A/N: Aaand I'm back! Yay!

FloratheToyKitten: Thank you! I will try my hardest, I really am!

Cold-heart-Angel23: Thank you! Aha… you shall see… in this chapter… *wink, wink*

Shadowstriker55: Yep. I am evil Thank you for reviewing, and here's your update.

Rumicwarrior22: Aw, thank you! Yeah… true… I have something to say about the whole Greg reaction thing, and I don't mean anything by it, not to offend you, I just had this idea one day: Greg is young, and I'm not trying to dumb him down or anything but as we all know, he's a very young character with less experience in the world, thus I figured his reaction to Wirt being the Beast would be a little less… frightened, until he meets him in person. I just went along with how the character is, but true, maybe he could have used a bit more reaction time.. well thanks for the review anyways!

Rinxlenfan4ever: Well here's more!

BeatriceTheBird: Thank you! (I agree, Frozen needs to leave.) Well thank you again!

Beanbun: Thank you so much! I'm glad to make someone fangirl, I enjoy it myself… a lot… but thank you and yes, I shall continue! Here's your next chapter!

So yeah. We know where the last chapter left off at, and I'm guessing we can all figure out who he's going to run into next... it would be great irony if it wasn't anyone we all suspect, including myself... hmm... oh well, here it goes! This will be the first time I combine points of view, so Beatrice will start us off, then it goes to Greg, then most likely back again.

Beatrice's POV:

One step away from finishing her days chores. That's all she could think as she folded the horrid laundry. It was an activity she'd never enjoyed doing, and thus, hated it even more when James was standing above her winking at her every time she looked up. Just because her parents wanted her to marry him, didn't mean she wanted to, as she'd made clear. It had been two days since her encounter with Wirt and she was still shook up about it. Her mind couldn't adjust to it, the idea of him even being like that, so it was going to be a long time before she accepted it and went on with life. People didn't like the Beast, she never had either, not that she'd needed to fear it, he wasn't going to take her, but now it was harder to hate him.

Finally she could stand up, and after doing so, she glanced up at James with a glare.

"What is it now? I can't even do the laundry without you watching me?"

"No, honey, it is merely to see your beautiful face looking up at me!" He replied. It was without a sarcastic tone that he said this, and she hated that.

"Then may I please just go in peace homewards?"

"Of course, but remember, we have a date tomorrow."

If only she couldn't. Sighing, she left him and walked off towards the house, watching a bird fly across the sky and remembering the feeling of wind in her own wings, when she'd been free. Free to make her own choices because her family was incapable of it, seemingly, she being the oldest had the most freedom. Now she seemed to have the least once more, just like it had been before they had become birds. She wondered if anyone was left that would befriend her, since Wirt seemed to be ruled out now. He hadn't even seemed sympathetic when he'd left her. It hurt her to think of him, and Beatrice shut her eyes to get the images of him out of her mind.

The front door was open for some reason, probably her mother trying to get air into the house, and Beatrice walked in, eager to get inside. She was planning on going back out tonight, hoping Wirt would be around. She was ready to give him a piece of her mind.

Soon it indeed was dark, and she had eaten little despite her mother's warnings that starving herself wouldn't do anything. She'd ignored them and stared out the window the entire time, secretly hoping to see the lantern Wirt carried floating nearby. The cool wind caused her to shiver in her shawl, but Beatrice stood by the well, now quite firm in her ground. This confrontation would not be as weak and sad as the last one, she was determined not to break down this time.

The darkness was thick, and though she felt a bit of fear, out here waiting for the Beast to appear, she held it back and refused to think like that, if he saw it, he'd probably try and attack her or something. It was weird to think of Wirt attacking anyone, but this wasn't exactly Wirt she was dealing with. No, this was Wirt mixed with the Beast, which meant he was more independent than ever.

It was then that the creaking sounds reached her ears, the sounds of a tree like thing, and a light moving towards the lantern light she had. Looking at the far edges, she saw a dark shadow of one with antlers and a hat; The Beast was here. He was holding his own lantern, but down at his side. Slowly, she lifted the lamplight to look up at his face, which was more covered now and the eyes were glowing multicolored now. He had a grim smile on his face, more of a smirk, but a sad one. The sudden muffled noises of someone trying to talk also reached her ears, and lowering the light to where she heard it from, she stood shocked. The person on the ground who was sitting there looked back up at her and obviously was shocked too, as he stopped moaning for a moment until he started thrashing about wildly again. She looked up at Wirt in horror, then back at the figure on the ground.

"Greg?!"

Greg's POV:

(A few hours before)

Greg had managed to get himself lost countless times on the road in the past few hours. He wasn't sure what time it was but he was pretty sure the sun was bound to go down soon. Maybe he'd find Wirt then, he wasn't sure. What he did know was that he'd already eaten a bit of the food in his pack, and Jason Funderberker had caught a few flies. The frog seemed content to be hopping along beside him, but Greg had to chase him several times to get him back when he went off on his own.

So the day had passed, walking, walking, and more walking, without anything coming in sight, and nothing looked familiar. At times he thought he recognized a few things, but most of the time he didn't know where he was going at all. It was a different road than they'd taken the last time, the Woodsman had been helpful in pointing it out and Greg had taken his advice.

The boy sat himself down on a log around 5:00 in the evening. The sun was slowly setting, seeing as it seemed to be nearing winter, and Greg was wondering when he would find a place to stop and rest or if he would have to sleep outside. They'd done it a few times when they'd been here last- when he'd been here last.

Jason croaked sleepily, but Greg wasn't feeling sleepy at all. No, he was feeling alert. He wondered if he would see his brother tonight. Being, apparently, the Beast and all, meant he was a night creature, as Greg called it. He would be out and about when the sun set, and that was when Greg planned on finding him. The memories of everyone they met being scared of the Beast at night was the one thing that Greg could really recall, yet he felt no fear, he knew it was his brother.

As he sat there, the sun fell below the horizon, and darkness unlike any at home settled in, it was the darkness of the Unknown when the sun has set. He shivered slightly but stayed where he was. Maybe Wirt would sense his presence, he wasn't sure, but he recalled Beatrice saying something about that once when they had been out and about, that the Beast could do that. So he sat and waited.

Not long afterwards, the sounds of rustling in the trees came to him, and he pulled Jason close, staring into the dark of the night, wondering who it could be. A shadow stepped out in front of him, a shadow darker than the night itself, the Beast, but it wasn't like the Beast he remembered. This one had a tall pointy thing on top of his head, the antlers sticking out near it, and he could hear the sound of a cloak swishing around. It was Wirt, he was certain of it. He heard a gasp come from the figure in front of him.

"Wirt?" He asked aloud tentatively, hugging Jason close.

"What are you doing out here, wandering soul?" That was not his brother's voice, but it was a voice that sent shivers up Greg's spine. It was the Beast talking, not Wirt.

"Wirt, I came to save you!" He smiled weakly.

"G-Greg?" It was Wirt! Greg grinned widely at hearing his brother's voice; so he was there! He was overjoyed at finally hearing that voice after months.

"Wirt, it's me! I came to save you!" Greg exclaimed.

"Greg…" Wirt's voice was cracking, though Greg didn't know why he'd be sad, "Greg,

You can't… save me."

"Yes I can! I don't care what the Woodsman said about you, I believe in you, Wirt."

"The foolish Woodsman should not have said anything." The Beast spoke.

"Wirt, you're there…"

"Silence!" The cold voice called. Greg trembled at it, looking up at his brother through the darkness, unable to see anything but those bright, white eyes that sometimes were ringed with insane neon colors.

Suddenly a strong branch lashed out, wrapping around his mouth, and Greg was silenced. Slowly the figure moved in front of him, but Greg was unable to see him because he had no light. His hands were being pulled behind his back, but he had Jason, he wouldn't let Jason Funderberker go, no! After the cold fingers that had been trying to tie his own hands stopped attempting to do this, Greg found his hand placed in the older boy's hand, but he was filled with terror at the feeling of the treelike hand. His mouth was still covered with the strange feeling wood of the branch.

They began to walk, and they walked until Greg felt that he could no longer feel his feet. Strange it was that Wirt carried no lantern, maybe he'd left it somewhere, as Greg remembered it being terribly important to the Beast in other times. Indeed, unbeknownst to him, Wirt had trusted a certain spot with the lantern, near Beatrice's house, actually. He was returning there tonight to pick it up.

Soon they arrived at that exact place. Greg didn't know where he was anymore, but as the Beast picked up the lantern from its spot, Greg got his first view of his brother. He made a muffled cry as he saw Wirt, who was worse than Greg had ever imagined. Fear had increasingly been mounting up in him, all the time they had walked, but now Greg felt as if he were being filled with it to the brink. As he did this, another figure appeared at the corner of his eyes, and Greg turned to face it. His heart thumped louder than it had before, which was so loud that he was surprised no one heard it, as Greg had remained terrified the entire time. It was a woman, a girl really, with red hair, something in her manner reminded him of someone. It was then that she spoke.

"Greg?" Beatrice asked.

Beatrice's POV:

The boy gave a muffled shout. Wirt shushed him quickly, then looked at her.

"Why would you tie him up like this? Wirt, he's your own brother!" She asked, outraged.

"He is a wandering soul." The Beast replied, and Beatrice stared hard at him.

"I'm about to knock some sense into you, Beast. Get it into your head. Why is he here in the first place?"

"I…I don't know." This time it was Wirt, and he sounded scared and uncertain.

"Mmmmm mm!" said Greg, muffled still.

"Let him speak." She commanded Wirt, and for once, he obeyed and let the tree branch move from Greg's mouth.

"I came to save Wirt!" Greg squeaked, his face lighting up.

"But how did you get here?" She asked, still astounded.

"I went into the pond and the current carried me here."

"Ponds don't have currents."

"I was carried by it." He replied, so desperately that she wanted to give him a hug. A boy his age shouldn't have to experience this, nor be here once, and especially not twice.

"I need to get him away from me." Wirt sounded desperate as well, but in a different way.

"And you came to me?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Beatrice?" The young boy was looking at her now, in astonishment.

"Yes, that's me, Greg. Just… not a bird anymore." She smiled softly.

"Oh. That would be a good reason that explains why I didn't know who you were at first."

She sighed and looked back up at The Beast/Wirt, who wore a weary look on his face. It was with pain that he was bringing Greg to her, obviously the Beast side wanted the younger boy dead, but Wirt was holding on and trying to keep himself sane just to hand Greg over before he attacked. Beatrice could read it in his eyes, in his movements, he was fighting so hard…

"Alright… I can take him. But I have yet to figure out how or why exactly he's here. You… you're going to need to stay away for a while." Though it pained her to sentence Wirt from Greg, from her- wait why was she worried about Wirt being away from her?- she knew it was for the best. The older boy clearly wanted it that way.

"Thank you, Beatrice." Wirt sounded relieved, but a grimace of pain went across his face suddenly, "You need to take him and leave, now."

Running over to Greg and picking him up, Beatrice threw one last look at the creature with the lantern before going into the house. Once inside, she breathed a sigh of relief. The Beast had been about to win over Wirt's conscience. Greg looked up at her with such a sad face that her heart seemed to shatter into pieces. She was sorry for having to take him away from his brother, but she knew it was for the best. Greg didn't seem to understand and was holding his frog close to him.

"Come along, Greg, I'm going to take you up to my room. We need to talk about a few things." She pulled his hand gently, and he followed willingly, allowing her to guide him up the stairs and into her room.

When they arrived, she pulled him onto the bed. Pulling a chair to sit in front of him, she looked at him softly. He seemed to be trying to ignore her for the moment.

"Greg?"

"Hmm?" He replied, still not looking her in the eyes.

"You… you did come back to save your brother, didn't you?"

He nodded. She sighed and reached out to rub his knee.

"It'll be okay. He'll be fine."
"No he won't."

"I guess I shouldn't try to hide the truth from you, should I?" It was with a deep sigh that she said this, realizing exactly how to approach the boy. She had to continue the way she had before. "You're … right, Greg. He won't be. Not unless we do something about it, and I'm ready to do something about it."

"I am too!" He said, but without that normal happiness that she knew Greg for.

"Well good. Now we just need to find a way to get to Wirt…"

Sighing, she looked at the ground. His heart was still thumping hard, she could tell, and she could also tell he was calming down slightly now; but he was still scared, very scared. No doubt seeing his brother like that was worse than he'd thought, or expected. It was worse than Beatrice had thought or expected. Now they could only get to Wirt during the night…

"Well, I suppose we ought to wait until morning to do anything. You can sleep in my bed, if you'd like, Greg. I'll move to the floor." Beatrice had always been taught to treat guests kindly and give them first serve, but was surprised when he shook his head.

"I'll sleep on the floor. Jason Funderberker won't be happy if I sleep on a different bed than normal." He shook his head slowly, finally raising his eyes to look at her, and they were filled with tears. Her gut twisted, she felt horrible for not being able to help him now.

"Okay, if that's what you want, Greg."

After attaining sheets and an extra pillow, Beatrice set up the bed on the floor for Greg and changed into her night gown in a different room before climbing into her own. Lying there in her bed, she listened to Greg muttering to his frog softly, no doubt telling Jason all about the plans he had, or how sad he was over his brother. A small sliver of hatred stabbed into her heart when she thought of Wirt and what he had done to himself, what the Beast had done. It was obviously the Beast's fault but if she had known any better it was that Wirt was giving in more than he should at this point. He was becoming the Beast.

A/N: Yay! Okay, well, that was chapter six! It may have seemed a bit shorter than the last one, but the next one will probably be long as well. I also hope it didn't seem too rushed, I think it went along at a good pace but that is merely just the author speaking in my mind, the story needs to keep flowing, thus it shall. Also if the reactions weren't quite what you expected or wanted… wait until the Beast is further in control and we're farther in. Then you'll get your reactions from our lovely characters. (hehehehe) Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please, review, review, review!