Days had passed since Beauty had seen Adam's breakdown. Each and every tear that had flown down his face had broken Beau's heart. As the days had passed something about the scene had been bothering him but he hadn't dared to look closely. But today his mind brought the picture to the forefront.

The Petal falling down. Something that Mrs Potts had once said echoed through his mind.

'One Petal would fall everyday until the last one would fall too. Only till then would he have to e to make the person truly fall in love with him. Otherwise he would be lost forever as a beast.'

The petals had started falling. Once each day and he had by chance seen it happen. How long had it been falling? The more important question was how much time did he have left?

Horrified at what he hadn't been able to look through for days, Beau sprang out of the bed and ran at the door, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain that raced up his leg as he stubbed his toe in his haste. Running down the now familiar corridor, he reached the giant doors beyond which laid the rose. The gargoyles that had once looked so scary to him looked down in saddness that they could never reveal. A sadness that they had shared for decades.

The door opened with a mournful wail as the scent of rose, ever so subtle filled the room as if to remind him of its great importance. The rose that once was lush, in bloom, now had only the bulb left. A faint gong reverberated through the vastness of the castle and in front of his eyes another petal was shed, only two remaining. Two before Adam was truly lost.

Beau slid to the floor as shock over took him. Why hadn't the curse broken? He loved Adam. The shedding petals was a proof. But wasn't his love enough? Sitting on the floor he sobbed his heart out as confusion and saddness took over him.

He didn't know how he found his way to his room but the worried sound of Martha brought him back.

"Martha?"

"Beau? Beau! Thank gods that you are all right. I was so worried!" She sobbed in relief. She had been free since Ivan hadnt been in since morning and she didn't know where he was. Sleep was out of questions since she had been having insomnia and when she did sleep, nightmares awaited her. So she had come with the intent of catching up, slightly ashamed at her obsession with Ivan. But on arrival she saw Beau sitting on the floor sobbing like someone had died. He hadn't even responded when she called his name and shook his shoulders. Just when she was thinking of calling help he had responded.

"Adam? Adam! No, you can't die!" Beau ripped himself out of her hands and struggled to the door down the corridor.

"Adam!" He pounded on the door refusing to stop even when Martha ran over and tried to pull him back.

"Beau! Beauty! Stop. Goddammit. Come back! Please!" Martha sobbed in fear.

"Beau dear? Oh my god! What is happening here?" Another voice came from behind and Mrs Potts tried her best to run over at once.

"Mrs Potts?" Crazed in agony, Beau suddenly have up on the door and ran to Mrs Potts.

"Ask Adam to open the door. Hw won't open it. Won't you open it? Open it?"

Martha struggled to get Mrs Potts away from Beau's shaking hands but even if he was slight, he was still a man, stronger than Martha.

"He isn't in the room Beau. He went out. He isn't here." Mrs Potts spoke slowly taking a soothing tone as if trying to calm a startled animal.

"He isn't?" Beau suddenly gave up, appearing to have lost all energy as he fell down to the floor.

"He can't die. I love him. He can't..." He slowly muttered, telling the same sentences over and over again. Martha and Mrs Potts looked at him in worry while Mrs Potts at once understood what was happening and turned to Martha.

"Pick him up. Let's get him to his room."

She nodded and carried his to his room with slight struggle as they set him gently in his bed. Having exhausted himself, he had faded into an uneasy sleep. Apart from the occasional declaration of love and sobbing, the room was filled in silence.

"What happened?" Martha asked, breaking the silence.

"How much do you know about this place?" Mrs Potts asked her, her voice fading in the quietness.

"Not much. Sorry." Martha shrunk back into her chair hanging her head in shame.

"No. It's fine. We should have gold you more than just vague details about the curse and what we were."

A soft scent of rose drifyed j tk the room as Mrs Potts told her the entire story.

"It must have been shock." She concluded as she turned to look at Beau in saddbess while Martha still reeled with all that she had been told.

Love was never an easy thing and what Beau was going through was one of the struggles that love threw to its worshipers. How would it feel if your love wasn't enough to save your beloved? That you had the power to save them, and still then it was hopeless. To live with that.

Mrs Potts had long since drifted to sleep when Martha heard a voice.

"Martha?"

She turned to the door to see Ivan.

"Ivan?" She lit up in joy. "Where have you been?" She jumped in relief and hugged him with all the strength that she had, careful to be quiet.

"I had been to the town for some work." He replied as he hugged her back some what stiff. But having gone through rather a lot Martha failed to see any of the changes, relief hveing her overlook the oddity and coldness in behavior and eyes.

"Is he ok?" He gestured to Beau who had quietened down but still slept with a frown on his face.

"He has had a shock and I dont think he'll be ok for sometime..." She looked back sadly as she released Ivan and went to sit by Beau again.

"Why don't you have something to drink? I'll go and get some hot chocolate." Ivan said grasping her shoulder, squeezing it in comfort.

"Thank you." She replied in silence, never once lifting her eyes away from Beau.

The door closed with a soft this and the room was once again covered on the cloak of darkness. Martha ran her hand over her best friends hair in comfort. Beau had always been there for her. In all her pain, fear and hopelessness, he had been by her side. If there hadn't been Beau, she doubted if she would have made it so far.

The opening of the door let in a small draft of air along with the soothing yet delicious smell of hit chocolate as the buttery light of the corridor fell in.

"Here. Give these to Beau. They are shock medicines. He'll feel better after taking them, and here." He said as he handed the tray to her.

"Hot chocolate for you." She smiled at his thoughtfulness. Slowly, she shook Beau, soothing him when he woke up with a start and started to cry again. Once he had called down she gave him the pills that he mechanically took, his eyes unfocused as he went back to sleep. This time slightly more peaceful.

"I'll take this all back down. And Mrs Potts too." Ivan told her as he carefully lifted Mrs Potts up along with the tray. Martha nodded as she gave bcak the mug feeling slightly sleepy.

Closing the door carefully behind him, Ivan took the tray and Mrs Potts down. But instead of heading to the kitchen, he headed deeper into the mansion, to an obscure broom closet and set Mrs Potts down on one of the shelves.

The sudden jar mad Mrs Potts awaking and she saw a dark figure in front of her that materialised into Ivan.

"Ivan?"

"Have a nice stay." He looked at her with cold eyes.

"And don't bother to shout. No one can hear you." He calmly said before locking the door, leaving Mrs Potts in darkness. It took her a moment to understand what he has told her before she jumped down and shouted for her release. But true to his word, not a soul heard.

Back in the room Martha's head refused to hold her up and her limbs felt strangely molten. Alarm rung through her but slowly even her consciousness faded. The last thing she felt was weightlessness as she was lifted.

"Sleep my love."