Chapter Seventeen – Our Son
17.1
Belle hated to keep admitting it to herself but something didn't feel right with her. She placed a hand over her belly hoping that the baby was okay. She and Adam and even Isabella had gone through far too much pain this time and she wanted something happy to look forward to. That was where the baby was a good idea. If she could share the love that she had for a child with her family and friends then there would be happiness again.
Still, Adam was gone and Belle felt selfish voicing her concern to anyone else. Gaston had tried to come into their lives once again and make everything seem impossible to fix. It hurt Belle greatly to know that but still, Adam was here and in human form, they could finally live a good and happy life.
At least that was what Belle thought until she got a stabbing pain in her stomach. Her eyes widened and she looked around wildly for someone to help her. This couldn't be a miscarriage right? They had endured too much pain and heartache for her to miscarry. "Please hold on, little one," she whispered to her belly and then felt the pain again. She winced and closed her eyes tightly. Something was wrong. It was already obvious that something was wrong.
She saw Lumiere come nearer to her and reached out for him, "I think the baby is coming," she whispered as she tried to maintain consciousness. Why did this have to happen when Adam was so far from her? He would always comfort her. Maybe he had self doubt when it came to his place in all of this but he was her strength, her love in whatever form he might be in.
Lumiere stared at her before running towards her. "Please, sit down," he tried to urge her. "Are you feeling - are you having the baby?" he asked and Belle looked at him. Wasn't it just a bit too early to have the child? When she had given birth to Isabella, she had been right on schedule. Belle knew that babies sometimes came a few days early or a few days later but this was too early. Adam was supposed to be here.
"I'm – n-ot sure," Belle asked before she winced. She closed her eyes tightly. She wanted her husband and yet he had left her alone. At least Isabella wasn't seeing this.
"I will go and get a doctor, then we can have someone stay with you, and lastly, we can find someone to scout Adam so that he knows what is happening," Lumiere instructed her. Belle opened her mouth to comment but then she felt one of the labor pains again and just nodded. She saw Lumiere leave but now she was too weak to even stand. She yelled in agony. Why did this feel so much worse than the first time she had given birth? The midwife had told her that any birth she had after Isabella wouldn't bring as much agony but this felt worse. She found herself to sweat and she just placed a hand over her belly again.
This was Adam's child. He had already done so much for her, so much for the country. Delivering this baby, giving birth was supposed to be something which she could control but she couldn't even do this for him. She screamed again and then felt slight relief as Mrs. Potts ran over to her. This woman knew about having babies and she was a friend and a mother. She would understand what was going on. She would be able to help her.
"What do you need, my love?" Mrs. Potts asked. "What can we do for you. We are trying to get everyone into their proper places but if there's anything that you need, dear."
"Adam," Belle said and Mrs. Potts stroked her hair back lovingly.
"We're getting him. He'll be here as soon as he is able. You know that he would never leave you now that you need him so much." Belle nodded and she looked up, making eye contact with the former-teapot.
"Please make sure that our child gets a safe birth. Adam would be devastated were something to happen to them," Belle sobbed and Mrs. Potts attempted to calm her by stroking her hair back. When someone appeared with warm towels and some water, Mrs. Potts picked one of them up and managed to push it against Belle's forehead.
"We'll do whatever we can to make sure that both you and the child are safe," she said and Belle smiled gratefully through the pain. She could further relax when she heard that the nurse and midwife were there. Maybe Adam wouldn't be present at the birth of their second child but he would be able to meet them, to hold them, to love them when he returned. All she needed to do was make sure he had someone to meet when the time came.
17.2
Unlike with Isabella, the labor pains had brought Belle to the point where she had almost blacked out during the birth of her child. She could hear that it was a boy but they were more concerned about her losing consciousness and dying during childbirth. She had also heard some screams, some whispers, but everything seemed so blurry at this point. Once she had gathered herself enough, she looked over in the direction of where people were.
"Should we tell her?" the midwife asked.
"She will still love the child," she heard Mrs. Potts say. "He is such a cutie as well. Looks so much like his father."
Belle smiled in relief as she heard that. Not only was the baby all right but he must look rather handsome or gorgeous or a hundred other ways in which she could describe Adam. Adam…she couldn't feel him in this room, he hadn't returned yet. She tried to sit up so she could see the little boy but she was blocked.
"Nobody will love this sort of demon," the midwife said.
"Things like this should not exist. It needs to be exterminated," the nurse commented.
Belle blinked in confusion. What were they doing to her child? She tried to stand but felt light headed as she made the attempt. Still, she couldn't allow them to talk about her baby in this way and to think about ending his life. No. She wouldn't stand for it.
"Can I see him?" she asked. Her voice was weak and little more than a whisper. She felt herself so exhausted at this moment. There were whispers between the gathered group and it was Mrs. Potts who took the small baby in her arms. Belle looked up with a hopeful smile before sadness filled her and she sobbed. In Mrs. Potts's arms was not a little newborn baby boy, innocent to the world, but a baby beast. He did look like a smaller version of his father but not in a way she had expected.
"Is that?" Belle asked before reaching her arms out. Breastfeeding was out of the question if this was her baby. Unfortunately, her body would be ripped apart by his teeth. Mrs. Potts carefully set the baby down in his mother's arms and he looked up at her innocently. "Hi there," she whispered as she rocked him as if he were a regular child. "Hi, I'm your mother," she said as she kissed the top of his furry hear and felt the stub of a horn.
He would have a hard life as he grew up. He would have to be hidden unless there was a way of turning him human. Still, this was her child and she loved him. She would never let anyone harm him. She heard him start doing a mix of howling and wailing and brought him close to her. "Mother's right here," she told him, "mother will protect you."
"You should kill that thing if you ask me," the nurse commented and Belle turned to the side. She delivered a rather firm glare before kissing the baby on his forehead again.
"Nobody is asking you," Belle said protectively. "He is a prince, part of the royal family, he deserves as much respect at least as you'd give a newborn baby who was completely human in appearance." She saw the little paw of her son reach out and grab her finger just as if he were a regular child. She laughed as she saw his tiny eyelids flutter and he was about to go to sleep.
"Would you like to lay him down to sleep?" Mrs. Potts asked and Belle shook her head, holding him securely in her arms.
"No. I couldn't risk him not being protected," she replied before kissing the baby's head. "We're fine, thank you. We're going to be just fine." She thought back on all the times when Adam had called himself or referred to himself as a monster and that had been him. She had even referred to him as beast, not even caring about his proper name, never asking that question. She wasn't sure if he would have told her the truth about his name or his past when he was in that condition but she could have at least asked. People wouldn't ask about this baby she was holding. They would just panic and fear him.
"Sire, I wouldn't go in there if I were you," Belle heard the voice of a guard. She then heard hurried footsteps before the door opened. Adam was standing there with his hair and clothes wet and a panicked expression on his face. Had it been raining? Had he just rode as fast as he could back to her? She turned the baby away from him, scared of his reaction as well. If he could call himself a monster, couldn't he do it to their son?
"How is he?" Adam asked as he approached Belle. He could see the fear in her eyes and so froze. "What's wrong?" he asked as he approached them and his eyes widened as he saw that she had not given birth to a human baby but instead a beast baby. He looked down guiltily. It was beyond obvious that this baby was his but his when he was an outcast to the world, alienated, forced to live in the shadows. He had ruined this child's life since they would have to follow his path of solitude.
"He's breathing," Belle said as she looked to Adam. "He's our child. Don't tell me to leave him or to kill him, he's our baby," she argued with him and Adam sank down to sit next to her. He stared at the baby wide eyed and then saw the tiny beginnings of a tail. He reached out for them securely and Belle eventually let him take the child into his own arms.
Adam moved so that the baby had his head resting against Adam's shoulder as the prince held his son carefully but protectively. "Hello there, little one," he said as he looked at the stumps where horns would grow and the tail which would get bigger and bushier. "I'm your Papa."
Belle stared at him. "Don't hurt him."
"Never," Adam promised her as he held the tiny beast protectively. "I will never harm our son. That's who this little guy is," Adam said, his protectiveness over the tiny one on his face. "He will always be our son."
End of Chapter Seventeen
Thank you for reading
Thank you to KathyMesser for reviewing Chapter Sixteen
