Chase and Skye had been dating for a little over 5 months now. It doesn't sound like a lot, but do keep in mind that it's like 3 years in human terms. Everyone was happy for them although by that point people were starting to bug Chase on whether he was going to make it official and get married and have kids or something, to which Chase always replies with an "Jeez, I'm still a pup guys." Except they really weren't. Ryder was nearing 14 now and while the PAW Patrol was still active, there was a rumour that he was planning on retiring them and getting a fresh set of hands that are more nimble. Of course, Ryder would never actually do that sort of thing – he's grown too fond of the lot and would rather disband the entire operation together – but those who don't know any better seem to think that Chase would need to grow up and be the leader once they left the team.
Chase doubts it. If they really were to quit – it wasn't a matter of if, actually, but when – they would most likely go their separate ways. He and Skye would probably go together and either head on a romantic honeymoon while Rubble might hang on for a few more years – being the youngest member of the PAW Patrol, he still had plenty of strife left in him and could participate in any risky missions for a while yet. In fact, in recent times when the PAW Patrol was faced with anything particularly dangerous in which Chase and the others lack nimbleness from their puphood, Rubble was the one to take over. Thankfully, Ryder had anticipated it coming and trained Rubble to operate all seven PAW Patrol rescue vehicles: Marshall, Chase, Rocky, Zuma, Skye, Everest and of course, his own bulldozer.
Rocky and Zuma, interestingly, had started to see each other as more than friends, and these days it's not common to see them snuggling close to each other or going on walks on the beach, Rocky insisting on being five feet away from the shoreline at all times while Zuma wants to run and feel the water lapping on his paws. That created the rather awkward scenario that, while they were dating, they maintained a good distance from each other and if you saw only one of them you might not even know he was with someone else. That's probably why they prefer to be doing other activities, Chase mused, like eating spaghetti not unlike that scene from the Lady and Tramp movie. Chase remembers it quite fondly, because it was the first movie he and Skye had watched together on Ryder's pup pad (to which he then spent three hours searching for before noticing Chase was using it. Chase got a pretty big telling off.)
Everest might be the newest member of the PAW Patrol but she certainly isn't the youngest. Since she's always up at Jake's Mountain no one's really got the chance to ask her on what her plans are when, or if, she retires. If Chase were to guess, Everest would probably either keep working as a rescue pup, or she might hop over to Captain Turbot's ship and head back to the Antarctic where she used to live. Then again, she might go on a tour of the world with Mayor Goodway – she'd always been that sort of adventurous pup. No one took the Mayor to be that type, though, so it came as a surprise to everyone when she announced that, after she steps down as Mayor of Adventure Bay, she plans to explore the globe in a hot air balloon with Chickaletta.
That left only Marshall. Funny thing is, even though Chase and Marshall used to be close, Chase can't really remember the last them they talked together. Chase had no clue on what Marshall was planning to do in the future. Feeling a twinge of regret, Chase had told Skye that he was heading out for a breath of fresh air and headed over to Marshall's pup house. And that's why Chase is here now, standing outside the door but hesitating to knock.
"He might be busy…" Chase muttered to himself, before losing his nerve and putting his paw down. There was a feeling of unsettledness in his stomach that he couldn't quite explain why. Turning around, Chase headed back towards the lookout, only to come face to face with Marshall, standing behind him with a puzzled look on his face.
"Chase?" Marshall cocked his head slightly, eyebrow raised in question. He didn't say anything, but Chase knew that he was asking, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, er, hey Marshall." For some reason, Chase couldn't bring himself to speak, but he took a deep breath and forced it out. "I was just wondering what you were planning to do after you…you know…after Ryder disbands the team."
"The team?" Marshall looks at Chase, down at the ground, then back at Chase. "Well, I'll be with Ryder, I guess."
"Marshall, you know Ryder would be working with Rubble. They won't have time to take care of you or anything of that sort. Have you thought of a backup plan?"
"Nonsense." Marshall brushes Chase's worries away with a wave of his paw. "I've been with Ryder the longest. Of course he has time for me."
"No, what I mean is – you can't go along with them on missions and everything when you're too old to anymore. You'd be like a third wheel. Have you – got someone to take care of you?" Marshall didn't answer. Chase now knew what he was dreading, that Marshall was likely to be spending many nights alone. Something else curled up in his stomach, the feeling of compassion that Marshall would probably be lying in bed staring off into blank space while everyone else was off either on a date, a rescue mission or in a hot air balloon over France. Could Chase just go off and leave Marshall all alone by himself? No, Chase was not that sort of person.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find that certain someone." Chase comforted Marshall, though some part of his brain told him that he couldn't be sure on that.
"I can't…live like this anymore."
"What?"
"I can't live like this anymore, Chase. Everyone's seemingly so happy but me. I've got no one that I can spend my days with, not even a friend."
"What about-"
"You're my friends, remember? You and Skye, Zuma and Rocky, Rubble and Ryder and Everest and Mayor Goodway…who have I got left who can spend time with me? You're right, Chase. I've got no one, no one who I can run up to and not feel like the awkward person tagging along, not wanted. I'm clumsy and I've been made fun of and now I'm just like a dirty towel, only fit to be thrown away." There were tears in his eyes now. "I'm so…alone in this world, and what's really there to live for? Goodnight, Chase." With that, Marshall entered his pup house, leaving a very confused Chase outside.