Beast's POV

"Beast?" Belle whispered, her eyes wide as she looked over his shoulder at the one who cast the green light that filled the room. But he couldn't reply. The appearance of the enchantress could only mean more misery, and he wasn't prepared to lose anything more to this woman. Growling, he moved to stand protectively in front of Belle, facing the enchantress with all the bravery he could muster. Belle would not be harmed by this witch, even if he had to defend her to his last breath.

"You obviously love her," the enchantress said, smiling at his protective stance. She had not changed since the first and last time the Beast had seen her; still beautiful in her green flowing gown and still wearing an expression that told him she thought she was so much better than him. But her words caught him off-guard and he ceased his growling.

"Of course I do," he said, his voice gruff, but only because he was speaking to the enchantress. "Since before the night we danced together," he admitted more gently, turning his head so he might look at Belle rather than the enchantress. To look at that witch was to see the moment he was cursed, the pain, the confusion, and the misery he had endured at her hands for ten long years. But Belle was comfort and understanding. "But I couldn't admit it until after I had released you."

"As I well know," the enchantress interrupted with some impatience, forcing him to return his gaze to her. "Now the trick is to find out when the girl first decided to love you."

"Her name is Belle," he snapped, unable to contain his anger towards the enchantress.

"I do not care. What matters is when she gave you her heart."

"Is that all it was supposed to take?" Belle asked and the Beast turned to face her again. "To say that I loved you?"

He nodded, unsure if he should take this as a good thing or not. A look of determination on her face, Belle stepped around him and squared her shoulders, facing the enchantress with all the boldness he loved in her.

"My heart, my lady, has slowly been given to him piece by piece since the day he learnt to be kind, since the day I was able to see his soul. He had it in its entirety for quite some time, but I, like he, could not admit it right away.

"I wanted to tell you," she continued, turning her back on the enchantress to address him, taking his paw in her hands. "The night the villagers attacked. I came back because I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt, of being without you. I wanted to tell you so badly, but the words wouldn't come. And then Gaston took me. . ." she trailed off and he watched her internal struggle not to remember.

"What you're saying, my dear, is that you've loved this Beast since before you were kidnapped," the enchantress suggested.

"Yes, of course," she agreed quickly and the Beast couldn't help his smile; knowing he had Belle's love all this time was a gift he never would have dared to hope for.

"Well, settles it," the enchantress said and opened her arms out wide to either side.

"Settles what?" he heard Belle demand. "I don't understand."

But he could not comfort her, for a warm white glow had surrounded him, robbing him of his abilities. For a few terrifying moments, the Beast could not see, hear, or even speak within his new strange surroundings. All he could do was feel the sensation of no longer having his feet on the ground and of a warm breeze that danced along his fur. It was difficult to panic in such strangely comfortable surroundings, but even so his inability to see Belle worried him. He didn't trust that the enchantress would not do something to her while he was lost to this glow. But before he could properly worry, the glow began to fade and he was returned gently to the ground. He was weak from whatever the enchantress had done to him however, and he collapsed as his legs tried to take his weight.

"What did you do?" he demanded, his voice as shaky and weak as his legs. But he also felt the pain in his side, leg, and chest had subsided, his wounds no longer throbbing as they had moments before.

"Returned you to your human form, of course," he heard her reply, though all he could see was the pattern of the carpet slowly come into focus. "And yes, you're wounds have also been healed. You're strength will return in a few moments. Proportionate to a human body, of course."

"I'm. . . human?" he asked, unable to comprehend this. He looked at his paws, but where there had been fur and claws now was pale flesh and long, graceful fingers.

"And very generous of me it was, doing this after the rose lost its last petal. But as I said, there were extreme circumstances to take into account."

"Why?" he demanded. The last thing he wanted was a favor from this creature, even as he was grateful to be rid of the form of the Beast.

"I may have wanted to teach you a lesson, my Prince, but you have learned it. As I said, there were circumstances that were beyond your control. I am not as cruel as you believe me to be."

But Adam barely heard her, concentrating instead at Belle. She still stood where she had been before he was in the white glow, but now she stared at him in shock, unmoving. He cringed, thinking perhaps his new form was unpleasant to her, that perhaps she preferred the Beast.

"Belle?" he asked, needing something from her. He stood, using the nearby bed as support, and took a step towards her. She shied away, flinching, and he froze. She hadn't done that since her first days in the castle when the Beast had been nothing more than an ill-tempered brute.

"Belle, it's me. I won't hurt you, it's still only me." She looked at him, a flash of recognition in her eyes as he spoke. He realized that his voice was still relatively the same, lighter coming from the lungs and chest of a man, but still similar. She stepped forward cautiously and he stood as still as he could, hoping she could see beyond his exterior one more time.

It occurred to him that, to her, the Beast had been safety from the man who sought to do her harm. Now that the Beast was gone, did this unknown man seem threatening to her because of what she had been through? But she took another step closer and raised a hand to touch his hair and he could see she was more curious than frightened. He felt her fingers comb through his new shoulder-length hair, watched as her beautiful brown eyes raked over his new features before finally meeting his eyes. And then, miraculously, her curious eyes widened and she smiled in clear recognition.

"It is you!" she said softly and Adam could have cried out for joy. Instead, he lovingly brushed a lock of hair from her face, careful of her bruises, marveling at the softness of her hair against his new skin, and bent to kiss her once more. This time their lips met without difficulty, though he noticed how Belle still sought to wrap her hand in his hair as she had done earlier with his fur, and this familiar gesture made him smile.

"Yes, the curse is broken and you can go about your lives without shaming the girl's father," the enchantress interrupted, sounding board with the whole thing.

"The servants?" the Beast demanded quickly before she could disappear, keeping Belle in his arms.

"Are set to rights," she assured him. "I have also helped along your little reuse about bandits in the forest with that horrible man's death. You wouldn't want any of those repercussions coming after you in your new life. I could also get rid of those awful bruises and cuts, if you like," she told Belle.

"No, thank you," Belle replied to his, and he could see also to the enchantress' surprise. "I want to be sure this isn't all some sort of dream. And the reality of my bruises, unpleasant as it is, will assure me of that."

"As you wish," the enchantress said and, if she had been less dignified, the Beast thought she might have shrugged. "But here, at least," she waved her hand lazily once. "You'll have no scars to mar that pretty skin of yours."

"I—thank you," Belle said and subdued a gesture that told him she was self-conscious of the marks around her neck.

"I'll leave you now. You shan't see me again unless you require it," the enchantress said and raised her arms above her head. She lowered her emerald eyes to meet his before she disappeared, and smiled. "You have done well, my prince," she said and lowered her arms swiftly, disappearing in a blinding flash of green light.

"I think there's a bit of a story behind all this," Belle said, drawing his attention back to her. He chuckled and reached forward to embrace her, amazed that she had been able to overcome such odds, that she still stood before him and accepted him.

"And I'll tell it, all of it," he promised. "But first I think we should find your father and the servants."

"First, I think I need you to kiss me again," she suggested with a smile. He grinned and hastened to comply, pulling her close into the embrace he had dreamed of for so long, moving his mouth against hers, feeling the lightning that flowed through him at her touch. He could feel her pulling on the back of his neck, drawing them ever closer. Her need was clear, her desire to be with him overwhelming him. For several long, wonderful moments as they kissed, he could think of nothing else but her, how he desired nothing else but to be with her, how he never wanted to be parted from her again.

"Marry me," he heard himself whisper as he broke apart from her. Belle paused and looked up at him and he was suddenly terrified. It occurred to him that this was the question that Gaston had plagued her with for so long, that perhaps she had gone off the idea of marriage altogether, that perhaps it was too soon for him to ask such an important, massive thing of her. But even though his mouth and heart seemed to be working of their own accord without his mind getting in the way, he knew it was what he wanted more than anything.

"Marry me," he repeated, more confident now, and gently tucked a fallen lock of hair from her forehead. "Belle, I never want to be without you. I want to be yours, to try to love you as you deserve. Please say you'll marry me and we can spend our lives together."

"Of course I'll marry you," she agreed almost immediately with a wide grin and he sighed in relief, his heart soaring. They were to begin their lives together, to walk side by side through life. Nothing could have spoiled that moment, seeing his love in his arms, so beautiful, so happy to be with him. Unable to help himself, he bent to kiss her once again, adoring this connection with her. He stopped himself just before he wrapped his arms around her fiercely and twirl her in joy as they kissed, knowing her bruises were still painful, and so he contented himself with merely cupping the back of her head to pull her closer.

"I do have one question though," she said as they broke apart again.

"Just one?" he teased, knowing how many she must want to ask after everything that had just happened.

"Well, one very important one that cannot wait," she amended with a smile. "What is your name?"

"My name?" he repeated, at a loss.

"Well, I can't very well keep calling you 'Beast' now, can I?"

"You can call me whatever you like," he said with a chuckle. "But I believe my name is Adam."

"Adam," she said as if to taste the name on her tongue, and he closed his eyes in ecstasy, not realizing how wonderful it would feel to have Belle speak his name.

"And you're all right with me. . .like this?" he asked hesitantly. "I'll be enough to keep your nightmares at bay? To keep you safe?"

"Of course," she said quickly. "I fell in love with you, not how you look. And it will be easier for Papa to approve of us."

"Yes, I imagine it would," he agreed with another chuckle, trying to picture Maurice's face if he was told his daughter was going to marry a creature such as the Beast.

"Come," she said, slipping her hand into his and entwining their fingers, something the Beast's paws would have been too large to comfortably manage. "We have much to talk about, and lots of people to talk about it with." Before she could lead him out of her room however, he stopped her and pulled her into one more kiss.

"I shall never grow tired of that for as long as I live," she sighed when he released her lips.

"Good, because I shall be putting that to the test."

"Be my guest," she laughed and stood on tiptoe to kiss him one more time before they left to find the servants and her father, their nightmares only memories, and their two lives now beginning as one.

Hooray! It's a happy ending, just the way I like them! Hope you all enjoyed it!