Disclaimer: I don't own Beauty and the Beast.

Summary: Gaston and Belle go to the fair.

A/N: Hey folks! I'm not sure why I had so much trouble getting this chapter out, but here it is. I'd like to give a big thank you to PhantomsAngel1870 for giving me the confidence to finally post it. Many thanks to JDLuvaSQEE, Mustard Lady, Mbanshee, whiskeyneat, and my guest reviewers!

Chapter 4 Fair Folk

Belle licked her lips as she waited for Gaston to arrive. They had arranged for him to stop by her house and then to ride to the fair together. She'd never felt this nervous about spending time with someone before and itt wasn't because it felt like a courtship. It was because she hated lying and she wasn't very good at it. She needed to convince Gaston that her father wasn't crazy and that was going to involve some creative story telling. There was no way she could convince him that there really was a beast in an enchanted castle where it was always winter. He'd never believe it. She barely believed it and she'd been there yesterday. She needed a plausible explanation for why she'd needed rescuing in the woods yesterday and why her father had been out of his mind with worry.

This was the story she and her father came up with. Maurice had been set upon by thugs on the way to the fair. They had stolen his music boxes and decided to hold him for ransom. Philip had gotten away and gone home. When he arrived without her father, Belle knew something was wrong and went looking for him. He was being held by a large and imposing man whom the other thugs called the Beast. She never saw his face because he kept it hidden by a hood. She had offered to take Maurice's place. The Beast had agreed when Belle convinced him that Maurice would be better able to raise a ransom than she would, as a helpless woman. Mad with worry, Maurice had gone to the tavern and made a fool of himself asking for help. Belle managed to escape from her kidnappers after they fell asleep. She took Philip into the woods, where they would have perished if they hadn't met Gaston. She hoped she could sell it.

Belle licked her lips again while she waited, noting that they were beginning to feel chapped. There was something about the look in Gaston's eyes the night he rescued her that left her feeling unsettled. She would almost describe it as hungry, but there was no sign of it when he appeared outside her cottage to escort her to the fair. Belle was prepared to ride Philip, whose shoe had been repaired, but Gaston suggested they give the old horse a break and ride together on his steed, Andre. Belle was an accomplished rider, but Philip did look a little worse for wear after yesterday's events. She decided to humor Gaston. Conversation on the way to the fair was surprisingly easy. They talked about the weather and general news in Villenueve like who was having babies, getting married, etc. Belle didn't remember Gaston being so easy to talk to. The only person he really seemed at ease around was LeFou.

It wasn't surprisingly that they knew all the same people, but Belle was surprised with how much he knew about current events outside of their villge. For all her love of books, Belle hardly ever read a newspaper. She heard what other people said, of course, but she wasn't prepared for Gaston to ask her questions on various topics of news. She felt color creeping into her cheeks as she admitted that she preferred reading about events in fictional worlds rather than the real one.

When they arrived, she was surprised with how large the fair was. There was every kind of food she could think of and plenty of people were walking around with tankards of ale. Belle expected Gaston to indulge in one, but he remarked that it was still early in the day and they continued to meander around the various stalls. Plenty of vendors were selling their wares and Belle couldn't remember why she hadn't come to the fair before. Her father invited her every year and every year she chose to stay home. She could pretend that she wasn't interested in frivolous things like fairs, but that wasn't really true. At some point, she had given up on making friends with real people, preferring to inhabit the fantasy worlds with characters she considered her friends. It made her a little sad in hindsight.

She told Gaston the "real" story about what happened with the Beast and waited for him to call her on her falsehood, but he seemed to accept the story as the truth. She couldn't really blame him. After all, how could she expect him to believe in talking teacups and magic without seeing it for himself? They saw a small stall where a bookseller had set up and Belle was ready to pass it up for Gaston's sake, but he motioned that they should check it out.

She pretended to inspect a volume of poetry while she watched Gaston thumb through the latest Alexandre Dumas novel.

"Why do you read that dime-store garbage?" she asked him.

"Why do you read that sappy drivel?" he replied, indicating the poetry.

"Not all poetry is sappy," she said defensively. "Some of it's beautiful."

"Not all exciting stories are garbage. It possible for a book to be both entertaining and educational, something I wish the schoolmaster would think more on. Why must he insist on teaching students read with the most boring books possible?"

"I completely agree. Learning should be fun."

"Then why are you so prejudiced against popular novels?"

"I'm not prejudiced! I just prefer the classics."

"Dime-store garbage?"

"Okay, maybe that was a little extreme. I was just surprised that a man who reads all the latest news from Paris would waste his time on something so purely situationally amusing."

"That's where you're wrong. Popular novels can do more than amuse a specific group of people. They can tell you things about the people they're written for. Why is Dumas so popular? Is it the outstanding quality of his writing? Probably not. He has some good sword fights and his portraits of government officials are quite funny, but mostly I think people want to know about his characters. We feel for D'Artagnan, the country bumpkin who moves to the big city and is completely incompetent at urban living. We root for Edmond Dantes after he's wronged by the man he thinks is his best friend. The thing that these stories have in common is that they give us characters we can believe in. We want Edmond to have his revenge. We want D'Artagnan to triumph over the cardinal. I think that what these novels say about the popular imagination is that people are looking for a hero in a time when it seems like their leaders are deaf to their cries for reform."

Belle was speechless. Not only was Gaston well informed and well-read in his preferred genres, but he was eloquent. "I had no idea you were so well spoken."

"I know. You thought I just talked to people about hunting and my time as an army captain. Real conversations take place in the tavern, you know. It's more than a watering hole. The men and women in Villenueve are worried. There's unrest in Paris and prices of things we use every day are on the rise. If our government isn't careful, there could be serious trouble."

"Surely the trouble wouldn't affect us?"

"I couldn't say. It's a small village, but that's what makes it safe."

"My father says that."

"Then it must be true. Are you ready for the mummer's play?"

"I suppose so. I'm a little nervous. I've never seen a play before."

"Don't worry. I'll hold your hand."

To Belle's surprise, she enjoyed the play very much. It wasn't exactly Shakespeare, but she enjoyed the simple story and the actors mostly played for laughs. She wondered that she'd never thought to come here with her father. She'd always assumed that the fair would be just one more aspect of country life that she wouldn't care for. She'd never given it a chance. Just like you never gave Gaston a chance a tiny voice in the back her mind said. She found herself stealing side glances at him during the performance. He was undeniably handsome. He had perfect bone structure and although he was obviously older than she was, age hadn't diminished his charm. If anything, the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth made him look more amicable. Gaston was the kind of handsome that every farmer's daughter hoped to marry and that Belle had always disdained. She'd decided early in life that she wanted a plain man. She wanted to love someone for their mind, not their looks. It had never crossed her mind that she could love both.

Belle didn't say much on the ride home. She was too busy rethinking every assumption she had made about her provincial life. "Did you have a good time?" Gaston asked as they neared her front door.

"It was wonderful. Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome. If you enjoyed yourself, I know of some other events in the area. You could bring your father, if you wanted."

He let the suggestion hang in the air. He's giving me an out, she realized. I've turned him down so many times that he's actually giving me a way to say no gracefully.

"I'm not sure that's something my father would enjoy. He prefers to spend his time at home in his workshop."

"Oh, alright then. I should be getting on."

"But I'd love to go somewhere else with you. You showed me a whole new world today."

"Why, thank you, Belle. You have no idea how pleased I am to hear you say that. St. Anthony's church in Molyneaux puts on a passion play every year around this time. It's very moving. We could go together next Sunday."

"I'd like that very much."

"Then it's settled. It's a date."