Cherry came out of her bedroom and looked a little exhausted as she passed Atticus, Mo, and Patch on the way.
"Hi, Cherry," Mo smiled apologetically. "How'd you sleep last night?"
"Another nightmare..." Cherry shivered, she suffered the worst from Forte's reign of terror on Christmas night.
"I'm sure it'll get better." Atticus said.
"I guess so..." Cherry sighed. "Feels like I'll never stop having these nightmares."
The group decided to come into the dining room as Cogsworth was lighting the chandelier.
"Chandeliera, you look radiant," Cogsworth smiled to the chandelier. "Together, you and Lumiere will be the perfect light will be the perfect light."
"Height, you say?" Chandeliera asked. "And what does our height have to do with anything?"
"He said 'light'." Patch said.
"What? Well, why didn't you say that in the first place," Chandeliera smiled smugly as Lumiere came onto the table. "So, it's to be the two of us, eh? Won't that be marvelous?"
"Of course, madame." Lumiere bowed to the chandelier.
"Hey, you guys have any extra food lying around?" Mo asked Cogsworth. "I know Belle and the Beast have a meal alone together coming up, but we're hungry."
"Oh, I'm sure we have some extra food for you all." Cogsworth said.
"Great." Atticus and Patch smiled.
"Ah, hello, Cherry, how did you sleep?" Cogsworth asked.
Cherry sighed. "I'm afraid I had another nightmare."
"Oh, dear..." Cogsworth frowned.
"Zhat would explain your eyes." Lumiere said.
"What's wrong with my eyes?!" Cherry panicked slightly.
"They're kinda red and puffy..." Patch replied softly.
"Yeah." Mo nodded in agreement.
Cherry looked into the window and saw that her eyes were kind of bloodshot and sighed. "Insomnia is a cruel mistress."
"Huh?" Patch asked, confused.
"Insomnia is basically when you can't sleep." Mo explained.
"Ohh." Patch said.
"Yeah... It's terrible..." Cherry folded her arms. "I've only slept 45 minutes a night for the past week!"
"Let's get you kids some food before the Master comes for his meal with Belle." Cogsworth changed the subject.
"I agree." Atticus said.
"Come along then." Cogsworth took them into the kitchen.
Atticus, Mo, Patch, and Cherry followed him into the kitchen. Mrs. Potts was getting cleaned up and smiled to the three children and one puppy.
"Hello, Mrs. Potts." the four greeted.
"Hello, dears." Mrs. Potts smiled back to them.
"You sure are getting yourself cleaned up." Patch smiled.
"I'm just excited for Belle and the Master, they're going to have their first dinner together." Mrs. Potts smiled back.
"It really is exciting." Mo smiled.
Cherry yawned. "Yeah, sure sounds like it..." she said, both sleepily and drearily.
"Would you dears like some soup?" Mrs. Potts offered. "I've made some chicken soup for you all because it's so cold today."
"Yes, please." The four said.
"Help yourselves." Mrs. Potts smiled.
Atticus picked up one bowl and put it down on the floor for Patch, then took out spoons for him and the girls and they then started to eat their chicken soup.
"Mm, delicious." Mo smiled.
"Clears the sinuses." Cherry chuckled as she ate her soup.
"It feels like my body is getting a power boost." Atticus smiled.
"Oh, Atticus..." Cherry sighed, slightly rolling her eyes.
"This is the best soup I've ever had." Patch smiled.
"Oh, well, enjoy." Mrs. Potts smiled.
Cogsworth was now coming to the Beast to announce to him that dinner was served. After finishing their bowls of soup, Patch and Atticus decided to see how Cogsworth was doing.
"Oh, hello, boys." Cogsworth smiled to them.
"Hey, Cogsworth." Atticus and Patch smiled.
"May I help you?" Cogsworth asked as he was about to go into the Beast's room.
"We just wanted to see if we could come along." Patch said, using his puppy dog eyes in case Cogsworth said no.
"Um, well, I guess you could..." Cogsworth shrugged. "I see no harm in that."
"Thanks, Cogsworth." Atticus smiled.
Cogsworth smiled back.
The Beast was with a moving quill as he was making out a letter. "And send twenty cords of wood to the castle. Send it now because..."
"Because you say so," the quill replied. "Yes, that's it! No... No. No. Wait. Wait. Ah. Because you need it."
Patch listened in through the door to find out if now was a good time.
"Yes, because I need it," the Beast said to the quill, finishing the letter. "Sincerely and so forth."
Patch soon knocked on the door the only way any normal dog could.
The Beast turned to the door. "Hello?"
Patch opened the door with a smile. "Good evening, sir." he then bowed to the Beast.
"Oh, good evening, Patch." The Beast said.
"What were you doing?" Patch asked curiously.
"Sending a letter out," the Beast said as the paper folded up into a scroll and was wrepped up as the living stack up paper stood up beside the quill.
"Witherspoon!" the paper called out.
A pigeon flew into the castle window and came to the quill and paper and gave them a salute.
"You know the way!" the paper called out as the pigeon took the paper and flew off.
"Um, sir, we just wanted to inform you that dinner is ready." Cogsworth said as he and Atticus came in.
"Dinner is served, a meal exquisite in every detail as is our company. " Lumiere jumped up.
"She makes me nervous, guys," the Beast said, referring to Belle. "Why is that?"
"You are in love." Atticus said.
"Yes, yes," Lumiere agreed. "She is a woman."
"Hmm..." the Beast hummed as he thought Atticus was right. "Tell me how to impress her."
"A kiss of zhe hand should serve you well," Lumiere suggested. "Done properly will 'ave a charming affect."
"Really?" Patch asked.
"Oh, yes, yes..." Lumiere agreed.
Cogsworth then left to go fetch Belle and tell her that dinner was ready.
"Oh, Cherry, how are you this evening?" Belle asked the perky goth.
"Another nightmare..." Cherry shuddered.
"Oh, dear..." Belle frowned.
"Yeah..." Cherry sighed and stared at the floor.
"I've been reading the most wonderful book." Belle then said, hoping a subject change would make things easier on Cherry.
"Well, perhaps you can tell us all about it at dinner," Cogsworth said to her. "Things have been pleasantly tranquil with him of late."
"That's good." Mo said.
"Tranquil?" Belle was surprised by the mantle clock's choice of words.
"Well, I meant only to refer to how well you and his grace have been getting along." Cogsworth replied.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure if tranquil is the right word." Cherry spoke up.
"Same here." Belle agreed.
A book then opened up and spoke to them, using synonyms. "Calm, serene, in a world: Harmonious."
"I guess we really shoudn't be surprised by this." Mo said, referring to the book talking.
"That is a good word," Belle smiled to the enchanted book. "You're a very smart dictionary."
"And who might you be?" Cherry asked.
"Allow me to present myself," the book replied. "Webster, at your service."
"Pleased to meet you." Mo smiled.
"Won't you join us?" Belle invited the book to dinner.
"But of course, for I am, after all, indispensable, irreplaceable, essentially." Webster replied.
"Hmph!" Cogsworth seemed jealous of Webster showing off his intelligence to the peasant girl.
"A simple yes would have worked." Mo said.
The Beast was pacing nervously in the dining room as he waited for Belle to arrive for their dinner date.
"I'm sure she's on her way." Atticus assured him.
As if on cue, Belle then arrived with the others.
"Mademoiselle, your presence here this evening, warms my heart." the Beast bowed to Belle and kissed her hand after taking it into his large paw.
Belle was surprised by the kind gesture. "Why, thank you."
"He must have taken some advice from Lumiere." Mo whispered to Cherry.
Cherry nodded in agreement. Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts cheered as Belle and the Beast were now going to sit down to have their dinner.
'Nothing could ruin this moment.' Patch thought to himself.
The two then sat down to have their dinner.
Cherry, Atticus, Mo, and Patch already ate, they were welcome to watch if they wanted to or do whatever they wanted to fill their time. Belle was then talking about the story she was reading which happened to be about Cinderella.
"How is there a story about Cinderella here?" Atticus whispered to Cherry.
Cherry opened her mouth, then closed it before having a major meltdown. "Paradox! Paradox! Paradox!"
"Okay, Cherry, calm down." Mo said.
Cherry hyperventilated and looked like she was going to have a seizure or something. Atticus slapped her across the face.'
"Thanks." Cherry calmed herself down then.
"Good thing that was only half my strength." Atticus said.
"Still hurt." Cherry said.
"Oh, grow up." Atticus mumbled.
Chandeliera seemed to be overdoing it with her flames which suddenly made the room a little too warm.
"Chandeliera, cool it with the flames." Atticus whispered.
"Yes, you're bright!" Lumiere agreed.
"But of course!" Chandeliera misunderstood what he meant by that. "I'm exceptionally intelligent. Doesn't take a genius to tell you that!"
"Lumiere, could you tell Chandeliera to stop increasing the flames? It's getting a little hot in here." Atticus whispered.
"I'm trying!" Lumiere replied, quietly though so he wouldn't ruin Belle and the Beast's date. "Chandeliera, your light is too bright, you'll spoil the mood!"
"Boil the food?" Chandeliera asked. "Oh, goodness, no, that's the cook's job!"
"But the evil step-mother forbids it, not until her work is finished," Belle continued talking about her latest story. "Isn't that terrible?"
"Maybe Atticus can blow the candles out a bit." Patch whispered.
"Um... Heh..." Atticus felt nervous about that due to how strong he had been lately.
The Beast gripped his collar as he felt a little hot.
"Is something wrong?" Belle noticed that.
"Oh, uh, it's a little warm in here that's all," the Beast replied. "Please continue."
"Quickly, you better blow out the flames before it's too late." Mo whispered.
Atticus then took a breath. Cherry ducked down quickly. Mo and Patch followed afterwards and where then Atticus blew with all his might at the flames on the enchanted chandelier.
"Well, I never!" Chandeliera glared at Atticus. "How could you do that?!"
"Shh!" Lumiere shushed her sharply.
"Please forgive me." Atticus whispered to the enchanted chandelier.
"Hmph!" Chandeliera looked insulted.
The Beast still felt hot. "Open the window." he then demanded to Cogsworth.
"But, your eminence," Cogsworth replied nervously and worriedly. "The air could cause a chill."
"How is he still hot?" Patch whispered.
"Maybe it's his fur." Mo shrugged.
The Beast tried to ignore his heat, then demanded the window to be opened. Cogsworth then opened the window and made a big cold breeze come which made Cherry, Atticus, Mo, and Patch instantly shiver.
"Are you still warm?" Belle asked.
"Mm-hmm..." the Beast nodded.
"The others are getting cold." Belle said as she saw the others shivering from the winter air.
"Well, perhaps they should leave the room." the Beast suggested rather rudely.
"I think that might be for the best." Atticus said.
"That's not very congenial." Belle said to the Beast.
"What?" the Beast was not familiar with that word.
"Congenial," Webster spoke up. "Cordial, pleasant, agreeable, and for a definitive definition-"
"I don't have to be con-con... Well, it's my castle and I make the rules," the Beast glared back at Belle. "It's my castle and I make the rules."
"Maybe we should leave the room." Mo smiled nervously.
Cherry sniffled and then sneezed loudly. "I don't feel so good, guys..."
Belle didn't like the Beast's behavior and decided to spend some time away from him.
"I think maybe we should get to our rooms." Patch said.
The others nodded and went to their rooms for the rest of the time.