Beauty was taken slightly aback as Belle turned her pleading face to him. She looked so distraught, he felt bad for having to bring her the bad news. He threw his hands up in a pleading gesture. "Oh no! It's not that he doesn't want to, it's just that the other girls might start getting jealous if you get to sleep next to him all the time. He doesn't want them to take it out on you because you have sensitive skin." The look she was giving him made him want to crumble and give in and tell her he would speak to Snow, but he held himself back knowing this would be better for the entire group.

Not without his own resources he gave her a sad look, his beautiful face seeming to crumble with despair as he looked at her. "I understand, you don't want me to sleep next to you because of what a horrible person I am." He laced his voice with just the right amount of misery, not wanting to go overboard with it. "I'll j-just leave you alone. Maybe it would be better if I-i slept alone too. Who would want to sleep next to me knowing that I'm a horrible person." He acted as if he was going to turn away, moving just slow enough that she would be able to stop him if his plan worked out right.

Alice gave Snow a brilliant smile as he spoke. It was about time he rotated the girls around. She would never do anything to hurt Belle but she knew some of the other girls wouldn't think twice about bruising her fair skin. She looked over towards Beauty and Belle and saw the look on Belle's face. If Beauty could withstand that, she would be greatly impressed. She turned back to Snow after she shot a quick glance towards Ariel, finding her lounging on her sleeping bag, soaking up the suns last rays. With a smug smile on her face she looked up at him. "Well let's see. Obviously Belle has been by your side a great deal and I'm sure Ariel thinks she's getting the other spot but she's been there for the last couple of days. 'Lina hasn't slept by you in a while so I would say her on one side at least. Fiona had her turn last week so that leaves Mulan and myself. Your choice my prince."

She smiled at him as she finished speaking. She would love to sleep next to him tonight but if he chose Mulan she wouldn't get upset over it. She hadn't gotten a chance to sleep next to him in a while but knew she would eventually.

As Ariel lay in the sun's fading light she happened to glance over towards where Beauty and Belle stood. What was this? It looked as if Belle had turned her pleading look onto Beauty. Snow must have ended her turn and sent the new guy over to break the news. She almost felt sorry for him but as she watched, his face turned from startled to sad. She sat up a little bit as she watched the pair. Either he was really miserable or he was putting on a hell of a show. She grinned suddenly. If it was an act it looked as though Belle had met her match. This should be interesting.

For the moment she was mellow, her wicked side resting for the moment. She continued to watch with amusement, waiting to see what would happen. She didn't have any worries that she wouldn't get to sleep next to Snow tonight, but she hadn't seen Alice standing with him yet.

And here they came: the water works! Belle clung to his shirt tightly as he turned his back towards her, her forehead touching his back just barely. She was full-fledged crying, shaking, tears coming down her cheeks and her eyes barely able to stay open, her shoulders raised. "I... I didn't mean... you're... you're not.... hic...." A sensitive little thing like her was quick to stutter. "You wanted... t-to keep me s-safe... and... I was... I... I'm so horrible... I... I din't mean to"

On the bright side, Beauty had convinced Belle to stay the night with him. But tough luck, it'd be hard getting rid of her period. So long as Snow didn't complain, she would probably always stay close to him in too innocently sexy ways.

Snow, on the other hand, gave Alice a very sexy smile, cupping her chin in his hand. "Its been a while since I've had you by my side, yet you always stray away from me for the other girls' sake," he mused, his piercing blue eyes almost penetrating deep into her soul. He traced her lips with silk-smooth fingers, his smile softening as if she was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. "Truly, you are my first and most understanding love. Come. Stay by my side tonight. If only for your selflessness you deserve it."

Ariel's mouth opened in shock as somehow Beauty got Belle to beg him to stay by her side tonight. She had to give him some credit. He had turned that siutation around completly and gotten Belle to forget about sleeping next to Snow. Hmm he might just create some entertainment for me at least. Just then she happened to look over at Snow and found him close to Alice. Instant rage sprang up in her. The nerve of that girl, to think that she could command Snow's attention better than she could. She considered sauntering over there but decided not to for the moment. Ariel figured she could afford to let it go for now, not knowing she wouldn't be by Snow's side tonight.

Alice felt herself melting under his touch and a shiver of pleasure ran down her spine as he seemed to look down into her soul as he looked into her eyes. For the moment it was only the two of them. She smiled at him, satisfaction pulsing though her body as he asked her to stay by his side. "You truely are a king among princes, my lord." She let herself melt against him as they stood there, chills coursing over her skin at his touch. She then gave him a wicked smile. "You know, Ariel is not going to be happy that I've taken her spot but it looks as though Beauty succeeded with his task." She had watched as he had turned it around on Belle and couldn't help but be amused. She wondered if he knew that Belle wasn't one to get rid of very easily after she had latched onto someone.

Fiona had wandered over next to 'Lina. "Need any help?" She loved to hang out with the small girl. She was always so nice to her and they had a lot in common. She looked over towards Snow and Alice. "Aww don't they just look so cute together?" She was never one to get jealous over Snow being so close to the other girls. She melted whenever she had his attention but the concept of jealously never entered her simple mind. She was happy that he was happy.

Beauty let her talk for a few moments and then wasn't able to let it go on any more. He turned back to her and raised her head gently with his hand as he took his other one and gently wiped the tears from her face. "Don't cry beautiful. Your not horrible, I just thought you wouldn't want me near you after what I did earlier. If you want me to, I'll stay beside you tonight." He spoke softly to her, pleased that his plan had worked out so well. He couldn't stand to see her cry though and took her in his arms. "There, there it's ok. Please don't cry." He hoped Snow wouldn't mind him holding her. After all it wasn't like he was trying to move in on his girl. All he wanted to do was to comfort her.

Snow pulled Alice just a bit closer, one of his hands on her small shoulders, the other on her lower back, keeping her close. "Any complaint Ariel might have will fall on deaf ears," he whispered into her ears. "She has been near me long enough, and its about time she learned to share, just like you always have. Don't worry, she'll be on the other corner, with Mulan by her side to keep her in check."

Moving his neck and eyes only slightly, he noticed Beauty with Belle and let out a slight chuckle. "Beauty used the wrong tactic, now he'll never get rid of her until we part ways." He also thought the poor man will have a hard on all night, but he kept that little piece of information to himself. "Apparently, she'll be sleeping with either one of us for a long while..."

Lina smiled at Fiona, almost finishing her own work. "Thanks, Alice helped with most of it, so there's not much to do," she answered brightly, fixing things here and there. "Alice is lucky, isn't she? She's been with Snow the most. I wanna cuddle with him like that!" And impulsive as she was, Lina couldn't help herself from wrecking a perfectly romantic moment with a tackled hug that almost knocked down the both of them.

Little by little, Annabelle calmed down in Beauty's arms, clinging to his shirt tightly. She looked up to him, her eyes still watery, but smiled at him warmly despite this. "I can see why Snow trusts you so," she said, cuddling even closer, her breasts indadvertedly rubbing against his chest. "I can tell, you're a good guy underneath it all..."

Beauty was relieved when Annabelle calmed down as he held her. He couldn't stand to see a beautiful woman cry for any reason. He gave a start as her breasts rubbed against his chest. He couldn't help it, but feel parts that had been asleep for far too long start to stir. Oh crap He tried to ignore the feel of her breasts on him but wasn't doing a very good job of it. He gave an inward groan at the effect she was having on him. His eyes widened in surprise at her words and he gave her a grin. Speaking quietly, "Shh don't tell anyone. Can't let everybody know I'm a good guy."

He could handle one night of sleeping next to her couldn't he? He seriously hoped that she couldn't feel the hard on he had as she pressed up against him and tried to angle his body a little bit away from her. "We should probably figure out where everyone else is sleeping so we can set everything up so that I can protect you tonight." He hadn't given a thought to what would happen if she decided to attach herself to him for more than just the one night. He wasn't aware yet that he was going to have an extremely hard time getting rid of her.

Alice let herself melt against him, lowering her guard completely. It was very rare for her to do that, even when she was around Snow. For some reason, tonight she could just relax. She looked over towards Beauty and Belle when Snow chuckled. An amused look came over her face. "Yes doesn't look like he's going to get much sleep tonight. I bet he has no idea what he's gotten himself into." She laughed softly and leaned her head against Snow's chest, closing her eyes with contentment. "Ariel doesn't share well, but you knew that. She's going to be hell to sleep beside tonight but I'm sure Mulan can handle her."

She couldn't wait to see the look on Ariel's face when she found out she wouldn't get to sleep beside Snow tonight. Just as she was thinking that, she was almost knocked down by Lina's tackle. What could have been a romantic moment was ruined. "This is what I get for letting my guard down," she muttered under her breath. She turned to Lina. "Whoa! You almost knocked us down jumping bean." She said it with affection, knowing how impulsive the girl was. "Good news, you and I get to sleep next to Snow tonight." She said it just loud enough for Ariel to hear.

Ariel was just stretching as she stood up when she heard Alice. She stood completely still for a moment as rage overtook her. Her eyes turned bright red and her red hair instantly became jet black. This was never good for anyone when she changed like this. It meant she was in a killing rage and would need to be forcibly stopped before she hurt anyone. In a flash she charged over to where Alice and everyone else was standing.

"WHAT! YOU LYING BITCH!" She looked at Alice with murder dancing in her eyes, her nails growing to razor sharp points as she started towards her with the intent of ruining that pretty little face of hers with them. Coherent thought had left her the instant she had heard she wasn't going sleep next to Snow tonight. She had begun to think of sleeping next to him as her right and wasn't thinking of anything else.

If Snow couldn't get her to calm down then who knew what would happen.

Fiona blinked in surprise at Lina suddenly tackled Snow and Alice. She got this big grin on her face and rushed over too. "Don't leave me out!" She was only paying attention to Snow and didn't realize she was directly in the path of a furious Ariel who was going for blood. She turned her head in confusion as she ear the enraged shout behind her and froze as Ariel's brilliant red eyes met her own. She froze, unable to move. If someone didn't do something soon, Fiona wouldn't stand a chance.

Hearing Beauty's playful words, Annabelle giggled softly, pressing herself closer to him as he tried to move away. "I'll keep your secret, but Snow knows, doesn't he? He wouldn't have sent you to my side otherwise." Although it was quite innocently, Belle certainly had her way of invading personal space, in too sensual a way.

"Lets ask him where..." she started, grabbing Beauty's and holding it close to her chest, turning around to face Snow, but quickly noticing what was happened. It wasn't the first time a situation like this happened, but Belle shivered with fear anyway. When discussions like this began, she never knew how to react, her whole body freezing in fear of what if...? She wasn't strong like Alice and Mulan, nor could she change like Ariel did... What if one of them took it out on her? What if she, like Fiona was about to and Lina had already, gotten herself mixed between a dispute...? She felt so weak, so useless...

Snow's lips twitched into the slightest, most serene of smiles, complete bliss as Alice leaned over his chest. "You truly have nothing to worry about, Mulan knows how to deal with Ariel all too well," he whispered, his voice warm and comforting. Not fully finishing his words, he was greeted by Lina's tackle hug, noticing at the last second she was attacking to manage to stand strong and not be knocked down. Innocent as she was, Lina was a bit too much of a menace when she didn't appreciate her own strength. He sighed deeply. "I guess we both let our guard down..."
Upon hearing Alice's words, Lina's eyes widened with delight. Her hug, already a bit too strong, grabbed hold of both of them all too tightly. With a goofy but delighted expresion, she jumped in place, not noticing the imminent danger that would soon be coming her way. She just laughed and cheered, celebrating her time to be with Snow had come, and she'd been way too long without it. When Ariel called out, however, she immediately stepped back, loosening her grip, her happiness turned into worry. Only Mulan and Alice ever stood a chance against Ariel.

Now that she took a step back, Lina noticed she and Alice weren't the only ones in danger. Fiona, who she had just left, was now directly in the line of attack. When Black Ariel came out, it was best not to get in her way. Cruel as it was, she wasn't about to step in for Fiona, not when much more anger would be directed at her for actually getting her spot for the night. She was far better off letting someone else handle it, even though she indirectly had been the cause for it.

Snow groaned, not showing any disguise for his emotions. He had never been particularly good at pretending. He unfortunately had to let go of Alice, as comfortable as he was, to deal with his problematic little red-head. He hadn't counted on Fiona, though, or the fact that she'd become a little deer in the headlights at the oncoming attack. He needed to go straight to Ariel to stop her, or he might be the one receiving the fury... what to do...

As if reading his mind, Mulan managed to grab Fiona, pulling her out of the way and keeping her close to her chest. Now Ariel's line of fire was elsewhere, and Mulan's surprisingly strong hands passed over the younger girl's hair, comforting. "Calm down, I'll keep you safe..." She glared at Ariel, annoyed at her selfishness, but felt it wasn't her place to speak. She'd leave that to Snow.

With a smile and a slight nod in Mulan's direction, Snow turned to Ariel, walking straight for her and looking at her a lot calmer now. "Ariel, you do know this tantrum is terribly unbecoming," he said, keeping at least an arm's reach between them. His blue eyes scanned her face for any emotion as he continued to talk. "You, my dear, are very precious to me, but all six of you are. I'm not going to allow you to be spoiled just because. Now, you will do like all the rest and share, relinquish your spot for the night, or you might force me to make more permanent arrangements, as much as I would rather not do."

Fiona gave out a small "eep!" as Mulan pulled her out of the way of the oncoming Ariel. She burst into tears and clung to Mulan. "I-i'm s-sorry. T-thank you s-so much M-mulan!" She was reassured by the comforting touch of Mulan's hands on her hair. She felt bad for crying all over Mulan's clothes but couldn't stop the tears from coming. It always took her a long time to calm down once she had gotten upset.

Ariel continued to rush forward her eyes locking on Fiona's frozen form as she got in her way. Her rage instantly shifted to her. She would claw her eyes out for standing in her way to her intended target. It was always bad to get in her way when she was like this. She would teach whoever it was to never get in her way again. She gave out a scream of rage as Fiona was pulled out of her way and then focused on Alice once again. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BITCH! I'LL RIP YOUR EYES OUT!"

The only emotion on her face was pure rage until Snow stepped forward and spoke to her. His words only came through to her slowly until he mentioned making more permanent arrangements. It was like a bucket of ice had been poured over her as she froze at the words. Her rage disappeared rapidly, replaced with horror. She stood there for a moment, her eyes fading back into their normal color of green. Her hair took a little longer but finally resumed it's brilliant red color. All the color drained out of her face as she realized what she had almost done. She looked around at the terrified faces around her and felt intense shame. She couldn't help it when the darker side of her came out, it just happened and god help whoever got in her way. Snow was the only one who could ever calm her down.

She felt her legs start to tremble as she crumpled to the ground with a sob. "O-of course. As you w-wish my prince." She covered her face with her hands as she tried to control herself. It was always a good idea to let her calm all the way down before any of the girls approached her again. Snow on the other hand was a different matter.

Beauty groaned to himself as Belle pressed herself closer against him. There would be no hiding it now, not as close as she was. This had the potential to be very embarrassing for both of them. He managed to give her a weak smile. "Yes I suppose he does, but the other girls don't have to know."

When she grabbed his hand he was relieved. She wasn't pressed up against him anymore and wouldn't feel how hard he was now. He heard the vicious scream at the same time he noticed the situation in front of them. He could feel Belle trembling against him and quickly pulled her against him. His first instinct was to go and help Snow but he didn't want to leave Belle unprotected. He had agreed to protect her to Snow and he wouldn't allow her to go towards that situation. He watched in horror as the beautiful red head turned into her antithesis with black hair and brilliant red eyes. He then saw Fiona in the way and his horror grew. Ariel looked like she would mow her down. He moved forward just a bit and then sighed in relief as Mulan pulled her out of harm's way. "Don't worry, I'll protect you Belle," he murmured against her hair.

He watched as Ariel froze at Snow's words and felt pity for her when she sank to the ground in obvious misery. "Does this happen often?"

Alice started at the enraged howl that came from Ariel. She had wanted a rise out of her but not this. This was never a good thing and she felt her heart race as Fiona stepped in the way. She breathed a sigh of relief when Mulan pulled her out of the way and although she felt the need to confront Black Ariel she knew it wasn't her place just as Mulan did. She was relieved when Snow's words caused Ariel to freeze. Even though they had been enemy's from day one, she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of pity for the girl when she crumpled to the ground. She looked back at Lina. "Don't worry, Snow can handle her. Let's give her some room." She led the terrified girl a little ways off so that Ariel could have a moment alone.

As a river of tears kept flowing through Fiona's cheeks, Mulan just stood there, a gentle hand comforting as she passing over her hair and a supporting hand on her lower back keeping her close. She didn't mind her cloth sarashi getting salty wet with tears, nor staying by her side as long as she was needed; she just wanted to be helpful. Now that Snow had been so tough with Ariel, she couldn't help having a slight urge to help her either, a feeling of condescension for that annoying and arrogant girl. She was getting her just desserts, so her feelings were nothing but a waste of energy. At least she could count on Ariel being calm for the night.

Snow just stood in front of Ariel, watching her break down, no emotion showing on his face. He watched as the red in her eyes returned to green, as her hair returned to its crimson color, all without even batting an eyelash. His lips twitched, watching her fall to her knees and break down in front of him. How he hated doing this to her, but knew it had to be done. He turned his back to her, his face as straight as possible, as he turned to Alice and 'Lina. "Alice, I entrust upon you the responsibility of making sure everyone is in their proper space," he declared softly. "Thumbellina, you'll be her aide."

Putting a hand to her forehead, military style, Thumbellina smiled at Snow, a light blush in her cheeks as her other hand found its way to Alice's shoulder. "Yes, sir!" she responded playfully, feeling a lot lighter now that Snow had deflated Ariel, and that Alice had promised to be her protection."Anything in particular you wish?"

"The corners will be Beauty and Ariel, with Annabelle and Mulan by their sides, respectively," he ordered, making a mental picture of things. "Mulan will be by your side, Thumbellina, and Fiona by Alice, so we'll be prepared in case of any attack. I leave that in you care." With those words, he gave his back to them, and kneeled in front of Ariel, not saying a word.

Beauty could now feel how Belle trembled so close to him, her eyes never leaving the situation in front of them as her hands were now clutching his shirt. His whispering so close to her did leave her with a slight relief, her hands loosening a bit, her face now hiding on his chest. She nodded, when he asked her if it happened often. "Every time..." she barely managed to say. "Every time we change... ever since Ariel came..." Her cobalt blue eyes wondered to where Ariel laid on the ground. "No one can handle her... I don't know why he chose her, she's breaking us all appart..." Belle's words were spiteful, bitter, completely unlike the sugar-coated goodness they usually were. "We would all be better if she went away with someone else... It wouldn't be beneath her..."

Beauty was surprised at the spiteful words coming from Belle. He pulled her closer to him wanting to make her feel better. He gently stroked her back, feeling how she was trembling. "I can understand why you feel that way but there must be a good reason he choose her. She can't be all bad after all. Maybe Snow saw something in her that the rest of us can't see. He wouldn't keep her here without good reason." He smoothed the back of her hair as he hugged her close. Right now he didn't care if it looked like he was making a move on her, he was more concerned with making her feel better.

[COLOR="Blue"]Alice nodded at Snow and then turned to 'Lina. "Come on then, let's get everybody settled." She went to gather the girls up to let them know where they would be sleeping tonight. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw how close Beauty and Belle were but didn't say a word. It would be up to Snow to say anything to them.

They quickly arranged all the sleeping areas so that the girls were lined up the way Snow had wanted them. It was starting to get dark and time for everyone to be going to sleep. They had a long day ahead of them in the morning. /COLOR]

Fiona's sobs finally came to an end and she looked up at Mulan, a sweet smile on her face. "Thank you for saving me." She stepped back a little bit and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. She looked over to where Ariel had collapsed to the ground. "It looks like Snow calmed her down. C'mon let's go get ready for bed!" She smiled brightly and grabbed Mulan's hand as she pulled her towards the sleeping arrangements. It didn't take her long to become bubbly again.

Ariel felt exhausted. She hated it when she turned into the other side of herself. She could never control when it was going to happen, although it seemed to happen more often whenever the sleeping pattern was changed. She trembled with the effort of not sobbing. She still had her pride and would not let them hear her cry. Her eyes were red-rimmed when she finally looked up. Snow was kneeling in front of her and she felt the hated tears wheal up in her eyes at the sight of him. He was the only one she would ever let see her cry. A lone tear escaped and made it's way down her cheek. "I'm so sorry...," she whispered out. She didn't make a move to go to him and just sat there, her face pale. She didn't understand how Snow still tolerated her presence there. She knew the other girls couldn't stand her. Most of the time it didn't bother her but when she fell apart like this she couldn't help but be hurt by it.

"She should let someone know, just like you do..." Belle whispered, her body shrinking in his arms, melting agains his, her hands softly looking for comfort as they wandered over his chest. "I know Snow wouldn't do anything that might get us hurt... but..." With that thought left unsaid, she smiled at him, her watery eyes curved into the same smile her rosy lips were, a strained and tired smile. "I'm feeling sleepy. Can you join me?"


Mulan helped Fiona finish setting up, all while fixing her spot, and Ariel's. After words like that, she was sure it'd take the girl quite a bit of time to get up. She made sure to tuck Fiona in, sitting by her side until she fell asleep. After all, she'd never been the type to sleep much. She'll probably be making guard most of the night, allowing the others to sleep as best they could.

Snow felt his chest tighten as a tear danced its way down Ariel's cheek, his whole willpower barely enough not to brush it away. She needed those tears, and even more so she needed to others to see them. He wanted the others to see her as she truly was, to be able to relate to her, or else they would never form a true Harem, nor a true family. Sighing softly after her apology, he put a gentle hand over her head, barely ruffling her hair. "I know... Your pride is quite unbecoming at times, you know. You should be beyond that..."

Ariel was only holding it together by the greatest effort of will. Then when she felt Snow's touch on her head and his words, it was enough to break the remainder of her pride completely away. Her will crumbled as she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. When she met his kind gaze her will broke completely as tears began to pour down her cheeks. She let out a soft sob as her face crumpled and she put her head in her hands. She shook as the tears kept pouring from her eyes.

She had never broken down like this before in front of all of them. She found she didn't care whether they saw her or not. It didn't matter anymore and she needed this. All the pain, hurt, anger, and helplessness poured out of her, leaving her feeling like an empty shell.

Alice finished helping set everything up with 'Lina's help. She nodded thanks at Mulan when she saw her setting up the other end. When they had finished she glanced back over where Snow and Ariel were. She quickly looked again as she saw with shock at Ariel. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It looked as though the girl who had been the bane of her existence falling apart right in front of everyone. She had never seen her show any other emotion than anger or sexual intention. She hadn't really thought the girl had any other feelings. She stood there, her mouth hanging open as she watched the scene in front of her.

Beauty could feel her small hands as they roamed over his chest very well. He knew she only did it for comfort but that didn't help the coil of desire that settled in the pit of his stomach. He smiled down at her gently and brushed the remaining wetness away from under her beautiful eyes. "Of course my lady." It wasn't until he had taken her hand to lead her over to where they would be sleeping when he caught sight of Ariel. His gaze softened as he watched her sob silently. Speaking quietly, "Look there. If that isn't showing what I was talking about then nothing will." He could tell her pride was shattered as she sat there in front of Snow if she was allowing herself to break down in front of all of them. His heart went out to her even though he had seen the worst come out in her earlier. "Come on, let's leave them be. That can't be easy, breaking down in front of everyone like that.". He tugged Belle's hand gently, leading her to their spots in the line up.

He quickly settled down on the sleeping bags and patted the place next to him as he smiled up at her.

Mulan was slightly shocked, her feeling of condescension gone as Ariel broke down then and there, for everyone to see. Instead, she felt sympathy, empathy for someone who was her equal, someone who would also throw away everything for Snow. She didn't stare, she knew that Ariel's broken pride certainly couldn't handle something like that, but smiled slightly as she laid on her makeshift bed, hoping this was the birth of a much more bearable woman.

Thumbellina also felt at ease seeing Ariel breaking down. She cuddled under her covers, stealing glances at the show, unseen. Secretly, she was enjoying it, but didn't want to risk Ariel's wrath. This was karma, for all those times she'd made her cry.

Finally Belle could see how much Ariel cared for Snow. She wished for an apology, not seeing her break down, and now she regretted the wish after all. No one should have to suffer for love... As her eyes became watery once more, feeling slightly responsible about it, she sat down next to Beauty, not daring to look at Ariel. She winced as she sat down, the tears becoming worse. "Can... can I sit by your lap instead?"

"That's it... let it all out..." Snow's words were soft, comforting, as he kept his hand gently over her hair, not moving from her side, but not getting close to her either. "Showing your true feelings makes me love you even more."

Beauty hadn't expected her to want to get closer to him, but when he saw the tears falling from her eyes he wasn't able to tell her no. "Of course you can." He held his arms out to her so that he could hold her close and comfort her. "What's wrong? Someone as beautiful as you are shouldn't be crying." He was confused. Had he done something to upset her? She was so emotional, he just didn't know.

Finally all of her tears dried up. It was a couple of minutes before she could stop herself from silently sobbing. The touch of Snow's hand on her hair went a long way to calming her down. She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. She gave him a weak smile at his words. Yes, she would do anything for him, no matter the cost to herself. She composed herself and started to get up from the ground. "I should go to my place now. I've caused enough grief today." Her legs felt shaky as she stood up and she swayed unsteadily for a moment before righting herself. She had decided to sleep as far away from the person who would be beside her as possible. She didn't want to seem cold but didn't think she deserved to be close to anyone right now. She turned to Snow, misery showing in her face. "Maybe it would be best if I slept alone tonight. I don't deserve to sleep next to the others." Her voice came out in broken spurts.

Alice realized she was staring and turned away from the sight in front of her. She felt a surge of pity overwhelm any distaste she had towards Ariel. She knew it must cost her a great deal to break down like that and went back to getting ready for bed. She settled down next to the empty blanket that would be Snow's and got as comfortable as she could before he came to lay down. A smile crept over her face as she thought of getting to sleep next to her love tonight. It had been too long.

Not wanting to admit her mixed feelings for Ariel, she decided to show him the small bruises on her thighs, getting up and lifting up her skirt a bit. "I just... There's rocks on the ground and they hurt... I can't handle anything rough..." Even as she said that, she hadn't noticed how sensual that was, letting him see her thighs and just the slightest peek at her panties from her angle. White and lacy.

How he wanted to hug her, to care for her and to made sure she fell asleep with a smile on her face. How he wished to pull her close wen she was about to lose her strength. Unfortunately all of that would defy everything he'd done so far. "You will sleep next to Mulan, Ariel, like you're supposed to," he said, his voice a bit cold. "I don't want you escaping your moments of weakness like they hadn't happened. Or wasn't that what we agreed to? To share everything with each and every one of us. You have to learn to depend on them as you depend on me... Please..." Of course it had to slip out, it always did. Despite wanting to portray strength, leadership and passion, he was really a sucker for all these girls. "Do as I say, I'll be going to bed."

Beauty had just gotten himself under control when Belle lifted her skirt, giving him a glimpse of her lacy white panties. Instantly he was hard once again and groaned inwardly. It seemed the girl didn't know just how sensual she made even the simplest things. Keeping his face calm he looked at the bruises on her thighs. He was a bit shocked at how tender her skin was. "Of course you can sleep as close to me as you want. Come here. Let's get some sleep." Trying to ignore the way her soft body felt up against his, he pulled her close and put his arms around her as they laid down. "Don't worry ill protect you. Sleep well beautiful Belle." He would stay awake until she fell asleep and then when he did go to sleep himself he would still be on alert. The slightest sound would wake him.

Ariel felt her lip tremble at his cold tone and mutely nodded. Of course she would do as he wished. For him she would do anything, even try to get along better with the others. She turned and went over where Mulan was laying and got into her sleeping bag without another word. None of the girls would have to worry about her getting out of hand tonight. Within moments she had fallen asleep. Her burst of emotion had drained her more than she had realized.

Annabelle smiled as he puller her close, his supple body becoming the right type of support for her delicate soft one. She laid her head on his chest, the rhythm of his breathing softly becoming her own as she fell asleep. She liked this man and his comforting ways, she liked how he protected her from harm. It was almost like having Snow by her side, but all to herself. In her eyes, Beaty had the same charisma Snow had, but he was a lot better hiding it. Getting comfortable, each time she got just a bit closer, gracing him a bit more.

Poor Beauty, Snow knew he wouldn't get a wink of sleep. After looking over each and every member of his harem, and making sure, of course, Beauty wasn't doing anything to Belle, he finally took his place between Thumbellina and Alice. A slight kiss to the forehead would give Lina a good night's sleep, and an arm over her shoulders would give Alice all the support she'd never admit she wanted. With that, he would fall asleep, knowing that tomorrow would be quite the adventure.

((If you want anything more to happen "tonight", you can add it, if not, we can start waking up in the morning, preparing for the journey. I really wish we could talk more often >.<))

It took Beauty a long time before he was able to go to sleep. Each time Belle shifted, it brought her even closer to him bringing him fully awake again. Finally he was able to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning. A few hours after dawn found him waking up for the day. When he looked down at Belle, he saw she had cuddled up to him as close as she could. He couldn't help but smile as he gently pried himself away from her. Gently he laid her head down on his sleeping blanket he had rolled up to use as a pillow for her head.

Beauty stood up and stretched his long frame, looking around the camp as he did. He softly walked over to the stream nearby and splashed some water on his face before he headed back to the others. They would begin their search for the fabled Red Riding Hood today. It would prove to be a very interesting day to say the least.

Alice was usually up at the crack of dawn most days, but today she had overslept. It wasn't very often that she got to sleep next to Snow and she treasured every second of it. She was able to let herself relax fully when she slept beside him.

((Sorry for the lag, no internet at home, interviews and exams just don't mix... I'll be replying a bit sporadically....))


Mulan was already fixing her bed, as usual not sleeping much. She had greeted the day at its dawn, content with a few hours of light sleep. She’d even taken a full bath by now, sharpened her sword, and taken a few bites to eat. She never prepared food for anyone else, since no one seemed too fond of her extremely nutritious but too bland tasting cooking, so it’d be a while before breakfast was prepared. Usually, Alice would be talking with her at this time, but she let the girl enjoy her much deserved rest at Snow’s side. It’d been a bit dull without their talks, though.

Thumbellina, awake as she was, didn’t want to move out of her bed. She knew Snow to be awake, just patting her and Alice occasionally, and didn’t want to loose her moment of bliss. She felt Snow’s eyes, cobalt blue, looking into hers, and knew it was time to get breakfast moving. She knew Snow would stay for a while longer, everyone always let him stay in bed longest, and she was a bit annoyed that Alice got to stay wrapped by his arms while she was now getting up. With a little sigh, she stood up and began to gather supplies for breakfast, but not without a second look at the man she loved and how he slept by one of her dear friends… Thank god they were friends.

Usually Ariel was one of the very last one's up but this morning she had woken up much earlier than usual. Yesterday she had realized that no matter how much she resented the other girls taking the time should could have alone with Snow, that she needed to accept that they were a family and start getting along better with the others.

Without a word she got up from her cozy blanket and went over to help Thumbellina with breakfast. Most of the time she would just sneer at the girls who had to prepare breakfast and hardly ever helped. She was actually a very good cook although she didn't show it very often. She glanced over at Snow who was still cuddled up to Alice and instead of the white hot rage that would usually have sprang up in her, she didn't feel anything but a soft yearning that that could be her cuddled up next to him. It was odd to feel so much differently that just the day before. Something had really changed when she had broken down in front of everyone, it would just take time for the others to see it.

Fiona had been up for quite some time now as well. She loved to watch the way the stars faded in the early hours of the morning as they made way for the rising sun. It was one of the few things she did everyday constantly, rain or shine. She could be very flighty at times, but every now and then there was a seriousness to her that surfaced rarely. She looked over to where Thumbellina was preparing breakfast and found herself shocked that Ariel was actually helping and not complaining one bit. Was she sick? Fiona hoped not, she didn't want to catch anything that would slow them down. She started over towards Mulan. "Good morning!"

As much as Alice wanted to stay in bed and cuddle with Snow and as rare as it was, she knew she couldn't stay in bed any longer. She opened her eyes and smiled up at Snow. "Good morning my love." She stretched her arms over her head and then just stayed there for a moment longer, relishing how good it felt to wake up in Snow's arms. With a sigh of regret she gently untangled herself from his embrace and got up. She smiled and waved over at Mulan and Fiona. Mulan was always up at the crack of dawn and she usually was too on most days.

Beauty walked back towards the group and saw that almost everyone was awake and up. He walked back over to where he had left Belle and smiled down at her. She looked so peaceful and he didn't have the heart to wake her. Instead he walked over towards where Thumbellina and Ariel were busy cooking breakfast. "Anything I can help with ladies?" He wanted to be a part of their group, he realized, not just an intruder. He gave them a soft smile as he waited to see what he could do.