(ducks kitchen sink) Hey, what happened to throwing food?! (gets hit in the face with a pie) Oh, sure, throw a cliche! Here! Just read the next chapter and--- WHOA! (ducks toilet) And hold off on the household items! Sha-yeesh!

Disclaimer: Blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. (That's 'blah-anese' for "I do not own Beauty and the Beast").

It had been almost four months since I was sucked into this world, and I had been doing better than I thought. I had made myself my own wardrobe-- wearing a burgundy-red, short-sleeved V-chest shirt, black pants, a deep brown short-billed hat, and a pair of black boots-- and I had become Maurice's main-helper.

And, pardon me for sounding lame, but he had become like a father to me. He made sure Belle and I both were doing fine, and if anything was bothering me, he was always around to listen when Belle wasn't.

When I wasn't helping Maurice or hanging out with Belle, I was in a quiet room alone, practicing some archery. I wasn't a hunter, but I loved the sport. I also took up learning how to fence from a few people I got to know... Though, I had to disguise myself as a guy (which was easy) because, according to the people in town, "women don't need to learn such things".

I'd bet they'd change their minds once they saw the danger in MY world. One day, my hat fell off, and I was almost caught, since my hair had grown a bit, but luckily, several other guys had long hair as well, so I was good. Once I had become good enough, I started training on my own at home.

Why, you ask? ...You'll find out, later.

I was practicing some fencing skills with a short knife up in my-- and Belle's-- room, keeping myself prepared in case I didn't have a sword on me. (Hey, always be prepared, right?). That's when there was a knock at the door.

"Ack!" I yelped, nearly dropping my knife I quickly sheathed it and put it in my pocket. "Er, come in!"

Maurice stepped in, smiling. "Hello, Lynn." he said, then noticed my look of anxiety. "Um, was I interrupting something?"

I quickly shook my head. "N-no, I was just, um... Trying to squish a spider!" ...Could my excuses get any lamer?

"Hm. Must've been a big spider if it got you all jittered up like that."

"You have no idea. ...Um, so what did you need?"

"I need your help down in the shop." I nodded and followed him down to his shop, where a large sheet was covering something. "I've been working all night on my invention, but I'm not sure if it's ready."

He pulled back the sheet, and my jaw suddenly dropped. It was a mechanism that looked like it was designed to chop wood... the same one that was shown in the movie. My heart skipped a beat or two when it only meant one thing.

THE MOVIE HAS STARTED!!!!

"Maurice... It's incredible!" I said, gasping. My heart was suddenly racing.

"Yes, but I think there's still some kinks in it." Maurice said, walking up and pulling a lever. "It runs, but..." The machine began to rumble, the train-whistle attached to it blowing like crazy then... it pooped out, a puff of smoke shooting out of one side of it.

I examined the machine, up and down, then spotted the problem. "The coals inside the furnace are dying out." I pointed to the furnace part of it, where the coals were dimming out. "You need to put more kindling wood in."

Maurice looked in it. "Huh! So that's it, eh? ...Well, that's a relief. I was thinking this hunk of junk wasn't going to work."

I shook my head. "I don't believe that. You're a great inventor! You just have to concentrate on everything your machine includes, especially the energy it needs to run." I patted him on the back. "Other than that, I don't see a problem with it."

Maurice smiled. "Thank you, Lynn." He then turned back to his invention. "I'm glad you're here. I'll need all the help I can get if I'm going to with the Science Fair with this thing."

I shrugged and smiled back. "Ah, you don't need my help. Why, you---"

"Lynn? Papa?" Belle's voice called. She walked through the door, holding a basket with a book in it, wearing a blue dress and white apron (now I was SURE the movie had started). "I'm going into town. ...Would you like to come, Lynn?"

"Well, I'd like to Belle, but..." I turned to Maurice. I didn't want to just leave him to work all on his own, but he smiled and nodded at me.

"You go have some fun, Lynn. I'll just test my machine." Maurice replied. "It should run fine now, now that you've found the problem."

"Thank you, Maurice. We'll be back, soon!" And I walked out the door with Belle.

The morning was gorgeous. The sun was just above the horizon, birds were singing, and the grass was shining with dew. "My mom would really love coming here," I said, even though I had already told Belle that. "It's so peaceful, and beautiful..."

"And so... boring." Belle sighed. "It's always the same thing around here-wake up, run an errand, say hello and goodbye, then go home... People don't really shy away from their daily routines."

I nodded. I came to notice that everyone in town (except Belle and I) didn't really do much. "You have a point." I sighed heavily.

We kept walking, the beauty of the morning surrounding us... and, as we crossed the bridge, it happened.

Belle had began her song.

"Little town, just a quiet village..." Belle sang. "Every day, like the one before." We walked up to the edge of town. "Little town, full of little people, waking up to say..."

"Bonjour!" A man called, opening his window shutters and looking out.

"Bonjour!" Another man called out, tipping his hat.

"Bonjour!" A woman called, waving out a dusty blanket.

"Bonjour!" Another man called, locked in a head-and-arm lock on a platform.

"Bonjour!" A chimney-sweep called, popping out of a chimney.

It was official. The movie had started. (Yay!)

"There goes the baker with his tray like always," Belle continued to sing, watching as a man with a beard walked by, carrying several loaves of bread. "The same ol' bread and rolls to sell... Every morning just the same, as the morning that we came to this poor provincial town---"

"Good morning, Belle! Morning, Lynn!" The man said cheerfully to us.

"Morning, Monsieur." Belle said, curtseying.

"Good morning." I replied, nodding my head.

"Where you girls off today?" The man asked.

"To the pawnshop. I'm thinking about finally buying that violin."

"And you, Belle?"

"The bookshop." Belle replied, eagerly. "I just read this wonderful story, about a beanstalk, and an ogre, and---"

"That's nice." The man turned his attention away from us, setting his bread in the window. "Marie! The baguettes! Hurry up!"

Belle rolled her eyes, shrugging, and we walked away. "Ah, what would he know about reading a good story, anyway?" I scoffed.

We passed by a couple of elderly ladies, and I don't know whether Belle heard them or not, but I sure could... along with the rest of the people in town.

"Look there they go, those girls are strange, no question." the two women sang. "Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?"

"Never part of any crowd," Some other folks sang, though I didn't see who they were. "'Cause their heads are up on some cloud."

"No denying they're some funny girls, Lynn and Belle." A small crowd of people sang. I rolled my eyes, and Belle and I continued to walk.

A man rode by on a horse-carriage, waving to a woman. "Bonjour," he sang.

"Good day," the woman sang in reply.

"How is your family?"

I looked over and almost laughed, seeing a man at a food stand dreamily looking at a young woman. "Bonjour," The woman greeted in song.

"Good day," The man sang, admiring the woman... making his wife--obviously older than the other young woman-- very angry and hitting him on the head with a rolling pin.

"How is your wife?"

I watched as a woman, her arms filled with three kids, rushed up to a man. "I need, six eggs!" she sang, gasping.

"That's too expensive..." I heard another man say.

"There must be more than this provincial life!" Belle sang, and we arrived at the bookstore.

"I'm going to run over to the pawn shop." I said, pointing over to the store across the street.

"Okay, I'll meet you outside when you're done."

I walked into the pawn shop. It was full of knickknacks and instruments... but the only thing that caught my eye was the red-wood violin on the shelf. The pawnshop owner, a man with a thick gray mustache and round glasses, smiled at me. "Come to gaze at that violin again, eh Lynn?" he asked nicely. I had become a regular visitor of his, and he was the only one in town who didn't mind my presence.

I smiled and held up a small sack of gold coins. "Nope, I've come to buy it." I replied, grinning.

How did I get the money? Well, since we have a farm, we also have chickens, and we sell their eggs on the market, and we split the money. I saved up my share just for this occasion.

The pawnshop owner smiled. "I figured you'd buy it sooner or later." he said with a chuckle as I handed him the coins. He took the violin off the shelf and set it gently in a black case, handing it to me. "I hope to hear you play it someday."

I grinned wider. "I hope you will, too." I replied, then walked toward the door. "Thank you very much! Good day!"

I met Belle just as she was walking out of the bookshop... also noticing three young men who were looking through the window, but took innocent poses as we came by. "Look there they go, those girls are so peculiar," they sang, and I sneered. "I wonder if they're feeling well..."

"With a dreamy far-off look," Some women to the right of me sang. I decided to ignore them and read over Belle's shoulder, pushing up a hanging sign and blocked some water than nearly fell on us, though we both remained oblivious to it.

"And their noses stuck in a book." Some men to our left sang.

"What a couple puzzles to the rest of us, Lynn and Belle," The crowd sang. We finally decided to stop by a water fountain, where a flock of sheep stood.

"Oh, isn't this amazing?" Belle asked in song, showing the sheep (and me) a page in the book. There was nothing there but words, but using my imagination I saw a picture of a boy and a girl in a garden, like the one in the movie. "It's my favorite part because, you'll see..." she turned the page. A sheep began to eat part of the page, and I gently shoved it back. "Here's where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three..."

The sheepherder came by, chasing his sheep off. "Sounds like a good book." I said to Belle. "...Especially since you've already read it."

"Oh, it's my favorite! Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells--"

"And a prince in disguise, I know." I chuckled. "You've already told me the story a dozen times."

Our conversation was put on pause as another chorus number broke out. "They're very different from the rest of us," A crowd of people sang. "They're nothing like the rest of us-- Yes, different from the rest of us are Lynn and Belle!"

Their singing almost drained out the gunshot I heard in the distance, (which meant that Gaston was nearby). "Does everyone always talk about us when they think we're not listening?" I asked myself, but Belle had heard me.

"Yes, but you'll learn to ignore them like I do." Belle replied.

I was surprised. In the movie, Belle always seemed as if she was unaware of everyone talking about her and staring at her, but all this time she knew... and she was just ignoring it! (Note to self, try to use this method in real life).

"Wow, you must have gone through it for a pretty long time if you can ignore it all so well!"

Belle giggled. "Not really. It's not very hard to ignore what people say to- or about- you." she said.

"It is for me. I can't stand it when people say things about me when they think I'm unaware of it."

"They just don't understand us. Don't worry, maybe someday they'll learn to except us for who we are."

"I hope so."

As we continued to walk, I could hear all sorts of conversations all around me:

"Bonjour!" A man called.

"Pardon!" I heard a voice-- that of Gaston's-- yell, but it was lost in the crowd, easily.

"Good day!" Another man said.

"Mais oui!" A third man called.

"You call this bacon?!" A matron criticized.

"What lovely grapes!" A woman complimented

"Some cheese." A man ordered.

"Ten yards." A woman at a stand ordered.

"One pound." A man at another stand ordered.

"'scuse me!" I could still hear Gaston, and I was glad the crowd was keeping him back.

"I'll get the knife." The cheese merchant said.

"Please let me through!"

"This bread--" a woman gasped.

"These fish--" A man said with a sneer.

"It's stale!"

"They smell!"

"Madame's mistaken." The baker scoffed.

"There must be more than this provincial life!" I caught myself singing with Belle.

"Just watch, I'm going to make Belle my wife!" I heard Gaston declare in song, and I began walking faster with Belle.

Look, there they go, some girls who are strange but special," the ENTIRE town (minus me, Belle, and Gaston) sang altogether. "A pair o' peculiar mad'moiselles! It's a pitty and a sin, that they don't quite fit in... 'Cause they really are some funny girls-- Some beauties but some funny girls-- They really are some funny girls... Lynn and Belle! (Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour!) ...Bonjour!"

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I turned to the townsfolk. "Do you guys mind?!" I snapped, and they turned and went on with their own businesses. "That's what I thought."

Belle giggled at my action, a bit surprised, and we kept walking---

--until Mr. Vanity leaped out in front of us. "Hello, Belle, Lynn." he said.

"Helloo, Lynn." LeFou said, stepping up to me and brushing his hair back suavely. I thought I was going to barf.

"Hello, Gaston." Belle said.

"Hey, LeFou," I said, annoyed. We walked by, but Gaston grabbed Belle's book, while LeFou tried to take my violin case. "Hands off, pipsqueak!" I pulled my case away from him, holding it high above my head.

"Gaston, can I have my book back, please?"

"How can you read this?" Gaston asked, flipping through the pages of the book (holding it wrong all the while). "There's no pictures!"

"Well, that's why come people use their imaginations."

"Which includes using your brain." I said sneering, then added quietly. "Not that you have one..."

"You know, Belle, it's about time you got your head out of those books," Gaston said, tossing the book into the mud. "And paid attention to more important things... Like me." Behind him, I saw three blonde triplets swoon.

I walked over and grabbed Belle's book from the mud, wiping it off with the tail of my shirt and handing it back to her. "Yeah, like we'd rather spend our precious time with a brute and his lackey." I scoffed.

Gaston ignored me. "The whole town's been talking about it. It's just not right for a girl like you to read! Soon she gets ideas, and thinking..." He then turned to me. "And it's undoubtedly unnatural for a girl to dress like a man, and act like she can do things on her own..."

"Gaston, you are positively prime-evil." Belle said, interrupting me before I could make a smart-mouth comment.

"Thanks, Belle." Gaston put his arm around her, guiding her down the street. "What do you say you and I take a walk over to the tavern and have a look at my trophies?"

"While you and I have a walk of our own?" LeFou suggested, staring suavely at me and bouncing his eyebrows as he held my hand.

"Maybe some other time." Belle turned out of Gaston's arm.

I yanked my hand free from LeFou. "And I said hands off, you little stooge!" I scoffed. "Besides, guys, we can't anyway. We have to help Belle's father... Right, Belle?"

"Right." Belle said, then turned to Gaston. "We have to help my father. Goodbye."

"That crazy ol' loon?" LeFou asked, laughing. "He needs all the help he can get!" And he and Gaston burst out in guffaws.

"Don't talk about my father that way!"

"Or else!" I added grimly, glaring daggers at the two men. It was the only remark I could think of at the moment.

"Yeah, don't talk about her father that way!" Gaston snapped at LeFou, bonking him on the head. Darn, why didn't I do that before? I thought.

"My father's not crazy." Belle snapped.

"Yeah, he's an actual genius!" I added, proudly.

...Then, as on cue, there was an explosion from our house. We ran worriedly back home, ignoring the laughter from Gaston and LeFou. I really wanted to run back and smack them both with my violin case, but I restrained myself.

After all, I just bought the thing!

"Papa?" Belle called when we got to the shop, coughing and waving away smoke.

"(Cough, cough) Whoa, who left the oven on?" I asked, jokingly.

Once the smoke cleared away, we saw Maurice trapped in a barrel. It broke, but the rim was still around his waist. "How the heck did THAT happen?" he asked, namely himself. He pulled the barrel rim down off of him... along with his pants. I stifled a laugh when I saw his heart-spotted underwear, and he pulled his pants back up.

I inspected the machine. "Nothing wrong on the surface." I said. "It probably needs some adjusting underneath."

"Hmm, I'll have to check that, then..." though a scowl remained on his face.

"Are you okay, Papa?" Belle asked, concerned.

"Yeah... I'm just about to give up on this hunk of junk!" he kicked the machine, which obviously hurt. "Yeow!" he grabbed his foot and hopped on the other leg.

"You're always saying that."

"Well, I mean it this time! There's no way I can get this bonehead contraption to work!"

"You say that about all your inventions, and they've worked before!" I said.

"Well, there's no way I'm going to get this machine running!"

"Yes you will," Belle said, sweetly placing her hands on her father's shoulders. "And you might win first prize at the fair this afternoon."

"Hmph!"

"And become a world-famous inventor..."

"Not to mention go down in history as the greatest one that's ever lived." I added.

Maurice's scowl turned to a smile, and he arched an eyebrow at us. "You both really believe that?" he asked.

"Haven't we always?" Belle asked.

"That would be an, 'of course'!" I answered.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Maurice boasted with confidence. "C'mon, Lynn! We'll have this thing fixed in no time! Can you hand me that wrench right there?" he slid under the machine.

"Aye, aye, mon capitan." I gave a solute and grabbed an odd-looking wrench out of the tool-box, handing it to him.

"So, did you girls have a good time in town, today?"

"I got a new book." Belle replied. I didn't really classify the book as 'new', since she's read it several times already, but considering she now owned it, I guess she could call it 'new'.

"And I finally got that violin in the pawnshop." I said. I looked at Belle, and I noticed we both were wearing serious expressions on our faces.

"Papa... do you think we're... strange?"

"My daughter and her friend, strange?!" Maurice scoffed, rolling out and wearing some huge-lensed goggles that made his eyes look magnified ten times their normal size. "Why, where'd they get a crazy idea like that from?!"

"Beats me," I said, innocently rolling my eyes.

"I don't really know, either." Belle said. "It's just I'm not sure I fit in here."

"That makes two of us."

"There's no one we can really talk to, except each other."

"What about Gaston? He's a hansom fellow." Maurice asked from under his machine.

"Yeah, and conceded, vain, and down-right smarmy." I scoffed. "And don't even get me STARTED on his little side-kick."

"I agree. Gaston may seem hansom, but his looks don't match his personality." Belle said. "I doubt they'd be right for us."

"Well, no worries, girls, because this invention's going to be the start of a whole new life for us!" Maurice said happily.

"You can say that again," I said, quietly, knowing the double-meaning of Maurice's words.

Maurice climbed out from under the machine. "I think that's done it. ...Care to do the honors, Lynn?"

I smiled and bowed my head. "It would be my pleasure. Let's give it a try!" I pulled the lever and we stood back.

Rather than exploding, the machine worked! The whistle blew, and it began to chop the wood, launching logs over our heads, making us duck.

"It works!" Belle exclaimed.

"It does?" Maurice asked, then ducked a log. "Yes, it does!"

"See? We told you you could do it!" I said.

"Hitch up Philippe, girls! I'm off to the fair-- Oof!" a log hit him on the head, knocking him unconscious.

I turned off the machine and Belle and I grabbed Maurice by the arms, carrying him upstairs. I lied him on the couch as Belle fetched a wet cloth to lie on his head. "I hope he doesn't go into a concussion." I said.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Belle said. "He'll be up and ready for the fair in no time."

I smiled. "Well, in that case, I'll go get Phillippe ready for him." I walked out toward the barn area to get the horse ready for it's trip.

I wish I could warn Belle that Maurice wasn't going to go to the fair that afternoon.

A/N: And it begins! Reviews are welcome, but keep the flames to yourselves--- AUGH! (ducks a refrigerator) AND THE KITCHEN APPLIANCES!!!