First of all, I have to say that this is my first fanfic, so please be nice. I also couldn't help pulling elements of the original Disney's Beauty and the Beast, for my inspiration of the setting. Sadly, I do not own the characters, and I make no money from them, just enjoy their company from time to time. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: A quiet Village:

Belle trudged through the three mile journey to town. The recent rain had made the dirt roads muddy and the hemline of her skirt was filthy. She sighed as she thought about the extra work this created. She lived on the outskirts of a small fishing village and cared for her father with very little income and no other help. She was hoping after her trip to the market she would have enough time to go to the bookshop as well as visit her friend Red. She didn't have to wait long, because she saw Red heading towards her.

"Belle!" She cried out. "I didn't know you we're coming today!" Red finally reached Belle and threw her arms around her.
Belle laughed "it's good to see you too!"
"Oh, Belle, it's been so exciting in town, some pirates have docked in the harbour for repairs, and you should see their captain. He is soooo handsome!"
"Really, Red. Pirates? Shouldn't you be staying away from them?" Belle asked.
"Oh come on, you read about pirates all the time." Red pouted.
"Yes, I read about them, that's quite enough adventure for me."

The girls giggled the rest of the way to town. Belle was normally a very serious girl, but spending time with Ruby let her relax and enjoy herself. Red launched into a long description of the infamous Killian Jones, Captain of the Jolly Roger. By the time they had reached the market Belle had heard all about the tall, dark, handsome pirate who always wore black, his eyes lined with black kohl.
"It's to keep the sun out of his eyes." She explained. "I think it looks very becoming"
"He sounds like a whole lot of trouble." Belle muttered.

"Oh, hardly, he comes into Granny's tavern all of the time. The pirates aren't the roughest clientele we get, and they pay for any chairs they smash. Captain Jones sees to that."
Belle exploded into laughter about the thought of a fearsome pirate apologising for broken furniture during tavern brawls and then paying for it. It seemed as unlikely as a pig that could fly. She had read about that once...
Red interrupted her thoughts "oh, I just remembered, I should get some things from the market too, we are just about out of potatoes and cabbage."
The girls finished their trip to the market in record time, Belle not caring about the weight of her basket or the long walk home. After much convincing, Belle accepted Red's invitation to lunch at the tavern, and finally conceded that she wasn't to pay a cent for it.

It was still early in the afternoon, so it was quiet in the small tavern. Granny saw Belle enter and gave her a warm hug. Belle had always felt welcome with Granny.
They feasted on beef, bread, cheese and vegetables. Belle was horrified at the expense of the meal that was placed in front of her, but Granny insisted that Belle should eat meat to keep her strong.

A loud noise drew everyone's attention to the door. The pirates had returned, and Captain Killian Jones was at the front of his crew. The rest of the tavern stared, they were still wary of pirates, although this crew had not yet given them cause for concern. Red blushed and immediately ran to the bar to serve her customers. Granny made a 'tsk' of disapproval at her granddaughters swooning. "Oh, Belle, you might be the only sensible girl left in the village." She sighed.

"That's funny, considering the village considers me the strange one." Belle had said this light-heartedly, but the words carried a weight on her heart. She knew very well that the folks in town had considered her strange from the time she was quite young. The fact that she was poor, always reading and never flirting just added insult to their disapproval.
"Belle, you know that is not the truth, no matter what anyone says." Belle had to fight back some tears at Granny's warm words.

Her reverie was interrupted by Red's return, having supplied enough rum and beer to keep her patrons happy. As Red chatted excitedly, Belle looked over towards the bar and realised that the Captain was staring at her. As their eyes met, she hurriedly averted her gaze and focused on the contents of her mug with intense concentration. All efforts had been in vain, as the Pirate Captain was now making his way towards their table, never breaking eye contact with Belle.
"Red my dear, I had no idea you had such lovely friends! Allow be to introduce myself - Killian Jones, at your service, milady." He then bowed and reached over to Belle's hand and kissed it. A small shiver ran up her spine, and then she remembered herself. She pulled her hand away and regained her composure.
Red burst in on the silence "this is my friend Belle."

"Yes, I have heard of you, what brings you to our port?" Belle asked him quietly.
"Ah, you have heard of me, so my reputation precedes me." He said, grinning and winking at the girls.
"This is a bit of an unplanned stop, I'm afraid. We encountered a terrible storm off the coast and the ship was badly damaged. Could take weeks, even months, to make her seaworthy again. I trust I'll see you again, Belle," he said, flashing a devilish smile that would have made any other woman melt, and then he was gone, enjoying the festivities with the other patrons.
Granny looked at Belle shrewdly, perhaps this was the day Belle realised she was beautiful. Possibly not, she realised, reflecting back on the pursuits from Gaston that had not changed her mind at all. For years that man had chased Belle, to no real avail.

"Belle, you're blushing!" Red exclaimed. "I told you he was handsome!"
"Oh, hush." Whispered Belle frantically, hopping that he hadn't seen her at that moment. Too late, he had, and he was revelling in her discomfort.
"It's late, I had better be getting home to Father. Thank you for lunch, Granny."
"Take care."
"Sweet dreams tonight" teased Red.
"Red!" Belle exclaimed, feeling herself blush again. That was a habit she was determined to break.

Belle said her goodbyes to Ruby and Granny, promising to come back soon. She realised she would have just enough time to visit the bookshop before it closed for the afternoon. The bookkeeper was a lovely old man, who upon noticing that Belle had read the book she had chosen twice before, offered for Belle to keep the book - for free. Belle was astonished, and a little teary from all of the kindness she had received that day. Belle collected her basket and her book and headed for home, reading as she walked.