Chapter Five

5.1

After the return to the castle, Belle definitely felt some coldness from Adam. She worried for him and with that coldness there was the feel that he was keeping something from her. She felt lonely even though he was here and she worried about what the little prince or princess she would give birth to would feel. She sighed as she saw Adam pace back and forth down the hallway of the west wing. This place had so many emotions within it and she was worried that it was causing him further mental or psychological harm.

She saw him look at his hand again and spread out his fingers. He turned it over, his eyes trying to see if there was any change there no matter how minor the difference was. Sighing, she came over to him and took his hand. "Hi," she said as he took a step backwards. "Are you feeling okay?"

"You don't see anything different about it, right?" Adam asked her. He looked to his other hand before putting his hand to his face and felt his jaw, the teeth seemed normal. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before pushing a hand through his hair. His eyes widened as he reached the top of his head and he had a look as if he had just seen death itself.

"Adam?" Belle asked as she looked at him and then very carefully took his hand, her fingers pressed against his head. There was no visible horn but there was a lump on his skull that felt as if it could be the start of a horn. It wasn't obvious visually but one could touch it and feel it. "Adam, it's nothing…it's…"

"You can feel it though?" he asked her as he put his hand to the other side, the same thing was there and the prince moved backwards nervously. His breath started racing and he crashed his back into a portrait on the castle wall, knocking it to the ground. "It's there. It's -"

"It's not noticeable," Belle said quickly as she got down in front of him. She could see that he was starting to cycle in his panic and she reached out for his hand. Slowly she guided his palm to her belly where the baby was. "Just stay with us, okay?" she asked and Adam nodded, the terror more than obvious. "You're safe. You're here. I love you."

"I'm turning into -" Adam tried to protest and Belle slid a hand down and onto his cheek.

"I love you," she told him. He stared at her. "That's all that you need to think about right now. I love you." Belle pressed her lips to his forehead and then to his lips. She very slowly let her fingers go through some of his strands of hair. "Do you feel okay other than the…protrusions?" she asked him and Adam looked at her with widened eyes. "Your heart? Your chest? Your lungs? Do they all feel okay?" she asked and he nodded slowly. "Then it's going to be okay."

"How can you say that?" Adam groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm turning into him."

"No, you're not," Belle said before wrapping her arms around her bewildered husband. "Because you can't turn into him, because you are him. You changed whilst you were cursed and if that does happen again then I know that you'll be with me up here," she touched his forehead. "And here," she touched his chest over his heart. He nodded and she kissed him again as the servants started to gather.

"Adam?" Cogsworth asked as he approached him and Belle shook her head. "Any instruction?"

"We'll be just fine, thank you," Belle said before helping Adam up. She bit her top lip as she saw him trying to collect himself. She wanted to get his mind onto something fun and something that would distract him. However, a letter had arrived for him, a summons from his parents. He would have to answer that as soon as possible. Could she even convince him that things would be all right if he agreed to see his family? His family hadn't bee the most accepting of one of the princes turning into a beast.

Belle coughed, "I was told that your parents wanted to see you," she said and Adam's eyes widened.

"Come to stare at the beast?" he asked her before starting to bring his hand up to where the horn had started to grow again and Belle grabbed his hand, keeping him from listing it further. She shook her head but Adam knew now that their mutual love wouldn't break the curse this time.

5.2

Belle was looking over some of the books in her library and frowning as she turned over the pages. There wasn't that much positive literature about beasts. She hated this. If she were to show Adam the things that he probably knew already, that beasts were seen as ugly and vile and cruel, it would only inspire him to leave quicker. Belle sighed. If the worst happened and Adam was kil—no, the worst wouldn't happen. Nobody else would be able to hurt Adam, there had to be rules about that. If he did turn into a beast though, she wanted for their child to know the kind prince inside.

Maybe she couldn't read an already written book to the child about how beasts can be dealt with kindly - there was countless stories about animals being treated with kindness but she didn't want to refer to her husband, their child's father, as an animal - but she could write one. Horns didn't define a man but if they grew then they would be hard to hide. There were ways of doing so but that didn't stop them from being difficult to cover.

You are no longer my prisoner.

Belle felt tears in her eyes as she heard those words repeat in her head. She never wanted to hear him say them again. She didn't consider herself to be his prisoner. She didn't want to be his prisoner and she definitely didn't want for him to release her. She loved him more than anyone she had ever known and, whether Adam would accept it or not, that included her father. Adam was a father-to-be and he was going to be the father to their child. Belle placed her hand over her belly.

"You are going to be so loved," she told the life that was forming inside of her.

Belle heard the library door open and stood. There was only two reasons why somebody would come in here if she was reading. The first was if something important had happened that needed her attention and the second was…her beautiful, gorgeous husband. Belle quickly shifted things on the table she was reading at, trying to hide all of the books about monsters and demons away from him.

"Adam," she smiled gently, "Are you feeling better?" she asked as she walked over to him and pushed a hand lovingly through his hair, the bone was still there as a slight lump.

"Would you feel more comfortable at your father's rather than with my brother?" he asked her and Belle stared at him before frowning, a defiant expression on her face as she knew exactly what he was saying to her.

"Neither," she said firmly. "I am staying with you and you are going to be a father. I don't care how much hair you're covered with, we are both going to stay here together and I'm not arguing about this again. Even if you run, I will find you and that may be dangerous for a pregnant woman," she challenged him.

Adam took her hand, "Trust me," he told her before lowering her hand to his rear and there was another bone lump there where a tail might start growing. A tail would either be harder to hide or more uncomfortable to hide. She didn't want to force him to be uncomfortable.

"It is not the outside but the inside that counts," she told him before looking away. "Adam, listen to me," she said firmly and the prince turned his attention towards her. "Think about this. If something were to happen to me, would you love me?"

"I would love you regardless and for so many reasons," he replied and Belle paused.

"Even if I was turned into a beast?" she asked and he looked at her painfully before nodding, he opened his mouth to protest and Belle placed a finger on his lips. "How would you feel if that happened? Would you be able to let me leave you not knowing what might happen?"

"If you were hurt then I would never forgive myself," Adam told her, his eyes told how deep his affection for her ran. "I don't care about my status or how people would think or feel about me. I love you and I could not risk you getting hurt."

"And if this baby were somehow not human, would you love them? And try to protect them?" she asked him and he nodded.

"Of course, this is our child," he told her and Belle wrapped her arms around him.

"Then how can you expect me to leave you?" she asked him and he opened his mouth to argue but she kissed him. "Don't sell yourself short, Adam. There is a lot to love about you. There are many things which I love about you."

Adam smiled weakly and wrapped her up in his arms, "Thank you, Belle," he said and she sighed in his embrace. "Is it okay if we see my father?" he asked and Belle nodded. She didn't want for Adam to transform in front of his parents because she could imagine their scornful remarks. She didn't want her prince more traumatized than he already was.

"Your tail was pretty cute anyway," she tried to tease him and saw the pain on Adam's face instead of any appreciation of that joke. He nodded and Belle fell silent at how serious he was. She had found his tail cute though.

End of Chapter Five

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