Beauty and the Beast: The Tale Continues

Chapter 39 - Unexpected Apology

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

For some reason that Adam could not understand, Belle had yet to walk into the dining room, and he had not seen her since she left to the salle de bains (bathroom) almost ten minutes ago.

I hope she is alright.

"Um, Master?"

His thoughts interrupted, the young man looked up, and saw Cogsworth at the doorway. "Yes, my friend, what is it?"

"I figured that it would be best to inform you that Belle is currently lying in her bed, with a fever," replied the head of the household.

"She what?" Adam's eyes became wide with surprise, and he started to move away from the table. "How did this happen?"

Cogsworth gave a shrug, but before he could answer his master, the young man ran as fast as he could out of the dining room, and headed towards his wife's bedroom.

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"Mrs. Potts, please, not that..."

"I'm sorry, poppet, but you can only get better if you drink this medicine. Tea cannot help this time."

Belle was currently laying in bed, wearing a casual nightgown while her new dress was hanging in her wardrobe, and she had an icy-cold towel placed on her forehead.

Unfortunately, she was also denying Mrs. Potts an opportunity to give her two teaspoons of medicine.

"I'll get better without it."

The former teapot sighed, and she shook her head. "You were just as bad as the master was when I tried to give him medicine."

"Come again?" replied Adam, who had now entered the room, and he rushed over to stand beside his wife. "Belle, my love, are you alright?"

"Oh, she'll feel better in the morning, Master," assured Mrs. Potts. "As long as she takes this medicine."

Belle shook her head, and continued with refusing to take the medicine, which made Adam start to chuckle, and he thought, Now that is the Belle I remember falling in love with.

"Alright, then, deary," said Mrs. Potts, after hearing the young woman's denial for the umpteenth time. "You do not have to take it if you don't want to."

Belle let out a sigh of relief, and said, "Thank you for understanding... and, um, Adam, ca - ulp!"

When Belle's mouth was wide enough for Mrs. Potts to place the spoon inside, she did just that, and after Belle closed her mouth, the housekeeper slowly tilted the silverware so that the liquid would go down her throat.

"One more, deary, and that'll be it," said Mrs. Potts, after taking the spoon out, and when Belle swallowed the medicine, Adam tried his best not to laugh after seeing her look of disgust.

"That is utterly revolting," muttered Belle.

Adam looked at his servant, and asked, "How did she get a fever?"

"Well, it is not exactly a fever, per se, Master," explained Mrs. Potts. "But I did find her, um... emptying the contents of whatever was in her stomach into the chamber pot, and her forehead was burning up, which I was not surprised about after learning that she spent nearly the entire day in her new dress."

Noticing the confusion on her loved one's face, Belle explained, "I was... um... exposed to the cold weather last night, and - ulp!"

"Well, if you left your window closed more often, deary, stuff like this would not happen," said Mrs. Potts, giving the young woman a second teaspoon dose of medicine. "There we are... now just get some rest, and you'll feel better in the morning."

Still feeling the non-loving taste of medicine in her mouth, Belle simply nodded her head, and after Mrs. Potts walked away, Adam asked, "Would you like me to bring you anything?"

"No, thank you," replied Belle, drinking from her glass of water that was placed on her nightstand. This was not part of the plan.

Then, Adam let out a sigh, and he said, "If only my father hadn't convinced you to change your ways just to-"

"Adam, no, do not blame him for this," interrupted Belle, shaking her head.

"Why are you defending him all of a sudden?" questioned Adam. "Yesterday, he was a downright monster to you."

Belle looked at her husband, and she replied, "So were you... literally... when we first met, and look where we are now."

When Adam didn't respond, Belle added, "I'm sorry for making you unhappy today, Adam, but I'm doing this because I love you, and-"

"Alright, my love, I understand," said Adam, who delivered a kiss to her right hand. "Just get your rest, and I'll see you in the morning."

Then, he started to get up and leave, but Belle made a whimpering noise, and asked, "Don't I deserve a kiss goodnight?"

"After you threw up, Belle?" said Adam, with a smirk on his face. "I'd prefer not to... but since you asked..."

He delivered a kiss to her cheek, and gave Belle a heart-warming smile. "Good night, my love... sleep well."

Then, once Adam had left the room, Belle sighed, and muttered, "I'll tell him another time."

Inside of his workshop room, Maurice was putting the finishing touches on his latest music box that would be a gift for Belle, but he paused after Edward appeared at the doorway. "Would you mind if I came in, Monsieur?"

Yes, I do, thought Maurice, but he did not feel like getting into any arguments this late, so he simply shook his head.

"Thank you," said Adam's father, and he slowly entered the room, starting to admire the various music boxes all around them. "You made all of this?"

"Uh-huh," replied Maurice, not taking his eyes away from his work. "Before we came to live in the castle, these were a way for my daughter to imagine all the parts of the world that she dreamed of seeing, and wished to visit someday... now, they are simply made because they bring us happiness."

Is the fact that I bring happiness to your son not enough?

Hearing Belle's voice in his mind, Edward let out a sigh, and he said, "Look, um... I believe that... I need to offer you an apology."

After hearing Adam's father say those words, Maurice paused his work, and looked up at him. "Come again?"

Instead of giving a vocal response, Edward reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a flask, which (as of midnight) was empty.

"Um, sorry, but I prefer not to drink," said Maurice.

Edward let out a small chuckle, and he replied, "Oh, no, I was not offering... I was going to say that this was the reason I acted the way I did yesterday."

"You mean to tell me that-" Maurice started to say, but then, Edward held up his hands.

"Yes, I was intoxicated by means of alcohol," said Adam's father. "But let me explain... drinking is a curse when it comes to my side of the family. Most nights I spent alone because my wife feared of getting hurt... as was I...

"But then, when Adam was born, I could tell that he would not be like me when it came to drinking... even though I continued having trouble when it came to stopping completely.

"And it got worse after he lost his mother... at the time, I thought this was the only way to help with the pain of losing someone I cared for so much..."

"Yet you ended up turning your son into a selfish, unkind, and cruel person," pointed out Maurice, who now had his arms crossed over his chest. "Does Adam know of this?"

"Yes, but I have not told him yet for how long... and, believe me, I have been drinking for a very long time... years, in fact."

Belle's father almost began to sympathize with Edward, but he was still confused about one thing. "Why the sudden change?"

"Because I dreamed of Adam's mother last night," replied Edward. "Which was surprising, at first, but then, I realized that it was her way of telling me that I needed to be the bigger man here... be a better person, and-"

[Cough, cough, cough]

After he was done coughing into his handkerchief, Edward continued with his explanation. "I am not going to live forever, Monsieur, especially after consuming so much of this over many years, but... as of this morning, I know that the real reason that I came back was to do right by my son... and, if I live long enough, to see his offspring."

A smirk appeared on Maurice's face as he said, "Well, I think you might some trouble with that, especially after what you said to my daughter."

"I... am highly aware of that," replied Adam's father. "But I think I have a solution."

The next morning

"Adam, why do you always insist on carrying me this way?"

Belle was wearing her casual blue dress again, and just like Mrs. Potts had said, she felt a lot better.

However, she was currently being held bridal style in Adam's arms, even though her legs were perfectly fine.

"Because you're starting to become very delicate, my love," teased Adam. "I would hate to imagine what else could happen to you."

Oh, you'd be surprised, thought Belle.

A few minutes later, once Adam put her down, they walked into the in the library, but to their surprise, they found Edward standing by the fireplace, with a book in his hands.

More penitence than done trespass: at the last,

Do as the heavens have done, forget your evil;

With them forgive yourself.

He then paused his reading to look up at Belle and Adam. "Well, son, you certainly look happier than how I saw you last night."

Before Adam could say anything, Belle asked, "You know Shakespeare?"

"Indeed, I do, madame," answered Edward, with a smile on his face. "Who else do you think educated Adam about it?"

Oh, no, thought Adam, fearing about where this was going. "Um, Father, maybe we-"

"So, what is your favorite play?" wondered Belle.

Holding up the book in his hands, Adam's father said, "I've always taken a liking to The Winter's Tale, as well as Macbeth... not entirely sure what my son enjoys, but as I said before, my wife loved to read Romeo & Juliet."

With a smile, he added, "She even read it to him almost every night by the fireplace."

"Oh, is that so?" Belle said, giving her husband an amused look, with an eyebrow raised. "I thought her favorite was Hamlet?"

Feeling embarassed, Adam replied, "Well, er... I actually meant that she... uh... Father, shouldn't you be preparing for your celebration?"

"Not just yet, Adam," said Edward. "I have an apology to make..."

Then, he walked over to Belle, and to her surprise, Adam's father placed the ring back on her finger. "What..."

"Hold that thought, madame," said Edward, who then handed her the book that had been in his hands. "I never did say that I was reading Winter's Tale."

Confusion appeared on Belle's face, but after she looked down at the cover, her eyes became wide with surprise. "Romeo & Juliet?"

Edward nodded his head, and replied, with a sheepish smile, "I did burn a book, but it wasn't this one... so I apologize for any pain I may have caused you, as well as for everything that happened the day before yesterday."

Before Belle could ask him what book he had burned, Adam gave his father a suspicious look. "Why are you doing all of this?"

"Because I have sinned... for many years, Adam," explained Edward. "And your mother came to me in a dream, helping me realize the error of my ways... so, if it is alright with you, I would like for us to start anew.

"As for you, madame... even though you look like a common farm girl, you are anything but that... also, I've learned that my son would bemiserable if he were married to someone else... you make him happy, and I did not realize how much that meant to me..."

It worked, thought Belle, a smile growing on her face.

"... so, please, do not change who you are... be yourself... and I have never been more happier in my life to say that I ap-"

"Wait a second," interrupted Belle, to the surprise of Adam and his father. "Adam, weren't you supposed to give me back the book that I wrote?"

"Er... well, I said that I would after I finished reading it,?"" reminded Adam. "But now that you mention it, I figured that you already took it back."

Belle frowned, in confusion, and she said, "No, I haven't... why would you think that?"

"Because I couldn't find it when I was in my study the other day," replied Adam. "And the only ones who are usually in there are you, myself-"

"Excuse me, your Highness, but the ballroom is ready for your cel- oh!"

Lumiere had appeared at the doorway, with Cogsworth beside him, and the former candelabra said, "Am I interrupting something?"

"I would not be surprised," muttered Cogsworth.

Adam shook his head, and replied, "No, but perhaps you two could help us out with this small problem... there was a stack of papers in my study that was actually a story written by Belle, but neither of us have seen it, so I was-"

"Lumiere? Why are you sweating?" questioned Belle, noticing that he also looked nervous.

"Well, uh... see, there is a very funny story about your story, madame," replied the former candelabra. "Um... what would you do if I said that I accidentally sent it into the fireplace when the two of us were in the study one night?"

Oh, no, thought Cogsworth, who took a step back after seeing Belle's expression. "Madame, I would like just like to say that I had no part of this. It was all Lumiere's fault, and I tried to tell him-"

"You... burned my story?" questioned Belle, and Lumiere did a nervous gulp, while Adam started to take a step back, as well.

"Well, on accident, madame, but I... whoa!"

The next thing everyone else knew, Belle ran towards Lumiere, who then ran away from the dooray, and so, the young woman chased after him.

"Does this stuff happen often?" wondered Edward, looking at his son.

Adam chuckled, and he replied, "No, but I have a feeling that it will now."