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Belle woke up with a start. Her nightmare had been one of fire and pain and death and her family screaming out her name. She took a deep breath and then realised that she wasn't in her room. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked around. Where was she? Then, it all came flooding back to her. She rolled her aching body off the chaize-lounge and stretched herself, before padding into the room where Anya had been sleeping. She was pleased to see that her sister was already awake; for Anya didn't like to be woken by anybody.

"Good morning, Rose," she greeted her, cheerfully.

Belle opened her mouth to object, but then decided against it. Anya could be at her grumpiest first thing in the mornings. "Jewel," she said, slowly, "I've been thinking about our...situation."

"Yes, so have I," Anya agreed, sitting up. "These men are going to Paris, like us, so I say we stick close to them."

"But, Anya, how do we know can trust them?"

"Jewel!"

"Sorry, I forgot!"

"Look, they gave us food and shelter, didn't they?"

"But if they find out who we are...Jewel, how do we know they weren't part of the rebellion?"

"We don't; but if we're careful enough, they won't find out."

"But-!"

"Will you stop worrying already?" Anya snapped. "You're giving me a headache!" She sighed and rubbed her temple. "Sorry, Belle, it's been a long night."

"Nightmares?"

"Yeah, heaps of them."

"Me too."

Anya sighed. "Oh, Rose; why did this have to happen?"

Belle bit her lip. "We knew this was coming, Jewel."

"I miss everyone so much."

"Me too." Belle dashed tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "I wish we knew if they were alright."

"No point crying about it now," Anya said, firmly, getting to her feet. "Come on, we must find our saviours and see if they'll let us accompany them to Paris."

"Ah, good morning," said Adam as they came into the kitchen. He got to his feet and offered them both a polite smile. "Dimitri went out for breakfast. I hope you both slept well."

"As well as we could manage," Anya replied, sitting down. "We're very grateful to you for letting us stay."

"Ah!" Adam shrugged, carelessly. "It's a big enough theatre and you looked like you needed help."

"Thank you," Belle said.

His eyes met hers. "You're very welcome."

"Adam," said Anya, crossing her hand son her lap like she had been taught at home, "we were wondering something. You guys are going to Paris and we're going to Paris, and, well, it makes no sense, us all separating and then ending up at the same place; so would it be alright, with you and Dimitri, obviously, if we were to, well, tag along with you?"

Adam smiled. "Well, I've no objections to that, if Dimitri hasn't."

Belle sank onto the sofa beside her sister. "Really? It would be alright?"

His heart was hammering in his chest at the awkwardness hanging in the air. "Well, you may have to pay for your own tickets..."

"Oh, we have money," Anya inturrupted, rummaging in her bag and pulling out a handful of notes. "Would this be enough?"

Adam stared at her, incredulously. "Strewth, Jewel! Have you two robbed a bank or something?"

Belle felt the colour rush to her cheeks. "We made this money ourselves!" Anya snapped, indignantly.

"That was a joke; I wasn't serious."

"Oh. Well, now you know."

There was a pause. Then, Adam smiled. "Look, if there's stuff you don't want to tell us, that's perfectly fine. You hardly know us anyway. We'd just be travelling companions, that's all."

"Breakfast!" Dimitri announced, walking into the room. "Hope you're hungry!" His eyes met Adam's and they exchanged a glance. Then, Dimitri gave a slight nod and Adam felt a rush of relief. He had decided to let the girls come with them after all! That was just as well, really.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say we're famished," he replied.

Description
Belle woke up with a start. Her nightmare had been one of fire and pain and death and her family screaming out her name. She took a deep breath and then realised that she wasn't in her room. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked around. Where was she? Then, it all came flooding back to her. She rolled her aching body off the chaize-lounge and stretched herself, before padding into the room where Anya had been sleeping. She was pleased to see that her sister was already awake; for Anya didn't like to be woken by anybody.

"Good morning, Rose," she greeted her, cheerfully.

Belle opened her mouth to object, but then decided against it. Anya could be at her grumpiest first thing in the mornings. "Jewel," she said, slowly, "I've been thinking about our...situation."

"Yes, so have I," Anya agreed, sitting up. "These men are going to Paris, like us, so I say we stick close to them."

"But, Anya, how do we know can trust them?"

"Jewel!"

"Sorry, I forgot!"

"Look, they gave us food and shelter, didn't they?"

"But if they find out who we are...Jewel, how do we know they weren't part of the rebellion?"

"We don't; but if we're careful enough, they won't find out."

"But-!"

"Will you stop worrying already?" Anya snapped. "You're giving me a headache!" She sighed and rubbed her temple. "Sorry, Belle, it's been a long night."

"Nightmares?"

"Yeah, heaps of them."

"Me too."

Anya sighed. "Oh, Rose; why did this have to happen?"

Belle bit her lip. "We knew this was coming, Jewel."

"I miss everyone so much."

"Me too." Belle dashed tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "I wish we knew if they were alright."

"No point crying about it now," Anya said, firmly, getting to her feet. "Come on, we must find our saviours and see if they'll let us accompany them to Paris."

"Ah, good morning," said Adam as they came into the kitchen. He got to his feet and offered them both a polite smile. "Dimitri went out for breakfast. I hope you both slept well."

"As well as we could manage," Anya replied, sitting down. "We're very grateful to you for letting us stay."

"Ah!" Adam shrugged, carelessly. "It's a big enough theatre and you looked like you needed help."

"Thank you," Belle said.

His eyes met hers. "You're very welcome."

"Adam," said Anya, crossing her hand son her lap like she had been taught at home, "we were wondering something. You guys are going to Paris and we're going to Paris, and, well, it makes no sense, us all separating and then ending up at the same place; so would it be alright, with you and Dimitri, obviously, if we were to, well, tag along with you?"

Adam smiled. "Well, I've no objections to that, if Dimitri hasn't."

Belle sank onto the sofa beside her sister. "Really? It would be alright?"

His heart was hammering in his chest at the awkwardness hanging in the air. "Well, you may have to pay for your own tickets..."

"Oh, we have money," Anya inturrupted, rummaging in her bag and pulling out a handful of notes. "Would this be enough?"

Adam stared at her, incredulously. "Strewth, Jewel! Have you two robbed a bank or something?"

Belle felt the colour rush to her cheeks. "We made this money ourselves!" Anya snapped, indignantly.

"That was a joke; I wasn't serious."

"Oh. Well, now you know."

There was a pause. Then, Adam smiled. "Look, if there's stuff you don't want to tell us, that's perfectly fine. You hardly know us anyway. We'd just be travelling companions, that's all."

"Breakfast!" Dimitri announced, walking into the room. "Hope you're hungry!" His eyes met Adam's and they exchanged a glance. Then, Dimitri gave a slight nod and Adam felt a rush of relief. He had decided to let the girls come with them after all! That was just as well, really.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say we're famished," he replied.