"It's like all I ever do with those boys anymore is whoop them. There hasn't been one day in the past week that one of those two haven't had their butts smacked." Carlisle sighs as he and Esme stroll through the woods hand in hand.
"I know, dear. They've been pushing you a lot lately." She agrees.
"I don't know what to do with them. Nothing's changed around her, except their attitudes. And it's like they don't even care if they're punished anymore." Carlisle lets out another big huff and kicks at some leaves. "Maybe we need to switch things up on them. People don't use corporal punishment anymore. Maybe we should try to keep up with the times."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Well, they sure do spend a lot of time on those video games. Perhaps they will shape up if the games were taken."
"It's worth a shot." Esme says. She gives Carlisle's hand a supportive squeeze.
"So, after they fix the hole in the wall, I'll pull them into the office and let them know that the games are off-limits"
Esme nods, but doubt creeps into her mind.
"Let's see how well this goes over."
"Go!" Carlisle says firmly, pointing an angry finger up the stairs.
"This sucks!" Edward groans as he and Emmett stomp upstairs.
As Edward and Emmett disappear, Carlisle rubs his eyes exhaustively. He should have known his boys wouldn't take this new punishment gracefully. After the immature protest they had over losing their video games, Carlisle threaten to take away their television privileges completely if they didn't stop. They didn't, though. Instead, they continued to complain. Twenty minutes later, the troublesome two had lost their games, their television, radios and computers. Finally, Carlisle had enough and banished the boys to their rooms, stating he didn't want to see them downstairs until 8 AM the next morning. Luckily, Jasper and Alice were still gone at the beach. Poor Jasper, Carlisle thinks to himself, would be an emotional wreck if he had to be around the argument that erupted in the office.
"Well, that didn't go well." Esme sighs from in the living room. She turns off the television program she was watching in hopes of drowning out the argument.
"I swear, they're going to be the death of me." He mumbles, but moans when he hears Edward's radio playing loudly. He gives Esme a pitiful type of 'Please help me' look before heading up the stairs to confront his teenage rebel. He flings Edward's door open.
"Ever heard of knocking?" Edward mumbles angrily.
"Don't give me that attitude, Edward Anthony." Carlisle scolds. He goes to Edward's radio and yanks the plug out of the wall, earning an agitated glare from his son. "I told you no radio!"
"That's so damn stupid!" Edward huffs.
"Don't curse when you're talking to me! Where's your respect? If you're upset about the punishment, then you better start behaving so you can earn your stuff back."
"But it's my stuff! I bought it!"
"You bought it? Edward, you've never had to have a job! This stuff has been paid for by my money!"
Edward rolls his eyes, sits on his ouch and looks away from Carlisle with his arms crossed against his chest just as Emmett's television roars to life. Carlisle sets his jaw.
"Emmett! Turn that off!"
"I'm not the one who turned it on!" Emmett responds. Carlisle grinds his jaw. Although he wouldn't dare admit it to his boys, he forgot to take into consideration that Emmett and Rosalie shared a room. He quickly blocks his thoughts for Edward. He knows that Edward isn't above using private thoughts against him.
"Both of you, in the hall!" He demands. He can hear Emmett groaning as he leaves his room, but Edward doesn't make any attempt to move. Completely fed up with his attitude, Carlisle grabs Edward by the ear, forcing him to get off the couch and follow Carlisle to the hall.
"Ow! That hurts, Dad!"
"If you could listen to simple instructions, your ear wouldn't be hurting." He responds. With a wave for Emmett to follow him, he goes down the steps and makes a right to the entry way. He pulls Edward to the corner of the wall and pushes him into the corner, then points to the opposite corner. "Edward, you stay there. Emmett, you take that one."
"Oh, hell no!" Emmett says with a shake of his head.
"Oh, yes. Go. Now."
"You can't put me in time out!"
"If you're going to act like a disrespectful child, then you'll be treated like a disrespectful child."
"This sucks!" Edward huffs, turning around to face Carlisle and Emmett.
"You know what? I don't give a shit what you boys think about it, you're doing it!" Carlisle yells, truly yells at his boys, earning wide-eyed looks of shock from both of them. Raising his voice is one thing, but they definitely aren't use to hearing him yell like that. Even Esme is startled. "Get your asses in there, now!"
"Okay, okay." Emmett says softly.
Grudgingly, Emmett shuffles his feet to the corner. Carlisle spins Edward around and gift his head a gentle push.
"Nose against the wall." He demands. Once he sees that his boys are complying, he turns to go join his wife in the living room, only to hear one last remark from Edward.
"Wish you would just whoop us and get all this punishment crap over with."
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