Here is the next chapter!

Banzi, I fear he has even more to make up for.

Rubbernoseswampdonkey, some will, some don't.

Mustard Lady, sadly he has done a lot of rotten things in his less than stellar past.

Yinlai, they are quite horrible. Sadly they aren't done yet.

ImagineATale, I'm sure Gaston would appreciate a stop at the home depot for a few boltcutters on his behalf. Who they all are is for me to know and for you to guess.

FireUpTheIQ, nice to see a new reviewer! Reading at 5 am sounds very familiar to me! Send you a PM with an answer about your comment of the missing PTSD.

Chapter 29

Gaston woke up early, he got up and went downstairs . Even though he knew there would be no one here, he was careful at the last few steps. He hated the men who had done that to him, he had decided not to give up on the villagers. The incident had divided the crowd and there were quite a few people who had stood up for him. He owed it to them and their possible relatives to continue his efforts. Sebastian however was off his list, he just hoped there wasn't anyone waiting for him. Maybe he could tell Agathe to inform any relatives the man may had, that they wouldn't get him back. Twice the man had gone out of his way to humiliate him in a way he couldn't defend himself.

He felt around him and grabbed the first thing in his reach and threw it against the wall, hearing a satisfying shatter of glass. He didn't want to disappoint anyone, and if he did, maybe they would understand.

He unlocked the door and walked outside to the stable where his recently renamed horse Renaître was. He needed to calm down, grooming always worked. As he continued he didn't notice the streets filling up with noise. A few raised their eyebrows at seeing the blind man, working so expertly on his horse.

Belle and Adam, decided to visit Gaston see how he was holding up. Maurice who had heard what had happened decided to come along. No matter his personal opinion of the man, he didn't deserve this treatment. The group heard the humming and they saw him attending to his horse, looking a lot better than last time they saw him.

"Feeling better I see." Adam said.

Gaston looked up, "I do, did something happen after I left?"

"Not much, though most agreed it was uncalled for."

"I agree." Maurice said. "I feel partially responsible for having denied you a room at my home."

"No." Gaston shook his head. "You have every right to keep me out of your home."

Maurice looked at the man before him and made a decision, "Why don't you all go inside, we'll join you later."

"All right papa." Belle took Adam's hand leading him in to give the men some privacy.

Maurice waited until they were out of sight before he started. "Listen to me, you do not deserve this." Maurice said as he put an hand on Gaston's shoulder. "I owe you an apology."

Gaston raised his eyebrows, "No you don't owe me one, I owe you several. What I did was inexcusable, when I think back on it, I even disgust myself."

"You may feel that way, but you have changed. I can see that clear as day, took me a while though. But if anything I must commend you on your bravery, coming here blind while knowing that the village would be anything but accepting."

"Didn't know I would get attacked over it, maybe I wouldn't have if I had known about that."

Maurice shook his head, "No, you would have. I suspect you despise the person you used to be so much, that you prefer being under the curse, because it made you a better man. Belle told me to let go of my resentment of you, that you were no longer the man who tried to kill me."

"I still am, make no mistake about that. Last night I spend a lot of time thinking, and that man is off my list. Relatives or not, he doesn't deserve people that care for him."

"It's understandable to think like that and I don't blame you, and I'm sure neither would anyone else. You tried, that is all anyone could ask from you." Maurice said. "Besides I think that I should give the man you've become a chance."

Hearing the man who he'd wronged so terribly say those things to him, meant more than he had thought they would. "Thank you."

"No thank you for trying. Shall we go inside and sit, maybe talk things over a bit more.

Gaston nodded, "You go ahead, I have to put everything back. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"All right, don't take too long." Maurice left and looked once a saw a small smile on Gaston's face.

It didn't take long before everything was put back in place and Gaston left the stable. He was about to turn the last corner before he heard a voice chuckle had hoped not to hear.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our blind hero. Did your 'friends' abandon you yet? I would if I were them, it's not like they have any use for you.

"Stop it. It's been enough don't you think?" Gaston ground out.

Sebastian chuckled, "Not nearly enough you mean. You spend years making us feel bad, you have quite some time to go. How does it feel to be on the opposite end?"

"What do you want me to say? That I deserve all this? I don't, I can't defend myself, whereas you all could. That you were too weak to do so is not my fault." Gaston shot back.

"Weak eh? Let's see who is the weak one shall we? BOYS!" He called his friends who were watching until then.

Gaston heard several pairs of footsteps surrounding him and started to get worried. "I remember you Sebastian, you always were too weak to do something yourself. I always thought that your friends were better than you, this would be the time for them to prove it. Would they actually stoop so low, to join you in attacking one blind man?"

Sebastian looked over his friends who stopped at the words, "Don't forget all he's done! He's humiliated and even tried to dishonor your wife Claude!"

Gaston remembered that incident and grimaced, he had forgotten about that. "Claude? I apologise, it doesn't make up for it but...don't do this."

Still seeing indecisive looks from his friends Sebastian moved forward, "Enough of this!"

He had hit Gaston right in the face and blood started to pour from his nose. When he felt a kick land against his back, Gaston fell down and closed his eyes and just hoped for it to end soon. He concentrated on hearing what was going on around him but noticed a surprising lack in footsteps around him.

"Come on men, we finally have him where we want him!"

Hearing this Gaston braced himself for the beating to get even worse.

"No."

Did he just hear right?

"What is the matter with all of you! This is Gaston the one who has wronged us all on more than one occasion. He deserves to be punished."

Another man stepped forward, "I think he has been punished enough, look at him."

Two men nodded and walked away, leaving Gaston alone with Sebastian and Claude.

"Claude, it seems it's up to you and me to show him his place." Sebastian said.

Claude deserved to get in a few kicks, even he would admit that, Gaston thought. He braced himself again for his punishment as the men called it.

"Go on Claude, you may go first. Think of your wife, when he put his hands where they didn't belong."

Claude took the final steps towards Gaston and got ready to land a good kick. When he was this close he took a good look at the man lying there. He saw acceptance of what was about to happen, he had beaten up a few men before but never had he seen this look. It was as if he had resigned himself to his fate, there was also something else, which he couldn't place. He softly heard Gaston whisper something, paying close attention, he could make out what he was saying.

"I'm sorry, I deserve this, just do it..."

"I...I can't. This is wrong, he can't defend himself. He's been punished enough." Claude turned around and walked away.

"Claude! You spineless coward! Well I guess it's just you and me now, no one to help you." Sebastian taunted. Suddenly his hand was being grabbed from behind.

"Yes he does!" Adam said.

Sebastian looked around a saw a big crowd forming, amongst them the men that had left.

Several men grabbed him and dragged him away to lock him away, where he could cause no more damage.

"Thank you, it can't have been easy going against your friend." Belle said to the men.

They shook their heads, "No, you should thank him, his words made us think about what we were doing." The one who spoke pointed to Gaston who was trying to get back up. "Tell him, we're sorry for the trouble we caused him." They walked away, leaving the scene they had helped cause behind them.

Maurice stepped forward to help Gaston up, "Are you alright? Need a drink or something else?"

"Church." Gaston ground out.

"Why would you want to go there? You need to sit down." Maurice tried again.

Gaston gave a slight glare, chilling Maurice, "No, I need the church. Now!" Very unnerved, but still wanting to help Maurice lifted Gaston up to walk.

Standing on his own legs felt good and Gaston soon found his balance and walked while Maurice guided him towards the church.

Belle and Adam saw Maurice guiding Gaston away, when they saw them moving away from the tavern they started to worry and quickly followed them. Quickly catching up Belle called her father.

"Papa, were are you taking him? He needs to sit down."

"I told him that, but he was very adamant about going to church. He even glared when I first refused, something is truly bothering him."

Knowing exactly where this was headed Belle and Adam blocked their way, "Gaston don't do this." Adam said.

"Why shouldn't I? They had their chance, I'm done."

"Please Gaston, I know this must have been hard for you. Those men came for us after they realises their mistake, they came to get you some help. And Sebastian has been taken away, he can't harm you anymore." Belle pleaded with him, "Please try a bit longer, they won't bother you again."

Gaston stopped, "Belle, I..."

"Please? Gaston? One more try, it's all I ask."

Adam took a hold of Gaston's arm, "Please Gaston, think of those in the castle."

Maurice had no idea what they talked about, but it had to be significant, "I don't know what is supposed to happen there, but it sounds like you should really think this over. Is this what you truly want?"

Gaston shook his head, "No, I don't."

"Then please come back with us, let everyone know you're alright." Belle pleaded.

Sighing Gaston just nodded, he felt the hug that followed, and heard their thanks, but chose to ignore it. They led him back to the tavern, when they opened the door however the mood was distinctly different. The crowd came rushing, asking how he was and if they could help him in any way. He didn't know how many people were there, but he did know there had to be at least some with families, the thought cheered him up a bit.

Clearing his throat he addressed the crowd, "Thank you all for your concerns, now if you all don't mind I would just like to sit down and have a drink to calm down."

Quickly the crowd dispersed to give him some room, seated he thought about what he had been about to do, part of him still wanted to do. Another part was grateful they had stopped him, he hadn't even been here for one week.

"Could you leave me for a moment, I want to be alone."

"Of course, we'll be on the other side. Don't hesitate to call for us if you need us. " Belle and Adam left.

Maurice stepped forward, "You have turned into a good man Gaston, if you ever would like to visit, my door will be open."

Gaston looked surprised, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Once Maurice had left him, Gaston was thinking. Somehow he had proved that he could be trusted from now on.

"Gaston?"

"What do you want?" He recognised the voice as one of his attackers.

"I would like go apologise, so do the others. What you said made us see that there is no fairness in getting even with someone who has no way of defending himself. After we left we immediately went to get you some help, we could have helped ourselves but we just didn't want to go against him."

Gaston thought back on the many timed he had manipulated LeFou, he would have never done anything against him either. "Apology accepted," He ground out. "Tell your friends to just leave me alone. I just want to sit here in peace, if you don't mind."

"I'll tell them, once again my apologies." The man took off to tell his friends the news.

"That was very mature of you."

Gaston sighed, "Agathe, just what I need."

"Sorry, I have been busy with a new case. Real piece of work apparently, doesn't know when to quit attacking defenceless people it seems. Luckily he doesn't seem to have any family that will be bothered by his absence."

"Really?" Gaston perked up at the thought.

"Yes, severe case of leprosy. It can even cause blindness on long term."

Gaston grinned, "How fitting. Where did you leave him?"

"Away, that's all you need to know. Or were you thinking of visiting?"

"Not very likely! Good riddance! You said he had no family, happy to hear that." And he meant it, he had worried about it this morning.

"Agathe, we saw you from the bar. How have you been?" Adam greeted.

"Busy."

Gaston laughed, "Guess who her new project is?"

The pair looked at each other, "Sebastian, I presume. What did you do to him?"

"After he was locked up, I visited and gave him leprosy, ironically it can lead to blindness."

"Very coincidental I'm sure." Adam said.

"Of course." Agathe agreed.

"Agathe? Those other men, how does this affect their chances?" Belle asked.

Agathe smiled, "They tried to make amends over their actions, did they not?"

"They did, one came to apologise." Gaston said. "So that means they still have a chance?"

"It does, now if you'll excuse me. My help is needed elsewhere."

The group looked at her retreating form.

"Well, that was unexpected. Seems she's looking out for you, in her own way." Adam said.

Gaston smirked, "Best news of the day, I had already resolved to give up on him. But she also told me he doesn't have a family, I was worried about that."

"I can imagine." Belle said. "I'm glad to hear it myself."

"I think I'm going to my room to clean myself up a bit. Will you be back this evening?"

"We thought we kept my father company for once, if you don't mind. But your welcome to join us there?"

"No." Gaston shook his head. "LeFou will most probably come by, he's never missed an evening at the tavern."

"Should you change your mind, the offer stands." Belle said.

Just nodding Gaston stood up and walked upstairs. He thought about this morning, after a relaxing start it had quickly deteriorated into a nightmare. Though it had ended for the best, he would no longer be bothered if those men were sincere. He would clean up and go back down, who knows what might happen this evening. He did want to tell LeFou though, his friend would appreciate to know what had happened and that he wouldn't have to fear another attack. He opened the closet door and saw the rose and relaxed, it felt nice to remind himself why he was doing this. He just hoped this was truly the last of it.