Chapter Fourteen

Avril's eyes snapped open upon hearing his words.

"What was that?" she asked, squirming uncomfortably to get away. "Lumière, stop."

He did not hear her words, but always one to sense a lady's discomfort, Lumière obeyed. "What?"

"You…you called me Babette," she explained, utterly confused.

Lumière pulled away, his desire replaced by awkwardness. "I did not mean to, ma petite, really. Forgive me, I do not know what came over me."

Avril averted her gaze, and the wretched feeling of guilt welled up inside Lumière once again. When would the emotion at last leave him alone?

"Avril," he said earnestly, taking her hand. "I swear it will not happen again."

"But who is Babette?" Avril demanded. "Is that the girl who came before me?"

"A forgotten memory," Lumière emphasized. "That is all she is."

Avril looked at him, hurt. "Then it's true," she confirmed.

"Oui, but it is not important – "

"Don't tell me that again," she interrupted, her voice raised slightly to make it clear that she wouldn't accept vague answers anymore. "If she wasn't important, if she is a 'forgotten memory,' then why are you still thinking about her?" Seeing the dejected look on his face, Avril quieted herself a bit. Upset or not, she was never one for confrontations. "You're still in love with her, aren't you?"

Lumière stood, turning his back on her as he moved to a corner. It was the only acknowledgement that Avril needed as an answer.

"I have tried, honestly tried as much as I could," Lumière muttered, breaking the silence. "I just…it is too hard to let her go."

Avril rose from her seat. Crossing the room, she stood behind him, holding him close. Lumière took a deep breath to contain his emotions. Only when he was certain that he could speak calmly did he turn to her.

"Avril, I am sorry," he said mournfully.

"Don't," she said, shaking her head gently. "Don't apologize; don't say anything you don't mean."

"But I sincerely do," he said. "I do care for you. You were there when I needed a friend, and for that, I am grateful. But that is all that it should have been: a friendship."

Avril wiped her eyes, hiding any emotion under a rueful laugh. "I guess I really should've known better."

Lumière shook his head. "It is not your fault. Avril, trust me, you are an amazing woman. You will make a man very lucky to call you his own one day…but that man is not me. I only hope that I can call myself fortunate enough to count you as a friend after all of this."

Avril took a deep breath, offering a faint smile. "I'd like that," she replied, softly, not able to stay entirely upset with him. Lumière was a good man deep down, that she couldn't deny. He had been so kind, and looked out for her. That was what made this so difficult. She knew that if his heart truly belonged to another then he would never be free to love her, and it wouldn't be fair to either of them under those circumstances. But she still couldn't help feeling disappointed at what could have been between them.

Hugging him tightly, she sniffed back any tears, determined not to cry. "I hope she realizes what she left behind someday," she murmured. "You really are wonderful."

Lumière paid little heed to her last words; thoughts of Babette had ruined enough as it was. But he tightened his hold affectionately before pulling back to offer his hand. "Come, I will bring you back to the party."

"Are you going to stay?" she asked, following his lead.

Lumière shook his head, standing with her outside the ballroom doors. "Non, I think it is best that I stay away. I do not want to ruin the spirit anymore than I already have."

Avril touched his arm, concerned. "Are you sure? Maybe it'll do you some good."

Lumière kissed her hand, patting it gently. "I am of little use to anyone in this state, ma chérie. You go on and enjoy; you deserve to. I am sure the girls are in there waiting for you; they will be much better company."

Avril sighed, hating to see him like this, but in the end, she decided it was best to leave him be. Placing one last kiss at his cheek, she promised, "Everything will be all right. But if you ever need anyone to talk to, you know where to find me."

Lumière smiled to appease, not wanting her to be too upset. "Go on, I will be fine, I promise."

With those parting words, she was gone, another woman that he had loved and lost due to his foolishness. Thoroughly spent emotionally, Lumière headed for his room, the sounds of merriment continuing behind him.

ooo

As compassionate as Cogsworth tried to be, his patience was wearing thin by the week's end.

"The twit has certainly outdone himself this time," he sighed with exasperation as he and Mrs. Potts sat in the servants' wing one evening, each sipping a cup of tea. "Beginning a brand new year with his insufferable moping! I won't stand for it much longer."

"Come now, Cogsworth, can you really blame him?" Mrs. Potts asked. "After everything that's happened? The poor dear, he's just heartbroken."

"It has been two months now," Cogsworth reminded her. "Babette isn't coming back. What else can we do to make that clear to him?"

"Honestly? I don't think we can; he has to come to terms with it himself."

Cogsworth closed his eyes tightly, her answer not being the one that he was looking for. He took a big gulp of tea in frustration, cringing in dire pain as he realized too late that the tea was still too hot to gulp. Lumière would certainly be the death of him at this rate!

"If we leave it up to him, this will not end!" he growled.

Mrs. Potts shook her head with a tiny smile. Cogsworth just couldn't understand affairs of the heart. "It's not as easy as you think."

Cogsworth frowned. "It was never so hard for him before."

"But this isn't just 'any girl,'" she said pointedly. "Babette means a lot more to him than that. When you love someone that much, it's an awful, awful feeling to lose them." Mrs. Potts sighed wistfully. "Believe me, I know. When I lost my husband, I grieved for so long."

Cogsworth shifted uncomfortably but nodded. "I understand," he acknowledged. "But…this isn't the same kind of loss. If it was, I could see better reasoning in this. The man should be able to move on! Why can't he see that?"

"I don't think he wants to." Mrs. Potts looked at Cogsworth thoughtfully. "Although…perhaps if he had a friend who would help him…"

"Don't give me that look!" Cogsworth protested, knowing full well where this was headed. "Lumière, the Master of Romance, does not need help from me; I don't think he will even accept it if I offered."

Mrs. Potts shook her head, seemingly forlorn. "Very well," she said, raising her cup. "I suppose if you can't do it, that's perfectly all right."

Cogsworth nodded. "That's right, I can't…" He paused before frowning at her, hurt. "Who said that I couldn't? I never said that."

"Then you can?"

"Absolutely!"

Mrs. Potts smiled behind the teacup as she took a sip. A bit of psychology went a long way with Cogsworth; it never failed. "Of course, you can; what was I thinking?" she proclaimed heartily. "If anyone can make the boy see reason, it's you."

"I most certainly can, and I will!"

"Right now?"

"Right now! Please excuse me!"

It was not until he was standing outside Lumière's door, about to knock, that Cogsworth realized he had been sneakily tricked. His confident façade fell. This was not just about poor work ethics or Lumière's constant moments of laziness. This was about…personal lives and romantic feelings, two things that Cogsworth honestly was not well versed in. But he was so desperate to get life back into proper order and routine that he knew this had to be done. It would do everyone a world of good, especially Lumière.

Rapping quickly on the door, Cogsworth waited impatiently for an answer, wanting to get this over with. The sooner he could talk some sense into Lumière, the better, and the lack of a reply was not helping his nerves.

"Lumière!" he called, knocking harder. "Lumière, let me in! I need to have a word with you!"

"It is unlocked!" Lumière's voice called absently from the other side.

Cogsworth pushed the door open, muttering under his breath with frustration. This was going to be far from easy, and the sight of the room and its owner confirmed that. The meager flame of a nearly-melted lit candle on the bedside table was the only source of light. Staring out of the tiny window, Lumière sat practically lifeless. His normally well-kept hair was tied back sloppily, as though just to keep his hair out of his face, and he was showing slight signs of having not shaved in a week's time. Cogsworth could smell the scent of wine in the room. That wasn't so bad; Lumière could handle wine very well. At least he was kind enough to not be unbelievably drunk with stronger liquor, Cogsworth thought, sarcastic but thankful.

"Let me save you the trouble," Lumière offered once he heard the door shut. "Give me a few days, and I will be all right."

"You have had plenty," Cogsworth answered, stepping closer. "New Year's has passed already. Considering that you've been this upset since Christmas, yes, I'd say that is more than 'a few days.'"

"I need a few more."

"Denied," Cogsworth said firmly, making his way around to look Lumière in the eyes. He involuntarily gasped at the sight when Lumière looked up at him angrily. Dark circles under the Frenchman's eyes made it clear that his sleeping habits were not in tip-top shape.

"Dear God, Lumière…look at you!"

Lumière gazed at him blankly before breaking into sordid-sounding laughter. "Payback feels wonderful, non? You turn my own words against me."

Cogsworth raised an eyebrow, not recalling what Lumière meant, but he brushed that inconsequential thought aside. There were more important things to talk about.

"I take it sleep has not been kind to you?" he asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Lumière replied sarcastically, the laughter dying down. "No reason to go on, but memories and pathetic hope keep me alive. It is the story of our lives, oui? This time, I just have to do it alone." He stopped, looking around the room for something. "Where is that wine bottle?"

Cogsworth shot a hand towards Lumière's shoulder as he stood to follow through with the search. "The last thing you need to be is drunk right now…unless you already are…"

Lumière shoved the man's hand away. "I am not drunk; unfortunately, I am quite sober."

"I appreciate it," Cogsworth muttered bitterly before getting to the matter at hand. "As I was saying, your requested 'few days' are up. In the beginning of it all, I didn't hold your actions against you. But now…"

"The mourning period is over?" Lumière finished for him. "You know something, you are right. It is over…everything is over."

"Well, I wouldn't say that…"

"You do not have to; I already know!" Lumière rose from the chair, so forcefully that it overturned. "She is gone, she is not coming back! Do you think I have not heard it all before? Dieu, you are constantly telling me that!" He snorted under his breath, scoffing, "I thought you would actually be happy about it! You never wanted her here in the first place!"

Cogsworth scowled indignantly. "Excuse me?"

"You have gotten your wish; you should be thrilled!"

"Take that back!" Cogsworth shouted. He hadn't expected Lumière to be pleasant, but such accusations, he would not tolerate! "I may not be the easiest person to deal with, and I certainly don't approve of slacking off! But I never saw any good coming from Babette running away! How dare you, even suggesting such an idea! I'm practical, but not cold-blooded!"

Lumière stared at him for a long moment, his jaw visibly clenching. Turning away, he dug his fingers into his hair, his eyes tightly closed, as he sat on the bed and lowered his head.

"I am sorry, I did not mean that," he said, his voice shaking. Shuddering as though he were freezing, Lumière moved to cross his arms, keeping his gaze at the floor. "I…I just…I do not know what to do anymore."

Cogsworth bit his lip, unsure of what to say. He picked up the chair and pulled it in front of Lumière before he sat down.

"I-I know that," he offered. "But…this isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is."

"How? Babette is the one who decided to leave."

Lumière shook violently, his voice trembling. "But if only…if only I had…"

"If only you'd what?" Cogsworth urged gently.

The look on Lumière's face was one that Cogsworth was certain he never wanted to see on him again. For as long as he'd known Lumière, he had never once seen the Frenchman cry, not even when hope seemed lost for the spell. Even in that darkest hour, Lumière was everyone's ray of solace. But now, that had vanished, and his calm, collected features were contorted with agony and despair. It was all too clear how much this was truly tearing him apart.

"I made her…the most important promise years ago. One that I had never given to another woman," Lumière explained, choking on a sob. "And I broke it. I have been putting it foolishly aside for far too long, and now I have lost her because of it."

Lumière hid his face in folded hands. Cogsworth reached to pat his shoulder, every bit the comforting friend, the supportive brother that Lumière needed right now.

"I miss her so much, Cogsworth, it literally hurts!" Lumière went on, his words and gasps for breath muffled. "I love her, I always have! I want…non, I need her beside me again!" He looked up at the older man desperately. "I know it seems like all we have is disregard for everything, and I know it must be hard for you to see past that. But please, please understand! Babette is the one – the only one – that I need in my life. Without her, I am nothing! I can not keep going on without her!"

Cogsworth opened his mouth a few times to speak, trying to pick his words correctly.

"But…I think she's made it perfectly clear that she…has moved on," he said gently, attempting to sound reasonable yet compassionate. "I know you miss her, but…my friend, you deserve some happiness after the storm as well. You felt guilty for not keeping this promise of sorts, but I'm sure your reasons for not following through with it were justified." Cogsworth stopped, knowing that this wasn't helping at all.

"What happened with Avril?" he asked cautiously. "She's a fine young lady, and seeing the both of you at the party together, it was the happiest you've been in so long."

Lumière felt even worse having been reminded of Avril. "It never should have gone as far as it did."

"Why do you say that?"

Lumière shook his head. "I knew I could never feel for her what I do for Babette, mon ami. You are right; Avril is a wonderful girl. But it was all wrong and she did not deserve such unfairness."

"But you two looked like you got along swimmingly, a lovely couple in the making," Cogsworth protested.

"Attraction is one thing; love is another," Lumière said. "She was there when I was at the end of the line. It did feel right then, instinctual even; lose a girl and gain another, oui? But after Babette…I could not think that way anymore, as much as I tried.

"The party did not help either. I made the promise to Babette that last Christmas when the spell was cast. We sat in the same sitting room that Avril and I ran off to; we danced to the same music. It was one memory after another and I could not bear it. I knew I was practically leading Avril on, and she did not deserve that. We broke it off before the night was over."

Cogsworth sighed. "That was a very noble thing to do, and utterly understandable," he said. "Maybe it was indeed too soon. I know you loved Babette very deeply, and I suppose I shouldn't have expected any less than this."

He continued in a strong voice, trying to set an example. "But Lumière, have you looked at yourself? You have to pick yourself up before you no longer can! Babette was a gigantic part of your life, but I beg you, for your own sake, think a bit more reasonably for once. She had a habit of running off, that much we know. But to disappear for two months without a trace?"

Fresh tears began pouring down Lumière's cheeks as he nodded weakly.

"It is time," Cogsworth went on. "If I know Babette at all in the entire time that she's lived here, I'd guess that she did make it beyond the woods. As the master has repeatedly said, if she were hurt, than we would have found her long ago, so she must be alive. She is also very…tough in her own right; she could look out for herself well enough. Therefore, I think she is quite content, if not happy yet. I don't expect either of you to be as such immediately, but I'm sure that she herself must have moved on. And deep down, I'm even more sure that all is forgiven."

The words sounded so completely convincing to Cogsworth's ears that even he believed them. Of course, he was not entirely certain that all he said was precisely true, but he hoped that he was mostly right.

Lumière, however, was not pacified. "I appreciate your…reassurance, but it hardly helps to ease my concern." He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. "If anything…I just wish I knew where she was…if she really is as well as we want to believe. I want to see her again, talk to her one last time! Tell her all that I feel for her…"

"If only you could, but I doubt that it's likely," Cogsworth replied. "Who knows where she could possibly be? I mean, besides that pitiful excuse for a father, who else would she have to turn to?"

Lumière sighed. Cogsworth did have a point. Even if Adrien was not rotting away in prison, Babette would never turn to him for help, rightfully so. As for Lucien, she had no idea where he lived, and even if she somehow had found him, Lumière would have gotten some kind of contact about it from his friend by now. Who else was there? Her mother had died when she was young, he knew that; the poor woman had passed on some time before Babette was sent to… Lumière suddenly sat bolt upright, as if a bolt of lightning had hit him.

"Lumière? What is it?" Cogsworth asked, watching Lumière's formerly tired eyes grow wide in realization.

"Le Fleur Noir," he whispered.

"What?"

"Le Fleur Noir!" Lumière cried. "Mon Dieu, that is it!!"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Lumière had to grin at Cogsworth's confused frown. He must have looked like a complete lunatic in front of the Englishman, but he did not care! At last, the puzzle was piecing together in his mind! Racing for the door, Lumière ran towards the West Wing, Cogsworth in tow calling out to him to wait.

"Master!" Lumière called when they reached the hallway. "Master, please! It is important!"

Vincent and Belle met them at the baby's nursery door, gesturing for silence when they closed it behind them.

"All right, Lumière, all right, keep it down!" Vincent ordered in a hush. "We've just put Alexandre to bed!"

"I don't know what came over him, your highness," Cogsworth explained urgently. "One minute I was trying to console him and the next…well, as you can see, it must have worked!"

Lumière wasted no more time, stepping forward. "Master, please, I beg permission to go to Paris," he asked, the excitement not leaving his tone.

"Paris? Whatever for?"

Lumière beamed, truly happy for the first time in two months. "Babette is there, I just know it! I swear I can feel it in my heart! I do not know why I did not think of it before, but I do now! Please, by all you hold dear, let me have this one last chance to find her!"

Belle looked at her husband. "For once there's nothing going on socially. I'm sure it'll be fine to let him go."

Vincent smiled at her, reassuring that he had every intention to do so. He turned to Lumière. "I made you a promise, my friend, that I'd do whatever it takes to help you find her. If this will do it…then go to her."

"And…if I may ask permission to accompany him?" Cogsworth asked. Neither the prince nor the princess had seen Lumière earlier. As much as Cogsworth hated leaving the castle without his necessary guidance, his friend's sanity was on the line. For once in his life, Cogsworth felt that he was needed more as a friend than as head of the household. To cover his emotional side, he added firmly, "After all, Babette certainly will need a good talking-to! Abandoning the castle like she did, it's positively intolerable!"

Vincent, Belle, and even Lumière shared a subtle smile, knowing that even Cogsworth had a heart inside of him somewhere. The royals glanced at Lumière, silently questioning, and Lumière nodded in agreement. He could use all the support he could get.

"Very well, I shall order the carriage be prepared for you both at once," Vincent said. With a knowing smile, he asked, "I'm sure, Lumière, that you will want to leave tonight?"

"If possible, maître," Lumière replied.

"Absolutely," the prince agreed, gesturing the two men to follow him to the stables.

Lumière was about to follow his master and Cogsworth when he felt Belle's comforting hand on his arm.

"I know you will find her," she said, confidence in her words. With a smile, she added, "Bring her home."

Lumière smiled, grateful for her continued friendship. With a small bow, he said, "I have every intention of obeying, madame. Merci."

On that note, he left with renewed hope to do just that. Babette would be there, ready and waiting for him; she just had to be!