Chapter 9

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Spike had missed his shot at getting to the RV. It had sped away before he could even bark to get Grandpa Lou's attention. He thought running after it but the flames were closing in, and he had no place else to go except for... the lake.

It was closer to the camp then the ranger station and all the other animals were heading there anyway. He might as well go there. He would meet up with his family later.

He started to leave when something large slammed into him knocking him to the ground. He turned to look and saw Scar Snout standing over him, his teeth bared.

"You are not getting away from me that easily, you wretched mongrel!"

Spike got up and bared his teeth right back. "We don't have time for this you knuckle-head!" He looked around at the burning trees and bushes. The fire was getting worse. "There's a forest fire all around us!"

Scar Snout only gave the fire a half-glance before snarling, "That doesn't change anything. I am going to tear you to shreds!"

Spike dodge out of the way as Scar Snout leapt at him. The wolf kept at it, snarling and snapping his dripping jaws at the dog's heels.

Spike couldn't go anywhere but up. He turned and ran up the treeline, ignoring the flames and smoke. He expected to hear Scar Snout right on his heels, but the wolf was not behind him. There was a sudden loud crash from a fallen tree. Then, he heard an angry howl in the burning forest behind him. And then he heard Scar Snout cry out in anguish, "COME BACK YOU COWARD! YOU CAN"T RUN! I WON"T RUN!"

But Spike continued to run, drowning out the the wolf's cries as he raced through the flames.

Scar Snout didn't move from where he was. Didn't even try to escape the flames that closed in on all sides. He lifted his great head to the dark sky one last time, and howled mournfully. It was long, angry, and a bit sad at the same time. Then the flames engulfed the whole spot and Scar Snout was consumed entirely until there was nothing left of the wolf but a burning ball of fire on the ground.

Grandpa Lou drove like an officer behind the wheel of an military jeep. The fire all around him reminded him of being back in the army. Fallen trees and branches fell upon the road and he had to swerve out of the way to avoid colliding with them.

Tommy, buckled-up in his baby seat, held on as the RV zigzagged on the road. The fire outside the windows looked so close as they drove by. He was scared, but he knew that his grandpa would get him back to his mommy and daddy. He was more worried about Spike. His dog had not been seen since the fire and he didn't know where he was.

Spike was still running through the forest fire in the direction where, in his mind, the lake was located. But it was like being in a fiery blizzard! Burning tree branches fell all around him as he ran. Behind him he could see the flames growing faster and coming closer, swallowing the forest and filling it smoke. Spike could feel the heat on his fur as he broke through the forest.

Suddenly Spike screeched to a halt. He was at the edge a sheer cliff. It was a long way down, but he had no time to think. The fire was going to overtake him soon.

He leaped off the cliff just as the wall of flames blazed over his tail. The terrified dog plunged down the deep cliff into cold water below.

Spike surfaced quickly, coughing and spluttering as he gasped for air. He looked around and spotted a small island with a bunch of other animals that had escaped the fire. He dog-paddled the rest of the way as the fire roared overhead.

The island was a safe point for the all park animals. Neewa and Tobi were huddled together. Since this was mutual ground, and a safe spot, the other smaller animals had nothing to fear from the two bears.

Spike staggered out of the water and flopped down upon the shore. Neewa approached him as the other animals scurried back.

Spike looked up and smiled weakly up the she-bear. "Hey, looks like I made it."

Neewa could only shake her head. But she smiled. "You saved my baby's life, Spike. I was hoping that you would make it, so that I could thank you."

Spike looked confused as he shook himself dry. "I... what?"

"You did save my cub, didn't you?" Neewa asked with a raised brow. "Tobi told me that you protected him from Scar Snout. He said that you fought off that wolf so that he could get away."

Spike noticed Tobi gesturing with a paw behind his mother and then nodding, hoping that he got gist of what he wanted his mother know.

Spike smiled, nodded, and went along with it. "Oh, yeah. Of course." he said to Neewa. "I almost forgot about that."

"Well, thank you for saving him," said Neewa. "I wouldn't know what I would do if I had lost him."

"Oh, I have a pretty good idea." said Spike. He looked out over the lake and towards the burning forest. Smoke was billowing above the trees. "When you do you think this will stop? I have to get back to my family."

"Don't worry," said Neewa. "If the rangers are good at one thing, it's putting out forest fires. It will clear up and the flames will be extinguished with water from the copters."

As if right on cue, four helicopters appeared over the smoke. They split up and began to dump water on the burning forest.

"As you can see," said Neewa. "they have arrived."

The copters worked all through the night to extinguish the forest fire. The animals on the far bank had to wait for a long time before any of them could return home.

Spike wondered if his own family had left to return to their own home too. What if he was left behind?

Didi could not express her relief at having Tommy in arms again.

Lou had arrived at the rangers station four minutes ago with a burnt and smoking RV. It had taken a lot out of the old man and his nerves were shot. It had taken two rangers to piratically peel him off the steering wheel and out of the camper.

While Dil and Tommy fed from their bottles in a playpen, the family and rangers busied themselves on reviving grandpa because he had fainted.

Outside, the copters had finished putting out the last of the fires around the campsites. Campers and guests were escorted out of the park while ground units worked on putting out minor brush fires that were still active.

The Pickles family waited to see if there was any news about Spike, even though Stew was not worried and knew that their dog would come back and find them.

An hour past and Spike had not been found. The Pickles were beginning to worry. With the forest fire out and the ranger teams working around the clock, it was impossible to know if anything had been heard.

The plain fact was that the rangers couldn't waste their resources on finding one house pet lost in the woods.

The best they could do was wait.

Because of the forest fire and the probability of another resurfacing, campers were asked to leave camp areas. The Pickles had packed up their RV and drove out of the park with the rest of the disgruntled campers.

Spike had been found an hour later by a patrol and seemed to be all right. As the rangers drove him back with them, Spike thought about the talk he had with Neewa before he had been picked-up.

The she-bear had offered and suggested that he could live in the park as a wild dog. He wouldn't have to go back to being a house-pet anymore and would be free.

Spike was, at first, sorely tempted to take the offer. But then he remembered his own promise that he had made a while back. He couldn't go back on it now, not while he was so close to being reunited with his family. True that Neewa didn't trust humans, but Spike had a little more faith in them. And it would be disloyal of him to turn his back on them just to be wild and free.

He had made his mind up and had gone to look for the rangers. It was time for him to go home.

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Epilogue

It didn't take long for life to get back to normal at the Pickles house. Didi and Stew had both agreed that maybe next time for a vacation they would just go to Los Vegas.

Spike sat outside his doghouse late one night and turned his snout up to look at the moon. It was bright, full and beautiful.

The stars twinkled in the dark sky and Spike, feeling the urge, let out a howl. And his howl was soon joined by other nearby dogs in their yards.

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You know the disclaimer; Any Rugrats characters belong to Klasky-Csuporugrats/(C) Nickelodeon
Neewa the black and her cub belong to me. (C)