Chapter Fourteen

14.1

The enchantress sighed as she studied Adam who wasn't moving from the floor. "If you must know, he took away your mind and left you with only your subconscious, your subconscious acting within an animal's body," she rolled her eyes and then smiled teasingly. "You were a very sweet little thing."

"Little?" Adam coughed and then turned to Belle, "Did I - You're not hurt are you?" he asked, it was obvious that he was still in some physical pain. Belle shook her head as she kissed him again.

"No. I told you that you wouldn't but you were so timid and scared and I needed to make sure that you were protected. When you pushed your head into my body, I was happy that you were allowing me to protect you the way that you always protect me. I wouldn't have let anyone drag you away even if you had remained that way," Belle told him and Adam looked at her affectionately.

"I really do love you," he said before coughing due to the exhaustion. "There has to be a way of keeping Belle safe." Adam turned towards his love. "I can't handle the thought that I could lose you."

"Never," Belle tried to reassure him. She lent down and kissed him beside his horn. "You will never lose my love or the love that our child has,"

"Yes," the enchantress waved this off, "Your daughter will be fine. She inherited her father's human condition." Belle and Adam turned to her surprised by that information. How did she know that the child was going to be a girl?

"Juliet," Adam smiled and Belle nodded. They had their very own Juliet.

"Not quite regal enough if you ask me," the enchantress said and Adam looked at her. She shook her head, "That's right, you didn't ask me and I suppose that's fine. She'll be a healthy and happy child but only if you follow my advice. I can't persuade you to change her name, can I?" she asked and Adam looked to Belle with a smile as Belle looked awkward. "Ah, something personal between the two of you. Can't be helped. "You have been targeted."

Adam looked up from where he lay on the floor, he rolled his eyes. He had been hoping for a little more than that. He knew that he had been targeted. In fact, he had been attempting to come up with reasons for why his life had felt doomed since he had first taken on this form. "By who?" Adam asked, "Who was that?"

"That was just one of the dark spirits," the enchantress told him before turning back to look at Belle. "I would be happy to take away your memories if you believe that -"

"Never," Belle refused as she helped Adam sit up. She looked at the wrist that had the rose in it and peeled back the bandages. What she saw almost made her throw up. There was bone showing through which seemed to be covered by a silver ooze. It had a gelatinous quality and Belle quickly covered it up before Adam could see. "Don't - Don't touch that."

The enchantress looked to the two of them, "It would also help, perhaps, if you were to forget about her," she commented and Adam stared at her wide eyed, his large jaw dropped and he turned to Belle. He was willing to do anything in his power to help her but it was selfish for -

"Please don't give him ideas, please?" Belle asked. She cupped Adam's head with her hand, "No. We're staying together. There has to be a way to stay together and deal with this."

"Belle, if you and Juliet are kept safe and it's from my not knowing who you are," he looked into her eyes seeing how much fear and confusion she had and he sighed. He knew that he would probably go through his own struggles of self-doubt and self-hate were Belle not here. "No. That's not an option."

"Well, first of all, why do you think you were targeted?" the enchantress asked and Adam looked at her confused before sighing, his body sagged as he exhaled.

"Due to my birthright? You must have wanted something that only a royal could give you. You first went to my father, then to Louis, then to Antoine, and then you came to me. They offered me up along with something else most likely so that you could use the royal family -"

Adam blinked before looking to Belle, "Gaston wants to be king? Does he seem that -"

"He never seemed to be like that, maybe very rich and with freedom to do whatever he wants but I don't see him wanting to be king," Belle tried to reason and the enchantress looked to them.

"No, that brute just wants revenge," she commented, "he is far too short sighted but you can't do that, you need to play the long game and maybe this castle does need more enchantments until you are powerful enough to protect this castle and the people in it."

"The people in it?" Adam said before nodding. He turned to Belle, "I need for you to tell Cogsworth and Lumiere that all the servants need to leave until this is sorted. I want you to go to your father but I doubt that you'd listen, you know it's for the best if you -"

"It's for the best if I stay here," Belle argued and Adam exhaled again. He looked up at the enchantress. He didn't want to be alone again. He knew that they needed to relieve people here but what he feared was Belle giving birth, they needed a doctor for that.

"So, what happens next?" Adam asked, "You think that there's something that I can do?" he asked and the enchantress laughed and shook her head. Adam, watched her. There had to be at least something that he could do, no matter how small that thing was.

"She can," the enchantress said as she looked to Belle. Belle looked at her confused, she placed a hand on her belly. "How about it? Do you think you could learn magic?"

"Do I think I could lea-" Belle asked as she tilted her head to the side and then nodded. "Yes," she said still not sure what was happening or what she was agreeing to. "Yes, anything that I can do."

"Look for some books in the library then," the enchantress told her. "Until I see you next time," the enchantress said and before they could thank her, she had left.

Adam sighed and looked away, "Do you think you could dismiss everyone, I'll make sure that they receive suitable payment upon their leave," he said and Belle looked down sadly. She didn't want to tell their friends to leave. Adam didn't realize how much they needed them.

14.2

Adam turned his paw over as he sat near a candle. He kept glancing over at the fire. Soon the castle would become enchanted again, the wolves would return, and worst of all, anyone still remaining there ran the risk of being hurt. He couldn't do that to them. He couldn't make them turn into clocks and teapots. At least Belle had stayed, though, he had to admit he wished that she had been taken away to safety.

Looking at an actual clock, Adam saw the hands go closer to midnight. That was when they had learned – through a letter with the books for Belle – that the castle would be put under a spell that would curse it and those inside but would protect them from intruders.

This was his fault. If he hadn't been a beast for so long then maybe nobody would notice.

"Adam," he heard a voice behind him and his eyes widened as he stared at Lumiere. Despite the fur, anyone could tell that were he human, his body would have turned completely pale and ghostlike. He shook his head as he saw Fifi behind him. No. No. He couldn't do this to them.

"I told you to leave," Adam said trying hard not to growl although fear was filling his heart. "You need to leave now," he said as he started shaking.

"We're not leaving you," Lumiere said and Adam looked around trying to find some way of making them get out before midnight. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if these people before him, this loving couple became a candelabra and a duster again. "I made a promise to help you."

"No," Adam whispered before rushing forwards. Very gently – aware that his paws were not human hands – he placed his paws on Lumiere's shoulder. "I'm not joking. I'm not playing around. You have to leave now. I can't force Belle to leave this castle but you have to leave. If you stay here then you might never be human again."

"And I might be human again," Lumiere argued and Adam took a step back as he saw Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts approaching him. He was in even more shock at seeing more people behind them. No. He couldn't be responsible for this. He couldn't -

"Look at me," he told them before seeing Belle enter and stand beside him, she carefully let her hand move through his fur. "Look at me. I'm no longer a prince. You can't do this, you have to leave now"

Belle tried to soothe him but as Adam heard the clock striking midnight and saw the walls start to take on the more Gothic feel that the castle had had before, he opened his mouth to argue. He stared at the group in front of him. Soon they would only be household objects. He had doomed all of them. What were they still doing here?

Adam looked in horror as the minutes ticked by and he didn't see any change in the group before him. Any moment now it would happen. Any moment now.

Adam reached forwards, taking the motherly Mrs. Potts by the hand. She didn't resist the feeling of his paw and fur against her skin. "Are you okay?" he asked her. The minutes continued to tick by, no change in any of them. Adam dropped to his knees and studied all of the servants. They had become a true family to him and he didn't want to see any of them hurt.

Another minute passed and then another and no change, no transformation. The castle was enchanted but the people who had remained hadn't. As Adam dropped Mrs. Pott's hand he looked down at his own paws. He was a beast but if it was only him, then that would be okay. He heard a sound by the fire and instantly got to his feet, trying to get in front of as many people as possible.

Instead of the man from before, he saw the enchantress. She laughed softly, "So things have changed," she said and Adam took a quick look to the gathered crowd. They were all still human. "I'm only here for a moment," she said and Adam quickly stepped in front of Cogsworth who had taken a step forward.

"What are you going to do to them?" Adam asked and the enchantress looked at him.

"The only way to protect any person is to have any kind of love for them, for them to have love for you," the enchantress told him and Adam stared at her before looking back to the group. The selection of people who had stayed, he considered family or he admired and respected them. They felt the same way about him even in this form.

"They're - they're okay?" he asked trembling and the enchantress nodded. Adam looked back at them before turning to the enchantress, "They won't transform? They'll all remain human?" he asked and the enchantress nodded.

"I'll take my leave now," she said and Adam crashed to the floor again. Tears were in his eyes as he looked down and his body shook. He felt Mrs. Potts hug him from one side and Belle from the other. After he had calmed himself, he turned back to look at the group. "You care about me?" he asked.

"Of course we do," Cogsworth told him. "No matter how you appear, you are Adam."

"You're our family, fur or not," Lumiere said and Adam turned to them before looking down. He smiled as he closed his eyes and laughed weakly. He had never been accepted by his real family but even with the curse upon the castle, this group of people loved and cared about him. They were the family he had created and the ones who had stayed because they wanted him to be okay.

"Thank you," he whispered.

End of Chapter Fourteen

Thank you for reading

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Thirteen

DarthLeia19, KathyMesser, Rachel