"…shh! You're gonna wake her up and then Mama is going to be mad!" A whispered voice said into the quiet room, making a certain girl's foggy mind start to wake up. Though her eyes didn't open to her command, she could hear voices swirling around her head.

"She looks funny." A voice noted, giggling young, childish giggles at just the thought of it.

"Mon Dieu, you are right!" Another voice giggled, as a gummy finger poked at the girl's cheek, and therefore hitting one of the bruises that really did hurt a lot. With a yelp, the girl's eyes flew open, as she immediately flinched, bringing up an arm to protect her face against whoever was there.

"….whatcha doin' that for?" A young voice asked, startling the girl as she blinked once, before slowly lowering her arm and warily looking…at the children before her.

One girl, who seemed to be the leader of the group of three, had amazingly clear blue eyes, with brunette hair falling down her shoulders lightly. Only a small curl had escaped the hair that fell down her shoulders, and that curl fell onto the middle of her forehead, enhancing her already curious features. Another girl, seemed to be perhaps a year or two younger than the first girl, but with long dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Her brown eyes were wary, as her brows pulled together in her confusion. And the last child was a boy of probably four or so, with a mass of light blondish brown locks, which had been pushed up and away from his face, revealing light brown eyes, and a huge childish smile.

"You've got lots of bruises, do you know that?" The boy said, his age making it acceptable for the bluntness of his statement. Slowly, the girl tucked into the bed nodded, not opening her mouth for fear of what would come out.

"Alex! Mama said you have to be nice to people!" The oldest girl stated, in a clear I'm-older-than-you-so-you-have-to-listen-to-me voice. The boy stuck his tongue out at the girl, who in turn stuck her tongue back out at him.

"You can't tell me what to do!" The little boy argued, his expression completely serious as he made sure his sister knew of his point. The girl, in turn, scowled at the little boy, knowing his words to be right.

"Can too!" The girl argued, her features twisting into a heavier scowl at that.

"Can not!" The little boy argued back, his expression equally as angry as his older sister's.

"Can too!"

"Can not!"

"Can to—" The children's petty squabble was quickly stopped when they heard another voice chime in.

"Shh, shh! Silencieux! I think I 'ear something…" The girl with the black hair pulled into a ponytail said, moving her head sharply to the direction of the door as her brows furrowed as to who could be making those steps down the hallway.

"I had a feeling I'd find you in here." A quiet musical voice mused, as the door opened up quickly, too quick for the girl lying feverishly on the bed. She flinched heavily, her movement causing Belle's eyes to rest on her for a moment, before they diverted back to the children…and then the girl. "Come on, say your goodbyes and then go outside and play." Belle said, knowing that she'd scold her children later for waking up the poor girl from her deep slumber.

"But Mama…!" The boy and oldest girl whined, not wanting to leave as they knew that the teenage girl inside the palace was one of the most exciting things to happen in awhile.

"No 'buts'. I don't mind if you go want to go outside and play, but you're not going to stay here. Do you understand?" Belle's firm motherly tone said making all three children's faces morph into one of sulking…adorable sulking, since none of the children were over ten.

"Yes your highness." The girl with dark hair mumbled, as the other two children, looking down at their shoes, mumbled 'yes mama'. Belle smiled at all of them; from her two children, Alexander and Arabella, to Gemma, who was Lumiere and Babette's daughter.

"Good. Now run along outside; I saw Chip out there not too long ago…" the thought of Chip made the children immediately light up, as Belle had known it would. The poor fifteen year old boy was constantly being harassed by the younger children, but what was worse is that he had no one near his age to be friends with in the palace.

"Bye!" All three children called over their shoulders to the girl, as they ran out of the room, tripping over hem lines and clumsy footwork as they tried to get to Chip first, before anyone else.

"I'm sorry about them." Belle explained, a bit sheepish as a small, motherly smile fell onto her lips at the thought of the children. "They so rarely see anything interesting, so when something new comes up…well, they're always a bit excited." Belle explained, shaking her head with a small laugh at the thought of all the children…before looking back at the girl on the bed.

The girl was pressed up against the pillows, her face covered in still healing black and blue bruises. A cough escaped her lips, making her entire, weak, thin body shake as though it took so much energy. But what really got Belle wondering was the look in her eyes. It was a look she'd seen before, on herself, years back as a heartbroken girl who'd taken her father's place as prisoner to a ferocious Beast. Even now, married and knowing of the Beast's true human form, the woman still felt the pace of her heart quicken at just the sight of the monster that first time, how he hadn't even let her say goodbye to her father...oh, there was no mistaking the emotion the girl's eyes held.

Pure, cold blooded fear.

Well, here is another chapter! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! But between this story, school, and my other stories I've had alot of stuff to do! Urgh. High School homework is NOT fun. At all. But at least I'm getting the chance to update this story today...so yeah!

If you like this story (or don't like it) review please! Thanks lots!