Thanks for the reviews! ImagineATale I send you a PM. Luckily I finished it sooner than expected. Though credits for the boots comment goes to my 3 year old daughter. She's happy to know you loved it.

This chapter will be mostly Gaston centric though, hope you'll enjoy!

Chapter 11

It had been three days since he started to tend to Philippe and they were starting to get along. He didn't dare trying to ride him, should the others suspect something. The stable had been organized very thoroughly, the grooming equipment was on a table to his right and food and water was on his left in the corner just two paces away.

It was almost time to make his escape, he would wait a few more days. Though they stopped insulting each other every chance they got, he noticed Beast kept close by to watch him. Yes, he was alone in the stable, but Beast was outside in the gardens, still keeping an eye out.

Belle however was warming up slightly and had even asked if he wanted anything specific for dinner. But he knew she would be the easy one to fool, the real challenge was getting the Beast to trust him. Not that it mattered, he would be out of here soon enough.

He grabbed some fresh hay for Philippe and made his way out. He could feel the eyes of the Beast follow his every move.

Yesterday he had found a small soft bench, not far from the stable. He really hated this accursed place, nothing was as it should be. He had stumbled upon this weird little bench by accident. It was hidden between a wall and a high curved hedge at the end of a small and narrow path. But he knew he could escape the glares of the Beast here.

Closing his eyes he started to doze off a bit, when suddenly he was thrown off with a loud growl. This was the first time he felt truly afraid of the Beast.

"What is your problem! I'm just sitting on a bench!" Fear or not, he would not let himself get intimidated. He didn't know what his problem was this time, but he stood back up to move back onto the bench.

"Don't you dare sit on him!"

Gaston shot him an incredulous look, that monster must have lost his mind completely, it is just a bench.

"You have lost your mind Beast. All I did was sit on this stupid little bench, a bench! That's an it, not an him!"

He sat down again and next thing he knew he was flying through the air and heard the angry roar of the Beast.

He started to cower in the hedge, trying to get away. Where was Belle, she could stop him. Just as the thought entered his mind, he heard rapid footsteps coming their way.

"Beast! Stop this!" He heard Belle yell. He had never been so happy to hear her voice.

"He's crazy, he just attacked me. I didn't do anything, I swear! All I did was sit on that small bench." He quickly explained.

"Beast, calm down. He didn't know, why don't you go bring Froufrou back inside. I'll explain to Gaston what happened, but you will apologize to him later.

Gaston just sat there speechless, did she just name the bench? They were both crazy and delusional. He heard the Beast stomp off back inside and let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I'm sorry about that Gaston. We should have explained some more about the curse the Beast is under."

All he could do was nod, still shivering from the Beast's attack.

Belle continued, "You were told that his curse had already become permanent, but he wasn't the only one effected. Most of the furniture here was alive and used to be actual people. When the curse took full hold after the last petal of the rose fell, they all stopped moving and essentially died. That bench you sat on was the dog."

His jaw dropped, people? Dogs? He had to get out of here before that happened to him. He had come to terms with the fact that magic exists, but this was stretching it a bit. He felt a hand on his shoulder and winced, it hurt somewhat by the strong pull of the Beast.

Belle brought him back inside to the parlor

and told him to remove his shirt to see if his shoulder was injured. He removed his shirt enough to bare the sore spot and heard Belle gasp. That didn't sound good, what did that monster do?

"I'm sorry Gaston, no matter how he feels about you, you didn't deserve that." She sounded sad, "You're starting to bruise and there's a little bit of blood. I'll clean it and I'll bring your meal to your room."

He sat there letting Belle clean the wound. He had made his decision, he would try to escape tonight. Before the Beast could attack him again.

It didn't take long for the wound to be cleaned. Belle helped him back to the entrance hall and he could find his own way to his room. Upon arriving he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, he was woken by knocking on his door a few hours later.

"Gaston, I have your dinner here. Would you mind if I checked your shoulder again?"

He bared his shoulder again and winced at the movement.

"The wound looks good, though the bruising has gotten worse, but that will fade in a few days." Belle explained to him. She then left him to eat his meal.

Gaston was hungry after missing lunch and quickly finished his dinner. He felt well rested and now he just had to bide his time and wait till they went to bed.

In the West Wing Beast was pacing in his chambers, he was waiting for Belle to return. Not feeling very hungry, he didn't join Belle for dinner. He felt ashamed of himself. No matter how much he despised Gaston, he didn't deserve what he had done. He was just blinded with rage when he saw the half frozen footstool, and when he saw that the man he despised more than anything use him as a lowly bench, that had sent him over the edge. After he had left, he had returned him to his owners on the stage.

He sighed, he would have to apologize, Belle was right about that. He would do that first thing tomorrow.

He heard footsteps coming in his direction and braced himself, he would get an earful from Belle and he didn't deserve anything less. But he resolved to make a real effort in being civilised to Gaston from now on, he would bear the insults thrown at him, for the man had every right to do so after his actions.

He looked up and saw Belle's thunderous face, "I apologize, and I will apologize to him tomorrow," he simply said. What else could he say?

Belle paid his words no heed, "Apologizing is the least you could do, you've actually hurt him. His entire shoulder is bruised and there is a cut from one of your claws on his upper arm, what were you thinking!" She was livid. "He's the only chance we have to get our friends back and you attack him for something he couldn't have known!"

"I know..." he answered weakly.

"Just get out for now, I wish to be alone before I do something I may regret." She turned her back to him and walked away from him.

Beast turned around and left, leaving Belle alone in their chambers. It was getting late, but he didn't feel like going to bed anytime soon. His feet led him to the prison tower, he didn't know what made him go there, maybe to punish himself in some way. He moved to the top of the tower and he looked out the window overlooking the grounds.

Gaston jolted awake and remembered his resolve to escape tonight. He walked over to the window, opening the curtains a little. Feeling no warmth from the sun, he knew it must be night. He got up and grabbed his coat from his closet. He carefully made his way down to the stable and patted Philippe, he managed to put on the bridle that hung on the door and let the horse out. Getting onto the horse's bare back, he spurred him on to move.

At first at a careful walking speed, but soon going faster, he held on and he could only hope that the horse would take him to the gate.

In the tower, the Beast saw it all unfold and raced down, he didn't know what would happen if Gaston would try to leave. As soon as he was down, he quickly went in pursuit.

Gaston started to get un uneasy feeling, he didn't know what it was but he didn't like it. He pushed the feeling aside and concentrated on holding on.

Beast had him in view now and it wouldn't be long until he would reach him, but he saw the gate quickly coming nearer. Also he noticed he started to feel weaker the closer he came to the gate.

Gaston suddenly was thrown off when Philippe started to buck. The horse was making frantic sounds and if he thought he felt uneasy before, he felt downright awful and weak right now. He then realised what they tried to tell him, he was trapped here and couldn't leave. He was bound to this place and his attempt to escape was causing the curse to punish him.

The last he heard before losing consciousness was the Beast calling his name.

ImagineATale, couldn't resist torturing you with another cliffhanger. ;) but at least the dog is back with it's owners.