As always, thank you for reading! :)

Interestingly enough, I do have a chapter of an announcement of Belle's pregnancy ready to go but it's with the last one not the first. If I'm honest, it never occurred to me to write one with the first pregnancy x) or even find the moment Belle falls in love with him.

However, I now know I must write those xD Thank you

And to the reviewer whose review got 'eaten up'.. I had this story on a different account then I switched it to this one. I took a screenshot of those reviews, I have them but they're not on this new one. :) So, thank you for reviewing again!

Happy Reading! :3

Summary: Gaston hadn't heard her when she explained her long list to him. Belle knew he hadn't and made it her mission to throw constant reminders at him every day. But she never expected him to show her he had listened.
Number of years married:
3 months


~:~ Freedom ~:~

Belle stood from the soil in their young garden at the sound of a horse clopping down the road.

Gaston had told her as he left he'd be home by sundown. The sun was just setting but she did not imagine he'd be true to his word… perhaps it had been a coincidence. Yes, a coincidence, that's right.

The thought of going to greet him crossed her mind but she remained where she was. They had been married for a few months and certainly not long enough for her to greet him every time he spent hours away from home.

So she returned to her gardening.

As the horse got closer, she started to hear two sets of footsteps.

He- he hadn't brought along company, had he? Lefou was ill with a cold and Gaston had been weirdly adamant for the other to keep his distance from her... That was utter nonsense - she had been sick plenty times in her life. Keeping Lefou away was not at all necessary.

She stood again.

Gaston was wearing his overly confident toothy grin again - one that she rolled her eyes at and refused to encourage. But she noticed she was about to encourage it for he had a beautiful grey horse along.

Her mouth formed a surprised 'o' but no sound came out. She approached the road as he drew nearer and tried to avoid looking at his face but she couldn't help but form a shy and growing smile of her own.

"Who's this?" she asked. She wouldn't dare to get her hopes up… the only gifts she had received in her life were a few books and parchment and pencils and the rose she asked her father for every year.

And why would Gaston gift her a horse?

He dismounted his black stallion and untied the mare's reins. Then he carefully led the grey Percheron to her. "This is Daisy," he beamed, fully proud of himself. He just knew this was the sort of thing husbands did for their wives.

"Gaston…? I thought you said you were going into town for horseshoes." But she wasn't mad.

He shook his head, his mouth curved into that smirk she also didn't wish to encourage. "I saw her last time I was there. The blacksmith was selling her and another. She's yours."

"Really?" Her voice was heavy with disbelief.

He nodded. "You said you wanted freedom. Here is your gateway to freedom, my love."

She looked at him. She was speechless, barely managing to say his name in a small whisper. She pressed her hand to Daisy's shoulder, softly moving her fingers, trying to see if this was all real. Trying to understand that Gaston had just given her her very own horse.

The man dressed in his red leather jacket let out a chuckle and hoisted her up on Daisy. He brushed off her noise of protest and handed her the reins.

"Now?" she stuttered.

"Why not? Just a small ride." His smirk had turned into a boastful grin as if she'd be talking about his actions for weeks to come.

She smiled at him, truly encouraging his overconfident grin. "Gaston… thank you."

He didn't give a reply or a shake of his head. Instead, his eyes turned proud but kind. And his face was just a lean away, which meant his lips were- Belle straightened and she eased Daisy into a trot down the road to the rolling hills beyond their home.

His actions were thoughtful but didn't require a kiss. A simple thank you would do just fine - Belle told herself.