Lots of fluff! I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. Keep sending ideas and reviewing. R&R!

Chapter 2

Belle sat at her organ, thinking. Suddenly she started playing a familiar song. "In sleep I sang to him, or her. In dreams, I came...That voice which calls to him, or her, and spoke his, or her, name...name. What about a name?" She scratched her head. Pulling out a blank piece of paper and a quill pen, she began to write down names. "Amnita, Madeleine, Aria, Melody. Those are some girl names. Boy names...Gustave, Erik, Raoul? Scratch that! That sounds like a foppish name. Other names...Oh, I'll have Rachel help me." All the time she was muttering under her breath, Charles had walked in.

"Belle?"

Belle jumped. Hiding the list under some sheet music she rushed over to where Charles was standing. "Hello, my dear, how was rehearsal?" She kissed him.

He shrugged. "The same as always, I guess. What were you doing just now?"

She blushed. "You know, composing, playing, the same as always." She smiled nervously.

Charles raised an eyebrow. "You're hiding something, I can tell. What is it?"

Belle took his hand and led him to a chair. "Sit." She bit her lip as he sat.

Concern flashed over his features. "What's wrong?" He took her hands. "You're not rethinking our engagement, are you?"

"No, of course not, mon ange. I have something I need to tell you, but I don't know how because...I'm worried about...and Rachel said...and I don't want it to..." She sighed. "I-I'm..."

"You're what?"Charles was getting nervous. Belle never got this upset about anything. It had to be something big.

"Charles..."She knelt down beside him, still holding his hands. She looked him straight in the eye, tears pricking her own. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Charles, I'm pregnant with our child..." She laid her face on his hands. "Please be happy..." she whispered.

Charles stood up, picked Belle up and held her close. "Of course I'm happy, my dear." He held her at arms length. "How could I not?" He hugged her again. "We're having a baby! Congratulations to us." He kissed her.

Belle wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled as the tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm happy that you're happy. Rachel was right."

"Rachel?"

She laughed. "Rachel guessed! And she told me you would be happy. She told me not to worry about-" She stopped herself.

Charles looked down at her. "You're worried about if the child will be..." He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Belle grabbed his jacket and sobbed into his chest. "I can't bear the thought of our child being born like this." She looked at him with red, tearful eyes.

Charles delicately removed her mask. "Belle, even if our baby is born deformed, it will not have a childhood like yours, I promise." He caressed her face and kissed it. "We will give this baby lots much love."

She sniffled. "You promise? But it would be hard on you if-"

He covered her mouth. "No more 'ifs'. Come on, Rachel invited us to dinner. She wants to talk about the wedding."

Belle broke away from him and ran to the alcove. "I'm not going!" Her voice echoed around the lair. "I can't be seen, it will ruin my reputation!"

"Reputation of what, being the Opera Ghost? Everyone already knows you're not a ghost." He walked over to the alcove.

"Then where does she expect us to have dinner, might I ask? I can't very well go out in public, now can I?"

"At the de Changy estate."

Belle peeked around a corner to look at him. "Rachel invited us to her family's mansion? Well, that shouldn't be too terrible. Formal or informal?"

Charles sighed, trying to remember. "Formal. It's only going to be the four of us. And Rachel said the staff has been informed not to stare or question." He crossed his arms and smiled, pleased with himself for remembering.

Belle disappeared for several minutes, then reappeared dressed. She wore a floor-length dark purple dress that was sleeveless. Her black leather gloves matched perfect with black glitter and accents that highlighted the dress. A black half mask also matched. She didn't put up her hair, but let it fall, framing her face.

"Breathtaking! Quick as well. Most women..."

She walked over to Charles and put her arms around his neck. "I'm not most women, am I?"

He kissed her. "No, you're not. Come, our carriage awaits. I don't need to change, my attire is formal enough,"he said, gesturing to the tuxedo he was wearing. He held out his arm for her.

She quickly took off in the opposite direction. "Wait, I need to grab my list." Belle started searching, trying to remember what pile she hid it in.

"List?" Charles gave a confused expression.

"I started writing a list of names...is it here?" Eventually, she resorted to throwing paper. "Where is that paper...aha! Found it." She stood up holding a singular page of paper.

"That is what you were looking for? No wonder you couldn't find it. You know, if we're going to raise our child here, you must clean. No papers everywhere, no..." He picked up her skull sword off the floor. "No swords. It's no safe!"

Belle put her hands on her hips and started towards him. "My lair is very safe. I grew up here."

Charles sighed. "You were not a baby! You were a child. I'm just saying, it would be wise if you picked things up better. Also, some renovations would be advised."

Belle stood right in front of him and looked him in the eyes. She growled. "What sort of renovations?"

"No need to get angry at me, I'm just concerned for the baby's safety, that is all." He made a big sweeping gesture with arms and walked away.

She yelled after him. "You expect me to allow strange people to change my lair-"

"And would you stop calling our home a lair. It's not some place for a villain. It is, well, will be the home our child will grow up in."

"This is my sanctuary!"

"Well, if it's your sanctuary, I shouldn't be here. Your place of solitude!" Charles stomped off, almost falling into the lake. "And what about this lake..." His voice faded as he got farther away.

Belle gasped. "No! Charles, come back, don't leave alone again! Charles!" She broke down and sobbed. "Why must I be so stubborn? Of course he's right! How could a child grow up here with it like this?" She walked towards her organ and began to gather the papers she had scattered. Her tears smudged some of the writing. "Why?" She stacked the papers on the organ bench. "I guess Rachel will miss me. Maybe I should..." She found one of her secret tunnels. Before she entered she grabbed her cloak then left a note for Charles that said she was going to Rachel's. "He probably went without me..."

She entered the tunnel...

}{

Charles fumed and growled as he walked down the empty hallway towards the foyer. "How could she think that her home would be a safe place to raise a child? What if the child...Oh, God, what have I done? All this time, I've only thought about the baby. What about Belle? No..." He smacked himself on the forehead. "I left her alone! She's alone and heartbroken. I upset her and didn't even think about her feelings. What sort of husband am I going to be if I don't think about my wife's feeling. I'm such an idiot!" He turned around and ran back to Belle's home.

When he reached it, he gasped as he found her gone. "Belle? Belle, I'm so sorry!" Suddenly he noticed that her papers were picked up and a singular piece lay on her organ. Charles ran over and picked up the paper, reading it. "Oh, thank God! She went to dinner. I was such a fool." He shook his head and set the paper down. "I must go and apologize." He left giving the place one more look. He laughed. "It could work...it could..." Charles walked out...

}{

Rachel sat at the table next to Matt. She turned to him. "Where do you think they are?"

Matt shrugged. "I don't know."

They sat in silence. Rachel twirled her hair, while Matt twiddled his thumbs...

Was it okay? I hope so. Did you like the list of baby names? R&R!