AUTHOR'S NOTE: I claim no rights to any of the characters or places mentioned, I only claim rights to the story I'm writing.
Belle was devastated as she gently placed Beast's head down on the floor and feared he might not wake. She noticed with huge relief that he was still breathing but he was unconscious, and it was likely his wounds were fatal. Her stubborn and conceited suitor Gaston, who was admired by everyone else in the village, had just now shot and beaten Beast several times before her very eyes. Beast had still been able to jump after being shot and beaten, but the two last bullets Gaston had shot before falling to his demise had wounded Beast crucially.
Now that Belle did not have to worry about Gaston hurting Beast any further in his attempts to kill him, she could finally turn her full attention to her best friend. Beast, in addition to her father, Père Robert and the castle staff, was the one who would not judge her for her love for reading, the one who actually did not mind her wanting to do more than was thought appropriate for ordinary women, did not mind her not wanting to let her knowledge and intelligence go to waste. He had, against all odds, developed an undeniable and deep affection for her merely for who she was, not for her looks. He had set her free when her father desperately needed her, even though he knew it meant he might never see her again, and in doing so, risked never breaking the curse.
Belle kept Beast's other paw in her hands, and tears filled her eyes.
"Oh Beast... I'm so sorry I didn't make it back here in time to warn you," she whispered, and feared any breath might be his last. "I'm so sorry I wasn't able to stop them... please, don't leave me. I need you."
She hid her face against his chest that was rising and falling to his laboured breathing and she started to sob, never letting go of his paw. She realised she could not live without him, she never wanted to live without him again. She raised her head and looked pleadingly at his pained yet strangely peaceful face.
"I love you."
She lifted his paw to her lips and kissed it quickly but gently, before hiding her face against his chest again and succumbing to uncontrollable sobs. The fear of losing him forever now that she had realised he had changed for the better because of his love for her, now that she had realised she loved him, was unbearable.
Suddenly Belle felt Beast's body rising from under her, and she was lifted back into a sitting position. She did not know what was going on, she could only stare at the unconscious Beast. He was now floating in the air in an upright position, and his body was spinning slowly. Out of the blue, a bright light almost blinded Belle for a moment. When she could see again, she noticed that Beast now had human legs and arms with feet and hands. She gasped and forgot to close her mouth as she stared at the very peculiar sight unfolding before her. Another bright light almost blinded Belle, and she covered her eyes with her forearm. When she opened her eyes again, a male body facing away from her was slowly coming down from the air, and gently fell to the west wing floor.
Belle's head was spinning from everything she had witnessed. It took her a moment to shake the initial, weird shock away and get back to reality. She focused her eyes on the lifeless-looking male body in front of her, and gasped. She stood up quickly and ran to the body but stopped when she stood right next to him. She breathed fast when she looked at the wounded but still breathing man by her feet. She got down on her knees and placed her left hand on the man's forehead. She noticed it was alarmingly hot.
Belle desperately needed help, she would not be able to lift the man by herself. When she glanced at the bed, she realised with a shock that now it was suddenly intact. She also glanced outside to the balcony and noticed that the sun was actually shining.
What on earth is going on? she thought to herself and turned her attention back to the man. She tried her best to come up with something to say before she would go downstairs to look for help. She knew the man would probably not hear her but she felt like she needed to excuse herself.
"Please forgive me that now I have to leave you for a moment," she whispered, "I can't lift you on my own, I have to go downstairs to look for help. I will be back, and then I will be able to help you."
She took the man's hand into both of her own and gave it a quick kiss. Then she took Beast's torn cape from next to him and covered him with it before running out of the west wing. In her mind she was desperately praying to be able to find help soon.
When she was running downstairs, she could not help but notice the whole castle seemed to have changed. It had suddenly become even more beautiful than it had been last night when everything had been freshly cleaned. She quickly shook her head to keep her head in what she needed to do, and kept running.
"Mrs Potts? Lumière? Cogsworth? Anyone?" she shouted, and her shouts echoed through the corridors. When she reached the main entrance, she was greeted by bright sunlight, happy chattering, and laughter. She came into a halt, and gasped. She was being looked at by some in a huge crowd of people, some of whom she knew from the village and others that she did not recognise. They looked at her in amazement as they started to whisper. When her yet another shock was over, she ran into the crowd of people that had all turned their attention to her now.
"Help me! Please, I need help!"
"Belle? Belle! It's us!" Belle turned to the direction of the voice, and saw a middle-aged woman in white with brown hair and mask-like make-up, and a young boy with dark hair wearing a dark vest over a white shirt, both of whom seemed weirdly familiar, approaching her. They were followed by-
"Monsieur Jean? Mrs Potts? Chip?" Belle whispered and embraced first Chip, then Mrs Potts, "you are human again!"
"Yes indeed we are, dearie!" Mrs Potts laughed happily.
"It's a real miracle!" Chip declared, just as happily.
"Mrs Potts, I need help, and fast!" Belle said almost hysterically and placed her hands on Mrs Potts' shoulders, sheer despair evident in her voice. Mrs Potts seemed a bit confused but then seemed to notice something.
"Where's our master? Didn't he come with you?"
"That's why I need help, he's wounded! He was shot... and beaten... it's likely that he's dying!"
Mrs Potts gasped and one of her two hands flew to her mouth. Monsieur Jean, who had been listening to their exchange, called for Lumière and Cogsworth.
"Yes? Ohh, mademoiselle! You're 'ere! Cogsworth, she 'as come down!" A man with a very familiar voice said as he noticed Belle and jogged towards her. An older man, whom Belle guessed to be Cogsworth, followed him.
"Lumière! Cogsworth! I need help, he-"
"The prince was shot and needs to be lifted to bed," monsieur Jean said quickly.
"Where is 'e?" Lumière asked immediately, worry evident in his voice.
"The west wing, there's no time to waste!" Belle said quickly and started running back inside when she noticed Lumière, Cogsworth, monsieur Jean, Mrs Potts, and Chip followed her.
They all ran in silence as fast as they could, and Belle wished with all her might that there was still hope for the man.
"He's been on his own for about ten minutes, severely wounded… Oh I hope from the bottom of my heart it's not too late!"
Worry had brought about a tightening ache to Belle's chest, as if someone was squeezing her lungs. She feared that he might already have died during the ten minutes she had been gone. She didn't want to think about the worst but she couldn't help it. She was afraid of losing the person she had learned to love in the beast forever.
"Is he... did anything else happen to him?"
Belle got confused by this question at first but she caught up quickly.
"Yes, he... transformed! He's human now, too!"
They reached the west wing and rushed inside. They found the male body lying on the floor under the torn cape. Lumière and Mrs Potts gasped.
"I'll wait just outside with Chip," Mrs Potts said almost breathlessly and turned away with Chip.
"Why can't we stay, Maman?" Chip asked with obvious disappointment.
"Because our Master is in an ill condition, I don't want you to see him in his current state."
When they started their way back out the door, a beautiful young woman ran into the room. She had gorgeous dark hair and a stunning face. She also seemed really worried when she noticed the grim looks on everyone's faces.
"Lumière, my love, why did you leave so suddenly? What's 'appening?"
Belle turned to look at the woman, and a warm but sad smile spread on her face.
"Plumette?"
"Yes, Belle, it's me," the young woman said and embraced Belle. Belle started trembling in her embrace.
"What is it, what is 'appening 'ere?"
"Beast, he... he was severely wounded before he... transformed, and he's still unconscious! He might die!"
Plumette held Belle and did her best to comfort her. Belle had her arms around Plumette's neck while watching the men carefully lift the unconscious man onto the bed.
"You know, I never got to hear his real name," Belle said to Plumette when she had pulled herself back together, and she chuckled just a bit, "he was always just Beast to me. I guess I never even imagined him as human. What's his name?"
"He's Master or Your Highness to us, but his first name is actually Adam," Plumette said and glanced at Belle. Belle returned the glance.
"Adam... that's an unexpected name, but I like it," she stated and noticed that the men had been able to put him down on the bed safely.
Belle let go of Plumette and ran immediately to the bed.
"The bullets need to be removed, and the wounds need cleaning," she said as steadily as possible and tried to keep her emotions at bay as well as she could, "I need carefully sterilised forceps, a bowl of hot water, clean towels and bandages for the wounds. I also need a cold, damp towel for his forehead for he seems to have a fever, and that's why he also needs a shirt. Oh and could someone bring a clean blanket, there is and will be a lot of blood."
Monsieur Jean, Lumière and Cogsworth all nodded to her and left the west wing at once. Meanwhile Belle sat next to Adam on the wide bed. She let her look wander from his shoulder-long, blonde hair to his exposed chest and arms. Then she focused her eyes on his face. She now had a brief opportunity to take a better look at him as human, and she was amazed. He had a very noble, stunning, oval-shaped face. His jaw seemed strong and he had a beautiful nose and lips. Belle wished she could see his eyes open. She wondered if they were the same, stunning blue she couldn't get her own eyes off of last night.
"Belle?"
Belle was pulled back from her thoughts by monsieur Jean who had rushed in holding forceps. Lumière was holding two neatly folded white towels and Cogsworth a bowl of steaming water. Mrs Potts and Plumette brought in the blanket and the shirt, and Mrs Potts stepped back outside of the room after nodding to Belle.
"Great. I think he needs to be carefully turned to his side because he was... shot in the back, all the gun wounds should be there," she said with firm determination and took the forceps from monsieur Jean, "if two of you will please turn him so that his back is facing the balcony, I need the best possible light." Lumière placed the towels on the wide bedside table and Cogsworth put the steaming bowl on the floor, "and if one would prepare me a hot, damp towel to clean the wounds with."
Lumière and Cogsworth grabbed hold of the unconscious Adam and gently turned him to his left side while monsieur Jean took one of the neatly folded towels and dipped it to the steaming bowl. Belle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She found the first wound on his right shoulder blade in no time, and shifted herself closer. She tried to avoid blocking the sunlight with her own shadow, and stayed just out of the light's way while searching for the bullet with the forceps. She found the metallic piece, and pulled. It wouldn't come out easy but she managed to pull it out relatively quickly. She dropped the bullet from the forceps.
"Monsieur Jean," she said and monsieur Jean passed her the towel. She kept the forceps in her left hand while carefully cleaning the wound with her right.
"Plumette, can you bandage the wound?"
Plumette nodded, and came to the bed. She held one of the bandage ends against Adam's side and rolled the bandange from under him when Lumière and Cogsworth helped lift him just enough to slip the bandage under him. Lumière helped Plumette with one hand, giving her the bandage from the other side, and Belle noticed the looks they exchanged. She could not help but smile to herself.
When the bandage was done, she found the second wound down on his left side.
"You need to turn him your way just a bit, the other wound is on his left side", she informed and waited for Lumière and Cogsworth to turn him just slightly until she was able to tend to the wound.
"Ugh… 'e's not the lightest person to 'old up like this," Lumière said almost breathlessly.
"Well, would you be?" Cogsworth asked and earned a look from Lumière.
The second bullet was easier to get out, and Belle dropped it next to the first one. She turned the towel around and tended to the wound with the clean side.
"I think... I think there were three shots," she whispered to herself as she tried to recall the shots, "monsieur Jean, would you kindly prepare me a clean towel? Plumette, this wound is ready for the bandage."
Belle tossed the used towel to the floor next to the bed and waited for the second bandage to be ready. The third wound was almost right below the second one, a little to the right.
"You can lift him back to his side, this one is a bit more to the middle of his back," she said and crouched back closer to Adam. Lumière and Cogsworth both sighed in relief when they didn't have to hold as much weight as moments ago.
At first Belle got startled because she could not find the bullet immediately but after searching as gently as possible, she finally found it and easily pulled it out.
"That's it, all the bullets are out," she sighed, dropped the last bullet next to the two others and then the forceps on top of the used towel before cleaning the last wound with an unused towel. Then she reached her hand out to the surprised Plumette who had expected to bandage the third wound as well but smiled as she passed Belle the bandage. Belle did not know why but she wanted to bandage the last one herself.
"Lumière, Cogsworth, do you think you can put the shirt on him? I mean, after the blanket has been changed. I think the other bed clothes have been spared."
"Yes, of course," Lumière said, and all the people in the room helped take away the blood-stained blanket and change it with the clean one. Then Cogsworth grabbed the simple, white shirt Plumette had brought. He and Lumière put it carefully on Adam.
Belle knew she had done everything she could do for now, but she wished she could somehow miraculously heal him. She wished more than anything to meet Adam in his human form. She caressed his hair lightly and took a deep breath before standing up next to the bed.
"Thank you everyone for helping me… for helping him. I don't think he would've lived this long if it weren't for everyone's help," she said quietly to everyone and turned to look at Adam with a cautiously hopeful face, "I believe there is still hope that he will recover. We're not on safe waters just yet but seems like it's as promising as possible after what happened."
"Thank you, mademoiselle, for taking care of 'im," Lumière said and placed a hand on her shoulder, "we are, again, eternally grateful. Okay everyone, perhaps we should leave our master to rest. We've done everything we can, for now."
"I think someone should stay by his side at all times, I'd like the first watch if that's okay," Belle said, blushing.
Lumière nodded and winked, and the others smiled. Belle hugged him and all the others one by one before they were leaving.
"Wait! Could you send in Madame de Garderobe and maestro Cadenza for a short visit? …I'd like to meet them as humans, too. And I'm sure they'd like to see him."
"Bien sûr, mademoiselle."
When everyone had gone, Belle sat down on the blanket and wrapped her knees in her arms, facing Adam.
"Belle? How is he now?"
Belle turned quickly to look at the doorway, and she saw that Mrs Potts and Chip had come in.
"As can be expected," Belle replied and turned to look at Adam again, "he seems to breathe easier already, now that the bullets have been removed and the wounds have been cleaned."
"You have done incredibly well, dearie," Mrs Potts said and sat down next to Belle. Belle would have wanted to say something but could only bring herself to smile sadly. Chip was standing on the other side of Adam's bed.
"It's weird to see everyone as humans again, and weird to be one again," he said with his sweet voice, "you did it, Belle!"
This confused Belle very much.
"I… I did? What does that mean?"
Mrs Potts sighed.
"When our master was turned into a beast, he was given one way to break the curse. He had to learn to love another, and earn their love in return. Last night he admitted he'd fallen in love with you, and I believe you have fallen in love with him, too. Otherwise we wouldn't be human. I'm very sorry you weren't told earlier, but had you felt at all like it's your duty to love him, it wouldn't have worked."
Belle listened curiously, and could not decide how she should react to what she had heard.
"So that's why it happened right when I…"
Belle was interrupted by a high-pitched note, rich in vibrato, that echoed through the west wing, and its suddenness startled all three who were in the room. An amused smile spread on Belle's face, Mrs Potts frowned playfully and shook her head, Chip laughed.
"Aaaah! Finally she gets to see us as humans, amore! How exciting!"
A beautiful, almost middle-aged-looking lady and a slightly funny-looking man with missing teeth and messy, grey hair stepped into the room.
"You will startle the master awake if you can't keep it down, Madame," Mrs Potts said amusedly to Madame de Garderobe. Madame de Garderobe blushed and looked at Mrs Potts with an apologetic smile. Then she gasped and turned her attention to Adam.
"Oh my goodness, how is he?"
"He's as well as can be expected," Belle sighed again, and smiled at the Madame. The Madame gasped when she noticed Belle, then spread her arms while walking to Belle and Belle gladly embraced her.
"I'm so happy you're all human again," Belle said over the Madame's shoulder and backed slightly from the embrace.
"We're happy, too. And we're very grateful to you for helping our master, helping him in many ways," the Madame said and placed one hand on Belle's cheek. Belle smiled sadly.
"I just really hope he'll make it."
"We all do, mademoiselle," maestro Cadenza said quietly. Belle smiled sadly and nodded at him, earning a polite nod in response.
"Well, maybe we'd best leave our master to rest and Belle to her watch," Mrs Potts said, and she and Chip embraced Belle, "is there anything you need, dearie?"
Belle was surprised by this question because everything she had thought of now for hours was what Adam needed.
"I… think I need to drink some water, and I'd love to read something as there's not much I can do now," she said gratefully, "Chip, you remember where I left Romeo and Juliet, right? Would you get it for me?"
"Yes!" Chip seemed overjoyed by Belle's request and set off to fetch the book at once after Belle had tousled his hair.
"I'll bring you some water, and I'll see you later. We'll send someone for the next watch in some hours," Mrs Potts said and left from the west wing after Chip.
"We'll see you later, mademoiselle," Cadenza said warmly and gave Belle a sweet but amusing smile. Belle chuckled just slightly and nodded to him. Madame de Garderobe embraced her again, and they left. Belle sat back down on the bed, waiting patiently for Chip and Mrs Potts to bring what she had asked for. When they arrived and left again, she took a deep breath.
She was still sitting next to Adam, and now she was holding the cool, damp towel against his forehead. She was grateful that they all could just breathe for a while now. Taking care of Adam had seemed to have taken longer than it actually had but now she would had time to read. She would rather have talked to him and actually spent time with him but right now she was very happy with her favourite book. It allowed her to escape her fear of losing Adam, which was still inevitably there, just for a while.
Belle lay down on her stomach, holding the book open with her left hand, and keeping the cool towel still on Adam's forehead with her right. At some point she realised she was really tired after the long night, and she sat up in order to not fall asleep before someone else was sent there to keep watch. At some point she took her eyes off of the book and checked Adam for any changes in condition. She noticed that his breathing had slowed down and evened. She smiled to herself and continued reading the book.
The hours passed surprisingly fast, and Belle admitted to that she was hopelessly tired by the time Lumière showed up. He was holding a bowl of water.
"Lumière? You have the next watch?" she asked him, closed the book and yawned.
"Yes indeed, mademoiselle," he declared and placed the bowl on the bedside table.
"I've been holding the towel on his forehead so you don't necessarily need to do it- though please do check his forehead regularly in case he still has a fever, and use the towel if needed," Belle said and put the already damp towel into the bowl of cool water.
"Mais oui," Lumière assured and Belle placed a hand on his shoulder to show gratitude, "now you go and get some well-earned rest, chère mademoiselle. I'll take care of 'im now."
If she hadn't been so tired, she would have been more than unwilling to leave but now that she realised she could barely stay awake, she gladly obeyed.