The song for this chapter is At Wits End from the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End soundtrack. Enjoy!

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Chapter 12

Love is everything its cracked up to be. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more – Erica Jong

It seemed like forever before Torin reached his study. When he finally did, he was so weak that both Emily and Molly had to support him until he dropped into his chair, his fur slick with perspiration. His breath came in short gasps as he whispered, "What time is it?"

"After midnight." Molly whispered.

"Do you have enough energy to use the mirror?" Emily asked, her voice heavy with concern. "You should rest."

"In a moment…" he murmured.

Emily and Molly waited for him to ask for their help, watching the floor to give him some privacy. Then, before they could do anything to stop him, their Master stood and tried to walk to the mirror. He almost succeeded when a pain shot through his chest and, howling in agony, Torin slumped to the ground and blacked out. Emily and Molly buzzed around their master in an attempt to wake him up.

-

"This isn't right." I whispered to Aisling, who was now being carried on my hip because she was so tired. "Everything's been rearranged…" we'd already found the dining room, the library, and a few rooms I'd never been in. My own room was now in the very middle of the castle, and one glance inside told me that, though the Beast wasn't in there at the moment, he had been there earlier. I prayed that he had found my letter.

"This is all wrong." I murmured. "Beast should be somewhere around here… unless…"

"What?" Aisling yawned.

"He could be de-" I cut myself off with a terrified gasp at my own words. "I promised I'd be back in a month… but I might be too late…"

"Where's his favourite place?" she asked.

"I don't know… I don't think he has one…" I thought for a moment, "Except for the study."

"Let's go there."

"He told me never to go in there." I murmured. "The only time he let me go in was when he was with me…"

Even so, I navigated through the maze of halls until I reached a hall I recognized. Sure enough, at the end I saw the forbidden door. I slid Aisling to the floor, hesitating before putting my hand on the handle.

"What's wrong?" Aisling asked.

"It's just… I don't know if I should go in…"

-

As Molly and Emily tried to bring their master back to consciousness, Emily heard a familiar voice in the hallway.

"I don't know if I should go in…" It said.

"Is that…?" Molly asked.

"It's Adara!" Emily whispered. With that, she opened the door.

-

Briac had a bit of trouble with Lightening at first. But soon he found that the white horse could go just as fast as Adara's, perhaps even faster if you kicked it in the right spot.

Once Briac has reached the Beast's castle, he watched as Aisling and Adara went inside. He jumped from Lightning's back and, readying his gun, he made his way into the castle. He followed their footsteps until they reached a door and Adara paused. After a moment, the door widened and she went in, taking Aisling with her.

Briac stood outside the door, listening. The moment danger showed itself, he was going to kill the monster and break his spell over his sister. Because, he thought, that's what brothers do. After a moment, Aisling left alone, her hand in the air as though it where clutching something, but he didn't bother her: it was the Beast he was after.

-

I stepped back when the study door flew open and invisible arms flew around me, hugging me tight. After a moment, I realized who it was and I hugged back, muttering, "Hi, Emily."

"I thought you'd never come back." She howled.

"Who said that?" Aisling asked.

"Oh, she brought a little girl!" Molly's voice cut in. "She's precious!"

"Molly, Emily, this is my sister Aisling." I took Aisling's hand, grinning as I lead the wondering child towards the invisibly figures. "Aisling, these are Emily and Molly, my invisible… friends."

Aisling's eyes grew wide and she whispered, "Are they ghosts?"

Emily muttered, "No, we're just conveniently invisible for no reason whatsoever."

I rolled my eyes, trying to glance inside the room. It was too dark for me to see clearly. "Is the Beast in here?"

Molly's voice snapped into soberness. "He is," she murmured, "And he's not doing well." She lead me into the room and I gasped. Beast was lying on the ground, unmoving

"Oh, god. This is all my fault…" I was sure that I'd come to late and I passed Aisling's hand to Molly, falling beside Beast and putting my hand on his chest. I could have sobbed for releif when I felt a faint heartbeat.

"What's that?" Aisling murmured, pointing at the Beast.

"That's our master, the Beast." Emily whispered.

"He's the one who took my sister?" Aisling asked.

"Listen, little one, why don't I take you to the kitchen for some hot coco?" Molly asked, "And then you can have a nap in Adara's room… or… whatever's left of it."

"Okay."

Molly and Aisling left the room. Candles flickered on either by their own accord or Emily's practised hand. After a few moments, Emily leaned over me and murmured, "I'll get him a blanket, and some water… and some coffee for you."

"Thank you." I murmured.

She left me, and a sense of loneliness overtook the room. Only the Beast's breathing kept me company.

After a moment, I leaned closer to him and whispered, "Beast?"

There was no answer, but I could have sworn that the Beast's breathing became steadier. I waited for a few moments, but nothing happened.

"Beast," I said again, "I'm sorry I took so long… I meant to keep my promise." I put a hand on his forehead, "My family locked me away so I couldn't come back. Aisling… my little sister… helped me escape. She's out with Molly now, getting some coco."

There was still no response. Now I was sure that the Beast's breathing was perfectly steady. I wondered it the change was in my mind, or if he was actually getting better just because I was with him. To be sure, I kept speaking.

"Emily left to get you a blanket, and some water." I murmured, "But I'm going to stay with you until you're feeling better."

His breathing was normal now. I leaned closer to him, so close that my lips were almost touching his ear as I murmured, "Beast?"

He didn't wake up as I had hoped, but some tenseness fell away from his face. I smiled to myself, glad to finally have a positive effect on him. His paws, which had been balled up into fists until that point, fell open and a slip of paper fell from one of them, damp with perspiration. I smoothed it out and read the three words that had all but been worn away from constant touching and smoothing: My Dear Beast.

"I suppose you found my letter, then." I murmured, placing the scrap back in his hand. "I was hoping that the letter would give you the strength to last a little longer, but…"

As I began to withdraw my hand from the Beast's paw, his fingers curled slowly around my own. The rough pads of skin brushed against my own soft skin and I gasped, choking back a cry of surprise. The simple fact that he had moved seemed to be a miracle. Breathlessly, I kept talking in an effort to bring him back to consciousness.

"Beast… I missed you so much. Going back to my family was a mistake. They've all changed. I missed my memory of them, but that's gone now. Only little Aisling is the same. The rest of them don't understand me anymore…" I put my other hand on top of his, helping his tired hand hang onto mine and praying that he would forgive me for being late. "I'm so glad I'm home now."

I watched in enchantment as, slowly but surely, the Beast opened his mouth and took a deep breath. After a moment, he opened his eyes and slowly turned to look at me. His eyes focused on mine and my heart leapt out of my chest.

"A… Adara?" He breathed.

Relief washed over me with a numbing calm. I wanted to crush him in a tight hug, but I was afraid of hurting him. Instead I leaned over his face, stroking his brow. "I'm here."

He offered a weak smile. "I thought… I was dreaming…"

"No," I took his hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze, "I'm here. And I'm never going back."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "You're staying?"

"Forever." I murmured. "Just as I promised in my letter."

"Your letter…" he closed his other hand, the one that still had the scrap of paper in it. "Forgive me, but… I never read it."

"Then why do you have the opening in your hand?" I asked.

"I'm afraid… I lost my temper." He released my hand and began to stand. I held his shoulder just in case he needed extra support, standing with him. "I went into your room… and I tore everything apart. I didn't realize that you had written to me until the letter was in shreds…" he looked at the crumpled scrap in his hand. "This is all I had."

"'My Dear Beast," I murmured.

"It sounds even better when you say it out loud." He replied with an embarrassed smile.

I blushed, asking, "Shall I tell you the rest of the letter?"

"Please." He whispered.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to recall the night I'd written out my letter. I hadn't known it at the time, but that final act of kindness had ensured that I'd fall in love with the Beast. It was strange that being away from him was what made me realize it.

But then, I had ended the letter: with all my love.

I blushed again, wondering if this was really the time and place to spill my heart. I gave myself a mental kick. After all, Beast had spilled his heart to me without knowing if I loved him or not. At least I had the assurance that he was in love with me.

"My Dear Beast," I murmured softly, placing my hand on his chest and hoping that my letter didn't seem too cliché. "There aren't enough words to explain what I feel in my heart. I could thank you until my dying breath, but it would never be enough."

-

Briac stood in the shadow of the doorway, watching his sister interact with the monster. They had remained on the floor for some time, but now both of them were standing. Adara had her hand on the monster's chest as she murmured softly, fully capturing the Beast's attention.

"I understand the sacrifice that you're making on my behalf. I understand that you don't have to send me home, but that you want to so I can be happy, even if the price for that happiness is your life."

The monster had eyes only for Adara, watching her intently as her lips moved. He wouldn't notice Briac's subtle movements as he brought the gun to eyelevel, grateful for his new glasses. They would ensure that he wouldn't miss.

-

Torin closed his eyes and let Adara's words wash over him. Something in her voice made him hopeful. Something in the way she was drawing closer to him made him wonder exactly what this letter meant…

"I want you to know that I will never betray you. I will be back once my month is up, and from them on I will be content to stay with you. You've shown me how much I mean to you, and now it's my turn to return the favour."

Torin leaned into her as well, breathlessly waiting for the conclusion of Adara's letter and, perhaps, the ending that he'd been praying for since the moment the curse had been placed upon him.

-

Without noticing, I began to draw closer to Beast's face. My lips were scarcely three inches from his face as I whispered; "I promise that, once this month is over, I will spend the rest of my life with you."

The scrap of the original letter fell to the ground. The Beast simply stared into my eyes, his voice a hoarse whisper as he murmured, "Go on."

I closed my eyes and let an inner pull draw me towards the Beast. The same pull seemed to be working on him as I whispered, "With all my love-"

"Adara! Move!"

I pulled away from the Beast in time to see Briac standing at the door, his gun aimed directly at the Beast. Beast's attention snapped to my brother as well, and he murmured, "Adara? Who is this?"

Before I could react, Briac screamed, "This is for Adara!" and pulled the trigger.

-

Damn little brothers.

Okay, in all seriousness, it's literally breaking my heart to end this chapter here. It's just like, WHAT THE HELL YOU STUPID KID! SHE LOVES HIM, KAY? BUGGER OFF!

Now, you're all probably wondering it Torin dies or not… you may recall that he can't kill himself or die by natural causes… but there's nothing self-inflicted or natural about a be-spectacled child with a gun…

Personally, I'm all sad an empty inside now. No joke.