Starting my Halloween story. This is a Dave/Em based on "Beauty & The Beast". I hope it turns out half as good on paper as it sounds in my head. For those not familiar with the fairy tale here is the synopsis of MY story: Dave Rossi is a horn dog and has messed with the wrong woman who has cursed him for all of his indiscretions. Now he has been banished to his cabin to live out the rest of his miserable lonely existence without ever knowing love. But our guy has managed to finagle a loop hole to benefit him….or has he? He has to find love and be loved to break the spell. Can he? Well…when it comes to matters of the heart, nothing is impossible.

I don't own Criminal Minds.

Song prompt: "Beauty & The Beast" by Peabo Bryson & Celine Dion

Beauty & The Beast

Ten years earlier:

The silence in the crisp, clean, white office with its plush carpet and expensive furniture, was almost deafening. From behind the expensive mahogany desk sat the woman who not only held the man in front of her life in her hands, but his future, too.

This was her chance to banish him forever, and punish him for his arrogance and leave him no way to weasel out. But God knew if the dark haired devil - with that come hither look in his eyes - had it his way, he would try to find a way around his punishment. There wasn't a bond strong enough to hold him. He had thwarted her and her rules for too long. The trail of broken hearts extended far beyond what the eye could see.

It was time to rein this Italian Stallion in and teach him a lesson or two, the only way she knew how - the hard way.

"You know why you're here," she stated coolly, watching his body language closely. He was bored, tired, yearning to be outside. He should be more careful about what he wished for. It was all about to come true.

"You think I have a lesson to be learned. Or something like that." He templed his fingers and cocked an eyebrow. For Goodness sake, he was trying to charm her! Well, she would show him that there was at least one woman in the universe who was immune to his charming good looks. But did he have to wear that cologne?

Getting up from her desk, she walked around and stood in front of him, her hands on her hips.

"You're here because you're a selfish, manipulative bastard. You've broken every heart you've come near. In fact, you wouldn't know love if it bit you in the ass!" She spat as she paced the room.

"I know what love is. I've been there…three times, thank you. That's why I no longer care for it." He wasn't sure how love factored in to the situation he was in, but it really didn't matter to him. He had more important things to worry about than his love life.

"You don't care for it because you have never had it."

"I love myself; doesn't that count for something?"

"Self-love doesn't count."

"That's your opinion." He stared at his expensive loafers. He was going to have to remember to get the soles treated next week. "Personally, I don't care."

A sarcastic chuckle was her response. "You will. When you have spent your life without it, you will realize, too late, that you can miss what you never had."

His eyes darkened as fear and anger gripped his heart. "What are you saying?"

"As of today, this moment, I curse you to a life-time of loneliness. You will never know love or the feeling of being loved by another person. You will die lonely and broken - just as you deserve - in the cabin in the woods. You will never be able to leave it. That will be your final resting place."

"What? Are you insane?" he bellowed.

"Insane is not having done this years earlier and prevented all those broken-hearted women."

"I never lied to them," he contradicted.

She shook her head. "No, you just manipulated them until all the fun was gone, and then you moved on." She watched for his reaction. "You always like being an Italian Stallion, but from now on I'll just refer to you as the Lone Wolf. And I emphasize 'lone'."

He swallowed hard. "You have to be kidding me. You're gelding me! No way!"

"It's for the better good." She examined her manicure. Was that a chip? She was going to have to make an appointment to get them filled. "Trust me, someday you'll thank me."

"This is ridiculous; there has to be a loop hole to this curse thing," his tone was desperate.

"Let me check." She shook her head pitifully and examined her manicure again. "Nope. Not a single one. Sorry."

His brain started working, turning quickly to find an alternative. "Hey, I read once that there is a loophole thingy. Cinderella had the shoe; Sleeping Beauty had the kiss…. Come on, you have to cut me a little slack." He turned his dark bedroom eyes toward her pleadingly.

She snorted. "Of course YOU would want a loop hole to a life-time curse."

He threw her a crooked smile that could charm Attila the Hun out of his dynasty. "We...ell…?"

"I'm thinking about it." Her brain spun furiously. Of course he would have an ace up his sleeve to trump her. Well, two could play that game.

"Could you maybe put a rush on it?"

"Oh, hold your horses. You have nothing but time, and I have to think of a loop-hole that I know even you can't get thru."

"Gee, thanks," he replied sardonically.

"Curb the attitude or I will make this last an eternity instead of a lifetime, you arrogant jerk!" Tapping her finger on her chin, she thought about his request. "I don't normally do this…"

"What, put curses on men for a life-time because they don't live up to your expectations?"

She held up two fingers. "That's two. Want to try for a third? I promise it won't be a 'charm'."

He bit his tongue and waited for her to complete her thoughts. Her pacing went on for what seemed like forever.

Stopping, she pursed her lips. "Okay. I've made my decision."

"About time," he muttered under his breath. Checking his watch he wondered if he could still make it to the golf course in time for the tee off.

"I heard that!" Twitching her lip, she leveled a hate filled glare at him. "Here is your loophole - the one thing I KNOW even you can't get over, thru, or around."

"Well, don't drag out the suspense all freaking day; cut to the chase." He shifted his eyes downward at her glare. "Please?"

"If you fall in love - really truly, madly, hopelessly in love…"

"That should be easy."

Her eyes narrowed. "Hmmm…let me tweak that. Scratch my last remark. To break the curse you must fall truly, madly, hopelessly in love, and in return the woman must do the same for you."

He winked at her, smug in his ability to charm the fairer sex so they were like putty in his hands. "No problem." He got up from the chair. "I'll see you Thursday." He walked to the door.

"And you must do one benevolent and altruistic act on her behalf. And she has to do one for you." She watched him stop in mid-stride. "Only then will the curse be broken." She waited for a response. Maybe something witty, cunning, or snide, but he was silent. "Will I still be seeing you on Thursday?" she called out in a saccharin-laced tone.

Squaring his shoulders, he walked to the door, yanked it open, and slammed it soundly behind him.