This is a short Halloween story at the Cullen house involving the Twilight characters Stephenie Meyer so graciously gave us. Don't worry, I won't hurt them, I'm just playing with them a little and giving them the opportunity to show us how they would handle a situation like this, since they are not the cause for a change. So, just to make sure it is clear, I do not own anything of Twilight except this situation that has presented itself to them. Hope you enjoy it. There will be light disciplinary action and mention of spanking. If this is not your thing, please move on to another wonderful story on this site.

Chapter 1 – Who Did That

Esme:

It's such a beautiful day today and I had to come out to work in my garden. Carlisle is at the hospital, Leah is at nursing school, Jake and Seth started another year of school and my vampire children are all over at Edward and Bella's cottage. I have some blissful time alone since they are all occupied and I can get down to the task of changing my summer garden into an autumn one. I have cleared some of the spent flowers and foliage and have some new fall flowers to plant. It is the first week of September and it is a glorious sunny day. I have just raked a bunch of stems and plants into a pile to put in the wheelbarrow. As I bent down to gather them on the rake, my cell phone rang. It is my delicious husband.

"Hello my love, how is your day going," I asked him.

"Busy as usual my lovely wife. I just got a few minutes of quiet time so I decided to call and see how things are going on the home front," Carlisle said.

"Quiet," I said into the phone.

"Uh oh, why is it so quiet," he asked.

"Don't worry, my love, nothing is wrong. Our vampire children are at the cottage and our wolf children are at school, and I am working in my garden. I just got a pile of old flowers cleared out and was about to…" I stopped in mid sentence.

"About to what," Carlisle asked.

"That's strange. The pile I was about to pick up and put in the wheelbarrow is already in there. How did that happen," I mentioned to my husband.

"Are you sure you didn't already put the pile in the wheelbarrow and just forgot about it since your favorite doctor called," Carlisle teased.

"No, I didn't touch it. Who did that?" I asked him.

"Probably the kids playing a joke on you. You know how they love pranks," Carlisle reminded me.

"Yes, but I would have caught their scent or felt their presence," I mused.

"No worries, darling. Now you don't have to pick it up," Carlisle laughed. "Maybe I better do a thorough examination on you when I get home."

"How thorough and on who," I teased.

"You of course, my love. It will have to be very thorough since you seem to be having a little bit of mental lapses," my husband goaded me.

"I'll show you a mental lapse, darling," I threw back at him.

"Now I can't wait to get home. Have fun with your garden," Carlisle said and hung up.

I know I didn't touch that pile of debris and none of the children did either. That's strange…

Later that afternoon:

My wolf children were home and I was busily fixing dinner and Edward was playing a beautiful tune on the piano and Bella was next to him listening. The two of them were kissing and Jake was teasing them.

"Get a room you too smoochers, there are young wolves here who will be traumatized for life at that scene," Jake teased them.

"Mind your own business, Jake," Bella said.

"You're hurting my eyes and ears so it is my business, Romeo and Juliet," Jake said passing to use the bathroom.

"You're such a jealous hound," Rosalie threw at him.

"Bite me, Rose hip," Jake snarled as he closed the bathroom door.

"I don't want to die," Rose called to him.

"Come on, my love, play that song again for me," Bella said to Edward.

"Of course, hey, where did the sheet music go? Jake, that's not funny, give it back," Edward called to Jake.

"Hey, I'm busy in here, what do you want?" Jake called out from the bathroom hearing his name.

"Give me my music back," Edward yelled to him.

"I don't have your music," Jake said drying his hands and walking out into the living room.

"You do too. Now hand it over before I hurt you," Edward warned him.

"First of all, you can't hurt me, I'm too fast, secondly, what would I do with your crummy music," Jake asked.

"You're the one who walked by, now give it to him," Bella said angrily.

"I don't have it," Jake said standing right beside them. "Hey, what are you trying to pull, it's right there," Jake said pointing to the music now sitting on the piano music holder.

"How'd you do that, wise guy?" Edward asked.

"I didn't do anything," Jake said. "I was standing right here, did you see me put the music back? Boy, you two are getting senile," Jake said walking back.

"Well, don't do it again," Edward said turning back to his second love, music.

"What happened," I asked walking in to see what the commotion was.

"I don't know. Edward and Bella accused me of taking his music when I went to the bathroom," Jake said.

"Did you?" I asked.

"No Mom, it was right there, I didn't take it," Jake explained.

"How did that happen?" I asked now becoming very curious.

"Search me! I was standing there talking to them and it was there all the time," Jake added.

"How could it disappear and then reappear. That's strange," I thought out loud.

I will have to talk this over with Carlisle. This is very similar to what happened to me earlier. It has to be one of the children playing pranks again. They better stop because it is not funny. I made stew for supper tonight and I got the bowls out and Leah set the table for me. I went to grab the ladle I had lying out to dish the stew out and reached for it and all I felt was countertop. I turned to look and the ladle was not there. I looked at the stove, no ladle. I thought I probably put it in the sink, but it was not there either. Turning to look at the island, Seth was sitting there grinning.

"All right Seth, where's my ladle?" I asked him growing tired of this little game. Usually this was not something Seth would do on his own. He has to have either Jacob or Emmett involved also.

"What ladle?" Seth asked.

"The one I had laying here," I replied.

"Sorry Mom, I never saw it. I just sat down here," Seth answered. At that moment, Carlisle walked through the kitchen garage door.

"Carlisle, talk to your son," I said with an edge to my voice.

"What about?" My adorable husband asked.

"Seth and Jake and probably Emmett, are playing pranks and taking things and hiding them," I informed him.

"No I'm not! Dad, I didn't take that ladle, I just got here," Seth implored to his father so he wouldn't get in trouble.

"Seth, don't lie to me, did you take that ladle?" Carlisle asked him.

"No Dad, I didn't," Seth said raising his voice a little. Jake then entered the room.

"What's the fuss about? Did Sethy get in trouble," Jake teased him.

"Don't laugh, Jacob, you're just as bad. You took Edward's sheet music," I said to him. "I know the two of you moved my pile of dead garden material earlier," I said as I called them out on it.

"Mom, we weren't by your garden," Seth answered.

"I'm sure Emmett put you up to this or Jacob," I chided him.

"Hey, what are you accusing me of?" Emmett came in asking.

"Did you three play pranks on your mother and Edward by taking her ladle and moving her pile of debris from the garden, or Edward's sheet music? Don't lie, tell me the truth," Carlisle ordered them.

"NO Dad! We didn't touch those things," they all spoke together.

"Esme, their eyes do not indicate they are fibbing," Carlisle said to me.

"Well somebody did and you three are the first suspects," I said sternly to them.

"Stop it, right now, or you will all answer to me," Carlisle admonished them.

All they did was grumble but they kept quiet so as not to bring any more warnings from either my husband or me. Jake, Leah and Seth ate their dinner in silence. Each seemed afraid to speak except for Leah, but even she didn't talk much. Soon dinner was over and Leah helped me clean the kitchen up. She put the dishtowel down to put dishes away, and when she turned to pick it up, it had vanished also. Jake and Seth were nowhere in sight. We just looked at one another. Something strange is happening here and my two wolf boys are not to blame. I will have to apologize to them for accusing them of doing something they did not.

Carlisle:

After the fiasco downstairs, I decided to come to my study and work on my papers for the hospital. I sat down at my desk and turned in my chair without looking, reaching and feeling for my briefcase. I always bring it upstairs when I come home and change clothes. Turning around, I noticed my briefcase was not there.

Hmmm, I know I brought that briefcase up here. Looking over to the couch, I saw my briefcase sitting on the couch seat with all the contents splayed out all over the seat. I walked over and examined it. I then became very angry knowing one of my children was playing jokes on us and this has Emmett or Jacob written all over it. I decided enough was enough and I walked to the study door and called them.

"Emmett! Jacob! Get in my study right now," I called to them. I could hear them coming and wondering aloud what the problem was.

"What's up Pops," Emmett asked.

"Yeah, what's got your tie in the blender," Jake asked.

"Don't play the innocent act with me. Which one of you messed with my briefcase and spread it all over the couch? I'm about to tan your hides if you two don't stop all these theatrics," I warned and asked them.

"I didn't touch your briefcase Pops! I know better than that," Emmett said. I could tell he was being honest.

"I didn't even notice you had a briefcase, Dad. I'd never mess with your things," Jake answered.

"Well who did it then? Did you put Seth up to this?" I asked them eyeing each of them.

"NO! No way!" Both answered.

"Something is going on here and I've had enough. Come on, we are going downstairs," I said herding them down the stairs.

Reaching the living room I called everyone in and made my announcement.

"Okay, all day today things have been disappearing and reappearing. Whichever of you is doing this, I want it stopped now. It would be in your best interest if you followed my instructions. Anymore of these shenanigans, and I will deal with whoever the culprit is and it won't be fun," I said sternly to them.

"Dad, I don't think it is any of us," Alice said.

"What do you mean, Alice?" I asked her.

At that moment we all heard a giggle coming from behind where I was standing. We all turned in the direction of the giggle but saw nothing.

"What was that?" Leah asked looking intently past me.

"More importantly, who was that?" Edward asked…

To Be Continued…

Please Review!