BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Chapter 2

Leaving Home...Coming Home

   "My God, Mother! What have you done!?"

   Justin looked at the rose his mother had given him and let drop on the coffee table between them from unfeeling fingers. She sat there miserably having slowly slipped out the entire story.

   "Oh Justin! I'm so sorry! Everything just..."

""I'll tell you what you've done!" Justin yelled, not hearing her, "You sold me! You sold me, like....like a fucking piece of meat! For a rose!"

The irony of this statement was not lost on either one of them.

"Oh Justin no! Please don`t think of it like that! I - I didn`t want to! He...he forced me! It was either promise...or never come home at all! Maybe...maybe we don't have to!"

"What do you mean?" Justin narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"I could sell the company! We could change our names! We could go away! Get away!"

"And live out the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders!? No thanks! Besides, the stock in the company will be down for the next six months! Wasn't that the point of that whole trip? We wouldn't get enough for the company to live on for a year right now!"

Jennifer just sat there. She knew he was right.

"Besides, that company's a legacy...for Molly now. Yes, Molly!" he repeated, as she looked up at him in surprise. She thought he'd want it now that Craig was gone. "Butchering is not in my destiny. And neither is...being in this house or family any longer, it seems. First Dad wanted me gone. Now this! If I don't go, something else will force me out. Not to mention he'll come for Molly."

Jennifer cringed as she saw that he wasn't including her in his best wishes for health and happiness.

B&B&B&B&B

That that been three days ago.

Justin stepped down from the Greyhound bus onto the street of the one horse, six street square town...no, village that Jennifer had said was the closest town to the Beast's mansion.

The driver jumped down, opened the bottom of the bus and found Justin's one piece of luggage. He tossed it on the ground roughly and slammed the undercarriage closed again. He jumped back in the bus

Justin walked over. "Uhhh, thanks..."

The driver shut the door in his face.

"...a lot," Justin finished to no one.

The bus roared to life. It drove off and zoomed out of town like it was fleeing the scene of an accident. Justin was left there alone coughing and with the headache of one who has sucked down a bunch of diesel fumes.

After the bus left, Justin looked around. The town was not only tiny but it seemed deserted as well. He had been left at a bus stop with one bus shelter beside it. That was their bus station.

Justin grasped the handle of his bigger suitcase with wheels, which mostly contained art supplies, and his other suitcase, which contained a few changes of clothes, a few toiletries, and his toothbrush. That was all. Other than that he had turned his back and cut himself off from the life that had sold him off like the sausages hanging in one of their butcher shops. Truth be told, he was still carrying around a lot of anger toward his mother and resentment and hatred towards his dad. He wanted nothing more to do with Taylor Meats whatsoever. And with all that baggage, what did he need with more, carrying around the clutter of a former life?

Justin looked around for a clue as to what to do now.  He was on the Main Street, which seemed to be deserted right now. There was a hardware store closest...closed...A dress shop...closed...A diner right on the corner...open. Well that seemed a good a place as any to use a phone and rest himself while he figured out what to do.

Justin entered the diner and the bell over the door rang. The seats were in green and there was a row of stools against a counter. Behind the counter, watching a small TV in a corner was a bored looking waitress. She was forty something, a little tired looking. Her uniform was green with white trim and most startling of all, she had a full shock of frizzy red hair. It was an outrageous wig, and it looked ridiculous. At least...he hoped it was a wig. Yes, of course it was.  She swung around in surprise when she heard the bell.

"Good Grief! Is the meeting over already?"

"Probably not! What meeting?"

"The meeting at the factory! Everybody in town's supposed to...hang on! You're not from around here!" she screeched accusingly.

"No, that's true."

"Well, where did you come from?!"

"Pittsburgh," he answered honestly.

"No kiddin!? Wow, I have a cousin in Pittsburgh! Her name's Debbie! She works in a diner too! You ever meet her?"

"I'm afraid not. Sorry."

"Well, that's ok! My name's Beddy! Not Biddy! Not Betty! Beddy! Got that young man!?" she admonished in mock distress.

"Yes'm." Justin said mock meekness.

"Yes'm! That's rich!" She cackled like a witch guarding a candy house and not just glass containers of pies and lemon bars. "It's just Beddy! So what brings you all the way from Pittsburgh to...our little burg?"

"I've come to live here," said Justin, "I was...invited...to stay with a man living in a black mansion a ways north of town. I'm told it's quite forbidding. I actually came in here to find a ride. Do you know the number of a taxi?"

During his speech, Beddy's face had slowly drained until it was the color of chalk. Then, to his surprise, she burst into tears.

"Oh no! Oh no! Not another one!" she sobbed.

"Beddy! Whatever is the matter!?" exclaimed Justin.

"Oh it's the Beast! You're going to stay with the Beast, aren't you?" she sobbed.

"Well it was my mother who encountered him. She said he was a man," Justin said doubtfully.

Beddy sniffed and wiped her eyes with her apron. "Oh, I'm sorry punkin! It's local color. We all call him the Beast because he dresses in nothing but black and is nothing but snarly and surly and angry and vicious whenever he comes to town which is once every month or so to get supplies. But most fearsome of all is he never shows his face! He wears masks or hood and hats or a combination of all three. Once...I'll never forget...he came in here dressed in nothing but black leather clothes, tall black leather boots, and a full length black cloak with an onyx stone as a clasp. He was hooded with a full leather hood on with nothing but eyeholes and a zipper mouth to eat. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen."

"I see," said Justin, gulping in fear convincingly. And he did see. The black cloak. The shiny onyx stone. The boots. And the smooth as sin leather hood with no way in except a strip of metal to swap spit and the promise of a warm, wet tongue.

He gave himself a shake and forced himself to pay attention. Beddy hadn't finished.

"Every so often a young man shows up like you and goes to stay with the Beast. Sometimes, they claim to have come for a job, others were enticed by a reward of great wealth. But none of them...none....are ever seen again!"

"Oh my! That does sound scary!" said Justin.

"And I can't stand to see you meet the same fate. Oh Justin! I know we just met but I hope you don't mind me saying this! You are so young! So full of promise! And your hair...your sweet face...it reminds me of a sweet ray of sunshine! My cousin Debbie would absolutely skin me alive, if I didn't at least warn you and do my very best to say....Oh please don't go! Whatever he's promised you, it's not worth it!"

"I'm afraid I..." Justin began.

"You can stay with me!" Beddy gibbered, "Just...just stay here...help me in the diner for a few hours till my shift ends...or just hang out...but if you help there's the biggest slice of apple pie you've ever seen in it for you...oh my yes, you're too skinny! And then you can stay with me until the next bus out of town tomorrow!"

Justin was overwhelmed. "You'd do all that...for me? But I'm a stranger!"

"You're a good soul! I can sense it. I have power in such things, you know!" she winked conspiratorially, "Besides, if it will foil the Beast into getting you, I'll do anything! I'm in close e-mail contact with my cousin and I'm not kidding! If she knew I didn't do everything she'd do...even opening her home to a worthy stray...she'd drive down here toot sweet and skin me alive!! Believe me!!"

"OK, OK...I believe you!" Justin laughed at her antics. Then he sobered. "But I can't. I must go. You see it's not for the promise of a job, and I have plenty of wealth of my own...No, I go because of blackmail!"

"Blackmail! That's terrible! And just like him too! Ohhhhh!!!!" she ground her teeth in fury."Care to share the deets?" she asked, as if it was no big deal, but Justin could see she was dying with curiosity.

Justin sighed. It was rather private and he was aware of small town life and gossip. Whatever he told her would be common knowledge before the next edition of the newspaper came out.

Justin gave her the abridged version and concluded that he must go, or all three of them were forfeit. He didn't know what the Beast wanted to do with him but whatever the price, he was happy to pay it for the sake of Molly and even...yes even his mother. To not answer the summons even if it meant his death in his exchange for his mother, in his eyes, would have been supreme cowardice.

"And now," he finished, "I've really enjoyed meeting you, Beddy, and you can e-mail your cousin and tell her you did everything you could and all about me but I really should get going. Do you have a phone and a taxi service in this town?"

Beddy heaved a huge sigh and heaved a large, black, rotary dial telephone out from underneath the counter. It looked about a hundred years old.

"Well....I tried. Here you go. There are two companies in town." She took off a couple of cards from a billboard. "Here you go, Sunshine! However, be forewarned...they know about the Beast too!"

Justin nodded and dialled the first one. When they asked him the address, he said, "Hmmm. Actually I don't quite know. It's a black mansion north of town. I've been talking to a townsperson here. I believe you call him the Beast."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Hello?" asked Justin.

"There is NO way I would ask ANY of my drivers to go to that death trap! Is this a prank call!?" The screaming was so loud Justin had to hold the phone away from his ear.

"It's not a prank," Justin said.

"Well forget it! Hire a car! Walk! Or better yet, forget that horrible place because I`m never sending one of my cars up there!"

"Hey! If you never send a car up that way, how do you know it's so horrible?"

The only answer was a sharp click in his ear.

The only response from the second company was a sharp, girlish scream, (the answeree had been a male) and the click of the phone hanging up in his ear.

"How rude and unprofessional!" Justin exclaimed, "What am I going to do!? Short of hiring a private local or something, I'll have to walk! And I have no idea how far it is!"

"I tried to warn you," Beddy said sadly, "Look, you don't have to be there right away, do you? Let's fall back on my plan. Come stay with me! We can regroup and maybe find a ride later!  Or better yet, a ride outta town! We'll figure someth..."

The phone rang.

They both stared at that boxy, black phone as if it had grown fangs and a tail. The phone rang again, not one of those digital, electronic rings but a real bell, filling the little joint up with real noise as loud as a fire alarm.

"Oh my God! This town's so small, I've never needed to use it...I don't even remember the number."

The phone rang again.

"That phone hasn't rung in 50 years!"

His hand shaking a little, Justin answered on the next ring, cutting off that horrible bell in mid ring. "Hello..." he asked cautiously.

"Hello...Justin Taylor, is it not?" said a deep and smooth voice, that made Justin think of sweaty, black silk sheets.

"Yes...who's this?" asked Justin.

"My name is Mr. Kinney. In the days to come, you will call me Brian. Everyone in the town where you are sitting calls me Beast!"

Justin mouthed to Beddy, "It's him!" and then asked the phone, "How did you know where I'd be? Or this number? I didn't tell anybody my schedule."

"My dear Justin," the Beast named Brian chuckled and this laugh made Justin think of rich chocolate and hot sex. His insides turned to mush a little. He shook himself. If his voice could do this to him then what...? He tried to concentrate on what the Beast was saying. "There is very little in that town that I don't know about. Plus you are mine now, and I always take care of what is mine. I understand you are having trouble getting transportation to my house."

"I - I - Yes, I am! But...how did YOU know that! I just now got into town! Nobody knows that! And...and I am not yours! I am my own man!"

"Ohhh, Justin, Justin! You ARE mine! The exchange between you and your mother was made the instant you stepped off the bus. And I have had my eye on you ever since! And you are as delicious as your name! How I love saying it, Justin!"

"Wait! You can see me!?"

"Yes."

"H-How?? Prove it!"

"You are sitting on a puke-green stool in that deplorable excuse for a diner wearing a blue sweater that matches your exquisite eyes exactly. Your hair is so blond it is like shining gold. Shall I go on?"

"No! But how? How? Do you have this place wired with cameras? Where are they?" Justin looked around wildly.

"No cameras. Don't work yourself into a conniption. Now, I simply called to tell you...I will provide transport to my house. Be on the main street at the bus stop where you were dropped off in 45 minutes which will be...at 6:00 PM. Do not be late and when it arrives do not linger. Do you understand?"

"I - Yes. But...how will I know it's you?"

"You will know. Order anything you want to eat and tell the busybody behind the counter I will pay whatever the bill is the next time I am in town. See you soon, Justin." The last was a promise that again made Justin thing of sweat-rumpled sheets.

"Hey! She's nice!"

The Beast only laughed his deep, sexy laugh again. "See you soon Justin," he said again, "Justin...how I love saying that beautiful name!" The phone clicked in his ear.

Justin slammed down the phone in annoyance. Did the people in this town have an allergy to saying good-bye!?  Geez!

Beddy was on pins and needles. "What did he say?"

"He knew. He knew I was in trouble. He said there were no cameras but he can see me. He's sending a car. And he said if I order dinner, he'll pay for it when he next comes to town!"

"The Beast?? Coming here! NO! No, that's all right! Everything's on the house!" Beddy was frightened out of her wits.

"Nonsense! Don't worry Beddy, I'm here now! If he comes here, I'll make sure he behaves! And if need be, I'll come with the money to pay it back!"

"Well....OK! That's sounds all right! So..." a pad and pencil were whipped out of nowhere, "Whaddy'll have?"

B&B&B&B&B&B

  Forty-five minutes later, Justin was well fed with the country-fried steak special and the biggest slice of apple pie a la mode he had ever seen. Beddy hadn't been kidding. It was at least 3 inches high, if not more and filled the entire saucer.

Then he'd given her a small hug but she'd have none of that. She grabbed him over the counter and squeezed tightly and whispered: "In case you don't come back!" in a tearful voice.

"Beddy, listen to me! Even if it's for a visit...to pay you back...or just for another piece of that incredible pie...I am coming back! You hear me?"

"I hear you! And I'm going to write my cousin all about you, Sunshine! I know...even long distance...she's going to love you!"

Justin laughed and said his goodbyes and headed out to the bus stop and made it there by 5:55 PM.

He sat there a little forlornly, checking his watch frequently, feeling that that anxious feeling one feels while traveling waiting for a connection and wondering if he's missed it or on time and oh God! What if he did? What was he to do? He was alone and stranded and the town seemed more deserted, emptier, and desolate as a graveyard. He couldn't have missed the Beast's car...He just couldn't. Could he?

He checked his watch. 5:58. He sighed. He peered down the road north, which was straight as an arrow. There was nothing.

Wait! There was something. A black dot in the distance but getting larger and larger all the time.

Justin squinted at the thing...and then squinted harder...and then as it got closer his eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. He blinked....and then blinked again at looked at the thing coming at quite a fast click down the road, getting clearer and clearer as it got closer and closer.

It was a boxy, old world carriage, the likes of which Snow White or Cinderella might have ridden it if they had existed outside of their ancient fairy tales. This carriage was square and made out of a rich wood, oak, or maybe mahogany. It was painted a deep black. It was overlaid in onyx stone carvings and the trim was gold. The gold trim was intricately carved. The wheels were rubber but the hubcaps were also overlaid with golden carvings of ivy and leaves that blurred as they spun. But the unusual ride was only a small part of Justin's amazement. No...shock. And fear.

The carriage was rolling into town at a good clip, all by itself. There was no horse. There was no exhaust pipe or engine. It was only this deep black, covered carriage rolling along all on its own. It moved almost perfectly silently. The only sound was the rubber hissing on the asphalt.

Justin watched this wonder and terror with wide eyes. He couldn't look at it hard enough. The carriage slowed as it approached him. Justin watched, swivelling his neck 90 degrees as the carriage slowed and then stopped directly in front of him.

He looked at his watch. It was exactly 6:00.

The door facing him gave a deliberate click!... and slowly opened wide.

Justin flashed back to Brian's sexy as sin voice on the ancient telephone and his insides turned to mush again. He remembered his instructions not to linger and now he knew why. He looked again at the spookily deserted town and decided quickly not to disobey.

He dragged over his wheeled suitcase and threw it inside. He tossed the other one after it and then climbed in after it. Before he had finished settling into the black leather seat, the door was slowly but deliberately closing after him. It closed with a snap.

The carriage was the same forwards and back. It didn't even need to turn around. It simply slowly started up again in the opposite direction, and then faster and faster rolled north out of town, carrying its precious cargo within it.

One hour later...

Justin was bored. For a solid hour, he had been watching cows and horses and fields flash by. Red barns and dilapidated barns, old farmhouses, strawstacks, antiquated farm equipment. It got monotonous. And it was getting dark.

At last, just when Justin despaired that he was going to be rolling along in this supernatural carriage forever, he caught sight of what must be his destination. In the midst of fallow fields and amidst a large yellow lawn, was the black, gothic mansion that could only be what his mother described. It was uglier than he had imagined. The house stretched back and rose up at least 4 stories and was very wide. As she had said, gargoyles were plentiful. So were chimneys and towers, adding to the twisted, medieval, and European look.

The carriage rolled up to the driveway, turned up the driveway and rolled up to the house. It rolled up close to the front door and stopped. Click! The door opened.

Justin shrugged. It seemed this was the end of the line. He got out and tugged out his luggage.

The carriage door slammed closed and the thing rolled off to the right and around the side of the house.

Justin walked over to the front doors intending to knock and present himself but he was expected. As he approached the two doors opened by themselves, welcoming him in. Justin walked through. The front hall was all lit up.

"Hello! Hello! I'm here!"

"Hello Justin! Welcome to my home. Thank you for coming!"

The Beast was at the top of the stairs. He was clothed in leather pants, no shirt, revealing washboard abs and a wide, stunning torso. However the beauty was marred by the many tattoos covering his chest, stomach, arms, and back. There were snarling wolves with foam dripping off wickedly sharp fangs. A lion. A long knife dripping blood in one corner and a sword impaling a lifelike human heart in another. The heart was dripping blood and down from there, there was a pool of it and a strange and evil chimera monster was springing forth from the blood. There were skulls and eyes and a jack o' lantern that had a smile so evil and murderous it made Justin shudder. And there were many, many other designs as well. And twisted around everything and throughout was a evil looking thorny ivy. Over all this he wore a full length, black, silk cape, with an onyx stone at the nape of his neck as the clasp. Justin wondered if this was the cape Beddy was talking about. He wore tight gloves that had elastic fitting around the wrist, like police gloves.  He wore a Muir cap that had extra room in the top. Even so it was moving and shifting a little. Over his face, he wore a pair of large, steampunk type goggles, deep black. They concealed the top half of his face but left the rest exposed. Justin could see the burn marks, a huge boil on his nose, enlarging it significantly, and what looked like acid burns on one side of his face. His mouth had burned away on that side. He had a cleft lip and fangs that grew down past his lower lip. He had a heavy moustache that led into muttonchop sideburns. He had no beard.

"I didn't have a choice!" Justin ground out in anger.

The Beast started down the stairs with an arm outstretched. Halfway down, he made a waving gestured. All by themselves, the front doors slammed. Justin started at the noise but he stood his ground.

"How are you doing that?" asked Justin.

"Doing what?" asked the Beast.

"That! The doors closing by themselves! My mother reported lights going on and off by themselves! I was just driven here by a carriage that ran all by itself! How are you doing all this!? Tell me!"

The Beast continued down the stairs. About ¾ of the way down he stopped. "Perhaps one day I shall tell you. One day when you esteem me highly enough to ask in the good manners I have shown you."

"We both know that day will never come," Justin said in a terrible voice.

"Never say never," said the Beast. He started down again. His arm was still stretched toward Justin.

Justin let him, get a step, maybe two down when he planted he feet in a battle stance held out his hand and yelled, "STOP!" in that terrible voice.

The Beast stopped. "Yes?" he asked in that deep smooth voice in had used over the telephone. He was highly amused and it showed.

"I have come as you requested. I have come in my mother's stead. Before you come another step closer to me, I want you to renounce your claim on my mother's blood."

"I renounce it." The Beast took a step down.

"STOP!"

The Beast stopped. He took a deep, patient breath. His deep, wide chest expanding even more was wonderful to behold.

"I want you to renounce your claim on my sister's, Molly Taylor's blood."

"I renounce it."

"Very well. You may approach and...and do whatever you wish with me. I am ready."

The Beast descended the rest of the way down the steps his arm outstretched and stood at the bottom and a little ways away from Justin who stood in the middle of the Main Hall. His breath hitched a little. He lowered his arm.

"I may...do...whatever I wish? Whatever?" he asked.

"Yes." Justin lifted his chin in defiance, exposing his throat. "Just....just make it quick will'ya?"

Slowly, the Beast approached Justin, one arm outstretched, his hand curved into a claw. His cloak flowed out behind him.

"Oh Justin! Trust me! Of all the things I want to do to you, none of them is....quick!"

"His outstretched hand reached Justin's throat. Closed around it. Justin closed his eyes and waited for the end to come.

B&B&B&B&B&B

Instead, the Beast held his neck gently, lovingly, and stroked it, oh so lightly. The light stroking of the leather felt amazing and made Justin groan in desire. The Beast's other hand found a nipple and Justin quivered in pleasure. The hand snaked around his shirt and found its way under his sweater. It stroked up and down on the small of his back. It felt fuckin' amazing and Justin's knees buckled a little. The Beast easily held him up, dipped him, still stroking his neck.

   "Close your eyes," commanded the Beast.

Justin was extremely confused. He was ready for death and wished the Beast would just get on with it. At the same time the mushy feeling in his stomach was back in spades. Not really knowing what else to do, thinking maybe there really wasn't anything else for him to do; Justin obeyed. He closed his eyes.

The lips that met his were warm, shy and hesitant. But as they met no resistance, the gained confidence and Justin felt a warm, soft, large and practiced tongue seek entrance and God help him! Maybe it was the leather had still caressing him gently, maybe it was the gentleness of the Beast, but Justin opened for him willingly and the Beast groaned/growled in satisfaction and probed deeper and for many minutes plundered the depth of his mouth and partook of the treasures it offered.

At last, when they came up for air, Justin was able to gather some of his equilibrium. He pulled away. "I - I don't understand. Why...what are you doing to me?"

The Beast smiled and it was hideous to behold. "Come Justin. We're both healthy gay guys. Surely you can figure that out."

"But I thought...I thought...Didn't you bring me here in exchange for my mother? Didn't you bring me here to kill me?"

"Kill you? No! Didn't your mother tell you?"

"I didn't really give my mother a chance to say much of anything. And I left as soon as I could."

"Well, I wanted to kill her! I agreed to the exchange because I wanted you for another purpose."

"For...what purpose?" Justin asked in trepidation. But in his heart, he already knew.

"To love me," said the Beast, "I brought you here to love me."

"Love you! But...I just got here! I can't love you!"

"Oh. No, I suppose not. It is my punishment, my doom. Am I very ugly to you, my Beauty?"

"NO! YES! WHAT?? I mean, no! Yes!"

"Which is it, my Beauty?" the Beast was highly amused.

Justin took a deep breath to give him time to collect his thoughts. Then he said slowly:

"Yes, Beast. You are quite ugly. But no! That is not why I cannot love you!"

"I see. Well, why don't we go somewhere more comfortable and you can explain further. I feel quite bad standing you out here in the hall for so long! Bring your bag and we'll go have hot chocolate and cookies before bed. And maybe a little bit of Beam."

The Beast grabbed his larger bag and wheeled it along on one side as he led Justin with an arm around the shoulder on the other. Justin carried his other, lighter bag. Beast led Justin past the dining room to a door beyond that. The light turned on by itself. They went in.

Inside was a kind of den, with floor to ceiling bookshelves, all filled, rich carpeting, and a large fireplace with an ornate mantle. Before it were two brown leather easy chairs. There was a nice fire in the fireplace. Each chair had its own table and upon it was exactly what the Beast had described. There were two tall, glass mugs filled with rich hot chocolate and a plate piled with chocolate chip cookies. Next to one of the chair was a cart filled with liquor bottles.

The Beast deposited the bags by the door and sat in the chair nearest to the alcohol. He gestured to the other seat. Justin sat down. The seat was very soft and comfortable and the fire was warm. Justin sighed in contentment. This was better that standing in the hall. And now that he knew he wasn't under the threat of death anymore, he felt a bit more at ease.

"Irish up your chocolate?" asked the Beast, doing that very thing to his own.

"I don't know...I mean I'm still only 17. I won't be 18 for another..."

"Three weeks. Yes, I know. I hardly think a fraction of Beam in your hot chocolate will corrupt you though. Care to try?" The Beast raised an eyebrow, testing him.

"All right. Just...not too much." Justin decided.

The Beast poured about half a shot glass worth in. "There. Not too much at all. Now...you were saying..."You cannot love me tonight because..."

"I cannot love you because I just got here 5 minutes ago! Besides which you have the entire village nearest to you scared out of their wits of you. According to Beddy, you are surly and nasty to them all the time! I don't want to love someone like that!"

"I see."

"Added to that, she told me you have already invited numerous men here. Is that true?"

"It is," said the Beast.

"Aren't they enough for you? Where are they?"

"They are all dead," said the Beast calmly.

Justin gasped, nearly choking on a piece of cookie. "What - what happened? So...did you bring me here to kill me after all?"

"Calm yourself Justin. I will tell you more about their fate and show you where they lie. But not tonight. Another day and soon."

"So...there is to be no love at first sight tonight. Because of my surly attitude. The tatts and fangs have nothing to do with it, hmmm?" And he bared them fearsomely in the firelight.

Justin shrank back in his chair a little. Then when he saw the Beast was kidding, he said shakily, "Well, maybe a little," he admitted, "You are a very good kisser though."

The Beast chuckled a snarling laugh. "Thank-you, my Beauty. Well, perhaps I can show you improvement in my attitude in the short time we have."

Justin's hot chocolate was about half gone. He lay back in the chair, his body heavy. "How much time...do we have?" he asked drowsily.

"I will show you exactly how much. But not tonight. Another day and soon," said the Beast.

Justin yawned. "Why do you wear those goggles?"

"I have many kinds of facewear. I wore the goggles tonight to show you my ugliness without overwhelming you."

"Over...overwhelming me? What do you mean?" Justin ate another cookie and drank a bit more but he was seriously sleepy now. And it didn't help that the night had gone deeply dark while they had been talking.

"I will tell you that, but not tonight. Another day and soon. But I will tell you this. I am more ugly than you see here, more ugly than you can possibly imagine. You must never take off my sunglasses or goggles or whatever I am wearing and above all you must never seek to look me straight in the face. This is serious!!! Promise me, Justin!!!"

"I...I promise...Why...why is your hat moving?"

"I will tell you but another day..."

"And soon," Justin finished along with him irritably, "Is there anything you CAN tell me?"

"Yes. I can tell you that you will sleep shortly."

"You're not kidding! I can barely keep my eyes open! What's happening to me?"

"It's the Beam. It's having a tranquillizer effect. You are not used to it like I am."

"Wh-what are you gonna do with me?" asked Justin fearfully, "Hey, you didn't roofie me did you?"

The Beast threw back his head and laughed long and hard, snuffling like a wolf amused. Suddenly he came out with a long AAARRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The Beast blushed and was embarrassed, the way someone might be after sneezing hard in public. "Sorry! Those don't come out too often! Mostly when I laugh. And no, my Beauty, I didn't roofie you. When we make love, I want you to be looking at me, remembering every detail of your first time."

Justin felt that pleasant stomach churn again. He notice the Beast said when, not if they made love. As if it were inevitable. As if it was destiny.

Suddenly the Beast lunged and grabbed him suddenly. Justin tried to struggle, but he was a thousand pounds and amidst his struggles and the Beast shifting him, he suddenly found himself cradled in the Beast's powerful arms and pressed up against that hard chest and ugly artwork.

"However, I will take advantage of the situation to carry my prize to his bed. And when you love me enough, I shall carry you to mine!"

And he proceeded to do just that, taking swift, long strides out of the room. Justin's bags had already disappeared.

"That...that will never happen," Justin said sleepily.

"Ahhhh, my Beauty! Never say never."

The Beast carried him down a richly carpeted hall with many beautiful paintings lining it. Then through several salons, each one more richly furnished and beautiful than the last. Then down another hall and up a wide staircase. At the top, and to the right was a huge double door across which in large letters made of gold said: JUSTIN'S APARTMENTS.

The Beast carried Justin through these doors, walked over and turned on a small lamp beside an enormous king sized bed. The sheets were black silk and the bedspread was wine red. The rest of the room was lost to shadow and then the night.

The Beast proceeded to quickly strip Justin until he was naked and then put him to bed between the sheets. His loins stirred and a great temptation to climb in after the Beauty overcame him. But he resisted, and instead caressed a cheek with a leather finger. Justin groaned in pleasure and leaned into the caress and the Beast nearly crumbled to temptation. Finally, he allowed himself one thing.

"I can tell you two things before you sleep, Justin Taylor!" he growled, "One: In truth I did not "roofie" thee but I think I will take a small advantage of the effects. For I love thee, my Beauty!" And he bent down and kissed Justin's rosy pink mouth, kissed it witless, thoroughly, and long. It left Justin moaning in desire and quivering with the need for more. But the Beast merely backed off and wished him good night.

"Oh, and two: I can tell you that you may explore wherever you wish. You must think of it as your own home now. My house is your house. And if you choose to love me one day, I will give it to you, without reservation. It's been for you all along, I can feel it. It's for my Prince..."

TBC