By the end of the duet, the pair were flushed in delight (or at least Belle was), their fingers and arms aching from the playing.

"I haven't played like that in years." Forte sighed happily, stretching out his fingers, "I'd almost forgotten what it felt like."

"You're an amazing player."

"… You too."

Taking a seat, Belle opened her mouth, a nervous expression on her face…. and then she spotted something out of the window.

"The storm…" she whispered, "… it's stopped."

Forte flinched, turning his attention to the window, where the sun was shining through. "Oh… yes." He took a deep breath, "I suppose… you'll be wanting to go home soon then."

Silence.

"You must have someone waiting for you." Forte pushed himself to his feet, "Parents? Siblings…. Significant other?"

"Just my Father." Belle looked down at the violin, before moving to hand it back to Forte, who pushed it away.

"No, no, no…" Forte shook his head, placing gentle hands on top of hers, "… keep it. It sounds far better in your hands anyway."

Belle was clearly still shocked, eyes slowly turning to the open door. "I'll come back…" she promised, "… After I check on my Father, I'll come right back."

Before Forte could say anything in return, she was gone, rushing out of the room to grab her cloak before leaving.

But not without one last look at the place she'd grown to love.

And the man.

….….

Left alone in his home once again, Forte turned his attention back to the organ, a mournful song coming through his fingertips, echoing sadly throughout the room.

"I was the one who had it all." He softly sang, voice rough, unused to singing, "I was the Master of my fate. I never needed anybody in my life… but I learnt the truth too late."

The song trailed off and his hands fell away from the organ.

Why would Belle ever come back?

She just wouldn't.

….

Belle cried out as she and her father were locked in their home.

She couldn't believe the narrow-mindedness of these people… there was no way Forte could be a vampire! No matter what the legends said!

"We're not safe until he's dead!"

"He'll come stalking us at night!"

"The children will never be safe!"

"He'll wreak havoc on our village if we let him wander free!"

"So, it's time to take some action, it's time to follow me!" Gaston cried out, and then they were gone.

…..

Forte heard the mob long before they arrived on his property.

He knew Belle was too good to be true.

In less than a second, he had transformed into his alternate form and shot up into the air, screeching as he dived towards the mob, hoping to scare the majority of them away.

…..

"No…" hissed the man who had been left in charge of guarding Belle's home, "… No, no, no, no!"

The back door was open.

…

"Let's get out of here!"

As the majority of the mob made a run for it, Forte flew back to his home, completely missing how one lone man followed him from the ground.

…

"Belle says hello!" Gaston called out into the almost empty home, smirking as he spotted movement from another room.

"Gaston!"

He didn't even glance at the front door as Belle burst into the home.

"Leave him alone!"

She was ignored as Gaston gave chase.

He went in one direction as Belle went in another, desperately searching for Forte as the morning closed in fast.

…..

Forte huddled into the shadows as much as he could, desperately trying to hide from the hunter.

He'd seen the wooden stakes in the man's belt, and whilst it probably would have been kinder to die that way instead of living with this curse for the rest of his immortal life.

"FORTE!"

Belle?

Twisting around, Forte couldn't help but beam at the sight of Belle standing in the doorway. "You came back." He stated in shock, the quiet words echoing throughout the room.

"I tried to stop them." Belle answered, referring to the villagers which he had scared off.

Forte moved to meet her, only for a stake to hit him the shoulder, digging into bone and muscles.

It was dangerously close to his heart.

Forte snapped.

Shifting into his bat form, Forte snatched the hunter up in his claws and flew out of the home, rising higher and higher into the sky, preparing to drop him down to the ground.

"No!" The Hunter whined, "No, please! Don't drop me! I'll do anything! Anything!"

Forte could have dropped him… it would have been so easy.

But he wasn't a monster.

Slowly, he brought the hunter back to the ground, before shifting into his 'normal' form. "Get out!" he growled, waiting until the man had scrambled away, before turning his attention back to Belle, who was now standing in the front doorway

Their hands reached out towards one another, but before they could connect, Forte felt large fangs digging into his throat, causing him to cry out in pain as Belle screamed in horror. When he managed to dislodge the fangs, violently lashing out with his claws, he hissed at the large, black wolf standing behind him.

As the beast clutched at its throat, which was gushing blood, the fur fell away to reveal the hunter who had tried to kill him.

It was all over for him in less than a minute, and the body fell still.

It was then that Forte realised the seriousness of his own situation

"Forte! Forte!" Belle's hands gently helped him to the ground, her fingers staining with blood as she tried to stop the bleeding, "I never should have left! I should have found another way to contact Father."

"I-I'm glad I got to see you… one… last…. Time."

"No!" Belle shook her head desperately, "We're together now, everything is going to be alright."

Forte tried to say something else, only to shudder and fall limp.

"No!" Belle begged, tears brimming in her eyes, "Please no! Come back… I love you."

But it was too late. Forte was gone.

As Bell placed her forehead on Forte's chest, she failed to notice how bright balls of light started to fall to the ground all around them. She did however, notice how Forte's body slowly started to rise into the air, glowing brightly as the sun peeked over the horizon.

It all lasted less than a minute, and the light was gone. The wound on Forte's neck had disappeared, but he still didn't move. Slowly, Belle made her way over, only to flinch backwards when Forte moved to push himself to his feet.

His hands roamed over his body in shock, before his face turned towards the sun. Slowly, as though in shock, he pulled the hood away from his face, revealing dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, a neatly trimmed beard, and stormy grey eyes.

Slowly, he then turned to Belle, a stunned smile on his face. "Belle…" he whispered, "… Belle, it's me!"

Belle slowly stepped forwards, her eyes meeting his as she took his hands and started to examine them. After some time, she relaxed and pulled him into a kiss.

"It is you…" she whispered, "… it is you."