Loved the response to the previous chapter, thank you all!

Guest, never hurts to ask.

ImagineATale, couldn't disappoint you by leaving without giving you a cliffhanger, I know you love them. And yes, Gaston has truly said it, but now he has seen Beast for who he is, he would show some support. And yes Plumette is with Lumiere.

Mustard Lady, thank you so much for your continued support, I hope you'll love this chapter just as much!

Banzi, glad you liked it.

Yinlai, that would be this chapter.

This chapter was very difficult to write and I hope it you're all happy with the outcome!

Chapter 18

Silence, nothing happened.

"Agathe! I know you can hear me, you hag!"

"No need to be shouting...or insulting. I can hear you just fine." She looked at Gaston the man looked absolutely livid, though she had seen him like this more often, something was different about it. "What is on your mind?"

"More than you think, these last few months I didn't have much else to do but think. No matter how horrible you might think I ever was, it is nothing compared to you. Cursing people, sentencing them to death. You are worse than I ever was!"

This is surprising, Agathe thought. "Perhaps you should calm down a bit."

"I should calm down? You should retire all together! How dare you curse innocent people, no not just cursing them, killing them! Not to mention a child and a dog, what did they do to you?"

Agathe could see the indignation Gaston was feeling on behalf of others, going so far as to even admit he had been a horrible person. "That was rather unfortunate, and I would like nothing more than to see them walk these halls again. But unlike what you are thinking they're not dead, only asleep. One day the magic will dissolve on it's own, but that will take a century, give or take a few years."

This did not make Gaston feel any better, "Isn't that great, just too bad Beast and Belle will never see the day. What is it with you and time limits? You gave him ten years and he failed, so what did you do? You gave me only one year, where is the logic in that?" He would get her to listen to him, no matter what.

Agathe sighed, the man was trying her patience, but at least he wasn't talking about himself this time. A small mercy indeed.

Beast was having a restless sleep, after so many months with Belle inside his chambers, he had trouble sleeping without her. Giving up on the idea all together, he stood up and walked to the mirror. "Show me Belle." The mirror shimmered for a second before showing Belle fast asleep, he noticed the music box in the background and saw a book opened on her bed. How many times had she fallen asleep in her bed reading? He had lost track a long time ago, it was something he adored about her. He wondered how her meeting with Maurice had gone, he wished he could have joined her, if only to support her.

Wondering if Gaston was waking up he used the mirror to see him. Beast stared wide eyed at what was before him, he could hear what was being said clearly, but he was having trouble believe his ears.

He hurried down, hoping Gaston wouldn't anger Agathe.

When he reached the border of the barrier he quickly shouted, "Gaston, stop right now!"

Gaston turned around, hearing Beast heading towards him, "No I will not, this hag has done enough! She punishes people for no reason at all, it is her fault you've lost them."

"Some of the blame of their fate befalls to yourself Gaston," Agathe replied. "You were the reason they couldn't express their love, it were your actions which condemned them all." Agathe told him.

"I wasn't even here, don't you even try to blame this on me!"

Beast just stood there awkwardly, "Gaston, perhaps we should talk inside." He moved to grab Gaston, who was still shouting at Agathe.

"Let me tell you this, I don't care what you can and can't do. Let me tell you what you will do, you will turn them back right now!"

Agathe sighed, "I cannot undo the magic once it has been cast, all that can be done is meeting the requirements, as you've been told."

Gaston stood there seething, "Tell me then, what were their requirements. You cursed them, surely they had their own requirements to meet? It's not like someone as 'wise' as you, would let their fate depend on another. After all we all decide our own fate, don't we."

"Gaston! Stop, we're leaving and I'll talk to you inside. Agathe, my apologies for the inconvenience." He threw Gaston over his shoulder and walked away.

Gaston started to use his fists to get Beast to release him, "Put me down right now!"

"Not until we're back inside, there you will sit down and listen to what I have to say."

Having given up on trying to get Beast to release him, he decided to strike a conversation, "You should be pleased, I was talking on your behalf and that of your friends. Why did you drag me away?"

"Because there is more that you don't know, things you should know." They passed the threshold and Beast released Gaston. "Go to the parlor, I'll join you in a few minutes." Not waiting for an acknowledgement he made his way to his room, collecting a few of the servants.

Gaston sat waiting for Beast, why did he interrupt him? Someone had to tell the woman the truth! He would listen what Beast had to say, something in his voice indicated is wasn't going to be a fun conversation. He huffed, to think she started to blame me! She was obviously senile and delusional.

The door creaked open, "Gaston, besides you on the small table I'm placing a few of the servants. Lumiere whom you've met before, the featherduster besides him is Plumette his girlfriend and the mantle clock is Cogsworth, he was head of the household."

Why would Beast need them for this conversation? They couldn't speak, so why were they needed?

"I had hoped to spare you this conversation for a little while longer, but I decided it can no longer wait." Beast sighed, he wished Belle was here to support him. Yet, he knew it was something he would have to do himself. "As you know the curse became permanent not long before you arrived, the night before to be exact. It was that night I decided to confess my love to Belle hoping she would return it. Everything was prepared for a romantic dinner and a dance in the ballroom. When the dance was over, I asked her if she was happy here. She asked me a question in return, if someone could be happy while they were not free." Beast hung his head in shame, "What you don't know is that I had thrown Maurice in one of the prison cells in the tower, for picking a flower no less. When Belle arrived looking for her father, she asked me to punish her, since she was the one who had requested the flower."

Gaston sat there gaping, he was glad he hadn't met Beast while he was still that cruel.

"Her father pleaded for her to leave and she agreed. She wanted to say goodbye and when I opened the cell, she ran in hugging her father. I didn't look inside or paid much attention to them, I had told her that when the door closed it would never open again. I saw someone falling backwards out of the cell and heard the door slam closed. She had pushed her father out, locking herself in, for as far as she knew forever." Why had he been such a monster, he couldn't imagine himself being that cruel anymore.

"You, you..." Gaston couldn't find the words, Beast had been as cruel and heartless as he had described himself. It was hard to see the man he knew now as how he once was.

"Not my proudest moment, I assure you. Luckily my servants had other plans and convinced me to give her a better room, or to be more exact, let her stay in the one they gave her when I wasn't looking." He was more grateful for them than they ever knew. "After she said that, the conversation turned to her father and I took her to the mirror so she could see him. What she saw was him in the asylum wagon..."

Merciful god, Gaston thought, that must have been horrible and he started to feel uncomfortable knowing he was responsible for that.

"We decided to get him out and we succeeded, bringing him back to the castle. Belle was glowing with happiness to be reunited and I ordered my servants who were waiting outside, Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts to take him to his room. Belle joined them, but Lumiere stayed behind..." Beast didn't want to continue this, he looked at Gaston hoping he would put the pieces together himself.

Gaston sat there frozen, it sounded so familiar. The night it became permanent and all the servants lost their lives in a way. Slowly realisation dawned in his mind, recalling an earlier conversation he had with Beast, 'circumstances had delayed them from confessing their love in time'. The moment Beast had regretted most, shouting at Lumiere in his last moments. It was him, he was the circumstance that had delayed them from saying it! Agathe had told him, she hadn't been lying...

Beast saw the moment when Gaston realised his part in all of this. If he thought the man had looked broken before, it was nothing compared to this. Silent tears started pouring over his pale face and he started to back into the chair as if trying to flee.

Gaston was trying to breath again, he was suffocating from inside. This wasn't his fault he didn't know! He crawled into the chair he was sitting, curling into himself. He thought of the servants Beast had brought with him for this conversation. Lumiere, he was here beside him! He picked up the candelabra, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault," he whispered to the candelabra which he was holding close as if it was a lifeline. What had he done? He placed Lumiere back and felt physically sick, throwing up onto the carpet.

Beast was shocked, the violent reaction Gaston was showing was very worrisome. "Gaston, you have to calm down!"

Gaston only vaguely registered what Beast was saying, how could he calm down? He had condemned, who knows how many people. "How many?"

"What do you mean?"

"How many people...died?" He had to know, he didn't want to, but had to.

Beast sighed, "I'm not sure telling you would be a good idea."

"Please...I need to...know..." Gaston managed to get out, holding his breath for the answer, bracing himself.

"A little over two hundred servants, including the few children that were here and about forty animals in total."

Gaston was kneeling on the floor sobbing, he had been a monster. He reached for the table, finding the servants on it, picking them up. He was holding all three and kept apologising over and over.

All Beast could do was sit there and look at the broken man. "Don't blame yourself, I'm equally to blame. It started that one night a decade ago, if I had shown kindness we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with." His words seemed to have no effect, he reached out to put his paw on Gaston's shoulder.

Feeling the pressure on his shoulder he scurried away, "Don't touch me!" He didn't want to feel any support, he had been blind to what his actions caused. This dark lonely hell he found himself in was very fitting, he thought. He looked up, "Please, just go. Leave me alone..."

"I'm not leaving you," Beast said, who knows what the man would do while he was away. Seeing Gaston curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth while holding the three servants he had brought was rather disturbing. He heard Gaston muttering to himself but was unable to make out what he said. At least now he knows about the consequences his actions have had, Beast thought. He just had to pull himself together enough to take responsibility for them.

On the floor Gaston was rocking back and forth. What had he done? He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't help himself. He had hurt so many people, without even knowing, what about those he did know? Belle, who had forgiven him, he didn't deserve to be forgiven so easily. She should have let him beg for it, maybe he still could? Beast, who hadn't forgiven him, he could beg to him. "Please, forgive me..." he kept muttering. He didn't know if Beast could hear him, why was he still calling him Beast, he himself was the true monster. He heard careful footsteps on his right and he turned and changed his position sitting on his knees. "Please, please forgive me..." Still he heard no reply, but why should he get one?

Where was Belle when he needed her, Beast thought, she would have known what to do. He once more moved towards Gaston, this time he wouldn't let him dismiss him so easily. Placing his paw on the man's shoulder again, he felt it being rejected again. Not taking no for an answer he went down to join Gaston on the floor and placed his other paw on the opposite shoulder. "Gaston, calm down. I don't understand a word you're saying."

Gaston didn't want him anywhere near, he managed to back away and stood up. He set the three servants back on the table and took a small calming breath, before quickly heading out the door. He just ran towards the front door, he wanted to get out of the castle, away from those he had hurt. He heard Beast coming after him, but he wouldn't let him get near. Once more he made his way towards the barrier and heard hoof beats heading his way.

Belle had waited to return as Agathe asked, when she entered the gate however she was soon met by Gaston running towards her. What was going on? Was this what Agathe had meant? She jumped off of Philippe and ran to intercept Gaston, who clearly wasn't thinking straight. "Gaston! What happened, please tell me!" She was quickly pushed aside however and she saw Gaston feeling the hedges as he ran.

Beast saw Belle trying to stop Gaston, "Belle, we have to stop him!"

She quickly turned around and joined Beast as they followed Gaston. "What happened?" She shouted to Beast.

"He knows what happened that night, he knows why we were too late to break the curse."

O no, Belle thought. Apparently he was taking it very hard, he had gone deep into the barrier and had stopped.

Finally he had reached his destination, "Agathe, please come back! I'm sorry, you were right! It was my fault, I did it, I killed them! Just bring them back!" He dropped to his knees, "Please, come back!" He started to feel lightheaded, but he didn't care. He had probably gone in deeper than this morning, but he wouldn't leave, not before he had spoken to Agathe again. He would do what he had said in scornful jest months ago, he would beg to Agathe on his knees. He just hoped it would be enough.