Ch 4: Warm Hands

The young patient was feverish through the night. Mrs. Potts worried over the form, tutting and scolding Beast under her breath. Though she knew he'd intended no harm, he had certainly caused it. Now someone was suffering for it.

"Oh, poor dear. Hot as my boiling kettle," she murmured.

She dabbed at the sweating brown, frowning over the sweet face.

"So young. Where are your parents I wonder?"

She noted the dark circles underneath the long-lashed eyes.

"No sleep for days likely."

"Mm…mama." Hoarse whispered words escaped the cracked lips. It nearly broke Mrs. Potts heart to hear them.

"Shh, shh. Dear one. You are safe now. Perfectly safe."

A quiet sob sounded the air.

"I'm…sorry."

The broken words rattled Mrs. Potts. It made her long to embrace her son. To remind him she would always be there.

She laid warm towels over the feverish brow, soothing away the pain she saw there.

"Rest now dearie. Rest."

The features smoothed at her words, and she hoped morning would bring more comfort to the poor dear.

…

~Belle POV~

Belle felt the world was spinning. No matter how hard to she tried to stop, everything kept going around and around.

It was dizzying.

Faces surrounded her. Cruel and laughing.

She felt herself caving inward, scared.

Rough hands reached out to grab her.

With a jolt, she sat up in bed.

Heart pounding from the frightful dream, it took Belle a long time to understand where she was. Confused, she rubbed her weary eyes and looked around the room.

She found herself sitting in a tall four-post bed in a rather splendid chamber. It was adorned with shades of brown and blue. It held a certain understated lavishness. Each piece of furniture was ornately crafted, but strong and bold. There was a sort of quiet strength that filled the air. It instantly soothed her, though she couldn't think why.

Finding her gaze looking down; her stomach sank. She was wearing a dressing gown, and she knew someone else had put it on her.

At that moment the door creaked open.

Terrified, Belle sat frozen in place.

Shortly a moving cart carrying a large tea pot came sliding through the doors.

"Oh you're awake!" The cheery voice called.

Belle remembered now she had met the tea pot before.

"Hello." She responded, tired and worried, but also not wanting to be rude.

"Master will be quite pleased to know you're up. I was a bit worried, what with the way you were burning up last night. Thought that fever might never break. But so it did and here you are all lively."

Belle would have hardly called herself lively, but the cheerful voice and kind words eased some of the tension she was feeling.

"Thank you. For taking care of me."

Belle could have sworn the pot sent her a motherly look.

"I was happy to do it love. We all wanted to see you better." Mrs. Potts patted the covers next to her. "How are you feeling this morning. Sick? Nauseous? Headache?"

Belle lightly shook her head.

"I feel a great deal better. A little tired, but much better than yesterday."

Mrs. Potts nodded.

"I am sure you are quite tired still. You did not sleep very soundly. Tossing and turning all night. Was afraid you'd hurt your arm. By the by, how it is feeling? Master had to put a new dressing on it in the middle of the night."

Belle felt her stomach clench at the thought.

"Oh. He was in here?"

"Yes, yes. He could hardly stay away. I gave him a piece of my mind for what he did. Throwing you in that cell. I was piping I was so mad. But he did feel very bad, yes. Came to check on you nearly every hour. Was a bit irritating actually."

Belle wasn't sure what to think of that. She had seen his softer side the previous night, but so much had happened. Part of her felt she should be frightened or at least cautious, but it was the most comfortable she had felt in ages.

Still she didn't know what to think. If someone had changed her then they likely knew her secret. Would she be asked to leave? Would they run her out of the castle like her village did? The thought sent chills of fear down her spine.

Wrapped up in her own mind, she hadn't realized Mrs. Potts was speaking to her. She was brought out of her thoughts when it nudged her gently.

"Huh?" she asked looked confused at the sweet white and purple kettle.

"Tired still I see. I was asking what your name is dearie. It seems it somehow slipped all our minds to ask! How unthoughtful I think. But here we are."

Belle realized in that moment her fears were unfounded. If they wanted her gone, they would have run her off by now. Certainly, they wouldn't be asking her silly questions like what her name was if they intended to throw her out.

Right?

And what an opportunity it was. She could choose to be whatever she wanted. She vaguely remembered being referred to as a boy by Lumiere, the candelabra. Maybe this was her opportunity to try a different life, since the one before hadn't worked out so great.

The pot was looking at her expectantly.

"Ben," she told the pot. "My name is Ben."

Belle felt she wasn't actually lying. She had been called Ben by the villagers for so long it was as if it truly were her name. Still, a twinge of guilt was there. Feeling as though she was deceiving the only creature that had been nice to her in quite some time.

"Oh what a lovely name. Short for Benjamin?" She asked kindly. Belle didn't want to lie as much as she could help, so she shook her head.

"Benoit, actually."

The kettle's eyes brightened.

"Oh, how lovely. Well Ben, we are very pleased to have you here. It's been ages since we've had any visitors. And I know you aren't exactly a visitor, but still its wonderful you're here. Well maybe not under the present circumstances, but you know what I mean."

Belle was feeling dizzy trying to keep up with the pot. She really could go on and on.

"Are you feeling up to eating? Perhaps a spot of tea?"

Belle nodded slightly.

"I'm not very hungry, but a little bit of bread and tea would be wonderful. Thank you."

It was as if that was exactly what Mrs. Potts wanted to hear. She nearly whistled with delight.

"Of course! I'll bring up some bread, and cheeses maybe. You don't have to eat it all, but I'd rather you had more to choose from than less. Is there anything else you'd like dear?"

Belle shook her head, thinking she had already been given so much.

"No thank you."

The kettle looked pleased as punch.

"Oh what lovely manners. But I said that when we first met too. You'll do well here I think."

The somewhat cryptic words rang in Belle's mind as the teapot scurried out the door.

She wondered what it meant exactly. The master of the house had offered for her to stay only a few days while she healed. Yet the pot seemed to speak as if she'd be around for longer.

A knock sounded at the door disrupting her thoughts. Curious, she thought. Mrs. Potts hadn't been gone long enough for it to be her, not to mention she didn't bother knocking when she came in.

The knock sounded again before Belle had really gathered her thoughts.

"Coming." She called struggling out of the sheets. She gave her nightclothes a once over. They were soft and warm, but a little less than proper for company.

Though she'd have preferred a robe to throw over it, she opened the door tentatively surprised to find the master of the house standing there.

"Oh. Hello."

She opened the door a bit wider, now realizing who was there.

"I, uh, brought you some medicine. For your arm." His voice was gruff but not off putting. And for some reason his sort of bumbling was endearing.

"Thank you." Belle stepped to side the offering him room to come in.

He stepped forward carefully and looked her over for a long moment before glancing at the rumpled bed.

"You were sleeping."

Belle blushed a little.

"No. I mean I was, but I was awake before you knocked. Mrs. Potts just left actually." Feeling a little embarrassed she folded her arms around her frame. Thinking she should say more she continued, "The medicine was a very thoughtful idea."

She gave him what she hoped was a re-assuring smile.

He carefully handed her a small vial of red liquid. She couldn't help but eye the size of his paws. They were so large the bottle looked like a child's toy in his hand. They were warm too. His warm hands felt pleasant against her cold fingers.

"It tastes horrible, but it will help."

Nodding, Belle took a swig and shivered.

"You're right. That is horrible."

He was surprised enough at her joke to give a half-snort laugh.

Belle caught the look and gave him a smile in return.

He appraised her thoroughly. She felt her body warm under his gaze.

"You look very tired. You say Mrs. Potts was just here?"

Belle nodded, uncertain of the feelings building inside her chest.

"Yes. She went to get some food. Is that alright?"

"Yes of course. Perhaps you would like to sit. You look a little unsteady."

To be perfectly honest, she was feeling unsteady too. Nodding, she turned and felt herself faced with a dilemma. Where to sit?

"You should get back in bed. Mrs. Potts will have my head if she sees you walking about."

Belle wondered how he knew what she was thinking but decided not to worry on it too much. So, she walked back to the bed, surprised to find how tired she actually was. The soft mattress nearly begged her to dive in.

When she was comfortably settled back into the covers, he took the seat in the chair next to the bed.

"You are feeling a bit better I gather?"

"I am, thank you."

Taking note of her arm, he gestured to it.

"May I? It looks as if it needs re-dressing."

Belle noticed there were a few red spots showing through. The wounds from the thorns must have been worse than she thought.

Without a word she leaned toward him, holding her arm out for him to inspect.

Try as she might, she couldn't ignore how wonderful his hands felt as they brushed against her skin. The gentle way he held her, and the warmth that radiated from him.

Belle felt more aware of herself than she had in quite some time.

When he finally pulled away the last of the bandage, Belle winced. Her arm looked gross.

"Darn. I really got it good." She mumbled to herself.

Dark brown eyes looked up to meet hers. In them danced a mysterious sort of humor.

"How did you manage to get so tangled up?"

Belle felt the blush heating her face.

"I'm not sure. They just smelled so good. There's something about burying your face in a flower that's sort of wonderful. And I couldn't help myself. Next thing I know, I had myself wrapped in a vine of thorns."

Of course he knew what had happened after that.

Belle could see the humor die as he looked at her.

"I am terribly sorry for this." The genuine sorrow in his eyes was almost unfathomable.

"Its fine now. Thank you for helping me get better."

He stared at her for a long moment before nodding. A sort of silent agreement that nothing could be done now except to move forward.

Belle had a flaw though.

A terrible flaw.

Curiosity.

And she couldn't seem to stifle the need to ask why he had reacted so violently. So as he wrapped her arm in fresh bandages, Belle asked what she knew she should leave well enough alone.

"I was wondering," he paused a moment to look up at her curiously. "Why were you upset at the thought of my taking a flower?"

Surprise lit his eyes, followed by sadness.

He finished tying her bandage, gently setting her arm back to the bed before he spoke.

"You haven't asked my name." The comment threw Belle off completely, but she waited to hear more. "Its Beast. And that is what I am. The roses are precious to me. In a way, they are part of who I am. To take one… is to take piece of me. There is no excuse for how I reacted, but the beast doesn't care what is right. It does what a beast would do. Do you understand?"

Though his words were gentle, Belle heard the warning. There was a part of him that was uncontrollable. A part that didn't use logic or reason. It should have frightened her. Instead all she could feel was a sense of kinship. To feel there was something inside that wasn't right.

She reached out and touched his paw. She noted she must have surprised him by the way his claws flexed slightly.

"Thank you for explaining. And for the bandage."

He seemed at a loss, but eventually nodded. Feeling as though she should give him a little space, she removed her hand from his.

But she could still feel his warmth in her palm.

When the door opened, and Mrs. Potts rolled in on her cart, Beast stood. Belle knew he was leaving.

"Oh, Master. I've just gotten some food for our guest and tea too of course." He nodded and came around to stand beside her. "Ben here is looking a good deal better, I think. Did you re-bandage his arm?"

Belle didn't miss the fact Mrs. Potts was letting Beast know what her name was. It was kind of sweet the way she was looking after her.

"I did. I will leave you now to eat and rest." He nodded to Mrs. Potts and walked out the door.

Belle wasn't sure what that had all been about, nor was she sure about the tingling in her stomach. But she was certain, whatever was to come, it would be interesting.

AN: Thanks to everyone that is reading this story. I wasn't sure what sort of interest it would generate, but I'm glad some of you are liking it so far.