Okay this story takes inspiration from and will probably share some similarities to Ladivina's brilliant story "A Place Called Home". But there will be some differences as well, and also a bit of rearranging of movie events. For one thing, I'm going to suppose for this story that Gaston never agrees to help Maurice rescue Belle until much later in Belle's tenure at the castle, so the whole thing where Maurice is left tied to a tree for the wolves is the scene that plays out in the mirror after Belle and Beast dance. For the inspiration of that part, I owe thanks to Mustard Lady and her story "There IS A Beast Running Wild", though there the circumstances are a bit different and leaving Maurice for dead happens at the correct place in the story, but it is what bred that particular plot bunny.

I'm going to challenge myself a bit with naming chapters. Ever since I was 10-11 years old, so a little over two decades (I'm dating myself aren't I? lol), my favorite music has been by singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot (odd choice in music for a preteen in the mid-90's, but my mom brought home a CD one day and I was instantly hooked!). So I think I'll see if I can find lyrics from his songs that would make appropriate title chapters. Could be a challenge, but I decided I'd give it a shot.

Within those parameters, titling this first chapter was quite a challenge. I finally decided to title this chapter "The Terrible Affair", lyrics found in the song Cherokee Bend by Gordon Lightfoot. The song as a whole isn't appropriate to this chapter or story (as will likely be the case for most lyric-inspired chapter titles), but I decided that what Gaston did to Maurice qualifies as a pretty terrible affair indeed.

And while I hadn't intended the title of the story itself to follow this naming scheme I'm applying to the chapters, it turns out that it does. The story title, Learning To Live, can be found in Gordon Lightfoot's song The House You Live In.

"Where are we going?" Belle asked as Beast led her in from the ballroom balcony.

"West Wing," he responded. "I have a mirror there that will let you see your father. It shows you anything you'd like."

When they reached their destination, Beast picked up a mirror beside the bell jar containing the rose and handed it to Belle.

"I'd like to see my father," she said. After a moment, her expression became quizzical and concerned.

"Hmm," she said.

"Is there something wrong?" Beast asked.

"Possibly," Belle said. "He's in a wagon with Gaston and LeFou. In the woods. I'm not sure what's going on. I'm a little worried though. Do you mind looking with me?"

Beast placed a paw on her shoulder as he watched.

Gaston was beginning to lose his temper.

"I knew I shouldn't have relented and decided to follow you on this wild goose chase of yours to find a Beast in a castle holding Belle captive! Let's go back home!"

"No," Maurice said. "This looks familiar. That's the tree that blocked my path. Though it seems to have resumed an upright position by some sort of magic or...other."

"He told them about you, trying to get help," Belle said. "Likely they didn't believe him but he persisted and Gaston finally agreed. I can't shake the feeling he has some ulterior motive here. Can the mirror shift focus to Gaston?"

The mirror answered that question by shifting focus to Gaston. They caught the end of his response to Maurice.

"But there are wolves, frostbite, and starvation!" the hunter said.

"Then why did you agree to help?" Maurice asked.

"For one, because you kept insisting," Gaston said. "And because I want to marry your daughter. I figure if I come to the rescue, or try at least, you'll grant me her hand and end her little hard to get game."

"I knew it!" Belle said, an angry edge to her voice. "I knew he had to have some ulterior motive! He thinks I've been playing hard to get! I told him I would never marry him! I thought I made myself perfectly clear!"

"Belle, look," Beast said. "Things are getting heated."

LeFou was now in view, trying to calm Gaston down.

"Think happy thoughts Gaston," he said. "Go back to the war. Blood...explosions...countless widows..."

"Widows," Gaston said, calming down at the thought. Once calm, he walked over to Maurice. "Maurice, please forgive me old bean. That's no way to speak to my future father-in-law now is it?"

"Future father-in-law?" Maurice responded incredulously, having seen Gaston's true nature. "You will never marry my daughter!"

This was the last straw on Gaston's temper. He knocked Maurice out, and the older man sank to the ground unconscious.

Belle and Beast both winced. Belle began to shake and Beast pulled her in close to offer support.

Gaston was getting a rope from the wagon.

"If he won't give me his blessing then he's in my way," he announced as he tied Maurice to a tree. "Once the wolves get through with him Belle will have no one to take care of her but me. Once she returns from wherever she's wandered off to she'll have to marry me."

Gaston got into the wagon.

"For the sake of exhausting all our options," LeFou, clearly uncomfortable with this plan said, "maybe we want to consider a less gruesome alternative?"

"Are you coming LeFou?" Gaston asked, ignoring his friend's attempt at reason.

LeFou reluctantly climbed into the wagon and they headed off.

"Let's see Papa again," Belle said. Belle and Beast looked in horror at the unconscious man bound to a tree. "Oh Papa..." she said.

Beast saw that her hands were shaking so badly she was losing her grip on the mirror. He caught it as it slipped from her hands.

"You must go to him," he said.

"What did you say?" she asked, surprised.

"You must go to him. No time to waste. Get him untied from that tree and take him home."

"Home?"

"Yes," Beast said, glancing at the rose and knowing what he was doing would mean the curse would become permanent and trap the staff inside of inanimate objects that very night. "Home. I was wrong to hold you or him and without my past behavior he would not be in this predicament. I'm setting you free."

"Thank you," she said. "But...there's no freedom for either of us in Villeneuve. I never fit in, though Gaston seems to think that I am God's gift to him. And now it's the village where a man who just attempted murder on my father resides."

Beast pondered for a moment. Certainly Belle and her father were welcome to return to the castle, but could he suggest it without making the return seem obligatory? He had freed her after all.

"You're both welcome to come back here," he offered. "Though I doubt he will like the idea."

"We'll be safe here," Belle said. "He'll come around when he sees that you truly are a good person. Besides he will certainly be glad to be away from the man who made a murder attempt on him. Would...would you come with me by the way? I don't want to trouble you, but I don't know if I can get those knots loosened. No one ties tight knots like Gaston, I'm sure."

"No trouble at all," Beast said. "Go get Philippe ready. I'll alert the staff to prepare a room and meet you outside. Let's make haste, and get there while 'attempt' is the operative word."