Chapter 2

A/N:

Thankies for the reviews. Here is when the plot starts to unfold

The beast looked out the brick rimmed window at the white snow below. Two birds flew in unison past the window chirping cheerfully at the rising of the sun. Although the birds were soft with happiness the beast's hearts was heavy. The previous night he had done the easiest and hardest thing in his entire life. He had let Belle, the love of his life, go free in the respect of saving her father. She was probably sitting blissfully by a fire with her father close by all thoughts of the beast driven out. Maybe it was better that way.

Over whelmed by his emotions, the beast grasped the mirror on his table and threw it at the wall sinking to the floor in despair. He was tired, so very tired. If he couldn't be with her he didn't want to see her. It would be to painful. The only thing that the ex-prince had to look forward to was death itself. He grunted hopelessly as he pushed his body up, his cape draping around him. The Beast walked solemnly to the balcony outside his room and let out a sigh. His breath clung in the cold air; dangled like smoke from a natural fire.

There was a knock on the door to his prison with the entrance of the candle stick, Lumiere. He walked toward his sulking charge with the will to comfort. Although Lumiere knew the chances of the spell getting broken were slim he offered words of consolation.

"Master, it will be alright— There will be another girl. . . We will be human again by—"

"Lumiere," The Beast said softly not even glancing at his servant. "Its over." The Beast walked to the opposite side of the balcony and peered down again. The sun had come out over the trees but there were visible clouds on the horizon signifying a gloomy day. His eyes wondered the terrain until they rested on a moving object coming to meet the door. "Lumiere!" The Beast said excitedly. "It's her! It's Belle! She's returned!" He exclaimed running for the door to the corridor. Lumiere galloped to the window and looked down. It was true! She had returned.

"Mrs. Potts she has returned!" Lumiere shouted running in the direction of the kitchen.

The Beast lunged down the stairs effecting in large scratches on the marble floor. He ran for the door and burst through it as if it were tissue paper. It just wasn't possible! It was her!

"Belle!" He roared coming at her from the castle. When Belle saw him frisking towards her she dismounted her horse and met him in an embrace. "Belle, you came back," he said softly running his paw through her hair.

"Oh, Beast the most terrible thing has happened," she sobbed grasping at his fur.

"What?" The Beast asked holding her. "What's happened?" Thunder had sounded in the distance as the two had their conversation.

"They took him," Belle said as if The Beast was educated in the night's events.

"Who did they take Belle?" The beast asked very understanding of the girl's fragile condition.

"They took my father to the asylum," She said in a defeated tone. "He told them of you and they thought he was crazy. They locked him up, Beast and— That awful man— And that boorish! You must help me!" Belle sobbed starting to feel light headed from all the high frequency emotions.

"What could I do?" The Beast scoffed glaring at the snow behind Belle.

"You could come with me into town," said Belle pulling away from the beast just in time to see the shock in his eyes. "That way we could prove that my father's not crazy!"

"I– I can't," The Beast said backing away. "It isn't possible."

"Why not? You're the only one who can help me, please!" She begged tears falling from her eyes. "I love my father so much. Won't you please help me?"

"I'll— Yes," he said grasping Belle's hands.

"Oh, you will? Thank you Beast, thank you!" She said bringing herself closer to him. "We should go now," she urged going back to her horse.

"Right," The Beast said hesitantly. Belle mounted the horse and the beast ran beside her. The two were going fast and Belle was determined to free her father.

When they got into town the sky was black with clouds and the rain looked ever close to coming. The two were halted in town looking for signs of people. It seemed that fate was set on getting Maurice free for Belle saw the sight of Gaston walking through the snow.

"Gaston!" She yelled galloping toward him on her horse. She dismounted and ran the rest of the way to Gaston. There was a look of sheer terror on his face for the Beast was close to follow.

"What is that thing?" Gaston gasped in fear preparing to place Belle behind him in her defense.

"This is the Beast my father spoke of," She said urgently ushering the beast forward. "My father's not crazy! He was telling the truth!"

Gaston looked at the beast with fear in his eyes until a thought operated into his mind. His eyes went from scared to maniacal as Belle explained how gentle the beast was and how he would never hurt a soul. Gaston, however, wasn't listening to Belle but more observing her. She had feelings for this monster! He could use this to his advantage.

"So, you want me to discharge your father from the asylum is that it? Because you have proof that he's not crazy? Because you have proof of this beast?" Gaston spat glaring at the beast.

"Yes, Gaston," Belle said getting very hopeful that she would have her father in her arms very soon. Yet to her dismay Gaston grabbed Belle by the arm and pressed her back against his front pulling a knife on her throat. The Beast's eyes inflated into huge orbs of black as he took a giant forceful step forward.

"Take one more step and I'll cut her throat. The offer still stands Belle," Gaston spat glaring from Belle to the beast. "I'll get your father from the asylum if you marry me— And you! You go back to the hills and remain a figment of Maurice's imagination!" The Beast moved forward in an angry manner at this as Gaston pressed his knife harder to Belle's throat. "Move one more step and I'll do it. Now Go!"

The Beast looked as if he would make another forward approach but reclined back. Belle looked so helpless in that man's hands, she looked so scared. He gave Belle a lingering look and turned to run into the forest, (seemingly) never to return. Belle covered her mouth with one hand as Gaston released his grip letting her sink to the ground

"How could you?" Belle croaked softly gasping for breath to keep the tears at bay.

"The only way you're ever going to get your father out of The Maison Des Lunes is to marry me. Otherwise he'll remain there for ever. Visiting hours are on sundays, though," Gaston said with a laugh as he turned away. " You know where to find me."

Belle covered her face with her hands and cried. What else could she do? There was nothing. She would either never see her father again and be miserable. Or Marry Gaston and be miserable. Either way she would lose. And with the beast so far away it almost seemed hopeless.

D'Arque's eyes opened to the darkness of his own chamber. The clock standing near by read ten in the morning. He sat up eerily as an android would; without effort or inclination. He looked down beside him at his slumbering wife. He didn't see her beauty or her soul. Just a slave to his will. That was her life. He tore the blankets off his body and scanned the room for his earlier discarded clothes. He spotted his pants and lapsed across the room with a vacant expression. He slowly pulled his pants on and then walked back to the bed.

"Wake up," D'Arque hissed at his wife shaking her form roughly.

"What's wrong?" Frederique asked groggily sitting up and instantly being grasped by fear at the face of her husband. The face of D'Arque looked angry at the question but he seemed to have let it pass for he turned from her and sat at the end of the bed. The man was so thin and gnarled that there were no wrinkles on his bare stomach as he sat slouched. There was an awkward silence until Frederique over came her temporary startle and approached her husband from behind.

"I don't love him," she thought as she wrapped her bare arms around his body and kissed his neck. She remembered how she got dragged into the marriage she hated so much. . .

The D'Arque family had been in the asylum business for a long time. In fact Leandre D'Arque's great great grandfather had opened the asylum, Maison Des Lunes. Frederique remembered the first time she had laid eyes on her husband. She was six years old.

Frederique was six years old and playing in the park, a quarter mile from her father's home. She had been there all day with her father as he promised her one day a week to do. Her mother had just sewn her a new doll and she had called her Marion. The Doll had a stitched face and a pink dress with yellow flowers on its pockets. Its hair was sewn up in yellow locks that bounced around in glee. She spun with the doll's hands in her own making everything a blur to Frederique accept for Marion. She was laughing and screaming until she lost her balance and fell back on the green grass. Her father, who had been watching her play, laughed heartedly as he made his way to his daughter and lifted her off the ground.

"Let's go and see mama. She's probably awfully lonesome at home," He said carrying her toward home. Frederique laughed and snuggled her head into the crook of her father's neck. The ride on her father's back to her home was a short one. Her body bounced in rhythm with her father's step slowly rocking her into a drowsy state. Soon sleep did take her as her father pressed onward.

"Jourdain Badeau," A grimy voice came from the porch.

"Monsieur D'Arque," Jourdain said placing his daughter on the ground and taking her hand. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He lied.

"Your wife, has she been quite well?" Said D'Arque.

"Yes, sir. I believe she has," he answered confusion in his voice. "Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

"Oh, well I had a new arrival not too long ago. My workers say it was the wife of Jourdain Badeau."

"That's not possible!" Jourdain hollered running for the house. "Mireio!" He hollered as he ran. However D'Arque caught him by the arm. "What are you doing?"

"I have already inspected the house and it is quite empty. I searched for anything that could have lead to her condition," The man said eerily a smile playing on his mouth.

"What is her condition?"Asked Jourdain. He was mad at the monster before him. How could he be taking this so lightly. This was his wife at stake! His sweet, sweet Mireio,

"Now there is no need for raised voi–"

"What is her condition!?" Yelled Frederique's father.

"Attempted suicide," D'Arque answered the smile plain on his lips. "Its quite common in depressed women and young girls. Tell me Jourdain is she hard to control? Has she talked at all about her obvious unhappiness?"

"Is she alive?" Jourdain asked ignoring the question lain before him.

"Yes, she is quite well— now. However she has been admitted into the asylum for indiscreet insanity."

"My wife is not insane nor depressed! You lie about her suicide!" Jourdain yelled taking D'Arque by the scruff of the neck.

"Papa," Frederique whined as she began to cry.

"I assure you, sir, your wife is quite unstable. I can show you to her if it will quench you," D'Arque said mysteriously pointing to the asylum in the distance. Jourdain looked in the direction of the asylum and nodded.

"Take me to her," He said defeated. He took Frederique by the hand as D'Arque lead them both to the asylum. The way was scary and bleak. Not like any other part of the town Frederique had treaded on. The very trees seemed weaker in this area than any where else. It was so very dark.

"After you monsieur," D'Arque said opening one of the large doors to the asylum. Jourdain and his daughter walked into the Maison Des Lunes with fear in their hearts. Jourdain's fear was for his wife and Frederique for the asylum was eery, cold and dark.

"Leandre!" D'Arque called out to a person unknown to the two visitors. Footsteps were heard in the distance and a child no more than twelve came into view. He was wearing all black making his already skinny body appear almost invisible. His face was thin and pallid, as though he had never left his home. "This is my son, Leandre. He will keep your daughter company whilst I show you to your wife. The scene would not be one for children's eyes," D'Arque's eyes darted around to all the people present as if all the people in one area at once unnerved him.

"Papa will be right back lovely," Jourdain said following D'Arque through two doors and into a large corridor.

Frederique sniffed her nose as tears leaked from her eyes. She was scared and now her papa had left her with this strange boy.

"There's nothing to cry about," Leandre said walking forward to Frederique. " My father is a talented healer," he lied clasping his hands behind his back as if hiding something.

"Is she— Is she going to be alright?" Frederique asked looking up at Leandre. The boy looked down at the ground as he slowly walked towards the weeping girl. He placed one thin hand on her shoulder and sniffed back his sinuses.

"Its impossible to tell for sure," Leandre said still looking towards the ground in fake consolation. "I suspect she'll come out of it just fine."

"I don't want anything to happen to my mama," she said looking in the direction of the corridor that Monsieur D'Arque had lead her father down. What was going on in the hall was quite different from the event outside.

Monsieur D'Arque lead Jourdain down the way to a door with an ACX imprinted on it. He drew forth a ring of keys. The ring had an assortment of keys on it with a variety of colors. There were silver keys, gold keys; basically any color for a key you could think of. He withdrew a small silver key and pushed it into the slot. The door opened in almost slow motion revealing the saddest sight Jourdain Badeau had ever laid eyes on.

There was the love of his life tightly bound, with white straps, to a bed. The bandages that were wrapped around her wrists were stained with blood and her face was livid. Her lips were of a purple tint (quite the contrast of her usual pink lips). She was clad in a hospital gown of creamy white. The ward had already taken care of ridding her vision of any hair by cutting it to a jagged spatial extent. The vision of her, in a whole, was depressing and tore the heart from Jourdain's chest as it flushed excitement through D'Arque's.

"As you can see she is in quite a heinous state," D'Arque turned toward Jourdain after walking into the room farther leaving Jourdain in the arch. "Is there anything that you can think of that could have lead to this catastrophe?"

"She uh—" Jourdain began walking in toward his wife unable to believe the sight that lay before him. As he spoke images came into his head. Things he hadn't noticed that he saw before. Now that it came back to him he did remember his wife swallowing medications after her visit from the hospital. "She was swallowing medication."

"Hmm, What kind of medication?" Asked D'Arque, his finger tips coming together. His tone was knowing, as if he knew this information already. Jourdain didn't take this attitude lightly. His eyes narrowed and he glared at D'Arque with suspicion.

"I'm not sure— She intended it to be a secret I suppose. Why not you tell me what kind of medicine she were swallowing," Jourdain said raising his chin in ritchousness.

"I'm not sure what you are implying monsieur but I advise you it would be wise to stop now."

"I'm saying you know why she did this evil deed, you know what medication she was on. So, tell me!" Jourdain yelled coming very close to the mad man at hand. D'Arque merely laughed and walked toward Mireio until he was right at her bed.

"It was poison she was taking," He said frigidly as if it were a conversation about the weather. "This was intentional," D'Arque said turning to face Jourdain who looked hurt. It was apparent that Jourdain had, in fact, accused D'Arque out of anger. Seeing that his assumption was true hit him hard.

"Poison? How? Why?"

"My son, you see, needs a marriage. Although a fair years younger he fancies your daughter; your Frederique. This was intended to bring our two families together. What say you?"

"My daughter will never marry that abomination!"

"Ah, but not so fast. You see your wife is not dead yet but is in dire need of real medicine. I could let her die. . . Or you can promise our children together and I will revive her within the week."

"How did you cause her to slit her wrists?" Jourdain asked after a time filled of awkward heavy silence.

"That factor was quite simple. When your wife came into the hospital, where I go often, for her check up I pulled her physician aside and persuaded him to do my bidding of prescribing her the poison disguised as sleeping solution. Timing the affects perfectly, I watched your family and realized you and your daughter ventured out somewhere every week at the same time, leaving your wife alone. I forced an entry and paralyzed her with a nerve fume on a cloth by covering her mouth with it. The poison, which had been doing its toll on her for the past couple weeks, made the effects of the gas quick and effortless. She fell. I took her back to Maison Des Lunes and slit her wrists myself. Then you and your daughter came into the picture," D'Arque said loving the expression on Jourdain's face. "And if you tell this to anyone I will come to your house in the dark of some black night with a pointed reckoning at my side. You and your daughter will be at my mercy."

"Name your terms," Jourdain said tears welling in his eyes.

"You know my terms Jourdain. Our children shall marry and you will tell this information to no one. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Jourdain said turning away from the room. "I'll take me daughter home now. I will bring her when she turns the age of 16. Good bye Monsieur D'Arque."

The now older Frederique slid off the bed and stood in front of her husband. He looked at her nearly all naked form with hunger and desire. However he merely took her chin and brought her face to his for a short kiss. He stood up and walked past Frederique to his shirt, he pulled it over his arms and snapped his fingers. Frederique, a little embarrassed, approached her husband and began buttoning up his shirt. He stared down at her thoughtfully as her hands moved skillfully, as she had done this many times before. When finished she rested her hands on his shoulders.

"I've got work to do," D'Arque said simply as he briskly walked past his wife to the door and out he went. He passed many room and went through many halls before seeing a face that he saw worth speaking to, it was Gaston.

"Gaston," D'Arque said his eyebrow arching as he out stretched a hand for shaking. "To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure?"

"Its Belle. Leandre, the man is not crazy!" Gaston said through clenched teeth.

"Her father?"

"Yes! Belle brought the beast to me and I saw him with my own very eyes! The man was telling the truth!" Gaston raved.

"No," D'Arque said shocked. He turned on his heels and made to room AXC, which was the room Frederique's mother was in and the one that Maurice was occupying now. D'Arque drew the small silver key and unlocked the door bursting it open. Maurice was still strapped to the bed and still asleep. D'Arque went to the cabinet in the room and withdrew a small vile. He snapped it open and held it under Maurice's nose. The man almost awoke instantly.

"The beast!" Declared Gaston. "It is truly real!"

"Yes!" Maurice exclaimed raising his head from his pillow. "That's what I've been trying to tell you all along!"

"Then the only way you're going to save your daughter's and your own life is to convince Belle to marry me," Gaston said the plan coming to him easily.

"You?"

"Or she dies," Gaston said smiling evilly. His grin was almost inhuman.

"I will convince her," Maurice said defeated. Gaston stood upright and exited the room while D'Arque remained behind.

"You're still my patient for the time being," D'Arque said evilly taking a mouth piece from seemingly nowhere and pressed it to Maurice's face. Maurice struggled to not breath it in but D'Arque pressed his fingers in Maurice's neck causing him to go wilted and fall into another intoxicated sleep.

D'Arque walked out of the room and met Gaston in the hall way.

"Would you really kill her?" He asked Gaston.

"Yes," Gaston said simply. "She is either bound to me or no one at all!" D'Arque grinned manically as the two began to walk. The footsteps echoed loudly in the vacant tunnel.

"How do we keep the beast away. If any other sees the monster we'll have to let the old man go." D'Arque said trying to fill in the missing pieces.

"I've already taken care of the monster. It appears that Belle is the glue to all our persuasion. I threatened to murder Belle if he ever returned."

"He loves her then?"

"I believe that to be so."

"Well, I'm sure Belle will be in here at any moment to try and break her father free. I shall await her arrival with anticipation and make sure her and Maurice get the proper time to discuss certain affairs."

"Good day," Gaston said smiling hopefully as he exited.

"Good day, Monsieur," D'Arque said watching Gaston's retreating back.

A/N: Please REVIEW! It urges me to write quicker if you review!!