AN: This could be the last update for a few weeks I'M GOING TO FRANCE! SOON! And so: I'm TRYING (being the operative word of course) to update everything once before I go.

AN2: I'm also sorry it's so short. The last two chapters (ie the next two) will be longer I promise!

Disclaimer: If you still think I own the originals, I'm a little worried.

Adam

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. . . .
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.

Belle was like that, he thought to himself as he read slowly over the words remembering her voice Reminding him how to read. She read this speech slowly, he remembered that, slowly and passionately. As though to forget one word would be to loose the meaning of the whole.

He never could understand, when he was at school, why Romeo had spent so long speaking beautiful words about a beautiful woman – wasting the time he could have with her. Now, now things were different.

He could hear the clatters downstairs as chairs and couches battled men with guns, men who were stronger, more equipped than they were.

They meant nothing to him, or if they did, he couldn't think of them. He thought only of Romeo and Juliet and Belle and Estelle.

Brown hair, brown eyes and a smile that could win his heart. Did win his heart.

Long … purple (last time at least) hair, blue eyes and a curious stare.

A door creaked open somewhere in reality while he remained firmly in Verona. A man came in, a gun pointed somewhere on his head. Adam looked up at the man walking through the room looking him in the eyes.

A Bang resounded through the room.

He could feel blood trickle down his shoulder as someone laughed. It was only his shoulder. He would live.

Worse Luck the devil on his shoulder couldn't help adding.

"Get up, Get UP! What's the matter Beast? To kind and gentle to fight back?" Eyes stared at him as he turned his head the other way. He wouldn't reply. He couldn't bring himself to reply. He was kicked in the side until he was leaning against the glass windows out onto the balcony. "Why would she want you? When she had me?"

Adam turned his face only to be pushed through the window.

As rain fell to his face and body, everything seemed to rush into focus. He could hear everything now. The fighting below, the car pulling up the driveway. And a young woman's voice he hadn't heard in years call out through the night.

"Adam!"

He saw three figures run up the stairs to the castle and shook his head. Why were they coming? What was he worth? Then he saw the bright purple hair of one of the figures and thought, I'll live until I see her. Them both.

"Were you in love with her, beast? Did you honestly think she'd want you when she had someone like me?"

Adam looked into the eyes that stood near him, a gun barrel in between them and suddenly it was as though a fire was ignited in his mind, an inferno that strengthened him enough to lunge at Greg Gaston and hold him over the edge of the roof a 100 foot drop or so laying out underneath him. Greg kicked and flailed and begged.

"Put me down, put me down. Please. I'll do anything. Anything!"

Adam considered it, his blue eyes growing wide and his kindness returned. The inferno doused.

"Get out, Get out and Never return." He scowled. "Take the others with you."

Greg looked at him as he was placed on a flat piece of roof. Adam turned around to see the balcony and two hands reaching down towards him. One was covered in rings and bracelets, the other was pale and empty.

"Adam, come on." The pale hand said.