Chapter 20 - Nursing Away the Pain

He was in a peaceful, deep sleep, one that he didn't want to wake up from. He hadn't slept like this in a long time, he had always been so restless during the night, constantly tossing and turning.

Unfortunately, this state of bliss was short lived, when a surge pain shocked him awake. It felt like his arm was being stabbed multiple times. His eyes shot open and the first thing that escaped his lips was a loud cry.

Beast found himself lying in the comfort of his bed, wrapped up in the warm, wine red sheets. Belle was sitting beside him, holding his arm, unfazed by his outburst. In her other hand was a water soaked cloth, which she had most likely been using to wash the large claw marks.

He glanced around the room and noticed that the servants were gathered at the foot of the bed, watching silently. He then glanced down himself, and the bites and scratches that littered his body. There were more than what he originally thought. It would seem that he was no longer wearing his cloak, which he didn't mind all that much, as that old thing had definitely seen better days and had been practically falling apart. However, he did mind the fact that she had been cleaning out his wounds without giving him any sort of warning.

He pulled his arm away from her and clutched it with his other paw "A little bit of warning would have been nice!" He exclaimed.

"Don't be such a baby." Belle replied.

"I'm not a baby!" He retorted. "It just hurts, that's all." He mumbled.

"Well, if you hold still, and let me finish, then you'll eventually get used to it and it won't hurt as much." She told him.

"If you hadn't run away, none of this would have happened." He argued.

"If you hadn't attacked me and scared me out of my wits, I wouldn't have run away." She fought back.

"Well- ...You shouldn't have been in the West Wing!"

"Well, you should learn to control your temper!" She shouted.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then he quickly realised that this back and forth couldn't go any further. She was right. She had won. He had been defeated. He had nothing more to say, because he knew that no truer words had ever been spoken. His anger had become a big issue, and was at the centre of all of this. None of this would have happened if he remained calm.

Belle reached out to touch his arm, but he quickly retracted it. "Let me help you." She said, the tips of her fingers making contact with his fur. "You won't get any better if I don't clean your wounds. They could get infected." She added.

She was right once again. He was just afraid of the pain more than anything else. He hated the stinging sensation it left him with. But if it meant avoiding infection... Then so be it. He sighed and offered her his arm. "It will only sting for a minute, I promise." She told him, wiping the claw marks with the cloth.

Another surge of pain shot up his arm. He kicked his legs and hissed through gritted teeth, as he refrained from crying out again.

Belle gently washed the claw mark on his arm, applying little amounts of pressure. "Thank you, for saving my life." She said gratefully, moving onto the bite mark on his shoulder.

"I uh... You're welcome." He responded. "And thank you, for not leaving me to be eaten by a pack of wolves." He added. He didn't want her to think he wasn't grateful for that. She had every reason to leave him there.

He saw a ghost of a smile appear on her lips. "No problem." She replied. "Roll over so I can get to your back." She instructed.

Beast silently did what he was told and rolled onto his side. He heard the sound of Belle rinsing the cloth, before she came over again and washed the scratches. "I guess we're even." She muttered.

"I suppose so." He replied. He wasn't sure what else to say.

"There, that should be enough for tonight. See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" She asked.

"I guess not." He mumbled. It hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be, that's for certain.

"I'll clean them again tomorrow, if need be. For now, just try to get some rest." She instructed.

What was she, his nurse? Although, he did appreciate the help. He wouldn't be able to do this himself. Plus, her bed side manner wasn't so bad.

He remained on his side, resting his head against the pillow, even though his horns were making it rather difficult to fully settle. She didn't have to tell him twice, though, about getting some rest. He was certain he would be out like a light in seconds.

As he closed his eyes, and willed himself to go back to sleep, Belle's voice caught his attention, and brought him back to the waking world. "Why do you care about him so much?" She asked the servants.

Beast opened his eyelids partly and listened, breathing steadily, and whistling through his teeth, to give off the impression that he was asleep.

"We've looked after him all his life." Mrs Potts answered her.

"But he's cursed you somehow, why? You did nothing." Belle responded.

"You're quite right my dear. You see, when the master lost his mother, and his cruel father twisted him up to he just like him... We did nothing." Mrs Potts explained. Her voice was filled with sorrow and regret.

The mention of his mother brought about a twinge of sadness within him. That tiny feeling of loss quickly manifested into a huge, soul crushing feeling of sorrow and heartbreak. It hurt to think about her. It hurt more than his injuries.

Why did they have to talk about him when he was in the same room? Why did they have to delve into his past?

They blamed themselves that much for his downfall? Why? The only person to blame for how he turned out in the end... Was himself.

"Let him sleep." Lumiere butted in, ending the conversation. One by one, he heard the clattering of the servants leaving, followed by Belle's human footsteps. Through his slightly open eyelids, he could just about see her lingering in the doorway, looking at him, before closing the door and leaving him alone.

What was that about? That brief moment of her simply watching him. Did that mean something?

Did she feel... Sorry for him?

He decided that he wouldn't dwell on whatever that was now. He just wanted to go back to sleep, so that he could escape his body that was riddled with fiery, burning wounds.

He shut his eyes tight and after a few minutes, or at least what he assumed had been a few minutes, he drifted off into slumber.

As he went into deep sleep, his unconsciousness mind took him back to a fond childhood memory.

He was young. Human. Lying in the sick bed. He was burning up, his cheeks a rosy red, and his blonde hair sticking to his sweaty forehead.

And there she was. His mother, standing beside a set of candles. The light gave her a heavenly glow. She smiled warmly at him and approached the bed, her white dress flowing across the floor, like a soft, fluffy cloud. The smile she gave him could particularly cure his illness all on its own.

"Will you sing for me, mother, to make me feel better?" He asked weakly, his throat sore from coughing all day. He had a fever, but she had told him plenty of times that it would clear up in a few days. He was just feeling sickly and down about having to stay in bed all day, instead of running outside and playing with Wilfred.

"Of course, sweet heart." His mother replied. "But make sure you get some rest, it will help you get better faster."

"I will." He said, nodding as he eagerly waited for her to start singing.

She drew closer and sat down beside him, placing her hand on his. "Days in the Sun, where your life has barely begun. Not until my own life is done, could I ever leave you." She sung, her voice soothing to the ears.

The young Prince blinked slowly, sleep beginning to take hold. His mother leaned forwards and kissed him on the forehead "I'll always be here for you, my love. Always."

Her voice echoed in his mind, growing softer and quieter, until he could no longer hear it. Beast opened his eyes and lifted his head, checking his surroundings. He was still in his bed, trapped in this body. His mother wasn't there. He was alone.

He'd give anything to go back to that moment he just dreamed of. To start his life over right then and there. He would make the right choices, he would never let his father's anger fester and infect him. He would carry his mother's memory through thick and thin, he would never push her away, never try to forget her. He would do everything in his power to prevent this future from happening.

But that wasn't possible. He had to stop living in the past sooner rather than later.

Why did he think of her now? He thought he was passed this. He had grieved, he had mourned her. Why couldn't he move on?

He supposed it had everything to do with Belle and the rose running out of petals. He felt like he was a little boy again, alone, lost and afraid, and all he needed was his mother, to be there for him, to comfort him. He was crying out for her. But she wasn't there. And without her... He was frightened.

He lay awake for some time, staring at the family portrait, picturing his mother in his mind, or at least trying to. He had come to realise that, over time, without his dreams aiding him, he was finding it harder and harder to get a clear image of her in his head without assistance.

The same could be said for his old appearance too. He couldn't picture that at all. He wanted to cry, as he had forgotten what his mother as well as himself used to look like.

He didn't remember going back to sleep. The last thing he recalled thinking about before he presumably nodded off was that no matter what he did, his mother's death would always haunt him. He had lost the one person he truly, and utterly loved with all his heart. Maybe the reason he had never found love was because he didn't want to let anyone in, in fear that he might lose them too.

But he needed someone. Someone that he could be good with, that he could welcome into his heart, knowing that they would never leave him. He wanted to feel love again.

A hand touched his forehead. He opened his eyes, and saw Belle sitting close beside him, checking his temperature.

She... Touched his face without even a single trace of fright. Did he dare to think that she was beginning to care for him?

Maybe... He had found that someone he had been looking for after all.

Beast smiled at her. That was the first time he had smiled at someone else in years. It felt... Good.

He closed his eyes again, and felt Belle remove her hand from his forehead, and then her weight on the bed was lifted as she got up and walked away.

No, it was too early to think like that. She was just tending to his wounds, because she felt like she owed him for saving her life. She tolerated him at the very least. It was nothing more than that.

"What happens when the last petal falls?" He heard her ask. Her voice managed to break through the veil of sleep.

"The master remains a beast forever, and we become..." Lumiere began to explain.

"Antiques." Mrs Potts followed up.

"Lightly used house ware." Plumette added.

"Rubbish. We become rubbish." Cogsworth finished.

"Is there anything I can do to help? There must be some way to break the curse." Belle asked.

"Well, there is one way-" Cogsworth began, but he didn't finish. Beast wasn't sure why, as he still had his eyes closed, but he guessed that one of the other servants had stopped him.

"It's nothing for you to worry about my dear. We've made our bed and we must lie in it." Mrs Potts responded.

There was a slight tremor that caused the castle to shake. Beast fluttered his eyelids open, but he didn't even have to look over to know that another petal had fallen. He could feel it in his gut.

It filled him with a sense of dread. Here he was lying in bed, unable to do anything about it. He was still too tired to get up. Maybe he'd rest a little longer, so that he could recover sooner.

He closed his eyes once again and welcomed sleep with open arms.

Beast could feel his arm being nudged. Was someone trying to wake him up? Why couldn't they just let him sleep for a little while longer?

Whoever they were, they were persistent and continued to shake him. They weren't going away anytime soon, so there was no escaping it. He was going to have to get up.

He groaned and opened his eyes, only to be immediately assaulted by sunlight that was coming in from the balcony. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, glancing over to the right side of his bed to see Belle, carrying a tray.

How long had he been out? Another day or just a few hours? It was probably the latter.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him.

"I've seen better days." He responded. "But I think taking the time to rest has done me a lot of good."

"That's good." She replied.

He glanced down at himself, to check his wounds, but instead noticed that he was wearing a white shirt. "Who put me in this?" He questioned, tugging at the fabric.

"I did." Belle stated.

Beast couldn't remember the last time he had worn a shirt. "Where did you find one big enough?" He asked half-jokingly.

"The servants gave it to me. They also gave me some other clothes for you to wear when you're ready to get out of bed." She responded, gesturing with a nod of her head. He looked in the direction she was indicating too, and noticed that there was what looked to be another shirt, which was blue with a floral pattern and buttons, a pair of trousers and a long suit jacket, all neatly folded at the end of the bed.

"Oh, yes. They mentioned something about making some clothes for me a while ago." He muttered, scratching his neck.

"Why didn't you wear them?" She asked.

"Well, I... I thought I could handle my clothing situation on my own." He responded. In actuality, he didn't want to make what had happened to him to become anymore normal than it already had. Making adjustments to suit his needs, making clothes that would fit, it wouldn't make him human. Why try to dress like one when he clearly wasn't?

Belle stared at him quietly for a moment, as if she was trying to read his thoughts.

"So... What did you come up here for?" He questioned, snapping her out of her trance.

"Oh, right... Yes! The servants wanted to bring you up some food, but I said that I would do it." She responded, lifting up the tray she was still carrying.

Beast let out a grunt of effort, his injuries still causing him a bit of discomfort as he sat up. Belle drew closer to the bed and placed the tray on his lap.

"It's not much, just bread and water. They said they'd prepare you a proper meal once you've fully recovered." She explained. She then walked off, grabbing a chair and pulling it over, so that she could sit down.

He stared at the large baguette that sat on his tray. He didn't need to complain, he would eat anything right now, even a simple loaf of bread. He was starving.

He was about to tuck in, when he glanced over at Belle, who was sitting silently with her hands neatly folded on her lap. She was staring blankly down at the floor, lost in her own thoughts. She must have been hungry too.

"Do you want some?" He offered.

She lifted her head, and gave the bread a quick look before looking at him. "No, you have it. I brought it up for you after all."

"But when was the last time you ate?" He questioned.

Belle went quiet, as she was probably trying to recall. It was definitely a bad sign if she was taking her time to remember. Almost as if it was on cue, her stomach growled. "I haven't eaten since I got here." She finally stated. "The servants offered to make me dinner yesterday, before the wolf attack... But they were too busy singing to actually let me eat."

That's what the music he had heard was all about. And so that was why she had been out of her room. The servants had let her out. They had disobeyed two of his direct orders. He couldn't say that he was angry about them trying to feed her though.

"We haven't had any guests in a while. They're just a little over excited about you being here and wanted to give you a performance. They can get a little carried away." He explained to her.

"I noticed." She said followed by something that he thought might have been a chuckle.

Beast picked up the bread and tore it in half using his fingers. "Here, we'll share it." He said, holding it out to her.

She hesitated for a moment, almost as if she was thinking that she shouldn't accept it. But in the end, she did take it from him. "Thank you." She said gratefully.

"Don't mention it." He replied, tucking into his half. "If you want anything else, then just head down to the kitchen and help yourself. The servants will tell you where everything is, just make sure they don't break into song and dance about it."

She smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." She responded, before eating her half of the bread.

After a few minutes of eating, and Beast offering her some of his water, which she also accepted, they were both done. Belle picked up the tray and put it to one side, before approaching him again. As she did so, he caught sight of her sleeve, which she had stitched up after his claws had shredded it. She caught him staring at it.

"Did I hurt you yesterday?" He asked worriedly.

"No, you didn't catch the skin, all you did was rip my sleeve." She told him, gesturing at her own handy work.

He breathed a sigh of relief. For a while, he thought he was just as bad as the wolves. "Thank goodness." He responded. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that, I didn't mean it, I just... I get so angry sometimes, and it's difficult to control myself when I do."

"It's alright. I forgive you. You made up for what you did by coming to my rescue." She told him. "I'm sorry too, for snooping around in your private quarters."

"You don't need to apologise. There was no harm done." He replied. "I'm the only one that should be sorry, and I truly, truly am."

"You don't have to keep apologising. I already said I forgive you."

"I just feel like I have to. What I did was terrible, and you nearly died because of it."

"But I didn't die. You saved me. That's all that matters. It's in the past now, so lets try to start over." She suggested.

He nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea."

A wave of silence washed over them, as Belle awkwardly stood there beside his bed. It didn't take long before she piped up again. "Do you mind if I check your injuries?" She asked. "I need to make sure that they're healing."

"If there isn't a wet cloth involved." He replied.

"I can't make any promises. We don't know where those wolves have been, so who knows what could have been on their claws." She responded. "But it's worth taking a look."

"Fine." He mumbled. He rolled onto his side, and Belle lifted up his shirt to check his back.

"Whoa." She breathed.

"What is it, is something wrong?" He asked.

"No, it's just... Your wounds, they've almost completely healed. Even the fur is starting to grow back." She told him. She let go of his shirt and took a step back.

Beast rolled over onto his back. "Did you know you could do that?" Belle questioned.

"No, not really." He replied. He had found it strange back when he had sustained those injuries from his encounter with the hunters that they had healed rather quickly, but he hadn't thought much of it. But now, a fight like that should have put him out of action for weeks, months even... But this was insane. Was there no end to the mysteries brought about by the curse? It would seem that his body could repair itself in a day.

"This is remarkable." Belle commented in disbelief. "If you carry on like this, then you'll probably be able to get out of bed soon."

"Oh, and I was so looking forward to lying down and doing absolutely nothing." He murmured sarcastically. It was actually boring him to tears.

She didn't quite catch on to his sarcasm, judging by the odd look she gave him. He would have to work on his tone.

"Well, enjoy it while it lasts." She told him. "Try to get some more rest. Next time you wake up, I think you'll be ready to start walking around again."

More sleeping. He could not wait. Why was he being so sarcastic all of a sudden? Had Belle brought about this change in him? He was starting to feel a bit more like his old self... Slowly but surely.

"Alright." He agreed simply.

Belle sat back down in the chair she had pulled over. "I'll sit with you for a bit, just in case you take a turn for the worse." She stated.

That was doubtful, but it was nice to know that she was concerned about his health. Plus, her staying by his bedside just made him feel... Better.

Call him foolish but... Maybe she was starting to care for him.

One thing was certain, though. He was definitely starting to care for her.

A/N - Have you all enjoyed the last couple of chapters? Please let me know in a review of what you thought of this chapter as well as the others. And if you have any constructive criticism or just want to tell me what you really liked, then go right ahead! It really helps me out and makes my day.