. Dix .

Oh, there was no doubt that they were his children.

Belle let out a sigh, lowering his head and trying to manage a loving smile towards the two infants in her arms. Gently, she let them shift in her arms away from where she had them nestled protectively so her husband could take a better look. She lifted her gaze again, biting her lower lip. Anguish was written across her features. Anguish and begging.

"Oh Vincent…" she whispered, her voice quavering with a sob, "Please understand…"

Vincent let his blue gaze drop to the swaddled children in her arms. A wheezing gasp escaped his mouth. He stumbled backwards a few steps out of horror. It felt like someone had crept up behind and severely winded him.

"No…" he breathed, the colour drained from his face, "No! It can't be…!"

Belle nodded slowly to confirm his horror, sniffing in an attempt to control her tears.

"No!" Vincent continued, holding his head as, for a moment, the room began to spin, "It is not possible! How is it possible?!"

Belle let out a stifled sob in response, having no answer to her husband's questions.

Holding his head, Vincent turned away from the scene that presented itself on the bed. Shuddering gasps coursed through his body. Rubbing his eyes, he convinced himself he must be seeing things. Stealing a glance over his shoulder, he winced and shuddered. This was no hallucination.

"Vincent…please understand…" Belle begged once more.

She steadied herself with a deep breath.

"Please understand that they are still our children."

Belle's words hit a nerve within Vincent. And not just any nerve. A nerve that caused every vertebra in his spine to straighten. Every muscle in his body to stiffen with rage, fear and grief at the unfairness at it all. Belle watched warily as she saw her husband tense, his broad shoulders shaking and his fists clenched.

"No…" his growl was so low she almost didn't hear it, "They are not my children."

Belle swallowed, her eyes watering. It had felt like he had slapped her.

"How can you say such a thing…?" she whispered desperately.

Vincent let out an angry sigh through his teeth, whirling around to his wife and what lay in her arms.

"They are not my children!" he repeated, a little louder, "They are…simply…monsters!"

He spat the word as if it burned his tongue.

Monsters. Freaks. Inhuman. Animals…

Beasts.

For what Belle cradled in her arms were not human babies. Not the human babies everyone in the castle had been expecting.

The children Belle had brought into the world did not have soft pink skin with little fingers and little toes. No, the little beings that wriggled in her arms were covered in hair. And not just any hair. Fur that was befit of a beast. The little boy that was wrapped in a blue blanket had fur of a chocolate colouring reminiscent of Belle's own locks. The little girl was tawny, like her father.

Half-human, half-beast, their characteristics were a strange mixture of both. For they had the cherubic faces of babies, round and plump, but the ears of animals. Their little son reached out to his mother, instead of their being a hand…it was a paw. Covered completely in soft, thick fur, the little girl kicked, her foot coming loose from the swaddling. It was not a paw, but a human foot. One of them yawned, revealing a gummy smile. Would they grow teeth…or fangs?

Their daughter shifted, making a little noise like all babies make. She opened her eyes. Blue eyes. Blue eyes that were achingly human.

Princess Belle had given birth to a pair of beasts.

"How can you say that they are not our children, Vincent?" Belle asked, softly and lovingly tucking her daughter's foot back into the swaddling and rocking her gently, "They are just like you and me."

Vincent could not believe what he was hearing. He scoffed.

"Oh yes! Just like you and me, Belle!" he demanded, "Look at them! How are we going to present them to the rest of France? Do you honestly think everyone else will understand?"

Belle swallowed and looked away, close to fresh tears.

"You saw through me as the Beast, Belle. Only you did! But I remember when you first laid eyes on me: you were horrified, repulsed, disgusted! They are not children, Belle! They are animals! They will be shunned by society, they only have a future as recluses, just like I was. There is no hope for them."

Belle flinched from his words, tears escaping. She balanced precariously on breaking down, but instead, she looked up defiantly at her mortified husband, her brown eyes fierce as she held her children tightly.

"But they are still my children, Vincent! They are our children and I love them!"

Vincent shook his head, another growl escaping his throat.

"They are not our children," he responded sharply, "I cannot stand to look at them!"

"Vincent!" Belle cried out as she saw her husband turn away and storm out of the bedroom.

The doors slammed with a resounding bang. In the silence of the bedroom, only Belle's sobs remained.

Lumiere and Cogsworth backed away in the antechamber as Prince Vincent charged through, yanking doors open and slamming them so his furious progression through the silent castle could be heard by everyone.

Cogsworth looked up from where he was tried to rouse a fainted Monsieur Méticule.

"Where do you think he is going?" he asked the sombre valet.

Lumiere let out a heavy, knowing sigh.

"Where else? To the West Wing."

Belle wiped the tears away from her eyes as a silent Mrs. Potts soothed the distraught Princess. Her children had been placed in bassinets by the bed, tucked in as they slept soundly. Mrs. Potts paused, unable to help the gentle smile that reached her mouth.

Oh yes, Belle's children had been shocking at first, but when you looked at them, really looked at them, you came to the realisation that they were only babies. Innocent little babies who were unaware of the ill choice of cards Fate had dealt them. Little children that did not understand, simply by their appearance, how they will be shunned and rejected by the wider world. But they were babies that were no less worthy of loving.

Mrs. Potts bent down, softly stroking the head of Belle's son. His downy fur felt so soft, like a little bear.

Both Belle and Mrs. Potts glanced up as the door to the bedroom creaked open. Belle's brown eyes looked slightly hopeful, for, with the passing hour, she had hoped that every creak outside her bedroom would be Vincent making his return to see his children. Her shoulders slumped a little with disappointment as Maurice shuffled in, but she was no less grateful.

"Oh…my little girl," Maurice whispered tenderly, coming over to his heartbroken daughter and taking her hand. He stroked her forehead like her used to when she was young, kissing her there.

"Oh Papa," Belle sniffled as she curled into his embrace, her head rested up against his chest, "Oh Papa, what am I going to do?"

Maurice sighed as he stroked his fingers through his daughter's hair. He looked over at the bassinets as one of the children made a small squeak. Belle's father's eyes widened as he laid eyes on what his daughter had brought into the world. Oh yes, Mrs. Potts had told him the news…but he wasn't quite expecting…this. His shock ebbed away quickly as he heard the whimpering child cry, Mrs. Potts scooping it up into an embrace.

"Shh, shh," the matron soothed, rocking the little boy back and forth, "Hush now dear…"

Maurice smiled. Beasts or not, they were still his grandchildren. He turned back to his daughter, her body exhausted both physically and emotionally, lifting her chin.

"You are my brave and clever daughter, Belle. There will be a way."

Belle sniffed and gave him a watery smile.

"Vincent does not want to see them," she whispered mournfully, "He says…he says they have no hope. He…he cannot even look at them, Papa!"

Maurice's heart felt heavy when he heard these words. Mrs. Potts tutted in the background. After all his daughter had given that Prince: handing herself to him as his prisoner, showing patience towards him, showing him how to love before she fell in love with him herself, Maurice expected Prince Vincent to show, well, a little more…courage.

"He will come round, my girl. Don't you worry," her Papa reassured.

Belle shook her head, defeated.

"I don't think so this time, Papa. He does not even want to name them. I don't think they will ever be named," she cast her gaze to her nameless son and daughter, settled and sleeping.

"Oh pish-posh!" Mrs. Potts interrupted from where she was folding baby linen, "That's nonsense child! Well, if the Master does not want to help name them, then it is up to you!"

"Me…?" Belle asked uncertainly.

"Yes! You! The Master is obviously off too busy being a coward! These poor little dears cannot go on without being named! It simply isn't done for a Prince and Princess!"

Mrs. Potts' words startled Belle. She had not even thought of people considering her fur-covered children as a 'Prince' or 'Princess.' In her husband's eyes, they were monstrous, not even worthy being looked at, let alone royal titles. A small smile lifted at the corners of Belle's mouth, Mrs. Potts' words stirring warmth in her heart.

"Thank you Mrs. Potts, I think I shall."

Belle looked down lovingly as her sleeping son was carefully placed in her arms. She looked up at her moustached father.

"Papa, will you help me name them?" she asked, uncertain if she could bear the responsibility all on her own.

"Belle, my dear, it would be an honour."

Tears welled up in the man's crinkled eyes.

Her little son stirred, opening his mouth wide in a yawn and letting out a little sleepy growl before settling back down. Maurice chuckled softly.

"He looks like a little lion, that one."

Belle smiled, stroking her son's chocolate fur. She thought on her father's words.

"Léon…" she whispered, "He looks like a Léon, doesn't he Papa?"

Maurice smiled.

"Indeed he does."

Mrs. Potts joined the pair, smiling fondly.

"He will be big and strong that one, just you wait. He looks like a prince that will be full of courage," she observed, her tone sharper towards the end as she thought upon a current monarch who had no, or very little, courage at this moment.

Mrs. Potts took little Léon, an extremely sound sleeper, from his mother and placed him back in the lined bassinet. The second child, the daughter, stirred and made a little whimper as the matron picked her up and gave her to Belle. A lighter sleeper, the child opened her blue eyes blearily as to who had disturbed her.

"My little girl…" Belle whispered tenderly as she stroked her tawny fur. Yes, her daughter certainly had Vincent's colouring, "My precious daughter."

The little child reached up a paw, catching onto Belle's pinkie. The Princess laughed softly.

"She's a bright spark, that one. Just like her mother," Mrs. Potts observed.

The female child stared wondrously at Belle's finger, trying to figure it out.

"She's going to be a bit of a dreamer too," Maurice added softly, "That was what you always used to do when you were a baby."

Belle caught her father's gaze, her eyes watering.

"Sybille," she lifted her daughter and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Her name will be Sybille."

Sybille made a little noise of contentment, as if happy with the name choice, and settled back to sleep. Mrs. Potts gently took her from the tired Belle.

"Now dear," the stout woman whispered as she saw Belle's eyelids droop, "You have not had any sleep. It has been a big day now, you need your rest."

Belle nodded wearily, settling back into the pillow. Her cheeks still flushed from tears, she let her heavy eyelids blink a few times before they finally closed. Mrs. Potts and Maurice both drew up a corner each of the bed covers, making sure the Princess was tucked in nicely.

"Sleep well my girl," Maurice whispered lovingly.

"May the morning be better for you," Mrs. Potts added sorrowfully, stealing one last look at the trio before gently closing the door.

Author's Note: An early post for you all as I'm going to be away for a week or so battling with three archaeology essays (meaning I have to be 'productive' with my Internet use...in other words, researching). Thank you to all those who reviewed, you pretty much figured it out...but there's a lot more to go from here! This chapter is essentially the turning point of the story.

For those who are wondering about Vincent's reaction and the reason why the twins are cursed, all will be answered in the next chapter which I promise I'll have up as soon as possible!

On a note of clarification, just in case anyone didn't get it whilst reading the chapter: Belle and Vincent's twins are fraternal (ie. not identical) hence, their daughter, Sybille, has Vincent's coppery/gold/light brown colouring of her fur and Léon is Belle's darker brown. They both have blue eyes. I hope that helps in visualising the twins, I would put artwork up but right now I'm in the middle of uni semester and simply don't have time! Perhaps at a later date when I get round to it, I'll let you know.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Enjoy and scoot on down to the button below!

Fancy Friday.