You want to know more about Eveline's past you say? Actually, no one said that, but here you go anyway. Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy. Disclaimer: Disney has the rights, boom.

Eveline~

I distracted myself from my thoughts for the rest of the day as I worked on preparations for the ball. All of the servants were kept quite busy throughout the day. I sat at the table to take a break and noticed Mrs. Potts watching me. "May I help you, Mrs. Potts?"

"I was actually going to ask you the same thing, dear."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have seemed somewhat distracted today. Is there anything I can help with?"

"It's just something I was told earlier, that's all…" I hated having the attention placed so clearly on me. I appreciated her concern…well—kind of, but I was being singled out…this seemed to be happening a lot after the enchantment had been lifted.

"Oh, I do believe it is more than that."

"Why is everyone so concerned with me?" The words sounded much harsher than I intended them to, "I mean, I appreciate it, I guess, but I'm not used to people wanting to know about me so much…"

"It takes a very special person to distract Cogsworth from his work, and I cannot help but believe the feeling is mutual."

"What feeling? I've never had a real conversation with him!"

"Perhaps you should change that, he is rather shy, you know."

"I wouldn't coin him as shy, or at least not as much as me…"

"Is there a source to your shyness?"

"Yes," I admitted, "there is. I'd prefer not to repeat the past."

Mrs. Potts gave me a sympathetic smile, "You will never move past it if you don't trust someone to help rid you of the pain."

"You sound like my sister…a much more elegant version of my sister."

"Just think about it, dear one," she stood from her chair, "I have things to attend to, but if you ever want to talk, I am willing to listen." And with that she left the room and I groaned.

"Okay, spill!" My sister prodded as soon as I stepped in our room that evening.

I glared at her, "Can I not bathe first?"

"I assumed you already had…" I gestured to my dirty work clothes. "Or I just hoped?"

I chuckled, "I'll be quick."

She groaned, "Eveline, you never bathe quickly! It's only gotten worse since the enchantment!"

Twenty minutes later I left the washroom in a robe and my hair was wrapped in a towel. I was internally dreading telling my sister about my thoughts and in the process of thinking, was not paying attention to where I was walking. I fell to the ground after bumping into…I looked up…Cogsworth. He reached down to help me up as he apologized to me, "Oh—mademoiselle, I—I am so sorry…" he was more flustered than he had been in the dining room earlier that day. He picked up my towel and handed it to me.

"Thank you…it's quite alright." I dashed back to my room and locked the door and sighed.

"What happened to you?"

"I just ran into Cogsworth…" I attempted to keep my confident façade up, but I utterly failed.

"Cogsworth is why you're so flustered? Oh please don't tell me he's the reason you've been flustered all day!" She started to laugh, then at a look at my distressed expression, which I had given up on trying to hide, she abruptly stopped laughing. "Really?"

"Can I explain before you judge, please?" I said, losing patience with this conversation already.

"I guess so…"

"Clarisse…" I said warningly.

As I got dressed, I started explaining. "Well, it all started one day before the enchantment…

I was sitting in the library, reading a book. I was so captured in the story that I didn't hear the door open. Once I finally finished the book, I set it down with a contented sigh and looked up to see Cogsworth standing directly in front of me. 'May I help you, monsieur?' I asked. He smiled at me and shook his head. I got up and put the book back on the shelf. His gaze continued to follow me and I was getting concerned, 'Are you sure there's nothing I help you with?' He smiled again and replied, 'I could not help but notice your choice in literature is impeccable. I have never met a young lady who seems to get enthralled with Shakespeare to the point she becomes unaware of her surroundings.' I nervously smiled, 'I have always enjoyed Shakespeare…' We sat in the library in a comfortable silence for a while, until I picked up another book and began to read aloud. He quietly complimented my countenance and said he wished to get to know me more…I ran out at that point…"

"Why did you leave?"

I sighed, "Perhaps it's time I told you the truth about me and Raoul…"

"What do you mean the truth?"

I avoided eye contact with her, "We didn't separate as smoothly as I led on. He wanted things from me that I wasn't willing to give…so he started to hurt me…" a lone tear rolled down my face, "He pushed me down and yelled at me. One time he pulled a knife on me and I ran. He punched me in the face…" I refused to give detail, just thinking about it was enough to bring chills to my spine and keep me up for three nights. "Then I found out that he was receiving everything he wanted from another woman…so he left me…I'm terrified to try to love again and…Cogsworth notices me. He sees me like no one else does and…that scares me, Clare."

She enveloped me in a hug as I let the rest of my tears flood the room. The only sound present was that of my sobbing, no words were needed. I was done overprotecting Clarisse from the world; it felt wonderful and horrible at the same time. I knew her mind was reeling all the lies I told to cover up Raoul, but I knew she forgave me. She had forgiven me years ago because she knew I was lying about something…she knew every lie; she just never knew the truth.

I feel like singing...Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, bittersweet and strange, learning you can change, learning you were wrong...ahhhhhhh ahhhhhhh beauty and the beaaaaaaassstttt. I'm sorry, the roommate's asleep and I just want to sing Disney songs for all my days(; Hope you liked it, please review:)