Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Beauty and the Beast

Different Circumstances

Chapter 2: Forging a Friendship

Mrs. Potts entered the kitchen and was surrounded by several other servants including Cogsworth and Lumiere.

"Well? Has the master been to see her?" this from Lumiere who was the first to voice the question they all wanted to ask.

"Well yes and no," she began.

Cogsworth interrupted her, "Whatever do you mean yes and no?"

"Shut up and let her speak," Lumiere said, more for the chance to interrupt the clock than defend Mrs. Potts.

"Now, now both of you be quiet. As I was saying, the master did show up at the her door but she was sleeping when he arrived."

"So he's not mad at her now?" asked Lumiere, a little surprised.

"It would appear that way Lumiere, I'm certain his feelings for her are growing and not just because she is his only prospect of breaking the spell either."

Cogsworth nodded his head and then began to shoo everyone away, "Alright now everyone, talk time is over. Back to work with you all." He the turned to Lumiere, "Surely you have somewhere else to be?"

The candelabra shook his head in the negative but then turned and left…in the same direction as the maid turned feather duster Babette. A moment later giggling and laughter could be heard and Cogsworth took off after them, muttering about the scandal Lumiere was creating.

Mrs. Potts simply looked on with a shake of her head and set about preparing dinner.

XXX

The Beast was staring at the rose. Even as he watched, another petal fell off. The rose was wilting and it wouldn't be long before he and his servants were stuck in their enchanted forms. He shook his head and let his mind wander back to the girl sleeping in his castle. She was his last chance. But he knew it was too late and she would never see him as anything more than a beast. She would not soon forget his anger when he had found her in the West Wing.

He began to pace and then abruptly left the room, decided that he had waited long enough and so would go and see if she was awake yet.

XXX

Belle woke to the sound of a light tapping on her door. She sat up and pushed her disheveled hair away from her face before bidding her visitor come in. She was more than a little shocked to see it was the Beast.

He stood in the doorway for a long minute rubbing the back of his neck. "I wanted to see how you were," he finally said, not wanting to stand there in silence any longer.

She nodded her head slowly and then broke the uncomfortable silence that had descended upon the room once more.

"I'm well, for the most part anyway. Ah, would you mind telling me what happened in the woods after I lost consciousness?"

He hadn't expected her to want to speak to him but supposed she was just curious and acquiesced to her request.

"Well after you left I followed you. I admit that I was still angry and at that point I never wanted you back here but I followed you anyway," he stood in the middle of the room fidgeting a little and Belle motioned for him to sit on a chair around the other side of her bed. He moved over to the chair and sat before continuing. "I followed your trail and then I saw the wolf tracks. I managed to catch up and…remove several of the pack but by the time I reached you it was too late. You had gone under the ice and I was certain I would not save you in time…but I did. So I brought you back here and Mrs. Potts helped me tend to your wounds-"

Belle cut him off in amazement. "You are the one who looked after me? But why?"

He looked down and after a time answered her question. "I had to."

"Well I suppose it was your fault that I was out there anyway."

"What? You were the one who ran off into the woods at night, in the snow! Don't go blaming me for your mistakes, none of this would have happened if you had listened to me in the first place and stayed out of the West Wing!" His temper was rising and he knew it but he could do nothing to stop it. After so many years of having everyone around him obeying his every whim she was raising his ire and he could not help but give in to it.

"I never would have run away if you hadn't yelled at me and scared me off."

He seemed almost surprised at her response; she was a willful girl and he wasn't used to having people stand up to him. They were supposed to do what he said when he said it, not argue with him. He wanted to argue and had to bite back his instinctive response. He knew he had to end this before it got out of hand, she'd already been hurt once because of his inability to control his own temper and he'd not have it happening again. And she was right. He knew she was right, only he didn't want to admit it. Saying she was right was admitting that he was wrong…and he just wasn't wrong. Finally after standing there in silence for quite some time, struggling against his own damnable pride he accepted what he had to do.

"You're right."

Belle opened her mouth, her retort already planned but the words died on her lips as she took in what he had said.

"I am?"

"Yes, you're right. I need to learn to…to control my temper," once the words left his mouth he. He had admitted he was wrong.

Belle studied him as he sat there. She saw that he seemed to be suffering some inner turmoil but she'd leave it for now.

"So how long was I unconscious?"

"A little over a day I suppose."

She watched as he replied and saw that he was genuinely concerned. He had been worried about her but obviously did not want her to know.

"Thank you for saving my life."

Vincent looked quite taken aback but attempted not to show it replying with a simple, "You're welcome."

Belle wanted to break the silence that had once again descended upon the room but didn't know how, finally a thought occurred to her.

"You know, I've been here some time now and yet I still don't know your name. Please, could you tell me?"

"Vincent," he muttered after a minute.

"Your name is Vincent?"

"Yes it is. Does that surprise you that I would have such a normal and human name?"

"I'm sorry I didn't want to upset you but I didn't actually think you'd answer me at all."

"Oh. So how's your head?"

"Alright I guess."

"Do you mind if I take a look? There's quite a gash just beneath your hairline and I should check on it and change the bandage."

She nodded in silence; he really wasn't what she had expected. She watched as he stood and left the room, assumed he was going to retrieve the necessary items for re dressing her wounds.

A few minutes later he re entered the room with a bowl of water, a cloth and fresh bandages. Belle sat up and after Vincent had paid said items down beside the bed he pulled his chair closer to the bed and sat down.

Vincent surprised Belle once more with the tenderness and care he had while removing the bandage from her head and cleaning the gash in her forehead. She hissed in pain when he first began his ministrations but was soon distracted by his gentleness towards her.

Vincent himself was almost amazed as Belle at how gentle he could be. Never in his life had he been the one to care for someone else in their time of need. He was a prince and had servants. He was the one who had been waited on by others his entire life. Yet for some unexplained reason he felt good about doing this. She needed him and he was actually helping her. Inwardly he was smiling as he tied off the bandage, he had done something completely unselfish and in doing so let out another side of himself that he had not been sure existed until that very moment.

"Could I re dress your ankle now?"

"Sure, can I just pull the blanket away from my foot and you do that way or do I need to move?"

"We can try it your way first, this will probably hurt a lot more than your head."

She nodded and pulled away the blanket covering her injured ankle. As Vincent went to remove the bandage though she cried out. "Did I hurt you?" he asked her, his voice full of concern.

"No, it wasn't you. It hurts to move. I guess you were right about this one being worse."

"I'm sorry Belle but I have to do this."

"That's the first time you've called me by name, did you know that?"

"If you would prefer that I didn't-"

"No that's not it at all, and anyway let's just get this over with."

As he cleaned her wounded ankle Vincent's thoughts strayed back to the newfound happiness he had discovered.

Soon enough it was over and Vincent left. Once he was gone Belle was certain that she had misjudged him and decided to make more of an effort on her part to get along with him. He may have been holding her there against her will but now he had saved her life and cared for her injuries. She was even beginning to wonder if she'd really want to leave now even if she had the choice.

XXX

In the hall outside Belle's room Vincent leaned against the wall reveling in this new feeling that had overcome him. For the first time in his life Vincent was truly happy, and all it had taken was one unselfish act of kindness

AN: I've changed this a little as well as chapter one. Thanks to TrudiRose for your suggestions. I can only hope that this is a little better now. Thank you everyone who's reviewed so far, your comments are greatly appreciated.