A/N: UGH! This chapter took forever! The ideas just would not come. I just wanted to skip ahead to the next part of the story. I won't say it's terrible (people seem to get mad when I abuse myself) but it felt slow to me and if it wasn't necessary to get to the next chapter, I'd rather have left it out entirely.

Before I wrote this I never really noticed the similarity between Ten being shot by the Dalek (in The Stolen Earth) and the Beast being hurt by Gaston. Does this ring true to anyone else? Maybe it's just me. I do tend to see Doctor Who in everything.

Also, I've borrowed a few lines here (well, more than a few). Obviously, anything you recognize is clearly not mine. I know I should have mentioned this before, but a more than passing knowledge of Beauty and the Beast is probably necessary to this story.

"You... you came back." The Beast struggled to say. He was mortally wounded, lying on the floor is his castle, but couldn't remember being happier in his life.

"Of course I came back." I couldn't let them..." Belle was kneeling over him, holding his hand to her heart. "Oh this is all my fault. If only I had gotten here sooner." Tears leaked down her face.

"Maybe... Maybe... it's better... it's better this way." His eyes closed, pain marred his features.

"Don't talk like that." She sniffled and tried to force a smile. "You'll be all right. We're together now, everything's going to be fine, you'll see. " She held his hand tighter, willing it to be true.

"At least... I got to see you... one last time." The Beast exhaled and was still.

"No! No! Please!" Belle crumpled over the Beast, draping her herself over his chest, and sobbed, "Please don't leave me... I love you."

John's breath caught in his chest and he couldn't help feeling just for the moment, a hint of jealousy for the Beast. What he wouldn't give for Rose to say that to him.

Rose stiffened.

"And cut!" JJ called from the side.

Rose was still crying when she lifted herself off of John. Without even thinking about it, he pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her back. Trying to help her to calm. "You're brilliant Rose." He whispered to her. "It's all right now, I've got you."

She kept her head buried in his chest, taking deep breaths, trying to get control of herself. It somehow occurred to her that she was sniffling into his costume and abruptly, she made to move away from him. I'm sorry! Oh my goodness," she sniffled, "I'll ruin the costume."

John chuckled slightly, "I don't think that's a problem. That was my last scene in it, and I don't think we'll be needing another go at it." He pulled her back into a hug, tucking her head under his chin.

Rose relaxed into him and soon her breaths became more regular as she calmed down. She pulled away from him finally and stood, looking everywhere but at him.

"What is it Rose?"

Before she could respond, JJ walked over and told Rose she was done for the day. John would be shooting the transformation scene now. Which mainly consisted of him standing in different positions. The effects would be put in later.

"I'm going to go change. Do you want to meet up for dinner again? We could do the last few scenes." She looked nervous again and John was dying to know why.

"Sure, I'll meet you at your flat after I'm done. I'll bring food."

x13x

Rose had been acting strangely. She was nervous and tense around him and John couldn't understand why. He tried thinking back on their interactions over the last few weeks and he couldn't help but smile. He'd couldn't remember a time when he'd been happier. The anxiety she was displaying didn't make sense.

But, something was obviously bothering her. And John, ever the pessimist, tried to figure out what he'd done wrong that would cause Rose to react as she was.

They were together more often than not, he had opened up to her like no one else. She was his best friend, and as much as he wanted to have so much more with her, he was deathly afraid of making a wrong move and losing her altogether. But that was the only thing he held back. Otherwise he was an open book to Rose Tyler

The fact that she was becoming uncomfortable was really bothering him and he needed to understand why. The only anomaly, the only difference, the only thing out of the ordinary, the only explanation that kept flitting into his mind that could possibly be causing her unease with him was their impeding kiss.

He had been unsuccessfully trying NOT to think about that for DAYS.

He wanted it. So badly that he could easily focus on it to the exclusion of all else. And now that it was impending, it was all he could do to not insist on practicing it over and over again when they read through lines before and after filming.

This was light years from where he thought he'd be when this project began.

Looking back now, he felt like he was a totally different person. Maybe he was. The old him would never let anyone close, and couldn't even pretend to care. Now, he was arse over teakettle in love (granted he could never say anything, which was a different type of torture entirely) and willing to let someone in. Rose had changed him that much.

As John thought about why it was bothering her, obsessed over it even, he came to one plausible conclusion: Not only did Rose Tyler only see him as a friend, she was obviously involved with JJ and couldn't stand the thought of kissing someone else in front of him.

That shot pain through John.

He knew... he assumed... he thought... Well, JJ hung all over her! Always singing her praises, always looking for her, always asking her opinion, always getting her attention. John just knew he and Rose were a couple, and that was killing him.

And who could blame JJ? Rose was beautiful and incandescent and kind and compassionate and... and... and the English language just didn't have the right words to describe her. John would give just about anything to have a chance to really be with her.

Anything except her happiness. He'd never want to sacrifice her happiness for his.

He was really in deep.

He had to do something to make Rose more comfortable. He couldn't stand the thought of her suffering. He'd offer to talk to JJ and ask him to make the kiss more chaste. The way it was written made his toes curl a bit. Not that it was lewd, it was passionate, a consummation of sorts, at long last.

Rose probably knew she wouldn't be able to make it convincing. What if it wasn't just about JJ? What if she saw him as an older brother of sorts? Or worse, a father figure...

That thought made him sick.

He was due to meet with Rose. He'd just grabbed dinner (curry this time, instead of their usual fish and chips), and would be heading to her flat. They'd just have to talk this through. They were friends. They'd run the scene, practice the kiss (he tingled at the thought of it) and come out the other side.

x13x