Choosing Love

Chapter Forty

The two stayed wrapped up in each other's arms for what felt like an eternity. Only the sound of a small yip brought them back to reality as Estelle looked up at the two of them from his spot next to Ben.

"How're you feeling?" Mal asked, gently brushing a bit of his hair out of his eyes. His beautiful hazel green eyes that for a moment, Mal had feared had been gone from the world forever.

"Ask me in a minute," Ben said softly, blinking gently to try to get the world to stop spinning. "I'm...I'm still trying to regain my bearings here."

If he was being truthful, it honestly felt as if he had teleported once again though teleporting didn't leave him with a throbbing headache. All Ben really wanted to do was lie down and hold Mal close to him, as if reassuring himself that she was alright.

But he knew he couldn't. A King needed to be present to reassure his frightened citizens, to show that he hadn't been affected by that whack on the head. To show them that he could bounce back from an attack with ease.

"You want to stand up?"

"Please."

Mal rose to her feet before gently lifting Ben to his, quickly moving to hold him steady as he swayed slightly. One hand rested on his chest while the other wrapped around his waist to keep him up. It probably didn't help that the sea was still slightly choppy.

"Maybe it'd be better to get you a room where you can lie down," Uma said, noticing the swaying.

Ben shook his head, ignoring the slight nauseous feeling that came as a result. "Not yet. There's something I need to do first."

"Ben we've already taken care of Freddy—."

"You guys didn't kill him did you?"

"No but I can see how you might think that by the choice in words," Jay nodded and whacked Harry over the head.

"Like you wouldn't have said it the same way Jay!" Harry exclaimed.

"No, I wouldn't've because I am older than you and therefore wiser."

"One year! You are one year older than me!"

Mal chuckled slightly before turning to Ben. "Ben you were just knocked out. Whatever you have to do can wait, can't it?"

"Mal I promise, it won't take long," Ben told her as an attendant handed him back his suit jacket. He smiled slightly as he felt the box that held probably the most important thing he could ever have in his pocket. "It's a gift for you—to show my Lady how much she means to me."

Belle shook her head slightly. Of course Ben would insist on still going through with this even after being unconscious for Gods knows how long. "He gets this from you, you know," she muttered to Beast.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Gift of a library ring any bells Adam?"

"You like to read and at the time you'd just saved my life!" Beast muttered, though he was slightly thankful his wife was referring to that and not his stubborn attitude toward her tending to his wounds. Both after the wolf attack and then again as they regrouped after Gaston's siege of his castle.

"Well it would have been pretty bad form to just have you lie in the snow considering you'd saved my life."

"Hey, it could have been worse. I could have followed Cogsworth's advice and gotten you, and I quote, 'chocolates, flowers, promises I don't intend to keep...'"

"So...the library?"

"Mrs. Potts suggested it after Lumiere mentioned you liked to read and that you'd read all the books in your room by that point."