AN: As I've written on other chapters and/or other fanfics that for my own peace of mind I'm trying to do one large update at the end of each month but I have a problem with being patient so sometimes I might break it like today. I have a master list of chapters that I'm going to be updating based on information collected on an Excel document and updated at the end of each month. So therefore the number of unique views for each of the latest chapters of my fics determines which fics I write and what order (with a few exceptions). Anyway. I hope you enjoy either way.

Chapter Thirty Two

It was a lot better not to be stuck in the body of an actual animal but Belle knew that it was temporary and could only be done by how much he loved them. She walked over to him and knelt down, she had both body and mind and she had expected to rob him of both but here he was as a human, yes, a human who didn't have the memories of before but human instead of beast.

"Adam," she whispered and he gave her a blank look, "Are you okay?"

He nodded as he looked around and pushed a hand through his hair. "I guess so," he said before gesturing to himself, "I am Adam, correct? At least that's something that I know. I don't know much else though," he said and Belle wrapped her arms around him and kissed his forehead. He blushed slightly and she cupped his cheek.

"Just wait here, someone will be able to explain things to you. I promise that I'll come back to see you, okay?" she asked and Adam stared at her before nodding.

"You seem kind," he told her and Belle pulled back at how distant his words made her feel. She seemed kind. Well, he wouldn't be able to remember her but when she had said in the past that he had changed somehow she wasn't expecting such a drastic and everlasting change. She kissed his forehead and drew away from him as he stared at her. "I'm sorry that you have to remain here as a prisoner," she told him and he smiled softly.

"Hopefully I can make up for those I've wronged," he said and Belle walked away. She brushed the tears away from under her eyes. She took a few deep breaths before looking at herself in the window reflection. She was human, she was hopefully one day going to become a queen but Adam wasn't the person who he had been when they had first encountered. Of course he wasn't, he had spent years repenting for what he had been.

Lumiere stared at her and Belle went over to him, "Can you make sure to take care of him?" she asked and then bowed her head. "And thank you, for helping both of us with our curses. I'll be back before long so as long as he is eating and has some comfort in sleeping. I'll be back."

Belle bowed her head, Adam had told her that he had to be locked up but he was imagining an uncontrollable beast not an amnesiac prince. How could he be seen with that as his purest form and yet he misjudged himself so wrongly. She looked back the way that she had come for a moment more before trying to find where her father and daughter were.

Seeing Maurice holding Juliet in his arms, she rushed towards them and smiled at the small baby. "Papa," she said before he turned and let her take Juliet in her arms. "Hello, my sweet child," she whispered as she held her protectively in her arms. "I've missed holding you, my angel," she said as she pulled her closely and made sure she was warm and happy.

"She's so much like you," Maurice said as he embraced his daughter and Belle shook her head as she placed a kiss on Juliet's forehead in the same manner in which she had placed one on the blank Adam's.

"She is so much like her father," Belle grinned as she kissed Juliet's cheek. "Papa is doing a great job at taking care of you, mon petite amor," she said and Juliet closed her eyes and sank into her mother's warm chest. "Once I'm back, Papa will be able to care for you again." She turned to Mrs. Potts and gave an unspoken but very deep thank you.

"How was…how is…he's not dangerous, is he?" Maurice asked and saw Belle's firm glance. She often protected and defended Adam from those who might speak badly about him but this time it was as if the degree had been turned up somewhat. Belle stared at her father as if those words were in some vulgar language at a play where they sold tomatoes and vegetables for pelting at the low-grade actors.

"Papa, I'm pleading with you to just take a moment and go down to the dungeons. Adam is locked up, he's caged, he won't be able to hurt you but you would be able to tell that the moment you saw him. Adam is not in a position to hurt anyone and he tries so hard for your approval." Belle didn't want to say how Adam was a human right at this moment whose main crime was being a blank slate. She wanted for her father to see that for himself. With how cruel he sometimes was, he should see who she truly chose to marry.

"I'll….I can go take a look," Maurice said and Lumiere walked over to him.

"I'll escort you," he said and Belle smiled as she sat down with Juliet in her arms. Belle closed her eyes and thought about how much Adam had cared for her through her curse. She would return to that life, the world of being a cow, the life where she had to be milked, and then Adam would return with his memories. She touched her belly and thought of how nervous Adam had been when he had learned about milking cows for the first time and laughed weakly as a tear slid down her cheek. She had hated that, being like that, but Adam had treated her like a queen. Maybe he was looked down upon by those at the castle but he was a prince so much more than his brothers had been.

32.2

Lumiere turned to Maurice as they went to the dungeons and Maurice saw the young man with his back pressed against the wall who immediately got up and surprisingly gave a formal bow as he made eye contact with them. Maurice took a step backwards. He was completely speechless and felt the guilt inside of him. He had heard of Adam being turned into a beast by another evil spirit and although he had been tame had been extremely animalistic.

This was not what he was expecting. He stared at Adam who remained in a bowed position.

"Hello," he said as he lifted his head with an innocent smile despite being in this sort of a place. Lumiere approached him. "I'm sorry. Can I ask if my sentencing has happened already? My memory is at a loss but if I could know those details about."

"Your what?" Maurice asked as he stared at him and Adam blinked confused over the interaction.

"I am assuming that this is some kind of castle for a nobleman or maybe even lesser royalty, I say lesser only due to the lack of guards but I can see two," he pointed down either hallway. "So not an abandoned castle. However, my being in here means that I must have committed a crime or at least an offense and I am not joking when," Adam laughed and rubbed his upper back "I have no memory of what I did."

"The master of this castle will speak to you in a matter of days about what your punishment will be," Lumiere replied as Maurice watched the two of them. He knew they were doing this for the benefit of both Belle and Adam and Adam really didn't seem to understand that he was the master of that domain or that castle. He honestly had no idea of who he was but this nice man wasn't the one he had first met. Adam didn't seem angry or defensive or threatening but seemed tame, well-mannered, maybe a little curious but who wouldn't be curious over their imprisonment.

"I am going to stay here to talk to you a little," Lumiere said before looking to Maurice. "I believe that your daughter might be awaiting your return."

"Yes, yes," Maurice said before staring at Adam. He could see the innocence in his son-in-law right before him. Adam bowed again and Maurice continued to watch him. This was the opposite to what he had expected and he stumbled up the stairs.

"So, I hope that Adam didn't attack you, Papa," Belle said as she saw him and Maurice looked away feeling that deep guilt in his stomach.

"Remind me to apologize to him once his memories return," he said and Belle smiled softly before nodding. She knew that Adam was trusting her to go into the village and seek out the information but even he had thought that he wouldn't amount to much other than that angry and defensive beast. She wanted to know how she could convince him that these demons shouldn't be hurting him any longer…well right now was definitely not the right time. Right now there were actual demons who wanted to hurt him.

"Adam doesn't need you to apologize to him, he never has, he just wants to prove that he's good for me and for Juliet. As long as you change the way you treat him, he won't look back at the past with anger. He's had far too much anger in his life to want to harbor more anger or resentment."

Maurice watched her. "Even after everything he has done to you?"

"Yes," Belle nodded. She placed a hand over her heart. "Because how much he loves our family, including, you, Papa is worth it. You keep saying you accept him but something is always blocking true acceptance for him. I was turned into a cow, yes, but that hurt Adam badly as well. His family sacrificed his future so that they wouldn't turn into the beasts that they were on the inside. Why should an eleven year old suffer the penalties that a fully grown man refuses to."

Belle looked down and took in a deep breath before letting her shoulders sag. "If it were me in that position. Even though I would have had you to help me, I don't know if I could have kept anger and despair from ruining my view of the world but Adam, he didn't have a family who wanted him. I can't help the young Adam but I can support him now and he's trying his best. That's what is most important. He always gets up when he falls and tries to do his best for everyone around us."

End of Chapter Thirty Two

Thank you for reading

Thank you to KathyMesser for leaving a review on Chapter Thirty One

I very much appreciate it