Chapter 16 - Better Late Than Never

He didn't get a wink of sleep that same night. Not even a mere moments rest. Instead, he stayed awake, watching the storm pass. It caught him by off guard when he discovered that he wasn't all that tired after such a long night. He wasn't even slightly drowsy.

Dawn had arrived, and there was hardly any snow falling from the sky. There was only the sun, that had managed to break through the clouds, its rays making contact with the blanket of white covering the ground. It was surprising how calm it was after such a fierce storm. But he wasn't complaining. It was nice to have some sunshine every once and a while. It reminded him of summer.

Beast was currently listening to the old man coughing. The castle was quiet enough that he could hear him making a racket in the dungeon from the comfort of his room. It was the only sound that seemed to echo throughout the walls. His strong sense of hearing assisted him a great deal as well.

He had heard him talking for quite a while last night, begging to be let out of his cell, calling out to anyone that would listen. His pleas fell on deaf ears. Or at least ears with an owner that lacked any compassion.

He had also been rattling the cage door, which wasn't going to help him in the slightest, as that iron gate was completely solid, and shaking it wasn't going to magically make it come loose. The only thing it was doing was tiring him out. But if he wanted to fool himself into thinking it was helping somehow, Beast wasn't going to stop him.

Eventually, the old man had stopped, probably after he had realised that no one was coming to help him. It took him a frustratingly long time to figure that one out. Now he was just coughing, and occasionally muttering to himself. His words were hard to make out.

He certainly was dedicated to keeping up the facade of being sick, Beast had to give him that. It was almost admirable. Almost.

He was debating with himself as to whether or not he should go over and tell the old man to be quiet. He was really starting to annoy him.

He decided that he would stay in his room. He wanted nothing more to do with that thief.

Beast tried to block out the constant noise the old fool was making... But then, there was another sound that caught his attention, and he was suddenly on high alert. It was footsteps, clattering against stone... And it sounded like they were in a hurry.

It was coming from the tower... Where the old man was being kept.

Could it be that the servants had gone against him and set the old man free?

Beast furrowed his brow. Why did they never listen to him? He was supposed to be in control. Why didn't they follow his orders?

He stormed out of his room and onto the castle walkways. He planned to make his way to the tower nearest to the dungeon and jump across, in order to cut the prisoner off.

He ran across the snow covered walkway to the tower, entering through the doorway and hurrying down the stairs. He knew he'd be able to catch the thief, as he was much stronger and faster than that old man ever was.

As he moved down the spiralling staircase, he began to hear a voice. Wait, no- two voices. He stopped abruptly. There was someone else here.

Beast paused for a moment and listened. He could just about hear the old man whispering and then another voice replied. It almost sounded like... A girl.

Could it really be... No, it couldn't, he was hearing things. He shook his head and pressed on, moving down the stairs at a slow pace. It was evident that someone had come to rescue the old fool after all... He couldn't imagine why anyone would brave coming here just for that waste of space.

Beast reached a doorway which led to another stairway which was directly opposite the dungeon, with only a small gap in between. He remained where he was, and caught sight of a figure knelt down in front of the cage door. The old man was still inside... So the footsteps must have belonged to this other stranger.

A loud growl erupted from his throat, echoing throughout the dungeon and alerting the stranger to his presence. He had hoped to scare them off.

What they actually did shocked him. The stranger got up from their crouched position and picked up a stick, holding in firmly in their grasp. It would seem they had decided to take a stand.

The stick they had was probably going to be used as a weapon. Beast doubted that it would do him any harm, it would probably just break when smacked against his body.

He squinted, trying to get a better look at the stranger from where he was. The lack of torchlight on his side did not aid him in his efforts. As he managed to focus on them, he quickly came to realise that his mind hadn't been playing tricks on him earlier.

There was in fact a girl in the castle.

"Who's there?" Her feminine voice only confirmed his suspicions. "Who are you?" She called out.

"The master of this castle." He responded. "Who are you?" He threw her question back at her.

"I've come for my father!" She answered. "You have to let him go, can't you see he's sick?"

So she was his daughter? He didn't see much of a resemblance. From what he could make out anyway.

Beast began to stomp down the stairs, a loud thud following every footstep and his claws clattering against the stone. "Out of the question. He is my prisoner." He told her.

"Why are you keeping him locked up?" She asked.

"Because your father is a thief!" He retorted. He was approaching the part of the stairway that was directly across from the dungeon now, and was currently hidden behind a wall and completely out of sight.

He didn't want her to see him. The old man had already seen what he looked like, he couldn't bear for anyone else to. He was thankful that he had been provided with the cover of darkness.

"Liar!" She shouted.

"He stole a rose." He replied, peering round the corner.

He could see her much more clearer now that he was up close. She has long brown hair that neatly ran down her upper back. Her eyes were also brown, but not as dark as her hair. Those same chestnut brown eyes shimmered as she looked back at him, trying to make out his face. Her skin looked soft, smooth and slightly sun-kissed, and glowed in the torchlight. She had a brown cloak wrapped around her, and was adoring a white dress with a blue apron. Around her waist was a belt, in which hung some tools and a pouch to hold items. The hem of her dress was hitched up slightly to reveal a pair of bloomers, while on her feet were a couple of worn, muddy boots.

He'd never seen a girl quite like her before. She just looked... Ahead of her time.

"I asked for the rose, punish me not him." She pleaded.

"No, he means forever!" The old man interjected. The girl glanced over her shoulder to look at her father. "Apparently that's what happens around here when you pick a flower!" He shouted angrily. Still as clueless as ever.

She then turned back to Beast. "A life sentence for a rose?" She questioned, her voice thick with confusion and judgment.

Enraged, Beast roared and jumped across the gap, landing easily on his own two feet on the other side, joining her on the stairway. She leapt back in shock. She probably never would have expected him to do that.

"I received eternal damnation for one, why shouldn't he?" He retorted, moving towards her, taking it one slow and deliberate step at a time. "Besides, I would say he got off rather lightly. After all, I'm merely locking him away."

Beast stopped just before the cage door, as he didn't want to get any closer to her. "Now, do you still wish to take your father's place?" He asked.

The girl cocked her head and squinted at him. "Come into the light."

She undoubtedly wanted to see the face of her father's, and possibly soon to be her captor.

Beast turned away. He didn't feel obliged to give her that luxury. As he turned back to her, wanting to force her into making her choice, he found that she was closing the gap between them and holding a candle stick up to his face. The orange flames revealed his hideous appearance to her.

Her reaction was all he needed in order to confirm just how terrifying he truly was. The girl screamed and dropped the candle, reeling back in horror and covering her mouth to stifle her cry.

Beast glanced down at the candelabra on the floor, and quickly realised that it was Lumiere, pretending to be an inanimate object. How had she gotten her hands on him?

He picked Lumiere up and placed him on a nearby ledge, before turning back to the girl. He knew that she could see him fully now thanks to the candle light, and she was currently pressed up against the cage door, her father holding her hand through the bars.

"Are you going to choose or not?" He questioned. He was starting to lose his patience with her.

"Belle, I won't let you do this." Her father interrupting again.

Belle? That was her name?

The so-called Belle had her attention on her father, who was gripping her hand tightly. "I lost your mother, I won't lose you too. Now go." Just as the old man finished his sentence, he began coughing violently. His voice had sounded rather strained towards the end.

Maybe he really was sick...

"Looks like your father has made the decision for you." Beast commented. At least now it was over and done with, he could go back to his room and pretend none of this ever happened. She could escort herself out of here, and her father spend however many years he had left of his life without his daughter. It was a suitable punishment for the rose thief.

She was still reeling from the shock of meeting eyes with Beast, but she ignored him and addressed her father, placing her hand on his. "Alright papa, I'll leave." She told him softly. She then glanced back at Beast. "I'll need a minute alone with him."

Beast grunted and turned away, and began walking back upstairs. He didn't owe her anything. She needed to go, and she needed to go now.

"Are you so cold hearted you won't even let a daughter kiss her father goodbye?" She questioned. "Forever can spare a minute."

Beast froze. He... He never got to kiss his mother goodbye. This girl - Belle - she had lost her mother too. At least, so he gathered from the conversation she and her father briefly had. Could he really refuse to let her say goodbye to the one parent she had left? If he had been given the chance to say goodbye to his mother... Or even his father for that matter... He would have taken it. Who was he to deny her of that?

He slowly turned and walked back towards her. She looked fearful, worried about what he was planning to do.

He supposed that all of his intentions looked malicious judging by how he appeared and how she saw him. He cocked his head slightly and then pulled on the lever beside him, and the cage door swung open.

"When this door closes it will not open again." He warned.

She hurried inside the dungeon and embraced her father, wrapping her arms around him and then kissing him on the cheek. She looked like she never wanted to let him go.

Beast paced up and down as they talked, occasionally glancing inside the cage to make sure they weren't planning anything. He didn't listen in on their conversation, as he was too busy cursing himself for not standing his ground and ordering the girl to leave. Why did he bother to show her such kindness?

After what felt like a minute he paused on one side of the cage door "Your time is up. You must go now."

"I love you, papa. I'm not afraid." He heard Belle whisper.

All of a sudden, the old man was thrusted out of the cage and fell to the floor, whilst the door slammed shut. Beast quickly approached the cage door and then glanced over his shoulder at the man lying at his feet, and then back at the girl who was now on the other side of the locked door.

"You took his place." He commented. He was questioning her choice somewhat too. He just couldn't quite believe she would throw away her freedom for such a worthless, good for nothing man.

"He's my father."

Oh. So just because she was related to him she felt the need to give up everything for him?

Beast certainly wouldn't have done the same for his father, even though they were related by blood. He never gave him a reason to sacrifice anything for him.

"He's a fool. And so are you." He retorted, grabbing hold of the old man's arm and dragging him down the stairs.

"Belle..." He mumbled, dazed and confusion. He must have banged his head when he fell.

"Don't hurt him!" Belle begged.

Beast huffed as he picked the old man up and threw him over his shoulder with ease. As if he would do him any harm.

"I'll come back, I promise!" He shouted up to Belle.

Beast carried him outside and dumped him inside an old, forgotten carriage. "Please don't take my daughter, you can have me instead!" He pleaded.

"She's no longer any of your concern." Beast responded. "And if you try to come back here, you will both suffer the consequences!" He shouted, before slamming the carriage door.

"Take him to the outskirts of the village and leave him there. Make sure you don't get spotted." He ordered the carriage. His old method of transportation sprung to life, the wheels turned on their own without a horse or driver, and it moved down the path and towards the gate.

Beast watched it for a moment before going back inside. As soon as he shut the front door, he was greeted by Mrs Potts. "Master, is it true there's a girl in the castle?" She asked, her voice thick with excitement and her eyes full to the brim with joy.

Word seemed to spread like wildfire.

"How do you know about her?" He questioned.

"Cogsworth told me." She replied. "So it must be true then?"

"Yes." He responded. "But don't get any ideas! She's my prisoner, nothing more, nothing less. She'll get the exact treatment as the old man."

"But surely you must have thought about it-"

"No, I have not! And don't say another word about it." He ordered. "I know what you're trying to suggest and I don't want to hear it."

Mrs Potts was quiet, which was exactly what he wanted.

Beast exhaled deeply. "I'm going back to my room. I'll be coming down for dinner though. Make sure that the girl's needs are seen to."

"Yes, master." She replied.

As Beast walked back up the stairs, what Mrs Potts had been suggesting was running around in circles inside his head. Admittedly, the thought had crossed his mind when he had laid eyes on the girl. He couldn't help but wonder... Was this really the girl he had been waiting for all these years?

If Belle... This daughter of a thief truly was the person he had been hoping for... She had arrived too little too late.

A/N - Belle has arrived! Hooray! I'm trying to make a blend of the original 1991 version and the remake version to make a combination of the two. I liked the fact that she had a tool belt and a pouch for her books, or anything else she wants to carry. But I like her simple, white dress with a blue apron too. I also want to add onto the ideas the remake brought to Belle's character as well as staying true to the original.

I've also been mixing up the dialogue a bit too. And I will keep doing that throughout the movie plot, unless I like a line of dialogue how it is, then I'll leave it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, especially now that Belle is finally in the picture. This is only the beginning.