Chapter 12

After that day, Hades hardly ever lost his temper anymore and Pain and Panic no longer received any injuries because of him. And both Belle and Hades were beginning to notice a growing attraction and increased fondness for each other. They read several books together and learned new things every day.

Hades discovered the tragedies of Shakespeare and Belle discovered who Hades really was. He was considerate, gentle, and very funny. His mother was also very kind and was growing very fond of Belle as well. She'd never had a friendship with anyone other than her son. Hades almost always had a joke about something, and it was much better than the jokes Hercules had mentioned Zeus saying.

Even Hercules could hardly stand his father's jokes, especially since his jokes were almost always meant to humiliate or demean someone. Hades fell more in love with Belle every day and he decided it was time to prove it. He slipped an invitation with a gold envelope under Belle's door and awaited a reply.

A few hours later the reply came. Belle walked gracefully into the grand ball room with her hair slightly up and had on a golden dress with matching gloves. Hades had put on a suit with a dark blue coat and gold tie, acquired from his last journey to France, several centuries ago. He had also trimmed his nails so that they weren't as sharp.

"You look beautiful, Belle." Hades could barely speak; he was stunned by her radiant beauty and perfect grace. He hoped he would have the courage to confess his love for her. He held out his arm and Belle placed her hand on it.

"Thank you, Hades. You look very handsome tonight." At first, he didn't believe she was serious, but after seeing the way she looked at him, he knew she meant it.

As Hades led Belle to a small room, Rhea began playing a soft tune on the piano. She played beautifully, and he hadn't known how much of a talent she really had. In all the time that Rhea had lived in the Underworld, Hades had only heard his mother play the piano a few times. He hoped tonight would be perfect. If it wasn't, he was afraid his old monstrous self might reemerge. And he would be out of chances after tomorrow.

The night was perfect. Belle taught Hades how to waltz, and soon they were gliding across the floor. Belle laid her head on Hades' chest and he couldn't have been happier, and he wished he could stay in that moment forever, thinking of no one else but Belle.

But suddenly he was thinking of someone else, her father. Maurice must be worried sick about her and here he was being selfish by only thinking about himself. Hades led Belle out onto the balcony, where he had enchanted the sky to include twinkling stars. They sat on a bench together, looking out onto the sky.

"Belle, are you happy with me?" Hades moved closer to her and held her hands in his. Hades was afraid of what her answer would be. After all the time that had passed, did she actually love him?

"Yes, very happy. If only I could see my father again. He was so sad the last time I saw him." Belle said sadly as she looked towards the night sky.

"There is a way." Hades silently cursed himself for opening his mouth, but he knew what he had to do.

Hades led Belle back into his room in the West Tower. After going through several drawers, Hades found what he was looking for. It was a hand mirror, with ornate roses carved in the frame. The same mirror he had used to listen to her talk to his mother all those months ago. It was a present he had originally made for Aphrodite before she rejected him. He had never showed Belle the mirror before, but he couldn't bear to see her sad and worried about her father. It hurt too much.

"This mirror will show you anything, anything you wish to see," Hades said as he handed Belle the mirror.

"I'd like to see my father, please," Belle said gently. As soon as the image showed Maurice, Belle gasped in horror. What had happened to him since she'd been gone? He was laying in the cold snow, crying out for Belle.

"What happened?"

"He's sick. He may be dying and he's all alone." Belle said, frightened. Papa couldn't die, not after what she had done to keep him alive."

"Then you must go to him." Hades said, wishing he hadn't said anything at all. Now he would lose Belle for sure, but he had no choice.

"What did you say?"

"I release you. You're no longer my prisoner."

"You mean, I'm free?"

"Yes. I care too much about you to force you to stay here."

"Thank you so much. Hold on, papa. I'm on my way." Belle said and turned around to give the mirror back to Hades.

"Keep it. So you'll always have a way to look back and remember me." Hades said, as he gently ran his hand through her hair, knowing he would never be able to touch or hold her again.

"I could never forget you Hades. You're my dearest friend and I will always treasure that." Belle looked up at Hades, with tears in her eyes. She didn't want to leave him, but she couldn't just leave her father to die. Holding the mirror, Belle started to walk back to her room, but stopped.

"Hades, I can't leave you, not like this. I never meant to hurt you. You're not a monster. You're the kindest and bravest man I've ever met, and I care about you more than I ever thought possible. But please don't send me away, not when I'm just beginning to realize how I feel about you."

"Goodbye Belle," Hades said sadly. Suddenly, he looked up. Belle had come back into the room.

"Hades, wait." Belle rushed to him and held him in her arms. "Come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me. We can go find my father together. I'll help him understand that you've changed. Besides, we're together. Technically, you should have met him by now."

"Belle, I can't. If I take one step up there, I could be killed."

"But, you took me to the lake last winter to go skating. And besides, aren't you immortal?"

"No, Belle, not anymore. And besides, last winter was different. We were only there for a few hours. This, I'm assuming, would be take a few days at least, to help your father and to come back here."

"I just thought that you wanted to stay with me. It could take me some time to come back."

"And I know that you will come back to me. I'm sorry, Belle, but I can't go with you. Just promise me, the moment your father is well again, you'll come back to me."

"I promise, Hades. He'll be better within the week, I'm sure of it!" Hearing Belle say one week made his heart break. It would be too late, and his curse wouldn't be broken.

Belle held Hades one last time before leaving.

"I will come back, Hades. You'll see me again soon."

"Belle, your father needs you more than me. It's not fair to keep you here while his heart remains broken. I'm sure Hercules and Meg need you too, or at least miss you."

"But if I go to my father, you will still be here in pain. I couldn't do that to you. You don't deserve anymore pain."

"Forget about me, Belle. I don't think Meg and Hercules would approve of me anyway. Even if Hercules and I aren't family anymore."

"I almost wish they weren't my family. It makes everything so complicated. I care about them, I'll admit that. But I know my relationship with you won't be easy for me to explain or for them to accept."

"Belle, I think it's time that you decide what you want, not think about what everyone else wants for you. And I'm sure you've had good times with Meg and Hercules too. Even though they were wrong about me, well, mostly wrong anyway. And I promise, I will at least try to get along with them if that's what you really want. I only wish that I could have been good enough to deserve you. Goodbye Belle, no matter what happens, thank you for turning me back into my old self again. You brought out the best in me when I thought that there was nothing left, and I will never forget that." Belle looked at Hades for a moment, and then kissed him gently on the cheek and walked down the hallway towards her room to go pack. After she left, Panic came in.

"Well, boss, it looks like the curse will be broken tomorrow." Pain said.

"Yeah," added Panic, "you can have your birthday tomorrow and your wedding! Just please don't make us flower girls."

"I don't think either of us would look good in those outfits." Pain added.

"Guys, there isn't going to be a wedding. She's not coming back."

"But she promised!" The minions protested.

"I know she did, but that doesn't mean she will actually come back. What do you think is going to happen when she gets back home to France? She'll see Hercules and Meg again, and when she tells them about me, they'll never let her come back."

"Hades, you don't know that. Perhaps this time her family will be more understanding." Rhea said.

"Mom, I don't know what fantasy world your living in, but that is NOT how it works. Hercules and Meg will turn her against me, just as they've obviously done for years."

"Honestly, Hades, don't you have more faith in Belle? She knows what her sister and brother-in-law tell her aren't the complete truth. I, for one, believe that she will come back, with her father." Rhea remarked stubbornly, crossing her arms.

Hades sighed in defeat. There was no arguing with his mother. But she would see soon enough. Belle wasn't coming back, and as Pain and Panic had so wonderfully reminded him, tomorrow was his birthday.

Even though he knew Belle was long gone by now, he still went over to the balcony and called out, "Belle!" even though he knew he might never see her again, and he knew that she wouldn't be able to hear him.

"He did what?" Pain and Rhea exclaimed, after Panic told them that Hades had released Belle permanently.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's true."

"But that's not fair! She was the first person to actually be nice to us!" Pain yelled.

"After all this time, he's finally learned to love." Rhea said sadly.

"That's it then! That should keep him alive!" Panic said excitedly.

"But it's not enough. She has to love him in return."

"Only now it's too late." Panic said.

As the boat floated away, Hades sank to his knees and cried for the first time in centuries. His 22nd birthday was tomorrow. He was going to die alone, just like the Fates had predicted. He had lost his last and only chance.