I own nothing.

I present: La belle et la Bête

Ships: Rusame, minor Sufin and Fruk

Fem America-Abigail
Fem Finland-Tiina
Ukraine-Anichka

Tale as old as time,

Song as old as rhyme,

Beauty and the Beast.

A fine, early January morning in Rovaniemi. Abigail woke as her father and uncles came through the cabin door carrying the game that they had trapped. She heard her uncle Mathias say something along the lines of how he'll take the game to the butcher after breakfast, her father say how he and uncle Lukas will reset the traps and that uncle Emil will stay with Abigail.

Abigail sighed.

It was how it always was ever since her mother's disappearance. Abigail was the only child and only daughter and her father and uncles were not about to let anything happen to her. She saw where they were coming from, but it was annoying.

She was never left or went anywhere alone.

She got up to greet her father and uncles before she started to cook breakfast. While she cooked, she eavesdropped on her family.

"-gone for a few days. A week at most. You'll take care of her right?" her father asked.

"Berwald, I am offended that you would even think we wouldn't. She's our little princess." Mathias said.

I am not little or a princess! Abigail thought.

"Abigail isn't a princess. She's at least a shield maiden."

Thank you uncle Emil.

"I still cannot believe you taught her to use your battle axe. That was reckless and very dangerous and if Tiina was there, she would have ripped you to pieces." Lukas scolded.

There was a moment of silence. None of them had seen Tiina since Abigail was six years old. She went to see her cousin Elizaveta and on the way, the group she was with just...disappeared.

After breakfast, her father and uncles went to work. Emil stayed near the house and Abigail stayed near her books with the dog at her feet.

...

Abigail watched her father leave with Hanatamago. Soon his figure began to get blurry and she felt something wet on her cheek.

"Come her little Musling. It's going to be alright. If that bear of a father doesn't make it, you'll have your awesome uncles to take care of you." Mathias pulled her into a hug.

Abigail sniffed.

"Mathias..." Lukas warned.

"What? She misses her dad and I'm just reassuring her that I will take care of her in the unlikely event that her father does not survive in the wild."

"Berwald is going to die?!" Emil cried.

Lukas pulled Emil into a protective hug as if he could protect him from their brother's stupidity.

"No Berwald is not going to die! Honestly Mathias, we have two panicking teenagers so stop saying that Berwald is going to die!" Lukas grouched.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be a supportive uncle to our very sad niece!" He tightened his grip on Abigail.

"Well, great! They're both crying!"

"What do we do? I am in no way prepared for crying teenagers. Small children yes, but not teenagers!" Mathias stressed.

"This would not have happened if you opened your mouth!" Lukas argued.

The two brothers continued to argue long after Abigail and Emil were finished crying over whether or not Berwald was going to die.

In place of the usual family horror story before bed, it was Lukas and Mathias's argument over the probability that Berwald would mauled by a bear or stabbed by the antlers of a reindeer.

After a week of being away from his family and his only little girl… 'Little girl.' Berwald groaned.

'Abigail was not little anymore. When did she grow to be like her mother?' he wondered.

"I am going to have to chase suitors off with Mathias's axe." he spoke to the trees and to Hana. Or was it to Tiina. If he spoke to himself often enough, would she answer him and come home?

And what happened to her?

The wind started to pick up and snow began to fall rapidly.

Berwald was fighting against the wind to take a single step and the poor dog was barely able to. He was walking in the woods blind and he came into contact with a broken gate of a dark, abandoned castle that popped out against the white. He went through the gate and the strangest thing happened.

The storm stopped.

Or rather, the storm did not affect the castle or its grounds and just raged outside the gate.

It was very late and the castle looked abandoned so Berwald trudged to the gigantic doors.

The entrance hall was dark and gloomy. No light other than what came through the door and windows came into the hall. Berwald and little Hanatamago pitter patted into one of the side rooms where, to their surprise, a fire was lit. Feeling too tired to care, they fell asleep.

...

Berwald woke in a cold dungeon. No fire to keep him warm and no Hanatamago in sight.

Only a beast.

Or rather the outline of it.

That alone was a little fearsome.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I am the master of this castle and you are the thief."

"Where's my dog? I do not care what you do to me but do not hurt my dog."

"She is giving you a chance to escape. If she returns with a family member of yours that will take your place as my prisoner, you will go home." It growled.

"That would never happen. I have no family members." Berwald lied.

"Then I take it that Abigail means nothing to you and Mathias, Lukas, and Emil are just friends." the thing coldly said.

Berwald froze. He vaguely remembered a nightmare about his daughter disappearing like her mother and his brothers not looking for her.

"They will not come." But not even Berwald could believe it.

Abigail was home alone for a change. It was a nice change to not have her uncles breathing down her neck at every waking moment, but it was a little nerve wracking. So why did she feel impending anticipation? She knew that something was about to happen, but she did not know what.

It has been almost a month since her father left and she missed him so much.

"YIP!"

Abigail knew that bark! It was Hana and that meant that her father was home!

"Father!" Abigail ran out of the house and out the door to greet her father but all she saw was the little dog.

The dog jumped and yipped and licked her cheeks because she was so happy to see her human.

"Hana, where is dad?" she asked the dog.

Hana whimpered.

"He is hurt? Where? Take me!" Abigail grabbed her coat and a walking stick.

And the girl followed her dog into the woods.

...

"Mathias, where is Abigail?"

"She was with Lukas when I last saw her."

"Mathias, do not give up sass. You were with her when I went into town." Emil bickered.

"I checked the traps because Mathias was with her. Now where is she?!" Lukas yelled.

The sudden realization that they had a missing teenage niece dawned on them.

"Vi." Mathias whispered

"Erum." Emil continued.

"Knullet." Lukas finished.

Abigail followed the puppy's pawprints in the snow as the tiny dog jumped into hers. She lost track of the days as she ventured onward and barely gave any thought to her uncles when her father was somewhere in the woods and injured.

(The three uncles in question are currently searching for her but with a fresh snow fall that is proving to be difficult.)

When they got close to where Berwald was, Hana ran infront of Abigail and tried to run but the snow was higher than the dog. Abigail saw the castle and guessed that was where Hana was headed. She opened the gate and the dog bolted to the castle doors.

Abigail opened the doors and followed the little dog inside. It was dark except for the golden candelabra with its lit candles. Abigail gripped it around the golden angel's waist and jogged after her dog. She thought that she heard a faint "Ohon hon hon", but ignored it and the pitter patter after it.

The dog race down multiple stairways and into the dungeon in the basement and finally led her mistress to a cell in the back where a tired man lay.

"Far!" Abigail cried with relief. "Du lever!"

She tried to open the lock but she didn't have the key.

"Abigail, get out of here! NU!" He pushed her away.

"Not without you Far." She grabbed his hands. They were cold as ice.

"Abigail, please go home! I'll find a way and...are your uncles here?"

"...No."

"I'm going to kill them."

"Please tell me who put you in here."

"Min söta, It cannot be reasoned with! You need to leave!" her father begged.

"Not without you!" Abigail protested.

Her father opened his mouth to tell her to leave one last time but he was stopped.

There was a gigantic roar that shook the castle and an orange paw violently ripped her away from her father. She couldn't cry out. She tried to but the scream could not get past her throat.

Abigail could barely hear her father's curses and pleads to let her go.

"You should not be here." The creature growled.

"Let him go!"

It let out a snort. "You are a little mouse. Not a good enough trade."

"Please let my father go!"

"No."

"Please! I'll do anything!"

'Anything? This could get interesting…'

"Anything?" He hissed.

"Yes!" she grunted as he dragged her behind him. "I'll take his place!"

That got him to stop.

Would she really take her father's place?

"You'll stay here of your free will?"

"Yes."

"In exchange for his freedom you would give up yours?"

"Yes!"

"You will never be able to leave. You can never run away. You can not attempt suicide."

"Of course."

The beast turned and looked at her. She wore a light blue cloak that hid her face but not her wild blonde hair. She was small like a little mouse. Well compared to what he was now. Her courage was not like a mouse. An eagle, perhaps, or a kitten.

"Good." He proceeded to take her up the stairs in the opposite direction of the door and shoved her in. "Don't leave."

'Could she be the one?'

"Oh you twit, we must change how you act around young ladies. Particularly that young lady." The clock scolded.

"How else would she have stayed?" he barked.

"Perhaps if you asked her to stay in exchange for the freedom of her father, she would not feel like a prisoner."

"Is that not what I just did?" He tilted his head and he looked like a confused puppy.

"Nevermind." The clock said.

'Could she be the one? She could be but then again, she could not.'

"Where is my daughter? What did you do to her!?" The man yelled. He could be scary if he wasn't sick.

"Safe. She offered her freedom for yours in exchange."

The man protested and demanded that he let 'Abigail' go instead.

Not a chance.

The man lay outside of the gate and grieved with the little dog over his daughter's fate. He'll get up and leave eventually.

What he now wanted was to get that girl a meal. She looked as if she hadn't had a meal for a few days and she weighed like it.

The stove's burners flared from his sudden entrance into the kitchens.

"I want a meal fit for a princess. We have a guest."

"What does this mean Toris?" The teapot, Miss. Väinämöinen asked.

"I don't know. Have you seen Peter?" He asked as the other knives and kitchen utencils began to move and prepare a feast.

Miss Väinämöinen hopped away to look for her son.

...

Abigail followed the beast numbly as he lead her to what was going to be her room. She thought that she was going crazy when she heard a small voice.

"Hei!"

She stopped and so did the Beast.

Abigail looked around but when the Beast knelt and held out its orange paw. Now that she thought about it, he resembled a mix between a white bear, a tiger, and a wolf.

She watched as a small teacup hopped on to his paw and said hello to her in perfect Finnish.

"H-hei. Puhut suomeksi?" She whispered.

"Joo. My mother taught me!" The teacup smiled at her. "My name's Peter!"

"Abigail."

The teacup jumped out of the beast's hands and Abigail panicked and caught the falling teacup.

"Peter please don't do that again. Your mother would skin me alive." The beast groaned.

"He's adorable."

"Yes. I find him to be good company and a good laugh at times." the Beast said fondly.

"Mister, would you tell my mom?"

He paused. "No."

"Will you tell my mom Miss?"

"No."

"This can be our secret." Peter filled the silence with his chatter of everything. Slowly, Abigail began to feel that what the Beast said was true; Peter was good company.

...

After the initial shock of finding that the wardrobe was alive, Abigail felt fine.

Anichka was very nice and gave her a new dress to wear while her old one was getting washed and stitched back up.

Abigail looked at herself in the mirror and thought that she could even be pretty. She heard from her uncles how similar to her mother she was. Blonde hair and petite, yes.

But that is where it ended.

She had freckles. Her hair was more like her father's than her mother's. Her hair was more curly than her mother's and that annoyed Abigail when her home was warmer than usual. And most of all, she had blue eyes. Not her mother's warm doe eyes, cold blue eyes like her father.

"You look beautiful." Anichka broke her train of thought.

Abigail looked at the dress instead. The puffy white sleeves were soft and she liked the blue of the sarafan. She could almost be hypnotized by the stitching. She and Anichka jumped when there was a knock on the door.

"Abigail," the Beast cleared it's throat. "There is food ready."

"Go on." Anichka whispered and gave her a nudge.

Abigail shook a little.

"He is not as bad as you think. Go on." This time when she pushed, Abigail walked to the door and left the safety of the room.

...

He looked at the little mouse. She was very timid. That brave face she wore, he knew it was fake and he knew she knew it was a fake. He had to admit, she looked beautiful in his sister's dress. Her hair looked more tame except for that small strand that insisted on defying gravity.

"I'm not going to eat you, Malen'kaya mysh'. The moon and the sun would mourn for days over the loss of you."

WHY DID HE SAY THAT?! OH HE WAS GOING TO GO CRAWL IN A HOLE AND DIE!

Wait-was she blushing? She was!

"What does malen'kaya mysh' mean?"

Holy дерьмо her Russian made him want to jump off a cliff it was so adorable.

"It means little mouse."

"Why did you call me that?"

"Because you are a little mouse." he chuckled.

Oh her face was now very red.

"I am not a little mouse." She hissed.

That got a laugh out of him.

For the first time, Abigail got a good look at his eyes. They were beautiful.

...

Watching the two, a very British clock and a very French candelabra bickered over when the spell was going to be broken.

"I say it's going to be three months." The Brit said.

"Non, I say that it will take them a little longer than three months. They are both shy and similar in some ways." The French candelabra said.

"I propose a wager. Winner chooses what the looser has to do."

"Naturally."

Winter fell to Spring and Abigail was watching Peter with Ivan.

Ivan recently told her his name. After all, she couldn't keep calling him Beast.

He was very gentle with the little teacup. She wanted to meet Peter's mother, Miss Väinämöinen, but whenever Abigail went looking for her, she couldn't find her. Shame.

"Sorry to bother dear, but do you need anything?" A very pretty teapot asked.

"Sorry to bother dear, but do you need anything?" A very pretty teapot with light blue swirls asked.

"No. Not right now. But thank you."

Before the teapot could hop away, Abigail asked a question that made the tea inside her turn cold.

"Are you Miss Väinämöinen? Peter's mother?"

"Yes. I am."

"You know, Väinämöinen was my mother's maiden name. Do you have a family member named Tiina that went missing almost twelve years ago?"

'This is my daughter?'

"I am Tiina." the teapot whispered.

Abigail picked up the pot and carefully hugged it tightly. "What happened to you?" Abigail cried softly.

"Pikkutyttöni, you grew up so beautiful!" her mother cried.

"Äiti…"

"I went to see my cousin Felicks with Toris but I went into labor with your brother. We were in this castle when Ivan became cursed and became cursed as well. Oh pikkutyttöni, I am so sorry!"

"It's not your fault. You had no control over what happened in the past. I forgive you."

Abigail's mother continued to cry. The tea began to whistle.

"You know, Far has not remarried." Abigail said to comfort her mother.

"Were there any women?"

"Not one. They were not you. He refused to believe that you were dead and searched whenever he could."

"Oh that man...Peter is your brother. What do you think about that?"

"I think that it is a lot to take in when one finds that their mother and baby brother have been turned into china."

...

Ivan watched Abigail as she conversed with Miss Väinämöinen. He didn't think that he could admit to her, but he had grown fond of the malen'kaya mysh'.

Very fond.

If he wanted to If he wanted to give her a gift, what would it be?

He already carried her to the sea shore many leagues away. He found a piece of the amber that had caught her eye and pocketed it. It was too small for a necklace but not to big for a ring…

"Penny for your thoughts." Francis spoke up.

"What do get for a woman how has caught your fancy but is technically your prisoner through a deal that has been made in exchange for her father's freedom?"

Oh Lord.

Francis smile looked liked an imp's.

"I have long awaited this day! Now, have you noticed how often Abigail reads?"

Ivan paused.

"She starts a new book early in the morning and finishes the book by dinner."

"So, she has nearly read most of, if not all, of the books in her room. I think it is about time that you showed her the library. I can almost see how her eyes will light up at all the new worlds that you have to offer her, her smile when you say, 'I have a surprise'." And not to mention the look on Arthur's face when I win the bet!

Ivan thought about it, and the pros outweighed the cons. He might even confess to her.

"Thank you Francis." He scampered off to mentally prepare for this.

...

Ivan felt his heart in his throat and he was pretty sure that he left his stomach in another room. Outside, he was calm and collected. Inside his mind he was internally screaming profanities and all the infinite possibilities that this could go bad. He was very tempted to turn around and run but then he would have to find Abigail another surprise and that would be horrible because nothing would be as amazing as a gigantic library.

"What is in this room. I've never seen it."

"This is your surprise. Go in." Ivan watched her. Her eyes held suspicion and...was that a grin?

She pulled open the doors and the light blinded her for a second but when she realized she was standing in the doorway of a library, she pinched herself.

"I'm dreaming. That is the only explanation." She murmured.

Ivan took her hand in his paw and began to lead her around the library. It was the greatest sight he had ever seen. Abigail's eyes eyes lit up and her smile was as blinding as the sun. She practically skipped the entire tour of the library.

"Is it to your liking?"

"I love it!" She whispered. "I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE IT" She threw her arms around Ivan in a bear hug.

He picked her up and spun her around.

When they both realized what she had said, they froze. Still in the other's arms.

"Really?" He asked.

"Really really." She confirmed.

Then the most peculiar thing happen just then. Light began to surround Ivan and within seconds it was gone and where Ivan stood, there was a tall, handsome man where he once stood.

Abigail stood in shock. She just got used to the soft and fuzzy fur and the purring and now there was a handsome man in front of her.

The man recovered faster than she did. He watched his hands out of fear that they turn back into paws. He had silver hair and was tall like a bear. But then Abigail saw his eyes.

They were her Ivan's eyes.

"Ivan?"

Those eyes fell on hers.

The two ran to the other's arms and stayed there for an eternity.

At least that is what it felt like before they were rudely interrupted by two blond fellows, one with long blood hair and a French accent and the other with humongous eyebrows and a stuffy British accent, arguing over whether or not Arthur had to do what the French man wanted.

As Francis and Arthur explained how everyone was now human again, Abigail and Ivan thought about how nice it was to have the other.

...

Mathias, Lukas, and Emil did not know what to do.

They had found Berwald in the middle of the woods, frozen and muttering Abigail's name over and over. When they brought him home, he said that a beast had gotten Abigail.

With Tiina's disappearance, it was hard to deal with but Berwald got better. He had to because he had to take care of Abigail. Now that Abigail was dea... not dead.

Missing.

Now that Abigail was missing, Berwald had closed himself off.

Mathias watched as Emil tried to get Berwald eat and sleep. He watched as Lukas wore himself out as he had to take care of multiple things at once.

Mathias had tracked his brother's route many time in search for his lille kæreste but found nothing. Not benigma able to handle the silence anymore, Mathias took his sword and the dog and slammed the door on his way out.

Kære Gud.

Was he dreaming?

It was Tiina. And...and Abigail! With a twelve year old boy and a princely man.

Berwald was going to get out of bed for this!

Next: Cinderella with Ameliet