The Beast And His Belle

Chapter 26

The weeks passed in complete bliss for Jackson and Belle. He would always make it home for dinner even before Flora had finished preparing it. Belle would spend her days still tending to the greenhouse of roses blossoming with the warmer weather peaking through each day. She urged Jackson to move his piano back into the library and he did as she pleased. He'd play her light-loving melodies while she sat and read her books, sometimes aloud for him to enjoy as well. Each night they'd drift to sleep cuddled together in his bed after making love.
Neither of them said their deepest feelings towards each other, yet. Both afraid it might frighten the other and change what they had. For now, they were living the life they wanted together, in what felt like an extended honeymoon filled with newlywed bliss.

It didn't take long for the plans of The Merryweather Mason's school to continue full throttle and soon the employees' children had filled Belle's classroom with new students eager to learn new things.
"And so, we will start and end every single day with storytime!" Belle exclaimed as she addressed her class of gleaming students with the daily schedule.
"Mrs. Mason?" one curious child raised his hand. "Why do you like reading so much?"
"Well, I always like to say, reading-" her words got lost under a deep, masculine, familiar voice that rose above hers, finishing her sentence.
"Reading is like dreaming with your eyes open!" She heard the fearful gasps of the children as they looked scared, staring at a wild beast. Belle turned around gushing to find her own Prince Charming dashingly handsome leaning against the door frame with his hands casually hanging in his suit pockets.
"And?" she playfully probed him as she made her way across the room and into his arms.
"Books are magical!" Jackson finished and Belle smiled brightly before turning back to face the children.
"That's right!" she said with a twinkle in her eye.
"You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back, and relax, all you need is a book!" She quoted the ever-so-famous children's author, Dr. Seuss. She kept holding onto Jackson as she dragged his body further into the classroom until he stood towering over the children sitting on the reading rug.
"Class, I'd like you all to say hello to Mr. Mason." Belle saw the fear in their eyes and had heard the occasional whispers from the children talking about Jack.
"I heard he's really mean!"
"My mom said he used to be a monster!"
"I heard he bit someone's head off!"
"Class?" Belle prompted them again in the group of silence.
"Hii, Mr. Mason!" they all called out seeming to get more comfortable in his presence as he crouched down on his knees to be more at eye level with them.
"Hello everyone, are you liking your new school?"
"Yes."
"Isn't your teacher the greatest?" he said looking to Belle with a smile.
"Are you two really married?" one child blurted out her suspicions, probably heard through discussions at home.
"Yes, we are!" Jackson rose back to his feet and put his arm around Belle's waist. "Aren't I so lucky!"
"Is it true you're a monster and once bit someone's head off?" one of the boys asked nervous and speedily as he spilled the rumors spoken between him and his friends.
"A monster!" Belle said in playful surprise resting her palm against Jack's broad chest.
"I don't see any monsters here!"
She gasped loudly getting the attention of the children. "WAIT! Oh no! I DO see a monster! A fire-breathing dragon! And I'm a Princess trapped in a high castle! I need my Prince Charming to rescue me! Who can it be?" she acted it out a damsel in distress overly dramatic and playful.
"HE CAN! HE CAN! MR. MASON IS YOUR PRINCE!" the kids all shouted at once jumping up and down and pointing their fingers at Jackson. He let out a chuckle at their youthfulness and innocence before pounding his chest pretending to clear his throat.
"I'LL SAVE YOU, MY BEAUTIFUL ROSE!" He swept her off her feet, cradling her in his arms and playfully spinning her around in a circle as the children all giggled.

He then carried her over to the door and gently placed her down.
"Mrs. Mason," a little girl asked following them, "if you're married then why don't you have kids?"
Belle burst in surprise trying to think of an answer.
"Oh, well...Mr. Mason and I nearly just got married!" Her surprised eyes found Jackson's beaming brightly back at her with a smile.
"I wouldn't mind a few little trouble makers running around at home? Would you?"
"Y-you would? I've always wanted to have kids but I-I didn't know if you did or not?" Belle mumbled out her words still in quite a shock at the conversation they were having practically in front of her classroom.
"I think you'd be a nice mommy!" the little girl hugged Belle's leg before she pranced off to her friends playing dress-up.
"I agree," Jackson said with a twinkle in his eye wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "Maybe we should work on that when I get back." He slowly locked her lips with his and she never wanted it to end.
"You're leaving already?" She pouted resting her head against his.
"Unfortunately, I came to try to get you to come with me one last time!"
Jackson had been asking Belle for days to come with him on his business trip back to Paris as the construction for the resort had started from the deal made with Mr. Claremont.
"You know I want to! But I can't just leave these kids with no teacher, now can I?" She pecked his lips again savoring the taste she'd have to part with for the next three days.
"They can have a mini-vacation! I'm sure they'd love that!"
"Their parents wouldn't. And they'd have to take off work, bossman!"
"Then I'll fly all these kids to Paris with us, just so I can have you by my side!" Belle giggled under his lips at his persuasiveness and irrational thinking.
"I'm going to miss you too! Just find and bring me back the most beautiful rose that makes you think of me."
"But the most beautiful Rose I'll ever have is the one in my arms right now!"
"Mrs. Mason!" A child called for her attention and she heard the voices of trouble getting louder not being monitored.
"I have to go, call me every day or I just might die not hearing your voice."
"I'm the one that's going to die without you!" She tried to pry herself from his grip but he kept pulling her back in.
"Belle, I've wanted to say this for a while-"
"Mrs. Mason!" The children shouted again.
"I lov-"
"I have to go, Jack! Bye!" she kissed him one final time before breaking loose from his grasp to gain control of the mischievous students.
"I love you," he whispered to himself taking a final look at his beautiful wife.