The night sky, normally lit by numerous bright stars, was pitch black as ominous clouds and the threat of rain hovered above the forest. Creatures scurried for the comfort of their burrows and trees, determined to keep dry and warm. As she would not be leaving the woods tonight, Babette knew she would have to follow their lead and soon. She could already feel tiny drops of water begin to fall.
Desperately, Babette looked for any kind of shelter. She soon stumbled upon a hollow group of rocks, or more specifically, she realized, a cave, as the rain heavily began to pour down. Stepping inside cautiously, she listened for any sounds of possible animal residents, but heard none. Good, a place to stay at least for the night. It was not the coziest or most comfortable, but it would do.
Feeling around on the ground, she searched for any twigs or sticks she could find, piling them together before rummaging through her satchel. She could have sworn she had taken everything from her drawers including some household flint stones, which were used to light fires in the hearth. Thankfully, she had, and with a breath of relief, she took them out. It took a while, but finally she had a small blaze, and she sat back, admittedly proud of her work. Babette was the farthest thing from an outdoors kind of woman, but instinct fortunately took charge in the worst of situations.
Only now, the heat of the fire made her realize how cold she was. Having been so determined to find shelter, she had hardly noticed the fact that she was wet and shivering intensely. A combination of rain and the chill of an approaching winter was never pleasant to bear. Even a quick change of clothes and a stole from her bag did not help much.
Sitting close to the small fire, she laughed ruefully. "I hope you know how lucky you are in there," she whispered to her middle. "It must be a warm paradise compared to this."
Placing the satchel under her head for a pillow, Babette laid down sleepily…staring at the fire…listening to the rain…
"So much for that marvelous plan," Lumière said with a frown, not one of his most common expressions. "I should have guessed that nature would pick today of all days to interfere."
"And there is nothing you can do about it, so calm down," Babette replied comfortingly. She spread their decently dry blanket on the sitting room floor in front of the fire and sat down, patting the space beside her invitingly.
Lumière sighed, closing the door. Once seated, he went through the picnic basket to see if anything was still salvageable. "Nothing, everything's ruined," he bemoaned. "After all the work to make your favorites too."
Babette pushed the basket aside, crawling onto his lap in its place. "Stop looking so dismayed," she whispered soothingly, nuzzling his shoulder with utmost affection. "Frowns never did suit you."
"You are not disappointed?" Lumière asked, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Who knows how much time we will have once the master and mistress return from their honeymoon? I wanted every free moment we have to be perfect."
Babette pulled back to look at him. "In case you have not already noticed, this one still can be," she said, a playful grin crossing her lips. "Now, if I recall, it began to rain just as we were having dessert. For one thing, that means the picnic was not completely ruined; we got through most of it. For another, while you know pastry is a guilty pleasure of mine…I can think of a different one that is much more…delectable."
Lumière smirked with amorous challenge in his eyes. He clasped her hand in his own, gracing her chilled palm with a kiss, before allowing his fingers to travel downward to the hem of her skirt. There, he tenderly rubbed the cold skin of her ankle, eliciting a grateful gasp from his lady.
"As the maitre d' of this castle," he whispered, "you know I can not allow dessert to be cold. It simply will not do."
Though her eyes were dazed and her strength delightfully weakened, Babette held him close with all her might. "Then I suggest you warm it up."
A thunderclap shook the entire forest, and Babette bolted awake from her sleep, probably for the better. Memories and dreams would not do her any good.
Shivering, coughing fitfully, she noticed that the fire had died down a bit. Hastily, she reached for remaining sticks, leaves, anything she could find to revive the flame…and that was when she noticed something that still remained to bring such dreams to her – the ring on her finger.
Tossing the sticks into the blaze, Babette bit her lip as she stared at the tiny gold band, one that meant nothing to her anymore. Angrily, she tore it from her finger, immediately shoving it into her satchel and out of sight before lying down again.
He was a distant part of her life now, a heartbreaking memory. The baby, her baby, was all that mattered from now on. Living in the past, loving a man who no longer loved her, would only distract her from higher priorities.
ooo
Normally, only Cogsworth was up and about at the break of dawn, and that is why he was stunned to see Lumière walking down the corridor. Pulling sore teeth from one's mouth was an easier task than attempting to wake Lumière in time to prepare the dining room for breakfast. Cogsworth could not believe his own senses, and admittedly, he had to pinch himself to be sure he was not hallucinating.
"What act of God has spared my patience this morning?" he asked, sounding quite relieved.
Lumière hardly paid him any attention. "Thank Babette once I am finished speaking with her," he said tiredly, covering a yawn.
"What did you do this time?" Cogsworth groaned, following close behind and checking his pocket watch, none too discreetly. "Quarter past six," he read aloud disapprovingly. "A new record for the loving couple and their quarrels."
Lumière suppressed the need to return the sarcasm, settling for an eye roll instead as he approached Babette's bedroom door. Knocking gently, he frowned at Cogsworth as the older man stayed annoyingly put.
"Do you mind?" Lumière hissed. "I would much rather do this alone."
Cogsworth checked his watch again. "Ten minutes, and even that is pressing for time," he said, looking up at Lumière with authority as he shoved the timepiece back into his pocket. "Apologize, do what you must – within complete reason, that is – and then to the dining room immediately."
"Fine, agreed; now please, go!" Lumière pleaded, knocking on the door again as Cogsworth unwillingly obliged.
At last able to focus on the door, Lumière frowned when not even a third attempt at knocking brought about a response. Babette was never one for mornings, but even by now, she should have answered him somehow. He took the chance of turning the doorknob, but as it was the night before, it was unlocked now. Without hesitation, he pushed the door open.
Inside, the room was strangely silent. Lumière moved towards the bed, positively confused, and pushed back the sheets to find no one lying in it. This did not make sense; surely she had not started work already. She was not usually out of bed for at least another hour…
Across the tiny room, Lumière glanced at the dresser as something odd about it caught his eye. One of the drawers was slightly opened, askew even as it appeared to have been knocked off its track. Walking up to it, almost cautious in his steps, he pulled it open roughly…finding nothing inside. He quickly pulled open another, and another, until he checked every single one. All were empty. Everything in the room had vanished, he realized, taking a sweeping glance around the small space.
Lumière did not know how long he stood in petrified silence, but in that time, his mind slowly pieced together the horrible conclusion. She was not hiding in the castle; she had not run off to the tavern. Babette was…gone.
No, he refused to believe it. She had to be somewhere in this place; where else could she be? Dashing for the hallway, he called for her desperately at every corner, checked every possible room, to no avail. But it did not stop him. His cries grew louder, not paying any heed to how early it was or the fact that others may have been sleeping.
It was this distracted state of mind that caused him to startle when Cogsworth approached him.
"Lumière, what is the meaning of this?" he admonished. "The entire castle doesn't need to be awake right now. You will wake the master and mistress if you don't – !"
"Too late, Cogsworth," an unpleasantly tired Vincent interrupted. Turning to the cause of his awakening, the prince asked, "Lumière, what is going on?"
"Master, please…forgive me, b-but there is…there is…oh mon Dieu," Lumière uncharacteristically stuttered.
Vincent immediately grew concerned, the class distinctions of "prince" and "servant" pushed mentally aside. "Calm down, my friend," he said. "What has happened?"
"Babette…she is…"
Cogsworth could only stand another second of Lumière attempting to regain his senses before impatience took hold. "For heaven's sake, man, out with it!"
"Babette is gone."
Cogsworth stared at him blankly. "You woke everyone unnecessarily for that?" he asked dryly. "She constantly runs off when she is upset with you, most intolerably so, if you ask me."
"Non!" Lumière shouted, clearly in a panic. "She is gone, really gone! Her drawers, her entire room has been cleared out! She has run away!"
Vincent wasted no time in taking action. "Then there is no question about it; we have to find her," he said. "Cogsworth, tell the captain of the guard to ready his men; Lumière and I will go with them to search the woods. Also tell the princess of this, and both of you remain here in case Babette returns."
"B-but, master, what should I tell the Ambassador?" Cogsworth asked worriedly. "There is still much to be discussed before he leaves tomorrow afternoon!"
"Do you not understand that this can not wait? I have to find her!" Lumière cried, not thinking properly in his worry. "What if something happened to her and she is out in the woods somewhere, lost or hurt? We can not just leave her out there!"
"Enough!" Vincent cried. "Arguing won't do us any good." Turning to Cogsworth, he ordered, "Offer my apologies to the Ambassador, and tell him an emergency has called me away. Say that it concerns family, if you must. We will be back as soon as we can. Hurry now!"
ooo
By dawn's early light, gray and dreary courtesy of lingering clouds, Babette groggily stirred from uncomfortable slumber. Exhausted, she sat up to stretch herself awake, wincing as pain shot through her back. Lying on the cold, hard ground of a cave could do that to a person, she guessed bitterly, missing the soft luxury that was her bed at the castle.
Attempting to be positive, she mused over the idea of this being practice for later. Once the baby arrived, surely she would be getting less sleep than she had last night. At least now she would be prepared, she thought with a weak excuse for a smile.
On that note, Babette gently kissed her fingers before placing them on her middle. She almost laughed at herself for being so sentimentally silly, but her unborn child was the only comfort she had at present. Everything she had decided to do was for her baby, the one being that would truly belong to her, that she could love unconditionally and receive love from in return. Maybe she did look a little silly, but it did not matter. No one was around to see her, and even if there were, she would not care what they thought…
Crack…crack…
Babette snapped to attention, her hand immediately covering her midsection protectively. Pressing herself against the cave wall, she held her breath listening to the noise as it grew louder and closer.
Another twig snapped, and a shadow appeared at the cave's opening. An animal's shadow, large and dog-like, a long snout raised in the air…a wolf, she discovered when it came into view. Slowly, Babette slid as quietly as she could into a dark corner, not moving any more muscle than necessary, but it did not help. The wolf's ears perked up at the slightest of sounds, sniffing into the air again then letting out a low growl at the scent of an intruder in its pack's section of the forest.
Babette bit her lip, desperately trying not to make another sound. Ever so carefully, she reached for a rock beside her, just in case, watching as the animal stared into the cave, as though searching the darkness for her…
"Hurry up, we don't have all day!"
Upon hearing the sound of human voices, the wolf looked up in alert before running off in another direction, most likely deeming them more of a threat than Babette alone. Carefully rising from her place on the ground, Babette moved closer to the cave entrance to get a peek of who had spoken.
Outside, she saw three men on horseback, bearing the new crest of the prince: a silhouette of the beast he once was, holding a rose: a reminder to all in the palace of what they had endured, and how strong love was to conquer it.
"Search down there," one of them ordered. "Seems secluded enough for a hiding place."
Babette's eyes widened nervously as she bolted back into the depths of the cave. The castle guards were out searching for her? This could not be good. Though Vincent had grown kind of heart, treating the servants more like family than he had in the past, they were all still servants nonetheless. All things considered, she had left without permission or resignation; there must have been a rule against that somewhere.
No, she could not let them find her. She had not made it this far only to be dragged back to the castle, forced to explain herself, and then have God knows what punishment possibly placed upon her for disobedience.
"I see a cave! Perfect place for her to take shelter!" another one of the men called.
"Well, let's have a look then!"
Not thinking twice, Babette slid as best she could into a deep nook in the cave wall, still gripping the rock tightly in her hand. The footsteps drew closer. The light from the guards' lantern grew brighter, and sure enough, she saw the three of them come into view. Desperate to make them go away, Babette waited for their backs to face her before cautiously throwing the rock at a bush outside and hiding again. Thankfully, it was a decent hit, immediately catching their attention.
"A-are you sure it's a g-good idea to be in here?" one asked nervously.
"Yeah, come to think of it, you never know what could call this a home," the other agreed fearfully.
The trio's leader groaned. The foolish cowards calling themselves the pride of the castle guard these days, he thought. But still, they did have a point, and he could have sworn he had seen an animal lurking about the entrance earlier.
"Very well, clearly there's no one here," he said decisively. "Let's go."
Once they had left, Babette cringed as she overheard the leader's disapproving words.
"All this for a mere woman that can easily be replaced; not worth the time if you ask me."
Babette bit her lip, forcing herself to remain silent as they rode off. Harsh as he had been, he was right. She was just one of many, and they would certainly find another girl to take her place soon enough. No one would truly care that she was gone after a while. Not even Lumière, who apparently did not care enough already, considering that the castle guard was out looking for her without him. Shows how much he misses you, she scolded herself.
Leaving her nook, but remaining in the cave since she was now aware of the hunt for her, Babette sat quietly in the darkness. She would have to wait until nightfall to continue on her way. Surely by then they would have given up.
ooo
Back at the castle that night, Vincent and Lumière returned unsuccessful, each group of guards also reporting failed efforts. When the last of them had come home and given his report, Vincent quietly gave them all permission to retire before looking at Lumière compassionately.
"We did the best we could," the prince said softly. "But don't despair. It has only been one day, and the woods are very difficult to search, even with as many men we had out there."
Lumière merely nodded in reply, not wanting to seem disrespectful but not willing to speak either.
"The good thing is that we know she isn't hurt," Vincent continued, emphasizing the one positive outcome. "Believe me, if she was, I'm sure they would have found her. She must have made it out safely. Tomorrow, I can send word out to the surrounding areas to have people watch out for her and send back any information they may have."
When he still received only a nod, Vincent placed his hand on Lumière's shoulder comfortingly as the man had so often done to him in the worst moments. Lumière had been like a father to him for years; Vincent was all too willing to now return the familial sense of concern.
"You helped me find the woman I love, my friend," he said. "Now I will do everything in my power to help you find yours, and we will do so, I swear it. For tonight, try to get some rest."
Lumière barely registered the prince's words before the younger man left him be for the evening. Absently, aware of nothing except the fact that Babette had vanished without a word or a trace, he trudged up the stairs to his room.
She was out there somewhere, hurting and alone because of him, and he was unable to comfort her. The very idea pained him deeply down to his bones, literally, as he felt his entire body aching. He wanted nothing more right now than to hold her in his arms and make up for everything that had happened between them.
Once he was set for bed, he climbed in and blew out the candle on the side table. He lay still, occasionally closing his eyes. But every time he felt himself nodding off, thoughts of their argument and her angry face began to haunt him, as though he was not allowed to sleep as punishment for all that had happened. He sat up at one point to take a few deep, relaxing breaths, but even that did not help.
Lumière stared at the empty place beside him – her place. He reached over to touch the sheets, shuddering at how cold they felt when they were normally warmed by the presence of his precious Babette. Only a day apart and he longed to see her there again: her dazzling smile and playfully sparkling eyes gazing up at him, her dark hair flowing over the pillow in soft waves. He missed the sight, he missed her, and he would not rest until she was at his side again.
ooo
Babette rested against a tree. With the knowledge that everyone was out looking for her, she knew that the middle of the night was now her only choice for travel. However, it still did not help her exhaustion and lack of sleep. Dieu, she was tired, so much so that she was imagining things, she decided, seeing a swinging light up ahead.
But as it grew closer, she squinted, making out more shapes and visions to go along with it: a driver…two horses…a cart…
A cart! It wasn't a delusion; it was real! A cart was heading up towards the crossroads, right in her direction!
"Attendez!" she shouted pleadingly, forcing herself into a run. "Monsieur, wait!"
The driver looked up, confused by the unexpected cries coming from the roadside, but pulled his horses to a halt when he saw Babette approaching.
"Monsieur, s'il vous plaît," she said breathlessly. "I need your help! Where are you headed to?"
"To the north, mademoiselle, towards Paris," he replied kindly. "What is it that you need?"
Her beloved Paris, her true home, Babette thought happily. Everything she had left behind years ago was there!
"Henri?" the woman in the cart said, waking up from the commotion. "What is going on?"
"Monsieur, madame, please," Babette beseeched, quickly thinking up a story. "My…sister lives in Paris. I was on my way to see her, but the coach I had hired overturned yesterday. No one was hurt, Dieu merci, but the coachman said he would have to take it back to where we started for repairs. I have been on foot since then…and then the rain…oh please, let me travel with you!" She reached into her satchel frantically, taking out a few francs. "I only have a little bit of money, but will unquestionably repay your kindness!"
The couple looked at each other, silently conversing with their eyes, before they nodded in agreement with a smile.
"Put your money away, mademoiselle," the man said, jumping down from the seat and leading her around to the back of the cart. Holding out his hand to help her up, he asked, "May I?"
Babette smiled graciously. "Merci, monsieur, merci beaucoup!" she said, relief and genuine happiness in her words as she reached to climb inside.
The woman met her halfway to take over assistance from her husband. "Just watch your step over the little one," she warned with a grin.
Babette looked down, finding a little boy sleeping on the floor of the cart beside some cargo. Carefully, she avoided waking him as she moved to sit across from the woman, who took out a spare blanket from beneath the seat.
"You poor thing, you must be freezing!" she said, draping it around Babette's shoulders. "There now, that should do it!"
"Merci, madame, I appreciate this so much more than you can imagine," Babette replied sincerely, clutching the blanket tightly around her.
The woman smiled warmly. "It is no trouble," she reassured. "The world needs as much thoughtfulness as we are able to put into it. Now get some rest; you look as though you can certainly use it!"
Babette returned her smile, resting herself down on the bench-like seat. When she awoke, all of her pain would be behind her and she would be on her way home.