Belle arrived early. Of course she did. She wasn't the sort to ever arrive late. Well, unless she was reading a really good book. Or browsing the shelves of her favorite book store. Or…ok, Belle was rarely on time. But this day she was. She had to be.

She had gotten the call just a few days ago. The local shelter apparently had very few puppies and as they always provided them for the Puppy Bowl, a ridiculously silly and adorable television program that aired the day of the Super Bowl and featured puppies romping together on a fake football field, they were really really desperate. Desperate enough to call up recent adopters and puppy owners in the area in the hopes of getting enough puppies for the show.

It had been only a few weeks ago that Belle had adopted the scruffy little terrier mix she called Darcy. He was a good little puppy, just 15 weeks old that weekend. The shelter had been thrilled that she volunteered Darcy and so she had promised herself she would show up at the proper time, no screwing this one up.

And she had done it.

"Belle French?" She heard the frazzled voice before she saw the woman it was attached to. "Oh please tell me you're Belle French."

"I'm on time," Belle responded with.

"Oh thank God. This way." Belle turned to follow the other woman, blinking in the bright light as she did so. She clutched Darcy in her arms. The little dog squirmed a bit and she hoped that was a good sign. If he wouldn't play, then this wouldn't go very well. "I just can't believe our bad luck this year," the woman was saying as Belle caught up. "Well, good luck really. But bad luck for the Puppy Bowl. Usually there are tons of puppies returned after the Christmas season. You know, puppies people claim they wanted and then realize they're actually work a few weeks later." Belle was nodding along. "I'm Ariel, by the way." She stopped suddenly and Belle almost ran into her.

"Belle," she responded with. "This is Darcy."

"You're not going to give him back are you?" The other woman arched an eyebrow at her and Belle didn't know how anyone gave a puppy back when faced with that disapproving look.

She pulled Darcy closer to her. "N…no of course not." As if she could give up her puppy. He was hers, dammit. Hers forever, for the rest of his life. She'd only had him a couple weeks but she loved him already.

"Good," Ariel said. "Now come on. We need to get him prepped and ready for his big appearance!" The last was said with a brightness that made Belle smile. These people would take good care of her little man, making sure he looked well, if not handsome, at least adorably scruffy on the television screen.

When they got to the room, Ariel scooped Darcy out of her arms and headed off with him. Belle felt slightly bereft, standing there, seeing all the puppies in their crates, the ones out on the floor getting a makeover, the people milling about.

"You are not taking her away from me!" The voice startled Belle and she turned to look for the rather irate speaker. There was an intensity there, an accent that blurred the words slightly. Scottish, she thought. Though being Australian herself, half a world away from both Scotland and home, she wasn't entirely sure.

She couldn't find the speaker, but she heard a few more incoherent words shouted in that same accent and then Ariel rushing by muttering. "Mr. Gold!" Ariel said as she disappeared further into the crowd. "You were told…"

"I don't care what I was told. If you want her, then you have to take her as is." The crowd parted around the speaking voices to reveal an older man, hair longer and shaggier than one would expect, especially considering he was dressed in what could only be described as a very expensive three-piece suit. Probably one that cost more than a month's rent in Belle's run-down little apartment. Maybe even more than six months rent.

At his side was another puppy, black and white, fuzzy. She'd like to say the pup was sitting calmly at his side, but no. Currently she was eying his rather expensive pair of Italian shoes and Belle let out a squeak as the puppy pounced, sharp little teeth digging into the man's shoe.

The man let out a curse.

She wasn't surprised at that.

"Mr. Gold," Ariel said again and it was clear she was exasperated.

Belle couldn't resist. She stepped closer to the pair, realizing that the man, who was currently leaning on a cane and pulling his foot away from puppy teeth, wasn't much taller than her own rather diminutive height. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He turned to look at her and for a moment, just a moment, the look on his face was just as scathing as the one he'd been giving to Ariel as she tried to tug the leash out of his hands. But then the harsh lines of his face softened, his mouth quirking into a small half-smile. "This woman," and he clenched his jaw as he spoke the words, "wants to take Rain away from me."

"Rain?"

"The puppy," he said, offering up another curse as the puppy in question set to attacking his shoe again.

"Well, don't they need to…"

"I bred her myself, Miss…"

"French," she offered up. "Belle French."

"Rain is the product of my two best sheepdogs. I'm not just going to hand her over to anyone." He pointed one long finger at Ariel who let out a rather exasperated sigh.

"Well, these are trained professionals," Belle pointed out. The look on the man's face indicated that he was, perhaps, less than enthused at her response.

"I bathed her earlier."

"Then let us clip her," Ariel started to say.

"Border collie coats are natural. They do not need clipping." He waved a hand about in the air and Belle let out a small giggle.

"Mr…Gold was it?" At his nod she continued. "Perhaps if you let them just watch her for a little while, we could go get some tea."

He watched her for a second, his eyes narrowed, and then held out the leash to Ariel. "Just watch her." Ariel nodded and as Belle looped her arm through Gold's and led him away. She saw Ariel mouth thank you just before they disappeared around the corner.

"So they talked you into this too, did they?" Belle asked as they made their way toward the small kitchen area.

Gold turned to look at her, still with that same crooked grin in place. "You don't work here?"

Belle let out a laugh. "Sorry. No. I just thought I'd try to diffuse the tension a bit."

"Ah." He gave her an assessing look. "You were quite good."

"I was, thank you," Belle said with a smile, reaching into the cupboard to find the kettle and fill it.

"They're bathing my dog, aren't they?"

Belle bit her lip and looked away. "Quite possibly. I'm sure she'll survive." At his annoyed look, she wrinkled her nose at him. "Border Collie?"

At that, he pulled himself up a little taller. "Champions, the whole lot of them. Her mother has won the Soldier Hollow Classic twice now."

"Wow that's amazing."

"You have no idea what I'm talking about," Gold said and she knew he knew.

"Nope," Belle said with a smirk. "Sorry. My pup's about as muttley as they come." She was proud of that really, even when faced with the no doubt sleek and amazing purebred puppy this man had brought. Darcy was one of a kind and even if he was a scruffy mess who more often had a mohawk than the gorgeous fluff of the Border Collie puppy, he was the best. And more importantly, he was hers.

"What is he?"

"Darcy?" She laughed. "One part terrier, one part muppet? I have no idea. He's just all love. Wait till you see him!"

He made a small huffing noise somewhere in the back of his throat. "I'm sure he's…something." He said the last with a slight wave of his hand.

"So you don't think my puppy is anything special. Well, he's no dime a dozen Border Collie…"

"My dog is not any dime a dozen. She'll be a champion someday." Belle smile at that. She had no doubt about it. Something told her he was an exacting task master. She wondered just how exacting. Despite the hard set to his mouth, the fire in his eyes, the pointing finger, there was something strangely attractive about him. "And I'll have you know she'll firmly trounce your Darcy in this thing." He drove his finger into the table in front of her and Belle couldn't help but lean forward…just a little.

"I don't think this is a competition," she pointed out and the fact that her voice was a little huskier than usual surprised her.

"No?" Gold shot back.

"I think it's all in good fun." Belle leaned forward just a little bit more and was surprised to see his eyes stray from hers, trailing down to her lips and then lower before quickly coming back up. She smiled at that and was pleased to see a little pink tint to his cheeks. She leaned back then and saw him take a deep breath.

"I'm not so sure of that," he responded with and smirked, one eyebrow arched.

"No really. The puppies are just supposed to play. It's…just a game." Had he really not seen it before? Did he really think the puppies were going to play some sort of game outside of wrestling and being ridiculous and clumsy puppies.

"Well, Rain is still going to pin your Darcy and send him packing."

Belle smirked and rolled her eyes. He was a persistent sort. She liked persistent. "Alright. How about this? If Rain pins Darcy and Darcy gets pulled out of the play, then you can have all the bragging rights in the world. Purebreds trump mutts, Border Collies are the best dogs…"

"They are," he interrupted with and she just smiled again and crossed her arms. She shook her head. "Ok so what do you get if Darcy wins?" And she was sure she heard him mutter fat chance under his breath.

"You take me out to dinner." She was pleased when she saw him unable to say another word. "Someplace fancy where I get to dress up really nice and drink expensive wine. Not that six dollar wine I usually drink."

"I…"

"Is it a deal?"

"That's usually my line," he muttered.

"Is it?"

He smirked. "I own a pawn shop."

"Well, now that is interesting," Belle murmured. She loved antiques, loved imagining the stories they could tell, the places they had been, the people they had known.

"Most people find it dreadfully dull."

"Well, I don't," Belle shot back. "So…"

"Yes we have a deal."

"Excellent." Belle held out her hand and he stared at it for a moment before engulfing it with his own long fingers. Her hand felt right in his and the spark of electricity hit her hard.

The kettle chose that moment to go off and Belle jumped, pulling her hand away and retreating to the stove to make their tea.

Now she just had to make sure Darcy won this little competition of theirs. Or else she'd have to find some other way to find out more about the man.