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With considerable exertion Belle h space for her to squeeze through, she waved down at Dunford and wormed her way in

The rabbed her froainst her neck Fear froze her body and her ht," she heard a furious voice behind her hiss "Start talking I want to knoho you are and what you ith me"

"John?" Belle croaked

She was instantly spun around "Belle?"

She nodded

"What the hell are you doing here?"

She sed nervously "Could you put the gun down?"

John realized that he was still holding his weapon and dropped it on a nearby table "For the love of God, Belle, I could've killed you"

She lad you didn't"

He raked a hand through his thick hair and then finally took a good look at her She was dressed in black frolowed in the ht, was stuffed under a cap, and the rest of her appeared to be stuffed into a pair of men's breeches Or rather, a pair of boy's breeches Her shapely form was shown off quite nicely by her unconventional attire, and he doubted that there were h to co?" He sighed

"Do you like it?" Belle smiled at him, determined to brazen this out She pulled the cap fro the ot the idea fro she did once She, umm, dressed as a boy, and-"

"Spare me the story I'm sure Ashbourne was as furious as I am now"

"I think he was I wasn't there But the next day-"

"Enough!" He held up a hand "How in hell did you get up here?"

"I cliet a damn fool idea like that?"

"Do you have to ask?"

John shot her a look which told her that he was not a his own behavior thrown back at him "You could have broken your neck, woman"

"You didn't leave me much choice" She reached forward to place her hand on his arm

John jerked back "Don't touch , Belle thought, and reached forward again

"I said stop it! Can't you see I' up here to see you? This wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't been such an addlebrained idiot and refused to seeto see you," John snapped