Disclaimer: I do not own the Disney characters or story in Beauty and the Beast.

Author's Note: Phew! I've been gone a long time but a lot has happened! I've missed all of my readers. :) But I'm back and I plan to write more.

Chapter 7

Belle shrieked and twisted in his arms, wanting desperately to get away. In her struggle, she elbowed Alexandro in the process. She hit him right in the stomach and he groaned, his grip on her loosening. She pulled away from him as he as he fell over, holding his stomach in pain.

Meanwhile she sprinted for the door but a movement caught her eye. She stopped and turned to see Frederic coming for her.

He growled, baring his teeth like an angry dog.

She paled and let out a little squeak as she froze, finding her limbs paralyzed. He moved toward her, growing nearer by the second. She commanded herself to move and it wasn't until he was closer that it all became real. The instinct to run took over.

Frederic almost caught her on her way out but she sidestepped him expertly. She stumbled into the hallway, gasping as she fell to her knees outside the door. Her eyes widened and panic filled her. She looked over her shoulder when she heard Frederic's growl. He reached out for her but she crawled away.

She jumped to her feet and yanked up the hem of her dress, momentarily cursing long dresses.

She turned right, sprinting down the hallway, not knowing where she was going. Dread and fear weighed her down like her heavy gown.

She knew she should call out for help but she couldn't, couldn't open her mouth to scream. She just kept on running until she heard their voices. Belle gasped and on impulse, ran into an alcove in the wall, thinking it would be the closest place to hide. It was enclosed by two rectangular stone walls. She pushed herself inside to the very back.

It was a small space and it wouldn't conceal her if they walked past; it only hid her from the sides. She put her hands against the stone walls. What if they caught her in here? She would be trapped.

Belle gasped when she heard their voices grow nearer. She was sure they were coming this way. She covered her mouth to keep herself quiet. She waited and listened, trembling.

"I think she went this way..." Frederic remarked. His voice sounded close.

Belle pressed herself against the wall, hoping to hide herself from him. She watched the hallway tensely, one eye exposed, the other concealed in the darkness of the alcove.

She had to cover her mouth to stifle a cry when Frederic appeared in her line of vision. When he whirled around her heart stopped. Belle's hands flew up to cover her face and she stared at him with wide eyes. As he glared into the alcove, Belle's knees trembled and she slid to the ground in absolute had blown it.

But then something unexpected happened.

Instead of attacking her, Frederic looked at the area in which she was standing, examining the sides and bottom of the alcove. He looked very confused.

Belle's forehead crinkled and she watched him with sudden interest. He seemed to look right at her but not actually see her standing right there.

She decided to stay hidden in the shadows though, away from his view. She didn't know how the space and darkness in it were concealing her...A torch light shone brightly on the wall, casting a glow on one side of her face.

After a few minutes, Frederic turned away. Belle moved from her spot and walked up to the front, watching him down the hall. As she looked away she caught sight of another person standing in the hall, ten meters away from her!

She gasped and backed away from the front of the alcove. She pressed herself against the back wall.

Standing mere meters away from her was a young woman, with thick, curly black hair. Belle watched her for a moment, thinking she was a vampire. But a voice, one that was not her own, filled her mind. Come forward...The voice was not menacing or forceful but authoritative and calm.

Belle suddenly felt a pull urging her forward. Something moved her forward and she slowly walked up to the front of the small space. She had barely noticed that her fear had dispersed into curiosity now as she stood at the edge of the alcove.

As she walked up to the opening she noticed gray stone covering what was once the open space. Belle's mouth opened in shock as she hesitantly reached out to touch it. A section of cold hard stone met her hand.

She gasped in shock and looked at the wall with disbelief. She had just walked through that space!

Belle refused to believe it. She tried again, placing her hand up against the wall, trying to prove herself that there was a space there. But the stone wall was still there. She felt around it, as if looking for an opening. When she found none, she panicked.

Her breathing sped up; fast and uneven now as she felt along the wall in disbelief and horror. Her heart was pulsing like a forceful wave. "How...?" she questioned hysterically.

It was then that her answer came. She stopped as she watched a section of the wall fade away to reveal the woman's face.

Belle's eyes widened as she looked at her. It seemed that the woman was gazing directly back at her. Belle pounded helplessly on the wall.

"Can you see me?" she asked.

She got no answer from the woman—only an impassive gaze.

Belle pounded on the wall again but the woman showed no reaction. She was trapped. She felt dizzy. But she still pressed on.

"HELP!" she called, hoping that by raising her voice the woman would hear her.

As soon as she yelled the woman fixed her with a stern expression. She looked away from her for a moment, glancing both ways down the hallway, and then back at her, holding up a hand, as if in signal to stop.

Stop what though?

Belle stilled for a moment. The woman let her hand drop as she looked down the hall again. At that moment, Frederic walked past Belle again.

Belle gasped and backed away into the alcove. Her heart skidded to a stop. The wall blocking her exit had faded again, giving her a glassy view of the outside, like a mirror.

He had a look of confusion on his face and he turned, looking straight into the alcove. Belle muffled her cry with her hands and stared back...She waited, hoping the wall would somehow conceal her again.

Frederic finally left and Belle let out the breath she had been holding, closing her eyes in relief. Belle rose slowly to her feet, bewildered and walked to the front of the alcove. The wall was still there, and so was the woman. The woman gazed back at her with a slight smile.

Suddenly the wall started to dissolve. Belle watched in disbelief and reached out a hand to touch the dissolving wall. She didn't feel anything. No stone, no substance, no anything.

She looked up at the woman and gasped quietly when she saw the woman disappear as well. Belle backed away and stood there, stunned, taking in all that had happened...or at least what she thought had happened.

But after a few moments a cold, hard fear washed over her and she knew that she had to get to the others. Moving to the opening of the alcove she placed a hand on the wall and peered cautiously around the corner, and then down the hall in the opposite direction.

Neither was in sight so she stepped out of the alcove and ran. She ran, all the while keeping a close eye on the halls, until she came to the stairs. Just as she hurried down the stairs, she came face to face with the Beast.

Not recognizing him at first, Belle jumped and let out a frightened yelp, freezing on the stairs.

It was the Beast, as she secretly called him.

When she realized that it was him, she put a hand on her chest and sighed in relief. She ran towards him.

"I'm so glad to see you..." she said, her face weary as she looked up at him. He stared back at her with those bright blue eyes and opened his mouth to speak but then stopped short. His eyes moved to the floor above her.

"Run!" he growled. Belle gasped and turned around just in time to see Alexandro and Frederic, poised on the railing of the third floor. "Go, Belle! Now!" the Beast urged.

Belle winced in fear and began to run down the steps but stopped herself. "But I can't leave you here alone!" she protested.

"Go, you fool!" he shouted angrily. Belle was about to protest again but she looked up and saw the menacing fangs of Frederic, and ran away with a whimper.

I'll help you, Beast, Belle thought as she hurried down the stairs. As she got closer to the first floor, she looked up and saw one of the werewolves. "Help!" she shouted. The werewolf turned to her and ran over as the others spilled out of the sitting room downstairs.

"What is it?" and Belle recognized the voice as Andre's. He stopped beside her and looked up at the stairwell.

Voices drifted down the stairs, and Belle realized that in her fear she had been oblivious to the sounds.

Andre ran up the stairs to help his friend and Belle followed closely behind. But when they reached the landing the two vampires were gone and the Beast lay on the ground, his jacket and shirt ripped, showing a bloody and torn back with deep, angry cuts.

Belle cringed at the sight. Andre knelt down beside the Beast.

"They...didn't bite me..." the Beast breathed out as Andre and the others carried him toward the couch. The men had taken him downstairs to the library so they could examine and treat his injuries. Belle was sure that it hurt him to talk.

"That's good," Andre replied as they placed him on the couch. "We won't have to worry about poisoning then..."

"Poisoning?" Belle repeated.

Andre stopped and looked at her. "When vampires bite you, they release venom that spreads through your whole body and turns you." He paused, giving her a pointed look. Belle's face paled.

"It puts you in excruciating pain and drives you mad. The transformation can take all day or night, tormenting the victim." Andre's voice was full of disgust and anger as he said this.

"Oh my God..." Belle choked out, a sob catching her. Everyone looked at her questioningly.

"What?" Andre asked. "What is it?"

She sniffled, trying to hold in the tears. She swallowed before answering and hugged herself protectively as her body shook. "I...I was almost bitten!" she said, terrified now at what could have happened. "By them. By Alexandro."

"Both of them were after you, weren't they?" a quiet, weak voice asked from somewhere amongst the group. Belle looked around for the voice and saw the Beast's face. His eyes were on her, watching her.

Breathing in deeply he closed his eyes for a moment and shifted his weight. "I came across them when I found Belle..." he explained. "Alexandro...and the tall one with gold hair..." the Beast trailed off.

"Frederic." Belle told him.

"So that's one of your friends that disappeared..." the Beast murmured thoughtfully. "They've changed him."

"What if they've done the same to my father?" Belle asked fearfully.

"There isn't any way of knowing," Brandon, the man with long auburn hair remarked. "But I can assume that they've kept him alive because they've left your friend alive and there must be a reason for that. They're using him to increase their strength and number."

"He better be alive," Belle muttered as she crossed the room and looked at the dark, unlit fireplace. "Or I'll kill Alexandro." The words were bitter and dark.

"It's not that easy." David piped up and Belle whirled around to face him.

"Why not? Because we're outnumbered?" she questioned.

"That, and the fact that they're more adept fighters than us. We're bigger yes, but there's more of them and they're more agile. They work well together as a team. They know how to attack in bands. We are more single-minded."

Belle was defeated. Her shoulders slumped and she looked at him with disappointed eyes. "So that's it. We're just going to stand back and watch them tear our lives apart?" she cried. It was strange being in the sitting area of the library, their voices echoed because the room was so huge.

"We can't be impulsive!" Brandon snapped. "Running after them and attacking isn't going to solve the problem. We must plan and deliberate, and take them by surprise. We've been fighting for many years, Belle... Together we have tried for years and failed each time. But that is because we have always been outnumbered. Many have been killed."

"AH!" The Beast hissed as Mrs. Potts pressed a warm cloth against his cuts.

"Just hold still, dear," she instructed gently. "We can't have you get an infection." The older woman sat by the couch, treating his wounds by candlelight. Everyone was momentarily absorbed by the beast's injuries and then one of them spoke, although Belle didn't know his name.

"Many have been killed..." the tall, bulky man reiterated. His eyes were heavy and sad. "Such as my wife and child. Those fiends deserve to die!" he pressed, his voice shaking with grief and anger.

"Jean is right," the short, stocky one insisted. "They took away our lives...It isn't just about an attack, Brandon. It's more than that. This is about justice. But you wouldn't understand that, would you? You never had family taken away from you. All you and Edouard care about is constant war planning! It gets your blood going!"

"Hey!" Brandon shouted his features fierce and angry as he bounded towards the short man. Adrien and a tall, lean man with short, dark hair held him back.

Belle felt like she was intruding on them. There was a lot of private and personal business in this group.

"Edouard and Brandon love war, Georges. You know that!" Andre told him, exasperated. "This is not a war because of them. It is a war because we have an enemy. Let's not make enemies of ourselves now..."

"They wouldn't understand the art of fighting anyways..." Brandon muttered as he turned and walked away, crossing his arms over his chest. "Both him and Jean-Claude are just simple peasants!"

"And you are just an ignorant noble." Jean-Claude muttered back resentfully.

"ENOUGH!" David yelled out, aggravated. The group looked at him in surprise. From what Belle had seen of him, he was normally gentle and quiet; slow to anger and full of patience. But the two had tested that. "Please..." he entreated. "Try to put your differences aside and work together to fight this. We need to."

Neither Brandon nor Jean said anything but they didn't argue again.

"Now that we've put our childish behaviour away, let's talk more about our plan," Adrien advised. "What are we going to do?"

"Burn them to the ground." Jean said bitterly.

"Now that's an idea..." Andre considered.

"We can't," Adrien protested. "Belle's father and friends are in that house."

"Right..." Andre trailed off.

"The art of deception is always good," Edouard put in. He had his arms crossed and walked forward a few steps. "If we deceive them into thinking we're in one place, such as the castle, when we are really in another, like our village, then we might be able to trick them and get into their estate without them noticing. That way we can get Belle's father and friends."

"Magnificent Edouard!" Andre exclaimed, pleased. "That sounds like a plan to me! We can get Belle's friends and father out, and still fight them. You know, there's a reason you were a war strategist back in your days..." he remarked with admiration.

Edouard smirked. "Yes, well, like you said, I love war..."

"Alright, so now we've got a rough plan. Now we have to figure out how to put it into practice," David said. "The vampires go into a resting period during the winter. It'll take one hell of a disturbance to get them out of their house..."

"No worries, David. We'll be one hell of a disturbance!" Brandon replied, clapping him on the shoulder and smiling.

David shook his head and chuckled.

"Well, we have a plan for future use," Georges remarked. "But what about tonight? How are we going to prepare if they come back?"

The men thought for a moment and then Edouard spoke up.

"We'll keep guard of the castle. Each of us will take turns keeping guard. That way the castle is protected."

"Good idea, Eddie." Andre commended, nodding.

"Okay, so each of us will take a section of the castle..." Brandon began, speaking to all the men. "Edouard how about you take the west wing? Jean, you take the east..."

Belle slipped deeper into the warm, steamy water, allowing it to relax her muscles. It had been a long day indeed. She rested her head against the edge of the bathtub and looked up at the ceiling, where a richly colored and dramatic mural captivated her attention.

She titled her head as she examined it. She had never seen it there before but she had never had the time to stop and look at it before...Now that she was relaxed she was taking note of more things and concentrating on the peaceful quiet.

The abduction of her father had caused uproar in her life until now. Now she was calm and had accepted the terrible fact that her father was in the vampires' hands.

The bath and glass of wine had done her good. She looked over lazily at the glass, full of dark red liquid on the table beside her. A few feet away from the table with the wine glass on it was another table where a light robe and folded towels lay on top. After preparing her bath and room for the night, the maids had offered to wait on her but Belle had politely sent them away, knowing that they must be as exhausted as her.

She was glad she had time alone to relax. The warmth and the wine had had a numbing effect and she felt she had greater control over her emotions. Her sorrow and panic had faded into hope and a quiet determination.

Belle groaned when the water started to cool. She wanted to sit there all night. She got up, dried herself off and slipped into the fresh, crisp linen shift that had been left for her. She moved toward her bed and unpinned her hair, letting it tumble down her shoulders.

She got under the covers and relished in how refreshed and comfortable she felt. She had realized that she needed to look after herself. In order to help her father and her friends, she had to make sure she was healthy and strong first.

The pillow was soft and plush, the room dark, and the window veiled with heavy red curtains. Belle looked at the small opening where moonlight spilled in through the window. It was a crescent moon tonight.

"I pray that you, Frederic and Daniel will be kept safe, Father...Strength and love be with you..." she murmured before falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning Belle woke up to a knock on her door. She stirred and looked toward the door with sleepy eyes. The light in the room was dim.

"Belle, are you awake? You're welcome to join us for breakfast." the voice told her. It took her a few seconds but she soon recognized the voice as David's.

I probably have no choice, she thought, getting out of bed with a miserable expression on her face. The Beast will probably come up here demanding that I come downstairs.

She looked at the curtains and squinted at the small ray of sunlight shining in. Belle opened them to soak it in.

A knock sounded at the door again. "Belle?"

"Yes!" she snapped irritably.

"Oh...um, should I send for the maids?"

Belle thought a moment and combed her hair with her fingers. "No, no thank you..." she said tightly, trying to control her morning mood. "I'd like to get ready myself."

"Alright, I'll tell everyone you're coming then."

Belle felt a slight twinge of guilt as she dressed. She hadn't meant to be so harsh with David but she just wasn't a morning person.

Belle slipped on a deep blue gown made of silk with a light blue forepart and quickly arranged her hair into a simple braid.

When she came to the dining room the Beast and men were already seated. The Beast noticed her first.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Like a baby," she replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down. She looked over at Jean on her right. "I didn't wake all night. Was there any trouble while you kept watch?" she asked.

"No, none at all," Brandon answered, rubbing his hands together. "The castle was clear of intruders."

A servant set a glass of milk in front of her. "That's good." she remarked.

"Indeed," Brandon said. "But we must still be careful; they could come back at any time. Every person in this castle should learn how to defend themselves." he insisted.

"We'll have everyone running around with swords..." David remarked with an amused smile. "That'll be something to behold."

"The women should learn how to fight," Jean-Claude pressed. For such a big man, he spoke so mildly. "They are prime targets for vampires anyway." he reasoned.

Brandon nodded vigorously. "Good thinking, man"- He paused and looked over at Belle, who looked at him with wide eyes. "You should learn how to fight Belle. Defensively. In any case when we aren't available, you must learn how to defend yourself."

"But I'm not strong enough!" Belle protested.

"Well then, you'll train with us. That should get you into shape." Brandon said with a grin.

"I hope so..." Belle replied dubiously.

After breakfast Brandon, Belle, the Beast, Georges, Adrien, Angelique, Babette and a few other servants—male, rode to an open clearing not far from the castle and practiced the basics of swordplay and combat. It was difficult, especially for the women but Brandon was very encouraging, telling them they'd get stronger eventually.

Belle could see it would take a long time. Her muscles ached whenever she moved. She grimaced as she stretched and made her way down the hallway. The group had just come back from training and all of them were a bit tired. Everyone had retired somewhere in the castle to relax but Belle did not want to be alone.

She had just came from her room, washing the rain, mud and sweat off her after the day's training. They had had fluctuating weather; it had gone from a grey and windy day to sunshine and then a light rain. But that hadn't fazed Brandon, Adrien or the Beast from pushing them.

They had run in the midday sunshine and parried in the light afternoon rain. Belle liked feeling strong and athletic but she hated feeling grimy from the elements. She had quickly changed into something more flowy and comfortable; a deep red velvet gown with a white chemise and gold embroidery. She had put her hair in a simple braid and then gone on her way, in search of excitement.

She turned the corner and saw the Beast, walking her way as well, with a book in hand. He slowed when he saw her and both paused at the stairwell leading to the first floor.

"Hello Belle..." he said.

"Hello." she answered back. She didn't say anything more and walked past him. She had decided she didn't like him, not very much anyway.

He surprised her by grabbing her wrist. She gasped and turned to look at him.

"Where are you going?" he asked, sounding panicked.

She looked down at the firm grip on her wrist. "Let go of me..." she commanded, her voice shaky with fear.

He met her gaze coolly. "Not until you tell me where you're going."

"I don't know..." she answered, aggravated. "I was just going to look around!"

"You can't just look around!" he snapped, making her jump. Seeing her startled face, he spoke in a calmer voice, though it still shook with warning. "Just don't go into the West Wing"- He paused and finally let go of her wrist. He gestured around him. "You can go wherever else you like in this castle, EXCEPT for there. "

"But what's in the West Wing?" she couldn't help but ask.

"It's forbidden." he barked, eyes flashing. A hint of panic in them.

She flinched. Talking to him was like a yelling match.

He stood there, glaring at her before turning away.

"Someday that curiosity of yours is going to get you into trouble." he told her as he walked down the steps.

"Oh really? Well at least I'm not an angry old man..." she muttered, following after him on the stairs.

He stopped and turned around to stare at her with an amused expression.

"An old man?" he repeated with disbelief.

"Yes! An old man."

The Beast chuckled. "I'm not that old. I think you really don't know how old I am," he stated. A playful glint came to his blue eyes. "Guess."

Belle frowned, looking at him strangely. "What?"

"Guess. My age."

Her brow furrowed. "But aren't you a...?" she trailed off.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." he said.

Belle sighed and dropped her shoulders. "Thirty."

The Beast chuckled again, giving her a secret smile before turning away.

Belle hurried down the steps after him. "You aren't going to tell me?" she exclaimed, disappointed.

When they reached the ground floor he whirled around to face her. "You're too nosy for your own good, Belle. This will help you rein in your curiosity." He then grinned

Belle's face fell and he walked away, laughing. She had never heard him laugh before.

She watched him steadily as he walked away. She was nosy- that was for sure, but his warning wasn't going to stop her from going into the West Wing...

Will she go in there or will she chicken out? Thanks for reading, review if you like!