This is a short story based on characters that I do not own and references to established works.

This is a reimagining of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, with those characters and references.

Chapter 6

"The Confrontation"

"Who is Dex?" Spencer asked, somewhat perturbed.

"He's a guy from my town, who's proposed to me almost every day for quite some time-who I want absolutely nothing to do with," Trina responded quickly.

"Go ahead and let him in," Spencer replied, as he began making his way to the West Wing.

Trina opened the door to see Dex, along with a few of his friends who had accompanied him to the mansion.

"Dex, why are you here?" Trina asked, quite annoyed.

"Your father told us where you had been for the last few weeks and that he'd be coming to pick you up tomorrow. Then, he described the "thing" that had you. I couldn't believe that Marcus would have just let you stay here with a...with a beast!" Dex exclaimed in disgust. "So, I've come to save you, my dear," Dex continued, as he gave Trina one of his ridiculous grins.

"First of all, he is NOT a beast and secondly, I don't need to be saved," Trina said sharply. "So, could you and your crew please leave, now?"

Dex pulled Trina aside and said quietly, "Perhaps, if you would marry me, I could get them all to go back to town."

Trina rolled her eyes and thought to herself, " How many ways can I tell this moron "no" before he accepts it?"

When he received no answer, Dex told his closest associate to hold on to Trina while he went to find and take care of a certain beast.

Trina tried to break free from his grasp, but was unable to do so. She watched helplessly as Dex charged upstairs on the hunt for her friend.

"Show yourself, Beast!" Dex shouted, as he went from room to room to locate the one he wanted to destroy.

Spencer was sitting alone in the West Wing, sadly looking at a clock, which read just a few minutes before midnight, and the rose, which had only four petals remaining.

When the door to the West Wing opened, another petal fell, as Spencer, seemingly giving up hope, placed his head in his hands and began to sob.

That moment was short-lived, however, when he felt someone push him on his back. This caused Spencer to jump up and face a man, who he towered over and had never seen before. However, when the man started to berate him, Spencer recognized the voice from the other side of the front door that he had heard earlier.

As Spencer faced Dex, he was met with a punch to his side. Then, Dex tried another punch, but Spencer was able to block it. Next, Spencer began defending himself with punches against the much weaker Dex. Realizing quickly that he was being overpowered by Spencer, Dex pulled out a knife and stabbed Spencer in the back. However, before Dex could claim victory, Spencer was able to turn and push Dex through one of the room's many windows. As Spencer started to fall to the floor, Dex plummeted to his death.

Trina's father arrived after realizing Dex's plans and was able to release Trina from the grasp of Dex's accomplice. Trina sprinted quickly up the stairs and made her way to the West Wing, just in time to see Spencer fall to the floor and another rose petal fall.

Trina rushed over to him and saw that he was slowly dying. She fell to the floor and put his head in her lap and held on to one of his hands.

Spencer, who could barely keep his eyes open, looked up at Trina and managed to give her a weak smile.

"My mother was right," he said weakly. "You helped me find my kindness again and I was rewarded with you...at least for a few weeks. You made me so..."

His words became labored, as the next to last petal fell.

"No, Spencer! You can't leave me. I love you!" Trina exclaimed, without hesitation, through her sobs.

At that very moment, the last petal from the enchanted rose fell-just as the spell was broken. Magically, Spencer's scars and wrinkles disappeared and his face returned to its once handsome appearance.

Spencer's eyes opened fully and a smile appeared, as he looked up at Trina. "I love you, too."

Trina, who had been crying, opened her eyes, upon hearing his declaration of love. As she looked at Spencer's face, she said, "I knew it! Come with me."

They walked arm in arm as Trina led him to the art studio.

"It's time for you to see your portrait," Trina said cheerfully.

"I'd rather not, Trina. I don't want to be reminded of how hideous I was," Spencer said anxiously.

"No, trust me. You want to see this," Trina promised, as she removed the draping covering the portrait.

As Spencer looked at the portrait in shock, Trina continued.

"I painted what I saw IN you-not on you, and this is what I saw."

Rather than the portrait depicting Spencer as a beast with hideous scars and wrinkles, it looked just as Spencer did then and before the spell was put on him. The portrait showed a handsome, happy young man.

"Those scars and wrinkles weren't enough to keep me from seeing your true self," Trina said sweetly, as she rubbed her hand along Spencer's face.

"Thank you my dear Trina for helping me to believe in love again," Spencer replied, as he took Trina's face in his hands and kissed her.