First things first: TrudiRose, rougebat90, Jasmine-girl: the characters are OOC on purpose. If I'd have them exactly like in the movie, the story wouldn't be my version. If Gaston wouldn't have been a brute Belle wouldn't have gone to the castle my way. But I don't think I'll change the characters much from now on. And I don't own the movie! But I think my Grandma owns the Christmas-movie that was done…

And now my lame excuse for the wait… school has started and I'm in 9th class this year and I found out I can't sit doodling in class anymore, I have to learn! Also, I'm going to take one exam at the end of the year that people in 10th class only take. I'm a nerd. Oh, and we have sheeps and they're trouble this time of the year. Well… my brother said that sheeps are trouble all the year, but especially now. And everyone else who reviewed: thank you! (One question… what means 'export'? I clicked it in the document manager with first chapter and don't have an idea of what I did!)

----------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER THREE: Love at first sight?

Belle and Filipé raced trough the dark and gloomy forest. After some time Filipé slowed down and Belle finally noticed she had let him go the wrong way: away from the village. But she had been so desperate to get away from Gaston and his filthy hands that she hadn't been thinking properly.

"Oh, well. I might just continue. After all, I've always wanted to know where this forest ended," she muttered and looked around. Something fell onto her hand. Was it starting to rain?

"What the… oh god. Gaston, I hate you!" Belle screamed and then wiped the blood that had been leaking out of her nose for some time. No wonder she wasn't thinking properly.

'Some other part of me would be bloody if Pierre hadn't taught me how to handle a sword. Bless whatever bloke who won most of his money those years ago!' Belle thought. When Pierre had been younger he had trained noble people in sword fighting. But he was a man who didn't mind getting drunk or have a bet, and one night he lost almost all of his money! So, with almost nothing left he moved away from all the Counts and Dukes and all the finery to the country. He'd lived for few years at some villages but finally settled down in Labourn. Said he was getting too old for all this walk and craving for life. He was now a blacksmith and taught few boys how to use a sword. Belle had been fascinated when she had sneaked to watch and Pierre had agreed to teach her IF she had a talent. Which she had.

"Where are we anyway, Filipé?" Belle asked her horse and looked around. She had never ventured so deep into the forest. No one was around there, not one living person. After looking around for some time Belle let Filipé continue. The forest grew darker and darker but suddenly the trees stopped and enormous gates stood before Belle.

"Whoa!" she breathed and gaped in awe. Behind the gates was a huge castle. It would have been beautiful on a sunny day with few doves flying around the towers… but instead it was dark, gloomy and forbidding and there were crows flying around the towers. Filipé stomped his foot down impatiently.

"Calm down, Filipé. Calm down. It's alright. Look, I'm sure I can open the gates and then we can get into a dry place," Belle whispered soothingly. Then she jumped off Filipé and walked to the iron gates. At the moment she touched them a lightning flashed, closely followed with a booming thunder and it started to rain. Belle panicked. She really liked raining but NOT thunders! She hated them, despised them! They were her worst fear. Filipé nudged her shoulder.

"What is it? Oh… it opened…" Belle hesitated. What place was this?

Meanwhile, Maurice raced through the forest, trying to find his daughter. After some time he met Gaston.

"What did you do to my daughter? I know you followed her into the forest!" Maurice demanded. Gaston grimaced and glared at him.

"To hell with her," he snapped and continued to ride on. Maurice gaped. He'd NEVER heard anyone talk badly of his own daughter.

"Come on, old lad. Maybe he didn't find her and that's why he was moody," Maurice said to his horse. And so the continued their journey to find Belle.

Belle looked at the castle. What person could live in a place like that? She took a heavy door handle and banged it to the door few times. No one opened. Filipé shook his head and tried to move away. Belle pulled his reins back.

"Don't do that! Oh, wait a minute, there are stables over there! Come on, let's get you inside there," she said and pulled him over to what looked like stables. She opened the door carefully and looked inside. There were no horses in there, but everything to take care of them in there. Belle took Filipé to one of the stables and put him there. It wasn't likely anyone would object. Unless the furniture would!

"There boy. Now I'm going inside this lovely castle, I'll be right back, ok?" Belle said and walked outside. Instead of knocking on the front door now she simply opened the door and peeked inside. It was completely dark. No movement… or what?

"Hello?" she called tentatively. Then she stepped inside. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a faint light coming from under a door nearby. Belle looked quickly around but then ran to the door and opened it. The light came from candelabra… that stood on the floor with a miniature grandfather-clock beside it.

'Right. The floor is of course the usual place you'd put a candelabra and a lil' clock on…' Belle thought sarcastically. She crouched down to see the two items better but then a booming voice sounded from doorway at the other end of the room.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my castle?"

Belle looked up and gaped. Filling in the whole doorway was an enormous beast! And it didn't look so happy.

"I'm… B-Belle. The weather… it's…. uhm… I-I just came here… for a shelter 'cause of the storm… no one answered when I knocked, I'm sorry I didn't know anyone lived here!" Belle explained and gulped. The Beast stepped in the room. Suddenly Belle noticed something… the clock and the candelabra were gone. They were now both on table and looked quite normal there. Then she looked up… into clear-blue humans' eyes.