Author's Note: Here's my second alternative ending to the 2017 remake. What if Belle didn't take the mirror back to the village, and planned to return to the castle? I have not decided yet whether or not the curse will ultimately be lifted.

Belle's POV

"You must go to him. No time to waste."

Yes, he had indeed said it. He had released her from her captivity to rescue her father. And Belle knew he was right. She had to get going. She did not yet know where they were taking her father or why, but she had to get there just as fast as Philippe's four legs could carry her. And yet she found herself sad to leave. She tried to hand the mirror back to the Beast, but he declined.

"No, take it with you," he said. "So you can always look back on me."

"Thank you," Belle said. She wanted to say more, but words failed her. She turned to leave. But when she got to the door of the Beast's room, she paused. She looked back toward the Beast.

Why, even knowing her father was in trouble, and knowing she was now free, was the idea of leaving the castle not sitting well with her? Had ten minutes even elapsed since she rhetorically asked if anyone could really be happy if they aren't free?

"Beast," she said walking back toward him. She knew what she wanted to do. "Could I bring Papa back here? You know, to live?"

The Beast was startled by this question. Despite hope flooding through him, he would not allow himself to get excited.

"You are free to go," he said softly. "I was wrong all this time to hold you. I'd been wrong to hold your father. And now he's being held again. In freeing you I hope I can right my wrong, even a little."

"And I thank you," Belle said. "With being free to go, I know I shouldn't ask for more, but...could I also be free to return?"

"Of course," the Beast said. "But I don't want you feeling obligated to do so."

"I know, and I don't," Belle said. "Truth is, I don't think I can be free in a village that gossips about me because I love to read. A village that dumps laundry from a contraption I made so that I could read while doing the laundry, just because I had the audacity to teach a girl to read. A village that is carting my father off who knows where or why." She then held the mirror out to the Beast once more. "I will return. And I'd feel better if you kept this. That way if I don't return...and I hope to by sunrise at the latest...I know there's nothing you could do but you could at least know why. I have a feeling Gaston may be behind this. If I'm right, things could go south and I wouldn't want you just wondering."

"Gaston?" the Beast asked, taking the proffered mirror.

"The village hunter and war hero," Belle said. Her nose wrinkled. "God's gift to women, he thinks. And he thinks that I am God's gift to him! I kept spurning his advances. I tried to be polite, but finally just before coming here I had to flat out tell him that I would never marry him. I have a feeling he hasn't been too happy about that."

"You'd better go," the Beast said. "I'll check in on you about when you should get to the village to see that you and your father are okay."

"Thank you," Belle said, squeezing his paw briefly before turning and walking briskly out.

Beast's POV

The Beast watched from his balcony as Belle rode away in Philippe. He then went back into the room and sighed as he caught a glimpse of the rose. Even if she returned no later than sunrise as she'd hoped, it would likely be too late. He would have to tell the staff, some of whom were entering the room, that their fate was, more than likely, sealed. As Cogsworth spoke first, the Beast hated that he was about to take the optimism of the mantel clock and smash it under a ton of bricks.

"I let her go," the Beast said sadly. Even though she expected to return, he knew he'd likely be the only one not completely inanimate.

"How could you do that?" Lumiere asked.

"I had to."

"But why?" Cogsworth wanted to know.

"Because he loves her," Mrs. Potts said.

"Then why are we not human?" the candelabra asked.

"Simple," Cogsworth said. "She doesn't love him. And now it's too late."

"Maybe she'll come back?" Plumette offered hopefully.

"That's her plan," the Beast said. "Though I set her free and told her she was not obligated to return. I...I tried to tell her how I felt. I asked if she could be happy here and she asked if anyone could be if they're not free. I realized she missed her father and brought her up here to show her the mirror. He's in some kind of trouble...they're taking him somewhere. So I told her to go to him. She asked if she could bring him back here and I said she could."

"So there's hope," Mrs. Potts said. "Master, why are you so glum, dear?"

"Because there's hardly any hope," the Beast said. "Even if things go according to plan, there's so little time left. She may not make it in time. So even if she were to love me it might be too late. And that's assuming things go smoothly at the village."

"What's happening with her father?" Lumiere asked.

"We don't quite know," the Beast said. "But she has a feeling the man whose marriage proposal she turned down just before coming here is up to no good. I think it's why she wants to come back here, and why things may not go well. Before she said she wanted to return I told her to take the mirror to remember me by. When she decided to come back she insisted I keep the mirror so if she didn't return I'd know why and wouldn't have to wonder. I think she's worried she'll run into trouble. She said she knew there was nothing I could do if there was a problem but she wanted me to be able to know. I have a feeling she hopes I'll be able to do something even though she said she knew I wouldn't be able to. Either way if I see there's trouble, if I see things going south, I intend to figure something out. I told her I'd look in on her around the time she should reach the village."

"So she will come back," Lumiere said, trying to hold some optimism. "There might still be time. She is capable of loving you."

But the Beast just shook his head sadly.

"Look at the rose," he said. "Just three pet-oh no!" He watched as yet another petal lost its grip on the stem. "Two petals left," he whispered, then watched in utter helplessness as the curse tightened its grip upon those he saw less as servants and more as friends he didn't deserve.

"My gears are wound a little tighter now," Cogsworth groaned as things settled back down.

"I'm so sorry," the Beast choked out, unable to hide the despair from his voice. "I don't know why she made the curse so much worse for you. I'll be forever a Beast but at least I get to remain as I am. I'm the one who brought this whole mess down upon us. Yet I get to live. While you all turn into..."

"Rubbish," Cogsworth finished, causing the Beast to wince quite visibly at the thought.

"You know I never cared," the Beast said. "Even under the curse I regret to say not much thought was given to your fate. I thought if some girl came along and I learned to love and she learned to love me...not that I ever thought it would happen but if it did I was more concerned about myself being free than you all. I guess I thought learning to love would strictly mean just the one whose love I hoped to earn. Now that Belle came and I learned to love it's not just her I care about. I love and care for all of you. Funny thing is at this point I almost don't even care if I remain a beast forever. Just knowing what the curse will do to all of you as it takes full effect...it's...the thing that disturbs me most is I don't know if you'll all be essentially dead or..."

His voice trailed off.

"What is it Master?" the motherly Mrs. Potts asked. "You're worried we might suffer a fate worse than death, aren't you?"

"If...if you have all the appearances of ordinary inanimate objects...but were forever imprisoned in the objects you will then completely be...aware but unable to move or communicate..." the Beast said. "Don't get me wrong the thought of you all dying is nearly unbearable. But if you're aware once the curse has full effect..."

"I guess we must hold onto the hope she'll be back in time," Lumiere said. "And that she'll love you."

"That hope is slim Lumiere," the Beast said. "Granted a shred of hope does remain but I'd be doing you a disservice to encourage false hope. If I can give you nothing else I can at least give you honesty...which means acknowledging that the odds aren't in our favor."

"Maybe it would be better for all concerned if she'd never come at all, never given us any sense of hope," Cogsworth said. "Never let us watch our master's heart soften to the point he cares about those around him."

At the last sentence, the Beast looked down at his chief of staff, crest fallen. Utterly wounded.

"Cogsworth, you think him not having softened is preferable?" Lumiere asked. "What have I told you about a broken clock being right two times a day?"

"That it wasn't one of those times," Cogsworth said. "If I recall, you last said that when Belle first arrived and I said she could never love him. Starting to look like that was one of those times to be right, isn't it?"

"No mon ami," Lumiere said. "They're so close...she's already close to loving him. And saying that it would be better if the master never learned to love is also not one of those times for being right. And quite unkind to say, especially in his presence."

"I think I'm glad I've learned to love," the Beast said softly. "And softened. I just wish the lesson hadn't come too late. If you must fall under full effect of the spell, I want you to know it's not without my grieving for you. I appreciate you all. I'm just sorry that was not the case until recently." He sighed. "Now go. Our time has almost passed. I'd...rather not have to watch you turn completely. I suppose that makes me a coward."

The staff all looked sadly into their master's eyes before taking their leave. Mrs. Potts lingered in the doorway, then turned back and moved closer to the Beast.

"Don't be too disheartened by what Cogsworth said sir," she said soothingly. "Of course we're all glad to see you changed. Your mother would be proud of you dear. I'm sure she rolled many a time in that grave of hers as your father caused the kindness she was instilling in you to be buried so deep you forgot it was within you. You've become the person your mother had hoped you'd become. No matter what happens to us, or whether or not Belle loves you, never forget you're the kind soul we always knew you could be. No matter what you are on the outside, you're no beast inside, and if we must go we'll go with that knowledge as comfort."

The Beast offered a small flicker of a smile but remained silent.

"Shall I make some tea and bring Chip up?" Mrs. Potts asked. "Might be the last hot cup of tea I'll ever be able to make for you."

"No," the Beast said. "Thank you but no. He'll probably want to do his bubble trick and I'll see it knowing he's to lose his playful antics. I know you always admonished him for that and while I always gave it a rather gruff reception it was one of the few things that I secretly smiled about when I was alone. Oh Chip. He's just an innocent little lad. Mrs. Potts I'm so sorry."

"Things are what they are," Mrs. Potts said, trying to keep a brave face. But she knew she was not fooling the Beast. She couldn't fully hide the distress she felt at the idea of her son becoming just an ordinary teacup. She turned and left, wanting to spend what time remained with her boy, but also wanting to spare her beloved master having to further witness her grief.

The Beast watched her leave, almost wishing he'd accepted the offer of tea, almost wanting to see Chip blow bubbles one more time. Yet he also knew he wouldn't be able to bear it.