"Oh, boy, Y/n's in for the surprise of her life, huh?" Lefou asked, jealousy tinting his voice, as Gaston peeked out at her house with a lustful grin, a branch pulled back in his hand. He was in a red suit and his hair was pulled back as usual.

"Yep. This is her lucky day." He let go of the branch, which hit Lefou in the face, and turned his attention to the group of people. "I'd like to thank you all for coming to my wedding. But first, I better go in there and...propose to the girl," he joked with a wink.

Everyone laughed heartily, except for the bimbettes, who were crying their eyes out by the table.

"Now, you, Lefou," he continued, turning back to his flamboyant friend. "When Y/n and I come out of that door -"

"Oh, I know, I know! I strike up the band!" Having brightened, he composed the band to play the wedding march. Annoyed, Gaston slammed a baritone tuba over his head.

"Not yet!"

"Sorry..."

Gaston marched over to the door and banged on it. When nobody answered, he yelled, "Y/n!" Still nobody, so he broke the door in and stomped around to find nobody home. "Where is she...OH, that...that prostitute! With another man! On our wedding day!"

He walked out of the door, the band playing.

"NOT! YET!"

He slapped Lefou hard enough to send him backwards into a mud puddle. "Change of plans, Lefou. I'm getting Y/n from the beta's cottage. When I come back, start the music."

-

Beal read on his chair, Y/n on her elbows, when they heard an enraged bang at the door. Startled, they both looked up, Beal getting up to see who it was. He looked through a telescope his father had made at a fuming Gaston. Moaning, he pulled the door back and put on a fake smile. "Gaston. What a...pleasant surprise..."

He pushed past him to Y/n, who stood up and, by default, stepped back. Now that he had seen her, he had seemed to calm completely. "Ah, there's the beauty of the village."

She backed away farther, not wanting to be too close, clutching her book in hand.

"You know, Y/n," he put his hand on a dresser. "There isn't a girl in town who wouldn't love to be in your shoes. This is the day..." He stopped to check himself in the mirror, licking his teeth with an, "ahh". "This is the day your dreams come true." He took the book from her and threw it in the footrest.

"What would you know about my dreams, Gaston?" she asked, trying to be polite.

"Plenty. Here, picture this." He sat back in the chair, throwing off his shoes, kicking his feet up on the rest, getting mud on Y/n's book. Y/n held her nose while Beal checked the back for an axe to scare him out. "A rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting on the fire, and my little wife messaging my feet. While the little ones play on the floor with the dogs." He leaned forward as Beal came back over, eye on Gaston, with, sadly, no axe. "We'll have six or seven."

"Dogs?" Y/n asked, trying to back away father.

"No, Y/n. Strapping boys, like me!"

"Imagine that." She took Beal's book for him and put it back on the shelf.

"And do you know who that little wife will be?"

"Oh, no..." Beal mumbled under his breath, trying to find a way to get Y/n out as soon as possible.

"Let me think..."

"You, Y/n!" He put his arms out to trap her.

"Gaston! I'm..." She ducked under and ran to the door, putting her back against it. "...speechless. I - I really don't know what to say..."

He tossed a chair to the side. "Say you'll marry me." He corned her again, ready to force her, need be.

"I'm very sorry, Gaston, but...but..."

Before he could touch her in any wrong ways, Beal reached over for the doorknob. "She doesn't deserve you." He let the door open so that Gaston tripped over himself and into the mud puddle and pulled Y/n away and into his arms, protecting her from the fall. Grabbing his boots, he threw them out after him.

He trudged back to the reception, where Lefou struck up the band, covered in mud and his hair now falling out of the ponytail in was previously in.

"So," Lefou asked, moving the hair out of his face with the baton. "How'd it go?"

Gaston grabbed him by the front of his shirt, then threw him down. "I'll have Y/n for my wife! Make no mistake about that!"

"Touchy," he muttered to himself as Gaston walked off, angrily wiping the mud from his face.

-

Y/n looked out the back door, glancing around. "Is he gone?"

"I think so," Beal responded, looking out the window.

"Can you imagine?" she finally asked, almost growling. "He asked me to marry him! Me! The wife of that boorish, brainless..."

Y/n:
Madame Gaston
Can't you just see it?
Madame Gaston
His little wife

She put the front of her hand under her chin, batting her eyes. Arms crossed, Beal huffed in agreement.

Y/n:
No, sir
Not me
I guarantee it

Y/n, Beal:
I want much more than this providential life!

They ran off through the trees and past the meadow to a cliff, watching out in the horizon as the sun set.

Y/n:
I want adventure in the great, wide somewhere
I want it more than I can tell

And for once it might be grand...

Beal reached over and grabbed her hand. And looked at it, then into his hazel eyes.

Beal:
To know that you understand...

She wrapped her hand back around his, their fingers closing off the gaps.

Y/n, Beal:
I want so much more than they've got planned...

Without realizing it, they were both leaning in.

"OOOOOOHHH!!!!!!!!" they heard, ruining the moment. They turned around and saw Clarice, giggling. "Haha you're in love with my brother." But her face turned to that of stone as a neighing sound interrupted the peace. Beal and Y/n turned to the side to find Philippe galloping back.

"Philippe!" Beal held him in place, trying to keep him calm. "What are you doing here?"

"Where...where's Papa?" Clarice asked nervously, stepping towards Y/n, who grabbed onto her hand.

"Where is he, Philippe? What happened? Oh, you have to take me to him!" He climbed on top, Y/n right behind him.

"Us. You have to take us to him."

Arms crossed, Clarice tapped her foot impatiently. "I'm not staying here by myself," she decided.

"Clarice." Beal jumped off, bending over with his hands on her shoulders. "You have to. It's getting dark and it might not be safe -"

"I'll just tell Papa you left me home by myself," she threatened with a smirk. Would Maurice rather her go or stay?

"There's two of us, Beal. We can look after her," Y/n reassured him, so he helped her up in front of Y/n and got behind them, all cramped.

-

The trio looked up at the tall, dark castle, fear lacing their eyes.

"What is this place...?" Beal whispered, trying to keep his voice steady. Philippe whinnied and bucked at nothing. "Phillips, please." He and Y/n got off, the latter helping Clarice down. "Steady."

"Beal, look." Y/n pointed inside the gate, where a hat lie. Beal ran to it and picked it up, then looked back at the castle. "Papa..."

-

Beal opened the front door, the others just behind him. "Hello? Is anyone here? Hello?" He shut the door behind him once they had all entered. "Papa?"

"Don't let go of my hand, Clarice," Y/n said, tightening her grip as the little girl drew closer.

"Papa, are you here?" They ascended the large staircase in front of them. They entered a hallway, walking down, still calling out for Maurice. "Papa? Papa?" His head whipped around when he heard someone rush up a narrow staircase. "Hello? Is someone there? Wait! We're looking for my father, I..." They climbed up, but there was no one. "That's funny...didn't you hear someone?" he asked Y/n, turning to look at her.

"I thought so..."

He called back up the stairs. "I - i - is someone there?"

"Kids...?" they heard from a cell.

"Papa!" Clarice broke from Y/n and ran, her tiny hands clutching into the cell. The other two followed, Y/n letting out a gasp.

"Papa!" Beal cried.

"How did you find me?"

Beal took his hands as he coughed. "Oh, your hands are like ice. We have to get you out of here!"

"Beal," he said seriously. "I want you to take the girls and leave this place."

"Who's done this to you?!" Y/n demanded, ready to throw hands.

"No time to explain. You must go! Now!"

With tears in his eyes, Beal let out, "I won't leave you!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Beal's arm was grabbed and he was violently threw him across the room. Before he was fully out of her grasp, Y/n tried to reach for him.

"RUN, BEAL!"

Beal looked around the dark room, only seeing a shadowy figure looming. "Who's there?! Who are you?!" He crawled back to Y/n and Clarice to shield them.

"The master of this castle..."

His throat tightened as he tried to explain."We've come for my father. Please, let him out. Can't you see he's sick?"

"Your father is a thief!"

"LIAR!" Clarice screamed, Y/n covering her mouth and pulling her back.

The monster glared at her before continuing. "He stole three roses."

Beal looked into the cell where three roses lie. His eyes welled up even more when he realized who they must have been for. "He was going to give them to me," he half lied. "Punish me, not him."

"NO!" Maurice yelled, banging against the bars. "He means forever! Apparently that's what happens when you pick some flowers!"

"You!" the figure snarled, but then thought it through. "You would...take his place...?"

"Beal, no! You don't know what you're doing!"

Not caring, he asked, "If I did, would you let him go?"

"No!" Y/n tried to run to him, but tripped, only grabbing onto his pant leg. "I won't let you!" She clutched it in her hand, burying herself into it as the tears came down.

The figure looked down at Y/n, his eyes widening just slightly. Wait a minute...

"Yes," he replied. "But...I require both children. And you must promise to stay here forever."

He backed up and took Clarice into his arms, Y/n letting him move. "You can't have Clarice!"

"I REQUIRE BOTH CHILDREN!" he repeated, screaming.

"I'll do it!" she decided, eyes closed.

"No!" Maurice cried.

Thinking it through, Beal said slowly, "Come into the light."

With a sigh, one foot stepped forward, converted in hair, much thicker than the leg. Their eyes widened as he finished stepping forward, an awful beast covered with fur with horns and fangs in front of them, the only thing human about him being his big blue eyes.

Beal gasped as Y/n continued to stare, eyes wide with Clarice burried into her torso and turned back to the cell with tears dripping down his chin.

"No, Beal! I won't let any of you do this!" Maurice yelled in fear, grabbing his hands. "I lost your mother! I won't lose you, too! Now go. Go!"

But he stood and stepped towards the beast. "You have my word."

"Done!"

As he unlocked the cell, Beal collapsed to his knees. The beast tossed Maurice to the side, then locked Beal and Clarice away.

"Wait!" Y/n cried. He looked back, Maurice still in his grip. "I need a minute alone with him."

He grunted in annoyance.

"Are you so cold-hearted you won't allow a girl to hug her friend goodbye?! Forever can spare a minute."

He opened the door, making sure she understood. "Once this door closes, it will never open again."

Immediately, she ran to Beal and pulled him into a hug, spinning around. "You jerk, you can't just leave me..."

"I'm sorry," he responded, pulling her close to him. "Please, just know that you'll always be my little Shakespeare-hater. Take care of my books for me, okay? Live your life. And forget me."

"Forget you?" She pulled back, looking at him. "Everything I am is because of you..."

"I love you, Y/n." He brushed back her bangs, showing the scar. The beast's eyes widened when he saw it, confirming his suspicion. "Don't be afraid."

Eyes wide at the sudden confession, she admitted, "I love you, too, Beal. No matter how much your romance novels may suck, I'll always love you. And I'm not afraid."

While his attention was still on her and processing what she had just said, she reached behind him and slammed the door. Beal looked behind him, mouth open.

"You stayed with him," the beast observed, a bit of overprotection in his voice.

" I'm not going to leave him. I love him. "

"You're a fool. And so is he." He dragged Maurice out, Clarice screaming for him.

"Wait!" Beal cried.

"Beal! Clarice! Y/n!"

"Wait!"

-

"No! Please! Spare the children. Please!"

"They're no longer your concern!" He threw the old man into a carriage. "Take him to the village palanquin. It suddenly broke away from the vines and, by itself, carried him away.

"Let me out! Please, let me out! Let me out! Please! Please!"

-

As Beal watched his father he taken away from inside, he put his head into his arms, leaning against the window, crying softly.

"Beal...?" Clarice tugged at his shirt, feeling that fear that only came with seeing an older boy you admire cry.

Y/n put her head on his back, kissing his head.

The beast came back, finding Beal and Clarice still crying. He turned to him, whimpering, "You didn't even let us say goodbye...! We'll never see him again...! I didn't get to say goodbye..."

He looked away from them, feeling too guilty, then said, "I'll show you to your rooms..."

"Our rooms?" Y/n asked. "But I thought..."

Annoyed, he yelled at them, "You...you wanna stay in the tower?!"

"No."

"Then follow me."

-

Beal and Clarice kept their heads down as they walked behind the beast. Y/n, on the other hand, lagged behind as she looked at all of the hideous sculptures. Her hand went to her forehead as she felt a sharp pain, then ran to catch up with the others.

The beast turned around to find the older two silently crying behind him and Clarice's sobs muffled, but audible.

"I, um, hope you like it here," he said awkwardly, sounding more like an idiot teenage boy trying to talk to a girl than a horrible, hideous, inhumane beast. More professionally, he added, "The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like. Except the West Wing."

Y/n tried asking, intrigued, "What's in the West -"

Stopping short fearfully that she would see, he barked, "It's forbidden!"

They stopped at a large door, which he opened. "The boy and his sister are in here."

Y/n shook her head. "We sleep together."

His human eyes narrowed at her and a low growl escaped his lips. His sister was not sleeping with a guy she just confessed her love to. Things could happen! Sexual things!

"It's alright," Beal reassured and took Clarice. "Come on."

The beast then took Y/n to her own room, saying nothing more to her. He opened the door and let her in. "Now, if you need anything, my servants will attend to you." Then, seemingly out of nowhere. "You will...join me for dinner! THAT'S NOT A REQUEST!"

He slammed the door, making Y/n gasp and turn around. Sobs escaping, she ran and threw herself onto the bed, sobbing as the snow began to come down.