Good Evening everyone! Hope your all okay, and are enjoying you week. I have a sore throat, but am excited about the fact that it is now half term! Three weeks of relaxation and writing :) sounds good to me.

Anyway here is the new chapter, which I think you will all find very surprising and certainly not without it's share of action ;) This chapter will also look at something which hasn't really been explored before so it will also cause a stir-up amongst some of the characters.

I hope you all enjoy and review!

As Belle emerged from her room no less than half an hour later, Manning was running through the procedure with Hellboy, Abe and Li, only taking notice of Belle as she joined them in the hallway. 'So the van will be here any minute, you all cooperate and you will be back soon enough.'

'Hey, we're coming on our terms and because your men are apparently not good enough at their jobs otherwise you wouldn't rely on us for every damn problem.'

'Watch it Hellboy. Abe here is the case file,' he said handing it to the merman who instantly began to read through it.

'So...' Agent Manning then continued quickly, turning to Belle, 'you can ride with us in the car,' he stated calmly.

'What?' Liz remarked in shock, 'but Belle's not involved in this; you can't put her in danger…' she said, Abe and Hellboy exchanging glances as they too looked at Manning in disbelief.

'I know that, but she will need to join us regardless, after what's been happening, I do not believe it wise to leave her without some form of protection.' Belle sometimes found it hard to have people keeping watch on her so frequently. She knew they were doing it for her benefit, and she had been guarded in her old home, security being tight for such a wealthy estate.

'Well as long as you don't expect her going in there, cause dragging her into the work we just love doing, kind of avoids the point of us keeping an eye on her,' Hellboy said with heavy sarcasm.

'Don't get cocky with me Hellboy,' Manning said coldly, 'god knows you put me in more stress than it's worth doing this job…' he sighed. 'So Belle, you'll be joining us in the car' he concluded turning to the young lady as she brushed her hair behind her shoulder, when she glanced to Hellboy, Liz and Abe.

'What about the others?'

'We get to go in a garbage truck,' Hellboy told her plainly,

'A garbage truck?'

'Yes, it's to disguise the fact we're going in, it's all completely furbished inside, it's just the outside shell, but they're apparently working on a van though now as part of the deal we agreed in helping them,' Abe said turning to Manning for confirmation, who nodded, still frowning.

'Look, we don't have all night, Belle are you coming?'

'It's okay, I'll ride with the others,' she smiled the four of them looking at her, Manning raising his eyebrow slightly.

'You don't need to feel like you have to ride with them…'

'I know, but really I don't mind it,' she answered honestly. 'Besides if I'm staying here then I don't wish to be treated any different, if you wish for me to ride in the car then surely the same applies to them.'

Hellboy appeared notably impressed by Belle's standing, beaming at her as he placed his stone arm on her shoulder, Belle feeling the weight in it as they walked outside.

'That was nice of you to say that for us,' Abe said with a soft smile,

'Thank you, but really, I don't think it right for them to force you into something you don't enjoy.'

'Yeah trying telling them that...'

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

'Whats up Brother Blue?' Hellboy asked, noticing how Abe frowned as he read the file through for the third time.

'The witness accounts are inconsistent,' Abe remarked, glancing over them before looking up.

'Ya mean everyone's said something different?'

'Precisely,' he agreed, 'but it is the extent of these different accounts which surprises me. Some have described seeing creatures whilst others have said that their rooms began to flood or even set alight. Yet there is nothing here to suggest any damage has been done within the hotel we're going too.'

'So...what, these people think they saw something when they didn't?'

'I can't be sure, every statement is clear and details all which happened. But why no one seems to have seen the same thing I do not know...'

'Well we'll soon find out,' Liz responded, pulling on a bullet proof jacket and loading her gun, Abe also putting the file down for a moment to prepare when he saw Belle watching Hellboy as he put bullets into the Samaritan.

'Impressive ain't it?' he grinned, slotting in the clear bullets with an assortment of ingredients that were contained inside their shell, Belle learning that he took pride in making them himself.

Belle had been quite quiet during the journey; it being clear a lot was running through her mind. Perhaps it was the reminder of the previous encounter she had experienced with an "entity" or the fact that she had no idea what the night would bring. Though whatever it was, it didn't go unnoticed by the others who soon settled down to simply wait for the drive to end, trying to ease Belle's worry and make it as light-hearted as possible.

As they arrived at the scene, the hotel in question had been cornered off, police having surrounded the area in wait for the FBI's arrival. As Belle looked out of the one sided glass, her hand brushed against the cold surface when suddenly she retracted it as a dark aura startled her, it's presence strong as she watched the building with even more cautiousness.

'Are you alright?' Abe asked, Belle glancing to him with a slight nod.

'Yes, sorry...something just startled me a little.'

'You'll be alright Belle; ya won't have to go in. The FBI might be stupid, but while you're here with us, you'll be safe,' Hellboy remarked. Though despite Belle's smile returning as she sat down again, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread...

Abe's POV

Watching Belle carefully, I knew that something was bothering her, and having seen her reaction from simply looking out of the window, I felt sympathy for her. This was all new to Belle and she was very unnerved by a lot of what she had seen so far. Even as the truck came to a stop Abe saw Belle shift and glance curiously to the front of the truck and then around to me, her eyes having so much depth behind them. Such softness. So why did I feel like it was impossible for me to speak to her?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'Hey Abe, you ready?'

'Yes,' Abe nodded, holstering his hand gun and attaching his breathing apparatus, the water bubbling delicately around his gills. With the back platform now lowering, a bitter wind flew through, blowing Belle's hair back and off her features as they were greeted with a dark night.

'Okay guys you know the rules, in and out. Belle you are required to stay here. There will be two FBI guards by the hotel entrance and other Agent's around the grounds and surrounding area,' Agent Manning told them.

'Okay,' Belle nodded, Manning walking ahead of them as the other three made to leave the truck. 'Please stay safe, all of you,' Belle said softly.

'Yeah, don't worry, we know what we're doing,' Hellboy grinned,

'We'll be out soon,' Abe added, offering her some reassurance at this before they then turned out into the night time atmosphere, the luminous glow of their red, blue and yellow locators shining in the dark. It had been so long for them since they had worn their old locators on their belts, it feeling strange to them to be back in their old BPRD protective clothing. As Belle looked after them for a moment, she then looked back to the hotel, a concerned expression washing over her features.

'So do you have any idea what's in there?' Liz questioned as she zipped up her jacket, though she had chosen one a size larger to accommodate for her two little ones.

'No,' Manning answered, 'we have no idea. I was hoping fishstick would have worked it out...'

'It will be hard to decipher until I go in,' Abe responded, not looking at Manning but up at the building, being quite aware something was in there.

'Well Abe old buddy, looks like were gonna have some fun with this one. Think I might check the pool first,' Hellboy grinned

'You're here on business Hellboy, you have a job to do,' Manning reminded him as he lit a cigar.

'Yeah, knowing my luck the damn thing would probably be in the Jacuzzi or something...'

'Just get in there,' Manning remarked impatiently, Hellboy pulling out his gun and checking the bullet count before snapping it back mere inches from Manning's face.

'Sorry, just wanted to be sure I didn't accidently lose one before going in,' he responded, Manning giving him an icy look as Hellboy leisurely walked in, Abe and Liz behind him when the doors were sealed shut.

'Things never change do they?' Liz said with disapproval, feeling some frustration at being in the same position with the FBI again.

'Don't worry babe, none of us wanna be here, but hey, when people need ya, they need ya,' Hellboy shrugged.

'We're certainly in a difficult position,' Abe agreed. 'I also believe the FBI is, in some ways, using Belle,' he admitted.

'Yeah, it's not the lady's fault though,' Hellboy replied, as they flashed their torches around the lobby. 'They're just using her position for their gain. Not that it's the first time that's ever happened.'

'So what do you think is in here Abe?' Liz continued.

'I can't tell, there is definitely an entity here, but it seems to keep...shifting...'

'Well they don't usually keep hidden long,' Hellboy said knowingly, when Liz suddenly began to feel light headed, finding it harder to breathe as she stopped at the stairs...

Meanwhile as belle sat in the back of the van, glancing over the books that Abe had kept there, she scanned over the titles on the spines, finding one she thought might be of use. "Creatures of Illusion and Ectoplasmic form," she muttered, taking the book and beginning to flick through it, that being the first of many until she found something which made her drop the remaining books she held, the focus being entirely on what she had discovered as she picked up the file Abe had and read it...the clues fitted. Running out of the van, Belle looked up to the building where she knew Hellboy, Abe and Liz were fighting inside. It was then she realised that they couldn't fight it…Taking the book and ignoring the worry in her mind, Belle flicked through to find anything which had control like this when she then knew one thing that could cease it. Going to the entrance however, the FBI held her off. 'Belle you cannot go in…'

'You don't understand I have to help.'

'Belle…' he began calmly, 'I know you feel obliged to, but your nothing like them, you're only with them for protection. They know what they're doing and they can handle this, you can't and we don't expect you too.' Leaving him and going in the direction of the van, Belle then quickly went around, putting her hands against the wall of the building as she focused her clairvoyance, searching through the building for the aura she sought.

Abraham...Abe...please listen to me...can you hear me? It was a few moments, and just as Belle began to think it was a hopeless effort, a presence suddenly seemed to place itself in her mind.

It couldn't possibly...Belle?

Yes, I'm sorry I can't explain myself right now, but the entity you're fighting won't be in solid form. It gets its strength from the fear others show it. Though her explanation was quick, Abe understood what she had discovered and saw how it could make sense, though he had no chance to ask her what else the remainder of the passage said, he was certain he remembered it. But the arrival of the entity ceased their momentary connection, Belle looking down to her feet, hearing a loud slam and seeing a window that led into the underneath of the hotel...

Within the building, the battle was proving much more difficult than they anticipated, Abe suffering greatly from the over-powering waves sent through his mind, making him light-headed and weakened. Hellboy and Liz also found it difficult to fight, with the entity constantly shifting form. Though it was then that the glass windows above them shattered, the three allies looking up to see Belle rising to her feet only to stagger backwards.

'Belle what are you doing?!' Hellboy demanded, before a large entity threw him against the main double doors.

'Listen to me...there's only one way that you can destroy it...by getting it to resume its original form...'

'In English?!' he yelled from across the room trying to stand up. however managing to look up, Belle saw before her the strange entity which seemed to have no form. Yet she knew she could not hold back, despite her close proximity with this creature made it harder for her to gain control over what she was doing.

'You think you can stop me?' The entity challenged, the heat radiating from it making it difficult for Belle as she tried to focus. It knew her weakness...

'You're energy is gathered by gaining the strengths of others through forcing them to face their fears...but if someone doesn't fear you...you lose everything...' she uttered weakly.

'You believe you can face your fears?' it questioned, Belle looking up to the creature with wide eyes, when Liz shot from behind her, trying to hit the entity though nothing went happened.

'Pathetic girl, that cannot harm me,' it hissed in a low voice,

'If I'm able to face my fears then you lose what makes you strong...what enables you to hurt and scare others,' Belle said drawing it's attention back to her.

'You have no idea what you've let yourself in for,' it sneered, 'like these with their abilities, you believe yours will help you...but you're wrong to think so...'

'My clairvoyance...?' Belle uttered,

'There is one fear which surpasses them all, is there not?'

'Belle! Get back!' Liz shouted, Abe feeling the worry set in as he moved forward to try and get Belle behind him, but the gap was already filled as they were separated by a wall of flames.

'Fire...' Belle breathed in fear, stepping back as she was suddenly encircled by flames, her eyes widening in terror. 'It's not real...' she began to utter, 'it's not real...' though as the fire slowly edged closer, Belle finding it harder to focus with the radiating heat, it making her light headed. Though as Hellboy went to run through the flames to get to Belle, some of them moved out and became the entity he had just been fighting.

'Alright...now you're getting on my nerves...' he growled, lunging at the entity, leaving Liz and Abe, who were unable to get to her. Though as Abe quickly calculated the situation, he knew their only hope was to convince her that what she was seeing was an illusion...

'Belle remember, the accounts said no one was hurt...it's not real! The only thing that can make this happen is your belief that it exists!' Abe said reaching a hand through the flames, tentatively at first, but then with a confidence and need to help her, though Belle was unable to see it until the words sank in.

'That's right...my imagination is all that's fuelling the vision...it's a creature of illusion...' she murmured, looking at the fire as if it were the entity in its original shapeless form and saying firmly, 'you are not real...' before looking up into Abe's eyes and running through the circle, after taking Abe's hand as she then fell into his arms and sank to the floor as the shapeless mass rose from its mask of fire, and into a grey gargoyle like creature.

'That's its original form...' Abe muttered,

'Red, now!' Liz screamed, using her pyrokinetic abilities to shroud around the creature, Hellboy promptly shooting from the Samaritan as a loud screeching sounded that broke all the surrounding windows, everyone falling to the floor until it all went quiet, rushed footsteps following, though Belle had seemingly fallen unconscious in the panic.

'How did she just-'

'I don't know...though this explains why she would need protection,' Abe muttered carefully, brushing a strand of hair from her features as he stood up, feeling his strength returning as he lifted Belle up.

'Belle?! What was she doing in there?' Agent Manning demanded as they came into the ballroom.

'Don't blame us, you guys should have been watching her,' Hellboy replied irritably. 'Now stand aside.'

'So what on earth happened?'

'We won't know till Belle wakes up, we don't know how she got in...' Truth be told, none of the team wished for the other Agent's to know what had happened until they had spoken to Belle, Abe now knowing she had a clairvoyance alike his own, it making him think even more about the girl in his arms who was already on his mind...

So could this spark a new bond? And just what will Belle have to say when she wakes up? and her fear is fire...Belle's fear is something I've never really looked much into or thought about before, but I felt it would be interesting to see this aspect, though how will she react to Liz's ability?

I really hope you enjoyed the chapter, I enjoyed writing it and thankyou very much to my reviewers, some of your reviews are really lovely, and I'm so pleased that this fanfic is being just as well recieved so far as "Life and Love a New Beginning." :) Please keep reviewing as it's always a pleasure to hear your opinions whether your one of my regular reviewers or new ones :)

I shall update soon, please review and goodnight!

~x-xMasqueradeAngelx-x