A special thank you to ConformityisNonsense and batbinmyheart91, for their lovely, funny reviews! On fanfiction, I love nothing more than having people review me and saying that they like my stories.
Enjoy the next chapter everyone!
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Chapter 9
Babette was in her room very late that evening "Oh, what is wrong with me? I have never acted so helpless before…I have never felt so helpless before" she muttered. She touched her necklace and whispered to no one in particular "I do not need him. He does not even love me, so he should be glad that I ran away."
"You ran away?!" questioned Emilie, in shock, as she walked into the room.
Her friend nodded "Oui, I did run away. Lumiere…he…he was planning to leave me because I was pregnant" she answered.
The showgirl immediately ran up to her, sitting beside her "Oh, ma petite, I am so sorry. If he ever comes here, I promise that I will tear him apart" she said.
Changing the subject, the chambermaid inquired "Do you think that I will be able to stay here without working? I do not want to be a showgirl again, and, when I get closer to my pregnancy, any work I do might harm the baby."
Emilie nodded "Well, it will look rather suspicious if you are kept here and are not working. Instead of being a showgirl again, you could go back to being a serving maid" she offered.
Babette thought about it for a moment "I might be going back to where I started, but Emilie is right, my staying here would look suspicious otherwise." She smiled at her friend "Merci mon ami, I would like to do that, if it was possible" she answered.
Emilie smiled back "Of course mon cher ami. I control everything in this place now, so I can get you some work as a serving maid" she responded.
All of a sudden, a thought crossed Babette's mind "What about when the baby is born? They will grow up in this place, and have to live the life I did. This place always felt like a cage to me…I do not want the same thing for my baby."
Her friend, seemingly reading her mind, said "We will think about the baby when the time comes. For now, we must focus on keeping it healthy…which means keeping you out of too much activity."
The younger woman nodded "Oui. I will start work tonight" she said.
Emilie put a comforting hand on her shoulder "Oui, and you shall forget all about…him" she added.
Babette sighed "If only it were that easy" she thought.
Meanwhile, back at the castle, Lumiere was speaking to Cogsworth about his plan. The shorter man shook his head "This is madness! You don't even know where she went!" she objected.
The Frenchman replied "Oui, I do know where she went. She would have gone to 'Le Desir Tentant'."
The butler snorted "Why would she go to a place like that?!" he asked, horrified by the very idea.
"Because, it is the only place that she will be welcomed with certainty" answered Lumiere.
Cogsworth sighed "You expect me to accompany you to that house of…"
"Do not say it" his friend warned in a threatening tone.
The Englishman nodded, and continued "I will accompany you, but if anyone sees me there, I'll leave. I would never be caught at the place like that."
Lumiere grinned "Merci beaucoup…" his expression turned serious as he added "We leave immediately."
Once the carriage stopped outside 'Le Desir Tentant', the two men got out. Cogsworth raised an eyebrow "Well Lumiere, lead the way to the entrance" he said.
"Why me?" asked his friend.
The butler replied "Because, I image that you would have been here many a time."
The maitre'd rolled his eyes, and knocked on the entrance door. Emilie opened the door, and, looking the two men up and down, said "I am terribly sorry monsieurs, but we do not open for another two hours."
Lumiere flashed his infamous charming grin "Mademoiselle, we are simply here to see someone. Allow me to introduce us. I am Lumiere, and this…" he pointed to the man opposite him "Is Cogsworth. We are servants of Prince Adam and Princess Belle, and we are here to see someone in particular. She ran away, and we need to bring her home" he explained.
Emilie, recognising the name and occupation, glared furiously at him "Babette does not want to see you" she sneered.
Cogsworth looked at her "Please, just let us talk to her" he said.
Emilie nodded "Oui, you may speak to her…" when Lumiere tried to pass her, she stopped him "However, you cannot. Only monsieur Cogsworth may speak with her"
The butler interjected "I think it would be good if you let him in as well. I'll…make sure he doesn't do anything."
The showgirl sighed "Very well" she said, and stepped aside, allowing them in.
Once inside, Lumiere went in search for her "Babette!" he called.
She replied from inside one of the rooms "Go away Lumiere."
He smiled, and entered the room "Oh cheri, I have been so worried about you" he said.
She turned to him sharply, a look of anger in her eyes "Really?! Because I heard that you were going to leave me, just because I am pregnant!" she snapped.
Lumiere inquired "Who would give you an idea like that?" But then, he realised the only person who would have done that "Mia" he thought.
Babette crossed her arms "I am not coming home, Lumiere" she said stubbornly. He was about to reply when she demanded, anger in her eyes "How could you!? You were thinking of leaving me!"
"No, cher, no. Mia tricked you, I never thought anything of the sort" answered the Frenchman.
The maid scoffed "There we have it, another lie" she said.
Lumiere shook his head "No. I have never, and will never, lie to you" he replied simply.
She rolled her eyes "I find that hard to believe" she remarked.
The maitre'd took her hand gently "Cheri, look at me. Je t'aime, and I always have, and I always will. The last thing I want to do, is hurt you" he responded.
Babette glared at him furiously "Let go of me, or I swear to God, I will scream" she threatened. She snorted "Do you really think that, after all you have done, that I will just come home with you, and run back into your arms!?" she questioned in disbelief.
Lumiere explained, trying to calm her down "It was not me, cheri, it was Mia. She staged everything to make it look like I was cheating on her with you."
The maid clenched her hands into fists from anger "I can never believe you" she sneered.
"Cheri…" started Lumiere gently.
"No! I told you never to call me that again! I mean never!" she practically screamed. Then, Babette slapped him hard and quickly, on the cheek "Get out" she hissed.
Lumiere rubbed his sore cheek "Will you ever stop hitting me?" he asked, with a barely-there smile, in an attempt to calm her with humour.
"No" she responded shortly.
The maitre'd took her by the arm, very gently, and began "Babette, s'il vous pliat, you have to listen to me…"
She struggled in his grasp "No" she replied again.
Lumiere looked into her eyes, all remaining traces of humour gone "Babette Roux, you mean the world to me. I…" he choked on a sob "I will not force you to come home, but, s'il vous plait, at least consider it. I would never be able to live if you were not with me. You are the fibre of my very being, Babette, and I want only the best for you" he said.
She freed herself calmly and easily, from his loose grasp, and refused to meet his eyes as she answered "Leave here, Lumiere. I…I am so sorry."
He nodded "Very well cheri, very well" he answered.
That night, Lumiere (who had convinced Emilie to let him and Cogsowrth stay the night), awoke from his sleep. He had to settle things with Babette, he had to see if she was coming home.
The Frenchman crept carefully out of bed, and made his way to her room, which was, fortunately, directly opposite. Once inside, he could not help but smile at the sight before him. Babette lay peacefully in her bed, with several blankets delicately draped over her. Obviously, his attempts to be quiet were in vain, for she soon awoke and whispered, rubbing her eyes "Lumiere?"
The maitre'd nodded "Oui" he whispered back.
Tone still hushed, Babette inquired "W-What are you doing in here?"
He quickly came to her bedside, kneeling down next to her and meeting her eyes "Cheri, je'taime, I do not want to lose you. I normally do not repeat myself, but I just have to say again how much I adore you with my entire heart and soul. I never planned on leaving you, and I never did. Nor did I give your necklace to Mia, she simply made it look like that…" he took her hands in his, and she sat up "Babette, you are the woman of my dreams, and I cannot image life with you. I want to commit to you completely, and to grow old with you" he confessed.
Babette smiled, and embraced him tightly, tears flowing from her eyes "Lumiere, I am so sorry" she whispered.
Then, she did something that caught even the Frenchman off guard.
She kissed him.
