Hey everyone! Thank you all again for the reviews, so happy you all liked the last chapter! So this one is a bit different, someone requested I do a story about Belle making the library into a small school for children and I kinda fit that in here. It's not the main focus 1) because I just...can't write kids, I don't like writing them and 2) I wanted to fit in Lefou here! So this is a oneshot about Belle and Lefou, takes place after the events of the movie. Hope you enjoy!

Belle was always a mystery to Lefou.

Sometimes, when he would be with Gaston, he would hang back and watch Belle from a distance as his best friend tried to once again woo her. The younger woman was a puzzle he couldn't crack. Everyone in town loved Gaston, the every man turned war hero, and there were few girls that he couldn't impress. There was a charm to his personality, if not a little overbearing at times, but Lefou could look past that. Most people could, going along with the boisterous man as they drank and dance.

Belle was different though. She was beautiful, but in an effortless way. It didn't seem to be something she cared about. He would notice the charcoal smudges of her face whenever Gaston ran into her, or how her braided hair would be coming loose by the end of the day from the work she did around her home. A book was very rarely not in her hand as she made her way through town, the eyes of the villagers always following her. Whispers of how strange she was or calling her a 'funny' girl.

Each time, she would turn down Gaston in a new way that left him confused. What was Gaston doing wrong that couldn't crack the young woman? Lefou had tried to steer his friend to other girl's, seeing the losing battle Gaston tried to fight each time he talked to Belle. But he was steadfast in his need to marry Belle, no matter how hard he tried.

They had never interacted too much while living in the village. A 'hello' here and there when he would see her while he was out alone. There was once, when he had tripped over something and fallen into a mud puddle, that she noticed him. She was next to him in a moment, helping him up, inquiring if he was ok, and letting him use one of the rags she happened to have with her. It was a different type of interaction than he had ever had within the village. Most people would have walked by, not giving him a second glance.

Belle was different though, and it's what made her stand out within their small village.

Walking beside Pere Robert, he couldn't stop himself from gaping at the enormity of the castle. Even after a few visits, it was still an incredible sight. The marble floors, the high ceilings, the decor, everything about it screamed royalty. And yet, it also felt homey. Like anyone could be welcomed within the walls.

"I believe the library should be right up here," Pere Robert said, catching Lefou's attention, "We'll have to be quiet, I believe Belle is still finishing up with the children."

As if on queue, an eruption of giggles echoed down the hall. As they walked closer to the source, Lefou found himself panicking. His heart felt like a drum, his hands starting to sweat, and it took all of his focus to take deep breaths. The last time he had been this nervous was the night before he and Gaston had left for the war, his stomach felt like it had been doing flips and he hadn't gotten any sleep. This wasn't a war though for god's sake, it was a simple lesson!

Pere Robert put a finger to his lips with a whispered shushing sound, walking quietly through the massive double doors. Turning into the room, Lefou had to hold back a gasp, his breath almost taken away. Never in his life had he seen a room so large, rows and rows of books expanding from one wall to another. The craftsmen's ship of the shelves was stunning, the intricate details on the ceiling catching his eye as he took in the massive space. Being in the room for only moments, he could tell how much it was loved.

"Our story will have to end there for today everyone," a light voice announced to a long series of whines, a laugh flittering through the air, "don't worry though! You'll be back before you know it, don't forget to take the books that you picked out today!"

Hair pulled up in a bun, though still in a messy fashion that Lefou remembered seeing a few times before, Belle looked as if she was glowing. The smile on her face couldn't have been any bigger as she laughed at the childrens pouting faces, tugging on the skirt of her dress, begging not to leave. He couldn't recall a time, in all of the years he had seen her, where she looked as happy as she did now. A small smile snuck it's way onto his lips as he watched the scene before him, taking in the moment.

Belle had found him during the celebration the prince held a few weeks after the fiasco at the castle. He was shocked to see he was invited, a special invitation from Belle herself, and he found himself questioning the motive behind it. What had he ever done for the young woman? For him to be treated with such kindness from her? As he listened to Pere Robert read it, there was mention of helping to protect the castle, and how some of the staff would love to see him once again. He replayed the words over and over in his mind again, having the clergy man re-read it a few times, and he stood there in shock each time.

The celebration was unlike anything he had ever seen or experienced. The beautiful people, the music, the festivities, being in the presence of actual royalty. It made his head dizzy, the whirlwind of emotion almost too much to take. Then he had found himself dancing with Stanley, a rush of warmth going through his body, and there was so much he just didn't understand.

He didn't mind the dance though.

She found him off to the corner and greeted him with a huge, dazzling smile that lite up her face. Arm entwined with the prince, ("Adam," he had said in a smooth voice, shaking his hand with a firm grip that Lefou attempted to return), she peppered him with questions from how he was doing to if he was enjoying himself.

"I just wanted to thank you personally for helping to defend the castle," she had said, "you could have left after Gaston left you to fight...but you stayed. And that means a lot, truly."

'Sorry old friend...but it's hero time.'

Those had been his best friend's last words to him. Leaving Lefou to defend himself, leaving him behind to prove he was the hero of the village once more. In that moment, the weight of the harpsichord pressing down on him, he could feel his heart break. For all he did for Gaston, through their years as children, to the war, and beyond that, he was treated as an afterthought. Never truly standing alongside Gaston, always the figure to the side who would support him in whatever endeavor he had next.

That loyalty was rewarded with nothing.

Sensing his mood, was he that easy to read?, Belle had offered for him to come by the castle if he ever needed anything. They always needed help around the massive building, and she had already begun a plan to make the library into an area for children to come by and learn. The offer was kind, and as he tried to decline, he let it slip that he didn't know how to read.

"Well then I'll help you to learn, you can come by when the children are finished," she declared happily, "if you would like to, that is. The offer is always open. I would love to help."

That's how Lefou found himself standing in the massive library of a prince, helping Pere Robert with a headcount of all the children. Each Saturday, boys and girls from the village would come down to the castle and get lessons from Belle. From what Pere Robert mentioned, they learned something new each week, keeping their interest as much as possible.

"So next week guys, we'll go over each of the stories you picked out! And if you don't understand something, we'll all go over it together," Belle happily explained to the children, giving a hug to each one as they filed out of the room, "have a great rest of the day, I can't wait to hear your thoughts!"

A chorus of 'merci's!' filled the air, Pere Robert greeting Belle with a smile and a hug of his own, "Another lesson gone well I hope?"

"Of course," she replied, pulling back from the older man, "though with the nice weather today, the kids were getting a little anxious to go outside."

"As most children are," he replied with a smile, "I'll get them back safe. I'll see you next week Belle."

Lefou, standing off to the side, nodded to the clergyman as he left the room with the rambunctious group of children. It reminded him of times when he was younger, when he would walk with Gaston to school, and how the older boy would playful push him. Simpler times.

A hand rested on his arm and he jumped, the memory fading away as quickly as it came. Looking around, his eyes met Belle's, curious yet concerned, and tried to fight back a rush of embarrassment.

"Is everything alright Lefou?" she asked quietly, "Mind wandering?"

A laugh escaped his lips and he shrugged, trying to play it off, "Something like that. It's been doing that a lot lately."

Belle eyes scrutinized him for a moment, squinting slightly as if she was trying to see past his forced smile. He didn't blink, didn't feel like he could breath, because he didn't want her to see. See the turmoil he had been holding within himself in these past few weeks, his world turned upside down. Gaston was always by his side and even with his faults, Lefou loved him. Now, he was gone.

After a moment, Belle leaned back slightly and nodded, "I can relate, the past few weeks have been," she paused with a smile, eyes drifting over the far walls of the library, "they've almost been like a dream."

"I couldn't agree more," he confessed, his gaze drifting back to the area where the children once were, "the kids seems to be enjoying themselves."

Belle blinked, turning her gaze back toward him before looking back to the mess of books on the table. She hummed happily, her feet carrying her over to the crowded table, "They were very attentive today, which was fantastic. Mixing together some reading lessons and drawing seems to be the winning combination with them."

He kept his distance, watching the brunette hustle around the table and flip through each of the books. She looked up from the text for a moment, waving him over gently with her hand. It was a welcoming motion and after a moment, Lefou slowly made his way over to her. His eyes watched as she created multiple piles with the books, then double checked the spines of them before putting them together.

Pursing his lips, Lefou watched her with a raised eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

Pushing back a few random strands of hair from her face, Belle gave him a polite smile, "Organizing the books, so that I can put them back in their proper place. I've made it my mission to organize the whole library, much to Adam's amusement."

"Does he think you can't do it?"

"Oh no!" she exclaimed with a laugh, walking toward one of the shelves by the fireplace, "He knows I'll be able to do it, he just finds it amusing that I'm very particular with how the books are organized. Can you blame me though? While he was in here often, Adam didn't have a real organizational method to all of these books."

"Nothing?" he asked with a surprised tone, coming around the table. Picking up a few of the books, he followed after Belle, "I would think he'd have some sort of method to the madness."

"He had a little something, but nothing like I'm going to do," she said with a determination in her voice. Turning toward him, her gaze bounced from the books in his hand to him and gave him a small thank you. Taking the weight from his hands, he watched her almost dance along the shelves, eyes scanning the rows books. Like she had the whole thing memorized, which, thinking about it, she probably did.

They continued like this for awhile, him following her around the floors of the library as she put the books away in their correct section. As they walked, she would explain what each section was slowly becoming, pointing out each time what her favorite novel was in reference to it. The names and titles floated in one ear and out the other for Lefou, though he nodded politely as they walked along, asking the occasional question to keep from falling into silence.

Sighing happily, Belle sat down in one of the lush chairs towards the back of the room. Lefou pulled a chair from the other side of the table next to her, sitting back and couldn't fight back his own sigh. "It's chairs like this that make me never want to stand again."

Belle chuckled, "It's truly a struggle, especially when you're supposed to be going down to dinner but really don't want to move."

"Can't you have your meals up here?" he asked, sinking back into his chair more, "or do you prefer the dining room?"

"I think if I ate in here, Lumiere would have a heart attack," she said jokingly, dragging her chair closer to him. Giving Lefou a smile, she pulled over a small book that she left on the table, flipping through the pages quickly.

Cracking the book open, Lefou caught a quick glance of the pages and felt his heart hammer against his chest. It looked like a lot more than he could handle, his mind racing with failure. It would be too much for him, he already knew.

Shooting him a reassuring look, Belle slide the book closer to Lefou, "I know it may look like a lot, but believe me it's not. We'll go through this step by step and go as slow as you need to," her smile was soft, comforting, "I want you to be comfortable with this. We'll work on it as long as we need. Is that alright with you?"

A knot formed in his chest, an emotion he was unfamiliar with. Belle looked at him with such caring eyes, an encouraging tone, it wasn't anything he had experienced before. All his life, he had put something before himself. He was the shadow to the village hero and most people paid him no mind. After awhile he became numb to it, smiling through being ignored and continuing on with what worked for him in the past.

Now though, it was all different. It was his time in life to shine, to bring himself up to center stage. To live his life in a new way he hadn't before. Wringing his hands together, a small smile ghosted on his lips. He lifted his head up, meeting her eyes, and he knew that he had found someone who was looking out for him. Who cared about his well-being and wanted to help him learn something he had all but forgotten about it.

"That's perfectly fine with me. Where do we start?"