AN: I love me some Merlin. Channeling some of that love in the form of a puppy.

"As some of you will have learned last night, teamwork is paramount here at Kingsman. We're here to enhance your skills, test you to the limit… Which is why you're going to pick a puppy. Wherever you go, your dog goes. You will care for it; you will teach it. And by the time it's fully trained, so will you be. That is, those of you who are still here. Do you understand?" Merlin surveyed the new recruits. "Choose your puppy."

/

There were twelve puppies, but only eight recruits. I was one of the four puppies that was not picked. Realizing that I would have to go back to the breeder's I made pathetic whimpering noises. One by one, he removed us from our cages and placed us in a large box together.

As Merlin picked me up to place me in the large box, I held completely still and pleaded with my eyes, "Please take me home with you." He held me at arm's distance, my hind legs dangling uselessly in the air. He looked into my sad, brown eyes.

Merlin frowned. It had been 10 years since his last dog passed away, that dog having been adopted 25 years ago when Merlin was recruited to Kingsman.

"Are you willing to be trained? Are you going to follow directions?" he asked.

I wagged my tail vigorously, slapping him gently in the forearm with it. I yipped an affirmative.

Merlin's frown faded into his regular, tight-lipped expression. I took that as a good sign. I squirmed and tried to lick his face. Merlin held me a little further away from him, which made me try even harder to lick his face.

He laughed at my response. I like the way he laughed. It was a deep, rumbling laugh.

Putting me down, he said, "Alright, let's get to it, Geoffrey." He picked up the box of the other three puppies and started walking away.

I trotted beside him, trying my best to keep up with his long and even strides. "You're going to be my best friend," I barked. "My best of all best friends."

/

"Lesson number one," Merlin said to me. "Sit."

I cocked my head to the right and stared at him.

"Sit," Merlin repeated while pushing my rear to the floor. "Sit," he repeated once again, emphasizing the word.

When Merlin removed his hand, I stayed sitting. My tongue hung out of my mouth and I panted in excitement.

As soon as Merlin broke eye contact with me, I was up and bouncing around his legs.

Merlin chuckled, acknowledging how foolish it was to hope I would understand my first lesson in one try.

"Sit," he commanded as he pushed my rear back to the floor. And like before, I remained sitting until he turned away from me. We went through this process several times. Finally, Merlin crossed his arms and frowned at me.

I felt sad. I didn't like it when my new master frowned at me.

"Sit," Merlin commanded.

I plopped my rear on the ground. He turned away and I remained sitting. He turned back and I remained sitting.

Merlin's frown transitioned into a tight-lipped expression with the corners slightly turned up. Bending over, Merlin gave me a good pat on the head and said, "Good job, Geoffrey."

My tail wagged vigorously and I yipped. Seeing the reaction patting me on the head had, Merlin gave me an extra pat. I was very happy. I liked it when Merlin smiled at me. I made a promise to myself that I was going to do everything I could to make my master smile at me more.

After a few hours, I had learned all the basic commands.

/

Over the next month, I realized that Merlin never smiled in the presence of other people. He wouldn't even smile at me when I performed my task well, if someone else was in the room. But it was okay because I knew he was still proud of me by the way he'd pat my head.

Merlin only smiled for one person: the man they called "Galahad." I liked Galahad a lot. He smelled like peppermint and snuck me treats when Merlin wasn't looking. But I liked the way Merlin smelled, better. Merlin smelled like firm, wet earth after a spring rain with something a little spicy.

Galahad also knew the really good spot on my belly to rub.

I liked Galahad so much that unless Merlin commanded me otherwise, I also did what Galahad told me to do.

/

Merlin was making the new recruits run in big circles. I sat next to Merlin on the side of the track, watching the new recruits run and run and run. Merlin absentmindedly scratched me behind the ears.

"Come play with me," JB barked. He bounced around, rolled around in the dirt, chased his tail, and dug little holes. It looked like fun. I liked JB. Some of the other dogs wouldn't play with him because they thought they were above playing because they were no longer puppies. Some basked in the sun. Some watched their master's with a protective glare.

I nudged Merlin's hand with my wet nose. I looked from him to the pug and back at him. Merlin nodded at me, giving me silent permission to run along and play.

"You are my best friend," I barked to JB as we tackled each other the ground. "But my master is the best of all best friends. Is your master your best of all best friends, too?"

The pug blinked at me. "Of course," JB barked. "My master lets me sleep in his bed. None of the other dogs get to do that."

I was impressed. Merlin didn't let me sleep in his bed. But Merlin only smiled at me, which I thought made me very, very special.

JB and I played with each other until Merlin stopped making the recruits run in circles.

Tucking his clipboard under his arm, Merlin whistled a high note followed by a low note, then started walking off. That my cue it was time to go. I gave JB a good lick and wished him well with his master.

I quickly caught up with Merlin. Now that I was bigger, it was easier for me to keep up with him.

"Want to test out the new explosives?" Merlin asked as I fell in step with him.

I wagged my tail. I liked testing explosives with Merlin. He put these funny hats on our heads that covered our ears. And Merlin always smiled to himself whenever something exploded. I liked it when Merlin smiled.

"Did ya see that?" Eggsy asked Roxy, as they watched up walk away. "Merlin only got 'im as long as us, but he got 'im so well trained."

Roxy shrugged. "Merlin, like his name would imply, works magic."