glances told me she enjoyed last night as much as I did. It was lovely to be able to hold my daughter in my arms and watch as she slept. She looked so incredibly young, more like a ten year old than the eighteen year old young woman I knew her to be. I did not mean this in a derogatory sense, but it was just that Bella had a very youthful complexion that really showed when she was unguarded.
It was around 8:30 in the morning when Bella blearily opened her eyes. She had not moved an inch in the entire night and her right arm was still wrapped around Esme while the left was holding onto my hand. I truly loved the fact that I was able to offer Bella comfort, and that she felt comfortable enough with Esme and I to have us this close. It always astounded me how she held no fear towards us, not even instinctually. I had hissed and even growled at my human daughter, but she had reacted to those threatening gestures as though I were merely a human yelling at her.
"Good morning, Bella," Esme greeted quietly as she softly caressed her cheek and I placed a kiss on her head.
"Good morning," Bella responded absently as she took stock of her position. Her eyes flicked from her hands to Esme and then to me, and she immediately let go and blushed.
"Oh jeez, I'm sorry," she apologized, "you didn't need to stay with me all night. I'm so sorry, you must think"—she was saying before I rolled my eyes and covered her mouth with my hand.
"Hush Bella," I spoke as Esme gave an exasperated shake of her head. I released my hand off her mouth before saying, "One day I do hope you will cease to feel the need to apologize for such ridiculous reasons."
"We loved that we were able to bring you comfort Bella," Esme added with a kind smile. "Please, please do not feel ashamed about this. As terrible as it was to see you so distraught, last night will be a memory I will cherish for all eternity. It has been a long time since I had the pleasure of holding my baby while they slept," she said lovingly, and I gave her an endearing look.
Bella blushed even more at Esme's words and I could see how touched she was. "Aww Mom, you can spend the night with me whenever you want. I'm sure I could convince Edward to let you and I have a night or two together every week," she said, and my wife's face lit up. I beamed with pride at my daughter for having made her mother's day.
"Thank you Bella, I would truly love that," Esme responded happily.
Bella nodded her head before shifting herself so that she could sit up. "Bella dear, you are not"—I began to warn, but it was too late as her still tender backside made contact with the bed and she let out a gasp of pain. Her face turned red as she immediately turned onto her side to hide her face in Esme's chest.
I watched sadly as she rubbed her bottom to ease the sting. Well, I certainly knew I had not gone easy on her as she still certainly felt it.
"You will have to be more careful, Bella," I advised, "at least for a few days."
Bella let out a groan as she complained, "I've got school tomorrow. How am I going to manage sitting on those hard chairs?"
I grimaced as I had not anticipated this problem. My vampire children were quicker to recover, and if I knew they would be unable to sit still at school I would usually allow them to stay home until they were sufficiently healed. Perhaps I could find some way to convince Charlie to allow Bella to spend tomorrow at home.
"It will be alright dear," Esme soothed comfortingly as she gave me a look. Yes, it seemed my wife was on the same page as I.
"Bella," I felt the need to ask, "How are you, truly?" Bella turned her adorable brown eyes towards me and I expanded. "You were quite distressed after last night's spanking, and I just want to make sure you are doing alright."
"I'm sorry Dad," she responded guiltily and I felt a flicker of confusion before she then said, "I handled that really badly and I'm so ashamed of myself. I'm so sorry for being such a letdown. I don't know how you guys can"—
"Enough Bella," I interjected in a gentle yet firm tone. "You have no reason to be sorry or ashamed of yourself. You handled the punishment very well," I informed her.
"But I wouldn't stop crying," she argued with shame, and I shook my head at her.
"You are supposed to cry during and after a spanking, baby, and you are definitely free to cry for as long as you want. You were emotionally spent over everything that had happened yesterday, and then the spanking I gave you was much harder than your previous one. Your tears were just a way of releasing all the pent up emotions and guilt you were feeling," I explained kindly as I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"And you are definitely not a letdown, darling," Esme added as she turned Bella's head towards her. "Never for even a second believe that you are a disappointment to us. We may be disappointed in your actions at times, but never with you. Carlisle and I are both extremely proud to have you as a daughter, I hope you realize that," she declared emotionally.
I could smell Bella's tears as she hastily wiped at her face. "Thank you," she began, glancing first at Esme and then at me. "Thank you for treating me like a daughter and putting up with all my stupidity."
"There is no need for thanks," I responded lovingly, "and you are not like a daughter, my dear, you are a daughter."
Bella's grin widened and she let out a few more tears as she gingerly turned and wrapped her arms around me. I held her close just willing the love I felt for her to be somehow revealed in this hug.
"I love you guys," Bella stated when she broke apart, and this time it was my wife with the tears in her eyes as we both responded, "I love you too, Bella." Esme held out her arms in invitation and I helped Bella shift over so that her bottom would not touch anything. The two women embraced and I watched them with a proud smile.
I was amazed at how much things had changed over these past few days. Well, change might not be the best word, perhaps solidified. Yes, that sounded better. Esme and I had already had a good relationship with Bella. She had never been afraid to talk to us and we had previously had several bonding moments. This past weekend though, our relationship became that much more solid. Bella had truly accepted that she was a Cullen, that she was a beloved daughter and sister, and that made me immensely happy. I was ecstatic in how much stronger my bond with Bella was, and I could only hope that as time went on it would continue to strengthen.
Bella settled herself on my wife's lap and just laid her head on Esme's shoulder. She looked as though she were ready to doze off again when she reached out a hand and took my right hand in hers. She lightly ran both hands over mine as she turned it from one side to the other. She gazed down at it with a scrutinizing look and I wondered what she was thinking. At the same time I also began to wonder if our cold, hard bodies ever bothered Bella. I could only imagine that our hugs were not that comforting as it would feel to her as though she were being hugged by marble.
"Bella," I called and she flicked her eyes to me, "Do our cold, hard bodies ever bother you?" Bella raised her eyebrows in surprise, a look mirrored by her mother, although Esme's quickly turned curious while Bella's turned amused.
"No," she answered with a shake of her head. "I'm kind of used to it," she said with a shrug, "and I don't find it uncomfortable or disturbing in any way," she added with a knowing look. "I find your hugs to be extremely comforting." And as she finished speaking she snuggled more closely to Esme who kissed her on the cheek as she gave her a hug. Since Bella had not released my hand I gave her two a gentle squeeze with my own, and she rewarded me with a beautiful smile.
She then turned her attention back to my hand, and curiosity burned at me once more. "What are you looking for?" I questioned, and Bella's cheeks became tinged with pink before she shyly answered. "I, uh, well I was kind of wondering how your hand could be so hard and unrelenting when it's crashing down on my poor behind, and then be soft and gentle when caressing my cheek or holding my hand." She gave me a sheepish look at the end of her explanation as I grinned.
Esme gave me a knowing look, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You are not the first of our children to ask your father that question," Esme informed Bella. "They have even asked me, but I have been unable to explain that anomaly." I rolled my eyes at her words as Bella laughed. Her laughter was like music to my ears.
Bella flicked her eyes back towards my hand and was just letting go when her attention was caught by something. Quickly grabbing a hold of it once more her hand moved to my wrist. Oh, I see, I thought as Bella gave me a concerned expression. She had seen the bite mark on my wrist.
"What happened? This looks just like mine" she stated as she pulled up her sleeve to show me her scar. A flash of anger spurred through me at the memory of how her scar came to be, but I did not let it show as I gave my daughter a reassuring look.
"It is nothing," I responded, but she gave me an incredulous look as she asked, "Who bit you?"
I pondered over her question and how much I should say. It had been my little angel, Alice who had given me this scar. It had been only a few months ago during our little…absence from Forks and I still could not help but feel slight shock as to how it had come about. Alice had been troubled by news of her human life and instead of confiding in anyone she had kept the terrible news to herself. One day at school some unfortunate human had said something that reminded Alice of her human life and she had lashed out at the human, knocking her unconscious with a single blow the face.
Esme and I had arrived at the school completely bewildered by what had happened and Alice had been extremely uncooperative and unrepentant in the principal's office, which caused the principal to expel her. Upon arriving at home Esme and I had confronted Alice, but she had been belligerent and irritable, not explaining anything, so I had sent her to her room to give all of us some time to calm down. She remained quiet for an hour or so before completely losing control of herself and beginning to destroy her room in a seriously uncharacteristic fit of rage.
When I had attempted to bring her under control, she had fought me tooth and nail, but I was stronger so she had been unable to escape. Realizing this, she had given me a mighty jab to the ribs which caused my grip to loosen. As she made a desperate bid for freedom I reached out to grab her and she bit down on my wrist. Ignoring the searing pain I had still managed to grab hold of my rebellious child and prevent her from escaping. It had not taken me long to get her back under control after that and when she had finally calmed down I had given the girl a serious whipping, my belt included. I was unsure as to which one of us was more upset afterwards, her or me as we had both been sobbing. It was the worst spanking I had ever given her.
"It was Alice," I finally answered, "and I will not go into detail." Bella's eyes widened dramatically and her mouth fell open.
"Alice?" she gasped in shock. "Little Alice?" I could understand her disbelief. I too had been in disbelief when it had occurred.
"Yes, and I would prefer if you would not ask her about it," I added in slight warning. Alice was still extremely bothered by what she had done and had yet to fully forgive herself. Bella nodded her head, her eyes still wide, but I could see she was extremely curious. I could only imagine how this must look to her. While not a regular occurrence, I was used to my children occasionally being foolish enough to attack me. It was vampire nature, but to Bella it must seem incredibly strange. Human teenagers did not attack their parents when angry.
"Please do not worry about this, Bella," I said reassuringly. "Vampire nature sometimes causes violent reactions. It is a part of who we are, and while I will not tolerate any of them attacking me or your mother, I am not shocked by it. I do expect your siblings and Edward to have better control of themselves, but tempers do get lost on occasion."
Bella nodded once more, her eyes no longer wide, but still holding a hint of shock. She did not truly understand, but she would one day.
"Have any of the others hurt you like this?" she asked in a small voice, and I knew she specifically wanted to know about Edward. I pursed my lips in thought, not really sure I wanted to answer this question. My daughter already looked disturbed as it was.
"Alright, no more," Esme suddenly stated authoritatively, "I do believe Bella has heard enough." I nodded my head in agreement as Esme helped our still shell-shocked daughter out of the bed. "Go and get dressed and when you come down I will have breakfast ready for you," she stated, and Bella mutely nodded her head before walking out. Her gait was stiff, and I heard her suck in a breath as walking no doubt aggravated her 'wound'.
I followed my daughter's movements with my ears, surprised when she actually made it to Edward's room without once stumbling.
"Carlisle," my love called, grabbing my attention. "Do you still intend on punishing Bella for the phone and essay issue?" she asked, and I frowned deeply. Bella was obviously very sore and I was tempted to just let these incidents slide, but…no, I would go through with it. Hopefully by coming down hard on Bella for her disobedience Bella would learn how serious I was about her following my orders.
Giving my wife a serious look I informed her of my decision. "I still intend on doling out those dozen swats to her. If this experience is unpleasant enough for Bella, perhaps I can insure that she behaves, at least for a little while," I said with a slight grin. Esme's face fell slightly at my words and I pulled her close to me.
"Do not tell me you are about to plead for leniency for our baby, are you?" I asked in amusement. "Was it not just yesterday where you were scolding me for being too easy?"
"I know Carlisle," she argued, "but you have seen how sore she is. I am sure yesterday's spanking was sufficient."
"Esme, darling," I sighed before placing a light kiss on her lips, "it is only a dozen swats and I will make it quick. It will reignite the fire for a bit but not add any more discomfort."
Esme bit her lip as she stared into my eyes before giving a slow nod. I nuzzled my face against hers and she tenderly ran a hand through my hair.
"You really need to hunt Carlisle," she whispered as she placed a soft hand on my cheek. I covered her hand with mine as I responded, "I know my love, but I will be just fine until the others get home this evening."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Esme questioned sternly. "Your temper is always shortened when you're thirsty," she remarked delicately, and an old spasm of guilt flashed through me. I had once allowed my thirst to go for too long and in a fit of temper I had taken a punishment too far with one of my children. Esme had been far from pleased and I had felt her displeasure for an entire week. I cringed internally from the mere memory of the incident. The lesson had been well learned though. I had never allowed myself to go so long without feeding and I had definitely learned to never deal with my children if I even had a mere inkling that I could lose my temper.
"Esme, I assure you I am perfectly fine. The short hunt from yesterday is enough to tide me until tonight," I assured her confidently, and she gave me a scrutinizing look. I had to work hard at preventing myself from fidgeting like an errant schoolboy under her gaze. After a few moments she relaxed her gaze though and gave a conceding nod.
"Alright, as long as you are sure," she stated, and I nodded before bringing her in for a passionate kiss.
"Mmm, as much as I would love to continue this," Esme mentioned breathlessly, "we have a human to feed."
A low growl rumbled in my chest as I gripped onto my wife tightly. "She can feed herself," I mentioned huskily, capturing her lovely lips with my own. I nibbled lightly on her bottom lip and she moaned before placing her hands flat against my chest. Pushing me away she then stated, "Bella will wonder where we are and come looking for us."
"Uh huh," I mumbled, not truly listening as I began to place light kisses along her jaw line. She appeared to be giving in so I began to unbutton her blouse as she gripped a fistful of my hair.
"Bella is in the house," she gasped, and I responded, "She is human; she will not hear a thing." She gave up fighting at that point and literally ripped off my shirt before running her hands all along my back. I gave a growl of pleasure before ripping off her blouse and bra.
"You are so beautiful," I declared as I stared at her exquisite body. She gave me a saucy grin.
Bella's POV:
I made it to my room without stumbling once, and I felt rather proud of myself. Since I'd showered in the evening I decided just to do a quick rinse before once more donning sweats, a t-shirt, and thin sweatshirt. My backside was really tender and I knew jeans would be painful to wear. I was already walking a bit stiffly as the sweatpants alone caused me discomfort.
Boy was that spanking horrible; much worse than Saturday's, that was for sure. Tomorrow was going to be hell sitting in those hard wooden seats. I had no idea how I was going to keep from fidgeting and what excuse I would give if questioned.
After making sure I had my cell phone on me I made my way carefully down both flights of stairs, surprised when I saw no one in the kitchen. I didn't see any food either which I found odd as Esme had told me she was making me breakfast. I frowned at that thought. Wow, I sounded like a spoiled child. I was definitely capable of making my own breakfast.
Looking through the fridge I grabbed a couple eggs and some bacon. I set them on the counter and set about in search of a pan. Ugh, now where did Esme keep the pans? Oh yes, in the cabinets too high for me to reach. Wonderful.
I heaved a sigh before pushing myself up onto the counter top. Sitting on my knees I reached up to the top cabinet and picked out a pan. Unfortunately for me, as I pulled out the pan I wanted to use the rest of the pans in the cabinet fell out as well and as I went to grab at them I fell off the countertop.
I cried out in pain as I had landed on my aching backside. I then quickly covered my head as the pans came crashing down on and around me.
"Shit!" I yelled before giving a startled yelp when Carlisle burst into the kitchen with a worried look.
"Bella," he shouted as he blurred over next to me, "are you alright? What happened?"
"I'm fine Dad," I mumbled sheepishly as I avoided his gaze, "I kind of just fell off the counter when I was reaching for a pan."
"Bella," he chided mildly, "you have got to be more careful. You should have used the stool that is in the pantry or asked Esme or I to help you. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm sorry," I responded quietly before I shook my head and said, "No, I'm not hurt, just a little bruised probably."
Dad looked me over with a clinical eye before taking both my hands and helping me stand. "Yup, definitely bruised," I told him with a grimace as I rubbed the side of my thigh. Glancing at Dad my eyes widened and I blushed furiously when I noticed his…state of undress. He was bare-chested and a part of me couldn't help but notice how hot he was. He had larger, more defined muscles than Edward, but not overdone like Emmett. I probably could've dealt with him just being shirtless, but a glance down revealed he had no pants on, just boxers. Yes, my Dad was standing before me wearing nothing but his boxers…Oh. My. God.
Dad seemed to realize his lack of attire for as he stared back at me I knew if it were possible he would have been blushing as furiously as I was. Mom appeared at that moment dressed in a bathrobe, thank God, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what I'd just interrupted. Wait, did I interrupt them or were they already, um…Oh man, stop thinking, stop thinking, stop thinking!
She stared between the two of us, and I swear she was fighting back an amused smile. Her eyes were sure twinkling like mad.
"Missing a few articles of clothing, Carlisle?" she asked with a smirk, and I desperately wished that the ground would swallow me whole. This was not happening. Somebody please shoot me now. Where was the Clorox? I needed to bleach my memory this instant before I was permanently scarred for life.
Dad crossed his arms across his chest and shifted from one foot to another self consciously. He threw Mom a mild glare before giving me a sheepish smile. "Uh, I, um," he stammered and I could not help but stare at him in surprise as I had never heard him sound at such a loss for words.
Mom flashed over next to him at this point and turned him so that he was facing the entryway. "Go get dressed, handsome," she ordered with a playful swat to his bottom.
"Esme!" he shouted in outrage while at the same time I screeched, "Mom!" in an absolutely scandalized tone. My dear mother burst into laughter at this point and my father fled as I just about died from mortification. I was certain my face would be a permanent red from this moment on.
When Mom finally stopped laughing she gave me an apologetic look as she walked over towards me.
"Are you alright?" she asked in sudden concern as she took in the mess on the floor, and I just nodded my head, still unable to truly comprehend what had just happened.
"I am so sorry, Bella," she apologized sincerely, "I should have placed the pans at a distance you could reach."
"It's fine Mom," I stated before mechanically attempting to pick up the mess.
I've got it," Mom said as she quickly gathered all the fallen pots and pans and placed them on the counters. "I'm sorry darling," she apologized once more, "I meant to come and make you your breakfast, but…," she trailed off with a slight grin and I gave her a 'please stop talking' look. She laughed lightly before setting about making my eggs and bacon.
"I can do that," I quickly said, and she waved me off. "It is no trouble," she stated.
I huffed and just leaned against the counter noting as my father poked his head around the corner. He gave me a charming grin before stepping into the kitchen fully clothed, thank God. Esme turned and he gave her an impish look as she winked at him.
"Oh, for crying out loud you two, please, please stop!" I begged. "You have officially scarred me for life! I am for sure not sleeping in your bed tonight! Jeez!" I exclaimed in disgust.
Mom's face turned apologetic while Dad graced me with a devilish grin. Uh oh.
"The bed is actually safe to sleep in, Bella, as we did not actually….do it in the bed," Dad remarked, and I blushed for the umpteenth time.
"I did not need to know that Dad!" I shrieked and he gave me an 'it is what it is' expression as Mom covered her mouth and unsuccessfully tried to cover her laughter.
Please God let this be a memory I forget during my transformation, PLEASE!
A/N: Poor Bella, although I certainly wouldn't have minded seeing Carlisle in only his boxers, haha! So, what'd you think of the second spanking? And what about Carlisle and Esme comforting Bella? I really thought that part was way cute! PLEASE REVIEW!