Belle was lost in her own thoughts when he approached her. In fact, the sound of his voice startled her so much that she gasped and struggled to her feet. Brushing a few stray strands out of her eyes, she composed herself and gave him a tentative smile.

"Beast..." she tilted her head and observed him. He looked...uneasy. Had she caused that? She hadn't meant to.

"Thank you for...coming to get me." she stepped closer, clasping her hands to stop them from shaking, "It's...strange to talk to all of these people who know me."

Yet there was something comforting about not being alone. Then again, nothing could put her more at ease than seeing him. Yes, she cared about him deeply. She couldn't deny it any longer.

Tipping her head back, Belle managed a warm smile. It wasn't fair to burden him with her problems. He was kind enough to come all this way, after all. She would make this as easy on him as possible.