Chapter Fifteen

After packing a few essentials for the trip, Lumière and Cogsworth set out for Paris that very night. It felt like a lifetime passed before they saw any sight of the city borders. While Lumière grew more impatient by the minute once they arrived, Cogsworth merely shook his head at his comrade, musing at how Lumière was no better than a child in a toyshop. He was practically bouncing with anticipation.

The carriage slowed, and the driver called down to them, "Where to from here?"

Lumière leaned out the window a bit. "La Fleur Noir, la Rue de Grenoble," he answered, earning a gasp or a stare from passersby who heard him.

Cogsworth glanced at them, puzzled, before he asked, "What, pray tell, is this place that we are going?"

Lumière purposely ignored him, pulling himself back inside. He had thankfully managed to avoid the answer to that question for the entire trip, knowing full well how Cogsworth would react. As they turned onto the road and drove on, however, the question practically answered itself. A few ladies, clad in hardly anything, winked and waved as they passed, leaving poor Cogsworth blushing and hiding his face.

"Why am I getting a very bad feeling about this?" he asked.

Once again, Lumière was blessed to not have to answer him. The carriage came to an immediate halt as he and Lumière arrived at Le Fleur Noir. But while Lumière jumped from the carriage, instructing the driver to wait for them, Cogsworth stayed put.

"What on earth are we doing here?" he inquired.

Lumière merely called casually over his shoulder, "Bringing Babette home."

Cogsworth looked at him wide-eyed before staring at the building in abject disgust. "No. There is no way, no way at all, that I am taking one step inside this immoral, decadent house of…!"

"Do not say it!" Lumière interrupted, turning on him so angrily that Cogsworth was momentarily rendered speechless.

Although he kept his firm tone, Lumière quieted as he continued. "Put aside your judgments and scoffing for one night. I did not ask you to come with me; you chose to follow. If you refuse to go inside, then wait here with the carriage. I will not let you ruin any chance I may have to bring her home."

Cogsworth strived to retain an ounce of dignity and not appear defeated as he reluctantly exited the safety of the carriage. Unfortunately, they were on neutral territory now, not at home where he could have the grounds of authority and rank to rightfully argue. Gesturing to the door in frustration, Cogsworth muttered something under his breath that Lumière could not understand. Lumière simply knocked loudly, not caring about what the older man had to say. There were more important things to worry about than Cogsworth's rambling.

But while they waited, however, Lumière glanced at his friend, and could not help feeling a tad guilty at Cogsworth's intense discomfort. Perhaps Lumière had snapped too insensitively.

"Do not worry, mon ami," he said with a smile, an attempt to make peace. "It is early in the evening. Nothing inappropriate happens until much later."

"But knowing Babette, whose stubbornness is matched only by your own, this could take until then," Cogsworth replied, already turning bright red.

"And if it does, live a little!" Lumière answered. "Or else sit on the side and avert your eyes."

"Why? Is that the sign that one wants to be left alone?" Cogsworth asked hopefully.

Lumière smirked. "Actually it makes the ladies try harder to capture one's attention…although knowing you, they will not waste their time."

Cogsworth frowned as Lumière knocked on the door once again. When they still did not receive a reply, Lumière walked to a nearby window. The room was not well lit, but he could tell there was someone moving around inside. Tapping on the glass, he nodded respectfully as a young lady looked up at him, and then he pointed to the door. By the time he rejoined Cogsworth, the girl had met them there.

"Messieurs, we don't open for another few hours; anything you need can wait until then," she said haughtily, typical jaded Fleurette that she was.

Lumière smiled politely. "Forgive the intrusion, mademoiselle, but our business here is very important."

The girl was unconvinced. "I'm not allowed to let anyone in," she stated firmly, beginning to close the door. "Good day."

Cogsworth immediately put his foot in front of it. Upon seeing the girl's face, angered and threatened, Lumière scowled at him discreetly. It was best not to startle or challenge these girls.

"Please, mademoiselle, this will not take long," Cogsworth insisted, not catching on.

"Colette, what's going on out there?" a voice called from inside.

Lumière offered Cogsworth a wide, jaw clenched smile. "Nice going, genius."

Before Cogsworth could reply, a tall, strong looking blonde appeared beside the girl. Cogsworth took an immediate step back, hiding behind his taller friend, while Lumière grinned charmingly.

"Aubrey, bonsoir," he said, prepare to smooth talk their way out of trouble. "It has been quite a long time."

Aubrey turned to Colette. "Go inside, petite; I will take care of these two." After the girl had obeyed, Aubrey closed the door behind her.

"It has been quite a long time, chérie," Lumière continued.

"Not long enough," Aubrey snarled, unimpressed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Lumière's smile faded, and seriousness crept into his tone. "I think you know perfectly well," he said. "You have someone here that I need to see."

"No one's here that concerns you," Aubrey countered callously.

Lumière opened his mouth to speak, when something above them caught his eye. A curtain had parted in one of the upper room windows, allowing a bit of light to illuminate the face of the person who opened it. Babette, he realized, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of her. As he turned to Aubrey victoriously, her expression revealed that must have seen Babette as well, and would have to unwillingly admit defeat.

"You were saying?" he asked.

Aubrey gritted her teeth before she growled, "You're not out of the woods yet. The decision to see her isn't up to me. Just…come inside!"

Lumière willingly followed, only stopping once to drag Cogsworth along beside him.

In the meantime, up in her room, Babette threw the curtain shut. She leaned against the wall, sliding down it heavily as she covered her face. She was perfectly content at last about where life had brought her, and here he was, about to ruin everything! Why did he insist on toying with her delicate emotions, even after all this time?

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Babette looked up at Odette, accepting her friend's help in rising from the floor and sitting in a chair at the vanity. As a sob escaped her, Babette clung to Odette for strength. One moment, just one moment of seeing him, and everything Babette had planned began to fall apart before her eyes.

"What do you want me to tell him?" Odette asked. "If you don't want to see him, you don't have to."

Babette grasped Odette's hand, gazing at her pleadingly. "Do not let him up here," she begged desperately. "He does not know about any of this, and I do not want him to. I do not need his pity or lies."

Odette hugged her gently. "Then he won't," she said, kissing her forehead comfortingly. "I'll take care of it; just stay here."

ooo

Once inside the main room, Aubrey did not even look at them when she curtly said, "Wait here."

With that, she made her way towards a dark hallway. Cogsworth waited until she was gone before he spoke.

"Of all the impertinent people I have ever met!" he cried indignantly. "Does she have any idea who we are? Then again, surely she doesn't care! I do not expect to find anyone who knows the slightest thing about respect in one of these places!" When he realized that Lumière was not paying him any attention, Cogsworth stopped to watch him curiously. "What in the world are you doing?" he asked.

Lumière took one sweeping glance around the room. Dieu, had it really been so long since he was last here? Solemn as the event was that had brought him here, earlier scenes still played out vividly in his mind as he walked around the empty space. Walking to a far table, he grinned roguishly, running his hand over the back of a chair before he sat down and leaned back comfortably.

"This is where I first saw her," he explained, his voice distant and reminiscent.

"So you did know her before she came to the castle!" Cogsworth said, pointing his finger in accusation as he flopped into the seat next to him. "I knew it! I always knew it! The look on your face the day she arrived clearly gave you away!"

Lumière rolled his eyes, but laughed. "Do not celebrate your triumph just yet!" he said. "I only saw her once before, and I was sitting right here. She was serving wine that night. Circumstances could not let anything go further than that…but it all started here. The rest is history."

Cogsworth nodded, relieved to find distraction in Lumière's story, but his discomfort was still very evident. "How long can they possibly make us wait?" he asked impatiently. "It will be time to open the doors soon!"

"Really, it is not as bad as you think," Lumière said reassuringly. "One day, mon ami, we shall have to stay for the night's festivities so you may see that."

"Oh indeed, absolutely!" Cogsworth replied, not hiding any of his sarcasm. "But do me a grand favor and be sure that I have been buried long before we do."

Lumière laughed, about to respond, when they heard the sound of a door closing loudly from the hallway. The two men remained silent, standing quickly when another woman entered the room. Lumière admittedly looked confused as she came towards them.

"Odette?" he asked. "I was expecting…"

"D'Araignée's been dead for quite a few years now," Odette interrupted, disliking their presence here as much as Aubrey had. "Whatever business someone has with the girls, I'm now the one who must know about it."

Lumière raised an eyebrow. Aubrey, he could expect this from, but Odette was normally the understanding one, from what he could remember Babette telling him on certain occasions.

"Très bien," he said cautiously. "We have simply come to bring her home. I need to speak to her."

"I can't let you do that."

"Why not?"

"She doesn't want to see you."

"It will not take long."

"Not happening."

Lumière sighed, frustrated. "Fine, then I will wait until she changes her mind," he persisted. "But I will not leave without her."

Odette scowled at him, unwavering. "Monsieur Lumière, this isn't your glorious castle. In this place, a girl's choices regarding men are her own, and Babette has chosen not to see you."

Lumière stared the woman deep in the eyes. "I never wanted to hurt her; she means the world to me. How can I atone for my mistakes if I can not talk to her? Give me one chance; convince her to see me, even if she does not speak to me at all."

He could see the slightest bit of sympathy in Odette's eyes as she stood silent.

"Please," he entreated. "Please, do what you must to convince her to see me. She will listen to you."

"I can't do that," Odette said, calm and gentle, but still with authority. "Right or wrong, she has made her decision, and I won't disrespect it."

"Then let me talk to her," Cogsworth said suddenly.

Odette and Lumière turned to him in surprise. He had remained silent until now.

"What?" Lumière asked, puzzled, on behalf of both Odette and himself.

Cogsworth stood as tall as he could. "Mademoiselle made it perfectly clear that Babette did not wish to speak to you," he said, trailing off with a knowing look in his eye.

Lumière smiled gratefully in comprehension of the innocent scheme before he faced Odette again.

"He has a point," he said, confident in a victory. "Babette did not say anything about seeing no one at all, therefore you are not disrespecting her request should you let my friend see her."

For a moment, she said nothing, but her expression was rather thoughtful, as though she was weighing the outcome of the suggestion.

Turning to Cogsworth, she said, "I'm going to assume that you know how temperamental Babette can be. You do realize that once you step foot in that room that you are at her mercy, oui?"

Cogsworth nodded, not altogether comfortable with the thought but nonetheless not going to back down.

"Très bien," Odette said. "I will ask if she wants to see you, but I can't promise anything. It is her decision, comprends?"

Cogsworth nodded again. "Every word."

Odette headed for the stairs then, gesturing him to follow. As he obeyed, Cogsworth looked to Lumière, mouthing the words "You owe me dearly for this!" Lumière only continued to smile with a heartfelt "Merci." Sitting down again, all he could do now was wait.

Once they had reached the landing, Odette ordered Cogsworth to wait in the hall while she entered a room, closing the door behind her. Cogsworth could not resist leaning in a bit closer, attempting to catch any sounds from the inside, but all he could hear was muffled, unintelligible murmuring.

When the door opened again, Odette stepped out of the room, allowing him to pass. "In there, monsieur."

As he walked forward, Cogsworth squinted to see in the dimly lit room as Odette closed the door behind him. Inside, he found Babette sitting at a tiny vanity. He cleared his throat to get her attention. When she looked at him, he had to remind himself who she was, for she was hardly the woman that he remembered. Her normally outlandish personality had vanished from her appearance. Her hair was tied back, but many strands had come loose, making it appear far from properly kept. The playful sparkle was completely absent from her eyes.

"Lumière never fails to find a way around what he is told," she said softly. "And now you decide to help him? The world has officially gone mad."

"Well, someone has to talk some sense into you," Cogsworth replied. "And I suppose it has to be me, considering that you won't talk to the man who is normally your be-all and end-all." Authority now present in his tone, he continued, "I will make this simple for you. We have come to take you home."

Babette snorted an amused laugh. "I thought by now that everyone would have understood that I am home. Obviously I was wrong." She turned back to the small mirror on the vanity. "You know I can not write very well, but if you are looking for my resignation then this is it. I am not going back."

"That doesn't excuse you from your…personal responsibilities," Cogsworth countered.

He did not even have to see her face to know that she was on the verge of anger.

"I do not know what you are talking about," she growled. "I have given you what you wanted to hear, and that is the end of it."

Cogsworth swallowed nervously. He pulled a chair closer to sit down and took a deep breath, ready to give this his best.

"Babette, do you have any idea what you've done?" he asked slowly. "We awoke that morning to find that you were gone, and Lumière was especially distraught. As foolish and irresponsible as he can be, Lumière cares for you deeply. Anyone can see that.

"What I mean to say is…after what we've all been through, we have all practically become a family. When you left, and Lumière realized you were not coming back…it destroyed him. He and I, we don't always see eye-to-eye, I know, but it pains me to see him so upset. Did you truly think that he would be heartless enough to not care? You owed him at least a farewell, an explanation, something!"

At first, Babette said nothing. Instead, she closed her eyes tightly, determined to prevent her tears from overflowing onto her cheeks. But it was a failed effort. Unable to hold back, she broke into fitful sobs. Cogsworth was at a loss with her actions, but he tentatively reached for her hand, patting it comfortingly.

"I do not owe him anything," she gasped. "Not after what he has done to me."

Cautiously, Cogsworth said, "I know, the promise, he mentioned that."

"Not…just that."

"Then what?"

Babette bit her lip as she looked at him, wiping her eyes. Without another word, she slowly took off her robe, and through the dress underneath, Cogsworth could see the clear answer to his question. A small bulge had formed where her tiny middle used to be smooth and flat.

He opened his mouth to speak a few times, but wide-eyed and shocked, all he could manage was, "Dear Lord in Heaven."

"No use in praying now," Babette muttered sarcastically. "There is nothing left for me to do but stay here."

"Of all the things to happen, I never would have guessed this."

"Well, now you know."

Cogsworth stood from his chair to pace the room. Why? Why did he have to be the one to talk to her?

"You have to tell him, of course," he insisted.

Babette shook her head adamantly. "There is no reason for him to know."

Cogsworth gaped at her, appalled. "No reason for him to know?" he asked, borderline with insanity. "What do you mean 'no reason for him to know'? How can you suggest such a thing? This is his child!"

"A child that I know he does not want!" Babette hissed loudly, tears coming full-force again. "Neither of us needs a marriage of convenience! I do not want him to hate me because I saddled him with a baby!"

"But telling him is the proper thing to do! The right thing to do!" Cogsworth argued. "He has been looking everywhere for you! Does that sound like a man who hates you, who would not want his own child?"

"I would never expect you to understand; no one can possibly understand," Babette said, more to herself than to him. She took a deep, shaky breath. "I think you have all the information you wanted," she said, her voice trembling. "This conversation is over."

For the first time since the first day he had met her, Cogsworth felt true sympathy for this woman. She had always been intolerably jaded and rebellious, but there was no mistaking the worry and fear in her eyes now. There was nothing more for him to do here. She would not change her mind.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way," he said, trying to keep his voice steady and authoritative.

"So am I," she replied.

Lowering his head, Cogsworth reached for the doorknob, but stopped. "Are you certain that you don't want him to know?"

Babette swallowed back a new wave of emotion. "Whatever you tell him, just take him home and away from here."

"As you wish," Cogsworth replied solemnly.

"Cogsworth?"

He turned to face her.

Babette looked at him sincerely. "I…really am sorry," she said softly. "I want you to know that. I-I will send word when the baby is born, I promise. You were right; everyone at the castle is still my family."

With a genuine smile, Cogsworth nodded. "Very well."

Babette returned his smile halfheartedly. He truly was a good man deep down; she knew that. Cogsworth really would keep her secret…

…though knowing Lumière, there is more of a chance of hell freezing over, she realized. Waiting until Cogsworth shut the door, Babette jumped to the door, bolting it locked prepared for what she knew was to come.