Chapter Sixteen – Forgiveness

Adam looked out the window of the bedroom and he looked at his hand, he created a fist and then slowly opened his hand again. He bowed his head sadly. He knew what decision he needed to make but it didn't feel fair. Gaston was now a beast both on the outside and on the inside but he was still somewhat human. He was the type of human who Adam wanted to punish but he still had a conscious mind and he was able to speak, to act, to live as a human. It wasn't as if he was perfect, that was actually a joke, he was most definitely not perfect. He had learned to become better but it had taken him a long time. To not allow someone else the chance to learn and remain in human society made him much different than he was now, it would be a step back for him.

Belle came towards him with a cup of tea, she tilted her head as she watched him. "Are you okay?" she asked and he smiled to her but closed his eyes and nodded. "I wouldn't be upset with you whatever you decide," she tried to assure him and Adam looked to her.

"I have a rather controversial thought," he told her and Belle blinked unsure what that meant. Controversial might mean anything from turning Gaston into an inch high being to turning him into a piano or even giving him the mind of a dutiful robot. She wasn't even sure if Adam knew what his powers could do.

"Okay," she nodded as he waited for her to reply.

"Memory loss," he told her and Belle nodded. She wasn't sure what that meant but everything that Gaston had done to her and her family would probably be prevented if he didn't know who they were. He might be able to concentrate that energy on getting his life back on track. However, if Adam meant that he would send him to live with wolves as a real, wild animal, Belle had some objections to that. "He'll be the human form of himself, I'll hopefully be able to turn him human but I don't want him to do harm to anyone so I want to block or remove his memories and send him somewhere that can reform him to being a human, more human that he was before."

Belle smiled, "We could send him to his parents, I know where they live. Everyone in the village knew where they were."

"I think that might work," Adam said before standing up. "Well, I might as well get him out of his misery. I'm not sure what powers I do have but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I just sat by and let someone remain in that form." Adam walked over to the bedroom door and Belle came with him, she followed him and as they walked out of the bedroom, she grabbed his hand.

"Can't this wait until morning?" she asked him before stopping. She walked over to her husband and cupped his cheek, pushing his hair back and smiling as she let some of it slide between her fingers. She loved how caring he was and how he was attempting to do the right thing even if he had anger trying to move him in a different direction but she was worried about him. No one knew how Gaston would react to his presence there. There might not be enough security members on staff to help them if an emergency situation did emerge.

"Every moment in that form until you came into my life was pure agony, it's like watching a bird with a broken wing trying to fly, you have to let the poor animal out of their misery."

Belle sighed, "Even if it's a misery which they brought upon themselves?"

Adam turned to Belle and took her hand before bringing it to his lips, he looked at her in such a loving manner. "Where would I be if you hadn't given me a chance?" he asked her. He held her hand in his own, showing with just his touch how deep his love was for her, how much he appreciated her, how she would never be unloved by him. "I have to continue to use that love to inspire me and motivate me. I need to make sure that that love is a guiding light for me and if I can't show love and forgiveness to my enemies, I have no business being a king and a leader."

"I'm still going with you," Belle told him and Adam nodded. He held her hand as they went down the stairs and into the dungeon, both of them holding lamps. Adam felt his breath catch in his throat as he could hear the heavy exhales of a beast. He had heard them from himself so many times. He went towards the cage.

"Good evening," he said in a stern manner as he kicked on the side of the cage and saw Gaston raise his very large head, looking at him.

"Your Majesty, you have no idea what will happen if that cage opens," he said with a cold and bitter manner and Adam nodded. He had already made up his mind on what he wanted to happen.

"I can understand the anger," Adam said as he looked away, "I do have a deal to make with you though. I think that you'd want to listen to me on this"

"What great plan do you have? You don't even have an educ-" Gaston said mockingly and Belle laughed before putting a hand over her mouth. Adam might have been abandoned when he was a young child but before he had transformed, he had had a good study plan. Also, what Adam had and what Gaston lacked was the want to learn, the desire to know something new. Adam was far smarter than Gaston was.

"I will make sure you are human and you will never approach a member of my family, my friends, those who work for me. You are to go back to being an unselfish man. Go hunting. Marry someone who adores you. Don't come near me again," Adam said and Gaston stiffened. They both knew that this was a good offer but it meant giving into someone you found to be your rival or worse your enemy.

Adam closed his eyes tight and tried to focus on the same kind of magic that he had used for Belle, the type of magic that Gaston had seemed to hold so easily and yet he troubled with it. After feeling the pain burning off of him, Adam found Belle to grab his shoulder and she pulled him back. Adam looked into the cell and his eyes widened. He looked at what appeared a teenage but human Gaston laying unconscious on the stone ground. He hadn't meant to do that.

"What happened?" Belle asked and Adam blinked confused. He had believed that if he looked into himself, he would be able to figure out how to cure Gaston of the beastliness but seeing this…child on the ground wasn't what he had been planning on. "Are you okay?"

"I think it best to get him out of here," Adam said before he coughed. He felt very weak. It had taken a lot our of him to do this much. "Can you alert one of the guards that we need him taken to the address which you told me?" he asked and Belle pushed his hair back, Adam could feel the sweat that she was pushing away from his forehead.

"Yes, that is important but what's more important to me is how you're feeling? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," he smiled to her before seeing the way that the teenager's chest was rising and falling, he felt comforted seeing Gaston breathing and just hoped that this would be the end of this. He needed an end to this. "It was a good thing, right?"

"Yes," Belle nodded. "It was merciful and considering what he's done to you, you treated him far better."

Adam sighed. He wondered if Gaston's young age was due to his own anger at the man, an anger that he had tried to stifle but couldn't ignore. Maybe it would be the best for him. Maybe this way he could have a good life where he wasn't stuck on what had happened when he had been an older man. "You'll have him moved for me?" Adam requested and Belle nodded.

"Of course," she replied. It truth, she didn't care about Gaston anymore but she did care about Adam and their family's happiness.

BeAdBeAd

The one thing which Adam had kept closest in his heart the whole time during the ordeal was the love which he held for Isabella. Now able to perform the duties of a ruler, Adam needed to make sure to keep his daughter in his heart. He saw her run towards him in the morning, the sunlight above them and he scooped her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head before holding her away from him. He loved her regardless of what form he was in and Belle grinned as she watched him.

"Adam," Cogsworth coughed as he watched the man who had been through so much with his daughter. "If we don't hurry then I'm afraid that we will never get there."

"Just a few more moments," Adam smiled as he looked at his daughter fondly. "How are you today, my princess?" he asked her and Isabella giggled.

"I'm good, Papa, how are you?" she asked and Adam beamed at how polite she was.

"Well I'm feeling great today. I think today is a day of surprises. It's a day that we should feel happy about," he said and Belle hesitated.

Was it though? Was today such a day to feel particularly happy over? She was glad that Adam seemed to be doing so well but something felt odd about this entire situation. She felt a strange sickness in her chest. Something had gone wrong. She put a hand to her belly and saw Adam turn to her concerned. Belle put a hand up and shook her head.

"You should enjoy your time together before you leave," she told him and Adam nodded but he didn't know whether he believed her words with such confidence. She was hurt?

"Are you sure that you'll be okay?" he asked her and Belle nodded.

"I love you," she said and Adam eyed her, was she just trying to keep his mind relaxed. He nodded slowly. There couldn't be anything wrong now, right? Things were perfect. There was no need to worry about anything.

End of Chapter Sixteen

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Fifteen

Gisela19wwe, Guest, sailorsenshi13, VakamaPrime,

I'm going to try to update the more reviewed fics that I have and will update on a Sunday