Hi guys, sorry it's taken so long. I've been working on my Star Trek fic, and it's taking forever. So's this one- it's going longer than i thought it would and it keeps getting away from me. But i'll wrestle it back into shape soon.

Please review :)

It was still raining when they awoke the next morning. The girls built up the fire and wrapped themselves in blankets and read or talked. Aurora and Snow spent the morning downstairs, exploring, looking at art, and sometimes praying. And Jasmine slept, feverish and with the beginnings of delirium.

Belle was surprised when she saw that Quasimodo insisted on hanging around. Time and time again, she warned him away for fear that he would catch the Fever if he hadn't already. But he always stayed, hiding in the shadows and every now and then asking if they needed anything. Belle was touched by his concern and decided to humour him.

Morning shifted to midday without much change. Snow came up with bread, fruit and water for lunch and left quickly, preferring the solitude of the church to the darkness and fear of the bell-tower. Book finished, Belle stretched, dropped an apple core into the fire, and glanced at jasmine, who hadn't changed. What to do now?

"Quasimodo?" she called, drawing Clopin's cape around her shoulders and leaning as close to the fire as she could. "Do you still have my book of fairytales?"

"Yes." He leaned forward from his perch on the rafters where the firelight dissolved into shadows. "D-d you want it b-back?"

He must be freezing up there… "I was just wondering if you had finished it yet."

"No."

"Well, why don't we read it together? That way you can finish it and I can keep occupied."

Silence, then: "Really?"

Belle yawned. "Would I ask if I wasn't serious?"

"Ok. I-I'll j-just go g-get it."

The tone of his voice made Belle smile. If she had been able to see his face, she thought he would've looked very excited. She shook her head and shifted her position to make room for him. Silly boy.

Quasimodo stood at his table and stared at the book in his hands. Though it had happened a few times now, he didn't think he could get used to the fact that she didn't mind being near him. She had actually told him to bring the book so that they could read together. Together! That meant sitting next to each other… in plain view… she would be close enough to see every single imperfection… and still she said it. Quasimodo's stomach did a strange little dance, and he waited for a few moments to let his heart calm down. Who was this girl; this girl who didn't fear him, and didn't seeing and being seen with him? Her friends were nice, but even they were a little fearful, the younger ones in particular. Oh, they tried not to show it, but he could see the subtle expressions of revulsion that they tried to cover up, and he always noticed when they averted their gazes from his face, as if it was painful to look at him for too long. But Belle… she was never like that. He could tell that she was in no way repulsed by his appearance, and she never looked away. In fact, if he had to name her expression, it had to be curiosity.

He hugged the book to his chest, biting his lip nervously, and headed back to the fireplace.

If she hadn't heard the rafters creaking, Belle swore that she would never have known Quasimodo was back. She was on the point of getting up to look for him when she heard it. A quiet but unmistakable creak, right above her head.

Sighing, she sat back and made herself comfortable. "I know you're up there. Come on down, Quasimodo."

There was a thump as he jumped to another rafter a few metres away, and he lowered himself to the ground with one hand, the other protectively covering the book he carried. But he paused at the fringe of light the fire threw off, hesitant to come closer.

Belle patted the spot next to her, an amused look in her eye. "Come on, you know very well that I don't bite." His gaze flicked over to Cindy, who was dozing next to the sleeping Jasmine, and Belle cracked a smile. "Neither does Cindy, and you surely can't be afraid of catching the fever now, when you weren't yesterday. Sit down."

I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of frightening you. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't form the words to explain his fears. She would've laughed, anyway. So he approached and sat down before the fire, trying not to look at her.

Belle shifted Jasmine so that there was more room and pulled his sleeve. "Shuffle over a bit, so you're completely in front of the fire. You must be freezing!"

He shuffled obligingly, still looking away. His heart was beating double time at being so close to her, and he hoped she couldn't hear it.

"So where are you up to?" She opened the book, leafing through the pages and scanning the words quickly. "Have you read Jack and the Beanstalk yet?"

"Uh, y-yes."

"How about the Three Bears?"

"Yes."

Belle noticed how his hands were fidgeting and that his face was turned away, and knew that for some reason, she was making him insanely nervous, or even scared. She sat herself up on her knees and leaned forward slightly. "Hey, you. Look at me." When he didn't, she gently reached forward and turned his face toward her. "Hey, look," she whispered. "What are you afraid of? You know you don't have to turn away from me. I'm not afraid of you."

Quasimodo's breath hitched, and tears filled his eyes. He could feel the fingers on his chin and her hand on his arm. Her touch was warm, lingering. She wasn't drawing back in fear, she was staring straight into his eyes, her expression open, friendly. There was no fear or revulsion. There never was. And she was touching him! Suddenly it was too much to bear. He stood up, and with a muffled "Excuse me," he was gone.

"Quasimodo!" Belle cried, leaping to her feet. But there was silence from the bell-tower.

"Leave him be," Cindy said drowsily as Belle made as if to follow him.

"But-"

"I said leave him. Can't you see how overwhelmed he is?"

"I can see how scared he is of me! What did I do?"

Cindy smiled and stretched. "You touched him, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"He's lived alone all his life, and he's- well, let's face it- frightening to look at for most people. Do you really think he's ever been touched by a woman before?"

Belle sat down again with a sigh. "I suppose not. But he's so scared of me, it isn't funny anymore. I've never seen anyone so shy. Maybe I should have a word to that 'master' of his…"

"Belle!" It was Ariel's voice.

"Yes, Ariel?"

"You have a visitor downstairs."

She frowned. "Who is it?"

"That gypsy man. He says he has something to show you."

"Oh dear." Belle got up and smiled sheepishly at Cindy. "I'll be back in a moment."

"Be careful."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

She looked around, but Quasimodo was still nowhere to be seen. With a sigh, she straightened her dress, tidied her hair, and followed Ariel down the stairs.