I hadn't meant to post my stockpiled chapters in such rapid succession, but I seem to be on a bit of a roll. I even have chapter five waiting in the wings. Don't know how long I'll be on such a roll, but hey, I'll go with it.

The title of this chapter comes to us from the song Race Among The Ruins by Gordon Lightfoot. Though the lyric I chose is "one less friend to call on", this chapter is when Beast discovers several less friends.

Once back at the castle, Maurice dismounted Philippe but found himself a bit uncoordinated. He began staggering, and Beast put his paws on Maurice's shoulders, removing them only when the man's footing was sure. Maurice turned and had the unfortunate experience of setting eyes on the rose garden that held a pretty terrifying memory. He began to shudder. In what he hoped was a reassuring gesture, Beast laid a paw on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I'm sorry too," Maurice said. "I do owe you an apology. What I did technically does qualify as theft, though that was never my intent. I was making an annual trip to a market to sell music boxes I'd made. Each year I ask Belle what she'd like me to bring her and each year she asks for a rose. Each year I give her my word that I'll bring one. Just as I did this year. Every year until now I'd kept my word without problem or fail. I was en route when a storm hit, downing a tree right across my usual path, forcing me onto another, leading me here. I saw the roses as I was leaving and remembered my promise to Belle, and I allowed my good judgement to lapse. Your reaction may have been extreme but you did have a right to object. So I do offer an apology for that."

Beast hung his head in shame.

"You were just trying to be a man of your word and I judged you for a common thief," he said quietly. "How many people have I harmed making snap judgements based on one moment in time, one single act?" That, he found, was a very disconcerting question to ponder.

Once Belle had gotten Philippe settled in his stall, the trio went inside. Maurice removed Beast's cape from himself and handed it back to its rightful owner.

Something didn't seem quite right to Beast. Things seemed too...quiet. He had expected some staff to come quickly to greet them, if not waiting for them in the foyer.

"Odd," the Beast said. "Where is everybody?" He took several steps further and called out. "Hello? We're back! Cogsworth? Lumiere? Mrs. Potts? Anybody?"

You could hear a pin drop in the ensuing silence.

"Perhaps they're still preparing a room?" Belle suggested.

"After this much time?" the Beast asked. "And all of them? Surely someone would be here."

"Oh look," Belle said, walking into the parlor. "I've found Lumiere and Cogsworth. Hello. Um, Lumiere, why aren't you lit?"

Neither the clock nor candelabra said anything, or made any movement in acknowledgement that they had been spoken to.

"Oh no," Beast said, a mix of realization and panic forming on his face. "Oh, please, no..."

"What is it Beast?" Belle asked.

But Beast didn't respond. Instead he ran out of the parlor. Belle looked where he was going and watched him ascend the main staircase, then he turned to go up the western staircase. Belle turned to her father, realization dawning on her face now too.

"What's going on Belle?" Maurice asked.

"I don't know absolutely," Belle said. "But...but I think...it's happened."

"What?" Maurice asked.

"Do you remember up in the tower when I questioned a life sentence for a rose?" Belle asked. "And Beast said he'd been cursed for eternity for one?"

Maurice nodded.

"It actually wasn't quite eternal then," Belle said. "But I have a sinking feeling it is now."

As if in confirmation, an agonized roar reverberated through the castle.

"I think he went to check the rose," Belle said. "And has likely discovered the last petal has fallen."

"What rose?" Maurice asked.

"The one tied to the curse," Belle said. "I'm going to go check on him."

"Belle, no!" Maurice exclaimed. "Did you not just hear that roar?"

"I did," she said. "That wasn't an angry roar or a malicious one. I've heard plenty of those before he grew kinder. This was different. It sounds like a roar of pure anguish. Despair. Please have a seat here in the parlor. I'll come back to you once I'm sure Beast is all right."

Belle made her way up to the west wing. She lightly knocked, then opened the door and crept in, closing it behind her. She found the Beast near the table where the rose resided. He was on his knees, sitting with his lower legs folded under him, slumped forward so far his face was nearly on his lap. And he was sobbing.

"Beast?" Belle said gently as she walked over to him. She knelt at his left side, placing one arm around him so her hand rested on his opposite shoulder, and placed her other hand on his left arm. "It's happened Beast...hasn't it?"

He nodded.

"I'm so sorry," Belle whispered. "I'm glad we came back though. Had I just taken Papa back to the village, you'd now be completely alone."

"I'm meant to be completely alone," he whispered. "We should find a place safe for you two to go and I'll be alone as I'm supposed to be once the curse became permanent. That's why it took the staff when it took full effect I'm sure."

"I won't leave you to just rot in the castle alone," Belle said. A realization hit her at this point. "I can't. I love you Beast."

The Beast had been regaining his composure, but it was lost once more at Belle's words. It should have been a relief knowing he had earned her love after all. And on some level it was. But her love had come too late to lift the curse, and that just added to his anguish. He gestured to a piece of paper lying in front of him.

"From the staff," he whispered. "Part of me wishes they'd told me how much they despised me for their fate but they didn't."

As he again worked on gaining his composure, Belle read the note aided by moonlight shining and lending some light to the balcony.

To our dear Master,

The final petal will soon fall and we realize we may be gone by the time you return. Please know we hold no ill feelings towards you for our fate, and we hope you don't hold our fate against yourself either. We always knew since you were a boy that you had a kind soul. We were sorry to see it so deeply buried within after your mother's passing, but we are all glad that that gentle spirit we all knew and loved has been able to reemerge. We are all proud of you for that and we all wish we didn't have to leave you. Please use the objects that we will be, but when not in use please keep those of us with attachments together. We have prepared the room across the hall from Belle for her father. Goodbye and all the best to the three of you.

Sincerely,

Your staff of loving servants

"They really cared about you a lot," Belle said softly.

"Yes they did," the Beast said. "And for so long I treated them so terribly. I only appreciated them recently. And I never apologized for my behavior. And really words like servants or staff don't describe what I now realize they were to me. Friends...closer but not quite right. They really were my family."

"Why would you have preferred they'd said they despised you?"

"It would be more deserved."

"A kind soul, a gentle spirit, does not deserve to be despised," Belle said softly.

After a few moments, when Beast felt he was fully composed, he sat up straight.

"My father is in the parlor," Belle said. "Since I didn't know where his room was yet. Do you want to go ahead and tell him tonight what happened or wait for tomorrow? I imagine you're pretty tired. He should know at some point and it may help to hear from you."

"I am tired," the Beast said. "But I suppose he should be told. You don't even know a lot and I imagine you have questions."

"I do," she said. "But how about we all get some sleep first? It's been a long evening."

"Sounds good," Beast said.

"I'll get Papa to his room and get out of this ballgown," Belle said. "Then I'll come back and check on you, all right?"

"You needn't do that," Beast said. "Just go to bed yourself. No need to trouble yourself to come back here."

"It's no trouble," Belle whispered.

In fact, she realized as she got into her nightgown after seeing her father to his room, she'd be more troubled by not checking on the grieving Beast. She wanted to see that he was able to sleep peacefully, and wanted to offer comfort if he didn't seem peaceful.

Which he didn't. When she got back to his room, he was lying on his right side, back to her, and shaking. She knelt by his bedside and placed a hand on his shoulder. He rolled slightly so he could more easily turn his head to face her.

"You didn't have to come back here," he said quietly.

"I know," Belle whispered. "But I know you're hurting and I wanted to be here for you...in case you need some comfort as you fall asleep."

"You need sleep too."

"I'll go once you're asleep," Belle said. She stroked the fur of his mane. "Unless you really want me to go now. But you shouldn't have to suffer alone."

"I don't know that I shall sleep tonight," Beast said. "You'd best just go to bed. For your sake I wish you would."

"What about for your sake?"

At this, the Beast reached a paw towards Belle, which she took in her hand. She could see in his eyes and feel in the way he grasped her hand that he wanted her to stay.

"If it were for my own sake I was concerned I would wish you to stay," he said. "But it was selfishness that caused this despair. I'll not let selfishness hold you here."

"I'll stay."

"Are you sure? Like I say I'm not sure I'll sleep. If you intend to stay until I fall asleep...that may not happen."

"Then I shall stay all night," Belle said. "Perhaps I'll move to the chair and fall asleep."

"That won't be comfortable," Beast said. "The bed's big enough. You can get in on the other side."

"Aren't you concerned that that would be rather improper?" Belle asked.

"I'm more concerned that you don't subject yourself to discomfort on my account than I am about propriety," Beast responded. "Just don't get too close. I don't want to inadvertently gore you with a horn or something."

"Of course," Belle said. "That would certainly be best avoided." She moved to the other side of the bed and lay down. She took his paw once more in her hands. "I love you."

"I love you Belle," Beast whispered.

But he seemed almost haunted by her statement that she loved him. In fact a single tear escaped his tightly squeezed eyelids, which she was quick to wipe. She let her hand linger on his cheek for a moment, a finger gently stroking the soft fur there. She then patted his shoulder, then let her hand trail down his arm back to his paw which her other hand still held. She stroked the back of his paw with her thumb a few times.

"Try to get some sleep," she said, removing one hand from his paw to run her fingers through his mane. "I know you're not sure you can but you do need it."

He did manage to drift off as she continued to stroke his mane. She then allowed sleep to claim her as well. Though he had fallen asleep, she still found herself unwilling to leave him tonight.

She could not stand the thought of him awakening to his grief alone. He had, after all, spent years alone in his misery. He at least had his staff around then, but she suspected they gave him as much of a wide berth as possible, considering his not so slight lack of anger management skills. Now the servants were, for all intents and purposes, dead, after he'd grown to care about them as family. No, she decided, he'd served enough time being alone in his despair. She knew the pain and grief would never leave him, not completely, but as far as she was concerned he more than deserved for someone to be at his side and bear the pain right along with him.

Should he ever wish to have time alone, she would respect his need for space. But if he only tried to get her to leave for her comfort or because he thought he was 'supposed' to suffer alone, she would stay with him.