I stood at the foot of the stairs that led into the dining room, pacing. "Lumière, I can't do this!"

"Calm yourself, Master! You'll do fine! You care for the girl, n'est-ce pas?"

I adjusted my jacket nervously. "More than anything." It was true. Cogsworth, next to Lumière, kept checking his mustache in the mirror to see what time it was. He seemed as anxious as I was.

"Then tell her!" Lumière urged.

"I can't!" It was too embarrassing. I didn't know what I would do if she turned me away or ran off laughing.

Cogsworth chimed in. "You must!" Both Lumière and I gave him a look. He shrugged.

Lumière came over and clapped me on the back. "The scene is set, Master. Dinner, candlelight, romantic music, everything! When the moment is right, you tell her!"

I shook him off. "How will I know when the moment is right?" Cogsworth muttered something that earned him a look from Lumière.

The candlestick turned to me. "You will feel it here." He tapped my chest very carefully. "And you must remember to speak from the heart!"

I nodded, slightly calmer. "I must speak from…" I shook my head. "I can't!" I attempted to run back to the West Wing, but Cogsworth and Lumière held me back, reminding me of the rose. "But what if she laughs at me or runs away in fear?"

"Has she ever?" Lumière inquired. I thought about it. Other than her first night here, she hadn't run away, and she only laughed when something was genuinely funny. I shook my head. "Very well then!" Lumière said, pleased.

"Here." Cogsworth handed me the enchanted mirror and ran off. "I'll go see about Belle!"

Lumière nodded at the mirror. "That should bolster your courage." I turned away from the mirror. I didn't want to see my reflection. What was the point? I knew what I looked like, a hideous monster. Lumière shook his head and forced me to look.

Instead of the hulking, ragged monster I remembered, I saw a well-dressed…monster. No amount of silks or shampoos would change that, but at least I was no longer dirty and matted.

I looked at Lumière. "Are you sure about this?"

Lumière nodded sharply. "Of course I am sure!" He started to say more but Cogsworth's pompous cough came from behind us. We turned.

"Your lady awaits," he announced, sweeping his hand back to the stairs Belle was coming down.

I had to remind myself to breath. Belle wore a golden gown that seemed to be made of silk and matching gloves. Her hair was loose, pulled back slightly in a ribbon fashioned to look like a yellow rose. I hadn't seen anything as beautiful as Belle in my entire life. She smiled when she saw me. Lumière coughed politely and backed out of the hallway. Before Belle saw, I hid the mirror in one of my large coat pockets.

I smiled at Belle and offered her my arm. "You look lovely," I whispered as she took it.

"Thank you. I didn't know you had a suit," she replied.

I smiled. "Neither did I." Belle giggled softly and together we entered the dining room.

There was not one bowl of soup waiting for us. Lumière had out done himself this time, we agreed. As I gingerly used the knives and forks set out, Belle smiled. "When did you have time to learn silverware?" she asked.

"Lumière and Cogsworth taught me," I replied, pleased at how well the night was going already. It could only get better!

Once we finished, someone (most likely Lumière) cued music to start playing. Belle swayed in her seat for a second, then came over to mine.

"Dance with me?" she asked, offering a hand.

I was nervous enough, having gone through several glasses of wine in hopes of calming down. The offer shocked me. "Oh, no. I can't dance." I didn't know what possessed me to order the ballroom cleaned days earlier; most likely, it was just the excitement of a proper dinner with Belle.

Lumière and Cogsworth, standing off to the side, hissed and urged me to get up. I obeyed, taking Belle's hand and leading her to the ballroom, but not before shooting the clock and the candlestick an exasperated look.

The ballroom nearly blinded me when I entered, the marble and glass shining. The gold that filled the room complemented Belle perfectly as she guided my paw into the proper position. "Follow me until you've got it," she whispered and started dancing.

I had taken dance lessons before the curse, but I'd forgotten them. As Belle guided me, I gradually remembered how to do it and took over the lead. Together, we swept across the glittering ballroom.

We found our way to the balcony of the ballroom, still dancing. As the music ended, Belle rested her small head on my massive chest, smiling with her eyes closed. I looked down at her, and found myself wishing every night could be like this. It could, I mused. I needed to tell her how I felt…but how?

The music ended and I led her to a bench. Nervous, I sat as close to her as I dared. "Belle, are you happy here?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yes. Everyone here is so nice."

She wasn't making this any easier. I took a deep breath and continued,"Are you happy here…with me?"

Belle looked at me, an unreadable expression her face. "Yes, Beast."

I smiled, looking away to compose myself. Speak from the heart, I thought. Speak from the heart. Confident, I turned back to Belle only to find her sobbing softly. I frowned. "Belle? What is it?" Had I done something wrong? My confidence quickly ebbed as Belle turned to me, cheeks wet with tears.

"It's nothing," she replied. "I just miss my father so much. I wish I could see him again." She continued crying, moving to rest her head on my chest again. I put my arms around her. For an instant, utter joy ran through my veins at the feeling of having her so close to me again. But the euphoria I felt at having her so close was short-lived as I remembered why we were so close…I'd taken her away from her father.

Belle moved and the mirror pressed against my side. The mirror…

"There is a way," I murmured. She moved and I took the mirror out. "This mirror can show you anything you want to see, anything at all." I handed it to her.

Belle asked to see her father and winced at the glow of the mirror. "Papa? Oh…no! Papa!" She showed me the scene in the mirror. Her father was in the woods, lost and clearly ill. "He's in the woods; he could be sick and dying!" She stood. "I should….I should…" She stopped.

I knew she had been going to say, "I should go to him," but remembered that she was my prisoner, or at least she thought she was. I wanted her, needed her with me, but so did her father. Should I let her go?

It was my fault that Belle was upset. If I hadn't kept her from her father when he left, or if I had let her go, she wouldn't be in tears right now.With a heavy heart, I knew what I had to do. I remembered something Madame had told me after the death of Mr. Potts as a child.

"He wasn't happy after he caught the fever, Vincent. It's better that he's gone now. I know you loved him like a father, but sometimes you have to let the ones you love go."

She had been talking about letting a dying loved one go to the next life, but I thought the same was true for this situation.

"Go to him," I whispered. I swore I felt my heart break. I loved her, I reminded myself. That was why I had to let her go.

Belle turned. "What?"

"He needs you," I said, louder. "You should go to him. You haven't been my prisoner for quite some time, Belle." I looked away, begging the tears I felt coming to vanish before Belle saw how much this hurt.

I felt her slim arms wrap around my neck. "Thank you, Beast." She let go and tried to return the mirror. I shook my head.

"Keep it, and use it to look back and remember me," I told her. Belle smiled.

"I could never forget you," she whispered, touching my cheek. Maybe there was still hope…I took her other hand. Even if she didn't love me, she needed to know that I loved her.

"Belle, I…" I trailed off. I could see the urgency in her eyes, the panic that each moment might bring her father closer to death. What her father needed was more important than what I wanted. I knew that now. I stopped and looked away. I couldn't tell her…she might think she had to stay and lose her father. I didn't want that.

"Yes?"

"Go." I let go off her hand and stood up. Belle hesitated. "Go. Go!" Belle looked at me sadly and ran. I watched her go, taking with her every chance I had at happiness. "I'll never see her again." Now I didn't even have the mirror to watch her.

Cogsworth and Lumière came out to congratulate me, Mrs. Potts in the rear. I hated to tell them, but they deserved to know that there was no hope. With difficulty, I muttered, "I let her go."

The praise that had been flowing over me stopped. "You what?"

"How could you do something like that?"

I glared at them and swept past. "I had to!" I explained painfully. They couldn't understand...I needed to get away from this…place, and fast.

Cogsworth's voice stopped me. "But…why?"

I said nothing, just turned to Mrs. Potts, hoping she would explain it. She nodded and explained to the other two as I left for the West Wing.

I entered just as a petal was falling. That left three petals. Appropriate. When she had come, there had been three petals fallen. Now, when she had left, there were three petals remaining.

"Who was I trying to kid?" I muttered, changing from the suit into a simple shirt and pants. "No one could ever love a monster." I hung my head, trying to keep back the tears that threatened to spill. I hadn't cried since my transformation from boy to beast.

"Are you happy, Enchantress?" I cried, turning my face skywards. "I've learned my lesson, and I'm still stuck like this!" Furious, I roared. This wasn't a roar of anger or frustration; it was a roar of hopelessness. Hopelessness at losing everyone who mattered…my parents, my grandmother, Mr. Potts…now Belle, and soon even my servants. I was doomed be alone.

I thought I saw a small blue dot on the ground stop. It was Belle. Belle…I roared again and again, until my throat cracked and stopped me.

"Belle," I whispered hoarsely. "Belle…I love you."

And I collapsed on a chair, not caring about anything anymore, and cried.