If we Hold on Together

by Boolia

Beast dies five years into the curse. However, the servants are still household objects and furnuture. Can Lumerere, Chip, and Cogsworth convince the Enchantress to break the spell early? They also see someone from thier past who they never thought they'd see again, Prince Adam's awful father, the king! Can they all still have their happily ever afters? AU story. Character death.

2. Chapter 2

Part 2

"Hey, it's the king!" Chip announced proudly. "We haven't seen him for years. I wonder what he's doing here."

"Yes, Chip." Cogsworth agreed. "I wonder that as well."

"So do I." Lumiere put in.

"Let's say hi!" Chip suggested. Both candelabrum and clock's eyes went wide as the little teacup bounded off.

"CHIP, NO!" They both said at the same time. They both ran to the child, and blocked him. Chip looked at them.

"What is it with you two? First it was to hide master's body, and now this. Why can't I go over and say hello? I thought you'd be ecstatic, and all over this, Lumiere."

"I would." Lumiere agreed. "Believe me I would but..." The truth was he hated the king with a passion. He hated himself for it because due to his kind nature, he never hated anybody before. But the prince's unkind, monstrous personality he knew wasn't entirely the master's fault, it was his father's. If his mother was still alive, things could've turned out differently. He wouldn't have been rude to the Enchantress, and they would all live their lives right now. None of this would be happening, And for that, he hated him for that. "Look, we're not here for for the king. We're here for the Enchantress and the Enchantress alone."

"But..."

"Chip!" Chip was frightened as he rose his voice again. Lumiere sighed.

"Again, I'm sorry."

"Just do what your mom says, and listen to us, Chip." Cogsworth told the child. "If you do that, life will be peachy." Chip sighed in defeat.

"Fine!"

"That's a good lad. You'll understand when you're older." Chip sighed again. He hated when the adults tell him that.

Lumiere and Cogsworth remembered the day that the king, Richard, left. For some, the worst day of their lives. The day where all the troubles with the prince really began.

An adult Prince Adam saw his father walk towards the door of the castle.

"Where are you going, father?" He demanded to know. "Where?!"

"I'm leaving, son." His father answered.

"When are you coming back?"

"I don't have an answer to that."

"No! I need you!"

"No you don't. You're eighteen now. The servants can serve you. I got my own life to live." He was about to leave when Adam raised his voice. Some servants who overhead went to watch this scene unfold before them, including a six-year-old Chip. Richard headed for the door again. "I said, I need you! You're my father, you're supposed to..." Everyone was surprised when father slapped his son hard on the cheek. Adam rubbed his jaw, and gasped when he drew blood. He looked at his father in anger.

"You have to learn to grow up, son." His father said, and headed for the door again.

"Please, your Highness." Cogsworth begged him. "Don't go. Now's not the best time."

"I'm sorry, Cogsworth." King Richard told him. "But I can't anymore. I'm tired, and I can't." He opened the door.

"I HATE YOU!" Adam yelled as his father shut the door behind him. He looked at everyone's concerned faces. "What are you looking at?! Do your duties; that's an order!" He stormed off, but not before informing a scared Chip. "You see what happens when you grow up? Your parents leave you." Mrs. Potts went over to comfort him. Everyone was still baffled at what had just happened.

In the present, the objects all walked/hopped over to the beggar woman, Agatha.

"Bonjour, cherie" Lumiere greeted her. She looked, expecting to see someone, but didn't. "Remember us?" She looked around. She was about to look down again when Lumiere cleared his throat. "Down here, cherie." She looked down at the Enchanted objects.

"So you two are servants of that beastly prince." She stated. Cogsworth was confused.

"Oui, that's us."

"Wait, did you say two?" The clock asked, and looked around. Chip was nowhere in sight. "Uh, Lumiere, where's Chip?"

"Right besides us." He replied, unaware that he wasn't there. "Chip, don't be shy." He saw that Chip was gone. "Chip?" He looked around. "Chip, where are you?" He looked at the beggar woman. "Have you seen a little teacup?" They then heard a man's scream. Agatha got up, and they went to see what the commotion was.

They saw that it was a man in a straw hat. Lumiere and Cogsworth recognized this as Mr. Potts. Beside him was Chip. Mr. Potts looked at the beggar woman.

"This little teacup just spoke to me, Agatha. Crazy as it seems, it. I mean, he did. You don't believe me, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Mr. Potts was confused, but continued.

"And he claims to my son, Chip."

"I believe it's because he is." Jean was more confused then ever. He was about to question it, when another voice spoke up.

"Are you two alright?" Everyone saw that it was Richard before them. "Do you need any help?" Both Lumiere and Cogsworth were confused. The king would never ask if anyone needed assistance before.

"No, we're fine here, your Highness." Agatha responded. "Thank you."

"Hi, your Majesty!" Chip said, bounding over to him. "I'm Chip, remember? I'm Beatrice Pott's young son."

"Sorry," Richard apologized, shaking his head. "I don't remember." Chip frowned. He then hopped to Lumiere and Cogsworth.

"And this is Lumiere, and this is Cogsworth." Richard shook his head again.

"Sorry, again, doesn't ring a bell. How are you talking?"

"I was originally a boy, and Cogsworth was your butler, and Lumiere was you ma...maire...they were both your servants. We all were. Well, I guess I was younger when you left, but don't you remember Cogsworth, Lumiere, or the other servants of your castle?"

"No." Chip frowned.

"And as far as I'm concerned, I don't have children, or a wife." Jean admitted. "I'd love to someday. But I haven't been blessed yet, and I want a human family!"

"But..."

"I'm sorry kid, I don't know what to tell you." Chip looked at Agatha, trying hard not to cry.

"Please!" He begged. "You have to make them remember us; you just have to!" Agatha felt sorry for him.

"I wish to help, child." She said. "I really do, but..."

"But what?!" Everyone was surprised by this sudden outburst. "Mama, my siblings, and I have been teacups and a teapot for five years! We just want the spell to end, and us reunited with Papa, I don't get it. Why won't you help us? I just want to be a real boy again."

"I know you do, but..."

"I'm a child! Why do adults have to be so complicated?!" He ran off in tears.

"Chip!" Cogsworth said.

"I'll go talk to him." Lumiere volunteered. "You just stay here, and tell the Enchantress what happened, and try to convince her." He hopped after Chip. Cogsworth looked at everybody, and gave them all a nervous laugh, and lame smile.

"Aw, Chip." Lumiere said when he saw him crying in a corner. He hopped over to him.

"It's not fair, Lumiere." The child told him. "Marionette's right. All of this is not fair. I wish we could go back to our normal lives. I wish the king and Papa can remember us. I wish none of this had happened in the first place."

"I know, Chip. I feel you. We all feel you. You are not alone in this. You are never alone. We adults are hurting inside, but you, you and your brothers and sisters, since you are all younger, you kids are hurting more I imagine. But remember what you said; we have to hold on together. You have to stay strong. Things will get better in time, who knows how much, but they'll get better."

"But what if they don't? What if we never go back to our human forms? What if...what if like Marionette says, when the last petal falls with the spell not broken yet, we all..." But he couldn't say it. "We all..."

"Don't say it. Hope might seem lost, and can't see it, but it's there. It's always there. We have to hold on together, no matter how hard it might be. Oh, come here." He let Chip hop up to him, and cry on his chest. "There, there, it'll be alright, Chip. We adults will help you all. Again, you are, and will never be alone."

"Agatha," Jean started, looking at her, "Please, tell me what this is about. Why does that teacup's cute little voice seem so familiar? He seems so sad, and wants me to remember something so bad that I can't. I can't bare it."

"And is he and this clock my servants?" Richard added. "Along with that candlestick and possibly others?"

Candelabrum." Cogsworth corrected him, but nobody listened. Agatha bit her lip, thinking.

"Agatha, I am the king, for I order you to tell us!" Agatha looked at them, and cast a spell on them, forcing them to freeze. Cogsworth looked at her.

"Why did you freeze them?" He wanted to know. Agatha looked down at the clock, but didn't answer his question.

"Your master hasn't found love yet, has he?"

"Well, no." Cogsworth began. "He can't because..." Agatha shot a look at him.

"You don't believe he can?"

"No, it's just..."

"Look, he was very disrespectful to me, and you and the others did nothing to stop and correct his behavior. I had to punish you all. I'm sorry, but you can't all come crawling back to me, and plead me for forgiveness. It was and still is too late for that. You have to see this through, and if he doesn't change and find love in time, I'm sorry. You should have thought of that before your master rejected me. You all should have."

"But you don't understand, the master's dead, therefore he can't find love, and so the spell can never break." Agatha was shocked by this.

"Dead?" The clock nodded sadly.

"And that's not a lie to make you change us back. It's the truth. I will never lie about that, You have my word." Agatha thought about this again. "Please, change us back, and forgive us. We're sorry." Agatha then unfroze Jean and Richard, and cast another spell on them. They both blinked.

"I remember." Jean said.

"I remember too." Richard added.

"You do?" A hopeful Cogsworth asked. They both nodded, and Jean ran to where his son went to.

"Chip!" He said. They all followed.

"Chip, my boy!" Jean said when he found them. "I remember!" Chip hopped to him excitedly.

"Oh, boy!" He said. "You do?!"Jean nodded.

"I remember you, Mama, Marionette, Adrian, and all of your other brothers and sisters!" An excited Chip raced over to him. Jean picked him up to hug his teacup son.

"I missed you, Papa!"

"I missed you too, son." A touched Lumiere wiped a happy tear from his eye.

"See?" He said. "I told you it would all be alright." Richard smiled as well. He then frowned.

"And now," He began. "As hard as this may be, I have a confession to make as well." They all looked at him. "A confession that I'm not proud of." He looked at Agatha who urged him to go on. He sighed, and continued. "I left because...'

"Because you didn't want to handle your son any longer." An angry Cogsworth put in. "I know. We all know. But it was you who made him that way. You were a coward, ran off, and you expected us all to pitch in, and correct your son's behavior for you."

"Cogsworth, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't mean for this to happen this way. If you just listen, I..."

"No! We have been doing that for years and years, and look where that has gone. We're done. We were scared of you and your son. Well, we're not scared anymore. It's time for us to take a stand, and do what's right, and we should've done it a long time ago."

"Cogsworth, please." Lumiere told him. "Let him finish." Richard smiled at him.

"Thanks, Lumiere. You were always so understanding." He then frowned again. "Anyways, I left hoping to correct the damage I have done to my son. It took months without any luck, but that's when I met Agatha. I learned of her powers, so I thought maybe she could help my son. I told her to put the curse on you guys." Everyone but Agatha was shocked by this. "I told her I don't care how she does it. I just wanted my son to be kind again, just like his mother was. I knew you guys might not stop him, so I told her to change all you guys, and the others too. I wanted him to find love too."

"Well, very well done your Highness." A sarcastic Cogsworth told him. "Because of you, you made things worse, and the prince was so depressed, and now he's dead because of you."

Richard was shocked at the mention that his son was dead. "You were an awful father to your son, and an awful human being. Who does that to their own son, and their kind and loving servants? Master thought he was a monster, but in reality, you were, and still are! We tried to correct him, but it was too late, the damage you caused was all ready too great. You didn't deserve a son, and your never have!"

"Cogsworth," Lumiere said to him. "Don't you think you're being too harsh on him? He's trying to apologize." The clock looked at him.

"Apologize, him? I'm sorry but it's far too late for that. I thought you hated him too."

"I do."

"Why are you on his side then? You know what he did was wrong."

"I know. It's just that..."

"Lumiere," Richard told him. "I appreciate you forgiving me, but I see it's too late for Cogsworth. He has every right to be angry with me, you all do. And he's right. I didn't deserve a son, I didn't deserve a wife, and I definitely don't deserve to be king."

"I forgive you!" Chip told Richard. Richard smiled down at the little teacup.

"And thank you for that too. I'm sorry I made Agatha put a spell on your papa, and everyone's loved ones, making them all forget. I thought a time loop would make it all better, because at least, they will stay the same age like you all."

"And that was kind of good for you for thinking of them." Lumiere put in. "But unfortunately, my maman was sick for months when the curse was cast. She may already be dead, and I may have missed the funeral."

"I know, Lumiere. I received the telegram of your mother's death, and didn't tell you about it, or when the funeral was going to be. That's how angry I was." Lumiere gasped at this.

"Zut Alors! You were messed up. I don't think I can forgive you now."

"Indeed. I was, I understand, and I'm sorry for all the hurt that I have caused. I would change it all if I could."

"I still forgive you." Chip said. Richard smiled again.

"And I thank you for that yet again." He frowned again. "I wish your friends were the same way."

"They will. They just need time, especially Cogsworth." The king smiled.

"I hope so, kid." He looked at everyone. "Well, I'll go buy the vase for my wife now." The objects were shocked. "I see where I'm not wanted." He was about to leave when Lumiere spoke up.

"You're married, your Highness? Congrats!"

"Thanks, Lumiere."

"When did this happen?" Cogsworth wanted to know, then became bitter again. "You know what? I don't care."

"Yes, he does." Lumiere told the king. "Tell us." Cogsworth eyed him.

"I honestly do not."

"Yes, you do. It's just the anger talking."

"It is not, maybe a little, but..." Irritated, Lumiere burned him. The clock now with a burned hand hollered in pain. Richard chucked at this.

"Aw, how I missed your quarrels with Cogsworth." He cleared his throat. "I've been married for almost two years, and we're expecting our first child soon."

"Congratulations."

"I really hope you're a better father to him then you other son." Cogsworth muttered.

"I will." The king told him. "I'm a changed man. Not like the one when my first wife died. Love changed me for the better. It had that power, almost like a spell."

"Wish it did that for the master." This made Richard frown.

"Me too. Well, I'll be out of your hair now." He was about to go when Chip spoke up this time.

"Wait, don't go!" Richard looked at the child. Chip hopped to Cogsworth. "Please Cogsworth, forgive him. Mama says it's better to do it then stay angry. Forgiveness is key."

"Chip." Cogsworth began. "You were too young to understand these adult matters, and you are still too young."

"But..."

"It's okay, Chip." Richard told him. "He's right; you're too young to understand." He then left.

"But..." All of the adults felt sorry for Chip, especially Cogsworth. He wished Chip's young brain could understand. He wished he could forgive the king, but he couldn't...he just couldn't. Agatha looked down at the objects.

"Let's turn you all back into your human forms, shall we?" Cogsworth and Lumiere cheered up at that.

"This will cheer you up, Chip." Lumiere said to him. "You are about to be a real boy again!" Chip frowned with a sigh.

"I guess."

Agatha stood before the three Enchanted Objects, and with the work of her magic, they one by one all became humans again. Jean was in awe at what he was seeing before him.

"Papa!" Chip shouted excitedly, running to him. "I'm a real boy again!" An excited Mr. Potts picked up his son.

"You are!" He responded. "You are a real boy!" He twirled around with him in his hands. "Gosh, how I missed seeing that cute and innocent face." He hugged him.

"It's a miracle, non?" Lumiere put in.

"It is." Cogsworth agreed. "A miracle indeed, and what's more, you don't have candle hands, so you can't burn me any more."

"That may be true, mon amie. I have to think of something else."

"Please don't." Lumiere turned to Agatha.

"And we have Agatha to thank for turning us back to normal. Thanks, Agatha."

"Yeah," Cogsworth put in. "Thanks for giving us our happy ever afters."

They then all heard crying. They all looked around, and saw it was King Richard, sitting down in a corner. Lumiere went over to him.

"Leave him, Lumiere." Cogsworth stated, serious again. "He knows what he did. Let's just go back to the castle. Forget him." But the Frenchman didn't listen. "Lumiere!" He sighed. Here we go again!

"My son...dead." Richard sobbed. "And it's all my fault. He was right. He did need me. I should've stayed. Leave me, Lumiere. I don't want you to see me like this. A grown man shouldn't be crying. It shows weakness."

"No, it doesn't." Lumiere informed him. "What it shows is that deep down, you are a gentle and kind man. It shows that you truly care, and that you are truly sorry." Richard looked at him.

"Why are you doing this to me, Lumiere? I was evil to you all. It's unforgivable at how much pain I placed upon you all."

"That may be, Highness, but as a bright, little boy told us is that forgiveness is key." Chip smiled at this. "The past is gone. We can't go back. We can only move forwards. There's too much hate in the world, and not enough kindness. I vow to get rid of that. I hate hate, and the first step to getting rid of it is forgiveness. We can't forget what have already been done, but we have to move on. What I'm trying to say, your Highness is..." He bent down, and bowed to him "I forgive you."

"Well, I don't." Cogsworth said. They all looked at him.

"Still?" Lumiere questioned.

"Yeah." Cogsworth said to him, "Still. I'm sorry, but the damage is too great." Richard sighed.

"You're stubborn as always I see." He stated. "That was your strong suit."

"I don't mean to impose." Jean spoke. "But can we go to the castle now? I kind of want to see the rest of my family, and the others that were affected."

"And I want Papa to see them all again too!" Chip added.

"I think that's a marvelous idea!" Agatha said. "I will send you all immediately." Both Cogsworth and Lumiere looked at each other, relieved. They were grateful that the Enchantress was willing to transport back with her magic. The book took them there, but they didn't know how they'd get back with it.

"Can I go too?" Richard wanted to know. "It's been so long. I want to see how everyone is." Cogsworth was about to say something when Lumiere spoke first.

"Of course." He answered. "Cogsworth may still be angry with you for some reason, but you deserve to see the castle, and all of your servants, despite what he says. You deserve it."

"I thank you, Lumiere. Such a gentle soul."

"I try my best, your Highness." Cogsworth was about to protest when Agatha bid them all farewell, and within seconds they were all in front of the castle.

Once inside the castle, they were all shocked when they heard and saw Angelique and Babette cat-fighting each other on the floor. They were both in their human forms. Lumiere ran to them.

"Whoa, ladies, ladies!" He said. "Stop fighting!" They both looked at him, and stood up.

"Lumiere," Angelique said to him. "Tell Babette you love me, and not her." Lumiere was confused.

"What?!"

"Tell her that you're the only one for me." Babette said.

"Girls, girls, you're both my ladies." Babette shook her head.

"Non, Lumiere. It's me or her. You have to chose."

"I...uh..."

"The king's back!" Angelique said, looking at Richard. Lumiere sighed with relief, knowing that the king's presence distracted them. He was safe for the time being.

Richard gathered everybody in front of the fireplace.

"I know I screwed up." He began. "But I'm a changed man, and I'm willing to prove myself if you let me. Now, let me tell you the real reason why I left the castle." He told them everything.

He told them that his wife was the reason why he hasn't done anything sooner. It wasn't until when she was pregnant, that he remembered his son, the castle, and the servants,

When he was done, they all were angry at him, but they all forgave him. This surprised Cogsworth. He was about to put in his input when he realized something. He looked at Richard, and sighed.

"I guess I forgive you." He told him.

"I knew you would." Richard said to him. "It took time, and it was hard, but I had my doubts, but I'm proud that you did it in the end."

"I'm glad too, your Highness, believe it or not. It was hard, but I'm not going to forget it though."

"I don't expect you too. I don't except anyone too, and you all shouldn't. It's a memory of the past, a painful memory, but still a memory. Now, in speaking of memories, let's talk about my late son."

Later that day, they all met the new queen, who was as kind and loving as Richard's first wife. The other servants were reunited with their loved ones.

A couple days later, they had the memorial service for the prince. They were all sad that the prince's life was short, and ended when his life was a mess. Tears were shed at the church.

The servants were all happy to be human again, and live out their lives once again. Although this wasn't how they pictured things would turn out, in the end they all got their happily ever afters.