One Beatrix Hill: Finale (complete)

Female Main Character x Male Monster (both cis)

Josie followed along behind Bess, keeping close and clinging to her white dress. Once in the hallway, Bess looked this way and that, even holding up one of her floppy ears to hear better. She stepped out, walking slowly at first. “We’re a hall over, so it should allow us a little extra time,” Bess whispered. “Once we reach the ballroom, it’ll be easy to evade the guards in the maze.”

Josie glanced over her shoulder, back down the hallway from whence they came. She felt relieved to see nothing, but then she heard something. Bess grabbed her hand tightly. “This is when we run!” Like a flash, the two darted down the hallway, followed by the clamoring and grunting of the knights behind them. Josie only saw blurs of the hallway around them, flashes of artwork and doors. Then Bess stopped. “Keep running!” she shouted to Josie. “I’ll catch up.” She wrenched a massive painting from the wall, chucking it into the hallway, then toppled over a statue with some effort before she continued running behind Josie.

Josie could see the large French doors of the ballroom ahead. She ran towards them at full speed until the doors opened. She tried to stop, but she fell on the slick marble floor, sliding through the open doors on her rear before she was stopped by a pair of boots. She looked up and her jaw dropped. “The cat!” she whispered.

Standing above her was the black cat, clad in a white suit. He sneered down at her, lip curled and a sharp gold tooth showing. Then Bess came through the doors. “Josie!” she gasped.

The black cat looked up. “My bride,” he said. “What on earth are you doing here? You should be getting ready for the nuptials.”

“The black cat is the wizard?” Josie whispered under her breath.

Bess stiffened her jaw and walked forward. “Give me the girl, Padubast.”

The cat grinned and grabbed Josie by the scruff of her neck. “No. Who even is this?” He shook Josie around. “I expected you to have a dashing rescuer, not a tiny child.”

“Stop it!” Josie reached up, pulling at the fur of Padubast’s hand. “Let me go!” She kicked at Padubast’s leg, and he yowled, dropping Josie and doubling over.

Bess hurriedly ran over, scooping Josie off the floor and racing around Padubast to the doors leading out to the garden. “Good shot!” Bess cheered.

Padubast snarled, grabbing at Bess’s dress. His claws sank in and tugged her backwards, nearly toppling her over. “Get back here!” The guards who had been chasing them burst in, and Padubast chuckled. “Where are you going, Elizabeth? What does that child even offer you?” He grinned as one of the knights came forward. “What do you have in the world out there?”

The knight kicked his hand away. “Me, for one!”

“Perley!” Josie cheered.

Perley took off the helmet and chucked it into Padubast’s face. “Remember me, old friend?”

“What? I thought I got rid of you!” Padubast snarled.

Perley laughed and shook his head. “Oh, you certainly tried, and you very nearly succeeded. But you didn’t count on one thing!”

Padubast sneered at him, readying his claws to strike. “And what would that be?”

A confident smirk crossed Perley’s lips, and he popped his hat back onto his head. “A fine lady will always rescue me.” He quickly evaded the swing of Padubast’s claws and turned to Bess and Josie. “You girls make a run for it! I’ll hold him off as long as I can.”

“Don’t try and show off, Perley!” Bess protested.

Perley turned and gave her a wink. “It’s good to see you too, my love.” He charged ahead, throwing himself into Padubast to keep him from reaching them. “Get going now!” He struggled as Padubast bit his ear.

Bess ran outside with Josie, setting her down as they rushed into the maze. They hurtled around corners until they came to a dead end and had to turn around. They whisked through corridors both narrow and wide. But something felt familiar about this maze to Josie. She came to a stop and looked around to gain her bearings. “Josie, what is it?” Bess panted.

“This all feels very familiar,” Josie murmured. She turned around a corner. Bess followed behind her, surprised that Josie seemed to know this maze so well. Josie ran ahead, laughing. “It’s all laid out the same! Just the same as back home,” she called.

Straight ahead, she saw the exit and stopped. She took a breath, staring ahead as the light shone through the open pathway. She turned to look back at Bess, who smiled in awe. “You found the way out! That’s amazing!” She came up behind Josie, patting the top of her head. “I’m very impressed.”

“Stay here,” Josie said softly. “I can make my way back through really quickly, and go get Perley.”

She started to run, but Bess stopped her. “Are you sure?” she whispered urgently. “It’s dangerous now, with all the knights in the maze too.”

Josie pulled out of Bess’ grasp. “I promised him we’re in this together! And I know this maze like the back of my hand, so I’ll be able to avoid the guards. Stay here, okay? Try and hide if anyone comes.” She jogged off ahead.

“Be careful!” Bess shouted after her.

Josie traversed the maze like she had her town all her life. She could recite the name of every alley the maze’s corridors mimicked. It was her dream after all! Of course she could do this. She heard the knights shambling through the maze, shouting at one another, and easily slipped away from them. She knew she was coming towards the edge of the maze again, which was the same place as where the street turned onto the main square.

She returned to the ballroom and stopped. Much to her shock, Perley and Padubast the wizard were locked in an embrace where neither one could move. They struggled and jerked, hoping to find a way to gain the upper hand, but neither was in a good place. “Ah! Josie,” Perley grunted and Padubast wiggled. “Where’s my Bess?”

“You mean my Elizabeth?” Padubast roared.

Josie stepped closer towards them. “You both look ridiculous.”

“That’s what fighting does!” Perley laughed while still straining to maintain his hold. “Makes everybody look all kinds of silly. Don’t try it, Josie.”

Josie frowned. “Bess is waiting at the end of the maze. I came to take you through the maze too, but…” She looked at Padubast, almost certain he was the very same black cat who had tormented her for ages.

“Almost done here,” Perley grunted.

“You fool!” Padubast snarled. “I am the one who will have the upper hand, should you try and move. I will cut you down!”

“For what?” Josie snapped. “Bess doesn’t like you! She was only marrying you because she thought Perley was gone! What’s the point of marrying someone who doesn’t like you?”

Padubast and Perley both wriggled, toppling over so they were on their sides. “What do you know about these things? You’re just a little girl! What do you know about being lonesome, or fending for yourself?”

Josie stiffened her jaw. “I know about that!” She tried to keep her tears in check. “Because that’s all I’ve been all my life. But I don’t go around hurting people because of it! You don’t have to kidnap someone because you’re lonely!”

Padubast stilled, and in that moment Perley slipped his grasp and held him down on the floor. “That’s cheating!” the cat screeched.

“Josie, hand me that ribbon around your neck. I’ll tie him up with it,” Perley said triumphantly.

Josie looked down at the cat. The two had been enemies for so long, she hadn’t thought to see him any other way. But like her, he was a stray, and he didn’t know how to go about asking for companionship. Instead he lashed out, because it was easier than asking for a pet on the head. She walked over, kneeling down beside Padubast and stroking the top of his head. The wizard struggled, hissing and spitting. But at last a look of serenity came over his face, and he began to purr in contentment.

Perley stared, shocked by the transformation. He stepped away, and Padubast remained still as Josie petted him. “That’s all it took?” Perley gawked.

Padubast began to shrink. His clothes collapsed, and he vanished under his shirt. Josie reached in, pulling out the big black cat and holding him in her arms. The cat had tears in his eyes as he rested his head on Josie’s shoulder. “Come on,” Josie stood up. “I’ll show you the way through the maze.”

“He was an ordinary cat?” Perley marveled. He followed behind Josie, but as they stepped into the maze, there was a great crack behind them. Looking up, they saw the tower of the castle begin to crumble. “Without Padubast’s magic, this place is going to fall apart!” Perley gasped. “We need to hurry!”

Josie ran, keeping the cat tightly in her arms. The cat yowled as he watched what was once his castle begin to topple. The maze, too, was beginning to split like a sheet of paper tearing, and through the cracks Josie could see the dark and foaming waters below. She raced faster, leading Perley through the maze with the knights in pursuit.

Ahead, Josie could see the exit with Bess waiting, but the ground between them cracked wide open until there was a chasm between them. Perley grabbed Josie, holding her back. “Easy!”

“What do we do?” Bess cried.

Josie threw Padubast who leaped to a safe landing on the other side of the crevasse. “It’s okay! He’s nice now!”

Bess approached the edge of the chasm. “Jump! I’ll catch you!”

“You can do this,” Perley whispered to Josie. Josie looked down at the rushing waters below. She looked across at Bess with her arms stretched out. She could make it. After all, it was her dream. She took a running start, but as her feet left the ground the chasm opened wider. Bess toppled backwards, landing on top of Padubast. Perley tried to rush forward, but it was too late. Josie felt the wind rushing all around her as she fell through the air. It became colder and colder as she descended towards the water.

She gasped, waking with a start to find herself back in her larder room. She reached for the bedside, finding the broken figure of Perley still there. “Oh,” she whispered tragically. “Oh no.” It really was all just a dream. Somehow she had hoped it would be real in some way.

Josie wept, having had so much fun with Perley and Bess as they made their escape. They were a team, after all. After she cried, Josie cleaned herself up and resolved to return to Robin’s shop and give back the broken statue. She had searched all night for the missing pieces, but his ear and coattails were nowhere to be found. She would offer to work to pay Robin for the damage, but she feared she’d be horribly punished anyway.

As she made her way to the shop, she saw that Padubast was sitting in the window. He jumped down off the bricks and came towards her, meowing loudly and showing his teeth. Josie avoided him, moving around him to the door. Once she was inside, Padubast yowled at the door and swiped at the ringing bells on the knob.

Josie turned into the shop, and saw a handsomely dressed couple standing at the front desk while Robin talked to them. Robin looked down at Josie holding the broken statue. “There you are, little one!” His shoulders sank with a heavy sigh of relief. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”

Josie ducked her head as she fought back tears. “I know. I’m so sorry! It was an accident.” Her hands began to tremble, not just from the fear of being punished, but because her happy dream was already fading from her memory. “I thought I could fix him and bring him back, but I couldn’t. I lost the pieces too. I’m so sorry, I never wanted to…”

“You mean these?” The woman knelt before Josie, and in her palm was Perley’s ear and coattails. Josie gaped in awe before looking into the woman’s beautiful gray eyes. Josie’s tears flowed freely as the woman smiled warmly at her.

“They have the matching figure, so they came to fetch him,” Robin explained.

The man turned, grinning brightly. “I knew our little girl would find it,” he said. He came over and picked up Josie into his arms. “Where’ve you been hiding, huh?” He used his soft glove to wipe away the tears from Josie’s face.

Josie was in disbelief. This couldn’t be who she wanted it to be. Could she possibly still be dreaming? Her mind raced. The woman approached and brushed Josie’s hair aside, tucking it behind her ear. “Be easy with her now, Perley. I’m sure she’s tired.”

“I know how to handle my own child, Bess,” he chided.

Bess sighed and gave Robin a knowing smile. “Now that we have everything we’re looking for, we can all go back home.”

“Always happy to help some of my favorite customers,” Robin chuckled.

Bess and Perley walked outside with Josie, and Padubast was still wailing on the sidewalk. “Wait!” Josie exclaimed before they could walk away. “Can we take him with us?”

Perley glared at the cat, making a face at him. “That mean old thing? Come now, surely you would much rather have a beautiful Persian or a brand-new kitten.”

“I was told the exact same thing about you, my love.” Bess bent over, and the cat happily jumped into her arms. “Is he yours, darling?”

“I think so,” Josie murmured.

Perley and Bess set her in their car with Padubast, and sat in the front as Bess held the broken figure. That’s when Josie noticed that the human Perley’s right ear was covered by bandages, and his white hair was all combed to that side. She glanced at Padubast, who made a face at her. “Is this real?” she spoke low to him. “You can tell me.”

The cat meowed, then fell to the floor as Perley started the engine. “Easy now, you’ll hurt him,” Bess hissed warningly.

Josie tried to pay attention to where they were going, but eventually she fell asleep. Having searched all night for those missing pieces, she’d not slept a wink. She drifted away, slumbering comfortably until Bess whispered, “We’re home.”

Josie stirred, rubbing her eyes as they passed through an iron gate with an arch that spelled out “Beatrix Hill’. Josie looked out the window and stepped out of the car to see the front of a large red brick house, covered by vines and flowers. The door was a bright purple color. There were trees lining one side that were flowering in preparation to bear fruit, and on the other side was a garden of all different sorts of vegetables growing, as well as a large berry patch.

“This is our castle,” Perley said proudly. Padubast led the way, climbing up the front stairs and darting inside once Perley unlocked the doors. The cat happily trotted around, rubbing his face on things before scurrying away as they all walked inside.

Bess went into the next room, where there was a large fireplace. Sitting on the mantel was another rabbit figure wearing a pastel-green sundress. Sitting by Bess’ feet was a small brown bunny in a pink dress, just like the one Josie had worn. Josie watched as Bess set the broken Perley figure with the other two. “There were three figures?” Josie asked quietly.

“A family, and just like your father, the father to this set had been missing for some time.” Bess chuckled.

“You should have taken the hint when your mother gave those to us,” Perley chuckled. “But we’re a team, and like a team, we stick together. We find one another in the end.”

Josie looked back at Perley, who winked at her. Could it be true? Had it not been a dream after all? She approached Perley hesitantly, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Please let it be true,” she thought to herself. “Please let this be them.”

“I made a promise, didn’t I?” Perley picked Josie up again and squeezed her tightly in his arms. “I promise I’ll never let you go again, Josie. Never again.”

Josie wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s okay,” she whispered.

“From now on it is.” Perley smiled at her. “You’re the most amazing kid in the world, and you’re the most amazing daughter to boot.”

Tears filled Josie’s eyes. She’d never been called a daughter. She buried her face in Perley’s shoulder, Bess joined them, kissing Josie’s cheek before resting her own head on Perley’s other shoulder. Padubast meowed, circling their feet as if he wanted to be part of the group hug. They were a family, a full set. With a cat.