Thank you to Child of Dreams who gave me the idea for the beginning of this new chapter. Your review made my day.

Hey, this is about so much more than Gaston being a nuisance. If he was only that, Belle wouldn't have done this to him. I know he is kind of comical. BUT...I don't care how cute Luke Evans is, his character of Gaston is a liar, a selfish jerk, a provocative manipulator, and a murderer! So I've decided to teach him a lesson before he falls to his death. Personally, I strongly disagree with my title of this chapter, but it just seemed fitting plus I could just hear someone saying it. So...ha, ha, ha. I'm being cruel, aren't I? But hey, nobody can tell me that Gaston does not deserve this! And...I'm having too much fun putting him through it. Come on, people. The macho champion he is? I think he'll live.

Agathe had been observing the usual passersby who ignored her and those that took the time to give her money in her tin cup. She also had been watching Belle, which was not unusual, considering the spot in town that she normally begged for change in. She'd been watching the whole scenario with much curiosity, especially after Belle actually invited Gaston up to the house! Agathe couldn't peel her eyes away once she saw that! If Belle and Maurice owned a dog, Belle would always be sicking him on Gaston when he came to call, but apparently that wasn't the case. Agathe was even more shocked when she saw Belle come out with a tray prepared for two! Had Belle suddenly gone nuts on Agathe? She had to find out. She watched closely. This wasn't like Belle. But...when Agathe, peering sharply noticed Gaston rapidly becoming physically disoriented and then he hurried away from Belle's home-without the door being shut in his face-looking very ill, and Belle's shoulders shaking from trying to control her laughter, Agathe was stunned. As she watched her large, handsome, smug, and nitwit tormentor stagger like a drunkard toward his home, she could not help but smile widely. She sat back and crossed her arms, smirking as she watched Gaston pass by and she could hear his after effect lyrics of Belle's feelings for him. And, she could have sworn the sun shone brighter through the overcast clouds!

"Gosh, Gaston. What did Belle put in your food?" Lefou chided. Gaston looked absolutely wretched and he surely felt it too as he sat miserably on his bed in his room at the lodge. Lefou had loosened his collar and removed his coat so that it wouldn't get sabotaged, for Gaston had been suffering with a very upset stomach for the passed ten minutes and wouldn't want his precious coat to suffer for it.

"Didn't...didn't have any." Gaston panted.

"But you must have had something."

"I only...argh...had a spot of tea." Gaston cringed at the memory. His insides burned worse now.

"That must have been some tea." Lefou remarked. "You stay here and try to rest. I'm gonna get you some help."

"Nnoo!" Gaston grumbled loudly, tightly gripping Lefou's coat to stop him. For the first time in his pitifully pompous life, the last thing in the world Gaston wanted right now was an audience. The very idea of anyone seeing him this appear this pathetic and weak made his skin crawl and only increased the nausea in his stomach. "Don't!"

"But you look so miserable." Lefou said.

"Thanks a lot, Lefou." Gaston rolled his eyes, scowling as his stomach lurched. "I am miserable. That...that's just the encouragement I nee..." He thrust his handkerchief back up to his mouth as his stomach regurgitated again.

"Someone's really grouchy right now." Lefou whispered to himself, watching sympathetically. Gaston gasped loudly once he'd finished vomiting. "I think you need to see a doctor."

"Noo! What for? Nothing helps. It's not the same as having...aarrghh...having Belle at my side, tending to my hurts." Gaston whimpered. He didn't want to see the doctor, right now all he wanted was Belle to pamper him and mush over him in his misery. The swerving tidal waves in his body were just horrible. He couldn't remember ever feeling so rotten.

"But, Gaston! You...you may be dying!" Lefou blurted out. "And...and I don't want to lose my best friend."

"If that were true, Lefou, I'd be dead by now." Gaston replied curtly. He had no idea what had hit him so hard, but it was beyond even his control this time and that fact drove him nuts plus only made him feel more sick.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Lefou begged. Gaston bared his teeth and finally just let himself lay on his bed. He flopped his head on the pillow and didn't care that his big, dirty boots were going to make those sheets a challenge for the washerwoman who was unlucky enough to be assigned them.

"Just quit jabbering." Gaston muttered. "You're not helping my swarming head."

"I'm sorry." Lefou sighed sadly.

Gaston's eyes widened in irritation as he felt something hard under his pillow. Jerking himself up to a sitting position, he reached under and pulled out his pistol. Griping for the discomfort it had caused him, he growled and vehemently pitched it at the wall where it discharged and blew a hole in the mantle of the fireplace. The frayed side collapsed with a small crash, but Gaston didn't care. He didn't feel good and he was in a foul mood. He grumpily leaned back in the bed grimacing.

"Whoa." Lefou raised his eyebrows. "Mrs. Hopkins is gonna be mad at you!"

"I don't care. Right now all I want is Belle to come soothe me." Gaston whined.

"Wow, Gaston. I think the delirium is already settling in." Lefou shook his head.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know what I think? I think Belle spiked your drink so you wouldn't bother her!" Lefou laughed. To think that Gaston, the most admired, sought after, and strongest man in town had been outdone by a girl, and very cleverly too by the girl he pursued so hard who hated his guts! Lefou couldn't helped admiring Belle for her ingenuity.

"Ohhh!" Gaston cried loudly, partly from his physical misery and also from Lefou's words. The short little man may be his biggest fan, but this was the time he was supposed to make him feel better, not worse! And right now he was only making things worse. "How cruel of you to say that to a hero when he is flat on his back, in his most desperate hour of need." Gaston moaned, then he sat up as he felt another intense wave of nausea wash over him. He gagged and gurgled into his handkerchief. Then he fell back on the pillow. "You're crazy, Lefou. Belle wouldn't do that to me."

"Oh?" Lefou arched his eyebrows.

"No. She loves me too much to show that kind of affection yet." Gaston sighed.

"Really?" Lefou quipped.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Gaston glowered. "You don't believe me?"

"I didn't say that." Lefou crossed his arms, smirking.

"Ugh." Gaston rolled his eyes and turned on his side, facing the wall. "You really want to be of some help?"

"Anything!" Lefou jumped to his feet. "Anything for you, Gaston."

"Get me a swig of beer. Maybe it will help."

"Okay!" Lefou jumped to his feet. "Will you be all right here by yourself?"

"Yes. Just go." Gaston mumbled.

"I better tell the bar tender to throw in some ginger ale too."

"Mmm-hmm."

Belle busied herself by reading a book. She wondered how Gaston was faring. He certainly hadn't looked like the dashing, bumbling man about town like he usually did when he'd fled from Belle's house! She had never seen him look so helpless. That description brought a smile to her face as she thought she'd never know anyone to use it in painting a picture of Gaston. Oh, she hoped he was miserable, so much so that he'd never come to court her again; however, she did hope that he'd make it out alive from this bout of sickness. As much of a frightening pest that he was, Belle wouldn't want to be responsible for his death! She said a little begrudging prayer, not that Gaston would feel better, but that he at least wouldn't die from her returned advances of affection.

Lefou had returned with the beer, and the doctor to find Gaston still moaning and groaning. The doctor examined him and prescribed a foul-tasting tonic. Since there were no signs of fever, he said that Gaston should just take it easy and let the sickness run its course. Gaston turned up his nose at the medicine and sent Lefou on errand after errand for more beer and ginger ale, for all the good it was doing him. Lefou knocked on Belle's door. He wanted to find out how his friend had suddenly become so sick. Belle was afraid to answer, but she slowly opened the door. "Monsieur Lefou," she gulped. "What brings you here?"

"Belle, I thought you should know," Lefou took off his hat. "Gaston is ill, and in bed." Belle bit her lip. Somehow she already knew that. She looked down at her boots.

"Oh. He is?" She asked as casually as possible.

"Yes." Lefou sighed. "He's very unhappy right now."

Don't say it! Belle shuddered, expecting her nemesis' loyal fan to tell her that Gaston was calling for her and that he really wanted her to follow him back and comfort the poor, unfortunate soul. Picturing that in her mind made Belle herself feel queasy. "Will he be all right?" She asked dutifully.

"The doctor thinks so." Lefou nodded. "Just a really bad case of indigestion. And I'm so relieved. We wouldn't want to lose our beloved Gaston in this town, now would we?" He eyed her suspiciously.

"What a tragedy that would be." Belle said sarcastically, looking away.

"Belle, I have to ask. What happened to him when he came over? Did he eat something foreign?" Belle narrowed her eyes.

"You want to know the truth?" She asked.

"Yes, I really do."

"I just gave him a special tonic. He was out of sorts, so I decided to fix him up!" Belle explained vehemently."If he's feeling the after effects, I think he'll survive." Lefou tried hard to keep from laughing, but it was next to impossible. He had been right after all.

"Shall I send him your regards?" He grinned. Belle glared.

"I think I already did. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Certainly." Lefou smiled widely, bowing and put his hat back on. "Have a nice day, Belle." He cocked his head and traipsed down the stairs back to town. Belle watched and shut the door again. If Lefou chose to spread her decision all over town and the villagers chose to accuse Belle of attempted murder, so what? Because in her heart, Belle truly knew that she wouldn't do that! Plus, maybe now Gaston would leave her alone! As she thought of the way he treated Agathe, and all his other conceited contempt or as he put it 'great virtues', she felt satisfied in knowing that at least right now he wasn't a happy camper at all! He needed to be taught a lesson, for once that the world, the real world did not revolve around Gaston. It was so much bigger than that! Belle hoped that after today, the big, surly brute would prey on some different girl who would welcome his advances. Maybe after today, at least Belle hoped, that he would just leave her alone!

Thankful that Gaston wasn't going to die from her concoction but also glad to know that he was totally miserable for once, she let out a huge sigh. If it wasn't for his conceited character, Belle would never have dreamed of deliberately causing anyone this kind of trouble! But, as usual in any case with anyone, Gaston was an exception. Or rather, he made himself an exception.

The whole tavern inhabitants freaked out, especially the triplets, when Lefou told them of Gaston's misfortune. Well, actually Frances and his pal Fredrick had told everyone first. Lefou assured them that he was not going to die, and that he would be himself as soon as he felt better. Still, everyone asked what they could do to help. Lefou suggested they give him a big welcome back party when Gaston returned to the tavern. Everybody heartily agreed. However, Lefou did not tell them who was responsible for their hero's misery or why. That secret he would keep to himself to gloat over and use at the proper times if Gaston was getting a little too ahead of himself, especially about Belle.

Gaston remained in bed all day to let his belligerent stomach settle, as the ginger ale more than anything seemed to be helping. By evening, his color had returned, he wasn't queasy anymore, and he felt well enough to go to the tavern with Lefou to have some fun. However, he did feel weary and tired, so when they arrived he slouched in his favorite chair, his throne, and lounged there while the whole tavern fussed over him. He gladly soaked up every minute of it. The town swarmed over their champion ridiculously. He was waited on hand and foot with anything that he requested. When he became physically tired from being gawked at, he just ignored everybody and turned his attention to the fireplace and his antler decorations he was so proud of.

"So, what happened, Gaston?" Frances asked in a teasing tone, his pal Fredrick beside him. "You going to tell us what really happened?"

"No." Gaston growled, staring straight ahead with a provoked look on his face. He wasn't about to let himself become disgraced and publicly humiliated anymore than he already felt.

"Aw, come on." Fredrick added sneakily. "Let's have the real story."

"I wouldn't pick on him too much, you two." Lefou warned as he noticed Gaston's knuckles bulging. "You know, he's had a rough day. And he's still grumpy." Gaston's chest heaved at those words. Lefou was only trying to help, but he was making Gaston sound minor and pathetic. Frances and Fredrick laughed.

"You mean a big, strong fellow like you, Gaston...afraid to tell the truth?" Fredrick prodded. Frances nudged him in the side as they jeered. They truly liked Gaston, but it wasn't every day that they had a chance to feel more manly than him due to a setback. Gaston had had enough. Scowling, he growled loudly and shoved Fredrick against the wall by kicking him in the guts with his boot. Then he rose from his chair like a tiger, hoisted Frances up like a barrel of apples, then tossed him hard across the room where he fell onto the table of shocked onlookers and slid off, falling to the floor. Gaston turned back at Fredrick, glowering dangerously at the smaller guy.

"All right, all right!" Fredrick groaned timidly. "I'm going, I'm going! Goodness." He slinked away to leave with his pal. "Whoo, touchy!" He shook his head, muttering to himself.

Gaston sighed in relief and rubbed his chin. The crowd cheered and hollered for his impressive display of brute strength. Considering how weak he'd thought they all had believed he was for being ill, it was just the medicine he wanted to lift his spirits. His champion macho image hadn't been tarnished after all, at least not after that sucker human log toss he'd flung. He puffed out his chest, grandly placed his hands on his belt and cocking his head smugly, walked back to his throne. Lefou was still clapping. "Wow. You're really something, you know that?" He smiled.

"I know." Gaston smirked proudly, slouching comfortably in the chair with his large leg across his knee.

"Well, if you're really going to marry that girl, I'm just warning you, this is what you'll have to look forward to when she serves you dinner." Lefou teased, nudging Gaston in his side which earned the tubby man a glare.

"Oh, Lefou, not that spike business again." Gaston moaned. "Belle would never dream of doing that to someone like me."

"I don't know." Lefou quipped.

"Belle is sweet, the sweetest girl in the world," Gaston said dreamily.

"Yeah! And full of vinegar too." Lefou added.

"Well, yes, I suppose she is." Gaston shrugged, unable to deny that fact. "But that's what makes her all the more appealing! She is just full of surprises. Life would never be dull with her around. She didn't deliberately try to cause me physical discomfort, Lefou. That's where you are deluded, my friend."

"Well, what do you call it?" Lefou asked curiously. He had to hear Gaston explain that one.

"This was the luckiest day of her life, as I reminded her." Gaston smiled. "She was so stunned by the wonderful news, that she accidentally put something in my tea that shouldn't have been there. She's still playing hard to get. She wants me to believe she hates me, but deep down inside, it so untrue! It was all in blissful ignorance, Lefou. That's all." Gaston leaned his head back in his chair, satisfied with his own explanation.

Lefou's jaw dropped. Even he was blown away by his hero's theory. It was too much! He just chuckled, patting his friend on the shoulder, and shook his head. However, the triplets were huffing with jealousy. They'd heard the words of their desired admirer and they couldn't take it anymore. They decided to finally straighten him out. They surrounded Gaston's chair. "Belle doesn't deserve you!" One of the girls blurted out.

"I know." Gaston sighed heavily, raising his arms restfully behind his head and crossing his long legs, not really in the mood for debating. He was mentally fatigued.

"You should just forget her!"

"Yes." The third added. "You should give your heart to someone who truly appreciates you," she said smoothly, twisting her little finger through his slick dark hair as she stood behind his chair. "Someone like yours truly?" The other two girls batted their eyes and sat at Gaston's feet, gazing at him hungrily. One of them took his hand, massaging it smoothly. Though he relished in the praise and caresses he was getting, all of this felt hollow compared to his daydream of Belle gushing all over him.

"Yes. That Belle is the odd one out. She always has been." The second girl snarled. "Doesn't know quality when she sees it."

"Now, now..." Gaston smiled cooly, "You girls shouldn't be so hard on Belle. After all, can she help it if she loves me so much, but just doesn't know it yet?" The girls all puffed out their lips and retreated back to their original seats, muttering something unfriendly about men.

"Well, you sure got rid of them!" Lefou cheered. "But are you serious, Gaston? Do you really believe that about Belle?"

"I do." Gaston closed his eyes and smiled smugly.

Belle had given Gaston her last thoughts that night after Maurice had come home and she told her father what happened. Belle told him the truth. Maurice gaped at her when he found out her part in it, but he knew his daughter well enough that she would ordinarily never do something like this. He couldn't help smiling. However, he addressed her about doing it again. "Don't worry, I won't, Papa." Belle said. "It was difficult and awkward enough today!" BUT, she would never apologize to Gaston for this! Not ever.

The next day, Belle was washing the breakfast dishes when there was a loud knock at the door. Drying her wet hands on a towel, she foolishly answered it. Belle thought she was in a nightmare! Standing there was a tall, robust, happy, healthy Gaston who was smiling widely and Lefou was faithfully standing behind him! Belle gritted her teeth very hard. How she wished the floor would cave in underneath her! What now?! Is he back for a rematch? Her mind thundered.

"Good morning, Belle!" Gaston greeted loudly. "You'll be happy to know that I'm fully recovered." He spread his arms out.

"So I see." Belle muttered. Didn't he learn anything yesterday?

"I spent a most gruesome day yesterday, terribly ill in bed." Gaston whined, dramatizing the point. "It was horrible, Belle. You should've seen it!"

Yes. I really should have! Belle pursed her lips hard, fighting for control. "Oh, I think I can imagine it." Belle said flatly.

"But you want to know what carried me through all that pain and misery yesterday?"

"Let me think..." Belle took a deep breath, desperately trying not to lose her temper. I don't want to know!

"You, Belle." Gaston gushed dreamily. "Just thinking of you made it all worthwhile."

That's it! That did it! Belle slammed the door shut in his face and gasped in shock and contempt. She clasped her head in her hands. "Ggggrrr!" She groaned loudly, angrily running her fingernails through her hair. "Now what am I going to do!?"

9 Months Later

"Did you really do that?" The prince asked in a teasing tone. Belle bit her lip and blushed.

"I..." She grinned sheepishly. "Yes, I did." She said quietly. Her husband snorted in laughter. "Oh, please. Don't. I really shouldn't have!"

"No, I was just thinking." The prince chuckled.

"What?" Belle asked nervously. She was afraid to find out.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side!" He declared, wide-eyed. Belle giggled heartily as she fell into his arms and they laughed together merrily.

THE END

Seriously, Gaston. Are you really that stupid? You ought to be psychoanalyzed. I had so much fun writing this story. Hope you enjoyed it too. And you won't get any apologies from me for being so rough on him!