Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the WWE.
Author's Note: Hey! In a bit of a rush, but thank you guys so much for your reviews! Glad you're liking this story! Hope you like this chapter too!
Chapter 7- Beauty and the Beast
Belle walked down the steps, accompanied by Drew and Taryn, and she paused for a minute when she saw Adam was standing at the bottom in the lobby. He looked up at her, Drew and Taryn quickly hurrying past him into the kitchen, and a smile slowly spread across his face as he held his arm out to her. Belle smiled back as she walked down the rest of the stairs, linking her arm through his.
"You look nice," Adam told her.
"Well... it was Taryn's doing," Belle replied with a quiet laugh.
"I figured," Adam said, his smile lingering. "But still... Red's a good color on you."
Belle felt a small blush make its way up to her cheeks. "Thanks."
Adam laughed a little too. "Well, should we head in?" When Belle nodded, he smiled as he led her across the lobby.
When they entered catering, Belle gasped and her eyes widened in awe as she looked around at the room, lit only by the colored Christmas lights hung around the windows and the small tree in the corner. "It's beautiful," she muttered.
Adam smiled as he looked around at the room also, approving of the atmosphere his friends had set. Then, he glanced up, seeing what was hanging in the doorway above them. "Hey, Belle," he said quietly. "You know what they saw about two people being under mistletoe."
Belle looked up, smiling slightly when she saw the small plant. She turned to Adam, getting up on her toes and kissing his cheek.
They then sat down at the nearest table across from each other, smiling when Taryn came out of the kitchen and placed two plates of ham and vegetables in front of them. "Here you guys go!" she said with a cheerful smile.
"Taryn, you didn't have to do this," Belle replied with a smile of her own.
"Oh, I know, dear," Taryn told her, placing her hand on her shoulder. "But it's Christmas Eve, and I wanted to make things a bit more special." She winked at Adam.
"Well, thank you, Taryn, it's wonderful," Adam muttered, smiling slightly himself.
Taryn grinned broadly with excitement. "Enjoy, you two!"
While Belle and Adam began to eat, Taryn left catering when Drew joined her and entered the lobby where Jay and Randy were waiting. "So, how is everything?" Jay asked, an expectant smile on his face.
"Great!" Taryn answered with a smile. "It's amazing how far they've come. Barely friends, and now look at them."
"Ah, young love," Drew muttered, pulling Taryn close and kissing her.
Randy rolled his eyes, and Jay looked at him with a slight laugh. "What?" he wondered. "Even you can't say that this isn't encouraging."
"Well... okay, a little," Randy agreed with reluctance. "But can they break this curse by midnight?"
"I think so, Randy," Taryn said from next to him. "You know what they say. This is the time for miracles."
"John Hennigan?" Adam asked as he laughed, finishing up his ham. "You're kidding me."
"Wish I was," Belle answered, rolling her eyes as she took another bite. "He's had this major crush on me since high school. I don't think that guy is ever going to give up on me."
Adam smirked. "Well, maybe he'll learn eventually," he muttered.
This time, it was Belle who laughed. "I wish," she replied, shaking her head. "But I don't think that's ever going to happen. He's one of those guys I was talking about earlier who's only interested in me because of how I look. Even if that wasn't the case, I don't think I'd even consider dating him anyway. He's so-!"
"Conceited?" Adam finished for her.
Belle looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah," she said. "That's exactly it."
Adam laughed a little. "Well, even though I worked with him for a little while, I never spent much time with him since we never got along the greatest," he replied. "That much was easy enough to see."
"I think anyone could see what an arrogant as... idiot he is." Belle raised an eyebrow when she saw Adam chuckling. "What?"
"Nothing, Belle," Adam told her, but his smile told otherwise. "Do you feel like you can't call him a worse name in front of me or something?"
Belle sighed, though a smile appeared on her own face. "No," she muttered. "It's just with eating... never mind."
Adam shook his head. "You wouldn't have offended me, Belle."
"Well, I was only trying to be polite."
"Even to the arrogant asshole?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.
Belle laughed, shaking her head. "Hey, you said it, not me," she answered, not able to keep the smile from spreading across her face.
Then, they looked up when Taryn entered the room again with Jay, the latter taking their plates as they both walked back into the kitchen. Belle frowned slightly. "I didn't even get to tell her that the dinner was excellent," she muttered.
"Just wait a minute," Adam said, and Belle looked back at him.
Shortly after the words were out of his mouth, Taryn came back out, carrying two plates in her hands. When she set them on the table, Belle's eyes lit up when she saw they each contained a brownie covered with red and green sprinkles and a candle in the middle.
"Enjoy," she told them with a broad smile before she began to walk away from the table, Jay close behind her.
"Thank you so much, Taryn!" Belle called after her, only to be met with another smile as they left the room. She then turned back to Adam, seeing that he was looking at her with a small smile. "Wow, these look delicious."
"Taryn outdid herself," Adam agreed, about to blow out the candle on his brownie. But he paused, looking at Belle curiously when he saw her expectant look. "Yes?"
Belle's smile broadened. "Aren't you going to make a wish before you blow it out?" she wondered.
Adam laughed a little. "You first," he told her.
"Okay." Belle bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, closing her eyes when she reached a conclusion before she leaned forward a little and blew out her candle.
"So, what did you wish for?" Adam asked as the smoke began to clear.
"I thought you weren't supposed to tell anyone your wish or else it wouldn't come true," Belle answered with a playful smile.
"And I thought that rule only applied to birthday wishes," Adam countered with a smirk.
Belle sighed as she looked back at him. "Fine. A place to call home," she told him quietly. "With a guy who truly cares about me." She appeared to be lost in thought for a moment before she grinned. "Okay, you're turn!"
Adam sighed, looking at the flickering flame of the candle for a long moment. Then, he slowly leaned forward and blew it out. "There."
"And what did you wish for?"
"Well, I don't know..." Adam began.
"What?" Belle laughed a little. "Come on! I told you mine."
Adam smiled. "Mine's a bit... complicated," he muttered. "What if I told you that you will find out later?"
Belle looked at him carefully for a long moment. "Why don't you want to tell me?" she wondered.
"It would be easier for me to show you," Adam told her quietly.
Sighing, Belle finally nodded. "Okay, you win," she replied. "As long as you keep your word and I find out later."
Adam nodded. "You will," he assured her.
"All right then." Belle picked up her glass of water she had since their dinner started, holding it out in front of her. Adam picked his glass up and clinked it against hers, both taking a sip before starting on their brownies.
Once they were finished with their dessert, Adam led Belle back out into the lobby. "Go grab your coat," he told her with a smile. "We're going out."
"Really?" Belle asked. He had never offered to bring her anywhere. "Where?"
Adam laughed a little. "You'll see," he answered. "Just go get your coat."
Belle looked at him for a moment before sighing, knowing that she would find out sooner if she just did what he asked. Adam watched as she hurried up the stairs, taking a deep breath once she was out of sight. This was his one chance to show her that he truly did care about her, their last hope of remaining human. He had to go through with it.
The sound of approaching footsteps brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up as Belle came back down the stairs, slipping her coat on. "All right, I'm ready," she said. "Let's go."
"Ladies first," Adam muttered as he gestured to the front door.
Belle smiled, crossing the lobby and pushing the door open, holding it until Adam joined her, and they both went out into the night. "So, where are we going?" she asked as she walked beside him down the dark sidewalk.
Adam smiled and laughed a little, his breath coming out in a small cloud in the cold air in front of him. "Come on, Belle, that wouldn't be fun," he answered, smirking at her.
Belle put her hands in her pockets so they would be shielded from the cold, sticking her tongue out at him. "Fine..."
"Pout all you want, Belle, but I'm still not going to tell you."
She wished she could wipe the confident smirk off his face, but Belle was too curious to find out what he had in mind, so she resorted to playfully nudging him in the side. Adam looked down at her and laughed a little when he saw the pleading look she was giving him.
"No, the cute face won't work either," he stated as he looked ahead of them again.
"Dang it."
Adam sighed as he looked back at her, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Why are you so impatient about knowing where we're going?" he wondered. "The surprise is half the fun."
Belle looked up at him. "Well, you have to admit that you've never done this," she told him.
"That's true," Adam agreed as he looked away. "But I think you'll really like this. Just trust me, okay?"
After watching him for a moment longer, Belle smiled slightly. "I do," she muttered.
Adam looked at her almost with surprise before returning the smile and holding his hand out to her. Belle looked at it for a moment before taking her hand out of her pocket and wrapping her fingers around his hand, allowing him to lead her along the dark street.
They walked in silence for a while, Belle continuing to wonder where they were headed and Adam offering no clues. Then, her eyes narrowed when she heard quiet music float over to them, and she looked up at him with confusion. Adam looked back down at her, raising his eyebrows quickly as they turned the corner, once again saying nothing.
But he didn't have to. They stopped on top of a hill that overlooked the frozen lake, and Belle's eyes widened with wonder when she saw the flashing lights of the annual Winter Carnival held every Christmas Eve beneath her. She hadn't been to it since her mother died when she was a little girl.
"Well?" Adam asked quietly as he looked over at her. "Would you like to go?"
Belle finally tore her eyes away from the carnival and turned to look at him, a thin line of tears in them. "I would love to," she muttered. She had avoided going in previous years since the memories would be too painful, but now was a chance to create new ones with a different person.
Adam smiled slightly as he squeezed her hand softly. "Let's go then."
They walked down the path that led them to the carnival, and Belle immediately felt a smile appear on her face when the atmosphere surrounded her. She watched as children ran to get in line for rides, dragging their parents with them, or shared a treat. It was just like she remembered.
"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Adam asked, leaning a bit closer to her so she could hear him better over the loud music from the live band.
Belle looked up at him. "Do you?" She would have loved some hot chocolate to warm up a little, but she didn't have any money on her.
Adam smirked, pulling her along with him as he walked toward the stand selling the hot beverage. "Come on, I'll buy some for you," he told her.
She stood next to Adam while he ordered two cups of hot chocolate, looking around at all the festivities. It had been magical to her when she was a little girl, and it still had that touch of magic.
"Here you go."
Belle turned back to Adam, seeing that he was holding a steaming cup out for her. She smiled as she took it from him, taking a small, cautious sip. "Mmm... French vanilla?"
"It sounded better than some of the other flavors," Adam explained, taking a sip of his own as they began walking again.
"Well, it's one of my favorites," Belle assured him, wrapping both of her hands around the cup to try to warm her fingers. Though she couldn't help but think that she preferred the warmth of Adam's hand when he had held hers...
They drank some of their hot chocolate while watching the band before walking around the rest of the carnival to see everything else. They looked at the variety of Christmas trees, cast their votes for their favorite snowman, and watched a few of the sled races. Belle found that she couldn't keep the smile off her face as they continued to walk around, Adam feeling the same as he took her hand again and pulled her over to a bench and sat down. She smiled up at him, taking a sip of her hot chocolate before laying her head on his shoulder. Adam looked down at her with surprise before smiling himself, wrapping his arm around her.
A light snowfall had begun as they finished their hot chocolate. They got up from the bench to throw their cups away before Adam took her hand. "Come with me, Belle," he muttered. "I'd like to show you something."
Belle nodded, allowing him to pull her along. Adam led her away from the bright, flashing lights and laughter of the carnival, bringing her out onto the wooden pier that went out over the frozen lake. Her eyes shone as she looked out at the breathtaking sight before her, the nearly full moon casting a beautiful glow down on the ice.
"I love this spot," Adam told her quietly, smiling slightly when he saw her awe.
"Yeah, I can see why," Belle replied, not able to look away. "It's beautiful... Almost magical."
Adam took a couple of steps forward so that he was standing beside her, looking out at the frozen lake as well. "I knew you'd love it," he muttered.
Belle looked up at him, intertwining her fingers with his as she moved a bit closer. But before either of them could say anything, they heard the soft, slow melody of a new song float over to them. Adam looked down at her, and their gazes met as she slowly turned to face him. Keeping his hold on her hand, he uncertainly reached out and placed his other hand lightly on her waist. Belle smiled at him as she rested her free hand on his shoulder and got closer before they began to move together to the gentle melody.
As they slowly swayed, Belle found that all she could do was stare into Adam's dark eyes. They were eyes that had once terrified her with their coldness, but now entranced her with their gentleness. Everything seemed to fade away around her, the only thing important to her being her and Adam together. As she continued to look deeper into them, she could see an image starting to form that she could use for his sketch, but it was one she still couldn't quite make out.
She didn't notice that the song had ended until Adam stopped moving, taking his hand from her waist and slowly twirling her once. Belle smiled and laughed a little as she faced him again, seeing something almost beautiful about him through the light snowflakes that were still falling. It was something in him she had never seen.
Adam returned the smile as he reached forward and lightly brushed some hair out of her face, his hand resting on her cheek. He looked into her eyes for a moment before he slowly began to lean toward her.
Belle closed her eyes when he got closer, but he paused hesitantly when their faces were mere inches apart. She waited for a moment longer, almost able to feel his lips against hers since they were so close, before she leaned forward and filled the space between them, kissing him softly.
She pulled away quickly, but she rested her forehead against Adam's, lingering close to him. Adam ran his fingers tenderly through her hair before winding his arm around her waist. Belle reached up and pulled him into another kiss, his soft, gentle lips moving along with hers. She had a feeling this had been Adam's wish, for it fit with her own...
Then, her cell phone began to ring from her pocket. Belle sighed as she reluctantly broke the kiss and quickly pulled it out, her eyes narrowing in confusion when she didn't recognize the number.
"Who is it?" Adam asked, looking at her curiously.
"I don't know," Belle answered before flipping her phone open and bringing it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Thank God I got a hold of you, Belle."
"John?" Belle was surprised to hear his voice since it was the last one she was expecting. "Why are you calling me?" She felt Adam's eyes on her intently, hearing his quiet growl at the name.
"Look, I know you don't want to hear from me, Belle, but please, this is important," John Hennigan told her with a sigh. "Something happened to your father's knee."
Belle's eyes widened with fear, knowing how bad his injured knee could be at times. "What happened?" she asked anxiously. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know," John answered heavily. "It just kind of... gave out. He's resting at your house now, but you should be here. He may need medical attention."
Dread coursed through Belle as she thought about the situation, glancing at the man with her and seeing the worry on his face. She had made an agreement to take her father's place with Adam, and she would violate that if she left. But her father was hurt, and she had to take care of him...
"I... I'll be there soon," Belle finally muttered, running her hand through her hair nervously. "I'm on my way."
"Okay, Belle. See you soon." John said. "Bye."
"Bye." Belle flipped her phone shut and put it in her pocket, closing her eyes as tears burned in them.
Adam looked at her with concern, placing his hand on her arm. "Belle?" he said.
After a moment, Belle looked back at him as she wiped her eyes. "I know I said I'd stay in my dad's place," she told him quietly, unable to meet his gaze. "But he's hurt, Adam. I need to be there to help... Please, let me see him."
There was a long moment of silence as Adam simply looked at Belle, who was struggling to hold back tears. He knew he loved her, hoping that while she stayed, she would grow to love him too...
But he wasn't that heartless. Though he knew the consequences of what he had to do, his love for her made his decision as Adam pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Go to your father, Belle," he muttered, those words sealing his fate.
Belle looked up at him with surprise. "Really?"
Adam nodding, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "Yes, Belle," he said. "Go."
Fighting a fresh wave of tears, Belle hugged Adam tightly and buried her face in his chest. "Thank you," she whispered. Then, she released him, squeezing his hand before running back toward the carnival so she could head home. She didn't live that far from the carnival grounds, so it wouldn't take her long to get there.
Adam stayed on the pier, watching her leave until she was out of sight before he began to slowly walk back toward the carnival himself. That night, he had felt hope for the first time since he had been given the enchanted rose. That night, he felt that the curse would actually be lifted.
But now, Belle was gone, probably not having the intention of returning. And along with her had gone that hope. His love for her had confirmed what he already knew.
Nothing could stop him from becoming the monster he was meant to be.
Author's Note: So close! Hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!
