Belle hadn't said one word since she returned. She spent the night crying into Robert's shoulder, and she had slept all morning. It was like she was in a trance. She couldn't see or hear anybody else around her, she was lost in herself. Robert was in the kitchen trying to gather some food to bring up to her, hoping she would at least eat something.

Granny walked in and looked at him sorrowfully. "She still hasn't said anything?" Robert shook his head and leaned over on the counter. He had been up all night and his exhaustion mixed with his frustration was starting to get the better of him. "Would you want me to try? See if I can get something out of her?" Robert hated the idea that Belle would feel uncomfortable talking to him about anything, but if it meant he would get at least a little information, he couldn't argue it.

Granny grabbed the tray he had been preparing and carried it up to Belle's room. She knocked gently before entering, and when she saw Belle curled up in a ball on her bed, shaking and softly crying to herself, her heart broke. "Belle dear, Robert had me bring you some food." Belle didn't move. "Would you like to sit with you a while. Robert had to go down to the fields, but until he returns..." Belle interrupted her.

"He's not in the castle?" Her voice was so small, Granny barely heard her. She sat down on the bed and rested her hand o Belle's shoulder. "Can you keep a secret?" She looked up at Granny, hear cheeks stained with tears. Granny gave her smile and promised she wouldn't tell a soul. "I did something bad." Granny gave her a curious look. "I need to leave, get away before he finds out."

Granny pulled he into a sitting position. "Belle what on earth are you talking about?" Belle looked down, unable to meet the woman's gaze. "What did you do dear?" The tears couldn't be stopped as they flowed from Belle's eyes. Granny tried to wipe them away but it was no use.

Belle shook her head, "If I told you... you'd never... never forgive me. You wouldn't... wouldn't care about me anymore. Robert will hate me when he finds out." She began sobbing frantically, unable to catch her breath. When she finally calmed down she was asleep on Granny's lap.

At the fields, Robert was completely out of sorts. Putting aside the fact that he hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, Gaston had been declared missing this morning. He had an awful feeling that this had something to do with Belle. He hurt her somehow. He knew he shouldn't have let her partner with him. He should have sucked up his pride and gone with her himself. Now his Belle was hurt and Gaston was unaccounted for and there would be no way to uncover the truth if Belle kept keeping silent, which considering her history, was entirely likely.

The men were going about their usual training when a couple of men emerged from the forest, carrying a body. Only when they reached him did Robert realize it was Gaston. One of the men had also found the bloodied knife laying next to the body. Belle's knife. Robert recognized it instantly because he had given it to her.

"Let me see that." He said gesturing to the knife. "I'll bring it back to the castle, see if Belle remembers it." The man handed it over and looked back down to Gaston. He bowed his head out of respect.

"Sir." Robert turned around to see Graham. "I know his family well, if you wish, I will deliver the news." Robert nodded his head and looked down to Gaston's beaten body.

"I don't want to tell his family until we have all the answers we seek. I don't want them to have to wonder about anything. Waiting for closure will only prolong their pain." Robert excused himself from the group and made his way back to the castle, dagger in hand, sweat on his brow, and worry in his heart. He hoped to God that he was wrong.

Climbing the stairs to Belle's room was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to avoid this whole situation. He wanted to shield her from the pain that she would have to endure. The pain she was already experiencing. What was he going to do?

He stood in front of her door for what seemed like hours, building up the courage to knock. When he finally lifted his hand to do just that, the door opened to reveal Granny, with an empty tray. He let out a sigh of relief. "At least she ate something" he thought to himself. Granny gave him a sympathetic smile. She brushed passed him and he watched her disappear down the hallway. Belle was still in bed, but at least she was in an upright position now. She looked over to the door where he was standing. She wanted to speak, but when she opened her mouth, her fears shut it. He walked over to her, but remained standing. "Belle, I really need you to tell me what happened." She looked away from him. "It's obviously tearing you up inside and I can't stand to see you this way." She turned her head back in his direction, but kept her gaze fixed on the floor.

Robert didn't want to push her but if she wasn't going to say anything then he needed to get down to the main point. He pulled the knife out from behind his back and when Belle saw it, she immediately started to cry. "Sweetheart, please don't cry." He went to sit next to her, but she backed away from him, jumping off of the bed and backing herself into a corner. "Belle you have nothing to be afraid of. You know I would never hurt you." He tried to reach out to her but she only hid her face more from him.

"But you should be afraid of me!" she screamed at him. "I'm a monster." Her voice cracked on that last word, she started sobbing uncontrollably, mumbling incoherent words and sentences. His heart was breaking. He had never seen anyone in such distress.

"Belle you are not a monster. Don't you ever think of yourself that way." he moved to kneel in front of her. "Belle," he brought his hand to her chin, trying to get her to look at him. "Belle look at me." She lifted her head reluctantly.

"Please don't send me back." Robert didn't know what she was talking about. "Please, you can do anything you want to me just please don't send me back to my father. Please." She thought he was sending her back to her father. Robert was beyond shocked that she could truly believe that, he was a little hurt too. He couldn't do anything but pull her into his arms, despite her resistance.

He ran his fingers through her hair, which had been let down and his other hand held her back, pulling her as close to him as she could get. She was shaking violently, like she was her first night in the castle when he had her sent to his room. "I would never send you anywhere or do anything to you. And you are never going anywhere near your father, ever! As long as I'm alive you'll be staying right here, where you belong." She had calmed down a bit, her crying turning into soft hiccups. "You have to tell me what happened Belle. I know it's hard, but I need to know the whole story." She buried her head in his neck and begged him not to make her.

He lifted her up and carried her back to the bed and laid down with her. "Take your time love, but I need to hear your story. I have to know." He rubbed her back in slow circles, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, trying to make her relax.

Without lifting her head Belle began telling him what happened. "Everything was fine for the first few minutes. Then he started asking me these questions about you and me... he was making me very uncomfortable and I tried to just ignore him but he wouldn't let it go. So when I told him how awful he was he got really angry and he pushed me to the ground..." She started crying again, her breathing quick and shallow. "He to-told me that he... he was going to... that he was... going... to rape me. I escaped but he... he caught me and I had my knife. He started touching me.. he had... had his hand..." She broke off and Robert held her close while she cried. He said nothing, he just let her cry, and waited for her to be ready. He suddenly felt awful about rushing her into this. He should have realized Gaston had done something like this.

She took a deep breath and tried to continue. "I was just scared. I wasn't thi-thinking and before I knew what I was doing, Gaston had stopped moving, and there was blood everywhere, and I.. I.. killed him." She hid her face in his chest. "I didn't mean to. I swear I didn't, I just wanted him to stop and he wasn't stopping and I just..." He shushed her, and kissed the top of her head.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." He kissed her again. "You were only defending yourself. After everything you've been through, I'm surprised you didn't do worse." He kissed her again. "And besides, I would have killed him anyway." There was nothing light or joking about his voice, because if Belle hadn't killed Gaston he really would have. Without hesitation. And he wouldn't have felt an ounce of remorse.

Robert had managed to at least convince Belle that he didn't hate her, but that's all he as capable of. Granny was with her now, keeping her company until he go back from his meeting with Graham and David. Robert justified Belle's actions, but he knew not everyone would be as understanding. Graham and David walked into his study and he was so distraught he couldn't even bring himself to stand and greet them.

"Please take a seat, we have much to discuss." They took their seats and Robert told them everything Belle had told him. David seemed to be more shocked than Graham. Graham didn't seem all that surprised. And Robert was nervous as hell wondering how they were going to react.

Graham was the first of the two to speak. "I don't blame the little miss, but what are we going to do about it? Gaston's father won't take kindly to this news. It's one thing for your son to be killed in battle, but Belle is one of us. He's going to come after her."

"He's not a particularly pleasant man in general either," David piped in.

Robert thought for a moment. "What do you propose we do, lie to the man?" Robert stood and paced behind his desk. "I won't let any harm come to Belle, she doesn't deserve it. That bastard would've been hanged for touching her anyways." The men nodded in agreement with him. "She's punished herself enough already." Robert stopped his pacing and leaned up against the wall. "We can't lie about what happened. We just have to hope that his family understands the circumstances and is willing to give forgiveness." He looked back at his men. "I will be the one to deliver the news. However, I'll need one of you to accompany me to make sure I keep my temper in check, in case things get... out of hand." Graham immediately rose out of the chair. Robert nodded his approval and the two men made their way into town.