Chapter 40

Home

Snow covered the small village where Rose grew up. She almost didn't recognize it from being in the castle for many months. It was the middle of the night and the full moon made peaceful, serine look to the village. The snow that had blown over the small place left the town looking to be a completely new place. And as Rose looked around, she could spot nothing new about the town besides the fact that it was frozen. Even the fountain's water had stayed in its place, its water looking to be crystal. Rose didn't care about everything else; she just wanted to find her home. She looked up at the hilltop, almost missing it due to the snow making it look like a white mound. But as soon as she saw it she made a beeline straight for home.

"Rose!" Both men yelled.

The men were walking swiftly and silently behind Rose, letter her dwell on her thoughts while they silently talked. Axel, hoisting the lug, would ask Calostire constantly about what the village was like. The beast would repeatedly respond that he couldn't remember it that well because all he ever looked at was Rose. The villagers never concerned him. Axel then asked what they would say if anyone asked about him. Calostire, who had a giant cloak covering him, just laughed. But when the men saw Rose suddenly run off, Calostire took off after Rose, not wanting her out of his sight. Axel, who had the liberty of taking Gaston out of his friends hands to catch up with Rose, stayed behind.

The young woman was gasping by the time she reached her home. It still looked the same, the same sweet home that she grew up in as a child, and the same place where so many dreams were dreamt.

A light flickered in the small home, and tears sprung to Rose's eyes

"Father…" Rose ran up to the front door, not even bothering to knock, and ran inside. "Father? Father I'm home!" The girl yelled.

Maurice, the old inventor, saw a woman come running inside of his home, yelling for her 'father'. Surely the poor girl was in the wrong home. For a brief minute, the old man almost thought that it was his daughter Rose.

But no, Rose was gone. She had been gone for many months after running in the woods. There was no possible way for her to suddenly reappear at the doorstep.

The girl spotted him, and the mans heart almost stopped as hazel eyes and chocolate hair showed from underneath the girl cloak.

"Rose?!" The old inventor gasped, dropping his tools that he had been holding.

"Father? Father it's me! Rose!" Rose, who had been trying so hard not to cry, suddenly collapsed on the floor of the old cottage, tears streaming down her face. Maurice ran up to his daughter and hugged the poor girl so tight that air rushed out of her lungs.

"Rose! My god, it is you! Where have you been? Are you well? Wha—"The old man was cut off as a cloaked figure suddenly rushed inside of the home. The figure was tall, and was yelling for Rose.

"Rose why did you suddenly run —"The figure was cut off as well as he noticed Maurice hugging Rose.

Rose, suddenly feeling awkward, stood up and walked up to the hooded Calostire.

"Calostire, I would like you to meet my father, father Calostire."

Both men, not knowing what to say, merely nodded at each other, Calostires face still hidden due to the cloak.

"So, this is the famous Calostire? Are you the one who whisked away my young daughter, and kept her from me for so long?!" Maurice yelled, suddenly angry.

"F-father you don't understand!" Rose stumbled.

The old man stomped his foot, "Darn right I don't understand! Months, you know that Rose. Months we spent looking for you in those woods with Gaston. And now here you show up back at home, with this 'Calostire'." He turned to the cloaked figure, "You think your man enough to take my daughter without telling me!? You haven't even shown me your face yet. Well come on, lets see your face." Maurice went to grasp the cloak, hiding Calostires' face.

"No, don't!" Rose yelled.

But it was too late. The old man managed to grasp hold of the cloak and ripped it off of Calostires body. Everything revealed to everyone's sight.

"Oh my God!" Maurice said, stepping back, "Rose get back, he's a monster." The old man stood in front of Rose as if the beast was going to attack them at any second. Never before had the old man seen anything like it, and it confused him that his daughter, his beautiful daughter, had chosen a man that looked like this.

"Father, he's not a monster, he's Calostire. I know that he looks like one, but trust me papa, he's strong, caring, gentle, and has protected me from Gaston. He's the one. The man I love." Rose said, meaning every word.

"But, how can you love someone that looks like…" Maurice stopped. He knew that what he was about to say went against anything that he ever told his daughter. About how love was so strong, that it never mattered about looks, but all about how the people felt about each other.

Soon, Rose began to tell her father about how it all started. About when Lofu told Rose of the 'accident' and then how she went into the woods. From there, she explained everything that had happened for those several months. Everything the exact way she saw it.

Maurice was surprise when he heard about Gaston, and then understood that it was all a trick, a trick to get Rose to marry him.

"Whatever happened to that confounded man anyway?!" Maurice said, wanting to tear the hunter piece by piece.

"Don't worry Maurice, we took care of him." Calostire said. And at that exact moment Axel came through the door, carrying said hunter.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW BLOODY HEAVY THIS MAN IS?!" Axel dropped the unconscious man on the floor with a 'THUD'. "I swear, one moment we're all walking close to the village, when Rose goes taking off, and then Calostire, leaving me with the dead weight with nothing but snow to complain too, took off right after her." The red haired man huffed.

"So, what have I missed?"

Rose introduced Axel to her father and the men immediately got along when the old man showed the red head his inventions. It was great that they were all getting along, but as the night wore on, Maurice and Axel volunteered to take Gaston to the asylum for his treachery against him and his daughter. And while they were gone, Rose and Calostire were left to sit in front of the small fire that burned in the cottage. In a comfortable silence, Rose leaned against Calostire, like she did so long ago at the village fountain.

"Kind of reminds me of several months ago…" Rose said, no in particular, just talking to herself. Calostire looked at her, and saw the far away look in her eyes.

"Yes, except I'm in this form and—"Rose put a finger to his lips.

"Please don't start on how you look. I've told you a thousand times that I don't care what you look like. I love you all the same."

A great look of affection came across the man/beasts face as he stared at the young woman before him. Many months have passed with her staying by his side, and he never understood how she could deal with him.

Calostire pulled Rose in front of him and allowed her to lean back onto his chest as he started stroking her hair. "I love you too Rose."

When Maurice and Axel came back from the asylum, (not before stopping at the local pub and having a few pints) they found the two cuddled up before the fire. Calostire already asleep with Rose on his lap leaning against him with her sleeping as well.

"So, she truly fell in love with that Calostire did she?" Maurice asked Axel, still looking at the peaceful couple.

"Yep, she sure did." Axel replied.

"What I don't understand is how that man came to be that way? I mean I'm sure that he couldn't go around the village and be with Rose without causing attention. After all, she told me that she went, on several occasions with him, to the village and that they would be with each other all day."

"Well…I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell you the story of what happened. But I can assure you that he wasn't always looking like that. In fact, Calostire and I knew each other when we were younger and both of us were called the cutest boys of France." Axel beamed with pride. They were indeed called the cutest boys of France by the age of seven.

Maurice chuckled. "Is that so?"

"Of course it is! Although, when Calostire was human, the ladies always called him the cuter one." Axel huffed.

As if hearing his name in the conversation, Calostire suddenly woke grasping Rose before she fell over from his sudden jerk. She looked as if she were about to wake up, but when Calostire started stroking her hair, she merely settled back down leaning on his chest.

"Oh, Maurice, Axel, you're back." He said groggily.

"Yea ya bone head, and we come back finding you two lovebirds asleep on the floor." Axel teased.

If Calostire could blush, he probably would've been doing so at being caught for being affectionate in front of others. But, then he thought about it, and he didn't care if they caught him holding Rose. After all she belonged to him.

"What is going to happen to Gaston?" Calostire asked, standing up with the still sleeping Rose in his arms.

"The caretakers at the asylum said that their going to take care of his wounds for now, seeing as every bone in both of his arms were completely destroyed. But after he's healed they're going to keep him there for false treachery against Rose and me.

"My goodness, the way that mans arms looked…it was as if a horse or a tree fell on them. I wonder how that happened." Maurice shook his head. He truly felt bad for the man, for when they dropped him off and the caretakers examined his arms, Gaston started yelling and screaming for all he was worth.

Calostire felt a tug in his chest as he heard the way Maurice sounded shocked and scared they way Gaston's arms were. And what made it worse, was that he used the very hands that he destroyed the man's arms, on poor Rose's neck.

He looked down at the angel in his arms and looked at the scars and bruises left from his grasp.

Stroking them softly with his claw, Calostire vowed that he would never again lay a single claw on Rose ever again. Never again would he allow such marks on her skin ever again.

Axel yawned. "I don't know about you guys, but I am completely ready to fall asleep standing up."

Maurice laughed and patted the red haired man on the back. "There's a bed in the next room that you can use if you wish. I myself am feeling quiet tired right now. Uh, Calostire I'm afraid our poor couch won't be able to hold you. Actually I'm afraid none of our furniture will be able to fit your size." The old man sincerely looked upset that he couldn't find a spot for the beast. "And normally Rose slept on the couch. Silly girl would fall asleep on it from reading." The man chuckled.

"That's alright. I would've let Rose have the couch anyway."

And with that Calostire went to place Rose onto the small piece of furniture when he felt her suddenly grasp his fur.

"No…" Rose mumbled. "I don't want to go away yet."

Calostire chuckled, "Rose my dear, your not going anywhere, just onto the couch."

"I know, but please…please just let me stay with you tonight please." Rose said, her voice pleading."

The beast look towards the girl's father for any objection, but he found Maurice already getting blankets and pillows for the two to settle on the ground. He thought that the man wouldn't want a man let alone a beast to be near his daughter at night, but it seemed that Maurice had trust in Calostire to allow him to sleep with his daughter in the same room.

"Alright then." Calostire said, gently laying Rose on the ground then settling next to her. As soon as he lay down, Rose scooted as close as she could to Calostire smiling at her small victory. Calostire put his arms around her and held her close as the two feel asleep while Axel's snores rained throughout the small home.