Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 36 - Adam's Fury, Part 2

Author's Note: Disney is the rightful owner of this franchise. I just own the story.

"You were right about him, Mrs. Potts. He is a horrible person."

"I know, deary, but try to remain calm... I am just so relieved to see that you were not seriously injured by the master's father."

"You mean emotionally or physically?"

The former teapot simply sighed, and remained quiet as she continued wrapping protective bandage around the area of Belle's body that had only been bruised by Edward's punch.

"Alright, deary, you can put your dress back on."

To her surprise, however, Belle put her usual outfit back in the warderobe, and retrieved the red outfit that she'd worn during the time she and the Beast had taken Phillipe out for a walk in the snow.

"You didn't have to change into a different one, my dear," said Mrs. Potts. "I mean, you look lovely in both of them, but why..."

"I know, Mrs. Potts, but this one is a little more... er, princessy, I guess," replied Belle, who was not going to wear the puffy dresses that she saw in the stories of her - no, the library that used to belong to her.

"How can someone like him be so horrible and cruel?"

As she put the first-aid kit away, Mrs. Potts gave a small shrug, and said, "Not everyone can see the light, I am afraid... you've helped the Master change his ways, and even someone like Raphael, but in the case of the master's father, there is no one who can possibly help him."

Belle then looked at her right ring-finger, which was no longer bearing a wedding wing, and she said, "I sure hope Adam isn't taking this too hard... I'm starting to feel worried about him."

"He will be fine, deary, don't you worry about that," replied a smiling Mrs. Potts. "He should be able to fix all of this up in no time, you'll see."

[In Adam's study]

As he continued looking through all of the official documents that involved his father, Adam's temper was continuing to grow.

"How dare that maudit chienne come into my home, completely disrespect my wife, and just downright act like a Putain de culot to-"

"Um, forgive me, Master, but you really should not say such language," interrupted Cogsworth. "He is still your father, after all."

Adam rolled his eyes, and growled, "That man is not my father, Cogsworth... he is supposed to be dead, not making our lives a l'enfer vivant!"

Oh, how I wish Lumiere was here, thought Cogsworth, since the candelabra was busy helping James with preparing Edward's room.

Noticing the fear in his servant's facial expression, Adam let out a sigh, and said, "I apologize, my friend, but I promised Belle that I would fix this."

"I under... oh, come on... I understand how you must feel, Master," replied Cogsworth, who was also trying to stop the sides of his moustache from twitching like the handles on a clock. "But I am sure that deep down, your father thinks that he is doing what is best for you."

Adam let out a dark chuckle, and said, "If that is the case here, Cogsworth, then he can go back in the grave that he crawled out of."

"Who are you referring to exactly?"

The two of them turned around, and saw Maurice standing at the dorway, looking confused.

"My father has made a miraculous return," said Adam, in a heavily sarcastic tone. "And he was not very respectful towards Belle."

"Oh, really?" replied Maurice, a frown appearing on his face. "What did he do?"

Once Mrs. Potts was a hundred percent sure that Belle was okay, the young woman said, "Thank you, Mrs. Potts... I'd hate to see how he will treat the others, including you and Chip."

"You needn't worry about us, deary," assured Mrs. Potts. "You just continue being yourself."

"Well, considering that his father plans on staying here, that might be an issue," reminded Belle. "But I have an idea regarding my clothes..."

Trying to keep things in a positive light, Mrs. Potts let out a chuckle, and she asked, "You wouldn't happen to be..."

"No, I am not," replied Belle, who was now feeling a little embarassed.

I can't be, right?

Before either of them could say anything else, Cogsworth suddenly showed up in the room, looking nervous and a little tired. "Madame, you have to come with me!"

"Cogsworth? What's wrong?" asked Belle.

"It's your father..." gasped Cogsworth, now trying to catch his breath. "Adam told him everything that happened with you and his father."

"He did what? Where are they now?"

[The ballroom]

Cadenza was continuing to try and perfect the song that he had written for Adam to play for Belle when, to his surprise, he saw Adam's father enter the room.

"Y-your highness?" said the piano player. "Oh mon Dieu, you... are alive?"

Edward was about to answer when the doors were suddenly bursted open, and Maurice stormed into the ballroom, walking over to him, looking very upset.

"What gives you the right to talk to my daughter the way you did?"

Edward's stone-faced expression remained as he said, "Ah, you must be Maurice... and to answer your question, you should be grateful that, as the ruler of this castle, I did not say anything worse to someone like her who is beneath me and my son."

"I do not care who you are," exclaimed Belle's father. "Never talk to my daughter like that again."

"And what will you do about it?" questioned Edward, raising an eyebrow.

Maurice was about to show him what he could do when Belle entered the room, along with Adam and Lumiere.

"Papa, don't worry, it's fine," said Belle, trying to get him to relax.

"Sweetheart, this man owes you an apology," exclaimed Maurice, as he angrily pointed at Edward.

"For what exactly?" said Adam's father. "She is lucky that I have not yet done anything worse."

Maurice glared at Edward, and replied, "You attacked my daughter both verbally and physically. Nothing can be worse than that."

"Try me," taunted Adam's father, giving the painter a sinister smile.

"Papa, it's fine," whispered Belle, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let it go, please."

Maurice was about to respond when Edward said, "Yes, Maurice, do listen to your daughter... it would be best for the both of you."

Not wanting to cause any problems for his daughter or son-in-law, Maurice simply let out a sigh, and quickly left the ballroom, while Belle turned her attention back to Edward.

"Why do you hate us so much?"

"I never said that I hated you, madame," said Adam's father. "I just think that my son could have done better than-"

Suddenly, Adam walked straight up to his father, and exclaimed, "I swear, Father, if you insult my wife in any way whatsoever again..."

"I've already told you, son, that you no longer have power over me," said Edward, remaining stone-faced. "So unless you want to end up-"

"Leave him alone," warned Belle, as she stood beside her husband. "Can't you see that your son is happy with me? Is that not good enough for you?"

"Not just yet, madame, but we will see," answered Edward, with just barely a small and momentary hint of sadness in his eyes. "In the meantime... I was surprised, son, to learn that you still had Romeo & Juliet in the library."

Before Adam could answer, Belle replied, "Well, of course, he did... but why would you talk about that book in particular?"

"Because I prefer not to be reminded of my late wife, including her favorite novel," explained Edward. "Which is why I burned it via the fireplaceso that I can... wait, where is she going?"

To their surprise, Belle had rushed out of the ballroom, with Lumiere following her, and Adam glared at his father, saying, "It does not matter where she goes right now, Father... how can you be like that towards her?"

"Because you were supposed to marry a princess, Adam," exclaimed his father. "I repeat, a princess, not some ordinary farm girl that has spots of charcoal over her face."

"That's because she enjoys sketching out whatever thoughts and ideas come into her mind," replied the young prince. "And I do not want some stuck-up princess... I love Belle, and there is nothing you can do to change that."

Then, Adam walked out of the ballroom, while Edward looked over at Cadenza, who simply gave a small shrug.

"No, no, no, no, no, no..."

Meanwhile, in the library, Belle was frantically searching for the copy of her favorite play by Shakespeare.

"It has to be in here, Lumiere, it has to be..."

The former candelabra wanted to say something in response, but he feared that he would only make things worse.

Then, to his relief, Adam entered the room, and as Lumiere quietly walked away, the young prince let out a sigh in sadness. "Belle..."

"Adam, no, it has to be in here," cried Belle, who could almost feel the tears falling down her face as she climbed down the ladder. "No one can be that cruel as to just... just..."

The next thing that Adam knew, hw was holding an emotional Belle in his arms, and she said, "That was my favorite play, Adam... and he just... just..."

"I know, my love, I know," replied the young prince. "I'm sorry."