A/N: This is shorter than my normal chapter length, but I felt like this was a separate scene from chapter one and chapter three. It seemed better to post it by itself. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Hero Time

"Promise or no promise, I can't stay here another minute," Belle said to herself as she raced to the stable. She would take the Beast's command to "get out" to mean that she was released from their agreement. It didn't take her long to find Phillipe. The big animal had made himself quite comfortable in one of the stable's roomy stalls. Hearing Belle's footsteps on the cobblestones, he looked up mid-mouthful of hay and cocked his head as if to ask, What are you doing here?

Throwing the saddle over his back, Belle didn't answer his questioning look. She pulled him out of the stall and quickly mounted. Then she gave his sides a kick. Philippe didn't hesitate. He broke into a canter and headed toward the castle's gate. Moments later, they were safely through the gate and back in the woods that surrounded the castle.

It didn't take Belle long to realize she'd traded one terrifying situation for another. As Philippe cantered along, she caught glimpses of shadows out of the corners of her eyes. They gradually grew louder and clearer, and by the time Belle heard the first howl, she already knew that she and Philippe were being followed by a pack of wolves.

Urging Philippe on, Belle tried not to panic. Philippe was a big horse with heavy hooves and he was fast when he needed to be. If they could just get close enough to the village, she was sure the wolves would be frightened by the signs of civilization. As long as they didn't run into any obstacles before then, they should be okay.

And then Phillipe ran right out onto a frozen pond.

Beneath his hooves, the ice groaned. Belle leaned over and saw cracks begin to appear. Small at first, they grew larger and the horse slipped and slid across the frozen surface. Shouting encouragement, Belle tried to calm Phillipe, who was growing more and more panicked as the ice began to give out beneath him and the wolves closed in from behind. Belle felt the horse's powerful haunches bunch beneath him and she grabbed a fistful of his mane. Then… he leapt.

Belle's breath caught in her throat as they hung suspended in the air for a moment, before Phillipe's front hooves landed on the pond's edge. A moment later, his back hooves followed. But the cry of relief Belle wanted to let out caught in her throat as the first of the wolves, seeing a chance, attacked.

One wolf's large jaws snapped as it went after Phillipe's back leg. A moment later, another wolf joined in. Philippe kicked out and bucked wildly, trying to defend himself. On his back, Belle clung to his mane desperately. But Philippe was just too strong and powerful. As his hind legs once again flew into the air, she was knocked out of the saddle and went flying into a nearby snowbank. Getting to her feet, Belle looked around wildly for something she could use to defend herself. Spotting a thick branch, she grabbed it and waved it in the air in front of her.

The wolves, seeing a new and potentially easier target, closed in. Belle's arm shot out and she managed to hit one on the nose. Another came at her and she swung the branch, slamming it into that wolf's side. Despite her efforts, the wolves kept coming. Belle backed up, her heart pounding and fear flooding over her. Hearing a howl from above, she saw the biggest wolf yet standing on a ledge above her, ready to pounce. It stared at her with cold, hungry eyes. Belle braced, ready to defend herself until the end.

Then a shot rang out. There was a yelp and a flurry of movement behind her. Turning, she was shocked to see Gaston. He had shot one of the wolves in the middle of the pack and was aiming for another. Several of them had backed away and were eyeing him warily. The largest of the wolves -the alpha- was still on his feet, hackles raised, teeth bared. Gaston's jaw was set determinedly and she was certain that he would shoot every last wolf if he had enough bullets. One after another, the smaller of the wolves attacked. Each time, Gaston managed to shoot it before it got within biting range. But Belle could tell that his concentration was flagging. Even an experienced hunter like Gaston didn't usually shoot this many targets for this long. A drop of sweat beaded down his face and she knew this couldn't go on forever. Then the alpha attacked.

The big gray wolf leapt up at Gaston's horse in one fluid motion. The alpha's mouth opened as he went for the horse's neck. Roaring, Gaston fired one final shot straight between the animal's eyes. It hung in the air for one long moment and then it was dead before it hit the ground. Shaken, Belle looked away. Seeing that their leader was dead, the rest of the wolves took off in a panic.

Gaston waited until the wolves' yelps had all but gone before letting out the breath he had been holding. His shoulders, which had been tense and high, slumped. Belle stood, unable to move. She was as rooted to the ground as the trees around her. "Are you hurt?" Gaston asked, raking his eyes over her for any signs of injury. She shook her head. "And your horse? Is he lame?" She shook her head again. Gaston slid out of his saddle and approached her slowly, like she was a frightened doe. He cupped her cheeks with his hands and forced her to look at him. "I need to get you home," he said. "Your father is worried sick about you. You can tell me what happened later."

An angry cry pierced the night and snapped Belle out of her reverie. "We have to hurry," she said. "He'll come after us."

"Who is he?" asked Gaston, casting a glance in the direction of the noise.

"Never mind that for now. He's dangerous." She led Philippe over to Gaston and prepared to mount him, but Gaston put a hand on her shoulder.

"You'd do better to ride home with me. One of Philippe's shoes is damaged and the less weight he puts on it until it's repaired, the better." Belle nodded, noting that Philippe had shattered the shoe on his right foreleg. She would take him to see the blacksmith as soon as they were home.

Looking Philippe in the eye, she asked him, "Can you follow us home?" He nodded and whinnied. She pulled herself up behind Gaston and wrapped her arms around him. For once, she was genuinely glad to see him. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if he hadn't arrived. Between the rhythm of the horse's stride and Gaston's warmth, Belle suddenly felt everything that happened that day catch up to her. She might have cried if she'd had more energy, but she let her eyes close and her head loll forward against Gaston's back.

"Papa, I'm not ready for bed," she murmured as a strong pair of arms lifted down and carried her inside. It wasn't until she woke up the next day that she realized who must have carried her.