Wow, I can't believe it's been one year since I started this, I should really get moving on it since I'm nowhere near the middle XD

I know that this story hasn't been my number one priority but I have a clear vision in my head of where it's going, it's not something I can complete over night but it is something that has become very special to me and I want to take my time with it. I'll try to speed it along though…

Thanks to all the people who stuck with this story for a year LeighWolf, Rose of Noonvale, and PimpernelPrincess, (thank you, thank you, thank you!!) you all made my story worth writing :)

Also thank you to unsigned reviewers, thanks Team Edward… Rochester! for your truly inspiring words!! I always appreciate anyone who takes the time to write as much (and as kindly) as you!

Enjoy and review as always :)

~Rose

Babette took a seat at an empty table in the middle of the loud crowded, tavern. An array of familiar sounds and smells filled her senses, it was as if she had stepped back into Paris, back to home.

Suddenly a glass was placed in front of her and a man she did not recognize took the seat beside her.

"Alone tonight, are we?" he asked with decent enough speech though it was a bit slurred.

"Actually…" she began to protest but Lumiere interrupted stepping between the two.

"The lady is with me," he said starring the stranger down.

Babette frowned, "Excuse me monsieur, I believe the gentleman was speaking to me."

Both men looked to her, one with a hopeful grin the other a look of shock.

"Babette?" questioned Lumiere.

"What? He was, and it would be rude for me not to answer him, excuse me," she said pushing Lumiere to the side and looking back to the man.

"What is your name, monsieur?" she asked pleasant as ever.

The man seemed surprised but wasn't about to let the chance escape him, "Jack, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance mad'moiselle…?"

"Babette," she said quickly giving him her hand, Lumiere rolled his eyes.

"Oh, for the love of God…" he mumbled acknowledging never had he been put through such humiliation, was she making him actually work for attention? He began to wonder if he had done something to deserve this.

Babette giggled as the stranger placed a kiss on her hand, Lumiere was disgusted be the sight of the revolting man's dirty hand on the petite one of Babette, it took much restraint for him not to push him out of his chair then and there.

"Where are you from, mon cher?" asked the man now moving his filthy hand up Babette's arm as Lumiere uncomfortably stood and watched on. This proved to be all he could take, he hadn't risked both his and Babette's jobs to be ignored all night.

Babette was about to answer him when Lumiere abruptly forced the man to his feet, "So sorry ami," he said walking the man to the far end of the tavern as Babette was left alone once again.

"What are you doing, man?!" asked Jack trying to push Lumiere away.

"I am simply informing you of matters you are obviously oblivious to," he said walking the man toward the exit with his arm around his shoulder, "to be honest I heard that girl you were speaking to us not all together there in the head," he lied under his breathe pointing to his own head. "Have you not heard?"

The man shook his head dumbfounded. Lumiere pulled a dramatic face and serious tone of voice, "Well it's very hard to explain and quiet sad, it's plain gruesome to tell you the truth. Such an illness is far too confusing to truly explain but in short it's extremely rare and also... also, uh...--"

"Terminal?" asked Jack.

"Yes! Terminal, very very terminal."

To that the man glanced to Babette with a sorrowful expression.

"All this to one so young?" he asked.

"Yes, pity isn't it? Well you best be on your way, maybe you should bathe or something," Lumiere said in a backhanded sort of manner to the filthy man.

Babette watched on as Lumiere managed to have her new acquaintance practically run out of the tavern, she wondered how he managed, she thought for sure she would have started some sort of fight, oh well…

"Honestlety Babette," he said taking his seat next to her, "there are some things that you just don't do."

As irritated as he was she couldn't help but smirk, "I was just getting to know him, I don't see any harm in being friendly."

"If you had gotten to know him any better, cheri, you would have been on your back," he mumbled taking a drink from his mug.

She gasped, "Excuse me, saying such things to a lady, you should be ashamed you brute!!"

He placed his mug back on the table and looked to her with an apologetic, "You are right mon cher, I'm wrong, would you like a drink?" he offered her a mug he brought for her.

"No, I do not drink," Lumiere laughed to that.

"Come now, it'll be good for you."

"Lumiere, I've been working in a tavern none to different from this for years, I saw the effect it has on men and women alike and I shall have no part in it," she said with a huff.

Lumiere raised an eyebrow to her, "It seems, my dear, that you were having a better time with that uncivilized swine, perhaps you wish for me to bring him back here and I can just make my lonely way home."

"Oh come off of it already!" she said rolling her eyes, "Men like that are the lonesome ones. After the night is over, the daze they acquired from their drink has faded, and the woman who shared their bed has gone, what do they have left?"

Lumiere was silent for a moment, a look of realization on his face, "So you didn't like that man?"

She looked to him seeming to only now recognize his existence in the crowded room.

"I felt apologetic for him, I could tell I had been the only woman in this tavern to have given him the time of day."

Lumiere chuckled, "Perhaps he shall have better luck now that I sent him to the streets."

Babette smiled in agreement, "And also I have to admit it was fairly amusing to see you so jealous, my friend."

"Jealous!" he exclaimed, "You thought I to be envious of… that?!"

"You were only ready to jump out of your own skin when you saw him put his fat hand on mine," she said pointedly.

He calmed a bit on her accusation, "You noticed that?"

She looked to him again after playing with the drink before her, "Why of course I noticed, monsieur."

He sat back in his chair looking down to her for a long moment, "Drink what I bought you, I believe we're going to have fun tonight."

Her features where unchanging, still with the same nonchalant attitude, though it was beginning to get harder to front.

She picked up the glass and examined it, "I've never had a drink before."

"Ah! Try it then, how can you hate what you have never given a chance?"

She glanced back to him, her mind went to something else she thought she hated without giving a fair chance.

"Trying new things, a terrifying feat monsieur," she noted.

"You of all people, Babette? I thought you to be somewhat interesting when I met you."

"I am interesting!" she said in protest, almost childlike.

He gave her a long look asking her to prove it to him. She damned herself for being so predictable, she was far too proud of herself not to show off.

She took a large gulp from the mug and nearly gagged, with a grimace she cleared her throat.

"So it's not the finest grog in all of France, it would not surprise me if it was more water than anything else," stated Lumiere examining his own.

Babette laughed covering her mouth, "This is absolutely awful!" she took another long sip as Lumiere grinned.

"How is it now?"

"It's growing on me," she said after another small sip.

His small laughter faded into something more important to him, "You do know it was only a jest when I said I thought you uninteresting."

She smiled with a bit of arrogance, "I know."

"What I mean Babette is…" he looked away form her for a moment, a man who had began to play a fiddle caught his eye, "would you care to dance?"

"Dance?"

"You know when a man and woman hold each other close and--"

"I know what it means to dance, it is just that I wasn't expecting to, not with you any way," he laughed not taking her insult to heart.

"Well than it appears you are out of luck because from the looks of it I am the only man in this tavern in decent enough condition to ask a lady to dance, and besides," he said getting to his feet and taking Babette's nervous hand, "I've never met a man who could prove his dancing better than mine or a woman who stood unimpressed."

"But monsieur, I am from Paris, surely no country side commoner could show me anything different than what I've already seen from the wealthy city gentlemen," she said mostly in jest.

"Mon cher, those gentlemen have leaned everything they know from us country side commoners," he walked her over to an empty corner near where the fiddler had began to play, "they still manage though to be completely left footed and lack any sense of rhythm."

Babette smiled though her nerves made her breathe hitch as he placed a hand on her hip and the other to grasp her own.

"Two cannot dance with an arm's length between."

She nodded and looked to floor to her own feet, he took her face by the chin so their heads were level.

"It would be a shame if I could not see your face."

"Well unlike you Lumiere I am not incredibly gifted in dance, or overly confident should I also point out."

"Just relax, we are miles away from any worries and hours away from returning to work."

She looked to his cheery face with a pout.

"Why don't you smile while your at it," he said in a whisper.

She remained blasé as they went through the motions of a slow waltz like dance that nearly had the whole room half asleep.

From over Babette's shoulder Lumiere looked to the man playing the fiddle, he watched how he played the boring tune when a sudden thought came to mind.

"Excuse me Babette, I'll just be a moment."

She watched as he went over to the fiddler and whispered something into his ear, the man smiled and nodded before Lumiere was back at her side taking her hand in dance again.

"What did you tell him?" she asked a bit nervous to know the answer.

"I told him that I was in the need to impress a lovely girl from the city," the music suddenly changed to a fast paced jig, the type that was irresistible to at least clap along to, Babette gulped.

"Lumiere, this isn't exactly my kind of music I don't know--"

She was cut off mid sentence as she was thrown into the dance and soon she was being lead around the room by Lumiere. He laughed as she tried to keep up, "Just listen to the music, stop thinking for once."

She nodded again closing her eyes and beginning to catch the rhythm along with Lumiere.

He starred to her face as she opened her eyes and looked to him, imagining how silly she must look her she broke into a wide grin and began to laugh, he quickly began to laugh with her as they continued in the jig. The smile did not leave her face the whole way though.

Others slowly began to participate as another fiddler joined the jig and within minutes the room was alive with laughter, people stomping and clapping in time to the music. The room was cleared of tables and chairs and there wasn't a person in sight who sat unaffected by the infectious music.

True to his word Lumiere impressed Babette with his quick footing and gracefulness as he held her throughout the jig. She wasn't surprised in his abilities just shocked that she hadn't been the one to impress him. She had came into the night thinking it would be a meaningless date, a silly fling to pay off a mock bet. She had thought that after this night all of he worries would be out of her hair. Lumiere would finally leave her alone and all would go on normal as ever. Yet now as she danced with him having the most fun she has had since arriving to the country side, she realized that this night actually may be more of a beginning than an end.

Remembering what Lumiere had told her moments ago, she stopped the thoughts that often clouded her mind, she threw her head back and laughed as they span around now in a crowd of lively dancers.

After the song ended and the room applauded each other, Babette turned to Lumiere and clapped for him, he bowed to her.

"I'll be right back," she whispered into his ear, "I must fetch my drink."

Stumbling back to their table dizzy from the drink, head spinning from the dance, she found her drink and took a gulp from it.

Searching the room for her dancing partner she came across the sight of a woman older than herself taking Lumiere's hand. She watched as he smiled to her and laughed at something she said. It appeared that they were friends and have met once before. Babette took another long sip as another equally fast paced song started and the two began in a friendly dance.

"Excuse me mad'moiselle," came a soft voice from Babette's side, she turned to see a meek young man wrestling with his hat in his hands as he smiled kindly to her. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Babette looked to him once before walking strait by him with her drink in hand, she left the tavern.

The outside was a fresh breathe compared to the cluttered, musky tavern. She took a deep breathe a bit annoyed the muffled noises of the tavern could still be heard in the night air.

It wasn't that she was mad or jealous, it was the exact opposite, she needed a moment to sort all her thoughts through her busy head.

"Babette?" came an unmistakable voice.

She looked to the entrance of the building to see Lumiere a worried expression on his face, she smirked to him.

"The song has not yet ended, why are you out here?" she asked.

"Well, because you are. Why are you out here?"

She broke eye contact with him and looked towards the stars, "I thought it a waste not to be outside on a night such as this," he walked to her side and looked to where she was looking.

"It is clear out tonight, summer has practically arrived."

"I've never been found of Summer, it arrives too late and often outstays it's welcome."

He nodded in agreement as they stood in silence.

Lumiere looked down to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "What is the true reason you've come out here?"

She thought for a moment before turning to look at him, "Lumiere, tonight was the first time I've truly laughed since arriving here, the first night I wasn't thinking of Paris and my father, the first night I…"

His hand on her shoulder had slid down to take hers but she pulled away and turned her back to him.

"I thought I'd be on my way back by now, believe me, this place is fine but I don't belong here," she crossed her arms as if catching a sudden chill.

Lumiere's cheer had subsided and he crossed his arms as well, "Did you not just say you enjoyed this night with me?"

"Yes…"

"Well then enjoy it!! Don't ruin it now with talk of what could have been. You wish you were somewhere else, well so does every other person in that tavern. You say you don't belong here but you preformed that jig better than any other I have ever danced with." Babette laughed to that, "It's true, Babette," he said earnestly. "And I'll be damned if I'll let you walk away now and not show that boy in there how a Parisian city girl dances."

She looked to him wide eyed, "You saw him ask me?"

"Yes I did, I had thought he was the reason you ran out here in such a hurry but after I asked him as polite as I could, he informed me all he had done was ask you to a dance."

She blushed and attempted to hide her face but he saw her rosy cheeks and laughed taking her hand and leading her back to the tavern.

"I don't think I'll be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning," groaned Babette as Lumiere helped her off of the horse as they arrived back to the castle gates.

"I'm sure you'll find the strength, wouldn't want Cogsworth to think the devil Casanova took you in the middle of the night to town against your own will just to get you drunk and cross your name off his list."

She giggled as he took the reigns to the stead, "Thank you for tonight Lumiere, I understand I wasn't the most pleasant to ask--"

"No need, I had a marvelous night cheri, now I must away to the stables and put this horse to rest, I'll let you in the back but you must try to be as quiet as possible."

"Of course," she whispered as they made their way across the manner.

Lumiere fumbled with the key for a moment before the door creaked open.

"Have a goodnight Babette," he said holding the door open for her.

"You as well Lumiere," she said walking by him glancing back once to offer him a warm smile.

Babette walked as lightly as she could she after all, never had much practice in keeping quiet, but luck proved to be on her saide as she made it to her door unheard. She opened the door quickly and stepped in unknowing someone had been waiting for her there since she had left.