What are we?

The Stranger.....

As Belle unlocked the door to her house and stepped inside, letting it close behind her with a heavy sigh. The day has been relentlessly exhausting filled with difficult patients and endless paper work.

But looking on the Brightside, She remembered Clara has always been there for her.

"Oh yes.....Clara.."she muttered as she took out her cell phone and dialed her number.

She wasn't answering tho, so she left a voicemail.

"Hey , please call me back when you get home ok? Don't leave me worried and make sure you take a cab, don't drive by yourself ok? I will be waiting for your call" she ended the voice mail .

She went upstairs to her room sluggishly, threw her bag on the bed and sat .

She rubbed her temples trying to alleviate the throbbing headache that has accompanied her throughout the day and she tried solo hard to hide it from Clara cause she knew she would be worried sick about her.

As she moved through her quiet luxurious house, Belle felt a growing sense of restlessness . The silence, usually a welcome respite after a long day, now felt oppressive. Her thoughts drifted as they often did...to Steve Theas . Steve with his easy smile seduction smile and warm eyes, has been a constant in her mind for as long as she could remember

They had shared countless moments, each one deepening her undying love for him-

A love she had never dared to confess.

Belle shook her head, trying to dispel her self from the memories. She needed a distraction, she tried calling Clara again but it was unreachable.

She decided to head out to O'Malley's,

A bar nearby that offers a temporal escape of reality.

The bar was comfortably dim and filled with a low hum of conversation.

Belle found a seat at the counter and ordered a whiskey neat.

She cradled the glass in her hands, staring into the amber liquid as if it held the answers to her unspoken questions.. she took a long sip, savoring the warmth as it spread through her chest.

Her thoughts drifted back to Steve,

How many times had she imagined telling him how she felt? Too many times . She wondered what might have been if she had ever found the courage.

Would he have looked at her differently? Would he have realised that she had loved him all along ever since they were kids.

The whiskey Dulled the edges of her thoughts, but it also loosened the tight grip of her inhibitions. She ordered another drink, and then another, each one blurring the lines of her reality a little more. She was vaguely aware of the bar filling up. The chatter grew louder, but she remained lost in her own world.

"Hey miss....are you ok??? Want me to uhh call someone for you? The bar tender asked nicely, his eyes filled with concern.

Belle looked at him and gave a smile.

"How would you feel...to....love somebody that.....that doesn't..... doesn't love you back?" She asked the bartender with her voice softly Breaking.

The bartender looked Belle in the eyes and saw nothing but pain.

"When was the last time you had real happiness?" He asked her almost like a whisper.

He wanted to talk but Belle interrupted him.

"Just forget it... you ...you are just a bartender.....you don't know anything about love...Al....all you know is about drinks.....and wines and ........ whatever...just get me another drink."

The bar tender chuckled. Not that he doesn't have anything to say... but doesn't think she would understand what he would tell her..

He got her another glass of whiskey.

"Here you go.. drink out your pain" he said placing the glass in her hand.

She looked at him and thanked him.

The bartender couldn't help but to admire belle almost drunk.

A few minutes later, he left to tend to other people.

After a while, Belle decided she needed to freshen up, she stood, a little unsteadily and made her way to the restroom.

In her inebriated state, she failed to notice the sign and stumbled into the men's restroom by mistake.

She splashes cold water on her face , hoping to clear her head, when she looks up, she sees a man standing beside her.

He was tall and strangely handsome, with dark hair that fell into his eyes and jawline that could have been sculpted from marble. His eyes, a deep penetrating blue, met hers in the mirror.

There was an undeniably spark of attraction, an electric current that passed through them in that instant.

"You are In the wrong restroom" he said with a Hint of a smile, his voice smooth and rich.

Belle was surprised and looked at him not really getting what he was saying but replied to him.

"Oh.....I....I didn't realise it" Belle stammered feeling her cheek blush in embarrassment.

His image was so blurry, she couldn't see him clearly nor can she stand properly..

" It's alright" he replied with a smile." I don't mind the company".

Despite the blurriness, Belle found herself drawn to him, captivated by his easy charm and confident demeanour . And his voice.... there's something in that voice that sends shivers to her spine whenever he talks.

The whiskey seems to be taking over right now, she couldn't feel her feet anymore, she was already heading to the floor when she felt a strong arm grasp her on her waist.

She looked at him, trying to see him clearly but she couldn't "

" I see two of you" she said with a smile.

"Oh really" he said as he lifted her up in his arms.

"Before you nap out perhaps u could at least tell me where your car is .....if you have any??" He asked her

" I.....I took a taxi" she said, her voice almost dying off.

" Ok that's a start, then tell me your address?" He asked her quickly before she could dose off.

"M....my b...bag...." She said and dosed off.

He carried her out of the restroom and they left the bar.

He managed to take Belle home successfully.

He took her upstairs guessing the largest room should be hers and he was right, he placed her carefully on the bed and she opened her eyes rolling her self on the bed.

"Where am I??? She asked looking around. The images where still blurred, she doesn't seem to have a vivid look on what she's seeing.

"Relax, you are home" he said.

Belle recognises the voice but is still confused.

She managed to get to her feet with the help of the Man.

"Well....I will be heading off then, have a good night " he said and attempted to leave when Belle held him back.

Belle’s breathing quickened as she looked up at him, her eyes shimmering in the soft light.

“Please…” she whispered, her voice trembling not from fear, but from something deeper. “I need you.”

He froze, searching her face for a long moment. “Belle, you’re not thinking straight. You’ve had too much to drink.”

“I know what I’m saying,” she replied, her voice steady now. “I just don’t want to feel empty tonight.”

He sighed, torn between reason and the warmth in her gaze. “You’ll regret this,” he murmured.

She shook her head, stepping closer. “No, I won’t.”

Her hands brushed against his chest hesitant, pleading. The air between them grew still, every breath charged with emotion.

Finally, he reached up and cupped her face gently, his thumb tracing her cheek. “Belle…” he whispered again, almost as if saying her name could break the spell but it didn’t.

The space between them disappeared.

What followed was a soft meeting of longing, of two hearts that found comfort in the quietest hours of the night. The world outside faded away, leaving only the sound of their shared heartbeat and the promise of something they didn’t yet understand.

And when the lights dimmed, the night held them both wordless, weightless, and real.

It was already morning. Belle woke up feeling a slight headache but she felt she was happy.

" What a dream" she said to her self as she looked around her room like she was confused.

She stepped out of the bed and went downstairs.

She saw a hot onion soup on her dining table accompanied with white porridge.

She was surprised.

"Is it Clara?" She asked herself.

She sat down and tasted it......

" H.....Mmmmm this is sooo good....., but..when did Clara know how to make this and she didn't tell me at all" she said as she had the delicacy.

She ate it all , washed the dishes and went to work.