Belle bent over the lifeless body of her dear, precious beast. Her beloved prince. His eyes stared beyond her, dull and sightless, the light that made them so beautiful having been extinguished. The agony that ripped through her made her want to roar with her own animalistic cry of pain and fury. She would beat her chest at the universe and rail against the injustice of it.

Her one love. Her only love. Her truest love that ever loved.

The tears flowed freely now.

"Come back," she begged softly. "Come back! I love you!" But though he ought to have moved, he did not. There was no magical light. No enchantress came to reverse the curse. Only cold and dark and night and emptiness. Such deep emptiness. It engulfed her and consumed her. And as she watched in horror, her grief took on new form. Her hands grew outwards into claws and her bodice ripped away as a mighty beast's chest ripped forth. She was the beast now. Empty and cold. Devoid of love. And she roared at the night sky and railed against the merciless demons of the night as blood and tears fell from the heavens. The angels wept with her pain. For there would be no joy in the world again.

Belle sat up with a startled cry. She was whole. She was human. Her dear prince, her beloved Adam was whole and human and sleeping in his own bedchambers. But the room felt cold with the chill of her nightmare. She ached with the need to see him. Though the castle was dark and all the servants slept, she needed to find him. Slipping on a robe and lighting a candle and setting it in a candelabra - just a lifeless, unenchanted candelabra – she left her room and stole quietly across the castle to the once foreboding west wing.

The door to the prince's chambers no longer creaked as she slid it open and peeked inside. The quiet rise and fall of his chest reassured her that he was sleeping. As silently as a shadow, she slipped across the room and placed the candelabra on a nearby bedtable. With a shaky breath, Belle stole under the covers and laid beside her prince, her Adam, still her beast though human.

He stirred and then startled as he saw her.

"Belle," he whispered. "What are you doing here?" He smiled as he stroked the hair from her face, then his face grew more serious as he caught the tenor of her mood. "Belle," he questioned, still softly. "Oh, Belle, my love. What is it?" The tears began to fall from Belle's eyes as she clung to him, letting him sooth and calm her. He always calmed her. Soon enough, the tears dried and Belle regained her composure. Smiling weakly, she swiped at her eyes.

"It was a dream. I needed to see you. I know you're well, but when we're apart, sometimes I'm filled with so much fear." Adam held her close, cradling her head and stroking her head.

"Hush, love," he whispered. "A dream, as you said. And I am well now." He kissed her brown hair lightly. "Now, and always. You made me well. You made me whole." He drew back and met her gaze, lifting her chin so their eyes would meet. "You see, love? I am whole. And here. And you are here." He planted a sweet kiss on her lips. Not their first and never their last. "We are here together. No need for tears. You did right to come to me." He held her close again, tucking her head under his chin, and she clung to him like a lifeline. "Always come to me, sweet Belle."

"Always," she agreed softly. She felt the warmth of his body spread through her, a desire that was becoming more familiar with every day. She could feel his desire, too, but did not know what to do with it.

He seemed disinclined to pursue it, and she did not know what to do about that. She was certain it was because they were not yet wed. Nevertheless, he held her close, kissing her cheeks and wiping his thumb across the place where the tears had fallen. She settled close to him and let him stroke her hair and soothe the fear that had left her so shaken.

"I should return to my own bed," she whispered. "The servants will talk."

"They already do," he replied. "I wish you wouldn't. I miss you when you are gone." He pulled her even closer, impossibly close. She wasn't sure, but she thought she caught a tremor in his voice. She did not know what it meant.

"Adam," she whispered. "Are you alright?" She pulled back just slightly to gaze at his face, but his eyes were closed and he pulled her back into his embrace.

"No," he whispered honestly. "I dream, too. Sometimes. But I like it here. It's warm here, with you in my arms. Sometimes I fear that I will wake up still a beast. That everything will be as it was and all this will be gone." He was quiet for a moment, and then whispered again, his voice conveying all the vulnerability and shyness that Belle felt.

"Stay the night."

She did.