Las Vegas was HOT! The pups noticed as soon as they woke up and the AC was on full blast. They looked to see every band had canvases set up next to their tour busses. As soon as Zuma opened the door, he felt like he was walking into an oven.

"Oh it's hot! Hey Wobodog, can you open the cawrgo bay?"

Robodog barked and opened the rear door so the pups could grab their canvas to protect them from the sun. Zuma was the first one to walk out, and immediately the blacktop burnt his paws.

"Ah! Hot! Hot!"

He ran as fast as he could to the back so he could grab the rug and the canvas. None of the other pups were willing to step out.

"Weally? None of you awre gonna help me? My paws awren't immune to the heat!"

Robodog walked right out to help. Actually, it just did it all itself. The canvas was up and the rug was on the concrete, and the pups, at least the ones that could handle the heat, stepped out. Everest couldn't stand the heat, so she stayed in, but Tracker wasn't bothered by it. The pups that were outside were melting. It had to be close to 110 degrees!

"Uh… Why is it so hot!?"

Zuma lit a cigar.

"If I'm gonna suffewr, I'm gonna suffewr in luxury!"

"Zuma!? Why are you smoking!?" Chase snapped.

"Thewre is no legal smoking age fowr pups! Besides, cigawrs awren't bad fowr you."

The pups stared at Zuma, some thinking he's crazy, some skeptical, some wanting to try one. He took a puff.

"This is fun!"

"Can I try?" Marshall asked.

Zuma handed Marshall a cigar.

"Puff in while you light it. It won't light wight if you don't."

"Oh well… I was wondering if I could try yours… just in case I don't like it."

Zuma wondered if Marshall was serious. It already had his saliva all over it. Does Marshall really want to put something that had his saliva all over it in his mouth? Did he want Marshall's saliva all over it? Of course he did!

"Here you go! By the way, don't inhale…"

Before Zuma could finish the warning, Marshall inhaled the cigar. He started coughing with smoke coming out of his lungs.

"I shoulda warned you before…"

Marshall stopped coughing and inhaled it again.

"I just said don't inhale! Stop inhaling!"

"I'll be fine!"

"Can I have my cigawr back?"

Marshall gave it back. Rocky grabbed one.

"Alwight Wocky, you just puff it in like you'wre dwinking fwom a stwaw!"

That what Rocky did. He didn't start coughing and huffing like Marshall did, because the smoke didn't actually go in his lungs. It was warm going into his mouth, but as it stayed, it got hotter and he had to force it out.

"You're right, this is kinda fun! And it won't give us cancer like cigarettes?"

"Not these ones, I bought the good ones!"

Everest saw Rocky smoking as she looked through the window. That scared her. She ran outside.

"Rocky! Those aren't meant for pups!"

"It's not any different than from a human smoking. It's for leisure!"

She walked up to Rocky.

"Want a puff?"

She didn't until they made eye contact.

"Jake smokes these, why not?"

"Don't inhale, just like you're…"

"I know how to do it!"

Soon the entire circle had a cigar.

"See? This is the life!" Zuma praised.

"It's hot though! I'm a husky! I'm not meant for this!" Everest was miserable.

"I think I burnt my tongue!" Skye said.

"Don't keep it in your mouth too long!" Zuma warned.

Everest was just about passed out on Rocky's chest when she heard a waterspout switch on. She looked at a couple band members filling up a cooler.

"That's a great idea!"

Everest ran to the back of the Patroller to get a cooler. The blacktop was really burning her paws! She ran to the waterspout, where the surrounding blacktop had water poured on it already, leaving a significantly cooler ground. She filled up the cooler, dragged it under the canvas, and laid into the water.

"Oh that's better!"

Rocky suddenly felt like he had no desire to cuddle up with Everest. Her being wet kinda turned him away.

"Hey Rocky, can you hand me my cigar?"

"Uh… sure."

He grabbed her cigar and handed it to her, trying to prevent his paw front touching hers.

"What, you suddenly wanna avoid all contact?"

"It's not that, it's just… you're wet!"

The pups laughed that Rocky didn't want to be near her just because of that.

"You didn't seem to mind me being wet yesterday!"

"That's different!"

It took a couple seconds, but Rocky and Everest realized they just leaked the information to the rest of the pups. Everest nearly jumped out of the cooler when she realized it, but Rocky kept his cool and avoided eye contact with any of the pups as he was reclined.

"Any of you pups see the new episode of Pound Puppies? I didn't get a chance to watch it," Rocky said trying to avoid any mention of what Everest said.

He could feel all the pups' attention being aimed at him and Everest.

"Pound Puppies ended in 2013," Chase said.

"Lucky had to move remember?" Marshall reminded.

"Whewre is Lucky anyway? I never saw the last episode." Zuma wondered.

"Man Pound Puppies ended at the same time as our rise to fame, as first responders at least. Can you believe we had our own show going?" Rocky reminisced, originally with the intent to distract.

"Now that you mention it, we were always kinda famous," Rubble recalled.

"Yeah, we were loved by kids, now we have the attention of every metalhead in North America," Skye added.

"I wonder… what do the kids think of us now? Obviously the pups love us," Marshall wondered.

There was a short silence, then it was broken by Chase.

"So what are you two hiding?"

"Damn! I thought I shook you from that!" Rocky was frustrated.

"Well?"

Rocky took a hotdog off the grill and ate it.

"I don't need to say."

"Is that why you two seemed even closer last night than you did in Seattle?" Tracker observed.

"I got no clue what you're talking about!"

Rubble started cracking up out of nowhere.

"Robodog! He thought there was something wrong with the Paw Patroller! He wanted me to help fix a nonexistent hydraulic problem!"

"Oh now I feel bad!" Everest said.

"That suspension isn't immune to two pups jumping around," Rocky masked.

"You're not fooling any of us!" Zuma snapped.

Marshall, being the only one not using his brain, was confused.

"Wait, so when you told me your secret yesterday, you two did have sex right? Or were you really just jumping around."

Damn it Marshall! Rocky thought. He threw a half empty water bottle at Marshall.

"Oww! What was that for!? You told me not to tell anyone, and I haven't!"

Rocky was a pup of his word, and it was the perfect revenge plot.

"Marshall, shut up before I tell everyone you have a crush on Zuma!"

The pups fell silent. They looked at Marshall, Rocky, then Zuma, whose jaw was dropped

"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," Rocky said victoriously, still avoiding eye contact with the pups.

"Rocky… you promised!" Marshall was hurt.

"So did you!"

"Marshall, you… you know I was messing with you, right? I didn't think you actually liked him," Chase cleared up.

"I don't care about that…"

Marshall got up, threw his cigar at Rocky, and went into the Patroller. Rocky felt awful.

"That backfired. I tried to help him. I feel bad now."

"That's kind of an ass move. You don't just tell everyone about his crush like that. You made Zuma uncomfortable too! They were such good friends, and now you might've ruined it!" Chase scolded.

Chase walked into the Patroller as well. The rest of the pups except Rocky, Everest, and Zuma followed. Zuma went to the very edge of the tent and just stared off towards the amphitheater.

"I'm gonna tear this band apart!" Rocky whimpered.

"It's not you, the pups are tearing themselves apart. We're at that stage where we're making a big transformation, mentally, and with the way our lives are going. Puberty while under the pressure of fame and a band is going to be tough," Everest comforted, "But don't get me wrong, that was a dick move."

There was a short pause.

"You still love me right?"

"Always! Forever! Now come here!"

"No! You're wet!"

Everest splashed Rocky anyway.

"Ah! Wet! Wet!"

She jumped out of the cooler and hugged him.

"The only time a hug is torment"

Everest just squeezed him tighter so the water would absorb into his fur. Like transferring water from sponge to sponge.

"Eww! The wet dog smell!"

"I love you! No matter how much you ruin your friends lives!"

"I love you… no matter how much you ruin my life!"

Everest walked into the Patroller, and Rocky and Zuma were left alone outside. Rocky approached Zuma, whose attention was still on the amphitheater.

"Hey Zuma… uh… are you mad at me? If so, I don't blame you."

Rocky didn't get an answer.

"I only did that to benefit you two. I thought it'd be best. I thought you two would… I don't know… kiss?"

He still didn't get an answer.

"Alright, I don't expect you to forgive me, but just know I'm sorry!"

"Why should you be?"

"I just feel bad!"

"You did me a favowr!"

"I did?"

Out of nowhere, Zuma hugged Rocky.

"A huge favowr! Thank you!"

"Oh… I thought you were mad!"

Zuma let go.

"We're playing in San Fwancisco this yeawr, wight?"

"Well, technically Mountain View."

"Close enough! It's the LGBT capital of Amewrica, maybe the wowrld! I'm going to kiss him wight thewre on the stage!"

"In front of that many people? Are you sure? I wouldn't even kiss Everest in front of that many people!"

"What's the wowrst that can happen? We'rwe tuwrning into teenagewrs, our emotions are going cwazy! You'wre 9! Look at you and Evewest!"

"Pups start puberty before humans do, therefore we start intimate relationships earlier."

"My point exactly! Pups awre a lot more mature than humans awre at 6 yeawrs, we naturally matuwre fastewr!"

"Where is this conversation going?"

"I was hoping you'd know."

They also walked into the Patroller. The pups were doing various things, but Marshall was curled up in his bunk.

"Marshall, I'm sorry! I thought it would help you!" Rocky apologized

"I'll be ready for the show if that's what you're trying to ask."

"I'm not worried about that! I'm worried about you!"

"I'll be fine when you leave!"

Rocky felt horrible. His best friend just turned away from him.

"Best friends… always. I know you hate my guts, but if you need my support, if you need someone, I'm always here for you!"

"Everest sure seems to be a sufficient replacement."

"Don't think that way! Don't think she could ever replace you! I love her, but I love you too… just like I loved Ryder!"

"Don't use Ryder to try to make us feel sorry for ourselves!"

He finally turned over to face Rocky.

"Isn't that why we formed this band!? To not feel sorry for ourselves!? To stay united!? To not let Ryder's death drag us down!?"

Marshall sat up as the pups' attention was shifted to him and Rocky.

"Of course! I didn't mean it like that way! I just wanted to prove my point! You're my best friend! I can't stress it enough!"

"You're not mine!"

Marshall turned around to face the window rather than Rocky. Rocky put his paw on Marshall's shoulder.

"I don't blame you for being mad. I don't expect you to forgive me soon. Just know that even if you don't talk to me for five years, I'll still be there if you come to me for help. I'll be there at your side!"

There was a short pause of anticipation between every pup. After trying to figure out what was going to happen, Marshall put his paw on Rocky's.

"It won't take five years to forgive you!"

"Just know, I'll always be willing to be your best friend again!"

"You still are! I'm just… enraged at you right now."

"And I understand why."

"But… I'll probably have forgiven you by the time we get to San Francisco."

"Oh you'll definitely forgive me after San Francisco!"

"You think it'll take that long?"

"Knowing you, no!"

"San Francisco, full of hippies, hobos, Chinese people, and gays!" Chase said.

"Technically we'll be playing in Mountain View," Skye corrected.

"Close enough!" Every pup said.

The nice thing about the Vegas show, is they get a two day break, so they get to spend a day in Vegas before heading to LA.

"Las Vegas Nevada!

AAAARRRRRGGHH! GO!"

They put on a show that wasn't worth forgetting, however, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. After a day of roaming the strip, visiting casinos, and sneaking some slots, they were off to LA.

AN: Just an FYI, production will be slow for a little while. I got a job working 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, so I'm not going to have much free time