The Beau & the Beast

62 - BFF

"I have to talk to Marianne first." I said, fingering the pink half of my heart that I had around my neck.

"Does she even know about everything Lu is doing?" Nico asked and I shrugged, "I don't know, but I don't think she'd agree on it.."

"She wouldn't." Clock muttered where he stood by the window, "She's always followed the rules."

"And what are the rules?" Nico asked with irritation in his voice. "I know you upper class vamps think you are more valuable than the rest of us, but it would be nice if you enlightened us on how we should live our fucking lives instead of hating us."

Clock raised an eyebrow and met his twinkling eyes with a collected calm, "I have always been on your side Dominic, think back a little and you will see that."

"Marianne is not upper class." Mass mumbled, "She's like us, she doesn't even know who created her." Everyone turned their heads in surprise and looked at him.

"Did she tell you that?" I asked in surprise and Mass nodded.

"We hung out a lot when you were in the US and worked on cars and shit." He grinned.

"Then maybe you should be the one who talks to her."

He shook his head. "I don't want her to hate me."

"Why would she hate you for telling the truth?"

"Because she lives in an illusion of how amazing Lumiere is."

"She lives in the past." Clock stated, "and it's time she opened her eyes to what's going on around her."

I ran my fingers over my forehead and through my hair and lowered my gaze while I thought. The plan was to make Lumiere understand how bad a leader he was. Even though we knew he would not abdicate the throne just like that, neither of us had the guts to try to kill him. It was completely sickening that we even thought about it. He was still a part of our family.

But if we got Marie on our side, the chances were greater that he would listen to us and we could solve everything in a more peaceful way.

Two hands touched my waist and moved towards my stomach until a familiar body was pressed against my back and soon Nico's chin settled on my shoulder. "I think you should talk to her, Bel, I think she'd appreciate it if it came from you."

I glanced at Clock, but got no reaction either to Nico's suggestion or his embrace, so I nodded briefly, "Sure, I'll talk to her as soon as I get the chance."

"Then you can be there and comfort her later." Nic grinned and gave Mass a teasing wink.

"Ugh, quit it!" He laughed but everyone could clearly see his cheeks fluster and it was quite obvious that he wouldn't mind being there for her.

It was a good plan, but at the same time guilt hugged my heart. Lumiere had always been a big part of my life, always selfish, cold and straightforward. But also caring and fraternal in his own impersonal way. Was this really the right thing to do?

It was as if Nic could hear my thoughts, because suddenly he kissed my neck and whispered, "Think of all the fucked up things that's happening in that Hospital, Bel, think of all the lives he destroys."

And I sighed heavily and closed my eyes, he was right. We lived in a nightmare that we all wanted to wake up from.

***

My legs felt so heavy, maybe because I was about to break the heart of someone who was like a sister to me. I hated Lu for all the shit he forced me to do, this was even worse than burning bodies in the backyard.