A.N – If some of you remember in chapter seven, the beast mentioned Lila who had come to his house sixty years ago. I hate changing things like this, but you will see in this chapter that she came by only six years ago. I'm very sorry to have changed something like that. I hate doing it.

Oh, and I don't own Beauty and the Beast.

Chapter Ten

The beast rushed back up to his room after reprimanding the kitchen staff for letting the word "mistress" slip in front of Elliot. Arthur grumbled his apology and the others were silent, but the beast did not care to stay long and see their reactions anyway. He did not care for much of anything at the moment. He had been so sure that Elliot would be the one. She had to be. She was the last woman the mistress needed; if it wasn't her… then no one could break the curse. What would happen once the mistress got her final rose? He knew she would regain all of her strength and she wouldn't need him. He was a vessel, and once she had Elliot, she would no longer need him.

Leo had tried to follow him, but he was too fast for the little mouse. He went up to his room and locked the door, even though it wouldn't do any good. It wasn't as if Leo could turn the knob and open the door, anyway. He would find a way to get into the attic using other means. But for now, the beast was alone.

'What will I do?' he thought. The mistress was sleeping, and he didn't worry about her responding. For the moment, he was free to think whatever he wanted and to be alone. Everyone in the household had been waiting for a girl to come along that could break the curse. Over the years, the beast had seen dozens of girls, too many to count. Most were too young and if he couldn't send them back home before the witch lost her temper then he was forced to kill the girl. Some men had come by as well, but they never stayed very long, so the beast had never had to kill a man.

Out of the dozens of girls he had seen over the years, only four had been deemed to have potential, not counting Elliot. He was never sure of what happened to them. They had all gone to the basement, but that was all he really knew. He had watched them in his mirror, knowing that they couldn't help him and hating the witch for using them.

Jill had been the first girl. She was picked for her beauty. The beast didn't remember much of her. She had come to his home almost a century ago. She had found the monkeys talking in the kitchen and she ran off into the forest. Michael was sent to bring her back, but it was too late. She was lost in the illusions and the demons haunted her, no matter what the witch did. So, the beast was forced to kill her.

Next came Corrine. The witch chose her for her brain. She wasn't a very attractive woman, but the beast had never seen anyone so smart. She was calculating and always learning new things. She came to the house at night and Oliver let her in. She claimed to be lost. Oliver told the beast that Corrine had talked about all the plants she had seen in the forest across the road from the house. She described them in minute detail and then went on to say what they could be used for. "She was smart," Oliver had told her the day after Corrine was sent to the basement. "But horribly dull." Neither the beast nor Oliver saw her again.

Virginia came next. She was more beautiful than Jill had been. She came during the day, so there were no humans to greet her. When the beast saw in his mirror that she was coming, he had Michael prepare a feast for her and then told everyone to hide. Then he turned on the jukebox that had once been in the dining hall and she stayed to eat and listen to music. When night came, Oliver charmed her and he ushered her into the basement. She had come about fifty years ago. The beast remembered that she had blonde ringlets, dark red lips and was tall and slender. She had a strange skirt with a poodle on it.

The next girl that came nearly broke the beast's heart.

A little girl had come to his doorstep selling cookies six years ago.

She was six, maybe seven, and had rosy cheeks and large green eyes. Her straight red hair shone in the sunlight and the beast wished she would go away, run back to her parents waiting for her at the street. But the witch seized this chance to get a young girl. She took him over completely. He wasn't even aware of what he was doing until it was too late to yell for help or to scream at the girl to run. The beast had thrown the door open and grabbed the girl, pulling her in. She dropped her boxes and papers and started to scream, but the beast put his hand over her mouth, rushed to the door to the basement and went down the stairs. He shoved the girl into the darkness and said he was sorry before the witch made him leave. He could hear her screaming all day. He went through her boxes and papers and learned that her name was Lila M. Phillips. She was in second grade at Lilian Weber Elementary School and lived in 57 Apartment One, West 94th street, New York City. The witch had put spells on dozens of people who came to investigate. The parents had seen something pull their child inside, and had called the police. When the day was over, none of them knew Lila had existed. Even though that had been six years ago, the witch was still weak from the energy and magic she had spent on that day.

He shuddered at the memory and sank into his bed, lying on his side so he faced the wall. And now there was Elliot. He knew she could possibly break the curse because she had a wild spirit. He saw it in her eyes. Him and the witch were drawn to Elliot because of that spirit, that fire that burned in her. The witch needed it, and, in a sense, so did the beast.

'They will never forgive me for this…' he thought, thinking of all the members of the household he would be disappointing. But he knew that leaving Elliot alone would be best. If they could wait until winter then he could spend as much time with her as he wanted and not worry about the witch. Now, she slept, but she could still gain her strength from Elliot. She was still in him. But in winter, she was gone. She left his body and stayed in the basement to "hibernate", as she put it. When winter came, he could talk to Elliot and be himself. 'Whoever that is.'

A part of him wondered if there was a chance that another girl could come by and stay with him. The witch wouldn't be able to draw strength from her. If he could convince the witch to let her stay and live, then he had a chance of breaking the curse for once and all. But what were the chances of that? And did he really want to have another girl come and help him? Visions of Elliot swam through his mind. Her sitting on her couch crying, her eating, sleeping…. 'I really am obsessed with her, aren't I?' But he didn't worry about that. He knew that no other girl could help him break the curse but Elliot. But it would be hard for her to fall with him, a monster. He would ask Carol to help him so that when winter came around he would be prepared to set out in this task. He had a long time to wait, though, and he would miss talking to her, even if she glared at him through most of their conversations.

He rolled onto his other side and took the mirror from his nightstand. He thought of Elliot and soon what appeared to be a park came into view.

His estate was very, very large. There were dozens of halls and rooms Elliot had not yet explored, and the land he owned stretched out as well. Fences separated the yard into pieces. The yard she had been in with Sye yesterday was a small fragment of all the land he owned.

This part of the yard had a large pond in it, and a dirt path that wound around the pond and into a thicket of trees. The grass was dark green and flowers bloomed. The triplets insisted that their area was well taken care of.

Then Elliot came into the picture. She was holding her blue skirt up and running away from something, shock and a little bit of fear on her face. The beast tensed and sat up in bed, his tail flicking with worry. But then he saw what she was running away from and a soft, slithery laugh escaped his lizard mouth.

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Elliot was surprised when Carol told her how big the yard really was. She had Elliot open a gate into a beautiful yard with a pond and flowers. The yard she left was ugly and horrid in comparison. She followed the little mouse towards the pond and saw three birds floating on the water. One was a swan, another was a goose and the last was a brightly colored mallard. "These are the triplets," Carol said as they stopped on the dirt path. Elliot was still in awe at the beauty of the clear blue pond and all the flowers. She had never seen a more beautiful, serene place.

"Good morning," Carol began. She was cut off as the goose looked over and saw Elliot. The large bird began to honk angrily and once it was out of the water it flapped its wings and stood up taller, making itself look larger. The young woman had been watching a butterfly fly around the flowers and was oblivious to the goose until it was nearly upon her. She jumped and screamed when the large, angry bird ran at her. Elliot picked up her skirt, turned and ran as fast as she could. She bird was fast and was biting at her heels. Elliot would yelp and jump but she didn't slow down.

"Opal! Opal, stop that!" Carol was yelling as she ran after the bird as fast as her little legs could carry her. The swan and the mallard were chasing them as well, all screaming for Opal to stop. "Opal! She knows!"

Then the goose suddenly stopped. Elliot ran a little ways before she stopped and turned around as well. Opal and Carol were speaking in low tones. Elliot heard the goose exclaim, "Really? How long will she last?" then Carol shushed the bird. Elliot tensed. She was the second creature to say something about the length of Elliot's existence in this house. First the gorilla, now the goose. As soon as they were alone, Elliot was going to ask Carol what it was all about.

The goose looked rather sheepish as she waddled over to Elliot. The woman stepped back, her eyes narrowed. "I'm terribly sorry about that, Dear," Opal said. "I didn't know you were in on our little secret. I thought you were just a wanderer from the city. Oh ho!" she laughed. "I gave you and Carol quite a fright, didn't I? I'm terribly sorry."

"You nearly squashed Carol!" the mallard said, coming forward. "And we all know that you really enjoy acting like a crazy goose now and again." The mallard and the swan both laughed at this.

"You've always been talented and spinning fibs, my dear brother," Opal replied. Elliot could hear the grin in the goose's voice. It was strange to hear one thing and see another. She tried to imagine that the animals were really humans. But she couldn't get the feathers and fur out of these images.

"As I was saying," Carol said, "this is Elliot. She is staying with us for a while and I'm introducing her to everyone. Elliot, this is Opal, and her brother Jonas and their sister, Eleanor."

"How do you do?" the swan asked politely, dipping down and bowing her head as if she were dropping a curtsy.

"Fine… thanks…" Elliot said, a frown on her face.

Eleanor turned to Jonas and they began to whisper amongst themselves. All Elliot caught was "Is she…?" and "Will he…?" before Carol told her that they should go. Opal was still apologizing as they walked across the lawn. Carol had Elliot push open another gate and they stepped into a vegetable garden. One of the walls of the house faced the garden and through the windows Elliot could see dusty desks and abandoned easels. There, Carol introduced Elliot to dozens of moles and rabbits. Carol admitted to not knowing most of their names. Balls of fur surrounded Elliot and they were all talking at once. They all wanted to know how she got her, how long they should expect her to stay and one even asked if she would help them.

"Help you?" Elliot asked. She wasn't entirely sure of what they meant, but she could guess at what it was. But how could she change them back into humans? That was what they would want help with, she assumed. She doubted they wanted her to help them pick carrots.

"We have to go!" Carol said quickly when the rabbits all fell quiet. "Come along, Dearie. There is a door there leading to a study." She gently nudged Elliot's heel and she moved forward, waving goodbye to all the rabbits. The door was unlocked, but Elliot had to press her shoulder and shove it open for it had gotten stuck. The two went into the room and coughed as the outside air stirred up some dust in the room. "I have never been fond of the gardeners. Even before all of this happened they were loud and obnoxious. And they've all multiplied over the years." She shook her head. "It's impossible to keep track if the new ones. They come and go like the seasons. And they are born rabbits, so they have rabbit minds. All the ones you were speaking to had once been humans. Their offspring are not like us at all. But no matter! I believe I have introduced you to everyone there is. Except for Stuart, but it's nearly impossible to find that dratted cat. How about we go get us some lunch?"

Carol started to go to the other side of the room but Elliot stopped her. "Carol, wait…. Earlier Opal asked, "how long will she last?" and Arthur said that I would stay as long the… the mistress was amused by me. What does that mean? Who is she?"

"Oh dear…" Carol said. She sat up on her hind legs and nibbled on her front claws. "Oh dear…. You really don't need to know these things now, Elliot. It isn't of any importance."

"Carol, this is my life!" Elliot exclaimed. "I think it's very important. Does someone plan on… hurting me?"

"We should go have lunch!" Carol said. "Come on, Dearie! We'll have Michael prepare something nice for you. How does that sound? Come on, then." She scurried across the room and squeezed through a little hole near the door. Elliot ran after her and opened the door, going into a wide hallway. The little gray mouse was already rushing down the hall, calling, "This way, Dearie!"

"Wait, Carol!" The mouse ran down the hall and turned left down another hall. Elliot ran after her. Elliot caught up and ran past the mouse and then sat in the middle of the hallway, using her arms to block Carol's path. "Carol… how do you expect me to live here when you're all hiding something so big from me? How can I sleep knowing that someone here may want me dead?"

Carol sighed and lay flat on the floor, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry, Dearie. It's so hard to talk about these things…"

"Is it the beast? Does he want to hurt me?"

"No! Of course not! He wants to protect you!" Carol stiffened. "I shouldn't have told you that…"

"Protect me? Why? And from who?"

Carol twitched her nose as if she were about to say something but then she froze. She suddenly looked so cold and stiff, and Elliot felt it too. It was that same cold, squeezing feeling she had in the garden. Carol was shivering and Elliot was frozen in place so she couldn't help her. Then Carol's little body slumped forward and Elliot was released from the grip. They heard a quiet sigh that made the hairs on the back of Elliot's neck stand up.

"I've felt that before," Elliot murmured. "In the garden when I tried to touch one of the roses."

"Those are dangerous," Carol said, her voice grave. "Stay away from that garden." She stood up and shook herself. "Later I can show you another garden we have." Carol's voice was back to being kind and sweet.

"But Carol, what about…"

"Please, Dearie, don't ask," she said, a pleading tone in her voice. "There are some things we're not allowed to tell you. Now come along. You must be hungry."

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"You what?" Carol and Leo said in unison. Carol had left Elliot in the care of Michael and she found Leo scurrying in the walls as he tried to get to the attic. They found the beast sitting in bed with the mirror in his hands, no doubt watching Elliot.

"It issss the only way," the beast said, putting the mirror back down on the nightstand near Carol and Leo. They saw Elliot standing in the kitchen, smiling as Èlie flew in from a window, a flower in his beak. He dropped the flower near Cheri and puffed up his chest, looking proud. Then the image began to swirl and disappear until it was a simple mirror once again.

Leo snorted. "I don't believe that for a minute. How can you ignoring her for a whole year be the only way? When you do show your face she won't trust you one bit. She might even hate you for ignoring her for so long."

"I have thought of that," the beast said. "But it isss worth the risssk. If I ssstay around her, then sssshe will only die ssssooner."

"Don't you want this curse to be broken?" Leo asked, growing angrier.

"Of coursse I do! And I'll have a better chance at doing that in winter."

Leo huffed and then climbed down the nightstand then disappeared under the bed.

"Can't you please rethink this?" Carol asked him. "Are you sure she will accept you in winter? After you had ignored her? You have a year to wait… what if the mistress has gained all of her strength before then?"

"I don't think ssshe will."

"But it's possible."

The beast sighed. "Carol, I've thought thisss through. I don't want the witch to get ssstronger just because I am around Elliot." He sighed again, shaking his head. "Why don't you go ssshow her thosssse gardensss you ssspoke of?"

Carol watched the beast for a moment. He looked resigned and defeated. It hurt to see him like this, but she knew that there was no changing his mind. She climbed down the nightstand and went under the bed, finding the little hole she and Leo had come in from. She went in and crawled down a steep beam. She could hear Leo muttering up ahead. She went to a flat beam and ran across it. Leo was at the end of it, staring down at all the beams below them.

"Leo, don't be mad at him. He means well."

"But for who, Carol?" Leo snapped, turning around to face the smaller mouse. "I'm tired of living this life. For hundreds of years we have been like this, never aging or changing. We can't die and we can't escape this curse. The witch taunts us every night and tortures us in the day. I want to grow up, I want to live a normal life."

"I do too, Leo. But the master is right. He has a better chance at ending this curse in the winter."

Leo grumbled and scratched his ear. He was about to turn around and go down the beams when his ears perked up. "I have an idea! The beast is avoiding Elliot because he doesn't want to witch to gain her strength faster, right?"

"Yes…" Carol said, not liking where this was going. Leo had some interesting ideas over the years, but none of them turned out well.

Leo chuckled and then turned and climbed down the beam. "I'm going to need Stuart's help with this task! Farewell, Carol!" Carol chased after him, but Leo was too fast for her and soon, she lost him.

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Elliot didn't see Carol at all for the rest of the day. She wandered the house, exploring rooms she had never seen before. It really was huge. It was a labyrinth that Elliot kept getting lost in. She explored the yards in the evening and found Sye sitting in a large, beautiful garden. There were flowers everywhere, and a creek from the pond ran through it. There was a weeping willow near the creek and a large, smooth rock sat at the base of the tree. "It's the perfect place to read," she said to Sye who had been following her since she came into the garden.

"I've never cared much for reading," the dog replied. He continued to follow Elliot around the gardens until the sun began to set. Elliot climbed up a tree to get a better view of the horizon. She hauled herself up to the highest branch, straightened her skirt and poked her head above the canopy. Beyond all of the different yards that the beast had was a forest that stretched on for miles. The sky was pained with deep purples, pinks and rich blues as the sun set. "It's beautiful, Sye!" she yelled. She heard the dog give a little whine and then scamper off. "Sye? What's wrong?" She looked down but couldn't see the dog anywhere. She sighed and turned her attention back to the sky. She had always loved watching the sunset and sunrise. She and her father did it often, with a mug of hot cocoa and a blanket draped across their shoulders. They would sit on the roof of her father's house or drive to the coast just to watch the sun sail down towards the horizon. She missed those days where she and her father could enjoy simple things together. Watching movies all night, exploring their little college town together and enjoying hot days at the county fair. She missed all of it. "Let him be alright," she whispered to the darkening sky, even though she didn't believe someone was listening up there. It was still comforting to say the words.

By now stars dotted the sky and through some of the leaves she could see the pale moon. She was comfortable up there, leaning against the tree's limbs and staring at the sky. A cold breeze was sweeping by, though, and she was suddenly aware that she hadn't had dinner. She started to climb down the tree but froze when she heard footsteps approaching quickly. Her grip tightened on a branch and a twig fell down to the ground. The footsteps slowed as if the person was hesitant. "Who is there?" she heard a voice call. It was a soothing, familiar voice that made her relax. Her foot slipped and her grip on the branch loosened and she yelled as she was suddenly falling to the ground. She landed on top of someone and with a grunt they both fell to the ground.

Elliot groaned and she could hear someone else groaning as well. She quickly rolled off of the person who had caught her and her eyes widened. Lying in the grass was Oliver Mason Powell, wearing a deep blue jacket and black breeches. His hair was tied back, but messy from the fall and his face was a bright red.

"I'm sorry! I keep making you fall," she said while stifling her laughter.

"It's alright, milady," he said, dusting off his pants and standing up. He helped Elliot to her feet and then he looked down at the ground. He looked nervous, as if he was torn between fleeing and staying. She was about to ask if he was all right when he suddenly looked up at the tree with a smile on his face. "What were you doing up there?" he asked.

She looked up as well. "I was watching the sunset," she said.

"That's not all, is it?" he asked. The question startled her and she looked up into his eyes. They were searching hers, for answers or clues, she wasn't sure. She looked away and shook her head. "You had a strange look in your eyes," he explained. "As if you were remembering something. Does it make you sad?"

She shrugged. It was strange to have him look into her eyes and know so much. She didn't understand how he could do it, or why he would want to. "I was thinking of my father," she told him. "I miss him. We used to watch the sunset all the time."

Oliver frowned and then walked to the tree. "I'm sure he misses you as well. What else do you miss from the outside world?" He sat down in the grass, leaning against the tree.

She sat next to him, startled at his question yet again. He made it seem as if they were locked away, separate from everyone and everything. But in a way, they were. She thought about her house, the college, the strange lamp posts downtown and shook her head. She could live without all of that. It was very hard for her to become attached to a place. She was a wanderer. "Nothing, really. I only miss my father. We were always together. We loved to go skating, and to watch movies. We used to read to each other, as well. I was always trying to make him happy and proud. I don't think I had to try as hard as I did, though." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and a nervous laugh escaped her lips. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling." She was surprised that she had told him so much. But she felt at ease with him. He had a sense of calm around him and she could be open with him and not have to worry about any sort of negative consequences.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "It's been a long time since I had another… human to speak to. But I'm a listener, so you'll have to excuse me if you find I'm only asking questions."

"Then I'll have to ask you questions so the conversation is more balanced." He grinned and she asked, "What do you usually do here? Before I came here, that is."

"I wandered the halls, mostly, making sure no one came near the house. When I was sure it was safe, I would play my fiddle, read, or sit up in this very tree and stare up at the stars. This is my favorite spot out of all the gardens."

"It is beautiful," she said, looking down into the creek near their feet. "I've never seen a place so beautiful in the city."

"Do you miss your home?" he asked.

Elliot shook her head. "No. I love to travel. It's hard for me to get attached to one place. I settle down and then I'm itching to go someplace else."

"Thorough flood, thorough fire, I do wander everywhere, swifter than the moon's sphere."

Elliot looked over at Oliver, surprised. "I've heard that before, but I don't remember where..."

"It was in Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. You've read it, then?"

"A long time ago. I used to love reading old plays and stories. I haven't really read anything in a long time, though. I've been busy with college and I suppose I've lost my interest in reading."

"Well… this house has a very large library if you ever wanted to rekindle that old interest." She looked up at him with a small smile on her face and he shrugged. "Just a thought."

"I like that idea. But first I think I have to get something to eat." They stood and she followed him through the garden and back into the house.

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A.N – Okay, so the interesting part that I was thinking of will have to wait until next chapter. Sorry!

Thank you all for the reviews, and thanks BelleEve for the helpful comments you left me! I'll try to update regularly, at least once every couple weeks. But I'm sorry you've forgotten the characters. I suppose it doesn't help that I keep throwing more at you, huh? Here's a little character guide so hopefully you can remember.

Elliot Miller – Main character. She's a wanderer who loves her father and she stays with the beast in her father's place. She isn't sure of what she wants in life, and she is still uncertain of who she is.

Beast – Another main character. He hates himself for what he has become, but he is kind and gentle under all those scales.

The Mistress, or the Witch – She controls the beast and is the one that cursed him and his household. Not a lot is known of her intentions so far in the story.

Oliver Mason Powell – A gentleman who watches the house at night to make sure no one comes by. He likes to play his fiddle and dance and has taken an interest in Elliot.

Silas – He was only mentioned once in the story so far. He is a friend of Oliver's and is a very twitchy fellow.

Carol – A sweet mouse who has befriended Elliot. She is chipper and cares for the beast as if he were her son.

Leo – Another mouse. He is quick to anger and enjoys teasing people now and then, but he isn't mean.

Sye – He's a dog that led Elliot to the house. He is quiet and very loyal, but not a lot is known about him.

Roger Miller – Elliot's father. He feels awful for what happened to Elliot and he wished he could have been more of a father to her. What he saw in the House of Rose drives him insane.

Eric Dawson – He's a player who insists Elliot is the one for him. He goes to great lengths to get her attention.

James – Eric's "friend" of sorts. James follows Eric around, even though Eric usually can't stand his company.

Marly Miller – Elliot's youngest sister. She was mentioned once or twice and might be mentioned again, but will not play a major role. She is rebellious, in case anyone is curious.

Sammy Miller – She's the middle sister of the Miller girls. She thinks she is above certain things and is now a model. She will not play a major role in the story.

Jamie Miller – Elliot's dead mother. She, obviously, will not play a major role in the story, but she may be mentioned now and again.

Stuart – He is a cat that lives in the House of Rose. So far he has only been mentioned twice. You'll meet him in the next chapter.

Michael – A gruff and calculating chef. He is a centaur.

Arthur – A bitter gorilla who works in the kitchen.

Myra – A loud chicken who also works in the kitchen.

Èlie – A French hawk who works in the kitchen. He is desperately in love with Cheri.

Cheri – A quiet quetzal. She is shy and doesn't know how to respond to Èlie's advances.

Niles and Hugh – Spider monkeys that work in the kitchen.

Opal – A silly goose who lives near the pond.

Jonas – A mallard who lives near the pond as well. He likes to joke around.

Eleanor – A swam who lives near the pond. She is calm and sophisticated. She, Jonas and Opal are triplets.

I believe that's everyone. Thanks again for all the reviews:D