A/N: Don't have much to say, apart from it's fun to write these one-shots. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own PAW Patrol

Marshall felt a pang of sadness as he woke up alone again. He slowly worked up the courage, then climbed out of bed. He stretched, a yawn forming as he did so. He looked around his room, one which Ryder had built for him specifically. Every pup had gotten one as they grew out of their pup-houses. Unlike the other pups though, Marshall didn't want his to be the same color as his uniform. He had opted for more of a light blue, which he found a much more pleasing color. It had become less so over the past few years, and Marshall wished he would just repaint it. A small part of him still kept it the same light blue.

He walked out of his room, noticing that it was almost noon. He trudged to the kitchen, opening the fridge. Not hungry, he closed the door. Hearing the TV on in the living room, it being some type of stupid soap opera, he walked outside. He couldn't stand Skye's romance shows.

Marshall looked across the yard, seeing the pups play. Chase and Zuma were playing tug-of-war, and Rocky was sleeping under a tree with his wife Tonya. Another pang of sadness attacked Marshall as he saw the couple. Chase and Skye were together, Rocky had found a wife, and Zuma was dating yet another poor girl whom he would break up with. It always happened, one way or another.

Zuma and his stupid speech impediment, Marshall thought as he walked to his spot. He squeezed between two boulders, up above the Lookout in the forest. Once between the two boulders, he walked through a curtain of vines, revealing a breathtaking sight. It was a little space surrounded by boulders, and nothing but a single tree in the center. That tree was on a small island in the middle of a small, but deep, pond. It was a fairly young willow tree, not quite full sized, but still relatively large. Marshall hopped onto a small raft, and gently pushed off the shore.

He felt the raft, which was just a bunch of branches tied to one another, grate against the bottom. He dragged it up onto the small island, and sat beneath the tree. He sat there, the sun reaching its highest point in the sky. As it began to tilt into afternoon, Marshall started crying. He cried for what felt like hours, just sobbing uncontrollably. He cried for his dead wife, missing her every moment of his existence. Everest had been the only thing that mattered to him. She had been ripped away so suddenly, it ripped his heart out as well. He could still hear the avalanche that had taken her so completely.

He looked up at the sky, and screamed. He screamed until his throat was on fire. He screamed until he physically couldn't scream any more. Tears were streaming in his eyes. He closed them, heaving in and out, losing control of his own body. He choked on sobs, his body shaking. Every day he did this, unable to control himself. His sobs slowly grew to quiet whispers, and he slowly fell asleep.

Waking up, he fought back a fresh wave of tears. He slowly dragged himself to the raft, settling on the wobbly floatation device. Gently pushing off, he let his back paw drag through the water. Grating against the other shore, he forced himself to yank the raft up the bank. Squeezing through the boulders, he made his way back to the Lookout. Climbing the driveway, he didn't answer the other pups when they called greetings. He never did.

He trudged to the living room, throwing himself onto the couch. He closed his eyes, wanting to shut out the pain. Wanting to shut out others. Wanting to shut out everything. But he couldn't. He couldn't hide the pain, it throbbed with every beat of his heart, every thought of Everest. He couldn't shut out the others. They acted as if nothing ever happened, like she was never there. They had tried to tell him that he shouldn't mourn forever, but he shut them out. He would mourn as long as he wanted. They hadn't lost a wife, they hadn't lost a mate. They hadn't lost unborn children, they hadn't missed the chance of being a father.

Marshall heard the others getting dinner, even felt someone shake him. He didn't respond, and let whoever shook him walk away. He didn't want to eat, he wasn't hungry. He just laid on the couch, hearing everyone go to bed. He sat, not wanting to move.

Finally, he made up his mind. He slowly forced himself up, and walked outside. He looked up at the stars, and said, "Don't worry, Everest, I'm coming." He walked to the edge of the cliff, and stopped. Staring at the dizzying drop, watching the crashing waves cover and uncover rocks. Like a monster, licking its teeth in anticipation of a meal.

"Marshall, why are you out here?" Marshall heard from behind him. The dalmation slowly turned, seeing Ryder approaching.

"I'm sorry," was all Marshall said. He let himself lean back, falling through the night. He smiled as he saw Ryder at the cliff edge.

For the first time in years, Marshall was happy.

A/N: *shudder* A bit of a dark one. I'm not planning on doing a lot of darker stories such as this (which may be good news to some). Anyways, please do not hesitate to PM me OC's that you want me to use! I'll see what I can do with them, but I would like it if, along with a physical description, I could get extra info (personalities, any sort of crushes/relationships, etc.). I won't use everyone's OC's, but I would enjoy knowing if you guys would want me to use your OC's! Again, not a requirement, but something fun. I'll see if I can't get another one-shot out tomorrow, as they are good fun to write. Until then, this is TheMattdude signing off!