Before Mr. Gold can ask Belle to marry him, he must win the affection of her faithful—but very skeptical- old dog.
-.-.-
Pierce Gold waited outside his house for his girlfriend Belle French to pull into his yard in her red jeep for their three-day weekend. He hoped that after this weekend Belle would be more than his girlfriend, and he could finally put the ring that had been weighing his pocket for over a year on her beautiful finger.
The plan was simple but romantic: they were to travel through the countryside to Gold's cabin, seeing the beautiful sights along the way to build up the mood. Then Sunday night around a fire, he would get down on one knee and propose and Belle French would hopefully say yes to becoming Belle Gold.
Though, if the bridal magazines Belle had "accidentally taken from the library and left on his shop countertop" were any indication, she was more than ready.
He could hear the jeep coming down the driveway and felt in his pocket for the ring box the forth time that morning. When the car pulled up to the porch, he expected to see Belle's shining smile greet him from the driver's seat. Instead he was met with the fiery glare of Belle's elderly dog, in the passenger's seat no less.
"You've…brought Chip." Gold stated, feeling a cold chill run down his spine as the old beagle-mix stared into his very soul.
Now, Pierce Gold like dogs very much, and had relatively good chemistry with them. Even the small yappy ones. However, Gold just couldn't get along with Chip. Every time he went to Belle library-apartment (where dogs weren't technically allowed but as the landlord he could bend the rule) Chip would growl at him if he came within five feet of his mistress, and would get right between them when he sat next to her. Gold was rather relieved Belle had such a protective companion, but he wished he could tell the dog that he meant.
"Yeah," Belle responded with a sheepish smile, scratching the old dog between his shoulder blades. "Ruby had an emergency, so I thought I'd just bring him along. You've never seen the country before, have you sweetie?" she cooed to the dog who turned around long enough to give Belle a swipe on the cheek.
Gold smiled at the two. This would hardly be a problem, and having Chip would make Belle happy.
When he returned from putting his bag in the trunk, he expected the dog to have moved to the back. But when Gold touched the door handle, the dog let off a warning bark and he shot away from the car.
"Now Chip." Belle negotiated softly, giving the dog a look a parent would give their child when they misbehaved. Chip gave a groan of reluctance before jumping into the back.
Gold let out a breath of relief and carefully slid into the passenger seat, noticing the deadly glare Chip had fixed on him.
As the couple and dog began their journey, Pierce Gold realized that now he had to earn the approval of Belle's ancient companion before he even thought about putting a ring on her finger, less the dog chew his throat out on his wedding night.
-,-,-,-
"Look Chip, their playing your song." Gold told the old (and still glaring) dog when he finally found a radio station that worked an hour into the trip. He looked back to smile at the dog, hoping for a wag of the tail at least.
Belle giggled as "Who Let the Dogs Out?!" came through the speakers. Chip the dog glared on at Gold, unamused and his tail motionless under his leg.
Gold frowned that his attempt to bond with Belle's furry companion had failed. He reached out and turned the ridiculous song off and leaned into the seat.
Belle noticed his discontent and reached out for his hand. "You two are going to be best friends in no time."
Gold doubted Belle's declaration but squeezed her hand in thanks, earning a soft warning growl from Chip. Gold pulled his hand from Belle's regrettably.
"We could get a cat." Gold suggested jokingly. "I understand they're not as needy…" he stopped the second the words left his mouth and glanced in the rearview mirror at Chip's dark eyes, another growl leaving the old dog when they met Gold's softer brown ones.
"Oh…dear."
Belle giggled, knowing good and well that her darling Chip was all bark and no bite; much like her boyfriend really.
-,-,-,-
At the halfway mark, Belle pulled into a river-side rest area so that they could all stretch their legs. Gold was extremely thankful for this stop as he had found a little gift in the store for Chip—a piece token, he hoped.
Belle watched in amusement as he brought out a little rubber ball, holding it out to a frowning Chip.
"Here boy! Go get it!" Gold cooed, gently tossing the ball out. The old dog continued to glare at the man who was trying to spirit his mistress away. With a mocking huff he turned back to her, licking her fingertips to ignite her petting.
Belle scratched Chip behind the ear, hardly blaming the old boy for lost enthusiasm, though she knew his age had nothing to do with his lack of sportsmanship. She gave Gold a hopeful smile but saw the rising defeat in his eyes as he went to retrieve the ball.
-,-,-,-
They reached the cabin just before sunset, which left the couple just enough time to put their things in the cabin and set up a fire. Belle settled down by the fire with a cup of coffee, Chip settled calmly across from her.
Gold leaned tiredly against the car, his hand slipping into his pocket and feeling the soft velvet of the ring box, the weight feeling heavier than it ever had. To most, it would seem ridiculous for someone like him to be so intent on getting an old dog's blessing, but it wasn't for his sake that he needed it: it was Belle's.
Chip made her feel safe and loved, and had done so long before he had ever laid eyes on her. He had been her only family for so long; perhaps he just didn't see the need to make space for someone else. Asking Belle to choose her boyfriend over her beloved dog was a thought Gold didn't dare conjure.
With a sigh, Gold shuffled over to the fire, pushing the ring box into the depths of his pocket. He noticed that Belle had curled in on herself to keep warm and on instinct removed his own jacket to cover her, the warm smile she gave him all he needed to ward off the night chill, though the chill running up his spine from Chip's stare-down remained.
Across the fire, Chip the dog's head lifted to watch the interaction between his mistress and her mate-candidate. He had willingly sacrificed his warmth for hers, something the dog himself did during the colder nights in their apartment. It was…admirable, and showed a new light on the human man courting his mistress.
Gold stiffened as Chip stood, pulling his hands from Belle's shoulders as the old dog came to sit between them. However, instead of acting as a barrier between the two, Chip did something peculiar: he shifted his head to rest on Gold's knee, a very affectionate gesture for a dog who was intent on ripping his soul out with his eyes.
Gold met Belle's surprised and teary expression, smiling with gratitude as he lifted his hand to pet the dog's soft head. The dog let off a soft sound, not with contentment but with tolerance for the role the new man would now play in their lives.
Belle leaned down and kissed the dog's head, curling her fingers in with her boyfriend's.
"Told you you'd be best friend's." she smiled.
"Last time I don't listen to you." He whispered, kissing the top of her head and discretely sneaking his hand into the pocket of his coat.
"And Belle, now that I have Chip's blessing…there's something I'd like to ask you…"