Not the first story I wrote ... but the first try of writing a story in english.

I was and I am yet a huge fan of the TV-series "Beauty and the Beast" from 1987. Maybe some of you remember the story of the lion-man Vincent who lives under the city of New York with his adoptive father and his family, in a secret peaceful world, and his girlfriend Catherine Chandler, an Assistant District Attourney in New York City. This little story is a crossover with my two OC's Darkmoon and Christopher.

Oh I know for sure, that it has many mistakes yet; now and then there is maybe a wrong word, or the wrong sentence structure ... It's one thing to translate an english story into german, but translating a german story into english ...

To the background story I've got some links. Here a website with pictures of the series: http://www.mybatbpage.com/episodes/01pilotslide/01pilot.html

And here in wiki some infos about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast_%281987_TV_series%29

SURPRISES ...

"Oh my! I could swear that I was just this minute sleeping in my bed", the young man said puzzled. "Where on earth are we, Darkmoon?"

"I've not the slightest idea" was the answer. "And, above all, how did we get here?"

They stood on a busy street, apparently in a big city; it was night, people passed them by heedlessly. After a quick all-round view they recognized by and by where they were - in New York City. But ... what they saw was a bit strange. The streets didn't look like they remembered; the cars, driving on the streets, appeared to be kind of ancient; the outfits of the people looked a bit like in the old movies with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Three young men with pompadours like Elvis Presley came out of a bar in which was playing "Jailhouse Rock".

"I've got a strong suspicion that we are not where we believe to be", murmured Christopher Walker. "It looks like in the 50's ... this, over there, is definitively the Times Square, and I know for sure that this toy shop was still a McDonalds yesterday. You'd think we were on a movie set. But it's way too big for a set! It's crazy, but all this is not fake!"

"And what if it's a dream?"

Chris pinched his friend and adoptive brother in the arm. "Does it feel like a dream?"

"Ouch ... doubtlessly not. Oookay ... First we have to know in which time we are", Darkmoon said. "It's crazy ... we really seem to be in the past. Let's take a look around. But we should watch out not to meet a cop. The last thing we need here is some kind of trouble."

So they went on, along the 7th Avenue, and watched the shop-windows. Outdated ladie's suits, dresses with petticoats, high heels, ancient-looking washing-machines and radios, and a newsstand ... with newspapers on which they could read the date "August 19th, 1959"! The New York Times declared that in a few days Hawaii would be the 50th federal state, an article from Elvis Presley doing his military service stationed in Germany, a bank robbery ... "But that's ...", Chris stuttered. "That's crazy!!" What shall we do here! And how do we get away from here!?"

By and by the people took notice of the two men, for they looked uncommon - a big blond man and a native american with long dark hair, both with jeans and shirts and sneakers, and with jackets that looked strange for them ... 

"We're attracting attention", Darkmoon said; "let's go somewhere else where it's not this crowded."

They stopped at a side-road, considering what to do now. On a wall a slightly frazzled poster was hanging. A dim lamp, over the backdoor of a house, emitted a sparse light. At the end of the street some old furniture and lumber were scattered around.

"Now what?" Chris asked, at a loss.

Like an answer, they suddenly heard at the end of the blind alley, by all the lumber, a quiet whimpering, something between the crying of a child and the feeble calling of a little kitten. They looked around inquisitively. "What the ..."

They slowly approached the sound. "Hello?" said Darkmoon gently. "Is someone there?"

It became silent. They no longer heard any sound, but now, the two men recognized that someone or something was hiding between the broken furniture and the planks. Darkmoon felt that somewhere over there a creature was cowering, trembling with fear.

"You mustn't be afraid of us, we mean you no harm. Don't you want to come out? Maybe we can help you!" Darkmoon chrouched down, while Chris stayed back.

It took a long time and a whole lot of encouraging, until they saw something moving in the huddle of the bulky waste. A small figure appeared, hesitantly, and came slowly nearer to the young man. "A child?? What are you doing here? Did you get lost?"

According to his size, the child could be about 5 years of age. They couldn't see very much of his face. A thick shawl covered his mouth and nose. Only the eyes remained visible. The hood of his jacket covered his hair so there were only a few blond strands showing.

"There you are, that's better, isn't it?", Darkmoon said kindly. "Now let's find out who you are, and then let's see how we can help you." It was only when the young man reached for the hood to pull it down that the beautiful blue eyes of the child seemed strangely familiar to him. When he saw the fine blond hair that was almost shoulder length, a crazy idea struck him. A moment later, when he saw the boys face, he became certain.

"Strike me down ... Vincent?"

"Whaaat??" Chris asked and came closer.

"Christopher, that's Vincent!! Vincent? What are you doing here?"

The little boy looked at him in astonishment. Why did the stranger know his name?

Now, Christopher could see the boy too - the lion-like face. The furry little nose. The split upper lip. The slightly fuzzy cheeks, and now, he also saw the little hands - covered with fine fur and with little spiky claw-like nails. It was difficult for them to see in this cute toddler, their leonine strong friend who was even half a head taller than Christopher (who was after all 1.83 meters in height) and now, there he stood, before them, an armful of child, with hanging shoulders, runny nose and fearful sad eyes.

"You really musn't be afraid of us. My name is Darkmoon, and that's Christopher. We are ... friends of your father", the young man said quietly (which was basically right - even though they had first met when Vincent was long grown up ... or would be ... Chris got headache with all this chronological mess). "What has happened? How did you get here?"

A gentle snuffling, then the peewee whispered: "Patelus came ... wanted to take me away ... but don't want ... want to go to Father. Bring me to Father?" the lion-boy asked him hopefully. Darkmoon smiled. "We will, Vincent. Promised!"

Then he looked at his brother. "Paracelsus - Vincent told us about him. So he kidnapped little Vincent, and the boy escaped. We have to bring him to his family."

Paracelsus, who once was a friend from Vincents adoptive father Jacob Wells and who was now the enemy of the small tunnel-community, wanted always, since Vincent's childhood, to capture him and make him his creature - turning him into a merciless killer. Thank god Mr. Wells - whom all of the tunnel community called "father" - could avoid this - and now the two brothers were brought here to this time to correct something that went wrong. They had to bring the little Vincent to the Central Park, to the entrance into the underground world where his family could pick him up.

"This will be a bit tricky", Chris said. "Nobody may see him, and both of us are also not unremarkable. The thick shawl is useful, but we need something for his hands. Wait here; I've seen nearby around the corner a shop where they were selling clothes for children; maybe they've got gloves for him."

He came back soon with a pair of red mittens. "They had only some made of wool ... The will surely soon vanish into thin air because of his nails, but they don't have to last long." While Darkmoon put the lion-boy the gloves on, Chris smiled. "Just look at this tiny hands! Such a cute little fellow!!"

Darkmoon laughed, then he said to the boy: "And now we're bringing you home. Just wrap the shawl around your face. And whatever happens, don't speak and stay between us. Will you do this?"

"Vincent will", the tiddler said eagerly.

Moments later two young men went along the street, the lion boy close between them, everyone of them holding one little hand. Vincent was quiet as a mouse, and only the small nails which pricked them when he cramped on the hands of the two men revealed them that he was frightened. As fast as possible they left the busy street and continued their way on a quieter side-road. Chris knew the shortest way to the Central-Park. For the rest of the way he carried the boy. "I never would have guessed that I would ever carry Vincent on my arms", he said laughingly. "I would rupture myself if I'd try."

"I think Vincent would be very astonished if you'd try", Darkmoon replied, smiling.

The park was uncrowded at his time; not even a mounted cop was in sight. Finally they reached their destination - the sewer, where the entrance to the secret world of the tunnel was, which the two men also often had used. The sewer made a bend and ended into a round place, with a big lattice-gate before a massive stonewall, which disclosed the entrance with pressing a hidden switch. But this time they couldn't go down.

"We have to knock a message on the pipe. They mustn't see us. Who knows what harm we could cause by this; we could change their future." Darkmoon knocked with a stone on a pipe (which run behind the wall and from which he knew it lead down to the inhabited tunnels), sending in morse a  short message that would call somebody who would pick up the boy. Then he approached to the tiddler.

"We've got to go now, Vincent; we cannot come with you. But it's already somebody on the way up here."

But the little Vincent clung to Darkmoons jacket. "Stay", he lisped sadly. He already became fond of the young man with the long hair and of the blond man too, who brought him home and gave him such pretty red mittens, and he didn't want them to leave. Darkmoon sighed and gave him a little kiss, and Chris bowed down to him. It almost broke their hearts. "Oh Vincent", Chris said, "if it only would be possible ... But I promise you, we will meet again. One day we will meet again, my boy!"

Suddelnly they heared a scrabble, like stone on stone - the two men leaped up and rushed behind the bend of the sewer - the boy looked after them, but luckily he didn't follow them. The stonewall glided aside, the lattice-gate was opened, and two men appeared - the brothers didn't know the first, but the second was -- much younger then they knew him, Jacob Wells, Vincents adoptive father! They saw Mr. Wells taking the boy into his arms, relieved to see him; looking around, speaking to his companion, then he took the boy, and they disappeared behind the entrance to the tunnel world to bring the lion boy back home, to a safe place.

***

Still a bit sleepy, Chris roused from his bed. For a moment he had to remember where he was - oh yes, in New York City, in the peaceful tunnel world below the city, with their friends which they currently visited. He laughed silently. "Oh man, what a dream. Never before I dreamed something crazy like that." He shook his head and got dressed, then he went to the chamber near his own to meet Darkmoon.

"Morning, sleepy head", he was welcomed. "You're already awake?"

"Of course! Geez, when you'll hear what I've dreamed last night ... we have been somewhere in the city, but we weren't here today, but in the year 1959! And we ..."

"... found Vincent", Darkmoon interrupted him. "He was kidnapped from Paracelsus and could run away."

Chris stared at his brother, his eyes wide with amazement. "We found him at a side-road of the 7th Avenue ...", he continued.

And Darkmooon, completing his sentence once more: "... he had been hiding under a bunch of lumber."

"... The same dream?!" Chris asked. "We had the same dream?"

... I'm not sure if this was a dream at all, Chris ..."

"It's impossible, Darkmoon!!"

"...you know, nothing is really impossible - just think of Vincent ..."

They looked at each other, perplexed ... Darkoon sighed. They already had seen so many inexplicable things in their lifes that nothing was impossible to them any more. "Our dear tunnel-cook William is surely waiting with breakfast. Let's make tracks and think about this later. Shall we pick up Vincent?"

"Oh yes, surely. Let's go."

Arrived at Vincent's chamber, they saw him lost in thought standing before a dresser and looking at something.

"Morning, Vince", said Chris slangy (who was the only one who called Vincent thus - noone else in the tunnel community would come to the idea to call this impressive, majestic lion-man simply "Vince"). "You're not hungry today?"

Vincent turned. "Oh, good morning, you two", he said a bit absent-minded. "I only ... I just found something I had forgotten long ago ... it was down below in a drawer ..." And he showed his finding to his two friends - a pair of small red woolen mittens, a little bit fraed out. The two brothers were completely speechless. "Somebody gave them to me when I was I child, but I don't know who it was. I will ask Father later; maybe he knows something about it." When he saw their astonished faces, he asked: "What's the matter? Did something happen?"

"...Noooo ... not at all ..."

"... good idea to ask Father; I'm really curious of the story ..."

With these words they left the chamber, smirking. Vincent followed them puzzled, asking himself what this may mean. He knew that the two brothers were always good for a surprise.

He had no idea which surprise he would get this very day ...

Kytheira, Dec. 2014

***

(This is just a non-commercial fanfic. The rights of the series "Beauty and the Beast" and all characters from this series belong to Ron Koslow and the Witt Thomas Production. The rights of the story and of the characters Darkmoon and Christopher belong to me.)