Back to the present after Rocky's flashback story~

"So that's how it all happened," Zuma murmured in awe and disbelief. The lab swore he heard a sniffle come out of Marshall, who very quickly wiped his nose with a paw. Rocky held his eyes closed, waiting to be pelted with questions and ridicule, yet none came. His backstory left every pup sitting in the grassy field speechless. The mix looked up from the ground to take in everyone's faces around him. Chase's face was one of faint sympathy that you'd miss if you blinked. The German Shepherd had never been good at showing emotions and sympathy, but even this made him feel bad for Rocky. Marshall and Skye couldn't bring their heads up as their stares stayed on the ground, ears drooping. When Rocky swept his gaze over to Zuma, he held it with him, the only pup staring back. The Labrador's golden eyes bore straight into Rocky's, which were illuminated a warm orange amber in the dying sunlight.

The more you tell me about yourself, the more my heart breaks, Zuma thought sadly. I look into those beautiful eyes, and I see so much pain. After all that, you're still here... how are you so strong?

Ryder had been silently sitting in his chair, taking in every word. And I thought the other pups had it bad... but if Rocky had a brother, what happened to him?

An awkward silence hung in the air, aside from the evening crickets chirping all around, hidden in the cool grass. No one was really sure what to say after that. The lack of response bothered Rocky, making him very uneasy. Luckily, Ryder broke the silence, "It all makes sense now... I'm so sorry, Rocky. That's no way for a sweet pup to have to live. So you were on the streets for two years, weren't you?" The mixed breed gave a slow, self conscious nod in response.

Just before Rocky was about to change topics, Marshall piped up from his spot in the circle. "Wait, but Rocky, where's your brother now then? If you both left the owners then how come we only found yo-" The dally was cut short when Skye gave him a shove in the side. "Shut it, Marshall," the Cockapoo hissed quietly. "What!?" Marshall asked, totally clueless to how nosy he was being about a sensitive topic.

Rocky felt the blood drain from his face, his paws growing sweaty as his anxiety skyrocketed. Fortunately, the mix was saved from a panic attack by a high pitched ring emitting from Ryder's pocket. The boy fumbled around for the device before pulling out his pup-pad, which was flashing blue on the bright screen.

"Sorry pups, I hate to cut the talk short, but I think we're needed for a rescue." When he answered the call, a tall, thin man with glasses was on the other end, looking extremely panicked. "Ryder, boy am I glad to see you! Francois is in a dangerously disastrous doozy. He and I were photographing a rare bird at the cliffs; he was leaning over the water to get a better shot and he fell! He caught himself on a branch sticking out further down, but it won't hold for long!"

"Don't worry Captain Turbot, no job is too big, no pup is too small! We're on our way."

Saved by the bell, er, pup pad, Rocky thought with a sigh of relief. Chase jumped to his paws at the alert, "Come on pups, to the cliffs," he barked. The boy stopped the Shepherd heading toward his vehicle. "Actually Chase, I think Skye, Zuma, and I can handle this on our own. Mayor Goodway needed you and Marshall's help this afternoon, remember? Help her and then meet us at the cliffs when you're done." Chase nodded in understanding before he and the dally took off towards city hall.

Ryder and Skye mounted their vehicles and sped off ahead of Zuma. Before heading out, Zuma made his way over to Rocky, who was still sitting in the grass. The mix shyly looked up to the lab now sitting in front of him bearing a toothy smile. "Wocky... I'm-"

"Sorry?" Rocky blurted, trying to finish Zuma's sentence.

"Well, yeah I am dude, but that's not what I was gonna say."

Rocky's face heated up in embarrassment at his rudeness, "Oh, my bad, sorry. I didn't mean to sound mean. I assumed the stereotypical speech of pity and sympathy was coming next."

Zuma moved a bit closer, placing his paws on top of Rocky's, causing them to both blush. "I was just gonna say that I'm weally pwoud of you, and that you're weally stwong for getting through all that. I don't think I could ever go through what you had to."

Rocky was still blushing at the warm paws on top of his. "Oh... uh, thanks, Zuma. That's a nice thing to hear. I mean I went through it but it definitely didn't get any easier. After I while I just stopped feeling it all. The hunger pains, cuts and bruises, being alone... As twisted as it sounds, I just got used to it after a while. It didn't hurt any less but I stopped caring in a way. As much as I hated my life, I couldn't change the cards I'd been dealt, y'know?"

Zuma felt less than comfortable with Rocky's nonchalant response on such a serious topic. "Well the cards sowta have changed though wight? I mean you awen't alone anymore and you won't go hungwy with us. I know it's been wough, but maybe this is a turning point for you, Wocky?"

The mix couldn't hold back the warm smile that spread across his lips, "When you say my name like that, I really do feel like I could call this home, Zuma."

The lab blushed even harder at the comment. "Shut up, dude. It's a speech impediment I've had since I was born." Rocky smiled cheekily, "well I think it's adorable."

You'we so fweaking cute, you have no idea, Zuma thought to himself, lost in the bright amber pools staring back at him. Wait, cute? Rocky's a boy pup though, I don't think he's cute like that though, do I? Zuma cocked his head in curiosity, still staring at Rocky.

I mean I just feel sympathy for you probably. Yeah, that's it... Then why do I get so lost in your eyes? Is it weird for me to think about you as much as I do? Why am I asking myself so many questions? You're just a good friend to me. That's all. A friend with the cutest face ever... and a cute fluffy tail and beautiful eyes that I could stare into forever... and that adorably shy personality or that little smile of yours that makes me blush every time...

Uh oh... Wait, does this mean that I'm... Oh no.

The lab was brought back to reality by a voice calling his name. "Umm, Zuma? You ok?" asked Rocky with a shy chuckle.

"Huh? O-oh, yeah, I'm good," the brown pup said, before realizing he still had his paws on his friend's and was staring intently at him. "Oh! I'm so sowwy, Wocky," Zuma said hastily, hoping the light blush tinting his face wasn't too noticeable. "Just lost in thought, yknow, dude?" The mix returned the same blush and smile, "You and me both, Zuma."

The two sat for a brief moment more, pondering the feelings swirling in their heads that they didn't realize they both felt before Zuma remembered he was supposed to be heading to the cliffs. "Oh, dude , the mission! We should pwobably get back to the cliffs." The lab wished he didn't have to end the moment, but he knew duty called. The disappointed mixed breed shuffled his paws away from Zuma's, also wishing the mission could wait. "Y-yeah I guess we should head there, lead the way, Zuma." The lab flashed a cocky smile then dashed back to his hovercraft with Rocky right behind him.

Their engines hummed and copter whirled along the country road as they raced to rescue Francois. Rocky relished in the roaring wind that swept through his fur as he held on tight to Zuma. That was really hard, thought Rocky as he pushed back the lump forming in his throat. I think I needed to get that off my chest after all this time but in a way, I'm kind of glad we had to cut it short before they started asking more questions about Ax - Suddenly, the mix's thoughts were interrupted as Ryder began to take action. "Skye, fly ahead and get a look at the damage," the boy instructed firmly.

"We don't have much time, Ryder," shouted Skye through her radio from up ahead. "The branch looks really weak and won't hold for long, what are we gonna do?!"

The team arrived at the scene as Skye touched down next to the boy so he could hook up the rescue cable. Ryder hesitated for a moment as he fumbled furiously with the broken harness. In their haste, he had forgotten Skye's harness was still broken from the last mission, rendering it useless. He quickly peered over the ledge at Francois to find the harsh truth in Skye's words. The man was visibly panicking as he looked below him and how far he was about to fall into the deep ocean if the Paw Patrol didn't hurry up. It was a race against time. A loud shriek came from below as Ryder ran to grab zip ties from his ATV. "This isn't gonna work..." Ryder said aloud to himself, shaking his head before pounding his fists in frustration on the metal hood.

Ryder made his way back toward the edge of the cliff followed by Rocky who wanted to assess the danger on his own. His ears picked up the panic in Ryder's heavy breathing and the mix knew he had to do something. If he could help in any way, he was going to. Rocky stepped forward, realizing how rash his decision was, yet going through with it nonetheless. "I...um...well what if I go down in the harness? You could directly tie it shut around me with the zip ties and he can sorta grab on and get pulled back up to the top..." Ryder stepped between the nervous mixed breed and the cliff, kneeling to his level. "Rocky, you haven't really had proper training yet. I mean, I think it could work, but are you sure you really wanna do this?"

If I want to stay here and maybe be a part of this team, I need to show I'm not useless. I can do this, Rocky thought, trying to reassure himself. "I can do this. I'm not letting another person drown because I did nothing. For Francois, for Ryder, for...Axel."

Rocky and Ryder raced to Skye's copter hovering in the air above them. Ryder reattached the broken harness to the carabiner and zip tied the harness shut against Rocky's chest. Ryder spoke words, no doubt important instructions, only the wind from the copter blades drowned out any sound. In a split second, Rocky was airborne and his heart began to beat faster as the boy and the equipment on the ground began to shrink the higher he got.

"I can do this..."

The sun was starting to sink below the horizon in the distance, leaving behind a tangerine sky that stretched on for miles. The warmth of the remaining rays landed in the autumn leaves rustling in the mountains behind him which burned bright like fire in its hue. Hovering above Francois, Rocky took one look at the water below him which made him cringe instantly. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath as he felt the wind on his face as he was being lowered, You can do this Rocky, don't mess this up, you can- he was interrupted by a sickening crack followed by Francois screaming as a piece of the trunk he was desperately clinging to broke off and tumbled into the dark water below. "Tha-that's a lot of water," the mix croaked, feeling sick, "I don't think I can do this."

Rocky squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to open them. Every sound around him grew louder and louder as his adrenaline skyrocketed. The crashing waves below, the howling of the wind, the whirring of the helicopter blades. "I can't do this again. N-not again, Ryder, Axel, I-I-" Tension grew in his face and limbs as flashbacks of his brother's death started to flood his mind out of nowhere. His breathing became more rapid, more shallow. Rocky's heart was hammering in his chest. The thoughts of Axel falling were accelerating as his mind took him back to where it happened, down to the hauntingly familiar smells in the air that day and the feel of the wind in his fur. Rocky's white paws scratched at his head as if to try and scratch the memories and his brother's echoing screams away. Pink blurs began dancing across Rocky's vision and his ears began to ring harshly. He felt like he was going to blackout from the lack of oxygen as panic consumed him.

The mixed breed was frozen. He didn't move a muscle, he wasn't even sure if he took a breath. He didn't know what happened until a scream from the man he was supposed to rescue echoed off the side cliffs snapped his mind back to the present situation. He gasped in horror, watching as the man's handhold splintered and broke free from the mountain. Rocky's heart sank. Those painful memories came to him like a daytime nightmare and now suddenly, another life was about to be taken as a result of him. Though the air was filled with loud noises, Rocky only heard the sound of his heart pounding in his chest. Oh my god, what did I do?! He wailed in his mind. The mix suddenly found his voice, only to scream in terror at what he let happen. "Not again! I- I didn't mean to let him fall, I-"

Rocky looked down to see an orange glow racing across the water towards the falling man. As soon as he realized what it was, sheer embarrassment set in.

Zuma's hovercraft soared through the water as fast as it was meant to go, every inch of metal fighting to be within range to be able to perfectly launch the buoy and catch Francois, who was falling fast. "Come on..." growled Zuma as he quickly calculated his speed and angles in his mind, ignoring the stinging from the shards of water being splashed up, hitting his face like hundreds of tiny razors. "Ruff, buoy!" He shouted, clenching his teeth inadvertently as the orange and white ring narrowly caught the man from the sky with only seconds to spare.

Rocky's face fell faster than an iron anchor in the water as they touched back down on land. His whole body paused while his thoughts struggled to catch up. He was trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as the dire consequences of his mistake bounced around inside his skull. His mouth hung open, his lips slightly parted and his swelling eyes were as wide as they could stretch. He fell... I let him fall, I froze and he almost died because of me. I sat there and did nothing... again.

Rocky blinked his wide eyes, seeing Ryder rush over to the chopper towards him and Skye. He fought to make eye contact with the boy, who didn't return it. Ryder quickly loosened the cable for the mixed breed before sprinting to his ATV and pulling out his pup pad to call Zuma and tell him where to drop Francois off safely. The blonde pup jumped from her cockpit, landing next to a shaken up Rocky.

His eyes begged to find forgiveness in Skye, whose blank expression was locked onto the ground beneath her. "S-Skye I'm so, so sorry. I dunno what came over me back there, I froze up and I-I-"

"Not right now, Rocky," Skye muttered as she gasped for breath. "Give me a minute to calm down."

The gray pup flattened his ears in shame, mortified at how badly he messed up and how many people saw. Chase had returned from Town Hall just in time to see the close call. He looked pissed. Really pissed. Before getting to explain, the Shepherd was up in Rocky's face.

"What the hell was all that, Rocky!?" he yelled. "Didn't feel like playing rescue today huh? You were right there! If it wasn't for Zuma back there we wouldn't have caught him!"

The mix shrank back at Chase's harsh voice, feeling embarrassment and guilt hit him like Chase's hot breath against his cheek. "I- I know, I know! I was absolutely useless and I just- I panicked okay? I'm sorry! I'm not even a member of your team, I'm not good at this stuff! He's safe though-"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, dumbass! How are you supposed to be helpful when all you did was dangle there without lifting a paw to help!?" Before the fuming police pup could scream more, Zuma threw himself between him and the mixed breed. "Chase, stop! Wocky didn't mean to let Francios fall! He's not twained like us, he got scared! We still completed the mission though so calm down, dude!"

"Yeah, no thanks to him," Chase snorted, turning to walk away. Rocky felt any hope he had of belonging on the team shatter into a million pieces. "I'm sorry Zuma... I really really am," the mixed breed said with a voice crack.

Ryder turned around with his head lowered and walked tensely towards the two pups. "Rocky..." he said with little to no emotion in his voice. "We need to talk."