Lynette got two different reactions from each of her parents when Gaston had been taken to a room where the servants could tend to him. Lynette hadn't told anyone his name, she was wise enough to know that this was not the right time so she had kept quiet. Both her mother and father were relieved to see her unharmed but as soon as the servants were gone her father started shouting.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU WORRIED YOUR MOTHER AND ME?"
"Now Adam the important thing is that she's home safe and sound."
"Don't interrupt me Belle! She's been childish and irresponsible and I'm not going to let her get away with it this time! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LYNETTE? YOU COULD HAVE DIED! DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?...DO YOU?"
Lynette hung her head. She knew she deserved this, it seemed like it had all been so long ago that she'd run off, it seemed the act of a spoiled child to her now.
"I'm sorry father..."
Adam had opened his mouth to bellow again when the full weight of what she said hit him. She had never given him a sincere apology before. He stared down at her lowered head in surprise and chewed his lip anxiously. For the first time in years the King was uncertain of himself. He hadn't finished his tongue lashing but now it seemed inappropriate to do so. He sighed and put an arm around his daughter.
"Don't ever scare me like that again," he finally said, his tone softer now.
Lynette buried her face in his shoulder and sniffled a bit before he mother took her away to have dinner and a warm bath. Both the King and Queen noted a change in their daughter. She seemed to have grown up a little while she was away. It saddened them a little to think that she was no longer the careless princess she had been before but Belle reasoned to her husband that a little wisdom could do her no harm if she would be queen someday.
"Let's not forget about Chip and Dietrich, I'm sure they're also a bit worn out from all this excitement," Belle said taking her husband's arm.
Adam nodded. "I'll have Lumiere tend to them."
...
"Well now I hope you two are both hungry," Lumiere had taken it upon himself to have a fine meal prepared for the Dietrich and Chip.
"I still can't believe the Master hasn't thrown me in the dungeon for going off without his permission," Chip shook his head.
"Why would he? You brought the Princess back safely and sooner than he thought he'd have her home. I think he is too happy to punish you, no?"
Chip furrowed his brow, well he wasn't going to question it, there was something more important on his mind anyway.
"How's my mother? Did she miss me while I was gone? Everyone did remember her right?"
"But of course, she was worried but she knows that you are safe now so all is well."
The young man scratched the back of his head and frowned. "Still, I had better go and see her, she hasn't been so well this past year and I'm worried about her," he said.
Lumiere nodded and patted his shoulder. "You are a good man Chip, she is lucky to have such a devoted son," he meant it, Mrs Potts was dwindling away a little more each year and he was sure that with out her son the old woman would have been lost long ago.
Chip couldn't help but feel that there was something sad about the old man's smile when he said that. Before he could question it the aged romantic had changed the subject.
"You did tell Lynette you love her, am I right?"
Chip's face turned pink. "I'll get around to it soon enough..."
"Want for me to provide a nice candlelight dinner and some mood music?"
"NO!" Chip's expression was one of mortification. He knew that Lumiere was likely to go to the extent of putting on an entire floor show for a single dinner date.
Lumiere's face fell, didn't Chip understand that romance was his reason for living? The sole purpose for his existence? How was he going to live vicariously through young lovers if they didn't get together? Giving Chip a stern look he wagged his finger at the young man.
"Just do it before I die of old age! I haven't got much more life left in these old bones and if I don't live to see your wedding my ghost will come back and haunt you every night for the rest of your life."
"I'll do it! Just back off already!"
Dietrich stirred his soup dejectedly and tried not to get involved. It seemed Lynette was spoken for and he was surrounded on all sides buy lunatics. He wondered if there was a single person in this castle without a quirk of some kind...noticing that there was a pretty maid nearby he gave her a smile.
"Well hello there, is life around here always so interesting?"
"It has it's moments," she returned his smile with one of her own.
She did seem promising, even if she was a bit older than he was, and he certainly could have used a night of company to forget all of this madness. He wondered if she would be up for some fun.
"Do you ever want a break from all of it?" he asked.
"I do sometimes, but then I just remember that no matter what's happening it's better than being a spoon and I'm grateful to be doing my job here as things are."
For a moment Dietrich wondered if he'd forgotten his French.
"I'm sorry, did you say a spoon?" he held up the piece of silverware
"Yes, it is nice having legs again," the woman said pleasantly.
"I'm sure it is..." There were no words to describe the Prince's dismay, it truly seemed that everyone who lived within these castle walls was strange. Although perhaps he should alert some one to the fact that one of the maid thought she used to be a utensil.
"Chip!" he hissed leaning over to whisper so the maid wouldn't hear him. "Chip don't be alarmed but one of your servants seems to think she's been a spoon!"
Chip gave Dietrich a lopsided grin, the man already knew about beasts and magic, it couldn't hurt to tell him the whole story.
"Well actually..."
...
Dietrich sat frozen in his chair. "You were a teacup for ten years?...And the King was a beast?" he glanced behind him, the maid was nonchalantly polishing a vase a few feet away. "So she really was a spoon once..."
"The only ones who don't know about all this are the younger servants and Lynette, Adam thought it best she not know, he wanted her to be normal." explained Chip.
"Ha ha...normal... in this place...I'm sure."
Well as far as Chip could tell Dietrich seemed to be taking things well enough. Perhaps he needed some time alone to digest all of it. "I'm going to see my mother now, you just have some more dinner and think things over for a bit, alright?" he patted the German's head and walked off trying not to snicker at the young man's dismayed expression.
...
Belle took it upon herself to take charge of caring for the wounded Beast, for almost a week he slipped in and out of consciousness and it was only with Belle's help that he was able to survive the first night. Finally on the seventh day he seemed to improve. After several hours of restful sleep he woke for the first time and was able to take in his surroundings.
...
When Gaston's world came back into focus he found himself staring at an impossible face...a wonderful, impossible face...
Soft brown eyes as large and sweet as those of a doe, silky chocolate colored hair and pretty pink lips that were smiling down at him in away he'd only ever dreamed they would. Belle, his beauty. He wanted to speak the name but the words caught in his throat. Why did she smile? Was he dreaming?
"I'm glad you're awake Mousier Beast."
Of course, she didn't know who he was, this wasn't a dream. He was a beast and she didn't recognize him.
"For a while we were worried that you would die on us, good thing you're a strong one. We owe you our daughter's life. It was very brave of you to fight that bear."
Hearing Belle praise him cut him deeply. She would never have said such things to Gaston, and why should she? What had he ever done to deserve it? Still, it felt so painful to know that if he were handsome again she would never treat him as though she cared.
Belle was unsure what to make of the beast. He wasn't the same as Adam had been. This beast didn't seem angry and defiant. The creature's light blue eyes were mournful. He seemed oddly subdued and there was an aura of sadness that made him seem like one who had grown old over the course of a very short time. It was strange, she was almost certain he was familiar in a way. Perhaps it was just because he was a beast...
"What's your name sir?" she asked.
He didn't think he could possibly tell her the truth, "Just call me Beast my name is no good to me anymore," he said wearily.
Belle was dismayed, this beast had saved her daughter and nearly died in the process, yet he seemed so somber as though his heart was broken into a thousand pieces.
"There's no need to be afraid, no one here will hurt you," she put a hand on his furry cheek and gave him her kindest smile.
It was to much, not once in his human days had Belle touched him or given him a kind word. Now that he was a beast and she a married woman he finally had her attention and affection, at long last she thought of him as a hero. This was irony, like in those damnable Greek stories Lynette had read to him. But no tragic hero could possibly have felt as wretched as he did at that moment. He pulled away from her and gently pushed her hand aside.
"Please don't touch me, I can't bear it."
"You don't have to be ashamed, I won't let anyone mistreat you because of what you are."
His lips twisted in a rueful smile. How could he tell her it wasn't what but who he was that made him all the difference? "That's kind but as soon as I'm well I'll leave," he said.
"At least stay until you're well, I'd hate for anything to happen to you," Bell protested.
If only you knew...I'll bet you didn't shed a tear when I fell off that cliff. He thought. His attention was diverted by a sudden presence, a stranger had just walked through the door. He was fairly tall, about six feet or so and he was dressed in a blue jacket and dark breeches. He had dark blue eyes and thick, shoulder length, coppery hair that hung loosely about his face. Gaston placed him at about forty, good looking in a way and not as girly as other nobles he'd seen. The man scrutinized him, there was something arrogant about his expression and Gaston was immediately reminded of Lynette.
"You're the king?" he asked.
"How'd you guess?" Adam raised a fierce brow at him.
"You remind me of Lynette, you both have a way of standing around like you own the world."
The king's face reddened a bit and he opened his mouth to tell the beast just what was what around here when Belle let out a soft laugh.
"He has a point, both of you can be very imposing," she said.
"I am the King," Adam growled as the flush left his cheeks.
Gaston assessed the situation, something he was better at doing than most people suspected, this man was Belle's husband. That meant he was the former beast, the one he'd stabbed. He seemed quite well, Belle had done alright as far as husbands went: rich, handsome, a king...there was no shame in losing your girl to a king right? After having studied the man for a minute he decided that if he was going to reveal himself to anyone it would be Belle, this fellow seemed the type to have outbursts.
Speaking of Belle, she had aged nicely, there only a few tell-tale lines around her eyes and mouth that hinted at her true age. Mores the pity, he thought back on his dream of having her as a wife, such a shame really. If only he'd known then what he knew now...
Adam saw the longing look on the Beast's face and he cleared his throat loudly to get his attention. He hoped the creature wasn't getting any ideas...
"You will leave as soon as you are able right?"
Gaston couldn't say he liked the man's attitude but he nodded his agreement.
"Adam don't be rude! He saved our daughter's life and I won't have him treated like a monster," Belle cried standing with her hands on her hips as she turned to face her husband.
Well, who would have guessed, Bell defending Gaston from her dear beast. Irony at it's finest if Gaston didn't say so himself, still he didn't want a fight to break out.
"Neither of you have to worry, I won't stay. I have my own reasons for wanting to go back to the forest," he said.
Bell sighed, "If you insist."
"Trust me it's all for the best."
Adam gave a satisfied nod, "I couldn't agree more."