Gil sat in the garden on a huge stone, watching Harry pacing by. Uma sat opposite of him on a wooden bench. They were already surrounded by flowers, even though Gil had the feeling there was much more to be seen up ahead. He was still waiting for Harry and Uma to give him permission to go. He didn't want to think about the meeting or his dad, but Uma and Harry wanted to talk about it. All what Harry did was walking in circle with this infuriated look on his face.

Gil wasn't sure how he should feel. Maybe he should be mad, but he honestly wasn't. He could actually understand why they wanted him gone. He was also less scared to be send back to the Isle, when he saw how Jay jumped up and showed everybody he didn't agree with it. Gil was still scared nevertheless, wondering how he could possibly survive on the Isle without Uma and Harry.

"Could you just sit down?" Uma asked Harry, even though they both knew it was a command.

Harry looked back at her. "They want our help right after they threatened to send Gil back to the Isle."

"I know, I was there," Uma simply replied. "But walking in circles and being mad about it isn't going to solve anything."

"It's because of his dad," Harry continued and Uma rolled her eyes. "They want Gil gone, because they're scared of Gaston."

"And we know they're actually right to be scared," Uma interrupted him. She kept her voice down, making sure no one could overhear them. "Gil's gorilla brothers can be back any day now. And we have to decide which side were on."

Gil slowly looked up at Uma. He didn't like the sound of that at all.

Harry finally sat down besides Uma on the bench, even though he was still clenching his teeth. "I believe it's obvious now which side we choose."

"If we succeed and throw Mal of the throne I finally get the reign that I deserve. Gaston can have Auradon if he wants, The Isle will be mine."

"And Mal finally gets her punishment for humiliating us and splitting us apart," Harry added.

Uma smiled at Harry. She laid her head on his shoulder and softly put her hand on his arm. She had missed her boys when she was hiding alone on the bottom of the sea, especially Harry. Harry finally calmed down when he could feel Uma's touch and let his head rest on hers. Gil looked up at the two. He had seen them like that a hundred times before and it never minded him that much. This time the sight reminded him of Jay and the way he felt when he was holding him. Suddenly the image of his two best friends sitting close to each other made him feel lonely, while he quietly called out for his boyfriend.

"Guys, I think I need to tell you something," Gil said, disturbing the peaceful scene before him.

Harry already sighed annoyed. "Please don't tell me it's about Jay." Harry noticed the shock that appeared in Gil's eyes. It was just a small movement with his eyebrows, a little flinch so to call, but it was enough for Harry to know that Gil had done something stupid again. It was at least absolutely about Jay.

"I hope you guys won't get mad at me," Gil softly continued. Harry's eyes widened.

"I'm already getting furious when you say it like that," Harry said jumping up.

"Gil, what did you do?" Uma asked calm, but also with something threatening in her voice.

Harry walked up towards Gil, making the pirate look up in fear. "I swear, if you said anything to Jay about…"

"Guys!" Harry immediately went quiet when he heard Uma calling out.

Harry looked up, seeing Jay in the shadows of a tree not far from them. He casually stood there, leaning with his shoulder against the tree trunk, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He pushed himself away from the tree, walking over to them.

"Don't worry Hook, Gil didn't tell me anything," Jay joined the conversation. Harry could hear the threatening undertone of his voice. "You just got me curious now. What is it you don't want him to tell me?"

Harry stepped away from Gil, a little smirk appearing on his face. "Well Jay, why don't you tell me first why you and Gil were late on the meeting today? They told us you entered the castle together with Carlos and his dog. And suddenly you two disappeared? Carlos told us you went to the restroom, but to me half an hour seems a little long to take a piss."

Jay smirked back at him, secretly wishing he and Gil had done something outrages. Telling Harry they just softly talked while holding each other close suddenly felt like an anti-climax. Jay shook his head. He had to focus for a moment. "If Gil is not allowed to tell me certain things, than why should he be allowed to tell you anything?"

Harry straightened his shoulder, walking towards Jay. Jay didn't hesitate for a second and took a few steps towards Harry as well. Their eyes were both focused on each other, their fists clenched.

"Oh Jay, you really don't want to play this game with me."

"Too late, Hook. I'm already in."

They looked each other in the eye, both not noticing the distress on Gil's face. He stood their frozen, while his boyfriend and his best friend were on the verge of fighting. Only thing he could do was send a pleading glance towards Uma and she fortunately immediately responded.

"Okay, that's enough," Uma said, quickly standing in between the two boys. "Just back off, both of you. We're here to work together, remember. Harry, I said back off!"

Harry finally stepped back and looked away from the fight. It was then that Jay looked up at Gil and realized what he had done. Gil looked away, not able to look at Jay or at Harry. His mind was out of control, wondering which side he had to choose when a fight broke lose.

"Gil." It was Uma's voice. Gil immediately looked back up at her, grateful to her that she had broken the tension. "Why don't you go ahead and take a look in the gardens for a while."

Gil gave her a little nod, relieved that he was allowed to leave the scene. He trusted that Uma was able to handle it on her own. He quickly walked away from it, but not before he took a last glance at both Harry and Jay.

"You're both idiots," Uma said when Gil was out of hearing distance. She pushed Harry against his shoulder, making sure he was paying attention to her. "Whatever it is you two are squirreling about, leave him out of it. He has enough to figure out as it is."

Harry and Jay looked at each other again, still threatening but both quiet. Jay was the first one to take his eyes from Harry, sighing annoyed. He turned around and quickly walked away, back to the castle. He wanted to follow Gil, but he knew Harry would follow him if he did. It would only cause for more tension between them. If he was to find out what the Sea Three were holding back, he had to be smart about it. In the meanwhile he just had to trust Gil that it wasn't something too stupid.

It didn't take long before Gil was lost in the gardens. He didn't really mind, though. He just hoped the others didn't find him here and that there were no guards lurking around. He tried to ignore the exotic flowers and trees everywhere around him and tried to memorized the outsides of the castle. How many walls were there and how tall was each of them? Was it a possibility to enter the castle via the backdoor or a window? Or was it a better idea to brace the bridge and the huge front door of the castle? What would be the possibility for the soldiers putting an ambush anywhere? Gil knew all the questions he had to ask when one wanted to take over a settlement, both Harry and his dad told him over and over again. But for Gil all the questions had the same answer as he walked around with a deep frown on his face.

"I don't know," Gil softly said to himself. He wasn't good at making plans. Or at memorizing a place for that matter.

Suddenly a beautiful plant caught Gil's attention. Somehow it made Gil sighed relieved, as if the bush could help him in this matter. He softly touched the red pedals, smelling the flower. The scent of the rose already was familiar to him, he noticed. He wished he could take the flower, show it to the others, but he had learned from his mistakes. It was too late for this flower to be cut, already in full bloom. He would leave it be, just enjoying it himself.

Gil looked around, finally noticing all the other wonders surrounding him. It was really beautiful here. The sunlight making every blooming flower look brighter and more beautiful. A little wooden bench seemed to be the perfect place to take a break. A slight smile appeared on Gil's face. Enjoying the garden would be so much better than agonizing over questions he would not be able to answer anyway. Gil went to sit on the bench, closing his eyes for a moment and let the sun shine on his face. Unbelievable he had been missing the warmth of the sun for this major part of his live.

Belle had been watching the boy from afar, observing how he handled the blooming roses in the bush. Ben had told her he would be there. She had been hesitating if she would follow him, maybe just take a look at him from afar and then leave unnoticed. Her first impression of him was conflicted. She could see the muscles on his arms and the size of his shoulders, telling her the boy was probably just as strong as his dad. He mostly wore leather, like most VK's did, probably a weapon hidden somewhere. On the other hand he did not seem violent at all, with his eyes closed and a slight smile on his face, clearly enjoying the sunlight. Belle stepped forward, deciding to read the mysterious book that was in front of her.

Gil immediately jumped up when he heard footsteps coming near. He expected it to be Harry, getting mad at him for slacking off. Instead it was a woman with short brown hair and wearing a yellow dress.

"You're Gil, right?" The woman asked. She seemed nervous, but not unkind.

"Yes," Gil answered. "Did Fairy Godmother ask for me again?"

Belle blinked a few times, confused by the question. She then quickly smiled again as she could see the worried frown on the boy's face. "No, she didn't. You don't need to worry."

Gil sighed relieved as he sat back on the bench. He seemed back at ease.

"Is it okay if I sit with you for a moment?" Belle asked him.

"Oh, of course."

Belle was surprised to see the boy immediately made room for her on the bench. She carefully sat beside him, scanning him again. Even from close by he still didn't look violent. There was no arrogance, no overconfidence to spot at all. Just a boy enjoying a peaceful garden.

"You like it here?" Belle tried to start a conversation.

"Oh yea, the flowers are really pretty," Gil answered immediately. "I love it how I already know so much more about them. Ruby showed me a lot of flowers, all kinds of them. Roses are still my favourite."

"Why is that?" For a moment Belle felt uneased again. Gaston's sons probably knew about the magic rose and the power it possessed.

"First of all they're really pretty," Gil answered. "But mostly because they have these thorns to protect themselves, but they don't really work. They're easy to avoid and even when you prick yourself they don't really hurt. As if the thorns are there to ask you to handle them with care, instead of really hurting others."

Belle noticed how she was lost for words, as she blinked several times while staring at the roses herself. She expected many different answers, but nothing like this. As if he really felt a connection with the flowers in front of him.

"You think any flower is actually out to harm us?" The boy's question made Belle look up again. She looked in his eyes for the first time. She couldn't recognize anything from Gaston's in those light brown eyes, as the boy's eyes were so much softer. She could also see this glance of wonder in his eyes, letting her know he had been genuinely thinking about his own question.

"No, I don't think so. And I think you described the roses magnificently," she answered with a smile. She was surprised again to see the boy smiling back at her. She remembered Gaston mostly smirking, showing his confidence every time he did so. The smile this kid showed her was kind.

"Well," Belle said relieved. "I'm glad I took this chance to meet you. Ben was right, you're not much like your dad."

The confused frown appeared back on Gil's face. "Ben? You mean King Ben?" Belle nodded, but then noticed how his eyes slowly widened, connecting all the dots in his head. He suddenly jumped up, gasping for air.

"You're Belle?"

Belle couldn't help to flinch from him. She had no idea how Gil would react on this. She didn't even intend to surprise him like that, assuming he already knew.

"Wow, I heard so much about you. I can't believe I finally met you."

Belle send him a slight smile, as her fear slowly disappeared again. She was searching for words to say, as she noticed that Gil was doing the same. He was clearly struggling for words, having his eyes towards the sky, mumbling unfinished sentences. Gil tried so hard to remember all the things his dad had said to him, things he should be saying to Belle. Messages, threats, fondling words to show his love. His mind seemed entirely empty, as if all the words his dad had ever told him to say just disappeared. Gil hesitantly looked back to her. There was just one thing that came to his mind.

"I'm really sorry about the rose bush."

Belle placed her hand in front of her mouth, causing Gil to look worried again. She quickly managed to put a smile back on her face, even though it didn't seem to calm him down.

"Come with me," Belle said while standing up. She walked back to the rose bush, Gil following her closely behind. "This bush is a descendant of the magic flower my husband Adam got from the enchantress. The same can be said about the rose bush in the school garden. There is not much magic left in these bushes, but it's enough to heal itself. So I can assure you that it will be alright, the bush will bloom again." Belle noticed the relieved smile on Gil's face as he softly touched the flower again.

"I heard a lot of stories about the magic rose," Gil suddenly said, while softly touching the red rose in front of him. "My dad told me the Beast used the magic rose to put you under a spell and make you fall in love with him. While Harry told me the rose was more like a calendar, telling the Beast how much time was left to break the curse. But the last version sounds really stupid to me."

"Well, your friend was right," Belle immediately said, feeling a bit insulted by his choice of words.

"Oh," Gil simply replied. "So I guess Harry was right about everything then."

"Depends," Belle said hesitant. "I assume you heard the story about Adam and me. Or the Beast how you call him."

Gil looked up at the sky again, trying to remember clearly what they all told him. "My dad told me that you're delusional. Or you were under a magic spell which caused you to leave him. He also called you plain stupid sometimes. I don't know, my dad changed his version a lot."

Belle tried not to be insulted by the boy's words, remembering who it was who raised the kid.

"I can tell you're an honest person, at least," Belle joked, smiling carefully. Gil simply shrugged, as if he didn't know what she meant.

"What did your friend tell you?" Belle dared to ask.

"Harry told me you never liked my dad," Gil answered. Belle could feel the change in him. His voice suddenly sounded softer, as a hurtful glance appeared in his eyes. "He said you were scared of him, even despise him. He said he could prove it, simply by pointing out that we were left on the Isle and not in Auradon."

Belle looked back at the boy, not having the heart to tell him that his friend was right. It seemed so easy back then, locking all the villains on a small island away from the rest. She looked at this kid, who seemed so strong and fearless, but suddenly with a hurtful expression on his face. Gil carefully touched a rose, letting his fingers slide over the stem with the thorns, hoping he would get some solace from it.

Belle didn't hesitate anymore when she softly laid her hand on his shoulder. Gil looked up at her again and Belle was relieved to notice most of the hurt already disappeared from his face.

"Well, you're here now," Belle said kindly. "Welcome to Auradon." A bright smile appeared on the boy's face. He still didn't seem cocky at all, just really kind.

'And honest,' Belle thought. 'Definitely honest.'

"Gil?" They both turned around as they suddenly heard someone calling out.

"Hi Harry," Gil greeted him back without hesitation. Belle smiled at the other kid standing from a distance, realizing this was the friend Gil had mentioned.

"Uma wanted me to fetch you. We're going back to the ship."

Gil simply nodded and walked towards his pirate friend. He surprised Belle for the last time that day, by simply saying goodbye to her with a friendly smile.

"Were you just talking to Belle?" The pirate friend asked Gil quietly, even though Belle could still hear them.

"Yea, she's actually really nice." Gil answered much louder, which caused Harry to quickly hush at him. Gil listened immediately, lowering his voice as they continued their conversation.

Belle watched them leave the gardens. She still felt conflicted, but not as much as she was before. She could see Gaston's son walking away; strong, tall and all muscles, but with no violence or arrogance in his eyes at all. Belle turned back to the rose bush, carefully touching one of the thorns. The thorns who weren't there with the intention to hurt others, but to ask to handle them with care.


It turned out to be a pretty long chapter. Also a lot of pressure, as it was the first meeting between Gil and Belle. There needed to be some tension, but not too much. Got the feeling the first meeting between Gil and Beast has to be much more dramatic. xD

I want to say thank you again to all of you for reading and supporting the story. ^^