Here Is CHAPTER 1! Hopefully Chapter 2 will be up real soon.

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Chapter 1: An Omen

7 years later.

Belle felt like she was dying. Please let her die, at least then it would end. She grabbed the headboard, digging her nails in to the wood as another contraction hit, wracking her body with pain.

She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming; she did that purely on instinct. Truth be told, she didn't care who heard her yell. Let the whole town hear! She was going to die here in this bed and then it wouldn't matter.

"Madame, you are not going to die. It won't be long now."

Of course I am going to die! No one could possibly live through something this painful.

The old bat had lied. An eternity had passed and still it didn't end. She felt as if she was being torn in half; her whole body was on fire. Through the haze, she could hear far off voices speaking to her only to be drowned out by a fresh wave of pain.

"Push! Don't hold the child back, PUSH!"

Hold it back? Are they crazy?!

No one was more ready to have this child then she was. Belle was tired of being pregnant and would gladly never be again.

Her body hadn't been hers in months. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept, and for nine months she had grown increasingly more uncomfortable and miserable until she didn't think she could stand it a moment longer. All that discomfort and anxiety culminating in the most frightening and painful ordeal imaginable, and supposedly she was trying to prolong it by holding the baby back! It was amazing anyone survived this, because she surely wouldn't.

A sharp pain unlike any before brought Belle hurdling back to reality. The commands to push were pointless because her body took over instinctively seeming to know what to do, and then it was over.

Exhausted, Belle fell back against the pillow, too tired to even lift her head.

She looked over the end of the bed at the gaggle of midwifes huddled together like a pack of conspiring old witches. She could hear a baby screaming with the power of a grown man.

A middle aged woman broke free from the flock and carried the screaming bundle over to the bed.

"Congratulations Madame! You have a healthy daughter, and quite a beauty."

Somehow Belle found the strength to hold out her arms as the midwife laid the soft bundle in them.

The moment she held her, the baby quietened and snuggled close. Calmed by the presence of her mother, instinctively knowing that this place was safe.

All pain and discomfort was forgotten as Belle held her baby for the first time. Belle looked at the soft downy chestnut hair, tiny nose, and perfect fingers and toes. She was perfect, so tiny and absolutely perfect.

An overwhelming sense of love filled Belle as she stared at the tiny sleeping baby. She couldn't describe it, but she knew that she had never loved like this before, and until the day she died, nothing could ever break the love she felt for this child, her daughter.

The Baby opened her eyes, staring curiously up at her mother, revealing a pair of exquisite violet eyes. Belle gasped, redirecting the attention of the five odd midwives to the baby.

"OH MY!"

"Look at those eyes."

"I've never seen any like them, have you?"

"Not I, she surely is something special."

The oldest of the midwives, (a woman who was 100, if she was a day) crossed herself religiously. Lifting a boney finger in warning, she shook it at the new mother and infant. Her raspy voice full of foreboding and mistrust.

"It's an evil omen. A child with such eyes will know an uncertain future."

The old hag was silenced by the others telling her to shut her stupid old mouth, pronouncing that the baby was beautiful and those eyes were special and unique.

Belle ignored them all, too wrapped up in the joy of new motherhood. She continued to look at her tiny daughter, who stared back with an intelligent gaze, full of curiosity.

The peaceful moment between mother and child was broken by an unwelcome intruder.

The door to the already filled to capacity room burst open with an aggressive energy. In stepped Gaston an overeager grin on his face and barely contained excitement in his eyes.

"Where is he? Where is my son?"

Belle's moment of joy had been dampened by his entrance. She stared at him…her husband. Strange that after all these years he was just as much a stranger to her as the day they married.

Seven years, such a long time, a life time really. How much had changed, how much remained the same.

She had only been 17 when they married, Gaston was 20. A day hadn't gone by that their two dominating personalities hadn't clashed. Some days it was just an underlining irritation, other days the tension would boil over into a shouting match that could wake the dead. And the main cause for all the suspense? For seven years they had been married, lived together as husband and wife and for seven years they had remained childless.

They would never understand each other, but one thing had been very clear since the beginning, Gaston wanted sons, and right away.

The thought of having the man she suffered to be her husband's children filled her with contempt. In the beginning she found it unthinkable, it would have been an acceptance of their marriage, it would have damned forever the illusion that this was all just a horrible dream.

But as the years went by she grew to accept her life for what it was, she was Madame Gaston, and nothing would change it. And as time passed and still no baby she began to share his frustrations. After all Belle did love children, and perhaps having one of her own would breach the widening gap between husband and wife, and make her own life less…lonely. And now finally she had a child, and she was perfect.

"Monsieur you have a lovely baby daughter." The midwife told Gaston.

Gaston stared at the woman in shock. (The idea of having a girl never occurred to him.)

"A girl? No. Where is my son?"

The midwife backed away a step at the change in his tone.

Now enraged Gaston glared at the group of women demanding an explanation. He had waited SEVEN YEARS! For a son, his son, so where was he?!

The mountain of a man clenched his fists in frustration, his normally handsome face was ablaze with rage. How could this be? He was supposed to have a boy!

This was all her fault! Belle, she was the reason, it was all…

Gaston stopped in his tracks when his gaze finally found Belle's horrified face. Her normally reserved features now looked back at him in blatant shock. Her hazel eyes were weary and held a note of something he had never witnessed there before…hurt.

He looked around the room at the gazes that mirrored his wife's. Trying to recover the situation Gaston lowered his voice and gritted his teeth trying to contain his disappointment and frustration.

"No matter, next time a boy." He gruffly kissed the top of his wife's head before exiting the room, slamming the door behind him.

Next time…a boy.

It sounded more like a threat then a hope.

The woman all stood quiet, the shock on the midwives faces was evident. Apparently Gaston's behavior was too much even for them, which was surprising.

If it was possible the town's hero worship of Gaston had only increased through the years, their blind sheep like loyalty was almost laughable, if Gaston said the night was day then the even the sun would be hard pressed to correct him.

The head midwife (probably self-appointed) turned to the others.

"Well of course he wants a son, any man would."

Murmurs of agreement quickly sprang up from the others, if anything Monsieur Gaston should want a son more than any other man, he was a great hunter and had a legacy to pass on. The group further reasoned that Gaston had only behaved naturally, dare they say respectably given the circumstances.

There excuses of the husband however did not mean that they were turning against his wife. If anything this realization deepened their sympathy for the woman who after so long had only managed to have a daughter, and they proceeded to quietly reassure her that boys would follow and they would pray for her future happiness.

They all seemed of one mind in this. That is except for the oldest. The woman who had cursed the new baby as something to be watchful of now spit on the worn wooden floor and hissed through cracked teeth a curse on the man for his arrogance.

Once again she was shushed by her younger compatriots who threatened to burn the old witch if she didn't mind her tongue.

Belle ignored them all and returned her attention to the sleeping baby in her arms. She should have expected nothing less from Gaston than a tantrum.

Spoiled child.

Though Belle was surprised that his reaction had hurt. She didn't think that was possible. Oh he frustrated her. Was rude and demanding, narrow minded and vain, but she had always known that and honestly didn't expect him to behave any other way. So it was a shock to know that he was capable of doing something that could actually hurt her. But the look on his face at the news of their daughter had definitely done that.

Belle looked at the angelic face of her little girl.

"Well ma Cherie, I wonder what kind of life you will have?"