Chapter Ten - Acceptance

Belle sighed as she looked over the plans on how to set up a new system for the village. Adam had wanted to set it up as soon as possible but Belle wanted to wait for a short time before doing so. Maybe something would change his mind in the next three days when he wasn't working on emotion so much. Belle slid a hand onto one of Adam's horns and kissed his cheek lovingly before turning back to her father. "Papa, you wanted to see Isabella."

"Of course, of course," Maurice laughed as he woke up having fallen asleep in front of them. "I would never say no to seeing my granddaughter."

"I'll go find her, she'll be excited to see you," Belle said before squeezing Adam's shoulder again and left the two men in the room together. She smiled at Adam once again before leaving and Adam pushed his back to the wall.

"I don't think an apology is enough," he said and Maurice looked at him. "I've done terrible things to you and Belle in the past," he looked at his paw and turned it. "Seeing me this way. I must remind you of that beast that was within me."

"Time's change," Maurice told him and Adam shook his head.

"Your forgiveness is appreciated but I haven't done anything too worthy of it. I tried to separate the two of you for very selfish reasons. If you truly think she would be better going back to the town then take her. I want what's best for her," Adam said as he closed his eyes. "My presence here, my existence."

"Adam," Maurice said as he walked to the other side of the table and took Belle's seat, "I have only ever wanted the best for Belle. I see how happy you make her."

"You must think that she was forced to love me," Adam told him. "I know that she would be ideal on that Gaston's arm. I don't deserve her like this so if you do believe that she would be better off away from this castle then I am asking you to take her."

"She'll stay right here," Maurice laughed and Adam looked at him nervously. "Do you really think that there are men who care for my daughter and her dreams as much as you do. Belle was called odd by the villagers but I know you've never perceived her that way. The first time you were placed in this position wasn't it true love that was able to save you," Maurice chuckled. "This time it is for saving your daughter, protecting her, a choice that I would have made for Belle without hesitation."

As the two men sat there, Belle knocked on the door again and Isabella grinned as she saw her grandfather there, she ran towards them but ran past Maurice and hugged her Daddy. Adam pulled her into his arms and she buried her head into his fur whilst laughing. Maurice place a hand on her back.

"Just like her mother, affectionate towards her father," Maurice commented and Adam smiled. He was glad that Isabella was running towards him and not away from him. "Hello, Isabella" he laughed and Isabella turned to him whilst Adam held her on his lap.

"Hello Grandpapa," she smiled before she looked up at her father. "Daddy got trapped," she tried to explain and Maurice nodded. "He's still Daddy though even if he is messy when he eats."

"I have a little trouble with silverware," Adam tried to explain and Maurice chuckled again.

"With paws like those, I'd imagine so."

Isabella nodded energetically as Adam shifted uneasily in his seat. "Will you join us for dinner, Grandpapa?" she asked and Maurice nodded. He looked at Adam who was overjoyed by the way that Isabella had accepted him. Maurice knew him to be the same strong and caring father that he had always been since the birth of the little girl. He doubted that Adam had changed into the beast that he looked like.

He should at least give his son-in-law a chance.

…

…..

"Give my compliments to your chef," Maurice grinned as he finished his second plate of food. He turned towards Adam who was barely eating because of the way he had to lift the plate and eat in the manner of an animal. Maurice knew that the reserved nature was because of him but being a beast was a disability. He needed to show respect to his son despite those bad memories.

"Daddy is eating better," Isabella commented and Belle nodded.

"Papa doesn't mind seeing you get a little messy," she told him as she held his paw. She thanked one of the servants as they tidies the dishes away and looked towards the room where there was the comfortable chairs and the fire. She and Adam had discussed this before and it seemed a good time.

"I'm going to go find something," she said, "I think we should sit by the fire."

Adam nodded as he stood up and Isabella immediately ran to him and grabbed his wrist. He grinned down at her and she laughed as she saw his bigger teeth. Her father was usually so presentable but it was difficult to look presentable in his condition. Maurice followed after them and Belle excused herself.

She ran to go and get the stone that would temporarily show the true Adam.

As she passed by the main hallway, she was stopped when she saw one of the guards being spoken to by Cogsworth. She pushed her back to the wall so that she wouldn't be noticed and she could eavesdrop on the conversation. She steadied her breathing as she watched the two men.

"Are you content to live with that thing again?" the guard commented and Belle blinked and looked down. "It should have died."

"And that is precisely why you are being let go," Cogsworth said in a very formal manner. Belle could see the anger that was filling him, it was the same that was filling her. "To kill the master would be regicide."

"The master?" the guard laughed, "I was turned into a suit of armor for the master."

"We all had sacrifices but it's not about who or what we were, it's about who we are and the change that he has gone through, the change that he has made sure that he went through. If you knew anything about him then you would know he lives with the regret of what happened to all of us but might I remind you that he was eleven when we were cursed. It was my fault for not answering the door," Cogsworth said as he got himself into a more formal position, Belle could feel that each of the members of the house who had been objects regretted their decisions.

"It's not what happened, he threw his anger around destructively. Are you seriously believing that he won't be destructive in the future, that he won't eat his wife and daughter?"

Belle had to hold herself back from getting involved in the conversation but the idea of Adam attacking them wasn't real. He wouldn't eat them. How unintelligent was this fool?

"I know that not all of us think of the prince as family but he is a prince, this is his castle and he's worked hard to do what is best for those under his rule, his care. However, your opinion is not worth a lot here and I must continue to request that you leave. You will be compensated for the days in which you worked here," Cogsworth told him and then pointed to the front door. "You will leave or I'll have the head of the guards take you off the grounds by force."

The guard looked at him before walking away and as the door closed, Belle took a step out from the shadows. She turned to Cogsworth who was straightening his clothes and looking towards the doorway very sadly. Belle walked over to him.

"Are there really….did he really think that Adam…" she said uncomfortably and Cogsworth sighed.

"You shouldn't concern yourself with these men," he said and Belle blinked.

"But there are staff members who do believe that Adam has returned to being a monster?" Belle asked starting to feel even more protective of the man that owned her heart. She didn't want to admit to understanding this sentiment. They didn't know Adam as well as she did. She was glad that her father had seemed to come close to accepting him in his new form.

"Did you honestly think there weren't?" Cogsworth asked her and Belle felt her stomach twist but it felt that she needed to ask this question.

"And you?" she said feeling relieved when Cogsworth shook his head.

"He is like family to me. A nephew maybe. I have seen the development and growth and maturation that he's gone through these past years but even before that, I knew that it was partly my fault, my responsibility that this happened. Although he was cursed, Adam has always had a lot of good in him. That's why I chose to stick to his side through thick and thin and try to guide his decisions. It wasn't easy but it was the right thing to do," the former clock stated and Belle smiled. At least he hadn't been completely alone.

"I'm going to retrieve something from my bedroom. I don't think that Adam should hear of this," Belle commented and the head of house nodded.

"I agree with you. We don't want a tragedy on our hands."

Belle smiled before walking off starting to feel guilty that she hadn't been aware of the signs of rebellion within the castle. She had thought that the danger had been in town but she had been wrong before. Now she needed to make sure that he was safe from any kind of attack from any of these undereducated fools.

…

…

Belle arrived back to the room where her family was and was glad that Adam and Isabella were directly in front of the fire. This was best to show the way that the rose stone transformed him to look – for a brief while at least – like his true self.

"This only works for a little bit," she told Isabella who looked at the object with wonder in her eyes. Belle placed it beside Adam and as she stepped back she could see his human self. She smiled to her father before sitting down and seeing the interaction.

"Daddy!" Isabella said excitedly and Adam continued to hold her close. "You look like Daddy 'gen."

"He most certainly does. That's incredible," Maurice commented and Isabella reached up for her dad's cheek but even though she couldn't see the fur, she could still feel it. She kissed his cheek and Adam smiled. He wasn't frightening his daughter right now and that in itself felt amazing.

"It's magic," Adam said before coughing weakly and Isabella looked up at him with concern in her eyes.

"Daddy?" she asked and Adam gently stroked back her hair. He was starting to feel a little dizzy and his breathing was shallow. Belle noticed this before reaching for the stone. She saw him shake his head and then he coughed again. "Daddy?" Isabella asked, "Daddy's hurting," she said to her mother and Belle put a hand to Adam's shoulder.

"I'm going to remove the stone," she told him and he nodded. She could see the weariness in his eyes and as she pulled it back she saw him return to the form of the beast. Isabella laughed and still snuggled closer to him.

"I saw you Daddy," she told him and he still held her despite being more animal than human. Maurice turned to Belle and saw her unease.

"Is something wrong?" he asked and Belle turned to her father, she would often have trouble hiding things from him even during the times when he was preoccupied with a new invention or an idea for an invention. She sighed before watching her daughter and her husband interact and felt both of them basking in the happiness that was from more than the stone.

"I'm worried for him," Belle whispered and Maurice tilted his head. "People don't see him the way that they used to. I don't know how to protect him."

Maurice opened his mouth but he didn't know what he could say to settle her. "I doubt that Adam would leave the two of you so easily," he told her and Belle shifted. She didn't want to say that he had already tried. Hopefully she would forget that memory and the happiness would stay because losing Adam, that wasn't even an option to consider.

End of Chapter 10

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