Author's Note: Hey guys! I am so sorry about the semi-hiatus I've been on; juggling two fics is FAR harder than I thought it would be! I found that I would spend a lot of time thinking about both of them, and when I would go to work on one, the other would cloud my vision. I've worked out a system, now, though, so both of my stories should have regular updates from now on. If you love me (or this story), you should definitely go check out chapter one of my new fic! (:
Thanks so much to my amazing and gorgeous Betas who keep me sane. Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/faved/followed this story; you all mean so much to me!

I was braiding my hair Christmas Eve morning when a knock sounded at my door. Thinking it was Beast, I rushed to open it; Babette stood outside, smiling at me.

"Babette!" I exclaimed, slightly disappointed but nonetheless happy to see her.

"Belle, do you like to stitch?" she asked pointedly.

"Umm…I have before, and I suppose I enjoy it enough," I replied, truly confused now.

"There is nothing to do today until dinner; I was wondering if you would join me in the den and stitch with me?" I blinked, unsure of her sudden request. "Lumiere is gathering firewood; won't you come with me?" she implored, eyes widening.

"Of course I will, Babette," I finally said. She beamed at me and led me hurriedly down to the den. We settled ourselves on the floor after she gathered fabric, thread, and needles to use.

We sat in silence, threading needles and stitching along patterns of the fabrics. I couldn't help but feel suspicious about all of this; while Babette and I got along well, she had never gone out of her way to be with me.

I immediately felt bad; what was wrong with spending time with other members of the household? On the other hand, I hadn't seen Beast all morning – that struck me as odd. I suppose I shouldn't be so needy, but I was used to him seeking me out first thing most mornings.

I sighed and put down my stitching.

"Is something wrong?" Babette asked nervously.

"No," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'm just surprised Beast hasn't come looking for me this morning." I watched Babette turn pink and push her blonde hair behind her ears.

"Maybe he's busy," she offered, focusing almost too much on her stitching.

"Maybe," I allowed, but now I was certain that something was going on. With a sigh, I returned to my work.

Almost two hours later, Mrs. Potts came in the den with a tray of baguettes and tea.

"I thought you two would like some lunch," she said with a smile.

"How did you know we were in here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Mrs. Potts set the tray down with pursed lips.

"I looked around, and just – I just assumed you were in here," she said with a frown.

"Hmmm," I muttered, not convinced. "If it's all right with you, though, I'll just run up to my room first –"

"No," Babette said quickly. "Stay and eat, and then we could probably help Bouche cook – couldn't we, Mrs. Potts?"

"Of course," she agreed, nodding zealously. "He'd probably appreciate some help."

"This morning, Babette said there was nothing to do today!" I exclaimed.

"Well, Bouche could do the cooking alone, but I just thought of offering him some help," she said. I sighed but didn't argue as I took a baguette from the tray.

Soon we were in the kitchen, although Bouche had insisted that he didn't need any help. At Mrs. Potts' insistence, he put us to work chopping vegetables or kneading dough for the meal that night. After the food was almost completely ready, I wiped my hands with a sigh.

"Shouldn't we wash up before supper?" I suggested, trying to keep the aggravation from my voice.

"Not – not yet!" Mrs. Potts said insistently. I placed my hands on my hips.

"What is going on?" I demanded.

"Nothing at all," Babette said nervously, eyeing the kitchen door.

Suddenly, the door slammed open; I spun around to see Beast standing in the doorway, seeming slightly out of breath.

"Belle!" he exclaimed, giving me a smile; some of my annoyance faded away. "Won't you come with me?" I glanced at Babette and Mrs. Potts, who had relieved looks on their faces, before nodding and moving towards him.

"Where have you been today?" I asked once we were out of the kitchen; I attempted to sound nonchalant.

"I was – I was helping Lumiere with a few things," he said.

"Really?" I asked incredulously; Beast gave me a sheepish grin.

"No, not really," he admitted, leading me up the stairs. "Lumiere was helping me with your Christmas present."

My face turned scarlet; had this all been so that he could get me a present? My curiosity was piqued.

"M-my present?" I asked; it suddenly occurred to me that I had nothing to give in return. "Why did it require my distraction all day?" We had reached my room, and his paw hesitated over the doorknob.

"You'll see," he muttered. "Now, close your eyes."

"Why?" I asked indignantly.

"Because it's a surprise," he growled. "Don't make me blindfold you."

"You wouldn't," I argued, but the look on his face made me shut my eyes tightly. I felt him timidly clasp his hand in mine as he opened my door and led me inside. I tightened my grip on his paw as we crossed the threshold; my heart skipped a beat.

Beast let go of my hand and stood behind me; he gingerly touched my arms and moved me slightly to the right before backing away.

"Okay…." he said softly. "You can open your eyes now."

My eyes shot open to see the wall to my room – only it wasn't a wall anymore. In place of the wall in front of me – and the other two walls not encompassed by my bed – were bookshelves; they stood more than a head above me, but I could tell that the tops were still within my arm's reach. The three bookshelf walls were entirely filled with books of every height and width; as I scanned the titles, I could see scientific journals, fairy tales, cookbooks.

Beast had turned my room into a library.

My hands flew to my mouth in shock; I had almost as many books in my room as the book store in my town had.

"Oh, Beast," I said breathlessly. I moved towards the shelf in front of me and ran my hand along the spines of the books.

"Y-you like it?" he asked nervously. I spun around, eyes dancing and face lit up in a huge smile.

"Like it?" I replied. "No, I don't like it. I absolutely love it. It's so perfect!" In a rapid movement, I flung my arms around his neck; after a moment, I pulled away as my heart thudded in my chest. "Thank you so much," I said sincerely. "How on earth did you do all of this?"

"That's why you had to be distracted," he said with a small smile. "Lumiere and Cogsworth helped me build the shelves today while Babette kept you out of here. The books belonged to my parents. I've been searching all over the house for every book I could find; I've read most of them, and I thought you would enjoy them."

"I will – I do!" I exclaimed. "Beast, this is fantastic. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said with a smile; his eyes shone and made my heart skip a beat. "I'm so very glad that you like it."

"I love it," I assured him. "Now you'd better go and let me get changed for dinner." I shooed him out, matching grins on our faces.

Quickly I changed into one of the fancier dresses that filled the front of my wardrobe. It was a deep, midnight blue dress that ballooned out a small ways from my legs. I ran my fingers over the fine, silken fabric; never in my life had I worn something so luxurious. I pulled the ribbon from my tight braid and ran a brush through my hair, allowing it to fall around me in gentle waves. Slightly nervous and very hungry, I made my way out of my room.

To my surprise, Beast came around the corner – but he looked different. He had on fresh trousers; the edges were not tattered as his others had been. Instead of baring his furred chest, he had on a crisp white shirt that appeared to have been tailored to fit his physique.

Beast had never seemed as human to me as he did in that moment. When he smiled, everything else seemed to fade away; my heart thudded in my chest and I knew that it didn't matter what he looked like.

"You look beautiful," he said softly as he approached me. My face turned red and I tried to smile, but my heart was beating too rapidly.

He extended his arm; I took it – almost needing it to steady myself - and he began to escort me to the ballroom, where we would all be eating Christmas supper. Where our arms touched, I felt his fur – it felt much smoother and thinner.

"Have you brushed your fur?" I asked, trying not to giggle.

"No," he said, looking down bashfully. At this, I did let out a laugh, but Beast joined in rather than feeling embarrassed.

The long dining table had been decorated with red candles, holly, and the best china set out. Bouche had made a bountiful feast: turkey, ham, chicken, cranberry sauce, vegetables, and a traditional Buche de Noel cake for dessert.

After Grace, we all began to eat. Mrs. Potts' had poured wine for everyone; at my request, I had water. I was too wary of my father's habits to even allow myself to try it. Lumiere had several glasses before anyone had finished one plate of food and began to tell crude jokes. Mrs. Potts' glared at him while Bouche and Beast guffawed; my eyes widened and my cheeks turned pink. I saw Babette watching Lumiere with doe eyes and felt a twinge of – jealousy.

Perhaps there had been another reason I had avoided anything more than friendship with Beast, even if I wouldn't admit it to myself. Despite any feelings we might have for each other, could there ever truly be anything between us? Could we – was I just fooling myself here? – wed?

I felt Beast squeeze my hand; when I looked up at him, he was wearing a charming smile. I allowed my concerns to melt away. After all, I was extremely happy right now. There was no need to ruin it.

Christmas morning dawned bright and early. We gathered in the den to burn the Yule log. We were going to do it the previous night, but Lumiere had become a little intoxicated and Mrs. Potts had sent him off to bed with a glare.

Of course, when Mrs. Potts wasn't looking, Babette ran right after him.

"Please, Mrs. Potts?" I begged. Beast stood beside me; there were matching pleading stares on our faces.

"Oh, fine!" she finally relented. "But if you take one step off of that porch, I'll tie you both up in your rooms until the snow melts!"

Cheerfully, Beast and I made our way through the kitchen to the back porch; after a morning of beseeching and begging, we had finally convinced Mrs. Potts to let us have some fresh air.

"Merry Christmas," Beast said with a smile once we were seated on the steps of the porch.

"Merry Christmas," I replied, extremely aware of how close we were. We sat in peaceful silence for a moment, watching birds fly around in the backyard.

"Belle, would you like to have a party on New Year's Eve? It would be small, but it would still let us celebrate." My eyes widened; did he know?

"Celebrate what?" I asked.

"Uh – the New Year." I blinked, finally understanding.

"Oh, yes! Of course; that sounds lovely." We grinned at each other; after a moment, though, Beast's smile faltered. His face turned hard and serious.

"Belle, I have something that I need to tell you." My heart skipped a beat.

"What is it?"

"It's about – well, it's about me. I know you aren't stupid, and I've avoided the subject for long enough. I think it's time that I told you how this –" he gestured to his chest "- came to be."

I turned slightly on the steps so that I could look at him more easily. His breathing was rapid, and his face was troubled.

"You don't have to tell me, you know," I offered softly, even though my own curiosity was about to drive me insane.

"No, I need to tell you," he insisted. "You deserve to know, and … I want you to know."

"Thank you," I breathed; I was relieved that my curiosity would be slated and touched by the fact that he trusted me enough to tell me his tale.

"Let me begin by again saying that I am not proud of the boy I used to be. My parents were Auguste and Elise Laurent. They were extremely wealthy; this mansion was a wedding present from my father to my mother. I'm not exactly sure how they amassed their fortune – if it was old money, business, or a combination of the two. From what Mrs. Potts has told me, before I was born this mansion was a lively place; they were always hosting a party or get-together for the rich and fabulous. They were extremely well respected, and I was destined for their life of grandeur.

"One summer evening when I was only two, my parents travelled to Paris for some sort of soiree. On their way back, their carriage was robbed and they were murdered.

"Once I was old enough to truly understand what had happened, I was so angry – at my parents, at their killers, at everyone. Why did they have to go to a party so far away in Paris and leave me here? Was I not good enough for them? Why did the bandits have to kill them? The money they stole wasn't enough to satisfy them? I felt so alone, even though everyone who worked here loved me and raised me in my parents' stead. When I became a teenager, it occurred to me that I had everything I needed: I had become very handsome at a young age, and I had my parents' fortune to fulfill my every desire. I began to host grand parties here, as my parents had before me. I was the envy of everyone who entered my mansion; I was such a young boy, yet I had everything I could ever need or want.

"I became cruel and vain. My happiness depended upon the lavish parties I threw. I progressed through my teen years, growing more handsome and unkind with every day. Then, on Christmas Eve of my sixteenth year, my entire life changed.

"I was in a foul mood because everyone had denied my invitation to a Christmas party.

"'They want to spend Christmas with their families,' Mrs. Potts told me, but I just rolled my eyes and fell into an even darker mood. After all, in my mind I had no family to spend Christmas with. How blind I was. Then, suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. I was ecstatic; someone must have changed their mind about coming for Christmas. I hissed at Mrs. Potts to put some tea on and rushed to the front door. I threw it open with a smile that quickly faded to a glare.

"Standing on the front steps was a haggard old woman. She was bent over, clutching her shawl around her withered frame.

"'Please, good sir,' she whispered. 'Would you give an old woman shelter from the bitter cold? I can offer you this rose in return.' She brandished a small rose and I sneered. I was extremely annoyed by this woman's presence and her wretched appearance.

"'What would I want with a rose? There's no room,' I shouted, turning away.

"'Please, sir,' she begged, clutching at my shirt. I pushed her away, disgusted.

"'You can't stay here, hag!' I shouted. I looked into her eyes for the first time and noticed that they were a startling violet.

"'You should not put so much stock in appearances,' she said, but her voice had changed. She backed away and stood up straight, straighter than I would have thought she could. Her face seemed to twist and melt away, revealing the beautiful, thin, pale face of a young woman. Her violet eyes blazed as her robes fell away to reveal fine golden clothing. My jaw dropped.

"'I may have been mistaken,' I amended. 'There might be some room. Please, come in.' But the beautiful woman shook her head, tossing her golden hair.

"'You turned me away when I was in another form,' she said, her voice beginning to reverberate. I heard the door widen behind me, heard Mrs. Potts' sharp intake of breath. 'You are cruel, young master. You judge people on their wealth and their beauty. Your attractive exterior masks a cold black heart!' She seemed to lift off of the ground, raising her arms. 'I shall remedy that!' Her voice turned harsh, and my heart sank. I collapsed to my knees.

"'Please,' I begged. 'Have mercy!'

"'You have shown no mercy to others!' she rebuked. 'So none shall be shown to you! I will give you a physical appearance that matches the beast inside of you!' She flung her arms towards me, and a rush of light shot at me. I curled into a fetal position, covering my head. Mrs. Potts began to scream. I felt myself growing, felt my legs and arms changing. I tried to scream, but a roar came out instead. I looked up and glanced at my hands – no, my paws. I fell back, screaming and roaring, and the witch gave me a triumphant smirk.

"'What did you do to me?' I screamed in agony.

"'I have made you into what you already were inside – a beast.'"

Here, Beast paused his story, as if he were mentally editing it.

"'This rose,' she gestured at the flower that had fallen to the ground, 'was meant to bring you good fortune had you given me shelter. Now, it will be your only hope. It will bloom for many years; when it dies, your curse will be beyond breaking.' She pulled a mirror out of thin air and handed it to me. 'Let your new physique be your motivation!' I looked at myself – my human features were gone, replaced by beastly fur and horns. I turned back to the witch, but she was gone. I picked up the roses and ran back into the mansion, nearly knocking over Mrs. Potts. I ran on all fours to my room and destroyed it. I tore my painting, demolished my bed, and raged for hours. After I had trashed everything I could get my paws onto, I began to cry. I sobbed and let out wails of pain all night. Eventually, Mrs. Potts knocked on my door.

"'Dear, you must come out,' she said softly. Numb, I allowed her to lead me out into the foyer where the dozens of servants my parents had employed were waiting. Mrs. Potts explained to them what had happened while I tried to ignore their horrified looks. One man who had served as a butler for years openly stared at me, and I felt my blood boil.

"'What are you looking at?' I snarled.

"'Nothing, sir,' he mumbled, embarrassed. I pushed my way through the mass of servants and began to scream in his face.

"'You think you can stare at me just because I'm a beast now? You're staring at the beast?'

"'Sir!' Mrs. Potts said, horrified. I ran away from them, picking up vases and shattering them on the floor.

"'I'm an animal now!' I shouted. 'I might as well act like one!' I broke everything I could get my hands on until Mrs. Potts grabbed me. I stopped, unwilling to hurt her.

"'Stop it right now!' she shouted, her face red. Anguished, I ran back to my room. I curled myself into a ball and closed my eyes, willing myself into blackness.

"The next day, there was a knock on my door. I flung it open to see Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Bouche, and Babette: the only servants remaining. They all assured me that they would not abandon me, though half of them looked scared out of their wits. I even suspected that Babette only stayed because Lumiere did, but I didn't care. My heart soared to see all of them, and for the first time in my life I felt real gratitude. They continued to operate as usual while I stayed locked up in my room. I became obsessed with the care of my rose; it consumed me. And one day, I discovered something about the mirror the witch had given me. I picked it up to move it and yelled for Mrs. Potts at the same time. Suddenly, the mirror lit up and in it I saw Mrs. Potts bustling down a hallway. I tested it out a few more times and came to the conclusion that I could see anyone in it, so long as I said their name. It became my only link to the outside world."

"How can you break the spell?" I asked curiously. Beast shrugged.

"If it can be done, I don't know how," he said flatly. "I was a terrible person," he continued in agony.

"But you aren't now!" I objected. "That should count! The witch should take the spell back!"

"She can't," he said simply. I sighed.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"It's no one's fault but my own." He cleared his throat and steadied himself. "But now you know my story."

"Bouche said that the people in the town near here used to know about you, but don't anymore. What did he mean?"

"When I – when it happened, Mrs. Potts came up with a plan. I transferred all of my finances and documents into her name and then … we faked my death. As far as anyone outside knows, I don't exist anymore." He looked into the distance, and my heart surged with pity.

"Don't be sad," I urged him. "We will figure it out. We will break your curse!" He smiled sadly at me.

"I certainly hope so."