A/N: The idea for this came from a wiki article I read, albeit this is based VERY loosely on it. Also heavily inspired by GamerSwordsman's fics who encouraged me to write this. Shout out to him!
The Tooth And Claw pub was busier than usual that evening, but nothing daunted, the Sheriff would have his pint if it was the last thing he did.
The surly wolf was in an especially downcast mood that day, and not two minutes ago he'd been relieved of his post for the evening and found himself trodding down the road that led to his favorite joint, just with less swagger in his stride than usual. The few people he'd passed on the road tossed a cautious "Evenin', Sheriff" his way, but hurried along after noting the disgruntled look on his face.
It had been a rough day. The Prince was none-too-pleased with him (not that the Prince was ever really pleased with anything), the tournament had been a disaster, and he - he, the honorable Sheriff of Nottingham - had actually fallen for that sorry excuse of a disguise, quite shoddily put together by that scoundrel Robin Hood. Worst of all, he'd flown the coop, taking Maid Marian with him.
That, perhaps, was the sorest blow. Robin Hood had done many infuriating things in the past, but to have taken Maid Marian from the kingdom, from her uncle, her rightful position as a noblewoman…it was all too much. The Sheriff had had a soft spot for the sweet maid, but had never really made his affections known beyond bringing her the odd flower now and again or paying her idle compliments. She'd always accepted these graciously, of course, but now he supposed he might as well face a few hard truths: she never returned his affection, and she was in love with Robin Hood.
The Sheriff had always written off the unspoken rejection in her eyes every time he visited her. But alas, after today, there could be no denying it. The Maid would never be his.
The notion was disappointing, but perhaps he couldn't rightly call it crushing. It was true, he hadn't loved her but was merely idly attracted to her. Perhaps it was Robin Hood's involvement and the fact that she'd chosen to run off with his worst enemy that made the blow so hard to bear. Had she chosen to run off with anyone else, he'd have simply endured the disappointment and moved on.
But Robin Hood…
The Sheriff's temper rose at the mere thought of that precocious fox. It was small wonder that he'd chosen to travel a fair distance out of the way of his usual haunts in order to visit the Tooth And Claw. It may have been his favorite pub, but it was one he seldom visited, for it was many miles from Nottingham and altogether outside the borders of Prince John's jurisdiction. It made for an interesting place to meet people from neighboring kingdoms. Sometimes you could even meet the odd traveler from far, far away, but that was a rare thing. At any rate, the only thing on the Sheriff's mind that evening was strong drink, not so much interesting company. Because the Tooth And Claw catered to many travelers, its selection of drink was more varied than the pubs within the borders of the kingdom. The Sheriff would appreciate this tonight, especially.
He strolled up to the unusually average-looking pub that sat by its lonesome off the road, not far from the cover of a forest and a stream that ran noisily beneath its canopy. This was a well-known road for foreigners to take, which made the pub's location convenient.
The Sheriff strode up to the door and entered the dwelling like an old customer, vaguely trying to recall the last time he'd visited the place.
The owner, a small, curious man named Rumpelstiltskin, was nowhere in sight, but his hulking bartender was present.
"Well hey there, Sheriff," the massive bear drawled between a large cigar sticking out of his mouth. In typical bartender fashion, he'd been wiping a mug clean with a dirty rag. "Haven't seen you since the new moon."
"Gimme your good stuff, Mason," the Sheriff said, taking a seat. "It's been one heck of a rowdy day."
"Hn, that crazy fox again?" He produced a dark bottle, filled a glass and slid it to the Sheriff.
"Dagnabbit, that red-faced weasel is gonna pay dearly one of these days!" The wolf seethed. "You know what that miscreant went and done this time?"
Mason shook his head, setting to work on another glass and fixing the Sheriff with all-due indifference.
"He had the gall to show up at the Prince's archery tournament in disguise, that's what!" He took a swig. "We had him in our claws, and he escaped again."
"Again, huh?" Mason arched his brow. "How'd he manage it this time if he were in your grasp, eh?"
The Sheriff stiffened. He waved a hand. "Ah, never you mind how he did it, that rascal's got more tricks up his sleeve than a jester's got cards." A pause, then he changed the subject. "Where's the Big Boss?"
Mason's mouth twitched at the humorous use of Rumple's nickname. Size-wise, Rumplestilskin was anything but big. "He's in the back. Hired a new face."
"He did, eh?" The Sheriff downed the glass. "Well if that don't beat all. The last bum he hired was clumsier than an ox on ice."
Before Mason could offer a response, the sound of a door reached the Sheriff's ears and he casually glanced at the back room that led to the kitchen.. A young woman emerged, carrying a tray beneath her arm. The Sheriff's eyes followed her as she approached one of the tables in the corner to make a brief inquiry, then disappeared behind the doors again.
"Say, Mason...that ain't the new face, is it?"
The large bear nodded once. "That's her alright. She came from a faraway kingdom under some curious jurisdiction."
The Sheriff quirked an eyebrow. "How do you mean?" He motioned for him to fill up the glass.
"Well I don't know much about it," he held up his hand and filled the Sheriff's glass with the other, "I only know what I hear tell, but supposedly the land she comes from has had some trouble with their monarchy."
"Huh," the wolf scoffed, "kinda like us."
Mason grinned. "She's a strange girl to have come so far just to take a job under Big Boss, but," he shrugged, "she has her reasons."
The Sheriff sat silent for a time sipping his drink, deep in thought. The night began to slow down as customers staggered out of the pub and fewer came in. Several times throughout the evening, the woman emerged from the back room to tend to the clientele. She was a stunning creature to be sure, and every time she passed him by, his resolve to not mingle with any folk weakened. A notion began growing in his mind. He motioned Mason over.
"Say, Mason, I wanna talk to the Boss."
Mason actually looked surprised. "Now Sheriff, you know he don't like bein' disturbed. 'Sides, he's busy tonight."
"Just you go and fetch him," the wolf shot back, "Tell him he owes me one after I rinkydinked him outta that scuffle he got himself into last summer."
Mason glared, but flipped the rag over his shoulder and headed into the back room.
The Sheriff nursed his drink for a short while before the doors to the back room flipped open seemingly by themselves. Rumpel was too short even to be seen above the counter space. The Sheriff's mouth broke into a grin as Rumpel hopped up onto a bar stool and squarely faced his old acquaintance.
"Well if it isn't the honorable Sheriff of Nottingham," the man spoke with mock politeness. He rubbed his hands together. "Ah now, tell me, what would a man of your schedule be doing in these lowly parts?"
"Never you mind what I'm doing," the Sheriff answered, "It's what I wanna do that concerns you. Look," he pushed his drink aside and faced the short man, "It's high time you repay that favor of mine."
He raised an inquisitive brow. "Well, ye got me there, Sheriff. Mason did mention something like that…" He twirled the end of his dark beard. "I'm assuming you've already got somethin' in mind?"
"Oh, it's nothing fancy." The Sheriff leaned back. "See, I've had a hard day, and it would do my heart good if you'd lend me the companionship of your, eh...new lady, so she and I could take a nice stroll under the stars." He placed his hand on his heart in a rather dramatic flair.
Rumple's expression darkened. "Now, Sheriff -"
"Hold up now!" The Sheriff made placating gestures, knowing what was on his mind.. "I aint' gonna do any harm, Boss Man, I only wanna take a stroll with the little lady!"
The short man released the tension in his shoulders and scrutinized the uniformed wolf.
The Sheriff knew that Rumpelstiltskin was a selfish creature by nature and cared little for anything and everything that was of no gain to him. Still, Rumpel wasn't an inherently evil man, which accounted for the slight concern he had for his new servant. That, or he was merely worried about how such an encounter might affect the efficiency of the girl's performance at work.
"Come on, Rumpel," the Sheriff implored, "just let me take a walk with the sweet lady, I won't keep her out but a short while." He put on his best "poor me" voice, and then stopped short. "What's her name, anyhow?"
"Her name's Belle. She's a lass from the French countryside."
"And a mighty fitting name for her as well."
The man sighed. "Well alright, mister Sheriff. Seeing as how I do owe ya…" He cupped his chin in thought, and then abruptly pointed a finger at the wolf. "But if you overstep yer boundaries with her, you'll be owin' me."
The Sheriff only barked out a chuckle. "Don't you worry your shortstack about that, Boss Man, I said I only wanted to take a stroll with her, and that's just what I'm gonna do."
"...I'll fetch the lass." Rumple said, a bit stiffly. Without further comment, he hopped off the stool and headed back to his office.
The Sheriff sighed and sipped the rest of his drink. A stroll outside under the stars with a lovely lady is just what he needed to get his mind off the events of the day. And whether said lady was Maid Marian or a foreigner from a neighboring kingdom, he didn't much care; he wasn't particular.
Mason passed him by on the way to setting a few glass mugs back on the shelf. "I didn't think you had eyes for anyone but that Marian woman. Guess a wolf is still a wolf, huh?"
"Let that alone," the Sheriff mumbled, scowling at the bear. "That ship's gone and sailed. Anyway, what better way to deal with a loss than to fill the void with a new face?"
"Can't argue that." He sighed and set to work on another mug; they'd been piling higher as the guests left. "Belle's none too hard to look at. Not hard to see why you'd wanna step out with her." His eyes bored into the wolf. "As long as that's all you're planning on doing."
That brought the Sheriff up short. "Now what do you take me for, an animal?!" The Sheriff certainly had no ulterior motives, but even if he had, what was it to Mason and Rumpel? Since when did tavern owners and bartenders care about the well-being of a lowly serving girl? And yet care for her they did, or seemed to for some reason. That wouldn't stop him. A poor Sheriff deserved the pleasure of female company now and again, even if it was only in the manner of an innocent little stroll.
The doors banged open and Belle emerged from the back room. She smoothed her hands over her white apron, her eyes briefly scanning the room for the man she was to meet. Spotting the Sheriff sitting at the bar, she sighed visibly and gathered herself as if to say "here goes."
The Sheriff straightened his posture as he watched her approach. He smoothed out his sleeves and took off his hat.
"You must be Belle," he said in the sweetest voice he could muster.
She nodded and held out her hand to his outstretched one, which he kissed. "Pleased to meet you." Her face wasn't entirely at ease and he decided that he ought to set things straight.
"Now, miss, I wanna make one thing clear: I mean you no harm."
"Of course not," she said, folding her arms. "My boss told me you just wanted to take a walk."
He nodded, hands splayed together. "That's all there is to it, little lady. Now enough mincing words, I only have so much time before I'm back on duty." He eased himself out of his seat and stretched a hand out toward the door. "After you, miss."
Barely suppressing a sigh, Belle strode past him out the door, eager to get this midnight stroll over with. Entertaining customers was something she'd had to get used to doing since she'd been obligated to work for Rumpel, and although she'd never been hard-pressed to cross the line, even a little innocent humoring became tiresome. It wasn't entirely in her nature to do so, and she often had to draw deeply from her well of compassion and good nature to prevent herself from downright insulting the pub's clientele.
She heard the footsteps of the Sheriff behind her and suppressed yet another sigh.
Deciding to be forward, she stopped, waiting for him to catch up to her, and said, "May I ask what compels you to take a walk at midnight with someone you don't even know?"
"You may indeed," he drawled with an air of subtle humor that was almost annoying. "You see, little lady, a sheriff's work is hard work, and today's been about as hard as they come. I'll spare you the details, but the long and the short of it's this: I'm in sore need of a nice distraction tonight, and when I saw you sashaying through that door, well, I knew you'd take my mind off my troubles in two winks of an eye." He chuckled.
She wasn't entirely sure how to respond, but peered at him dubiously. "I see."
He chose to ignore her skepticism, however, and stepped alongside the young woman, placing an arm gently on her back. "Well, what say we start on our walk?"
To Belle's mild surprise, a simple walk in the cool midnight air under the light of many stars was exactly and only what the hefty Sheriff had in mind. It soon became clear that he had no ulterior motives, and after a time she actually began to relax and somewhat enjoy being outside in the fresh air instead of in the liquor-infested shack. In fact she actually became grateful to the Sheriff for giving her such a pleasant reprieve.
The Sheriff, himself, was enjoying the outing immensely. The night air, which began to grow chilly, was invigorating to his senses, like a splash of cold water on the face to shake one out of a shock. And although he tried not to show it more than he could help, he was utterly charmed by the young, foreign woman who had so graciously allowed him the pleasure of her company. He thought it a pity that the social gap between them was as wide as it was; she was an utter beauty. Had circumstances been different, he might have toyed with the idea of getting to know her better - but alas, a walk down a starlit path was the most he could hope to attain.
They'd walked about half a mile down the road. He stopped beside a fallen log and took a seat. She did likewise, a distance away. He pretended not to notice and instead looked up at the stars and whistled. "Would you look at them stars."
She looked up as well, then averted her gaze back to him. "You haven't said much about your life, or your duties, Sheriff. Why don't you tell me something about yourself?"
"I'd be glad to," he said, and lifted himself off the log to inch closer to her. "I'm Prince John's right hand man up in Nottingham, and as I've said, it's no easy task. The Prince knew he needed someone fierce, brave, and clever to handle a job like this. Why, the last Sheriff he had resigned within three days!" He scoffed.
As he prattled on, Belle couldn't help but be reminded of Gaston. This Sheriff seemed to enjoy talking about himself as much as that blowhard back home.
"And after I nearly stuck his head like a pincushion, he's been scared to come within even ten miles of me," he chuckled, "at least, not without a disguise."
"Your Prince sounds none too generous," she observed.
"Ah, well, that's a sad fact of serving royalty, darling. We sheriff's don't get to decide what kind of monarchs we want."
She stared off into the distance. "I suppose I see what you mean."
"Do you now?" He looked at her, and leaned in. "Now tell me, miss, what would you know about selfish monarchs and all that, hm?"
She leaned away lightly. "More than you'd think. You see, our prince, he...he has an enchantment on him that makes it all but impossible for him to carry on with his duties as ruler."
This piqued his interest a little. "An enchantment?"
"Yes. Let's just say he's cursed. Him, and all his servants."
"Sounds mighty strange if you ask me."
She allowed herself the luxury of a good, long sigh this time. "It's strange alright."
"And might I ask just what a lovely thing like you is doing in a pub miles away from home?"
She looked uncomfortable, but answered, "It's just...an agreement that was made. I won't bore you with the details," she said, using his own words, "but let's just say the reason I'm here is to protect my father."
He shook his head. "That's mighty sweet of you, miss." He patted her on the back. "And don't you worry, I won't pry into your personal life."
She wasn't sure if he was being genuine or poking fun at her, but she supposed it didn't really matter.
He studied her as she averted her attention elsewhere. It was a pleasant thing for him to get away from the often chaotic lifestyle in Nottingham - especially with someone like Robin Hood disturbing the peace - and venture out into the secluded night with a beauty like what was sitting next to him. The Sheriff bit his lip. He knew he couldn't sit out here forever, nor did he dare try and court this sweet woman, tempting as it was. He'd promised Rumplestiltskin and her that he wouldn't try anything untoward - and indeed, he had had no intention to. The starlight cast her skin in a gentle glow, but it also caught the light of her eyes, and he thought he'd never seen a lovelier vision. Already he was regretting the promises he'd made.
Truly, he thought, it was a real shame that a poor Sheriff couldn't partake in a little female companionship now and then. What kind of world didn't allow for the considerations of a hard-working law-enforcer and tax-collector? A cruel one, he thought, as he mistily drank in the sight of the lady sitting next to him.
Yes, it had been a hard day - too hard, if the course his thoughts were taking were any indication. To take his mind off it, he glanced around the log into the thick grass and idly picked a flower. He handed it to her.
"Here's a beautiful flower for a beautiful lady," he said.
She took it with an awkward smile, and a dazed, "Thank you." In an effort to change the subject, she asked, "So...did you always want to be a sheriff?"
He leaned back a bit on the log, supporting himself with his hands. "Well no, eh...I didn't have much ambition when I was a boy, I spent as much time as I could playing out in the woods." He gave a hollow chuckle. "I never gave much thought to my future like my pa wanted me to. But things sure turned out alright for me," he finished, smugly. He looked at her. "How 'bout you, miss?"
She shrugged. "I suppose you could say it was almost the same for me. At least, I knew I didn't want the kind of future that others expected me to have." She paused. "I was bored with everyday life in my town, and...I suppose I never fit in."
He studied her. "And are there any handsome, charming young men you've got your pretty hazel eyes on?"
She gave him a look. "No. I mean...there's Gaston, who I suppose is interested in me, but he's just not my type."
He chuckled. "Well lassie, I've a feeling you've got more admirers than this Gaston feller."
After a minute or two, she said, "Well, I should be getting back. The boss will be needing me."
"Sure thing, little lady."
They stood up and made their way back down the dusty road. It had been a pleasant atmosphere, truth be told. The night air was exhilarating, the crickets sounded in every corner of the wide open fields, the water from the creek murmured peacefully, and the wind was mild. The Sheriff was certainly sorry to see the moment end, but his walk with Belle had served its purpose. It had taken his mind off the troubles of the day. He felt a bit better with the knowledge that she might be around for a while. Who knows, he might even come back for a visit some day.
When they were within sight of the Tooth And Fang, they stopped. She turned to him and reached out a hand. "Thank you for the pleasant walk, and for getting me out of that shack for a while."
Once again, he took her hand and brought it up to his mouth in a light kiss. "I assure you the pleasure was all mine, little lady."
She turned and headed back into the tavern. He stood there for a moment, thinking that the only thing that could have made the night better was if she'd graced him with a little kiss goodnight. Well...one of the only things.
That Belle was a kind woman. Although she'd clearly been against the idea of going on a stroll with him, she had agreed to it, and she had listened to what he said with all due compassion. That was a rare thing for him to come by these days, especially in Nottingham. Part of the reason why he liked the Tooth And Fang so much was because he was less hated beyond the borders of the kingdom. It was refreshing to meet people who didn't scowl or shy away from him when he came around.
'Yessiree,' he thought, folding his arms in contemplation, 'it's a real shame…'
He had until dawn before he needed to be at his next shift, and he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep yet, but that hardly mattered. Given the day's events, he probably wouldn't sleep even if he had a bed as grand as the Prince's. He really ought to head back to his own kingdom and to Nottingham. He doubted that he'd be able to keep himself from pursuing the woman if he went back into the tavern, but what was a poor sheriff to do?
He stood there a minute longer before shaking his head. 'Criminitly, what they say sure is true. Life is short!'
Against his better judgment, he found himself heading back into the tavern. There were still many hours before dawn, and chances like this came along only too rarely these days. Life was a cruel thing, but it was crueler still to poor sheriffs like Nottingham's.
When sweet reprieve came along, he was never one to pass it by.