Bell's POV

"Ouch!" I squealed, grabbing my left pinky toe making myself hop on one foot. I bit my bottom lip, blinking back the tears that were forming in my eyes and gave my dresser a hateful glare. After a few moments the pain ebbed away from my toe and I was able to let my foot go and walk on it again. And this time when I made to leave the small bedroom, I made a wide arc around my dresser as to make sure I didn't jam any more toes. Once I cleared the doorway I let a small smile come across my face; I was going into town today.

Now this was not a normal feeling that I associated with going to town. There is nothing wrong with it; don't get me wrong. But there is not the draw to be there throughout the whole day as there was for some people. One of the reasons was that, even if it was a small town, it was always very crowded. People were always flooding on the streets, and crowding around shop windows. And that wasn't to say that the people of this town were not pleasant. Most of them were. But I do not get any delight in being jostled around on a street, or pressed against others as to see a new display in a window. I don't much care about the things in the windows anyway; but I always some way or another find myself pressed up close to the glass.

No; I don't actually enjoy the town like most girls my age. But was that wrong of me? Was it wrong of me to not want to spend my father's money on clothes and hair barrettes? I didn't need any of those things; so why would I want to buy them? I had nowhere to wear the dresses anyhow. The only occasion there was to wear some of the things the other girls bought would be at the Saturday night dance. Which I had only been to one of; besides the fact that they are held every Saturday night in the town Hall and that I adore to dance. The one night that I had gone, a couple of months ago, I had worn my best purple dress, one that used to belong to my mother, worn my long brown hair down and had arrived ready to dance. But not one of the many young men there asked me to dance. That night after I arrived home, I laid in bed at 9:30pm and stared out at the twinkling stars, wondering if there was something wrong with me. I never went to another dance.

Shaking my head I shooed off such unkind thoughts. No now it was not the time to think about such things. I again thought about my trip to town; and again it brought a smile to my face. Not because I was going to buy clothes, not because I was going to meet a young fellow, (like I had seen some of the other girl do in the alleys between shops) but because I was going to the library.

Smile still on my face I picked up my small basket that I always carried with me on my trips to town; confirmed that the book I needed to return was still in sitting inside and headed for the front door. I paused with my hand on the lock latch and slipped my black flats onto my feet. I lifted the heavy latch and pulled the door inward with a heave. We really could use a lighter door. It took effort just to get in and out of the house everyday. Though after years of using it, it was starting to get easier.

Sighing I made my way down the three steps to the packed dirt path that lead to the wider dirt road. But before I could leave I needed to tell father. I walked around the front of the house and around to the side where the door the the basement was. Opening the door I clambered down the wooden stairs; they creaked under my weight.

"Papa!? Are you down here?" I called looking around workshop. The basement which papa had converted into a workshop when we made the house. It was the same size as the rest of the house and once seemed very spacious. That was 'til daddy brought in all his equipment and started making all his different kinds of inventions.

Now he was working on a fire wood chopper. Which was what was taking up most of the room now.

"I'm under here Belle!" I heard daddy call.

I walked around to the other side of the contraption and found my father's feet sticking out from under the large Chopper. Well the name was still being worked on.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm going into town." I said over the sound of tinkering daddy was making.

The tinkering subsided for a moment. "Oh okay. Have a nice time."

"Is there anything you would like me to get while I'm out?" I asked slightly amused as I saw dad's hand reach out blindly for some tool.

"Oh no, no! I'm fine. You just have a good time." He said finally grabbing a wrench.

"Okay, I'll be back before dinner." I said before climbing up out of the basement.

Brushing off my white apron that was tied around my waist I made my way toward the dirt lane and the mile walk to town.

The walk wasn't a long one; less than half an hour. It was just past mid day, the clouds were covering the sun and there was a gentle breeze blowing, keeping the walk quite pleasant. I took my time walking, I was in no hurry and it gave me the chance to see the fall effects as August took it's place over us. The tree leaves were starting to turn orange and yellow, and there were fewer and fewer flowers left.

I stopped by the side of the road when a particular nice flower caught my eye. It had five white long peddles with red stems coming out of it's center. Smiling to myself I pick the the flower and stuck the green stem into the bun on the back of my head.

See if any of the other girls can buy any barrette as beautiful as this! I thought to myself as I finished the walk.

The town, as usual was bustling with people as they went about their daily business. I walked through the town, saying a few hello's to the people I knew; such as the backer who was carrying his tray of freshly baked loaves of bread from the kitchen out behind his shop; and the older woman, Anna who sold flowers on the street corners. I was always greeted with a friendly wave or a quick hello; but never anything more. It used to bother me, everyone else I saw was stopped in the middle of the street at least twice every ten minutes or so to talk with someone. I had over heard a couple of these conversations, they talk about family or the gossip that's going around. Really if I was being honest with myself it still does bother me that no one talks to me like that. That no one bothers to ask how my father is doing. But I don't think about it. I have my father; who else could I possibly want?

The library was near the center of town, only a few buildings down from the Hall where the dances are held. The building was one of the oldest in the town; it's roof leaked in places when it rained, the doors creaked when opening them, the paint was chipping away, and one wall in the back room was close to collapsing. I could still remember the building in all it's splendor from my childhood. Back then every shelf was covered with leather bound books and there were sturdy desks with matching chairs where you could spend as much time as you wanted studying. There had been large stuffed chairs used for spending hours of reading in one sitting.

But now, less and less people used the building, very few people had any interest in reading; and the town had started spending less and less money on it. Now they figured it cost too much to pay for the repairs it needed and are just going to let it run down.

I walked into the building, a bell on the door announcing my arrival.

"Why Belle, back so soon?" Mr. Hodge asked from his desk off to the right of the doorway.

I nodded, smiling at the kind man who I had known for almost my entire life. "Yes sir! I finished the book a couple days ago; but I couldn't make it back 'til today." I said, coming up to the counter and handing the green covered book to the older man. Mr. Hodge was in his early 70's and he looked it. He had thin white hair on the top of his head, a large nose and a larger ears. He had small ears behind a pair of wire rimmed glasses.

"Well, I suppose it shouldn't surprise me anymore. You've read every book in this library twice!" He said shaking his head. Getting to his feet Mr. Hodge took the book to a shelf and slipped in back into it's place; causing a puff of dust to swirl up with the sudden motion on the shelf. "So what would you like to read next?" He asked gesturing to the shelves.

Smiling I went along the shelves, looking through the familiar titles. It was true that I had already read all these books, some more than others; but I never got bored of them. I had once heard the expression 'a book is a gift you can open again and again!' I think that is one of the truest things I have ever heard.

After a few minutes I found a book that I remembered liking quite a bit and slid it off the shelf, wiping some of the dust off it's cover as I went back to Mr. Hodge.

"Ah, good choice my dear." He said with an approving smile as he wrote the title and the books information in a large book that laid open on his desk. He handed it back to me. "There you are. I hope you enjoy as much as you did the first time you read it." He jotted something else down in his book before laying down his quill. "How is your father doing? Isn't getting into too much misschuf at the moment I hope." He said with a chuckle.

"No! He is not." I said laughing. "But he is trying to invent a wood chopper." And for the next ten minutes I told Mr. Hodge the details about my father's latest invention. Mr. Hodge listened with open ears and a kind smile; listening to everything that I was saying.

When I left fifteen minutes later I had a smile on my face and all thoughts of being different had gone from my mind.

I was ready to head back home, having done all I wanted to do, and seen all the people I had wanted to see; when I saw the one other place in town that I really liked. In the very center of the town there was a fountain; a large circular fountain with a statue of our founding father. Lukas Mcail. The longest book that Mr. Hodge has in his building is about that man. About how he left his own village and family to start a new people. The tale was one of a daring man who looked challenge in the eye and then beat it.

I loved that fountain. Because when I look at it, I see a man who was different. A man who saw something better than what he had, then he went out and got it. I hope to one day leave this town behind and find where I'm supposed to be. It certainly isn't here.

Smiling I took my book and went to the fountain and sat on the short wide wall that held the water in place. Once seated I pulled out the book and started from the beginning.

It was early evening by the time I emerged from the book again and looked at my surroundings. I looked up at the sky and realized how late it was and chide myself for losing track of time like that. I probably had daddy worrying to death!

Yawning I stretched out my arms out over my head, rolling my neck some, hoping to ease the aching there and in my higher back. When I looked up again I was surprised to see someone staring at me. I blinked, surely I was mistaken. But no; there was no other man who had such a stature like Gaston Trekk.

Gaston was the town's most eligible bachelor. Every girl in the town wanted to be his girl, and now that he was of marriageable age every girl wanted to be his wife. And not without good reason too. Gaston was known for his good looks, hunting skills and wealth. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a mane of black hair that he kept in a neat ponytail. In most every way he was very handsome in deed. As for his hunting, well the wall in the town's taveren I think says all you need to know. Gaston's biggest kill covers an entire wall! From moose, to bear, even panther. And as for his wealth, it came from his grandpa on his mother's side who owned quite a large portion of the town; and gave it all to his only child when he died. And though I had met Gaston Trekk only twice before, I had known him for years, seen him strutting about the place with a girl on each arm and had come to the conclusion that his looks were only skin deep. Though I believe I am the only one with this opinion of him. Even now as he eyed me from across the way, leaning against one of the wooden pillars that were out front of the pub, there were a group of three girls watching him from the pub window.

But why would he be watching me?

I knew he could have no kind of interest in me. He had made it quite clear that he thought my father crazy and that I am going to follow in his footsteps if I keep down the path I'm on. Though he did have the courtesy not to say these sort of things when I was around. But I heard the same words being whispered in small groups of people when they didn't see me walking by. So why on earth was he staring at me so? He could have nothing to possibly say to me.

Starting to feel a head ache coming on I got to my feet and started on the journey home. I really didn't care what the reason was for his sudden need to stare at me in broad day light. But I did need to get home. Daddy really was going to start worrying if I didn't hurry.

Gaston's POV

I took another deep drink from the large glass mug in front of me; trying to block out the annoying high pitched voice that was coming from the girl who was sitting next to me, who's name escaped me at the moment. Though it hardly mattered; I never needed to remember the name of whichever girl I was with. All I had to do was flash a smile and the girl wouldn't even notice the lack of the her name ever being said. They were all the same; every single one of them. And though they had their purposes, they all seemed to mesh together; none of them standing out in any significant way.

Maybe that was the problem; maybe it was time to find a new girl. But I had been with all the girls, and none of them had sparked my interest. They were all the same! How was it possible for every pretty girl in town to act, talk, and sound the same?

"Oh Gaston, are you even listening to me?" I heard the girl ask; getting my attention by putting her hand on my knee.

I turned towards her and gave her my most winning smile. "Darling, you have nothing but my full attention." I said staring her in the eyes and saw with a small satisfaction that the blond smiled back, her eyes getting a sleepy look to them as she relaxed.

It was just all too easy.

After another ten minutes of listening to the girl drone on about something I excused myself; telling her that I had a lovely time and that I was sorry to cut our evening short. With a kiss on the hand I walked out of the tavern and out onto the wooded walkway. I stopped in front of the doors, not sure where to go from here. I hadn't thought that my evening with that girl would have ended so short. Now I had some time to kill, with nothing to kill it with.

I was still standing, debating what my next move should be when my eyes happened upon something, someone that caused my train of thought to come to a abrupt halt.

Beauty. Dark brown hair, pulled back into a perfect bun, leaving her features in perfect view for me to enjoy. With high cheek bones, small nose, wide blue eyes this porcelain angel was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen!

It took me a second to realize who I was looking at: Belle Ingrum. Crazy Belle. I nearly choked on air, when had she turned into this creature before me? I tried to recall the last time I had seen Belle, but the memory was hard to find; because why would I want remember something to do with Belle? Though I was sure I hadn't seen her in the past month.

Could she really have bloomed in such a short amount of time?

It appeared to be so.

I took a step forward and leaned against one of the wooden pillars that held up the awning. This certainty changed a few things. Things suddenly seemed to be looking a little brighter. Belle certently wasn't like all the other girls in town. In fact she was just plain odd.

With that I realized that I needed to take in the fact that she was odd, strange even, what would this do to me? Would this put my image in any danger. Being the important person that I was I couldn't afford to associate with the wrong sort of people.

Thoughts about Belle and her father flew through my head. Different situations of them in the public, came to my memory. Conversations that I had had with Belle, few though they were came back to me. She really was an odd girl. I didn't understand how she could spend hours with her eyes glued to a book. I knew for a fact that that wasn't normal among the other young ladies. She was also very outspoken in her opinions. One of the few times I could remember seeing Belle was when she stopped a couple of young boys from harassing a younger girl in the middle of Town Square. She had walked right in the middle of the two and told the boys to leave the girl alone and go about their business elsewhere. Everyone had been complete shocked. How was it at all her place to question the boys and their doings?

Of course I would have to make sure she didn't do anything of that sort once we were together.

Even as I was starting to think this I forced myself to consider that this might nor be a good idea. I thought through all the gossip I had ever heard; some even out of my own mouth. And there was quite a bit to gossip about.

Having no mother to raise the girl right, Belle had gone wayward at a young age. Though I didn't blame Belle for the way she had been raised, it didn't change the fact that she had been left unattended to for far too long and had grown into the sort of person that people talked about in hushed tones and laughed at when they weren't looking.

No; she wasn't the sort of girl I should get involved with. She was odd; and I would be considered barmy for making any sort of attachment to her. No; I wouldn't pursue her.

Just as I decided this; Belle lifted her arms over her head, stretching, her back arching; pushing her front side out; giving me a perfect view of her chest that had been hidden behind the slightly loose blue dress she was wearing moments before.

Beauty. That she was. I reconsidered my decision. Belle was the most beautiful girl in this town, and very likely probable for all the surrounding towns as well. Besides, I could groom her into the woman that she should be; that her beauty called her to be.

I watched her as Belle dropped her arms, the dress again falling loosely around her again, and met my eyes. I kept staring at her, and her dark blue eyes looked at me with what I assumed to be interest. After a moment Belle looked away and then got to her feet; making her way down the street.

I watched her go, knowing then with certainty; Belle would be mine.

Hello people who just read this chapter! I hope you enjoyed this! I am a HUGE fan of Beauty and the Beast and hope to not botch up this story too much. Just a few things to know about this story: It mostly follows the movie; all I'm really doing to this is changing some of the characteristics of a few people in the story. This story is mainly going to be about the time in between Belle being at the castle and falling in love with the Beast. Anywho hoped you enjoyed it! God Bless!

Vinetta-Venture