Sergeant Zane Gold marched into MacManus and Firth – the most successful and prestigious law firm in the country – without a care in the world; as though he owned the place. Gold had always had a way of moving with power and authority, to dominate a room without really trying and Belle had to admit she rather liked it.
MacManus and Firth was so many different colors, as long as those colors were a shade of white or beige. Old fashioned sandy flagstones covered the floor and the firm's logo hung behind the large light wood reception desk at which sat a rather fetching young woman with long blonde hair, grey eyes and a blouse that showed off her impressive cleavage a little too well. Zane didn't even seem to notice that as he came to a stop before her and flashed his badge, Belle hot on his heels.
"I need to see Elias Firth. Now." His voice was deep.
"I'm sorry but Mister Firth is very busy and without an appointment is impossible to see. I could book you in." The blonde didn't seem to care about the fact they were police. "Or I can take a message, what is it regarding?" She flashed him a fake smile that wasn't even remotely believable.
"Owning illegal sex bots." He announced loudly so as every single person in the large reception heard him. "You think he'll want to see me now?"
The blonde chesty woman paused for a moment blinking almost in pattern, MacManus and Firth couldn't cope with a scandal.
"I'll... call up and check if he's free."
"You do that, dearie."
He grinned smugly and leaned against the wooden desk to wait impatiently while the receptionist reached for the phone.
"Zane, are you sure it's wise to announce sex bots to the whole room?" Asked Belle, head tilted a little to one side.
"Do I look like a man who cares?" Retorted Gold. "And it is rather effective."
Just then the receptionist set down the phone and looked back up to the Sergeant.
"If you'd like to take the elevator to the tenth floor, Mister Firth will see you."
Zane pushed off from the desk and started towards the elevator without another word to the blonde, Belle following on behind him. She suspected that if any other officer had walked into MacManus and Firth they'd have been booted out and told to get a warrant, but Gold was different, he was a Sergeant second only to Regina and Belle guessed that was because he wanted it that way.
"Told you, dearie, it's effective." The silver doors rolled shut and Gold hit the ten button.
"Please stop calling me that." Gold turned to face her. "You call everyone dearie, especially those you don't like. My name is Belle, use it. Of course if you still believe us not to be friends-"
"You're starting to sound like an MX." He cut in teasingly and Belle smiled. "We wouldn't want to have to toss you out the car like the last one."
"I don't bounce well." The two chuckled.
"And I'll call you by your name, or maybe Commander Data." He quipped.
"On occasion perhaps." I knew he'd warm up to me, she grinned triumphantly.
The doors finally rolled open and Belle stepped out, Gold couldn't help but watch her. Sometimes he forgot she was an android because she was just so... human. Her eyes shined with an impossible blue, skin radiant and natural, normally it was fairly easy to tell synthetic skin from the real thing but Belle's was different, she was softer. Real. Her clothing had – for lack of a better term – shot to shit thanks to their last shoot out and her long cream cardigan wasn't going to be able to hide that little fact much longer. Of course Regina had assigned her body armour but it had been intended for MX androids, tall, muscular and male androids, not her delicate tiny female form. Her supple and very beautiful form, and that's enough of that thought, muttered Gold's mind as he followed her out onto the tenth floor.
They were greeted by a tall – well, tall to Gold – man with hair very similar to Victor Whale's and dressed in a sleek black suit with a dark blue shirt and a matching tie. His features were sharp and clearly android in nature which was only made more obvious by lifeless grey eyes.
"Hello, I am Carson. I have been instructed to take you to Mister Firth's office, please follow me."
Neither Gold nor Belle said a word, they just followed the android down long glass lined corridors and around corners, past open offices with people hard at work. Zane had once debated becoming a lawyer but that had been many years and a leg ago. Carson came to a stop outside the west corner office and knocked politely on the door before pushing it open and announcing them.
"Good, good. Leave us, Carson." The male android nodded and obeyed.
Elias Firth sat at his large black desk scattered with plastic papers for his upcoming case, through the window behind him the financial district could be seen, high buildings scraping the sky and filled with hard working men and women. Elias was about Zane's age give or take a few years, his hair was thick and dark, combed into perfect order and thick rimmed gasses rested on his nose. Elias' skin was slightly tanned and his suit better tailored that any other Belle had seen. The office itself was outlandish and full off too much gold that was supposed to appear surreptitious but failed miserably; gold colored pocket square, the casing around his glass tablet and so on.
"You're the Detective and android that stormed into my firm causing a scene then." Elias laced his fingers into a pyramid and stared at them over the rim of his black glasses. "What can I do for you?"
"Sergeant Gold, this is Belle." He gestured to his partner casually.
"Haven't seen a BLE in years, your lot were good in a courtroom, could articulate well. Thought you'd all been chopped up for parts though."
Gold wasn't stupid, he knew that hurt Belle but he couldn't dwell on, instead he got back to work.
"Have you seen this bot before?"
Zane pulled his phone from the inner pocket of his beloved leather jacket and held it up for Elias to see, forcing the other man to stand and round his desk for a better look.
"No, I can't say I have."
"He's lying." Said Belle quickly. "His heart rate has spiked and his pupils have dilated."
Zane raised an eyebrow awaiting an answer.
Elias sighed and deflated a little. "Fine, yes, I commissioned her. Her name was Tatyana, no idea if it's still the same."
"Because you sold her, to whom?" Gold cut in. Elias didn't answer. "Don't piss about, dearie, I'm not in the mood."
"I sold Tatyana to a friend of mine. He lost everything in his divorce and wanted to start again, set up a bot company. I was getting a new bot – Vivian, lovely thing with stockings and long black hair – I thought Tatyana would be a very nice start so I sold her to him."
"His name?" Zane was growing more and more impatient by the second.
"Gregory Alan Hamilton." The suit clad man supplied. Belle grinned.
"As a lawyer you should be aware that sale of any bot to an unlicensed carrier is against the law and carries a five to ten year sentence in the Cubes."
"Well, it's a good job he's licensed then, I acted as the legal authenticity and signature myself." Elias defended quickly.
Gold looked at Belle with a hidden smile, her blue orbs were flashing back and forth in that way that he'd learnt meant she was reading her heads up display, his little android was about to kick Elias Firth in the ass and Zane was more than happy to stand and watch.
"Actually he isn't. There is a licence under his name in the system and it is signed by you, Mister Firth." Blue danced along her temple as she continued to access the database. "However, it was filed June thirteenth of this year. As of May the ink pigment used for the licence has been darkened, unnoticeable to human eyes but mine are easily aware of it. The licence is a forgery which I've now flagged. You've committed a felony not only by selling Hamilton the android but by falsely authenticating the licence."
"Seems your years at law school were waisted." Chuckled Gold as he pulled his cuffs free of his belt and grabbed Elias' wrists. "It's handcuffs time, dearie, and not in a good way."
Belle smirked at the quip and Zane found himself pleased that he'd been the cause; she had such a beautiful smile.
"Ouch!"
"Oh was that too tight, dearie?" Zane couldn't have cared less. "Belle, would you get the door?"
The BLE android nodded, happy that he'd used her name and not his usual nickname.
Everyone stared as Sergeant Gold and Belle led the named partner out of MacManus and Firth and shoved him into the back of the Cadillac, not that either of the police officers cared. Zane absent-mindedly rubbed at the connection between his amputation and synthetic leg, it had been bothering him lately but of course the stubborn man said nothing. They slip into the car and Gold instantly pushed a small green square button just above his stereo and a green laser grid burst to life and separated the front seats from the back; if Elias touched it would be like getting hit with a stun gun.
"Cool."
"A little gift from Jefferson when I and Neal were restoring the Cadillac."
Belle smiled as he turned the ignition and drove away from the law firm, he didn't usually mention Neal. Belle knew it hurt him to mention the deceased detective, Neal had been like a son to Zane. Neal Cassidy had been abandoned by both his parents as a child and Gold had easily understood how hard that was. The detective had grown up on the streets doing odd jobs down at the docks and pickpocketing every now and again, until he'd tried to steal from the wrong person. Neal had been eighteen when he'd tried to pickpocket Gold's wallet and instead of arresting the boy Zane had taken him under his wing; given him a place to stay. A few years later at the age of twenty-one had entered the police academy, shortly after Neal got partnered with Zane and the rest – as they say – was history.
"We're going in the wrong direction again." Said Belle when Gold turned left instead of right of Kingdom Street. "Off to see another pervert you have dirt on?" Zane snorted at that.
"No, Data, we'll be taking Mister Firth to the precinct but we have an errant to run first." His whiskey orbs never left the road. "You need new clothes. The ones you're wearing are destroyed and it's not good for precinct one to have an android officer that looks like a vagrant partnered with its Sergeant."
The car sailed around bends and over hills until eventually he parked just outside a boutique. Belle hadn't spoken after being told what their errant was, mainly because she'd not been certain of what to say but one look at the boutique got her talking.
"Zane, this place is much too expensive. I have no need for such quality, a simple top and a pair of jeans will do."
Gold ignored her and hopped out of the car knowing that Firth wasn't going anywhere.
"Come on."
"Zane." She called but he was already stood on the side walk waiting for her, she had no choice but to join him. "Zane, really this isn't necessary. I'm an android-" He cut her off with a flourish of his hand.
"You - as you and Jefferson like to keep reminding me - aren't like the other androids. You're meant to be as human as possible and a pretty young woman like you clearly wants something befitting her beauty."
Belle was taken back. "You think I'm beautiful?"
"One would have to be blind not to see it."
He spoke quickly in an attempt to move on to another topic, he didn't notice Belle blush; if he had he'd have been surprised to know she could blush. Rather than standing there on the street any longer Gold turned and held open the boutique door for Belle to enter first.
"Go on and pick out a few outfits." He encouraged.
Belle was reluctant at first but soon gave in and went off to find something she liked; something not too expensive. Gold just stood in the middle of the store and waited, until a young Japanese woman with her hair braided over her shoulder padded over to him with a grin; this one was far more real that the receptionist back at MacManus and Firth.
"Do you and your bot need help, sir?"
There it was, the assumption that he owned Belle. Then again that was probably a common occurrence for the young woman by his side.
"No, thank you, dearie." It wasn't worth correcting her. "I'll call you if she needs anything."
"Okay." She replied and then turned to return to the cash register. Gold went to Belle who was looking adoringly at a green-blue sheer blouse.
"I said get whatever you want."
"I'm an android officer." She protested. "I don't need things this beautiful or expensive. Anyway, skirts would be inappropriate for our work."
She loved what he was trying to do for her but they'd only get ripped and damaged through her work.
"Detective Swan is sleeping with her criminal informant and our dear Captain's sister is a crazy drug addict, you having a wardrobe selection isn't really on the list of inappropriate."
Before Belle could argue with him – as he knew she would – Gold picked up the blouse and threw it over his arm then gestured for her to find something else she liked.
"Are you sure, Zane?"
"Yes, I'm sure." He sighed, she didn't get paid and it wasn't like Regina was going to let Belle have a clothing allowance. "Now do hurry up, we're on the clock."
Defeated, Belle made quick work of choosing a few things that were both pretty and appropriate for police work, then there were the things Belle had looked at before carrying on down the hall, Zane hadn't told her, he'd just picked them up and chucked them across his arm like everything else.
When they left the boutique Gold placed the bags in the trunk of his Cadillac before joining Belle and a very bored Mister Firth in the car.
"You comfy back there, Firth?" Asked Zane as he slid his keys into the ignition.
"Oh I'm just peachie." He bit out. "You and your girlfriend done?"
"She's a detective." He'd not intended to correct Elias, it had just become a habit of his to defend Belle.
"Sorry, are you and your detective girlfriend done?"
Belle chuckled at that but Gold chose to remain silent are he drove away, purposely not thinking about Elias' girlfriend comment. He was starting to think Regina had only given him Belle as a torment, it was the sort of stunt she'd pull. Bitch!
Suddenly a voice crackled over his radio.
All units be aware there's been a traffic collision on Highway Six.
"Great, now it's going to take an extra fifteen minutes to get back to the precinct."