"Maestro, Cerise, why are you up?" Angelique sounded alarmed. "You should be in bed, getting zome rest!"
"We need to speak to everyone." Forte tells her.
"What is wrong?" Angelique sounded worried now.
"It's a long story..." Cherry said softly and urgently.
"So please, help us round everyone so we can tell them all." Forte requests.
"So please, help us round everyone so we can tell them all." Forte requests.
"Very well..." Angelique agreed. "Cerise, are you well?"
"Not the best time of my life..." Cherry mumbled as she felt more miserable than usual.
Forte held her hand still. Cherry felt attached to him and even clung to him. Angelique helped them to the nearest resident. Forte requested they come along. Mrs. Potts nodded, and went to find a few others though.
Cherry looked paler than Forte, which sounded very disturbing and critical, but she held onto him. Angelique found Fife and told him and to spread the word all through the castle. She then went off to find anyone else as Fife stood there after she left. He looked to his mentor and Cherry, but then went off, he had a feeling about those two. Forte watched them go.
Cherry flopped against Forte and held him, starting to sniffle and cry again, this felt like a true nightmare come true. Forte carefully hugged her.
Adam came over to the two. "I just heard... Please tell me it's not true..."
Forte looked serious. "I'm afraid it is." he says.
"This isn't good..." Adam looked unwell now. "How are you sure?"
"Cerise had a dream about it, and I can tell that even though it was a dream, it was real..." Forte says.
"I see..." Adam remarked softly.
"I don't understand... How could my dream even know...?" Cherry said softly. "I don't have superpowers..."
"You don't have to have superpowers." Forte says quietly.
Cherry looked into his eyes.
"You two should really get back to bed..." Adam advised, worried about them.
"We need to tell everyone." Forte says, denying about going back to bed.
Adam was worried for them, but he understood. "We'll tell everyone..."
Forte nodded.
Adam looked to Cherry. "She looks really bad... She looks as pale as you..."
"But you can still see me..." Cherry weakly joked due to how pale Forte already was.
Forte looked down at her, examining her face carefully.
Cherry looked very dizzy and her eyes were widened slightly. This meant that she was about to faint and couldn't respond very well, but she would hear her name, anything else would sound like she was underwater.
Forte managed to lift her up and looked at Adam. "Will you inform everyone... Master?" He asks.
Cherry didn't respond, her eyes were shut now, but her head seemed to hang low.
"Yes, I will... You two take care..." Adam replied and went off to tell anyone he could about this. Who knew how Belle would take it?
Gaston laughed. "Yes... It's a very long story..." he then noticed Katie. "Well, hello there... You must be new in town..."
Katie nodded curtly. He, she could be cold with.
"Where'd you come from then?" Gaston patted Katie on the head, not caring it caused some sort of discomfort.
Katie ducked from under his hand. "Originally England." she says, her voice a bit cold.
"You know the rules there, right?" Gaston mocked her slightly. "Speak when spoken to?"
This made some of the men laugh. Paula played with the rose as she sort of blended in with the others.
"Only if the one being spoken to is worthy." Katie says, her face with a fake charming grin.
"Oh, you must know that I am worthy..." Gaston glared down to her, looking like he might hurt her, but he didn't then.
Katie quietly scoffed. She looked over at Avenant. Avenant tried to avoid any sort of contact with his long dead brother.
"Gaston, if ya didn't die, then what happened to ya after you fell?" one of the barmen asked.
Gaston wasn't exactly sure what or how to answer that. Katie wanted to go over and to get away from Gaston, but she had to be good. Gaston just rolled his eyes to her for now and joined the others. Paula did her best to stay quiet since no one was talking to her, she might face painful consequences if she spoke out of turn.
Katie stuck her tongue out at Gaston as he walked away. 'Baka.' she thinks.
Gaston saw his younger brother and started to have some 'fun' with him. Katie looked at Paula then at the group of men.
"What did you think of the girl you saw, she's Ave's fiancee." the man grinned.
"Seems like pickin' the best women runs in the family." another man chuckled.
Gaston always just had to have someone better than everybody else, even though Paula's sisters were practically throwing themselves at him, he was more interested in Belle. Then again, it was all part of being a man, he wasn't going to let 'Little Ave' take Katie though, he should have her instead. Katie heard them talking about her and blushed. She looked out of the window.
Paula decided to have a seat next to her while Gaston thought about Katie and caught up with the other men he had known as his best friends and had always looked up to him. Katie blinked and turned her attention to Paula. Paula fiddled with the rose, visibly cringing as the men had such loud and boisterous laughter. Katie glanced over and scowled at Gaston.
Avenant looked to his brother, then noticed something. "Where did you get that rose?"
Gaston looked to see he had one, he didn't know where it came from himself, but he decided to make something up that would win the others' attention and admiration. "It's for a lovely lady... You wouldn't understand."
"Ooh, who's the lucky girl~?" The man grins.
Katie had to get up to the men and whispered that she was just popping to the bathroom a moment, just to Avenant though. She then headed off towards it. Gaston watched Katie go, he had desired Belle before, but he now seemed more interested with her, mostly because Avenant had found her first and he could care less about his younger brother's feelings. Katie did her business and even managed to wash her hands with clean water. She came out, just finishing drying her hands on the sides of her skirt. Paula and Avenant were sitting close to each other, but not speaking with the other.
"Hello, little lady." Gaston greeted Katie once she came out to the main room.
Katie blinked, looking up at him. "Au Revoir." she scoffs, frowning and trying to get past.
Gaston grabbed her arm. "It would be wise not to ignore me, little lady."
Katie tried to tug free. "I said 'Au Revoir', monsieur... Now release me." she says, her eyes narrowing.
"No, I don't think I will..." Gaston growled, tightening his grip.
Paula and Avenant looked to see them, it didn't look good from their angle and it couldn't be any better if they were closer.
"Let go!" Katie says, her voice sharp and icy. Luckily it hid the pain of how he tightened his grip.
A few of the others looked to see Gaston and Katie.
"No... I think I'll stick around you instead." Gaston laughed a little.
Katie clenched her fist and tried to punch him. Unladylike yes, but this was honor at stake. "I'm engaged to your brother!" She scowled.
Gaston narrowed his eyes to her rejection, he never did take rejection well. "Don't they tell you in your 'Jolly Old London'?" He glared as he didn't leave her alone. "I'm older and that means I get married first."
Katie's fist met with his face. "Well I am not from London!" She growls.
"England, London, same thing." Gaston rolled his icy blue eyes slightly.
Katie looked slightly more wide eyed. Her punch hadn't affected him. "Not the same thing." she sneers and once again tried to get free.
"Come now..." Gaston wouldn't let her go. "Avenant doesn't deserve you..."
Avenant overheard that and he set a glare to his brother. Paula looked slightly angered as well, what did her sisters see in that oaf? She was just glad that she wasn't as brainless as they were.
"He deserves better than you do." Katie says. She stamped on his foot.
Gaston actually did flinch from that foot stomping and let her go as he was in pain right now. Katie walked quickly away and headed towards Avenant. Gaston glared at Katie as she left, he wasn't going to let her get away with that. He stumbled a bit, but he followed her again and grabbed her arm again.
"Let her go!" Avenant demanded to his brother.
"No, she must pay for the consequences of her actions!" Gaston glared back.
Katie stumbled as his grabbing her arm, made her suddenly stop.
Gaston had an evil smirk. "It's over, girl... You're comin' with me..."
Paula didn't like the sight of this at all, she didn't imagine this would happen. Katie tried slapping him this time, her knuckles still aching a little from before. Gaston flinched from the slap, he never actually had been slapped by a woman before.
"Katie..." Avenant went to get her and take her out of here.
Katie turned to face Avenant, ready to return with him. Avenant took Katie, though gently and took her out of the tavern. Paula wasn't sure what else to do, but she left herself also leave the place.
"I'll be back for you, little English girl..." Gaston growled as he tried to recover from the slap. "Just you wait!"
Katie looked down at the ground as he walked her out of there. "I'm sorry I caused a scene." she says softly.
"It's okay, you had to do what you had to do..." Avenant coaxed. "You had to get out of there anyway."
Paula stood afar from them, but she had an idea about running away from home and maybe joining them wherever they would go. Katie sensed Paula's gaze and gestured for her to come over. Avenant kept his hold on Katie, mostly because of the 'foul snow'. Paula blinked as Katie noticed her, she couldn't ignore her now and just walk away, but she came over.
Katie gave a small smile to Paula. "We haven't had the chance to meet properly yet, I'm Katie... And yes, I know who you are." she tells her softly.
Paula blinked, she smiled back, hoping she could trust this girl. "Bonjour Katie..."
Avenant had a small smile to the girls, he hoped this was going to work out well for everyone.
"May she come with us, I would like to talk with her," she asks Avenant, then at Paula. "If it is okay, would you mind coming so we can talk?" She asks.
Avenant and Paula both looked interested in Katie's invitation.
"I wouldn't mind at all..." Paula said with a small smile. "If you won't mind..." she then looked to Avenant.
Avenant gave a small smile and decided to allow it. "Very well." he accepted.
Katie smiled happily.
"Where are we going?" Paula asked.
Avenant looked to Katie. "I was thinking we could just go back to the castle, but if you wanna come back to my place..."
Paula looked interested in going to a castle, but she didn't speak up, she wanted to let Katie make her decision of which she would feel more comfortable with. What kind of guest would she be if she butted in like that?
"Well, I'd like to talk to Paula first... Then we can... If that is okay." Katie says softly.
Avenant gave a nod. "Okay... Girl Talk... Talk about... Whatever you girls like, I guess..." he shrugged, he didn't understand women like most men in his time, but he had a better respect for them.
Paula looked to Katie, a little hopeful. Were they going to become friends?
Belle was sewing. Adam found Belle, seeing she was doing just fine, he hated that he would have to tell her this news, but he had no choice. He knocked though before going to her so he wouldn't alarm her or disturb her too quickly. Belle looked up, and smiled. From his distance away she didn't see anything wrong.
Adam came to her. "Afternoon, Belle..." he greeted a little softly and slight warning in his tone.
Belle looked at him, giving a small frown as she heard the warning.
"I'm not sure how it happened... But Gaston is back..." Adam told his beloved. "Someone brought him back somehow."
Belle looked at him for a long moment. Her face slowly paled.
"I'm sorry..." Adam said softly to her, coming a little bit closer.
Belle dropped her sewing and threw herself into his arms.
Adam expected that and held her tight, gently stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry, Belle..."
Belle wasn't crying, too shocked to do so right now.
"It's okay, Belle..." Adam whispered soothingly as he kept a hold on her.
"What if he tries to hurt everyone... Especially you again?" Belle whispers.
"Don't worry, Belle... We'll make sure he won't..." Adam assured as he held Belle close to him for comfort and nurture.
Belle hugged him gently.
"It's okay..." Adam whispered as he kept a firm hold on her, he could even feel a little worry like the baby could even tell this was not good.
Belle did start to look a little queasy. Even her baby could feel the stress.
"Oh my... Maybe you should lie down..." Adam got worried.
Belle looked up at him. "I need a bucket." she says softly.
Adam was more than worried now, he helped her back into a sitting position and rushed out.
Belle rubbed her stomach. "It's okay~" she tries siothing, trying not to be sick.
Adam found a nearby bucket usually used for mopping, but it was currently empty and he came back to give it to Belle. Belle threw up, but kept it as noiseless as possible.
Adam winced every time she did.
"Is everything alright with you two?" Cogsworth asked.
"Not so good..." Adam frowned. "Belle's gotten so stressed, she's sick."
"Oh dear..."
Belle used a scrap of the cloth that wasn't going to be used and wiped her mouth, before dropping it into the bucket. Adam was a bit worried, he would step in for whenever he would be called.
"Sorry..." Belle says softly.
Adam frowned softly, he wasn't angry, he was just concerned and worried for her. Belle put the bucket down and stood up again. She did feel a bit better now.
"Belle, are you well now?" Adam asked, ignoring the unintentional rhyme.
Belle nodded.
Adam had a small smile, at least she wasn't sick anymore. "Belle, you may want to sit down..."
"No... I'm fine." Belle says softly.
"You sure?" Adam was worried.
Belle nodded.
"Would you like me to stay?" Adam offered.
Belle looked at him. "I'll come with you." she says.
"If you think you're well enough..." Adam drawled out.
Belle nodded. Adam gently kept close to her just in case she would need assistance and he left with her. Belle held Adam's hand as they walked. Adam had a small smile to her and walked along with her. Belle leaned slightly against him.
Forte was just about healed up, but he decided to stay by Cherry's side as she continued to lie down in the bed, she was barely even moving and had very shallow breathing. He made sure she was comfortable though and wouldn't let anyone hurt her ever again. He tried to wake her up, but for some reason, he just couldn't. Forte could still hear Cherry's heartbeat, but he just couldn't get her to wake up. She was either in a very deep sleep... Or worse... No, she couldn't be! She just couldn't be... Could she?
When they got to Avenant's, Katie took Paula into a next room. "First thing first... I would like to be your friend." she tells the girl softly.
Avenant let the girls have their privacy.
"You would?" Paula asked with a friendly smile, she still had the rose though.
Katie nodded. "Yes, I'd love that." she smiled.
Paula smiled back. "I never really had a friend before... It was always just me, Claudia and Laura... It was kind of boring... I wanted to be Belle's friend too, but... They just wouldn't accept it, they just thought she was crazy."
Katie gave a soft smile. "Well you could still become her friend too, and I'm glad you want to be my friend," she smiles. "Now... There is something something serious I'd like to discuss." she says gently.
Paula was a little nervous with how serious Katie became. "Y-Yes?"
Katie looked at her. "I know you like Avenant... And I know he likes you too..." she tells her.
Paula blushed, biting her lip. "Is it that obvious?" she finally asked, shuffling her feet as she kept the rose in her hold. "I always have... But my sisters got in the way... I just had to pretend to like Gaston like they did just to get them off my back... It's hard being different sometimes."
"I know that... but sometimes it's better to be different," she smiles. She took Paula's hand and looked at her. "I want you to know if you want him and he wants you... I won't stand in your ways." she says.
"Really?" Paula was a little surprised that Katie would just let her have Avenant like that. "Aren't you his fiancee?"
"Yes... But, I won't be the one to stand in the way of love." Katie tells her.
"You seem a lot sharper than most girls in the village..." Paula smiled at her thinking, she then felt grateful for becoming friends with Katie and her conditions. "I hate to split you up, but if you're sure..."
"As long as he is okay with it... Yes, I am sure." Katie tells her gently.
Paula stroked the back of her neck slightly. "Is he?"
"Why don't you go ask him?" Katie suggests, smiling.
"Oh... I-I don't know..." Paula seemed younger than Katie now. "I-I'm afraid of rejection..."
"You have to try... It's the only way you'll find out." Katie soothes. She stood up, pulling Paula up too.
Paula was a little nervous. "Sh-Should we...? I mean... What if he says no? He... He deserves better than me..."
"He loves you..." Katie says softly. She smiled and showed her she felt she, Paula, was worthy.
Paula wanted to believe that, she took a deep breath and went to speak with Avenant in private.
After several long moments, Paula and Avenant finally came back out, they were holding each other with small smiles and they were ready to head back to meet with Belle and Adam. Katie's advice had worked like a charm, for now anyway.
Katie looked at them a moment and gave a bright smile. "I'm so happy for you both." she smiles and hugged them.
Avenant and Paula smiled and hugged her back.