Happy Birthday, SweetNedAlice. Early update's for you.

"Tonight is the night!"

As the servants prepared Adam and Beal, the former said nervously, "I'm not sure I can do this."

Beal glanced at him, his eyes twitching like it did everytime Adam showed his obvious affection for his girlfriend, before adjusting his hair slightly.

"You don't have to be timid. You must be bold. Daring!"

"Bold. Daring," he repeated. He got out of the bathtub, shaking himself dry, dampening Beal's pants. Huffing, he moved a few inches away. "Sorry..." he said shyly.

"There will be music," Lumière continued. "Lovely candlelight - provided by myself" - He lit his candles with a breath - "- and, when the time is right, you confess your love."

"CONFESS YOUR WHAAAAAAAAT?!!!" Beal slammed his hands down on the table, spinning around quickly, daggers shot at Adam. [The jealousy of an INFP is real.]

Blue eyes widened, Adam backed up a little as Beal went marching over, his breathing heavy and rather loud, finger poking near his chest. "Listen here, you HOMEWRECKING...SELF-ABSORBED...I have put up with YOU looking at Y/n enough. But YOU seem to be FORGETTING that she's MY -"

"I'M HER BROTHER," he said quickly and the beauty stopped in his tracks, now just looking confused. When he saw that he had time, he continued. "Enchantress, spell, it's...it's honestly a long story, but I'm her brother, Beal, and even if I wasn't, I would never, ever take anyone away from you."

Still confused, Beal drew back, trying to process.

"You can't tell her, okay? If she knows...she won't love me willingly. Understand?"

Slowly, he admitted, "Not...really, but...okay? Besides..." He leaned back, blowing the hair out of his face. "If what you're saying is true, then...then you have to be the one to tell her."

"Yes! You must tell her!" Lumière agreed, finishing getting Adam ready. "And Beal, tonight is the night you ask her to marry you!"

"MARRY ME?!" [We also yell a lot when nervous.]

"Ouí. After all, you care for the girl, don't you?"

Beal was taken by the servants to put the finishing touches on him. "More than anything," he admitted.

"Well, then, you must tell her!"

The objects bowed, then stepped away, Beal looking at himself in the mirror. "Hm, not bad."

"Voila!" Lumière exclaimed as Adam was finished. "Oh, you look so...so..."

"So..." Beal tried to find the right word.

"Stupid." Adam looked in the mirror, ribbons tied in his curled fur.

"Not quite the word we were looking for. Perhaps a little more off the top?" Lumière suggested and they went back to work, making him look fAbUlOuS.

Cogsworth waddled in, clearing his throat. "Ahem, ahem, ahem. Your ladies...await." He tittered softly as the boys gave each other one more look of encouragement.

-

[f/c]

OR

[f/c]

-

-

[Beal's suit]

[Adam's suit]

-

[Clarice's dress]

Y/n walked out to the right staircase, Clarice's hand in hers. The child looked up at her with a small smirk, being looked back at with a genuine smile.

On the other side, Adam tucked in his shirt a Beal smoothed back his hair and the four walked down, the formalities of bowing and curtseying being over and done with.

They sat at a table near the ballroom floor, the dinner already served. Adam picked up the spoon and was able to show that he could now eat with it, earning a smile from Y/n. The violinist leaned over her as she finished, the strings loud, but beautiful.

Mrs. Potts:
Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends,
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly

She then got up and took Adam and Beal's hands, pulling them to the dancefloor. She at first tried to get in position to dance with Beal, but he backed away, nervous as heck. She frowned at this, until Clarice came to take her brother away to dance. This time, he went.

Noticing her sad face, Adam shyly reached out a hand towards her, which she accepted, smiling gratefully. She put his hands on her waist, which he complied to, although looking nervous as heck. But with a reassuring look good way, he took her hand and watched his feet as they danced.

Mrs. Potts:
Just a little change
Small to say the least
All a little scared
None of them prepared
Beauties and the beast

As they glided through, Y/n put her head on Adam's chest, feeling a warm sense of love for him. And although it made the scar she had tried so desperately to hide hurt, she smiled, barely feeling a thing.

Adam looked at Lumière and Cogsworth, grinning, earning a thumbs-up from the clock. Beal nodded at him, swinging his little sister around.

Mrs. Potts:
Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

Looking over at Beal, Adam reached out to gently pull Clarice away and twirl Y/n to him. The beauty looked at her, flustered, but she squeezed his hand before he could chicken out again. Although still scared, he complied, relaxing at the sight of her beautiful face, the light showing the color of her cheeks.

Mrs. Potts:
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong

Adam spun Clarice until her feet were freely swinging and she was giggling, then threw her up in the air, catching her in his arms. They both looked out at the legit couple knowingly.

Mrs. Potts:
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauties and the beast

"Shhh..." Lumière dimmed the lights as the two danced onto the balcony. Gently, Clarice was put down and Adam walked off behind them.

Mrs. Potts:
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauties and...the beast

"Off with you now, children. It's past your bedtime," Mrs. Potts said gently to get and Chip before kissing them each goodnight on the cheek. "Goodnight, loves."

She picked the teacup up and walked, but turned one more time. Chip sighted happily before noticing Clarice's hand out for a high-five. But he looked around himself awkwardly, realizing he had nothing to slap it with. "When I'm human," he promised. "Which will be soon enough."

-

Y/n sat at the balcony, looking outward, whole Beal pulled at his gloves nervously.

"Y/n? Beal?" Adam asked as he sat across from them. "Are you...happy here with me?"

"Yes," Y/n admitted before she saw Beal looking out, still nervous. "Sweetheart?" She reached for his hand. "What is it?"

Jumping, he tried to think up any excuse.

'Just say it. Will you marry me? It's not that hard!'

"If only I could see my father again. Just got a moment. I miss him so much."

'NO!'

"I miss him, too..." Y/n admitted, looking down at her lap, pressing on her finger. Great, now he had made her sad.

"There is a way," Adam reassured, taking her hands. He reached for the mirror on the table next to the rose and handed it to Beal. "This mirror will show you anything you wish to see."

Slowly, he requested, "We'd like to see my father...please."

The mirror glowed bright, making him squint and Y/n's head hurt again. And reached for it, but still looked into the mirror, excited to see Maurice again.

Maurice stumbled to his knees in the woods, coughing, quite obviously lost as a blizzard whirled around him. He fell, blacking out.

"Papa!" Beal gasped, horrified at what he was seeing. "Oh, no! He's sick! He may be dying and he's all along!"

When he saw Y/n's eyes water, Adam turned away, noticing that another petal on the rose fell. With a drip rumble of contemplation, he finally said, "Then...you...you must go to him."

Beal looked up at him, surprised. "What?"

"I release you. You are no longer my prisoners. And take Clarice with you."

"You mean...we're free?" he asked, realizing.

"Yes..."

"Oh, thank you!" Y/n cried, taking the mirror from Beal. "Hold on, Maurice, we're on our way!" She tried to give it back to Adam, but he declined, pushing it back towards her.

"Take it with you. So you'll always have a way to look back...and remember me."

She sighed, taking a look at it.

Beal grabbed him by the shoulders and leaned in, whispering, "Thank you for understanding how much I need her."

Y/n hesitated, arms out slightly. Shaking her head, she pulled back, running out with Beal.

Not knowing what was going on, Cogsworth, in a cheery mood for once, entered the wing. "Well, Your Highness, I must say. Everything is going just swimmingly. I knew you had it in you, haha..."

"I let them go," he admitted sadly, his back still turned.

"Hahaha, yes. Splen..." Realizing what he said, his eyes shrunk in disbelief. "You...what? How could you do that?!"

"I had to..."

"Yes, yes, yes, but...why?"

"Because...I love them."

Adam:
I was the one who had it all
I was the master of my fate
I never needed anybody in my life
I learned the truth too late

I'll never shake away the pain
I close my eyes, but still, she's there
I let her steal into my melancholy heart
It's more than I can bear

Now I know she'll never leave me
Even as she runs away
She will still torment me, calm me, hurt me
Move me, come my way
Wasting in my lonely tower
Waiting by an open door
I'll fool myself she'll walk right in
And be with me forevermore

I rage against the trials of love
I curse the fading of the light
Though she's already flown so far beyond my reach,
She's never out of sight

Now I know they'll never leave me
Even as they fade from view
They will still inspire me, be a part of
Everything I do
Wasting on my lonely tower
Waiting by an open door
I'll fool myself they'll walk right in...
And as the long, long nights begin...
Waiting here forevermore

-

Not hearing his mournful cries, Beal steered Philipe with Y/n clutching his shoulders and Clarice sleeping in his lap, unaware of why they were leaving.