Author's Note: Welcome to my first attempt at a Beauty and the Beast story and a multiple chapter story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Many stories have been told about life after the curse was broken. Most authors focus on newly human Prince Adam, Belle, or other main characters. My story is different. This story is about a boy you have never met and never seen. A boy willing to risk his life to storm the castle with Gaston's band. This boy fascinated me as his story came to my mind. I hope I am able to capture that story and do it justice. Remember to comment below with all honest thoughts. I can only grow as a writer.

-Kittyhawk09

Vincent was walking home from the village. It was slightly dark and silent. Then a sound boomed into the silence.

"I WON'T REST UNTIL I HAVE THAT MONSTER'S HEAD HANGING ON MY WALL!"

Vincent jumped and squinted into the distance. He saw a crowd surrounding a farmhouse. The crowd was loud and so the sound was loud but indistinct. Where that voice come from. The one thing that was clear to Vincent, was that a mob had surrounded the house and in the crowd he could see… Vincent walked closer to the farmhouse. As he got closer, in the light of torches and lanterns he could see Gaston! What would Gaston want with a farmhouse! Nothing interesting has ever happens around here. It was Gaston that was clearly speaking and when he finished another roar rose from the crowd.

Vincent made his decision and turned from the road running towards the crowd. He turned to the first person he saw, a man with a blonde ponytail, an eye patch, and a lean face.

"What's going on?" He asked a man with a blonde ponytail.

"Are you deaf boy? Or have you been dead the past hour. You must have heard Gaston, or are you too dumb to know wha he says."

Vincent flinched. "Actually no monsieur. I just arrived. I was coming home from-

"You Madame Teuleres' boy?"

"Yes Monsieur my name is Vincent."

"Boy, you can't going around asking questions just cause you don't kno things. If you want to find out what's happenin then listen to the Gaston."

Sure enough at that moment Gaston thundered. "Kill the beast!"

"A beast?" Vincent turned back to ask the man more questions, but he was gone. Vincent spied another man, this time with a tricorn hat and wild gray hair. "Excuse me Monsieur?"

The man made no reply. "Excuse me Monsieur?" This time Vincent tapped the old man on the shoulder. The man jumped up and said. "Boy, are you trying to kill someone?"

"Sorry Monsieur, I needed to know; What beast is Gaston talking about?"

The man looked at him with a sneer. "You don't know?"

Vincent flushed. "Well, of course I don't. Why would I would asking if I did?"

At this the man scowled and starting muttering something like."I wouldn't put it past-stupid boy-thinking he could give me-an attack-won't allow it." At this the man walked away from Vincent and kept muttering under his breath

Vincent was very annoyed by now. Why was it so hard to out one little thing? A hand tapped him in on the shoulder and he spun around to see a middle-aged woman in a kerchief and brown dress. She was armed with a torch and was shining that torch in his eyes.

"Vincent Teuleres is that you? Why would you be here? I thought you would have been home with your mother." The lady's round, plump face, flushed red in the light of the torch. Madame de St. Cyr was a busybody, but at least she would know what was going on. He put a large smile one his face.

"Bonjour Madame de St. Cyr, it's lovely to see you hear."

"Bonjour Vincent, what are you doing at the crazy inventor's house?"

Vincent started a bit. "Excuse me Madame, did you say this was the 'crazy inventor's house?"

"Of course boy, the home of the crazy inventor and odd Belle. I knew Belle would one day cause trouble here, but my word I never expected even her to be this reckless. It's those faire tale books she reads, I assume. No good ever came from that practice. Eighteen and not married. She even turned down a proposal from Gaston! However, I saw it coming, she's not like us and wouldn't see the sense of the match. I believe Gaston doesn't deserve her, but of course you can't convince him of that."

By now, Vincent was very lost. "This mob is about Belle refusing to marry Gaston?" He felt a slight disappointment. All this fuss over Belle, of course she was beautiful but why would everyone be here to convince her to marry Gaston?

"Oh lord boy that's just the start." Madame de St. Cyr indicated for him to squat down a bit. She leaned her mouth towards his ear and started talking. "It's the greatest scandal for this month. Gaston the greatest hunter in our entire village…" She made gestures to indicate the entire village and Vincent had to dodge to avoid her hands. "…he's in love with Belle Dupre and actually proposed to her…" Vincent nodded. Everyone heard about that, but that happened months ago.

"…she said no-now of course if she had said yes, there would have been a wedding and Gaston would have invited everyone- but no one knew why she said no, until now. You see Gaston offered to help Belle keep his father out of the asylum. He offered his hand in marriage, she refused, and so her father was going to be locked up. In a distraught way Belle says that she can prove that her father is not crazy- now of course no one believed her and we're glad we didn't, she grabbed a strange mirror and said very clearly 'Show me the beast'. Immediately the thing glowed like it was possessed and we saw not our faces, but a hideous monster that had horns like Satan himself."

"You saw a monster, an animal in the-in the mirror." Vincent stammered

"Yes boy, were you listening to a single word I'm saying? So we of course, started questioning her. She-Belle actually called the thing sweet, but it gets worse. She got a weird smile on her face looked at the mirror, and said 'He's my friend.' Gaston asks her if she has 'feelings to this monster' and she turns on him saying that he is the monster."

"Belle called Gaston a monster in front of everyone?" Vincent was shocked. Belle was odd, maybe slightly crazy, but she was one of the kindest people in the village.

"Not like her at all," The woman continued. " she must be possessed-by a beast-a beast with eerie blue eyes -a demon."

"By the beast? Could it have that much power?" Vincent shivered. The idea of a beast with demonic powers struck him with fear."

"No one knows. But Gaston plans to kill the creature and mount the head on his wall."

"Gaston would be willing to risk his life for the village?"

A deep throaty voice boomed behind him.

"Of course boy, do you think I would let my village be sacrificed to that beast?"

Vincent spun quickly, cheeks flaming. "No Monsieur I-I think you would never let that happen."

"Good lad." Gaston said gruffly. "You understand that we need to protect the women and children from that selfish monster and that every beast like that needs to die." He eyed Vincent over. "Are you Ari Teuleres' son?"

"Yes Monsieur Gaston."

"Ah Ari, I'm sure she would tell you good things about me?" Gaston shifted his weight and smirked over towards the boy."

"Yes Monsieur." Vincent wondered how Gaston knew his mother so well, as to call her by her first name.

"Well your mother is a smart woman and not bad-looking either." Gaston sighed and rubbed his forehead and started muttering in a low tone but loud enough that Vincent could hear him. "If Belle hadn't been the only one for me, I'm sure Ari and me would be married and I'd already have my sons and dogs."

Vincent got a sick look on his face. Gaston wanted to marry my mother? He knew exactly what the idea of those potential brothers alluded to and he did not want to think about it.

Gaston turned towards him again. "So boy, what's your name?"

"Vincent Teuleres."

"So Teuleres, are you joining us men to kill the beast?"

"Yes monsieur, I mean if my mother lets me."

"Tell Ari, it's a favor to me." Gaston smiled one of his famous grins, turned, and walked away.

" Right, Merci Gaston." If Gaston heard him, he made no sign that he did and continued to walk away.

Gaston walked away from Vincent and to the center of the mob. He easily pushed through the mob and grabbed the crowd's attention. "What are you standing around here for? LET'S KILL A BEAST!"

"Kill a beast!" The crowd echoed.

"Women and children, back to the village, and men grab your lanterns and torches and follow me!"

Gaston leapt on his black horse and immediately the crowd burst back into motion. "Men meet at the forest." He boomed. And with that, the unofficial leader of the small town kicked his horse and thundered towards the forest.

In the midst of the churning crowd, no one noticed Vincent slip through and start as fast as he could towards home.

Gaston was out for blood, the fate of the town was at stake, and no man in his right mind would ever think about not accompanying Gaston to 'kill the beast.'

With these thoughts, Vincent pushed himself even harder along the familiar path towards home. As he ran down the dirt road, another thought came into his mind. Would his mother really let him go?

AN: Well, what do you think? Would you want to read more? Do you have any questions, comments, or ideas? Feel free to PM me with your thoughts and don't forget to REVIEW.