Her feet seemed to drag the closer she got to the Beasts room. The dark corridor and ghoulish faces of the statues that lined the halls unnerved her a bit. She walked past many rooms. She did not know which room was Beast's but she felt sure she would know which one it was when she came upon it.

As Cinderella continued to walk deeper into the west wing the same strong pull came back to her from her dreams. She walked more determined toward Beast's room.

Finally she came upon a grand set of doors with large claw marks raked across them. Opposite the doors was a painting in much the same condition as the doors. From what she could tell the painting was a portrait of a young man. She couldn't tell however if he was handsome or not. She studied him for a long time. Her trance was only broken when the pull she felt quieted. Then she heard him yelling.

"COGSWORTH!!!!!! Where's my food?!" He bellowed. The doors vibrated from the sound. Cinderella steeled herself and cautiously approached the door. Beast started to yell again but her small knock interrupted him. There was a pause and the door flung open. Beast stood slightly stunned at the sight of her. Cinderella stood in the doorway holding a tray for Beast. A moment of odd silence passed between them.

"I brought you your tray." Cinderella offered no other explanation than that. She stood in the doorway waiting for Beast to direct her .
to where she should place it or take it himself.

Beast stood in the doorway still stunned. "Uh." He cleared his throat. "You.. Who said you could..." Taking a deep breath the Beast swallowed his bewilderment, it would have been replaced by anger but he couldn't quite figure Cinderella out. "Put it on the table." He gestured to a lopsided table that had been seen better days.

Beast watched as Cinderella placed the tray on the table. She turned and faced Beast.

"Is there anything else?" Cinderella asked.

"Um, no." Cinderella turned to leave. "Wait!" Yelled Beast his anger catching up to him. "Who told you to bring me my tray?"

Cinderella turned back to face him. "No one. I volunteered." She said, smiling gently but not meeting his eyes.

"Didn't they tell you not to come into the West Wing?" He waited for her to answer.

"Yes. They did." Said Cinderella meeting his eyes. She didn't look away. She refused to drop her eyes while he was trying to intimated her. She expected him to order her to lower her eyes like her Stepmother had many times, 'Don't meet the eyes of your betters' she would say. But to her surprise Beast turned away.

"Why did you come?" He ask with his back turned.

"You were hungry and I could get your lunch to you faster than anyone else." She waited as she stood with his back to her. "I.. I wanted to be useful."

Beast straightened a little at her last statement and turned back toward Cinderella. The sounds of footsteps came from the hall. Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts finally having caught up.

"Well, you proved useful. Now I would like to eat in peace." Cinderella nodded and left him alone. She walked calmly down the hallway where she passed a very confused Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts.

"Wha... Wha.." was all Cogsworth could seem to get out. She stopped a few feet away from them and waited. Cogsworth and the others looked from Beast's door to Cinderella and back again. She sweetly smiled and motioned for them to follow. Whether they did or not she didn't know she was too lost in thought to notice. So many things seem to be playing in her head; old memories, dreams, the pull she felt. Her encounter with Beast left her with a funny feeling. Something she couldn't quite name.

Feeling her stomach grumble she descended the stairs skipping as she went. Hunger finally catching up to her.

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In his room Beast was anything but peaceful. He paced back and forth agitated.

"She was told not to come! But she did. She just stood there... She didn't look away. Why would she.... She should have never come to the west wing! But..." Beast stopped pacing and looked to his door. "She wanted to be useful."

Beast walked over to a round table that was untouched by damage. A glowing rose stood erect protected by a glass. Beside it lay a hand mirror. Beast picked it up and commanded it.

"Show me the girl."

The mirror glowed and switched from Beasts reflection to the kitchen of the castle. There was Cinderella beside Chef Bouche.

Beast watched at the scene as it unfolded. Cinderella sat with the servants and ate her lunch. After several minutes Cinderella looked around anxiously. She turned and impossible as it may be, looked directly where the mirror was observing. It seemed to Beast she looked right at him, saw him. He quickly put the mirror down.

"Its impossible." He turned away from the mirror and rose. Disheartened and buried his face in his hands. The glow of the rose increased slightly, enough to catch his attention. A glimmer of hope could be seen in his eyes.

"Maybe. Just maybe."