Belle Adams' Butler

Barron and Belle stared at the timekeeper whose answer came out even before Barron had finished speaking the last word, "What do you mean no?!" demanded Barron as if the timekeeper was crazy. 

"I am retired now. I don't want to work," were the simple words that came from the timekeeper. She snapped her fingers and in an instant, her skeleton form took the appearance of a woman. Compared to what Barron had described, this woman was gorgeous to look at. Either Barron was only teasing the woman or he needed to recheck his eyes if he had one, "Leave me. How did you end up turning so small? What a cute thing you are. How haven't you turned to someone's food yet?" the timekeeper tried to contain her laugh. 

"Forget that! What do you mean you have retired? I said you to take a vacation not retirement!" Barron felt like his bounty was only going to increase if the Hawverts found out that the timekeeper left the job forever. 

"You shouldn't look so surprised," the timekeeper replied with a calm voice as if she was least bothered, "Weren't you the one who said I should do what I want?" she huffed before starting to walk from there. 

Belle and Barron had to follow her to make sure that the timekeeper didn't disappear from their sight.

"When did I say that?" Barron looked shocked, his long ears standing up and he shook his head, "All these false allegations on me. It is because of you that I have such high bounty!" 

Really, Barron, thought Belle in her mind. 

"Look at me," Barron said, his legs moving quickly so that he could stand in front of the timekeeper who continued to walk, "I am the most innocent Grim out of all of them. How can you do this to me, Catina?!"

Noticing some of the death reapers who were walking on the other side of the forest, Belle turned to look at the timekeeper, "You will be caught if you keep moving."

"Who is this child?" asked the timekeeper, her gold-like eyes falling on Belle. 

"I am Belle Adams."

"She is Belle, we need your help," replied Barron. 

The timekeeper stopped walking and she took a deep breath, "You both smell funny. Is she your woman?" 

"No!" both Barron and Belle exclaimed simultaneously. Why was the conversation turning weird? Asked Belle to herself. 

Belle ignored Barron and spoke directly to the timekeeper, "Lady Catina," she started to receive the timekeeper's attention, "Since the time you have stopped providing your help and assistance in the land of the dead, there have been fluctuations when it comes to the death of the people in the land of the living."

"Hm?" asked Catina slightly surprised. 

"People have been dying faster than the normal time because of the change and disturbance in time. Some of the souls have left the body faster than usual. The death reapers have not been able to come and take the souls that led to many lost and corrupted souls."

Catina chuckled, "I am sure everyone misses me now." Belle could only tell that all the death reapers and the Grims had a streak of being prideful and a narcissist by nature. 

"Guilt would like your assistance," Belle dropped the word about the previous Grim reaper who was one of the four original creation. 

The timekeeper who was chuckling, her smile faltered to fall down. With her narrowed eyes she looked at the reaper named Belle, "Guilt has been sent to oblivion years ago. Are you telling me that the Hawverts decided to bring him back?"

"Belle is not lying," affirmed Barron.

Catina rolled her eyes at the rabbit, "Yes, a rabbit is going to tell me that."

"I will kill you if you call me a rabbit!" Barron raised his hand in anger, ready to attack only to hear another tear from his cotton body. The rabbit quickly got busy searching the tear in worry. Belle said,

"We need your help. Barron is stuck in a stuffed rabbit, I cannot go back to my mortal form and yes, Guilt is alive. He said he needs your help. Just stay with us and meet him. We won't take too much of your time." 

The timekeeper stared at Belle and when Belle moved her hand up to show the bone that belonged to Winston, Cantina's eyes widened, "You stole his bone."

"You cannot steal the bone. The bone needs to be given willingly," Belle corrected the timekeeper, "If it wasn't given to me out of willingness, I would not be having it in my hand right now." 

The timekeeper appeared to know about the bone, "What did you mean you cannot turn to a mortal?" 

Belle smiled at the death reaper's curiosity, "We can speak about it on our way back towards the lake," she offered and Catina stared at the reaper before nodding her head. 

By the time Belle, Barron and the timekeeper made their way towards the bank of the river of the dead, Barron had given most of the information to the timekeeper as if it was alright to go answering every question that was asked. It was only a wonder how Barron had not opened his mouth in front of Winston. 

"You're telling that Cross is Guilt?!" exclaimed the timekeeper in disbelief, "I call it bullshit." 

"Why is it hard to believe?" asked Barron, his voice turning loud and Belle had shushed him so that he wouldn't attract the other reapers who were roaming around, searching for the culprits. As they were near the river of the dead, not many reapers were here compared to where they had come from and it seemed like it was the safest place right now. 

"If that was true, one of the Hawevrts would have noticed it by now," said Catina, changing her form back to a reaper, "I will believe it only when I meet this person who is impersonating to be the Grim reaper." 

Stopping, they stood in front of the river and the timekeeper asked, "You aren't planning to swim in here, right?"