Hey guys! Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! On with the next chapter.

Chapter 14: A Week Away

Belle felt at ease being home again being with her father and brother again. Her other siblings had shut her out, but not to her displeasure. The first day back was the happiest she had been, but the next day, her thoughts turned to Gabriel, missing him so much, and hoping that he wasn't so lonely.

She found herself being torn between these two different worlds; one was stable and familiar, while the other magical and entrancing. She wanted to be with both worlds with both of those she loves, but she couldn't.

Maurice noticed the change quickly and on the third night, when they were alone in the lounge he reading and she sewing as they once done before. Maurice, breaking the silence asked, "Belle, are you happy here with us?"

Belle stopped and with a small pause, she answered with a yes.

"Belle, I know that you are safe with him, but I should like to know, how were you able to look past that hideous visage?"

Setting her sewing down, she gave a smile and said, "He hadn't let me see him for a while, but then and incident lead me into danger, where he had to come and save me. My fear for him diminished when I saw how kind he was. Even behind those red eyes, I saw the pain, the longing and the ever present gentleness that had reassured me every day that he would never hurt me.

"His eyes have a certain sadness that I have never seen before, and I pray to God to never see before. My poor Gabriel, he has been this way since he was a baby."

"My God." Maurice whispered. "That poor man." He hadn't realized until after their conversation how he had referred Gabriel to, but at present, he was truly sorry for him.

"Now you see how I felt. He deserves so much more than he has received. When I think of how some people, such as the wretched Gaston would have everything, when poor souls like Gabriel deserve so much more than they are given. Indeed, I had pitied him. And with time, pity turned into something more. A certain…attachment that makes me unable to hurt him along with a fondness, that could perhaps grow into something."

Belle looked up at her father, who came by and knelt down next to her and asked, "Would you want it to grow? You must remember my dear, he is a beast."

"I am certain that there is no helping it, perhaps, even without my knowledge, it has grown and I have yet to see it." Fully turning to him, she asked, "Would it disturb you too much to know that?"

Maurice's face was kind, taking his daughter's hand gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I will not deny that I would have preferred a human for you, but if you could be happy with simple pleasures of love then how could I? I had made a vow at your birth to see you happy with the one you love, even if it may be a beast. Do what shall make you happy, with no pity or duty, just love."

Belle kissed her father's cheek and hugged him, feeling certain that all will be well in her life.

Unfortunately, all was not going to be as easy as that meeting had been. Her other siblings had been ignoring her, to which had paid no never mind to her, but it would later come back to haunt her.

While they ignored their sister, they were plotting along with Gaston. Although most of their information was all that he already knew from the fairy in disguised, he was interested to hear that Belle was always wearing her ring, anxiously gripping it and fiddling it, almost as if she was afraid that it wasn't real.

Gaston had a feeling that the ring was the source of magic that has her foolishly devoted to this animal. If the ring were removed from her finger, then the spell may be lifted. That is a job for her foolish siblings.

Gaston recalled once more that night when that odd old lady came to his door.

A few nights ago, Gaston was sitting in front of his fire place, when there was a knock at the door. It wasn't unusual to have beggars to come to his house, but what was odd that this one said that she knew Belle.

He ordered that old lady in and with a stern look he asked, "I heard you say that you had information on Belle DuBois?"

"Yes, I do. But, I would rather you and I are alone. Now"

Gaston relived the maid and gave an exasperated sigh. "Now will you tell me?"

"I am sure you had heard about Belle's 'aunt'? Well, I am here to tell you that there is no aunt."

Gaston, somewhat peaked and annoyed asked, "Then who, pray tell, has she been with all this time?"

"A beast." He laughed as she continued calmly, "A hideous beast. And you do not believe me, understandable, but, you will."

She then turned her hand to the potted plant in the corner and set it on fire. Gaston stood in amazement, for the plant was indeed on fire, but it did not burn. And then all of the sudden, it was snuffed out, like a candle, leaving the plant unharmed.

"What are you?" he asked after a moment of shocked silence.

"I am what I am. As that beast is what he is. You are fortunate that he has yet to have eaten, or worse."

"What could be worse-" Gaston stopped himself and realized what she meant. "That monster!" He stood up with such great force that he knocked over the chair. "If that thing so much as lays a hand on my Belle, I'll-"

"You'll what?" The crone asked with excited certainty.

"I'll kill him."

She smiled and licked her dry lips. "I was hoping you would say as much."

He kept repeating what she told him that night, of how he was the only one that could free Belle from this curse, and save her from any more danger, and he fancied the idea of himself being a hero of his own story, to rescue the fair damsel and have his just rewards.

But how? He needed to find a way to get to the beast's lair in order to have such a desired ending. Jean. That little brat knows more than he is willing to say, and seeing that although the half-siblings were great nosey bodies, a full blood sibling is the closest person to Belle. Yes, Jean was the key, it would be tough to break into him, but if he can get through him, everything will be just as he hoped.

He watched Belle and Jean as they played and fished and waited for a moment of singularity on Jean's part, and after two days, he wondered if he ever was going to get it, but then, a miracle happened. Belle forgot her apron in the house, and asked Jean to get it for her.

Before he could even reach the door, Gaston snatched him up and with a mouth over the boy's lips, he carried him out into the barn.

"Now then, I know chummy to two have been, and it is only you who can answer the questions I have."

Jean bit his hand and was set freed, but Gaston grabbed the little boy and tossed him across the barn, hitting him against the stable door.

"You are very resilient. You remind me very much of a horse I once had. I was only ten when I trained him, and he learned who his master was. Have you ever seen me work a whip Jean?"

"I don't care what you do to me or what you ever say, I will never tell on Belle."

"Not even I told you she was in danger from this thing she just came back from?"

"Ha, she isn't in any danger, you can't lie to me. She is perfectly happy, and if she was in any danger, then why would she go back to him?"

Jean gasped, realizing he reveled something that no one else knew, and Gaston's eyes gleamed.

"Really? How, tell me how!"

"I don't know."

Gaston took him by the shoulders and shook him until he could hear his teeth chatter. "Tell me how you miserable little brat!"

"I swear! I swear I don't know!" He was crying, but that didn't stop Gaston, who dropped him and swiftly pulled off his belt.

"Then I will make you know. And perhaps you will learn in the future to mind your brother-in-law better."

Before he could even go anywhere near Jean, he felt someone tap his shoulder and down to the ground did he go. His face was in so much pain, it was intolerable.

"Belle!" Jean called out in surprise, but he had a wide smirk on his face.

"If I ever see you come near my brother once more, monsieur, I promise you, I will not g so easy on you."

"That was easy?" Gaston asked as he sat up and wiped the blood from somewhere on his face.

Belle hurried Jean away who was still shaken by the encounter, and slammed the barn door shut.

Belle was going back to that thing, and he realized that now more than ever, he had to do whatever it took to save her from it.

Even if it meant to break a few things along the way, he will have his desired dream.

Well, if that just doesn't make me hate him more! Ugh, why is he just an asshole! Oh wait, because I wrote him like that. Oh well, great for the plot. Finals are coming up, but I do promise to be done with the story before Christmas. Thanks to Blue Moon Moments, curryboh, XXPay4XtraShippingsXX, brooklyn1shay2black3, AngelofTemperence13 and her0ngray.