"A choice?" asked Adam. "Yes, a choice my darling." replied Lacy. She walked over and gently grabbed Adam by the hand and led him to one of the many chairs in the library. Adam put up little resistance and left Belle's side. "Young woman I don't know who you think you are but you really must be leaving now." Lacy turns to Belle "I told you who I am Belle, and don't you worry I will be leaving soon. Now Adam as I said I am going to give you a choice; you can stay here with Belle and her cruel heart and be returned once again to the form of a beast along with her and hope that in three years’ time she can cast the darkness from her heart. If she does not then you both will forever wear the forms you were cursed with, if she does then you will return to human and life will continue on." Adams eyes grew wide but he could find no words to respond. "I'm not done my darling that was only your first option. Your second option is to leave Belle and come live out your life with me. There will be no castle with servants but we can live comfortably never wanting for anything, and there you will always be loved for the man that you are, not the beast you once were." "He would never leave me!" shouts Belle as she runs to Adam's side. She drops to her knees and places her head in his lap. "Adam my love, please don't leave me. I stayed by your side while you were at your darkest and I saved you, won’t you do the same for me?" Adam runs his fingers through Belle's long dark hair and is silent. Lacy gently caresses his face and says " I will give you three hours to make your decision then I am leaving with or without you. Once I am gone there is no turning back." and with that she left the library and made her way to the sitting room to give Adam his time. Belle stayed with her head in Adam’s lap and spoke but his ears didn’t register her words. He couldn’t leave her, could he? She had been so terribly distant and cruel lately, and he’d done everything in his power to fix things with her but he wasn’t the problem; she was. He stopped stroking her hair and gently lifted her head to look at him. “Adam I love you so much please…please won’t you stay. Were in this together for better or worse remember?” She clung to him like a scared child, not because she was afraid of losing him but because she was afraid of being alone. This realization hit Adam like being struck by lightning; he jumped from his seat and bolted out of the room. Belle couldn’t comprehend what was going on and sat there for a moment before getting to her feet and chasing after him. She called his name over and over again as she ran through the castle. She finally made her way to the sitting room and there they were. He had two bags at his feet and was wrapping a green cloak around Lacy’s shoulders. She had changed and was no longer wearing her mud stained dress but was instead in a beautiful, yet simple white dress. She took the clasps from Adam’s trembling hands and finished fastening it around her shoulders. She then turns to Belle “I am truly sorry about this Belle, I had no intentions of hurting you but when I saw how bad things had become… I’m going to give you five years instead of three to turn your life around. Learn to love life and yourself again and in time love another. I’m also going to allow all of the servants to keep their human forms because I know you wouldn’t want them to suffer because of your mistakes.” Belle simply looks at her then to Adam. “You’re leaving me then?” “Yes. I think this is how it must be. I do love you Belle and I always will but…” his words trail off and he hangs his head. Lacy takes his hand into hers and says “You have nothing to be ashamed about, I gave you the choice and it was yours to make. Belle can’t hate you for leaving because she did this to herself.” Belle looks like she’s about to protest but decides better of it instead she asks “When will I change? It’s not going to hurt is it? You promise all the others will be spared?” “The change will happen when you are sleeping and it will be painless, when you wake up you will be disoriented at first just take things slow. As for the others I promise they will remain in their human forms, but they must remain at the castle until your change becomes permanent or you return to your human form, after that they are free to choose their own paths.” “Belle…I’m so sorry, please tell me one day you can forgive me” He walks to her and embraces her one last time. “I will never forget what you did for me I wish I was strong enough to return the favor, but I think this is an issue you must face alone.” Belle returns his hug and replies “I could never hate you Adam, I am just sorry it took this for me to realize what a beast I had become. I wish you both the best of luck in your lives, I hope she brings you the happiness I could not” Adam grabs the bags at his feet and Lucy wraps her arm in his; the couple walks out the door and heads to the stables. Lacy climbs into the smaller of the carriages and Adam takes his place in the driver’s seat. Belle watches as they make their way down the path and out of the castle gates. She shuts the door and returns to her bedroom.
