Chapter Eight

8.1

Adam kissed Belle's forehead again as he sat by her bedside. His mind kept spiraling about what he had learned earlier that night. He had been cursed because he had been offered up as a sacrificial lamb. His parents had done that to him, they were responsible for what was happening to him. He didn't understand it but he had been told that he should only mention the enchantress's return to Belle. He had been more concerned with getting the doctor Belle's bedside but the truth had to be told to her.

"So?" Adam asked nervously, he smiled as he felt Belle's fingers through his tail that was less than a third of the size it once had been. "Are they okay?"

"There's no way to be entirely sure but it seems that luck has been on your side," the doctor said and Adam smiled down at Belle in relief. "Now, I do suggest more bed rest and to eat bread. In other news, we can always get that tail removed for you."

Adam blinked and turned back to the doctor. "My ta-"

"No!" Belle yelled and Adam switched his attention to her. He put a comforting had on her shoulder. He smiled down at her nervously. "No. I won't let you touch his tail," she protested and Adam's jaw dropped a little. "When he transforms, I want him to have his tail," she said and Adam nodded. It really was more of a when than an if wasn't it?

"I'm going to keep my tail, I don't know what nerves are connected to it," Adam said as Belle held onto his tail as if protecting it from the doctor. Belle looked Adam in the eyes and smiled grateful that he had said that. She was worried about how his health would be when he finally switched back to a beast if his tail was gone. There was a lot she didn't understand about how Adam's body would work but she adored her husband.

"If that's the case then I am going to clean up and make my leave," he said and Belle smiled to him.

"Thank you so much for coming," she told him. "We appreciate it."

"We really do," Adam said earnestly. He saw the doctor nod with a smile and leave and he fell down into the chair beside the bed. "Belle, something happened after I left."

"Adam, no matter how your body changes, I will love you," Belle told him and Adam kissed her forehead again.

"Not that, the enchantress was at the castle," he told her and Belle grabbed his hand. Her eyes showed her fright and concern. Neither of them had wanted her to come back and the idea that the curse might set in at any time made her worry for his safety. "She said some troubling things and she offered for you to have your memories of me erased."

Belle stared at him, she frowned and Adam took a slow breath not expecting that. "My memories of you erased? Obviously I have my memories right now but what did you say to her? Should I be afraid to go to sleep because I'll wake up and be scared of you," she placed her hand on his cheek and there was a slight firmness to it, "What did you -"

"That I didn't want for you to have those memories erased as selfish a choice that might be and that if you wanted them, then you could agree to it but I wouldn't in your place." He felt Belle's touch relax and soften a little and she brought her hand down.

"It would be more selfish if you had told her yes," Belle commented. "I'm not okay with forgetting you. The joy in which you bring to my life far outweighs anything else. No matter what you might look like on the outside, I never want to lose you. I hope you would never want to lose me."

"Never," he whispered, "Now I'm going to sit here with you if that's okay and I want you to rest."

Belle nodded before watching him, "Did she say anything else?" she asked and he pulled back not knowing whether to share the information or not. "Adam, you can't hide these things from me. I'm going to seek out the answer and I'd rather hear it fro-"

"I was the fourth person the enchantress visited on the night that I transformed as a child. It never even crossed my mind that that was the case." Belle stared at him before understanding what he meant and her expression softened to pity and heartache. "She went to my father and elder brothers first and they…they offered me up as sacrifice. If I had been kind she would have cursed them but I was a selfish and spoiled child and I was given that curse because I had nothing of worth to give her but my life." Adam shuddered. "She said that if I had remained a beast after the rose had withered that my mind would have turned to that of an animal and she would have kept me as her pet."

Belle's eyes widened as she saw how painful this was for him. If she hadn't been there then the man beside her wouldn't be here any longer, only a memory of him would be so.

"What if that happens when the black rose fades. You'll have to kill me if that happens," he told her and Belle shook her head. "I'd be too dangerous."

"I couldn't kill you, we'd figure something out. Besides," the bibliophile said softly, "You're Adam. Even if you didn't believe you were human, even if you lost the power of speech, you'd still have the same heart and I know you'd never hurt me. I would make sure that you were safe. I love you that much," she said and Adam looked at her and nodded slowly.

"If I ever tried to hurt you -" he told her and Belle shook her head.

"You never would," she argued and Adam stared at her. Was she correct in saying that? Would he be able to stop himself?

8.2

Belle took shaky steps down to the dungeon with a candle in one hand, a bucket of meat cuts on her arm, and the other with a baby boy pressed against her chest. She could hear the sound of snoring and she managed to set the candle down, going towards a cage with Adam in it in complete beast form. She moved closer as she saw him curled up in a ball in the corner. He was naked but had gone under a large, thick sheet.

She walked over to the cage and placed her hand on the bar. "Adam," she called out as she saw the animal starting to wake up. She sat down with the tiny boy in her arms. "Adam?" she asked again and the beast moved, he looked to her acting very much like a bear. Sniffing the air he approached her on all fours before walking over to the bars of the cage. He stopped suddenly as he realized that his leg was chained to the ground – a request from when he could think like a human – and whined slightly.

"Hi, my love," she said as he looked at her nervously. He looked like a cross between a large wild cat, a bear, and a dog. "You must be hungry. It's okay, I brought you something to eat," she said as she gestured to the bucket. Adam tilted his head to the side and gave a curious whine. Belle carefully set their son to the side and opened the door to the cage. She felt tears in her eyes as Adam shied away from her.

"I won't hurt you," she said as she knelt opposite him and heard the fearful noises coming from him. "Remember, I won't hurt you," she told him as she placed a hand on his head and then gently let her fingers run over his horn. She saw him sniff the hand with her ring and he looked at her. After a moment, his eyes seemed more human as he recognized her and she pet him again. "Adam?" she asked and he started nuzzling her affectionately. "That's right," she told him before hugging him. She hoped that he knew who she was at least in his subconscious. "Are you feeling okay? You're not cold are you? I wish you could tell me what you need."

"Gi-rrwel?" he asked her in a growl and she nodded. Sometimes they would have these precious moments when he seemed more human. She wanted those moments to always be there but was scared that one day they would disappear completely.

"Yes," she said as she put the food down for him. "Yes, I'm your Belle. Do you remember, Adam? Do your remember that we're married?" she asked as she held up her hand with her ring and laughed weakly as he nodded. He looked away nervously but as she moved towards him, he started licking her hand affectionately and pushing his head into it the way an animal would show affection. Belle knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I still love you, I will love you every day for the rest of my life," she promised him before the sound of their son crying pulled their attention away.

"I brought him to see his Papa," Belle said as she stood up and went to the baby. She pulled him into her arms and carried him over so that she was seated in front of Adam again. He looked at her before shaking his head. "I need you to remember that he's your son. You see how much he looks like you?" she asked and saw him nervously reach out his paw to the baby. The little boy grabbed onto the side of his paw.

She looked at the interaction before Adam's breath started to race and he ran over to the blanket, shivering and cowering from them. Belle nodded as she knew it was time to leave him though she hated every single time that she had to walk away from him. "I love you, Adam," she promised him. "Even like this, even if you don't really understand, I love you. I love you. I lo-"

8.3

"I love you. I love you," Belle said as she started to wake up. She looked around her at what used to be her old bedroom and closed her eyes for a moment more. She took a very exhales before repeating those words, "I love you."

"I love you too," she heard Adam's voice and smiled in relief. She looked up at him and realized that it was now nearer the middle of the day. He looked human. She reached down and saw the insecurity as she slowly let her fingers go through his tail. "Are you feeling okay? You slept for a longer time than we expected you to."

"I'm okay," she said as she looked him over. She felt relieved that he was still human but it hadn't mattered in the dream that he was a beast. She just hated imagining him alone and suffering again. He had spent too many years of his life feeling that he was alone and suffering. "We're going to have a baby," she repeated and Adam nodded before he kissed her forehead lovingly. "Before we return to the castle can we go to the bookstore together?" she asked and Adam hesitated slightly as he thought about his tail.

"You'll help me hide it, right?" he asked and Belle nodded with a hum. She didn't care what people thought about her but she knew it would alert others were they to see that Adam hadn't always been human. "Then I'll go with you."

"Thank you," she told him and he nodded, his eyes showed that he was still fearful of going and fearful that people would find out the truth about him and who he used to be but this was Belle, he would give anything and risk anything so that she could be happy.

"Now," Adam smiled, "Get some rest and we'll go as soon as you feel ready," he pushed his hand through her hair. "I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you," he commented and Belle took his hand, letting their fingers interlace.

"I will love you every day for the rest of my life," she told him and saw that affectionate and happy smile. The dream might have been painful but it did remind her of one important thing. She would always love him. He was her prince. He was her soulmate.

End of Chapter Eight

Thank you for reading

Thank you to gisela19wwe for reviewing Chapter Seven