Sunshine and Yellow Lilies

by An Undercover Changeling

Beauty and the Beast/Fairytale AU. A crumbling castle, a cursed prince...and a cheerful young comedienne, approaching a strange kingdom with her family in their traveling performing show, who will play a much more pivotal role than she thinks. A heavy Luan/Benny focus with shameless fluff and shameless puns, but also some darker parts with slight angst. Rated T for some violence.

13. Chapter XIII: Forever Out of Reach

Chapter XIII: Forever Out of Reach

The sky above was a starless black. Brown, withered carcasses of dead leaves crunched beneath the enchantress's slippered feet as she stepped carefully through the Dark Woods. A chill of wind howled in her ears and swept back her billowing robes. The night was alive with the sounds and smells of many creatures, not all of them friendly or kind.

It was such a haunted-looking place that the enchantress wouldn't have been that surprised if she were to just vanish into thin air. To turn into a ghost or spirit without even noticing. Poof, one moment here, and the next, nothing left but mist and dust.

Luckily, no matter where she ventured, there was one thing that still kept her tethered to the Earth. And it was trailing right behind her, asking way more questions than she'd ever thought the English lexicon was even capable of.

"What are we doing now, Mama?" Esmeralda asked.

"Well, my little lucky charm," the enchantress huffed. "We are spying."

"Again? On who?"

"Shhhh!" the enchantress hissed as she saw lanterns flicker to life in the distance, conjuring forth patches of yellow light that shimmered through the blackness. "Someone important. But I need you to be quiet. So no more questions, thank you."

"Why not?"

"Because if you blow our cover and get me caught, I will personally stuff you full of spices, stick you in a swamp, and feed you to the gorgons. Do you understand?"

Esmeralda gulped and nodded. But then, in a tiny voice, she added: "What's a gorgon?"

Her mother could only manage a tired facepalm in response.

"You know what?" the enchantress whispered. "Go and hide in those bushes and stay put. Don't you dare move or speak a word, do you hear me? I'm going in alone."

Esmeralda crawled into the bushes, and only when she was absolutely certain that her daughter was hidden well enough did the enchantress begin to edge forward into the darkness. She reached out a trembling hand (Why was it trembling? Enchantresses never trembled.), running her fingers along the coarse bark of any tree she encountered. She did this both for balance as she treaded carefully on the uneven ground and simply because touching something calmed her, reassured her that she was still there. She still had a body and mind. And it would serve her well to use them.

Drawing in a breath, she walked towards the glowing lights, for she knew that they would lead to the band of rogues, miscreants, and various up-to-no-gooders she'd been stalking for days.

She'd been following them everywhere, from one meeting place to another. Every time she caught wind of a dark, tattered cloak, or a shopkeeper screaming that their store had just been robbed, she was on the chase in an instant. Years of scouting out, assassinating, and cursing (or, in rare instances, protecting) royalty, as well as smuggling various goods from black markets, had given her a pretty favorable skillset to use. Sneaking came almost as naturally to her as walking.

Now that most of their reinforcements had arrived, there were far too many of them to keep hidden in an old tavern or an abandoned mill. So they met every few days at night in the woods. A place into which no person in their right mind would ever think to venture, especially on a night like this.

Well, the enchantress thought with a note of cynicism, it's lucky there's someone out there who's insane enough to risk it.

The enchantress continued to creep forward, slowly picking her way around twisted roots and slippery mud puddles. Once, her robe snagged on a particularly nasty patch of thorns, and for a moment she was blind with panic, fearing she'd be caught for sure. But soon after, she regained her level head, easily freeing herself without so much as a sound.

She caught sight of a small group that had broken away from the camp, where most of the gang seemed to be relaxing and enjoying food and idle conversation. She followed them, making sure to stay quiet and move slowly. The figures' bodies were impossible to make out; she could only guess their positions by the sounds of their voices and footsteps, and by the eerie light of their lanterns.

It's as though the forest itself has eyes.

She crouched down, braced herself against the thickest, sturdiest-looking tree she could find, and listened:

"Yo, Rob, you got any more of those hot dogs?"

"Nah, he's all out. But I've got some. You want one?"

"Make it two."

"You sure we should be eating out here? What if there's wolves?"

"Relax. No self-respecting predator would attack a group this large."

The enchantress, despite the gravity of the situation at hand, couldn't keep from rolling her eyes. The gang's endless, droning small talk, as all mindless chatter did, thoroughly bored her. Some nights, it took nearly an hour before she discovered anything useful.

Fortunately for her, tonight was not one of those nights. It only took a few minutes before the crew was discussing topics she found much more intriguing.

"I'm telling you, I really don't think we should hit up that castle. There's some pretty weird stuff going on over there."

The enchantress grinned. It seemed her little distractions had proven effective after all. Perhaps they'd just continue on with the petty little heists and robberies they'd been doing lately, steering clear of that castle altogether. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best-case scenario she could hope for.

"Are you stupid or something?" another voice said. The enchantress didn't recognize it. Perhaps it was one of the newcomers whom she hadn't yet had a good chance to scare. "If there's anything worth our time in this dump of a village, it's in there. Besides, everyone in town says it's abandoned. No one's there. You're probably hallucinating things, you slug."

"Or maybe he wants to take everything for himself!" rang out yet another voice.

This was met with jeers and hisses from the whole group, all seemingly directed at the first man (whom the enchantress was beginning to suspect might have actually been the smartest of them all).

"No, guys, believe me, that's not it, I swear!" the accused man stammered. "I'm only saying, maybe it's better not to mess with that place, that's all. Surely you've all heard the rumors. They say there's a ghost or something living there. And, judging by the weird shock I got when I went up there to investigate, maybe a witch as well."

Hmm. You're actually not that far off. Very clever.

However, most of the others only laughed.

"He's not just stupid, he's downright crazy!" the second voice cried. "Still believe in the silly old fairytales your mommy used to tell you every night? What's next, princesses? Dragons? Big, scary monsters with claws that can tear you to shreds?"

The men broke into another round of roaring laughter, but the enchantress thought she heard a fourth voice mutter timidly: "No, he's right. I've felt it, too." However, if anyone else heard him, they paid him no mind.

"There's nothing up there, dingbat!" the third voice chimed in. "Nothing but diamonds and gold, that is. Hopefully. I'd be surprised if no one's looked there first."

"That's because someone has." Another lantern winked into existence, and with it, a new voice joined the group. Immediately, all of the others quieted down, suggesting that this person was worthy of great respect.

"I've been watching that castle for days," the new voice said. Though the enchantress couldn't be certain, she thought the voice sounded feminine. "Not from up close, of course, but from a distance. It's not as deserted as you claim."

From the gathered group came some shuffling and whispering, as though the men were conversing amongst themselves. Finally, one spoke up. "What is it? Who's there? Someone we should be concerned about."

"I don't think so. They don't seem dangerous at all. Easy pickings."

"They?"

"A family. One boy. Ten girls. A mother and father."

The funny girl and her family. Even though the wind had stopped, a chill nipped at her neck and spine.

"What are they up to?"

"They knock on the door each morning. Someone answers."

"What? Who?"

"I don't know. He…or she, or it, never shows their face."

"I don't understand," the first voice said. "What could a family possibly want with that old place? Who are they meeting?"

"Nobody knows. Some people in the town question what might be going on, but the family never sticks around long enough to answer. Come morning's light, they go right back over."

"We need to find out why," declared the third voice.

"Exactly," the woman agreed. "I propose we send out some scouts early tomorrow. Monitor that castle day and night."

"You're going to leave people out there all day?" the second voice said with audible alarm.

"No, you ninny!" the woman snapped. "Obviously we'll rotate shifts. I want you three to be with the first. As soon as the sun rises, make your way up those hills. Conceal yourselves. Don't let anyone see you. Watch everything that happens. And for the love of silvers, do not engage until we know for certain what's behind that door."

"You think it's a ghost?" the third voice questioned. "Ol' Jimmy was right?"

"For the last time, I don't know what it is!" hissed the woman. Then, softly, she added: "But I wouldn't scribble out that possibility just yet."

More whispering. The atmosphere seemed much more tense than it had a minute ago.

"Relax, gentlemen," the woman said. "It's going to be fine. Merely a small hiccup in our plans, that's all this is."

There came the unmistakable sound of knuckles cracking. "Rest assured, I won't stop until we figure out exactly what's on the other side of those walls," the woman continued. "No matter how long it takes."

In that moment, every drop of blood in the enchantress's body became as cold as ice. She'd overheard these people debating whether or not they should scout out the castle in large numbers before, but they'd never actually had a plan. And if she didn't have any magic left to stop them…

The prince…they're all in danger. I have to warn them. Now.

Forgetting where she was, she broke into a run. The dead leaves beneath her feet rustled and scattered every which way. Branches tore right through the fabric of her robes, painfully grazing the skin on her arms, but she didn't care. She didn't even care.

"Hey! Who's there?"

As the gang sprinted after her like a pack of barking, slavering dogs on the hunt, the enchantress realized she'd made a grave mistake. More members joined the chase, and then more, and before she knew it, the enchantress was surrounded from all sides.

She tried to conjure up something, anything to defend herself, but she couldn't even muster up the simplest of smoke bombs. Her magic had run completely dry.

Worries raced through her head, faster than they ever had before. That terrible spell she'd cast, in danger of never being reversed. The young Prince Benny and perhaps his Luan and her family as well, now only mere hours away from disaster. And her daughter, all alone in the woods, left at the mercy of any number of bloodthirsty predators, both human and beastly.

And there was nothing she could do to save herself or any of them. This was by far the worst feeling in the world. Complete helplessness.

It was all she could do to stand there, quivering, trembling, in the middle of the Dark Woods, completely alone, without a friend or companion in the world.

The last thing she saw before the rogues descended upon her was eyes.

Dozens upon dozens of blinding yellow eyes.

…

Fighting against her weary eyelids, Luan skimmed through another page of boring, barely-comprehensible words. A sigh sank all the way through her throat, burying itself deep in her chest.

It seemed as though with every passing, droning day, everything only became harder and harder. It was harder for her to focus on books and spells. Harder to remember to keep her voice laughing and her face smiling, because heaven forbid if anyone were to know how broken she was deep-down on the inside. Harder for her to stay away from the dear, sweet prince who'd somehow managed to sneak his way into her heart and refused to leave.

It was horribly, terribly, extremely difficult for Luan to stop herself from falling any deeper for Benny.

She did her very best to get rid of this strange feeling inside of her–for both of their sake–and yet, ever just the same, it kept on happening.

She'd felt it happen when he'd battled Lincoln and Lynn in a plastic-sword battle, serving as the dastardly villain to their heroic knightly guild.

"En garde!" he'd shouted, deflecting her siblings' blows with surprisingly skillful parries. "Say goodbye to your kingdom, fools. It's as good as mine once I'm through with you!"

"Not so fast," Lincoln declared with a grin. "Sir David Steele and his trusty sidekick are here to save the day!"

"Um, no way," Lynn interrupted, bonking Lincoln on the head with her fake sword. "You're totally my sidekick, little bro."

It had been quite an entertaining little scene to watch, even from behind her thick book, and the sound of her siblings' triumphant laughs and shouts as they began to gain the upper hand (though it seemed likely that the prince was only letting them win), as always, filled her heart with happy sunshine.

She'd even looked right up from her book for a minute as Benny pulled off an impressive dramatic faint at the end. He'd let himself fall right to the ground, impaled through the chest by her siblings' fake weapons. The clever way he'd positioned the blades and the tragic, mournful expression on his face right before he'd 'died' had looked so realistic, she'd almost been fooled, nearly dropping her work entirely and rushing straight over to help.

While she still believed he was far too cute and fluffy to ever be a bad guy, she had to admit she admired the way he'd enthusiastically take on any role he was presented with.

And had she only been imagining it, or had he been purposely trying to make her smile? Even for just a little while? That silly little miscreant.

It had happened when she'd watched him sit patiently on a stool while Lisa conducted her experiments. His dark, clever eyes had curiously tried to make sense of all of the inventor's little gadgets and gizmos. He hadn't twitched a muscle when Lisa had used her tweezers to yank a few tufts of fur out of his tail, nor when she'd stood on her tiptoes to peer into his eyes and ears, and pulled back the corners of his lips with her fingers to inspect his sharp fangs. He'd let her do whatever she wanted, no fuss.

After a long while, Lisa had presented him with a comically long scroll filled from beginning to end with a strange sequence of letters and numbers. "You have, without a doubt, the most mystifyingly messed-up genome upon which I have ever laid my optical organs."

"Thank you?"

"However," she'd continued with a little grin. "It has also come to my attention that perhaps my fourth-eldest sibling's bizarre hypothesis that there is something within you that could possibly be considered 'indescribably cute' might actually be evidence-based."

With those words, she'd reached up to give her test subject an affectionate tap on the nose. Although it was sometimes hard to tell with him, Luan was nearly certain she'd spotted a deep blush creep underneath his cheeks as he'd sent a quick glance her way.

I swear, he has no idea just how sweet he is. It's actually insane.

It had come when he'd guided Lucy through his garden of old statues–or rather, the things that weren't quite statues–when the girl had posed a curious question about them. Luan could tell by the way his ears drooped and his tail had quietly tucked itself between his legs that this had not been a conversation he'd enjoyed, but he'd stayed and stuck with it nonetheless. He'd had such wonderful, detailed stories to tell about each and every person, from the tiniest baby to the balding elderly man, to the young girl with the ribbon in her braided hair. The deep, fierce love and stabbing pain and regret were all as clear and broad as day on his expressive face. Another way he'd broken her heart without even trying.

"Long, curly brown hair," he'd said, describing his mother. "Like mine, but without all of this, obviously." Benny had gestured to his beastly features, from horns to tail with a wry smile. "She had a green thumb–could grow almost anything you can think of. Loved to dance. And she had the most hilarious sense of humor. She had a pun for every occasion."

Giving Lucy a quick pat on the head, he'd continued: "I think you would've liked her. The funniest woman I've ever known." But then, with a little twitch of his ears, he'd looked over at Luan with a lopsided grin. "Well…maybe the second funniest, actually."

Then he'd thrown her a wink and she'd hidden her flustered face behind the thick cover of her book, trying desperately to remember her own name.

How and why did he keep doing this to her?

It had happened when her littlest sister had tugged on his tail one afternoon and presented him with a drawing. Benny's head had tilted cutely to one side in a puzzled-canine fashion, his eyebrows creased into a studious line, as he'd tried to find meaning in Lily's strange blue and brown squiggles. Lily had seemed undeterred by this, however. After taking in the prince's perplexed face, she'd simply shaken her head.

"Silly boy," she'd said, adopting one of the nicknames she'd heard Luan occasionally refer to him by. She'd tapped her finger repeatedly against the surface of the paper, apparently trying to knock some sense into him. "Is you. Fluffy."

"That's me?" Benny had asked. Lily had given an affirming nod, and his expression had suddenly changed. Now, he wore a broad smile, gesturing to the scribbles as though he were a scholar observing a masterpiece hanging in a world-renowned gallery.

"I mean, of course that's me! A striking likeness! The colors are perfect! And that use of space? Marvelous! Has anyone ever told you that you should work for a museum?"

His theatrical soliloquy had prompted giggles out of her, which had turned to peals of laughter when he'd reached out a furry hand to ruffle her hair, running his claws ever-so-gently through her wispy, white-blonde locks. She'd retaliated by giving him a playful swat on the nose, and soon enough the two had gotten themselves into a full-blown tickle fight, laughing themselves silly while Luan watched quietly with an affectionate grin.

And it had come when she'd seen him chasing after a feather on a string on all fours, his movements as quick as a cat's, while the other end was maneuvered by a very entertained Lola. She waved her makeshift toy this way and that, but he was able to keep up with every curve she threw at him–even Cliff himself seemed alarmed by the boy's feline grace. When he'd finally managed to capture the feather between his forepaws, Lola, along with a few of her siblings who had stopped their activities to watch, had given him a round of applause. Benny had gotten up, dusted off his jacket, and given them a deep bow, signaling the end of his 'performance.'

Lori had beckoned him over to the table where she, Luan and Leni were currently working, and he'd heeded her call with a smile.

"That was quite a show," Lori said. She elbowed Luan in the ribs, prompting her to glance up from the spellbook she'd been perusing intently and definitely not using as an excuse to avoid eye contact with the prince. "Don't you think so, Luan?"

"Oh…" she'd stammered, fiddling with the end of her ponytail. "Yes. Of course."

"Well," he'd replied. "I am an actor. It's my duty. I don't just play the role, I become the role. I am the role." Gesturing to his tail and pointed ears, he'd added. "In this case, quite literally. But, that being said, I hope your sister doesn't attempt to put a collar around my neck or try to make me fit into the sock drawer. That's where I'd have to draw the line."

That comment had earned a small laugh out of Lori and Leni, and Luan was again amazed at how hard he was willing to try to keep them all smiling. How quickly he was able to make light of the painful spell he was under.

There was so much hope and love everywhere this boy went, even in the midst of all this awful sorrow. He astounded her in every way.

Truly, she became more and more captivated by this strange and charming creature every day. It was appalling. Scary, even.

She wasn't sure if he'd noticed–knowing him, he probably had–but she'd tried to keep her distance from him as best she could these past few days, partly because every time they touched, jolts of nervous lighting ran up and down her veins. It was like she'd been shocked with a joybuzzer, but way worse. Like a hundred thousand joybuzzers all at once. She wondered if he could feel it, too.

Ever since that night, under the moon and constellations, where she'd pulled him dangerously close, closer than they ever should've come, things had seemed awkward between them. Or maybe it was only her who felt that way, because whenever she was around him, she felt a strong urge to do it all again.

But it seemed Benny didn't want her to. He'd looked terrified by what she'd done. Terrified, perhaps, of what she could've done and what that could've meant.

And yet…the way he looked at her remained the same. She'd observed the way his eyes lit up whenever she entered the room. How he always listened for her footsteps and tried everything he could to make her smile. His sweet words and nicknames hadn't stopped.

My silly prince, what are you doing? Did you truly mean nothing when you danced with me like that? When you kissed my hand and called me "fair sun," was all of that nothing more than another performance to you? Or worse…a joke?

I need a sign. I need a way to know for sure what you're thinking. Some way to tell for certain that I'm not completely crazy and that you want this, too.

Come on, Benny. Please tell me that I'm not the only one.

Seriously. I can't be the only one.

…

Benny had himself a huge problem. Her name was Luan Loud.

He could've sworn she was trying to drive him crazy on purpose.

And he couldn't stop thinking about that night. How they'd been talking under the starlight–about what, he couldn't quite remember, for she'd made his head spin just by being near him–and he'd felt her tug him close enough for him to feel the sharp, whip-thin strands of her hair brush against his forehead, tangling themselves up into his own messy curls. The look in her eyes had been completely unreadable to him. Serious, but in a deeper, more intense way than he had ever seen in her. He couldn't help but think that something about her had changed.

She'd been so close to him, so sincere with him, and what had he done in response?

He'd panicked.

He hadn't meant to, but something about her touch, which had felt so familiar and yet so foreign, had sent his brain into frantic little flurries.

What's she…what's she doing? She's messing with me. She's messing with me. It's a joke; she thinks it's a joke. Wow, she's close. Is my heartbeat supposed to be this loud? She sort of looks as though she wants to…no, that's not possible, I'm a monster and no one could ever really want to…but it's Luan, and she's different from anyone I've ever met. No, not possible, she's messing with me, always messing with me, stop messing with me…

And then pure, unmistakable fear and shame had flashed through her eyes, and she'd slipped away, leaving him to wonder if he'd been the only one who'd seriously considered the possibility of her kissing him. Maybe he was going crazy, but for a moment there, he'd really thought–just as he had once before–that she was actually going to do it. That she really did love him and that she'd set him free. It had filled him with such longing, such hope…

Then she was gone, swept off far away like dandelion seeds on a summer breeze.

She'd come back, of course–Luan always did–but she'd seemed different since then. Shyer than she'd ever been before. He wondered if maybe she regretted what she'd done, if it had been a mistake on her part, like the first time had been. It probably had.

Still, he missed their little touches. The quick hugs she'd offered whenever he was feeling down, and the barely-there brushes she used to give whenever she passed by him, subtle, so no one else would notice except for him. The other siblings still gave him nudges and shoves, but it wasn't nearly the same. He longed for hers.

The words they exchanged were few, just brief, stilted greetings now and then before both tended to their respective duties. Nevertheless, Benny kept a close eye on Luan all of the time, all by herself with her books and quills, barely pausing, hardly letting herself have even a moment to rest, and pondered over whether it was possible for anyone to ever love someone more. Everything about her sent him tumbling head-over-heels.

Over the course of the following few days, Benny did everything he possibly could to get Luan to look up from those pages, even for only a moment. Any smile he could get out of her, no matter how fleeting, was a victory. A laurel crown, trophy, and engraved medallion all rolled into one.

Somewhere during these days was when Benny realized it. He really was trying to chase after Luan's affection. Doing and saying things in the hopes that she might notice. That she might, despite all the thoughts and stars that told him it was impossible, actually start to be falling in love with him, too.

He was absolutely crazy—he had to be. And ridiculous. He definitely felt ridiculous in the presence of someone as beautiful as her. And he probably looked the part. A lovesick puppy desperately running after a bright, radiant angel. But still, something about her gave him the hope to try. She was worth fighting for.

And yet…a huge part of him thought it was selfish for him to go after her like this. Surely he wasn't doing this just to try to break the curse, was he?

No. Even if there was no spell to complicate everything–and I really wish there wasn't–I'd still fall in love with her. I could meet every girl in the world and she'd still be the only one I'd choose.

Maybe it is foolish of me. And maybe it's selfish and wrong. But I'm never going to forgive myself if I don't make a good, solid attempt to win fair Luan's heart.

And if I fail, at least then I can say I tried my best.

As Lynn Jr flew past him in a whirlwind, off to who-knows-where, Benny was reminded yet again that being lost in thought around this family was never a good idea. If he wasn't paying attention at all times, he could be swept off his feet faster than a cheetah in a foot race.

Trying to toss all away the thoughts of her, he crept carefully down the hall, rubbing at the throbbing ache in his head and keeping his eyes alert for any more of Luan's unpredictable siblings.

It was just another day in the Stone Castle. Everyone had fallen into their usual routines. Luan and some of her elder siblings were at the table in the lobby, reading and studying, while her younger ones, though they occasionally stopped to join them, continued to keep Benny on his toes (paws?) with their endless games and conversation. Lynn Sr and Rita, both on a day off, were in the kitchen, bickering about something. Though their sharp, hurried tones made Benny's ears prick, he tried not to listen to their words, offering them some privacy out of respect.

Though they rarely talked anymore, and though he shouldn't even have been thinking about her in the first place, Benny couldn't keep his eyes away from Luan. His eyes had become instinctively drawn to even the quickest flash of bright yellow. And she, for whatever reason, seemed to look out for him, too. Their eyes had met and held more times than he could even count.

It was right after one of these such moments when Benny found himself cornered by ten stern faces. Before he could even think of formulating an escape plan, Luan's siblings had surrounded him from all angles, arms crossed. He could've sworn Lynn even cracked her knuckles.

"Um, good afternoon," he tried. "How pleasant of you all to join me. And you all look remarkably nonthreatening today, I might add."

"We need to talk to you." Lori's voice was sharp and crisp, straight to the point.

"About what?"

Lori pointed to Luan, who was still sitting at the table across the room, curiously watching the whole scene go down.

He scratched at the back of his neck. "What's there to discuss about her?"

"Don't play dumb, canine," Lisa said. "We all know about your deep fondness for our sibling. But fear not, we have no intention to cause you any harm. We merely wish to interrogate you via a series of…incredibly important questions."

Luna gripped his wrist. "Come with us."

Since there was no way he could possibly escape all ten of them, Benny followed, tail curled between his legs. He had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what this conversation was going to be about.

They led him down the hall and into the throne room, where the old portrait depicting his former self still hung proud and tall on one of the cracked stone walls. He came into this room as rarely as possible, hating the shameful reminders of what he was and who he could've been. He kept his eyes downcast, avoiding looking at the room or any of the children.

"Surely we could negotiate?" he pleaded. "I mean, you don't have to–"

"This is important," Lori insisted.

"If we could only–"

"Benny, sit!"

At Lori's harsh order, he dropped to the floor, limbs and tail tucked tight against his body. He heard a soft thud, and looked over to see that Lana had taken a seat right beside him.

"Lana, that command was for him, not you," Lori said with a roll of her eyes.

Lana shrugged. "Can I still have a treat?"

"Whatever." Lori tossed Lana a dog biscuit, which she caught in her mouth. Then she fished another one out of her pocket and held it out to Benny. "You, uh…you want one, too?"

"Absolutely not." Benny crossed his arms and turned up his nose. He may have sat like a dog, but there was no way he was going to eat like one, too.

"More for me!" Lana snatched the treat right out of Lori's hand and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Hey!" Lori snapped. Then, she gave Lana a dismissive hand-wave and sat down on the floor across from Benny. The rest of the siblings did the same, forming a circle around him. This, he realized, was by design, a way to trap him so he couldn't possibly escape their clutches. He was imprisoned.

"Like Lisa said, we don't want to hurt you," Lori said in a soothing tone, as though she was talking to a spooked animal. "We only want to talk to you."

"Why are you avoiding Luan?" Lola demanded, arms crossed.

"Gentle, Lola." Lori gave her a look, which Lola responded to by sticking out her tongue. "But she's right, Benny. You have been avoiding her lately, and we want to know why. Did something happen between you two?"

Thoughts raced through Benny's head. That night, the stars, him and Luan, talking, so close…

"Maybe," was all he said.

"Did you get in a fight?" Luna asked.

Benny shook his head. As if he'd ever dare to pick a fight with Luan. She could probably mop the floor with him if she so desired. Any of the Loud siblings could.

"Are you doing okay? Are those nightmares still bugging you?" Leni inquired.

"I'm doing fine." While they still occurred every night, he hadn't had a particularly bad one in a while. He was actually starting to get used to them. Sort of.

What he hadn't gotten used to was this terrible headache. The pain had started a few nights ago, mild at first, but had slowly started to build bigger and stronger. It had started to get bad enough that he kind of wanted to shoo everyone out of the castle, just in case something terrible happened.

But he kept stopping himself. Telling himself, It's not that bad, I can handle it for another day or so. I'll make them leave tomorrow. Nothing awful's going to happen.

Deep down, he knew it wasn't wise to hide these symptoms, especially not from Luan. But he couldn't bear the thought of her leaving him. Not now.

Besides, another day with Luan is worth any amount of pain the universe could throw at me.

He had continued for quite a few tomorrows this way, and so far, he'd been able to handle every one.

And yet, for some reason, this day felt different than any other. Everything felt much worse than usual.

…And what was this itchy sensation of impending, ominous doom that had settled somewhere in the back of his head? Just jitters, or something worse?

"So, what happened?" Lincoln wanted to know.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Lincoln opened his mouth, presumably to say something in protest, but Lori held up a hand to stop him. "If he doesn't want to tell us, we shouldn't force him to. This is between him and Luan."

"There's something else between him and Luan, too," Lucy pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" Benny cocked his head.

"Oh, please, stop denying it! It's so obvious that you're in love with her!" Lola flashed him a charming grin and his face went hot.

"I'm not in love with her!"

"Oh yeah?" Lori raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then why does your tail wag when you hear her name? Luan. Luan. Luan."

The siblings all smirked as Benny's tail–a thousand curses on that wretched thing!-swept back and forth, completely blowing his cover. With an irritated grumble, he pinned it to the floor, glaring daggers at it until it finally stood still.

I'm trying to be an actor here, you stupid, irritating appendage. Quit ruining all my plans!

"Ha, see? And it doesn't do that for anyone else's name." Lori rattled off a list of names to demonstrate. "Lori. Lana. Lola. Lynn. Lisa. Leni."

Benny willed his tail to move just to prove her wrong. To prove to her that no, his feelings for Luan were definitely nothing special, but the most he could manage were a few halfhearted swishes. A tail only truly wagged when it wanted to. There was no fooling it, or hiding it, or trying to make it behave. It was incapable of lying or pretending in any way, much to Benny's dismay.

"Face it, kitten," Luna said with a grin. "You've got it so bad for her, it's not even funny."

So that's it, then. The act is up; they've all figured it out. Did you really think you could hide it from them for long? From anyone?

Benny, you fool, you're an actor who doesn't know how to act.

"Okay, fine. I suppose there's no hiding it from you anymore." He took a deep breath. "I…I do fancy your sister. But please, please, don't tell her."

Somehow, admitting it out loud for the first time made it seem much more serious. Much more real. I really am in love with her. Deeply and completely.

"Surprising literally no one." Lori's face held a bright smile, which soon spread to every other face in the room. They looked like a bunch of grinning cats on the hunt for some fresh prey.

"It was the tail, wasn't it?" He tugged at a few wispy strands of its dark fur, as if that would somehow make it go away. "I hate it. All it really does for me is make it so that I'm a terrible actor."

"Not just that. These things, too." Lori gestured to his ears. "They do this cute little perk whenever she speaks. And your face in general. Around Luan, it gets really…" her voice trailed as she tried to find the right word.

"... Goofy," Lynn instantly supplied. "When you stare at her, your face gets all dopey and goofy. It's like you're totally spaced out, Bens." She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue to demonstrate an expression that Benny sincerely hoped was meant to be an exaggeration.

The rest of her siblings nodded their agreement at Lynn's statement, save for Lori, who shot her down with a scowl hot enough to fry an egg.

"Lynn!" She turned to Benny with an apologetic shrug. "Sorry about her. The word I was looking for was expressive. You're very expressive around her, which isn't a bad thing at all. A lot of girls admire a boy who's honest about what he thinks and feels. I do, and I think Luan does, too."

Benny tried to keep his face serious, but his mind was a blizzard of worried thoughts. Does she think I look goofy? Has she been laughing at me behind my back this entire time, thinking about how dumb and 'spaced out' I am?

"Whoa, hold it right there, Benny. The first rule of romance is 'never panic.'" Lori got up from her place on the floor, walked over to Benny, and ran a hand through his hair, fluffing it up. "It's okay. She likes you, too."

"Did she say that?" he asked.

"Not in words. But she definitely does. You should tell her how you feel."

This prompted a chorus of "Yes, tell her! Tell her!" from the others.

Benny shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea." I want to win her heart, but that's way too forward. Far too much, and much too soon. If she knows the full extent of my affection for her, would the spell ever break? Would she feel pressured to love me in return, ruining any chance of such things developing naturally?

But I hate this, and I hate feeling as though I'm toying with her emotions. I just want things to be happy and easy, like they are for everyone else.

"Benny," Leni piped up, her eyes deep and serious. "Why don't you think things would work between you and Luan? Why don't you think she likes you? Because you're a beast?"

"Precisely!"

"Well, I don't care," Lana pointed out. "I think you're great the way you are!"

"Yes, but you're Lana," Benny argued back. "You'd like anything with paws and a furry tail, even if it tried to bite you. But Luan, she–"

"-Thinks you're the cutest thing ever," Luna finished. "Dude, haven't you been listening? She's crazy in love with you! Look, if you two don't kiss soon, we're all gonna be miffed at you."

The mention of kissing sent all the girls into a storm of squeals and giggles. Even Lincoln managed a smile. Benny, meanwhile, wondered if he was just imagining it, or if the room really had become at least twenty degrees warmer.

"Yes, Benny!" Lola declared. "Do that!"

"You all are, once again, being absolutely ridiculous," he said, lifting a paw to massage his aching head. "She'd never want me to–"

"Oh, yes, she would!" Lola chirped. "Go and do it and get married and live together and have lots of cute little fluffy puppies!" She scratched her head. "Or would 'kittens' be a better term?"

"That doesn't matter!" He threw his paws over his ears to try to block out Lola's incessant words. "Because that's definitely not happening! There's no marriage, no kittens or puppies, and positively no Luan and me. There is no us. It's not possible."

"Actually," Lisa interjected. "It might be scientifically possible. I haven't analyzed the full entirety of your genetic code, but there's a favorable chance that it's similar enough to human DNA to produce viable offspri–"

"Not what I meant, Lisa!" he cried.

"I know you're feeling shy," Lori said. "And probably more than a little insecure. Trust me, I felt that way at first with Bobby, too. But if he was willing to stick around during my–" Lori whispered the next two words in a low voice that he doubted anyone but them could hear. "-awkward phase, then I know Luan will stick around for you. She is my sister, after all."

Lori touched a comforting hand to the top of his head, carefully avoiding his pointed horns, and Benny marveled at the fact that, just like Luan, she didn't flinch or shudder at all. "Falling in love is literally all about finding that one person who doesn't mind all your flaws and imperfections. The one who likes you for you; not for what's on the surface, but for the heart underneath. All of us can see that Luan is your person. We can sense the connection between you two. And we give you our blessing to chase after her. If you want to." She paused to give him a serious look. "But if you ever break her heart, rest assured that I'll personally break your kneecaps."

"You…you trust me? With her?" he stammered. "Even though I–"

"We do," Leni said. "I mean, sure, you're a little strange, but you make her happy and she makes you happy, too. Why should anything else matter?"

"Leni's right," said Lori. "Wow. I never thought I'd say that. Look, if she really does feel the same for you and she's waiting for you, then you have to go out there and get her. Before someone else does. You don't have to confess to her until you're ready, but please, at least talk to her. She really needs you right now."

"Maybe I will." As strange and uncertain as things felt between him and Luan, Benny missed being with her. And he had the feeling she missed him, too. Besides, if all ten of Luan's siblings thought she harbored feelings for him, then…maybe they were right.

"That's a good lad," said Luna, grinning at the way his tail twitched ever-so-slightly at her praise. "Go sweep her off her feet for us."

"I wouldn't count on that, Luna," he replied.

"Alright, listen, Ro-meow." Lynn held up a pair of threatening fists. "Do you want my sister or not?!"

She was an inferno of blazing intensity. Now he knew where Luan got it from.

As her burning glare grew even hotter, Benny decided he'd better get an answer out quickly. "Yes! Yes, I do! More than anything!"

"You gotta win her, then. And fast. No more fooling around," Lynn declared. "My sisters may be able to deal with this silly romance game, but I can't stand it anymore! Just walk right up to her and court her, for basketball's sake!"

"What did you have in mind?" Benny asked. Although, honestly, did he really want to know?

"Well, there's the usual things," Lisa deadpanned. She counted on her tiny fingers as she spoke. "Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep…"

"Nah, that's no good!" Luna argued. "It's gotta be something special, brah! Something that'll really spark her interest. Get her all fired up." She snapped her fingers. "Write her some romantic poetry. Leave some little notes in places she's likely to look. Maybe even a serenade…can you sing, luv?"

Benny shrugged.

"Ah, we'll figure it out." Luna's lips parted in a rakish grin. "And considering I'm the only one of us who actually has a girlfriend, clearly I know what's best. Whatever I say goes. Peace." She held up two fingers, a flashy sign to punctuate her sentence.

Lucy gave her a thumbs-up. "Hate to admit it, but I actually agree with Luna on this one. That's exactly how it goes in all the classic romance novels."

But this isn't a classic romance novel, he argued in his mind. It's Luan.

"Ooh, you should tell her she's got beautiful eyes," Lola said. "Girls love to be told stuff like that."

"She does have beautiful eyes," he mused. "They're enchanting. Almost cosmic, in a way. If I look too hard, I fear I might get lost in them forever."

This only served to send the girls into another round of squeals. Lola in particular sported an absurdly large, gleeful smile, as though she was about to feast on an enormous mountain of cakes, pastries and assorted bonbons. Or his soul. Either would probably suffice for her, he figured.

"You are literally too sweet." Lori took hold of his paw and yanked him to his feet. "Okay, come on. Forget all that fancy stuff. You're going to talk to her right now."

Lynn voiced her agreement with a loud, hearty whoop.

"Wait, right now?" But his protest was in vain. The ten meddling siblings prodded and pushed him out the door, down the hall, and back into the room where Luan was still busily working. With one final, great shove, Lola bumped him hard enough to send him stumbling right into the table, causing Luan to startle. Her siblings immediately dashed out of the room, trying to avoid being seen, but he could hear them exchanging excited whispers out in the hallway.

Luan looked up at him. Though her eyes were as captivating as ever, now they looked so tired, almost glazed over, just like those of the soulless apparitions that still haunted his dreams from time to time. Everything about her, from her face to her shoulders, even her cloak, seemed droopy and saggy. After yet another day of inevitable failure, she seemed even less like herself than ever, and it hurt his heart to realize that there wasn't much he could do about it. He couldn't take her pain away no matter what he tried to do.

She said nothing at all, only waving a weary hand in greeting. As she did, he couldn't stop himself from thinking of how, only a few days ago, that hand had rested in his while she twirled beneath the starlight in a glowing yellow dress. Only a short while ago, he'd kissed it. The back of her hand had been as cold as the night wind, its surface so pale and perfect that he'd still been a little afraid to touch it, thinking himself unworthy of such a beautiful, delicate thing. He'd been so careful, so conscious of his claws and how the wrong movement could cause them to scratch her.

And that kiss…though he hadn't known it at the time, it had really been an attempt to make his deep affections known to her in an understandable way during a time in which most of his poetic words had eluded him. After all, how could any decent creature have ever managed to think straight and speak properly when she'd looked like that?

I want to do it again.

The little freckles on her nose, though not nearly as prominent as the ones on Lincoln's and Luna's, looked so pretty and twinkly, like kisses from the sun. Spots where the sunlight had marked her as one of its own, just because it loved her so much.

He wondered what it'd be like if he were to kiss her right there, right now. What would her reaction be? Would she giggle at his touch, filling the air with the joyous laughter he kept desperately trying to coax out of her? Maybe she'd stand still, shocked by his crazy foolishness. Maybe she'd swat him away in disgust.

Or maybe…maybe, that funny girl might kiss him back.

Do you love me like I love you? his thoughts whispered, for what was probably the hundredth time.

Oh, dang it. I think I'm staring again. Cut that out, you silly boy!

"Luan." All of the things he'd been meaning to say to her seemed to vanish from his head in an instant. He rummaged through his brain for something, anything, to break through the ice that had formed between them. "How are you?" he managed.

"Fine." Luan's reply was icy. Terse. Her eyes flew back down to her books and parchment. Was she trying to avoid his gaze? Had he done something wrong?

"You know you can tell me if you're–"

"Can you pass me that pen?" She gestured to a quill on the far end of the table. Benny picked it up and handed it to her, and she scribbled something down, still refusing to look at him.

He tried again. "I think maybe we need to talk about–"

"And that book?"

Benny frowned, but did as she asked. Why was she being so cold to him, all of a sudden? What was happening to her? "I'm only trying to–"

Still paying him no mind, Luan inspected the cover of the book and grimaced. As she blew on it a thick cloud of dust settled into the air and, as luck would have it, right onto his face. The particles assaulted his nose, causing him to sneeze several times in rapid succession.

The comedienne took one look at him and broke into a grin–apparently, she found the sight hilarious. The beautiful sound of her laughter filled the air and warmed his heart once again. Yes! Not exactly what I was planning, but still! She smiled!

But as he started to smile back at her, her delighted expression dissipated, and the light in her eyes dimmed. "Gah! Benny, stop distracting me!" she snapped.

He could feel his ears droop at her harsh command. I only wanted you to smile, if only for a minute. To know how amazing I think you are. I know you're under a lot of stress and I know you're trying so hard to save me, but it's not worth it. Don't lose yourself for me.

"Could you just leave me alone?" Benny could hear her voice crack. "I need to focus and you're making it impossible right now, so please, go away!"

He didn't want to leave her. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to rush across the room, gather her into his arms, and never let her go–at least, not until she knew for certain how much he cared for her.

But her distraught face and the way she glared at him told him everything he needed to know. He was nothing more than a distraction to her, and the best thing he could do for her would be to stay out of her way until she figured out a way to save him. Or, the more probable outcome, until she figured out that he was unsavable and gave up. The most he could muster up in response was a solemn nod.

He nearly tripped on his tail, which had tucked itself tightly between his legs, as he slunk out of the room. As soon as he walked through the doorway, he bumped into Lori.

"Well, you two literally blew it," she grouched. Her siblings, still gathered in the hallway to eavesdrop, all gave him incredibly sympathetic looks.

"Two steps forward, three steps back," Luna sighed.

"Poor Fluffy," Lily added, mimicking Luna's despondent tone.

Leni put a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, Benny," she said. "I promise, Luan does like you a lot. She's just, like, going through some stuff right now. Give her some time."

"We'll handle her," Lucy said. All of the girls dashed into the room, surrounding their sister with soft, soothing words. Only Lincoln remained.

He leaned against the stone wall, legs crossed, with his arms propped behind his head. "Hey."

Benny said nothing.

"Look, Benny. Just between us, guy-to-guy…my sisters are usually right. Especially about things like this. If they all think Luan is into you, then she probably is." Lincoln paused to give a dramatic shudder. "But do not tell them I told you that, or they'll never let me hear the end of it."

"I won't," Benny promised. "But I wish I could figure out what's going on with her."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Lincoln said with a shrug.

Benny was surprised when Lincoln took him by the paw. "We should go. If I know my sisters like I think I do, they won't want us clogging up the hallway. And I think you need something to take your mind off what just happened with Luan."

Pssh. Good luck with that, Lincoln. Benny already knew he'd be thinking about it nonstop for at least the next two hours, if not longer.

Lincoln touched a hand to his chin, deep in thought. "Maybe my parents need some help in the kitchen. We could go down there and see."

"Me? With them?" Benny shook his head. "Your father doesn't like me at all, and your mother–she's trying her best, but she clearly has no idea what to think of me. Can't say I blame her. Most days, I don't even know what to think of myself."

"They might come around if you talk to them," Lincoln suggested. "Besides, anything is better than sticking around out here and risking a category-five Sisternado."

That was a statement Benny had to agree with.

Lincoln shrugged. "And maybe they'll surprise you, if you take a chance."

"Okay," he agreed. "I'll speak with them." Though the thought of talking to those parents–Luan's parents–scared the tail off him, he realized that he couldn't hide from them forever. Though they'd exchanged little more than polite hellos and goodbyes, Benny knew that sooner or later, Rita and Lynn Sr would probably try to confront him. He was spending a lot of time with their children, after all, and any respectable parent would want to make sure their children were in good paws. If Benny himself took the initiative and started up a conversation with them, maybe that would make them more likely to trust him. At the very least, it would ensure that he was prepared for it, and it didn't catch him off guard.

Besides, if Luan was willing to give him a chance and see past his exterior, it was only fair that he should extend the same warm and friendly greeting to all of her family. Including her mother and father.

But remember, Benny lectured himself as Lincoln led him down the hallway. These are Luan's parents, so make a good impression and for the love of theatre, don't screw this up.

Don't you dare screw up.

…

A couple weeks ago, if one were to ask Lynn what he expected to be doing on a Tuesday morning, he would've never even thought to say "cooking soup in a monster's spooky castle."

Well, the cooking soup part, maybe. The spooky castle bit, not so much.

And yet here he was.

Rita, who was helping Lynn in the kitchen, had been talking with him for quite a while. Though they'd quarreled back and forth for a long while about what to cook in the first place, soon their conversation had turned to an entirely different topic. The subject in question: the odd little monster whose mysterious castle had become something like a second home to Lynn and Rita's eleven children.

Not that they technically had a first home. Cramming thirteen people under one roof? Full-time? He'd be surprised if any structure would ever last more than a few months. And this particular castle was already dusty and crumbling, so Lynn would estimate that it would probably be only a day or three before it was in danger of collapsing to the ground. It was a miracle it had stayed up as long as it had.

Rita had spent a long portion of the day telling Lynn all about the stories their children had told her. Stories of a kind, gentle creature who taught Lola to read, made up poems with Lucy, and helped Lana teach her pets some tricks. A creature who, although he had horns, claws, and sharp fangs, had never once used them.

"...And you'll never believe what Lana said to me the other day," Rita continued to ramble. "She asked me, 'Can we keep him?'" With a small chuckle, she added: "As sweet and charming as he is, I don't think he'd approve much of Lana trying to treat him like a little lost kitten."

Lynn stabbed a hole right through the stalk of celery he was cutting. "There's something about that beast that I don't trust." And for good reason. Having eleven children to defend and keep safe at all costs–ten of whom were girls–had made him wary. He knew the real monsters tended to be the ones that popped up suddenly, when you least expected it. Though the children described the beast as polite and kind, could any creature truly change their nature? Lynn wasn't so sure.

To his surprise, his wife laughed. "Are you sure you're not just afraid you'll lose Luan to him?"

"Luan?" Lynn raised an eyebrow. "What's this got to do with her?"

"You're telling me you haven't seen any of the signs?"

That wasn't entirely true. He'd heard a suspicious amount of gossip flying around lately about a certain 'boyfriend' of Luan's. And she had definitely been acting strange ever since the night of that dance, and even a little bit before then, come to think of it. His daughter was silly and loopy by nature, but he'd never expected her to twirl across the kitchen floor with a broom.

He knew something was up. After all, he may not have been the smartest man alive, but his brain wasn't exactly a brick, either.

Still, he continued to play dumb. "Signs about what?"

Rita grabbed him by the shoulders. "You really haven't figured it out by now? Lynn, honey, your daughter has a crush."

"On the monster?" Though he knew it was probably true, he still found it hard to believe. This creature? With his daughter? Ridiculous. And sort of unsettling to think about.

Deep down, Lynn knew there was a slight possibility that he was being a little overprotective. Rita certainly thought so, and he had a feeling many of his children felt the same way. None of them seemed to hold any hostility or fear towards this creature, having been won over incredibly quickly. Someone had to remain sensible and reasonable, seeing the monster for what it was on the outside and taking the proper precautions if the need arose. His family could count on him to step in the second things turned rough, and he prided himself on that.

Besides, Luan was his child and he wanted what was best for her. He loved all of his children equally, of course, and he went to great (sometimes too great) lengths to make sure they were all treated the same, but he had a bit of a soft spot for her. She was the only one who had inherited his sense of humor and talent for cooking–they had far more in common than he did with most of his other children. As a result, they'd spent quite a lot of time together, and had grown especially close.

He wanted to make sure she was safe, and that she was making the right choices. There was nothing irrational or overprotective about that.

"Luan doesn't see him that way," Rita said gently. "None of the children see him that way. I don't see him that way."

"I know, but…"

"Have any of the children said even one negative thing about him the entire time we've been here?"

Lynn thought for a moment. He shook his head.

"Exactly. I think that says something about him, and about you, too. I know you're trying to make sure the kids are safe, but maybe you need to let go of what you see on the outside, and focus on what lies within." Rita took the mangled celery stalk from Lynn, cut it up properly, and slid the pieces off the cutting board and into the enormous pot. "Luan doesn't look at things with her eyes. She sees them with her heart. I think it's time we all did the same."

"If it's that important to you, I'll give it a shot," Lynn agreed, albeit with some reluctance. However, he had to point out the obvious: "But then, what happens if things start to get…serious between them? Surely this isn't the kind of relationship most people would approve of."

Understatement of the year. What on Earth is a man supposed to do if one day a monster was to, hypothetically speaking, ask for his beloved daughter's hand in marriage? I don't think this was ever covered in any of the chapters of 'A Father's Guide to Raising Gorgeous, Gracious, Good-Mannered Girls.'

"That's true, but I really think we should let her chase her heart." Rita came back over to Lynn and touched a warm hand to his cheek, tracing the sharp angle of his jawline. "After all, I dared to chase mine all those years ago, and look what it gave me. Ten amazing kids and a wonderful traveling show. Things couldn't be more perfect."

"There's eleven, honey," Lynn reminded her.

"Oh, that's right," Rita said with a little chuckle. "Besides, Luan says he's not really a monster, just a boy trapped under a magic spell. You've seen her–she's working day and night to try to free him. Many of the others, too. I'd help them, but there's so much I have to do. So many jobs just to keep this crazy family alive." Rita gestured to the stove as though trying to prove her point. "And as for our Luan…I have faith in her. She's smart and determined, and in the end, I think she'll figure out what to do."

"Hmm. Well, I certainly hope so." Lynn placed his hand on top of his wife's and gave it a quick, affectionate squeeze before turning back to his soup.

"And in the meantime, I believe we should do our part to be kind and welcoming to him. He says very little about his past, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's been through a lot." Now her voice was low and sorrowful even as she playfully nudged Lynn to the side, making some room for herself near the stove. "I mean, can you imagine? All alone in such a dark, dusty place for who knows how long? No parents in sight, and he's so young…"

She stopped her train of thought as they both heard the soft sound of padded footsteps. It was Lincoln, their son. And, trailing slowly behind him, was the odd little beast.

Speak of the devil.

Although the monster's eyes were lowered, Lynn noticed how startlingly deep and pensive they were. Though the creature had the body of an animal–perhaps something halfway between feline and canine in structure–whenever Lynn had dared to look at him, his eyes had always appeared alarmingly human. There was a certain thoughtfulness about them that reminded Lynn of the old poets and playwrights the family had sometimes crossed paths with on their travels. It sort of unsettled him.

Stranger still was the look on his face. Lynn would expect a beast bristling with that much fur and claws to be hostile. Teeth bared, tail erect, and ears alert. But instead, it seemed Lynn himself was the one radiating hostility, because this creature looked…timid. Shy.

"I'm sorry," he said, and Lynn was surprised when even his voice came out gentle and soft. Very interesting. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, no, please stay!" Rita quickly jumped in.

Lincoln pointed to the pot of soup. "Do you guys need any help with that?" The creature gave a swift nod, making his own intentions crystal-clear.

Well, what do you know? Lynn was taken aback. It seems the scary beast wants to help.

"Yes, actually! That would be great!" Instantly, Rita was all cheerfulness and smiles. "I was just about to peel some potatoes. Do you think you could do that for me?"

Both boys nodded and hurriedly sat down at the kitchen table to start on the task.

"If you don't mind me asking," Lynn interrupted. "Your name…you have one, right?" Rita had addressed him by a name several times over the course of the day, but for whatever reason, it kept slipping his mind.

"Benny. Er, Benjamin." Ah, that's right. I remember hearing Rita mention earlier that she thought the name was far too cute for a monster. Can't say I disagree with her.

"You take a liking to my children, Benjamin?"

"Yes, sir." Benny put down the knife he was holding (with quite admirable dexterity, despite his formidable claws) and looked Lynn in the eyes. "All ten of your daughters are such lovely, spirited young ladies." After Lincoln cleared his throat, he hurriedly added: "And your son is quite charming as well."

He talks like a gentleman, Lynn mused. And he couldn't say he didn't admire how smartly dressed the boy was. Though a few of the buttons on his jacket were loose and dangling from threads, his attire was neat and crisp, with not a tear or stain in sight. I guess that's a point in his favor. But don't get used to them, Benjamin.

"Any in particular you fancy?"

It could've been his imagination, but Lynn thought the creature might've blushed. "I suppose I am not without my preferences, sir," Benny said, earning a curiously broad smile out of Lincoln. He keeps getting stranger and stranger, that little beast.

"Luan talks about you all the time."

That produced quite an interesting reaction. Benny's ears, which had been lowered, sprang up stick-straight at the mention of the girl's name. "I…I'm very glad to hear that."

Huh. Perhaps my Luan's not the only one who's a bit of a smitten kitten.

"Benny, sweetie," Rita placed a hand on Benny's shoulder. It was difficult to tell who was more shocked by this casual term of endearment: Lynn or Benny himself. "Do you take any bread or biscuits with your soup at all? Or something else? I think I still have time to run down to the store before the oven's ready."

"Bread, yes," said Benny, who seemed more than eager to switch the subject. "Biscuits, no. Not if they're sweet, at least."

Rita's eyebrows knitted together in a puzzled expression. "Not much of a sugar person?"

"Um, no, not since…" He didn't finish his sentence, but both Lynn and Rita could figure out what he meant. "My hearing's much sharper now than it was before, and my sense of smell is a lot better, too. But it's harder to see colors–they all look sort of faded unless they're a really vibrant hue–and much like a cat, I can't taste sweet things." He shrugged, picked back up his knife, and seemed incredibly focused on peeling the potatoes, making sure that not even a shred of skin was left on their surface.

"Wow. I had no idea," said Lincoln. "But wait…didn't Luan use to leave pies on your windowsill from time to time? What on Earth have you been doing with them?"

At these words, Benny slid out of his seat at the table, went over to the icebox, and pulled the door wide open. At least half a dozen pies were crammed inside.

"Don't tell Luan," he said with a little smile. "But I didn't have the heart to throw them away. She's trying so hard to make me feel better, so I couldn't do that to her." His ear flicked and he reached up a paw to scratch at it. "Y'know?"

Lynn watched as Rita smiled back at Benny, touching a hand to her heart. "I think I do," she said.

Alright, that was a little sweet, Lynn conceded. He's definitely won my wife over by now. But is he good enough for my daughter? Do I fully trust him? Would I ever trust anyone?

"You can take them and eat them if you'd like," Benny said. "Just don't do it anywhere near her sight." He paused, sniffed, and made a face. "I wouldn't use those tomatoes if I were you. They're going bad."

Rita reached across the counter and gave one of them a squeeze. It was indeed far too soft and squishy, not nearly as firm as it should've been. "Oh. Well…thanks. That's quite a clever nose you've got there."

"I'd like to think so." Then, quietly, Benny added, "I'd offer you some broccoli to use instead, but I think we're out of stalk."

Lynn's head jerked up faster than the speed of light. "Was that a pun?"

"Perhaps?"

"I always appreciate a good kitchen pun. They're kind of my specialty," Lynn said. Rita rolled her eyes and shook her head, but Lynn ignored her.

"Is that so?" Benny cocked his head. "Think you can ketchup?"

"Catch up? Catch up?" Lynn echoed. He gestured across the table at the various vegetables. "My boy, I'm unbeetable! You'll be artichoking on my success before you know it!"

"Aha!" Benny's face broke out into a broad grin. "That's where she gets it from!"

Lincoln, meanwhile, could only facepalm. "Great. Now there's three of them."

"You know what?" Lynn walked over and gave Benny a pat on the head. "Maybe I was wrong about you. You really do seem like a delightful young lad."

He saw Rita smile, and even Lincoln managed a nod. Hold it right there, you two. I'm not suggesting that I approve of him and Luan. Nor does this mean I'm letting my guard down. I'm simply pointing out that maybe I misjudged him a little, that's all. Nothing more.

"Thank you." Benny scratched even more furiously at the back of his head, almost as though he was trying to scrape his brain right out onto the floor. "I try to be. Granted, it's been years since I tried to do anything like this, but still I–"

He flinched as he realized what he'd said, which immediately grabbed Rita's attention. Immediately, her sunny expression turned pained and serious.

"It's been years? Since anyone's been around? Honey, is that really true?"

Benny's ears and tail drooped. He nodded.

Instantly, Rita took him into her arms, pulling him into a tight hug. "Oh, sweetheart. I could never even imagine what that was like…"

"It wasn't that bad. Really," Benny said.

"No company at all?"

"Well, that's not true. I had Shakespeare."

"That doesn't count." Rita ran a hand through Benny's messy hair, saying nothing more.

Here, in this moment, it was easy to tell how young this boy truly was. He was stiff in Rita's arms, appearing stunned, like he wasn't quite sure what to do or how to react. His eyes were wide, his expression a curious blend somewhere between surprised and confused. Not at all the kind of emotions Lynn ever expected to see on a monster (not that he'd been expecting to see any kind of emotions on a monster, or even a monster in general).

It revealed before Lynn's eyes a side to Benny that he hadn't seen before. A human side.

He keeps getting stranger and stranger, indeed.

"Thank you for your help," Rita said softly as she released Benny from her chokehold. "Lynn and I can take it from here."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I can totally–"

"Really, it's the least we can do for you," Rita insisted. "Go take Lincoln and do…whatever it is boys do. We'll call you when it's ready."

Lincoln nodded, got up from the table, and took Benny by the hand. The two left the room.

Rita turned back to her vegetables. She worked for a long while beside Lynn in silence, only occasionally stopping to mutter something under her breath that was too soft for him to hear. It seemed she suddenly had a lot on her mind. So did Lynn.

Maybe Luan is right. There's a lot more to that boy of hers than meets the eye.

As the afternoon passed by, every now and then he and Rita would step away from the counter for a while, hurrying around the castle to do a headcount. It was a habit for them to routinely check to make sure all of their children were safe and accounted for.

Lynn watched as Rita brushed past the twins, who were chasing each other through the halls, marking them off on the neatly-organized checklist he knew she kept in her mind. He watched her as she counted Luna, Leni, Lynn Jr, and little Lisa poring over thick books, and how she instinctively searched for Lucy in the dusty fireplace. Even their spooky goth daughter had a soot-covered textbook in hand. As a matter of fact, she seemed to be working harder than nearly anyone else.

Lynn observed Rita as she walked over to Luan, who was still sitting at the table where she had been all day long, studying withered pages with tired eyes and a frustrated expression. And he watched as she placed a soft kiss on her daughter's cheek and smoothed down her hair before continuing on her way.

Lori walked by with a broom, trying to sweep the dust off the floor. However, tiny toddling Lily, who followed in her footsteps, kept messing up her piles, scattering the particles right back to where they'd started. Rita came up to them. "Nine," she said, placing a hand on Lily's head. Then, she did the same to Lori, though their oldest daughter immediately swatted Rita's hand away. "Ten."

Finally, she turned to Lincoln and Benny, who were sitting on the floor playing a game of chess (and Lynn felt a quick burst of fatherly pride as he noticed that there were far more of Lincoln's white pieces left on the board than Benny's black ones).

"Eleven." She placed a hand on Lincoln's snowy-white head. And then, shocking Lynn, she moved her hand to rest in Benny's dark curls, carefully avoiding his horns.

"Twelve."

That single word, Lynn thought, must have held great power, at least to Benny. He looked up at Rita with bright, shining eyes. His long, wolfish tail swept across the floor with a gentle swish-swish that even managed to make Lynn smile, just a little.

I still don't trust you, Lynn thought as he looked at the strange young boy.

But I guess I can give you a chance.

…

"Luan, that boy would literally bleed himself dry for you! And you won't even give him the time of day!" Lori had shouted at her.

To which Leni had added: "It's like you suddenly don't even care about him at all!"

The conversation she'd had with her siblings earlier that morning rang through her skull like a giant bell–the kind used to warn a village of terrible danger.

They'd comforted her at first, whispering soothing sentiments to calm her nerves, and then they'd turned right around and immediately chewed her out. Which she definitely deserved for how she'd treated Benny, but it wasn't as though she didn't have her reasons. Very, very important reasons.

Such as, for instance, the fact that she was finding it even harder to focus than ever before.

Dang it, Benny. Why can't you go away and get out of my head?

For the thousandth time, her thoughts drifted right back to that night, how close she'd gotten to making all of her confusing secrets known to him. How she'd laughed at how crazy it all was, how silly it felt to be falling for him.

How she'd struggled to fight back her fear when she'd seen that flower with its petals half-gone.

That fear was what kept her going. It was what had caused her to push the prince away, because the situation at hand was extremely dire and she couldn't afford to lose any more time.

Her emotions for him no longer felt funny. Now, they were dangerous. If she gave into them, and let him steal her away from her studies, time would keep slipping by without her. Then, he might never be saved.

And yet he still kept doing it. Distracting her. Did he even comprehend the seriousness of this situation at all?! She didn't think she'd ever understand him.

I'm keeping you away because of how much I care about you, she imagined herself telling him. I hope you know that. Can you please let me do that for you?

Right after her siblings had finished their little speech about all five million of the ways she'd messed up, she'd turned right back to her books and quills without so much as a word in her own defense. Though she might've had to fight back a single tear. But only one. She wouldn't allow herself anything more than that.

The lobby was obnoxiously loud, and Lori, who was working right beside her, kept shooting her terrifying glares, but she refused to move a muscle. If she did, she might bump into him, and if that happened, there was a chance he'd do something adorable, and then she'd probably never be able to concentrate ever again.

It had been bad enough an hour or so ago when she'd spotted him curled up on the floor in a patch of sunlight, fast asleep and completely oblivious as her younger siblings clambered all over him and even used his tail as a makeshift slide. Even Lori had stopped her work for a minute to scratch behind his ears. Luan had managed, albeit only barely, to keep the smile off her face, but sappy, saccharine thoughts of Benny had clouded her mind for a long while afterwards.

And now they were back again. Double dang it.

As voices suddenly rang out, Luan glanced up from the table despite all of her better judgment, which told her, Don't you dare.

"You've never chased your tail? Not even once?"

"Can't say that I have."

Lana and Benny were having a conversation. As she saw Benny glance over at her, she quickly dropped her gaze. To keep him safe, she had to pretend not to notice or care. Even though she definitely did.

"Can you do it now?" Lana asked him.

"If I'm being honest, I'd rather not. I already let Lola use her cat toy on me yesterday, and I think that's my limit."

"Aww. Then can I chase your tail?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't." He scratched his head. "How would that even work?"

Lana shrugged. "Dang it. I wish I had a tail. I'd be chasing it all day!"

Benny raised his eyebrows in surprise. Then, he firmly shook his head. "No. No, you don't."

"Why not?"

He seemed to ponder over that for a while, trying to come up with a suitable answer for her. "Because it's terribly difficult to play cards. Everyone can always tell when I have a good hand because this crazy thing will just go like–" Whistling a trail of notes for dramatic effect, Benny swished his tail back and forth a few times to demonstrate.

Lana smiled. "Ooh, can I play cards with you, then? I never win when I play against Lori."

"What have you got? Hearts? Spades? Pinochle? Briscola? Gin Rummy?"

"I don't know what any of those words mean," Lana confessed.

Benny facepalmed. "Go Fish it is, then. Why don't you go and see if any of your siblings want to play?"

As Lana darted off to scoop up a few of her siblings, Benny walked up to approach Luan.

He's doing it again.

Why? Why are you so relentless, Benny?

His shy smile and the hopeful twitch of his tail made her heart leap, then sink. She had a curse to solve, and she wasn't about to let him distract her from it. No matter how much she wanted him to.

Luan shook her head, clearly defining her answer before he even had a chance to ask her. She willed herself not to budge.

"Please, Luan?" He gently placed his hand over hers, which sent spiderwebs of shock through her body, but she willed her face to stay passive. It was the first time they'd touched in days…and he had been the one to initiate it this time. Is that a sign?

"You don't have to sit alone all the time, you know. Trust me, it isn't very much fun," Benny said. When she said nothing in response, he added: "And something tells me you're probably an ace at cards. Bet if you and I worked together, your siblings wouldn't stand a chance."

"Benny, no." Luan grit her teeth and shook her head again, determined to stand her ground. "I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work." Whether you like it or not, I'm not going to rest until you're free and happy. "I'm staying right here and that's final," she added coldly.

Benny's ears and tail drooped, but thankfully, he yielded. "Do you think we…maybe I could–"

"Hey, Bens!" The sound of Lynn Jr's sharp voice made both of them flinch. They turned their heads just in time to see her forcefully smack down a pile of cards in front of Leni, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor along with Lincoln, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and Luna. "Get your tail over here so I can deal you in, 'cause you're about to get a taste of Lynner Lynner Chicken-Dinner!" The girl had a manic grin on her face and was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Kick her butt for me," Luan whispered to Benny. He nodded, giving her a quick, gentlemanly bow. Then, he dashed across the room and parked himself right next to Leni, his tail thumping across the stone tiles a few times as Lynn counted out five cards for him.

"Now, don't think I'm going to go easy on you just because my sister thinks you're cute," Lynn said, more than loud enough for Luan to hear (which might've been by design). "You're going to feel the burn as much as anybody else." She patted him on the head, then took a seat and looked at Lisa. "Youngest goes first."

Lisa took her first turn, then Lola followed suit, and soon they were all in the middle of quite an entertaining game, filled with alliances, betrayals, and lots and lots of shouting. Which was to be expected. This was, after all, the Loud family. Not even a simple game of cards would ever be calm and quiet with any of them around.

Luan watched Benny out of the corner of her eye, cracking a smile at the overly pensive expressions he made while he plotted out his next moves and the way he gently but firmly reprimanded Lola when she tried to cheat by sneakily swiping a card from Lana's hand.

And she couldn't keep from blushing once she noticed that whenever Benny managed to take a card from someone else, he'd smile and send a glance her way, as though he really was trying to win the game for her. Of course, the way his tail thumped and twitched let everyone know whenever he was optimistic about his hand, so they all knew exactly when to target him. But even after suffering her siblings' relentless attacks, he kept playing.

Such a sweet, silly creature he was. It shattered her to broken pieces to know how much pain he was in. The smile had hardly ever left his face over the course of these past couple days, but his eyes still looked so tired and sad. He really was just as worried and afraid as she was for what might happen when the last petal fell and he was trapped under the dreadful curse forever. How could she have ever doubted that?

Focus, Luan! You don't know how much time is left before that happens! There's no time allowed in your schedule for ogling, let alone for any fun and games. You have to be serious now. His life depends on it.

So she kept puzzling out the pages as time ticked on forever and ever. She couldn't help but wonder whether her efforts to save him meant anything at all, and whether her face looked as droopy and gloomy as it felt.

"Booyah! Lynner Lynner Chicken-Dinner!" Lynn slammed down her huge stack of matching card quartets and broke out into an over-the-top victory dance. Her siblings only responded with a tired eye-roll, well accustomed to Lynn's shenanigans. "Have fun being crowned the rulers of Loserland!" she taunted as she merrily skipped down the hall, not even bothering to clean up her cards. "I'll see you all at the coronation!"

"I've got it," Benny said, sweeping up all of the cards into a neat pile as the rest of her siblings scattered, complaining about their two-hundred-and-eighty-fifth loss to Lynn in a row.

Luan sighed. Even this tiny gesture, cleaning up after her siblings without the slightest hesitation, was undeniably sweet to her. This boy clearly didn't deserve everything he'd gone through–all the sorrow and loneliness of which not even Luan herself could fathom the full extent.

She looked down at the endless walls of text beneath her and buried her face in her arms. How on Earth was she supposed to solve all of this in time? Why did everything have to depend on her, the least competent person for this job? It was all too much.

The sensation of soft hands brushing over her shoulders startled her, especially since the sharp little pinpricks of claws told her exactly who they belonged to. When she finally dared to look up and meet his eyes, she saw that he was wearing what she'd started to refer to in her head as his 'I-can-fix-this' face. As though he was a doctor looking over a gravely ill patient.

Quit thinking of me like I'm your patient, Benjamin, she thought. You're supposed to be my patient. You're the one in need of help; you're the one who needs to be cheered up. And that's my job, not yours, so let me do it.

"Are you okay?" he asked. His eyes scanned over her face, giving her the impression that he was reading her like a book. Sometimes, it scared her how intuitive he could be.

She nodded as she tried to pull a smile back onto her face–a mask to hide her emotions that she'd relied on dozens of times before. "I told you, I'm fine."

Benny looked her over once more. His tail flicked. "No, you're not. You're definitely not. Come on, you need to take a break."

"I can't."

"You need to," he repeated. "You're trying to do way too much, and it's stressing you out. I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but it's taking so much of a toll on you. I can tell how awful it is, and it really hurts me to see you this way." He tucked a scrap of paper into her book to mark her place, then slowly started to slide it further down the table, away from her arms. "So, why don't you put this down, and then we're going to–"

"No!" she snapped at him, feeling a quick stab of remorse as his ears flattened at the loud, sudden sound. She tugged her spellbook out of his grasp and let the pages spill open again. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back. She was not about to let him see her break down.

"I'm serious," she choked out, fearfully aware of how shaky her voice sounded. "I can't. I just…I can't. Not when you're…and it's…" She couldn't even finish her sentence before hot tears flooded down her face. It made her guilty to let him see her cry when it was him who was in danger and her who should be the one to turn to for console. She half-expected him to tell her off for this clearly unreasonable and unhelpful reaction. Any typical person probably would've.

She stifled a gasp as instead, he dropped to all fours and nudged his head into her lap, almost like the way she'd seen dogs comfort crying children or sick people in infirmaries.

"What are you–" Luan started to say, but stopped when she realized the gentle pressure made her less tense, her rapid breaths already beginning to slow down. Eventually, her tears faded away. Benny's odd strategy to try to calm her down was actually working on her. He'd seemed to know exactly what to do.

She searched his face for any traces of discomfort or disgust, any signs that he'd been unnerved by the way she'd let her mask of puns and laughter slip right off her face and crash to the floor, but to her surprise, she found nothing of the sort. His eyes held nothing but genuine sincerity.

It was one of her favorite things about him: how he never seemed to hold any judgment towards anyone. Even in the midst of her family's wildest hurricanes, he was tranquil and quiet. A sturdy rock in a stormy sea. Something she hadn't even known she needed.

Luan took a few deep breaths, concentrating her mind on Benny's light touch and his calm, focused eyes, and on the way they kept her grounded and made her feel safe (though at the same time her chest burst into excited fireworks because he was so close to her and he let himself be close to her and surely this meant something, didn't it?). Then, she slowly flipped through the pages of her book to the spot he'd marked for her. As she did so, she heard him grumble something that sounded very much like a complaint, but he made no further move to stop her, which she appreciated.

While Luan read and took notes, Benny stayed put, saying nothing at all but continuing to offer up his warm, healing presence for as long as she needed. She'd hardly even noticed how her hand had pushed its way into his soft, curly hair, gliding neatly through his thick coils and around his sharp horns until he made a small sound of pleasure–something halfway between a catlike purr and a human sigh–that made her heart flutter all over again. His eyes had closed and his face was peaceful and still, like a sleepy puppy.

I really can't stay away from you for long, huh? She stroked her fingers down his forehead and across the bridge of his nose, pausing to give its cold surface a quick rub for good measure, before skirting her way back up through his tangled curls and into the downy tufts of fur lining the base of his neck. When his ears twitched at her movements, her hand climbed through his hair to give one of them a teasing, playful scratch.

To her amusement, this made his tail swish back and forth across the floor; the harder she scratched at the backs of his ears, the quicker it moved. I didn't even know you had a soft spot there, she thought with a delighted grin. Just like Charles does.

Perhaps, she wondered, this was simply another one of those sweet Benny quirks she'd observed in him since they'd grown close–like his wagging tail, expressive ears, and odd fascination with feathers and strings. Weird little animal instincts that she found quite endearing, even paw-sitively adorable, in a way.

Benny Stein, you are too cute for words.

Completely abandoning her book, Luan started to conduct a playful little experiment to test exactly how hard she could get his tail to wag (and producing quite interesting and hilarious results) until his eyes snapped open and his head jerked back, right out of her lap. He held up his hands, palms facing outwards in a 'slow down' gesture.

"Whoa, okay, wow, that's enough, Luan. Stop, stop, stop," he said. "I'm sorry, but that was just too weird."

"I like your weirdness."

"That's weird, too." Benny tugged at the pointed tip of his ear in a way that looked almost as though he was trying to discipline it, which coaxed a laugh out of her and, in turn, a little smile out of him. Then, he got to his feet and slid one of the spare chairs across the floor, parking it right next to hers. He sat down and squinted at her books and papers, trying to read her (probably atrocious) handwriting.

Luan gave him a confused look. "Now what are you doing?"

"I'm not letting you do this without me anymore," Benny said. "In fact, I should've been with you the whole time. Teach me how to read these things so I can help you."

"You mean…you're really going to help me?" she asked. She crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow. "But I thought you said you didn't believe the spell could ever be broken. You said it was a lost cause. What changed?"

"You."

Luan furrowed her brow, confused. "What do you mean? I'm the same person I've always been. More or less."

Benny shook his head. "What I mean is…things seem different now that you're here. Now that you've stayed. You're so brave. Determined."

Eyes shining, he touched the palm of his hand to her chest, sending her brain right back down that confused spiral of bizarre, fluttery-butterfly emotions. "Your hope for me gives me hope. And I know I probably don't show it well, but it's you who keeps me going, day after day, despite my impending doom and all of the scary things that are happening to me. It's always you."

Luan knew there was no way she'd be able to stop her face from blushing bright red, though this time, somehow, she didn't seem to have any sort of need to hide it from him. "I've only been here for a little while," she reminded him.

"And yet I feel like I've known you all of my life. Or maybe I was supposed to, if things had turned out differently."

"I like the way they turned out right now." Luan lifted Benny's hand off her chest and gently looped her pinky around his. This simple connection somehow made her feel as though, for the first time since that night, things were perfect and right again.

She couldn't quite mask her grin when, as he dared a quick glance at their joined hands, the end of his tail thumped against the side of his chair. Quiet at first, then louder. When he noticed, his eyes grew wide and his ears drew back.

"I'm sorry!" he blurted, rubbing at the back of his head in a nervous, jittery way. "This thing has a mind of its own, I swear."

"No way, don't apologize!" Luan said, shocked at her own sudden boldness. "It's cute. You're cute."

Benny tilted his head. "Like a puppy?"

Is that really what he thinks I think of him? That he's some kind of funny house pet? I mean…I do think he's cute in kind of a puppy sort of way, but puppies don't give me butterflies like this. Puppies don't make me completely lose my head. Not like he does.

"Ha, no. You're a thousand times cuter than a puppy."

Benny's mouth fell open in pure shock, his furry cheeks dusted with undertones of vivid red. His tail thumped even louder–a tell-tail sign to her that despite all the chaos she'd undoubtedly put him through, he still couldn't hide his delight whenever she made a casual remark about how adorable he was. Which only made him all the more adorable.

He still likes it when I call him cute. Is that a sign that he really likes me, too?

Did I make a mistake earlier, trying to brush him off? Maybe he really does want to be more than friends, and I was just being a silly buffoon about it.

Oh, Benny, Benny, Benny…what are you thinking?

"Your siblings are staring."

Luan glanced around the room. It was true. Many of her siblings had stopped their activities to point and stare, whispering and conspiring amongst themselves. She even heard Lola and Lana giggle. Had they been watching the entire thing, this whole time?

But, for whatever reason, she found that it didn't annoy her nearly as much as it used to. "Let them stare."

…Until she locked eyes with Lola. The girl held up both hands with the thumb and fingers of each pressed tightly together. She slowly brought her hands closer and closer towards each other until their fingertips touched. This cheeky gesture, coupled with the devious smile on her face, sent a clear message: kiss him.

Which not only made Luan blush an even deeper red (Face, stop doing that!), but it also reminded her of why she'd been trying to avoid Benny in the first place. Because she did want to try that, and had reason to suspect he did not. She emphatically shook her head, trying to tell Lola that there would be absolutely none of that today, or ever.

Lola made a pouty face and stomped her foot.

"On second thought…maybe we should go somewhere quieter." Anything to get away from her siblings' disapproving faces.

Benny gave a wordless nod and his hand broke away from Luan's to stack all of the books, inkwells, and quills on the table into a neat pile. Luan flashed him a small grin when she noticed how he'd instinctively thought to pick up the whole pile, leaving her with nothing to carry. She may not have been a typical lady (and himself even farther from a typical gentleman) but even a goofy comedienne appreciated a tiny bit of chivalry from time to time. Especially if it came from him.

She followed him up the winding staircase, looking back over her shoulder to send her smirking siblings a stern 'no funny business allowed' glare. Benny turned a corner, walked into a room, and set their things on the floor.

Luan recognized this room. She'd been here once or twice before. The cheerful puppets still smiled from their places on the dusty shelves. Books were still scattered across the rug. This storeroom still held those mysterious remnants of the Benny that she so desperately wanted to know. The boy behind the curse. Before the curse.

And maybe…after it as well? she dared to hope.

"I don't think anyone will bother us here," Benny said as they both took a seat on the carpet, near the edge of the room, and opened their books to the places where they'd left off. "Not that your family is bothersome to me in any way. But they can be a bit much sometimes, right? I like when it's just us." His gaze caught hers and his ears pulled flat against the sides of his head. "I should stop talking and let you focus. I'm sorry."

"No, Benny." Luan placed a hand on his arm, trying to ignore the flustered little shockwaves that ran up and down her body. "I'm sorry. For earlier. I never should have acted that way, or said those things to you."

"It's okay," he said. "I understand. You were under a lot of stress. The last thing you needed was another distraction."

You don't even know the half of it, Benjamin.

"Still, it was wrong of me to try to push you away." She took a deep breath. "Because I do like you, and I like spending time with you. But…" Luan looked down at the book in her lap and frowned.

"I know."

"The show must go on," she muttered, not so much to him, but rather, to herself. "Time and the hour runs through the roughest day."

So there's no time left to waste.

They read and studied quietly for a long while, and Luan was surprised to find out that Benny had been right. This room was nearly completely silent, a respite from the constant noise and chaos that was undoubtedly going on downstairs. And not a single person bothered them.

But Luan, in spite of all the stoicism she'd tried to throw on like a mask ever since that night, despite all her attempts to get rid of her deepest feelings, still couldn't keep her eyes away from Benny's distracting face. That sweet, adorable, silly, sad, mysterious…

Don't you dare think about kissing him! That's what got you into this mess in the first place! That's why you didn't want to talk to him or be alone with him or think about him at all–because every time you do, you get these intrusive, impulsive thoughts. Those are bad thoughts! Bad, bad thoughts!

But if that's true, then why do I keep thinking them?

That's enough. Try to be normal. Focus on the books, on trying to save him, and eventually all of this will go away. It needs to go away.

"You look disturbed," Benny said, meeting her eyes and breaking both the silence and any hope Luan had of getting rid of those annoying thoughts about how cute he was. "Is something on your mind, Luan?"

"Oh, it's not…well…I…" She tried to speak, but no coherent sentences were able to come out, not when her thoughts were so loud and crazy. "Why are words so hard right now?"

"Try this." Benny got to his feet, walked over to the wall, and pulled an orange-haired wooden puppet down from the top shelf. He handed it to her.

"...What?" Luan cocked her head.

"It's what I used to do when I couldn't figure out what to say," he explained. If she concentrated hard, she could almost picture it. Painfully shy, curly-haired little Benny trying to communicate his thoughts to haughty nobles and confused servants through silly puppetry. It definitely suited him.

Was she any different, really? The little skits she used to put on and perform (and still did from time to time) using dishes, brooms and other household objects–weren't they just another way she'd come up with to communicate her ideas? A method to make her siblings laugh when her usual puns and pranks fell flat?

I guess it's worth a shot.

Luan accepted the dummy from Benny and slipped it over her wrist. She took a long moment to collect her thoughts, trying to piece together the broken fragments into something that made coherent sense.

"The truth is," she made it say, "she's really worried about you. She knows the third petal has fallen, and she's scared, because she's still no closer to figuring out how to save you. She thinks she's doing everything wrong. And it hurts."

Benny was quiet as he listened to her, his wise, dark eyes never once leaving hers. She was startled yet again by how much emotion she found within them. Traces of sadness and shame and deep, profound sympathy. How does he keep doing that?

Then, she watched him as he got up and went over to the shelves again, this time selecting a marionette. As he sat back down, Luan couldn't help but notice and admire his steady, dexterous hand as he moved his own puppet. The sort of thing that could only be perfected through years of careful practice.

"Benjamin worries about her, too."

"He does?"

"He does."

"But Luan's not…she's not in any danger, is she? Not like you are."

"He's not sure," the marionette answered, and a chill ran up Luan's spine at the implication. Though both of them tried their hardest, there truly was no way for either to tell what exactly fate had in store for them. It's like I'm someone else's tiny puppet on a string.

In a quiet voice, Benny added, "But he's glad she stayed."

"She's glad, too." And as she smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back at her with that painfully adorable, thoughtful face of his, she was reminded of exactly why she was doing all of this in the first place. This boy, and that smile, was worth it. He was worth all of it, and more.

He's doing that again. Stealing my heart.

The dummy turned his head to look at Luan, rolled his eyes, and facepalmed. "Get a load of this doll! Her face is sappier than a Canadian maple farm for Pete's sake! Bleh! Tell her to get those disgusting emotions out of here before we all choke on them and die!"

That actually got a little chuckle out of Benny, which only fanned Luan's flames even higher.

"What do you say we both make like a banana and split on outta here?" Luan's dummy said to the marionette. "Wooden that be a much better way to spend our time? Let's ditch these two idiots and move to a private island or something. Maybe even get married!"

Benny grinned. "You know what? I think he'd…I'd…like that very much."

Luan burst out laughing. It wasn't exactly because of what he'd said, but simply because part of her found it unbelievable that they could keep on doing this. Joking around and being silly even when the world around them was decidedly not funny.

That's right, a stern voice whispered in her mind like wind through an empty chasm. Remember, you're not supposed to laugh. You have to be serious. For him. It's all for him.

Can't I have this one moment? she bickered back at it. A few minutes, and then I promise I'll be serious for the rest of the day. For the rest of my life, if I have to. If that's what it takes.

But please, let me have this.

A few minutes won't make a difference. Right?

She grew silent, however, when she looked at him. He was wearing the most peculiar face. Head tilted at a curious angle, ears perked, and eyes watching her with the deepest, most pensive look she'd probably ever seen. He seemed enraptured. Captivated by something.

…By me?

"Benny, what are you looking at?"

"Just you." He scratched at the fur on his neck, then added: "Are you sure you've never done that before?"

"Done what? This?" Luan held up the dummy. "No, not exactly. Though I have been known to mess around like that with dishes and silverware and stuff. You should've seen the period drama I did with a bunch of mops and brooms. My siblings were talking about it for days!"

"I don't know how to explain it, but you seem so natural with it. Like it's something you're supposed to be doing."

She smirked. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? My lady, I've got a fluffy tail and hairballs. You don't get any more ridiculous than this." He swished his tail, stirring up clouds of dust into the air.

"And I wouldn't want you any other way." She raised an amused eyebrow. "Wait a minute…you get hairballs?!"

"Oh, no, not regularly. But there was this one instance. Trust me, you do not want to know."

Luan stifled another laugh, shaking her head in sheer disbelief.

He scooted a few inches closer to her. "I think you should give it a chance. Keep it."

"But it's yours."

"Looks better on you. Then again, practically everything does."

Luan did the only thing she could think of that felt right. She set the dummy on the floor and pulled her prince into a hug.

She was surprised by just how natural it was, right then and there. He was warm and perfect and familiar in every way, from the smooth fabric of his jacket to the feather-soft texture of his fur. Even the way he always tensed up when she came close, as though he wasn't quite sure what to do or–

Oh. Dang it, you foolish girl! She recalled for the umpteenth time what had happened on that fateful night-that-shall-remain-unthought-about-forever-and-ever and backed up, giving him space. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have–"

"No, please! I'll gladly take it!" he insisted, and before she knew it, she was back in his arms again, head tucked neatly under his chin as though it was made to rest right exactly there. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed this until it was here again.

Do you think maybe it's possible that I can hide in here forever? The world is a lot less awful in here. When I'm with you.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "You know, about…" Her voice trailed off.

The conversation they should've had hung in the air like a cloud of thick fog. But she couldn't conjure up any words to explain to him how sorry she was for acting so impulsive and brash that night, and most of all for how she'd tried to avoid him afterwards, even snapped at him. I really screwed things up, didn't I? Classic Luan. Always a goofy, messed-up comedy act. Pies in the face, banana peels, the whole kit and caboodle.

"I missed you," he said.

"I've been here the whole time."

"I missed you." He ran a gentle hand through her hair, and somehow that little gesture sent a thousand tiny sparks running down the length of her spine. "And believe me, Luan, you're doing everything you possibly can."

"I still haven't saved you."

"Yes, you have. By being here. By being you. And whether the spell breaks or not, nothing's going to change that. You're the best thing that's happened to me in years."

Once again, Luan found that no words could possibly explain her feelings. So she just hugged him tighter. And he stroked her hair and everything felt okay.

When she finally gathered the strength to slip out of his grasp, she was conscious…more than conscious, actually, of the way his gaze still hung on her.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful your eyes are?"

Luan's heart leapt right into her throat. "No, I…I don't think you did."

"Really? All this time, I never said a word?" He took her hands in his, and as she jerked back in surprise, her shoulders scraped against the stone wall.

Huh. A rock and a hard place.

Oh, no. No. Absolutely not. No way. We are not pulling this little stunt again, Benjamin. You've already made yourself very clear to me, so rest assured that no matter how cute you get or what you say to me, there's no way I'm ever going to try to–

"They are. Just like the rest of you."

Sweet comic relief, what's gotten into this boy? Did someone replace all his brains with oatmeal or something? "Benny, I'm a mess. Both physically and mentally."

"You? Impossible." His eyes glittered. "I don't even think you know what exactly you do to me. I mean…the other night, when you were all dressed up and we were dancing–you saw me! I was speechless. But even now, just sitting here, all I can think is wow. Do you do this all without even trying?"

"Benny," she said softly. "I don't understand. Do what? What are you saying?"

He gave her a lopsided grin. "What I'm saying is, fair sun, you shine brighter than anyone I've ever known. You're like a lily in a field of wheat. Extraordinary inside and out. In every way."

As a comedienne, Luan had received a lot of comments and compliments in her life. But never before had she been given one quite like this.

Benny edged in even closer, lifting a hand to gently brush a lock of hair behind her ear. Right as he started to pull it away, Luan snatched it out of midair with one of her own and guided it right back to her face, letting his palm and fingers press flat against the skin of her cheek. It was, essentially, a silent, desperate plea from her to him. Don't go away, please stay close to me.

The prince looked startled by this bold action of hers, but when she gave him a reassuring smile, he relaxed, making no effort to free his hand from her grip. The weight and warmth of his hand on her cheek, the texture of the wispy hairs on his palm and fingertips, even the slight poking sensation from his delicate claws…she couldn't explain it. He just felt right, no matter where he was or what form he took.

"Wow," he whispered. "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven, bright angel?"

As she let out a little nervous laugh, a familiar, traitorous thought occurred to her. If I leaned in a little closer, there's a good chance I could probably…

Sharp, stinging blush assaulted her cheeks. Dang it! Not again! Why is it that every time I'm around him, I can't keep those bad thoughts away?

I need to get out of here before I do something crazy, like–

"Hang on. I think I left a scroll downstairs." Not the prettiest or wittiest of excuses, but at least it would give her a moment to sort things out and recollect herself.

Benny pulled away, and for a moment, despite everything, she was half-tempted to reach out and grab his hands right back again because, wow, hers felt cold all of a sudden. "Do you want me to go and–?"

She hadn't expected him to volunteer himself. But of course he would. He's Benny. Besides, as long as he got all of his adorableness out of her sight for a minute so that she could think properly, it didn't really matter why or how. "Oh. Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you."

"Anything for you." Those words again. Why did they always make her heart jump?

Why does he always make my heart jump?

Benny left the room, itching feverishly at the back of his head and whimpering in a way that almost sounded as though he was in terrible pain. If her head hadn't been so insanely occupied, she definitely would've questioned him about it.

I swear, that boy's making me lose my mind.

As soon as Benny's bushy tail disappeared out the doorway, Luan gave herself a big, hard slap in the face.

"Sweet mother of pearl!" a voice called out. "What'd you go and do a thing like that for?"

Luan looked down. Somehow, that wooden dummy Benny had given her had found its way right onto her other hand. She'd done it without even thinking.

"Answer me, doll!" it continued. "What's the big idea?"

"I want to kiss him."

The dummy shrugged in response. "So?"

"So I want him to kiss me." She threw up her hands. "I don't get it! I thought these crushing feelings would go away if I avoided thinking about them and looking at him, but they didn't. In fact, I think that made them even worse. And now I don't even know what he thinks. Every time I think I have him figured out, he says something that makes me doubt everything all over again." Sighing, she added: "He's a puzzle to me. A big, crazy, adorable puzzle."

"Call me dense as a block of wood, but I don't see what you're so worked up about. You and the furry hunk make a great pair."

"Do we, though? I mean, I think we do. But does he? I wish he'd give me a clear answer, because all these mixed signals all the time are driving me absolutely crazy!"

"Well, see, there's your problem, toots. How do you expect your cutie to give you a straight answer if you don't ask him a straight question? You're just as bad as he is!"

"Am I?" she wondered. Then, she recalled how her mood had changed so drastically since that night. She'd been warm and affectionate the day before that, and cold and distant ever since. And even though she'd explained to him earlier why that had been the case, she'd still kept a lot of her deepest thoughts and feelings hidden. "Wow. I guess I am."

"You know what? I say you march down those stairs, grab that boy right by the collar, and give him a smooch. See what happens then!"

"What?!" Even though that had technically been her idea, that didn't make her any less appalled by it. "Just like that?" She shook her head. "No way. That would be horribly inappropriate, and–what's that word Lisa uses? Uncouth."

"You've already almost done it," the dummy pointed out. "More than once."

"That doesn't make it acceptable!" she argued back. "Besides, I shouldn't even be thinking about any of this stuff in the first place. I should be studying. If that spell isn't broken and it's all my fault…I can't."

"Yeah, but imagine how much easier it would be to focus on that if you got this mess out of the way first. I mean, these thoughts have been taking up a lot of your brain lately."

"They've been taking up practically all of my brain!" she cried. "But maybe you have a point. Maybe it would be easier to focus on what I'm supposed to be doing if I put all of this uncertainty between us to rest once and for all."

She got up from the floor and attempted to swipe off all the dust that had gathered on her cloak. "Okay, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to go down those stairs, find him, take him aside–gently, someplace no one else can see us–and then I'm just going to tell it to him straight. 'Hey, I know this is kind of a weird question, and it's such short notice, and I don't really know how I feel about you or how you feel about me, but can I kiss you?' And then I'll let him answer." As she smoothed out the tangles in her hair (had they really been there this whole time?), she added: "This actually sounds incredibly simple. Maybe I really am all worked up over nothing."

Anxiety creeped into her head like black, sticky tar. "But what if he says no? Or worse…what if he thinks I'm crazy? Am I crazy?"

"Then he says no," the dummy said. "Either way, at least these thoughts will stop bugging your brain, because then you'll know for sure what he thinks. And besides, I'm pretty sure he already thinks you're crazy. I mean, I do."

Luan rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks." After a moment, she added: "I seriously cannot believe I'm actually considering doing this. Kissing a prince? Do you think that counts as a crime? Like, disrespecting royalty? I'm pretty sure you can get arrested for that."

"I highly doubt that ball of fluff is going to arrest you. I mean, have you looked at the guy? He may seem a little scary at first glance, but he's almost certainly the type who sings to birds and talks to flowers. Nothing to worry about at all."

"Right," Luan said. "I'm definitely not scared! Why would I be scared?" She plastered on a fake grin, trying to ignore the shaky sensation in her legs and the way beads of sweat had gathered on her forehead. "I can totally do this."

"I can't do this," she argued back at herself. "It's nuts. I'm insane, in the worst possible way."

"So what if you are?" said the dummy. "Life's too short not to take chances. Sometimes, you have to just do stuff. So do it!"

"I'm going to do it," she declared. Gathering up every little ounce of confidence she could find in her body, she smoothed down her cloak one last time, tightened the ribbon in her ponytail, and took a few steps toward the door.

"That's the spirit, toots!" her dummy cheered her on.

"Thanks, Mr. Coconuts," she said. "It's nice to find someone who gets me."

"Mr. Coconuts?"

Luan shrugged. "It feels right."

"Well, you know what they say," the dummy said. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Now, quit futzing around up here and get your man!"

"Okay," she agreed, taking a few calming deep breaths. "I've got this."

Come on, Luan, it's just a kiss. Your older sisters do it all the time, and they turned out completely fine. The world's not going to end. Do it and then it'll all be over and you can finally focus on the things that really matter.

You can do this.

"Benny?" she called as she reached the doorway, trying to make her voice sound much more confident than she really felt. "I need to talk to you!"

She waited a minute, listening for a response. None came.

That's odd. Normally when I say something, he comes running right away, no matter where I am. Is it possible he didn't hear me? She felt an odd, shivering sense of doom creep up her back and neck. Like icy, ghostly hands reaching for her throat.

"Benny?" she repeated, her voice rising in both pitch and volume.

Again, nothing but eerie, cold silence. Something was definitely off.

It was then that she heard it. A loud, unsettling thud, followed by the sound of claws scrabbling on stone.

And then her siblings' voices. Panicked shouts.

Adrenaline flared through her veins and she surged forward, flying down the stairs as fast as her legs could move. Immediately, she began to fear the worst. The very, very worst.

She almost tripped over her cloak, but she hardly took notice. Her heart hammered in her chest, her pulse quickening with every breath she took. All that mattered to her was reaching the bottom of the stairs, and then…

She raced through the halls, looking and listening for any clues she could as to where she needed to be. Where she had to be. Right now.

When she finally reached the castle's lobby and her eyes registered for the first time the horrifying scene in front of her, a terrified gasp choked her lungs.

She hadn't been nearly fast enough.

...

A/N: "Well, you two literally blew it" indeed, huh? Now we're starting to get to the parts where things start to get all tangly as some of my little plot threads start to weave together. Hopefully I know what I'm doing!

This chapter was at times hard to write, to be honest. It can be difficult to try to balance this many different emotions and feelings, all at the same time, and trying to switch between them in a way that doesn't seem jarring or cause any whiplash. And while sometimes sad and scary things happen, I'm still trying to hold onto a bit of that silly, fluffy tone that makes this fanfic mine.

It's been a while since I've posted a chapter, hasn't it? Regardless, it really warms my heart to see that people are still reading this even when I haven't updated in a while. And Luanny4Life, all the reviews you've made about all my fic's month-anniversaries? That's just the sweetest thing, especially during the times when I forget the dates myself!

And now, it seems, another important day is coming up very soon. Yep, this fic turns a whole year old on July 20th (or 21st, depending on your timezone). Let me be the first to say, it definitely feels like WAYYY less than a year.

In case I don't post anything else before then, I just have to say that it's been such a joy and honor to have written this story for a full year. During that time, I've learned a lot, met many people, and done quite a bit of growing up, both as a person and as a writer. I feel as though it's really rekindled my love for writing and gotten me out of a block I was stuck in for a long time. I can't wait to finish this story someday, and I hope it shows in my writing how much I love this silly fanfic.

Thank you all again for all of your continued support! Love you guys. :)