The pups have been waiting outside for the better part of twelve hours, and the sun has long since set. The pups were tired, but they found that they were unable to sleep. The clock ticked on the wall, and the pups grew more anxious by the moment.

Then, the door opened, and the doctor, Matthew, came out of the room. He was smiling, and the pups exhaled in relief.

"He made it, guys!" he exclaimed. The pups made so much noise cheering, that the ENTIRE building could hear them. Ryder smiled as well. "He's up right now, and he wants to see you. You can't stay very long though, he's alive, but make no mistake, he has a long road ahead of him if he wants to recover. He'll have to learn to walk again, and you may find he has mild amnesia. It'll pass with time."

The pups followed the doctor into the room. Rocky was sitting up.

"Hi, guys!" he said softly.

"Oh my god, Rocky! We were so scared!" Skye exclaimed. Everyone sat on a seat by Rocky's bed but Zuma, who jumped right up on the bed and hugged his best friend before curling up beside him.

"Was it scary getting hit by the car?" Rubble asked.

"...hit?" Rocky asked. "Who was hit?"

"You were, Rocky," Marshall said.

"And who is Rocky, again?" Rocky asked.

"You are Rocky," Ryder said.

"So you are saying I was hit by a car, and my name is Rocky?" The pups nodded. Rocky looked thoughtful. "I...I don't remember that. I think I used to know a Rocky, though…" The pups groaned and smiled.

"So how do you feel?" Skye asked.

"A little loopy, to be honest," Rocky said. "These medicines are making my head spin." He turned his head and looked at Marshall.

"Who are you again? I think I missed your name," he said.

"I never gave it...because you know me." Marshall sighed. "I'm Marshall. You know, the clumsy, happy-go-lucky pup?" It looked like a lightbulb went off in his mind.

"Oh...the one who has a picture of Everest hanging on the wall of his puphouse covered in hearts?"

"Rocky!" Marshall hissed. The pups snickered. Zuma was busy signing his name and each and every one of Rocky's casts.

"It'll help you heal faster," Zuma whispered.

"You're...Zuma, right?" Rocky asked. Zuma nodded.

"I like you…" he murmured. "You're nice."

"Well, of course, you like me," Zuma said, slightly worried. "Do you remember what we were doing before you got hit?"

"I don't remember doing anything with you. The last thing I remember is jumping on the trampoline with you...and everything after that is really...fuzzy…" Zuma looked crushed. He doesn't remember that he's in love with me...he doesn't remember us kissing either!

"You will have to go now. Rocky needs to rest, and we have all had a long day." As everyone stood up to leave, Zuma spoke.

"Can I stay here...and watch over Wocky, please? I'll be good."

"Well, if the doctor is okay with it, you may," Ryder said.

"No messing around with anything, and no biting." Doctor Mathew said sternly.

"I don't bite!" Zuma protested angrily.

"Zuma…" Ryder said warningly.

"Fine...no biting, no messing around with anything. I'll stay wight hewe." Zuma said.

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow then," Ryder said.

"Goodbye!" Zuma replied. The door was shut, and the lights clicked off. Zuma turned to Rocky worriedly.

"Wocky?" he whispered.

"What? Are you still here?" Rocky asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm Zuma...you fell in love with me." Rocky snorted.

"Fall in love? With you? No offense Zuma, but I'd never fall in love with you. You seem nice, but you are clearly a male. That is so wrong on so many levels." Rocky shook his head. " Ha! You're a funny one."

"I'm not playing! You are in love with me...you kissed me…" Zuma whined.

"Why would I kiss you, Zuma?" Rocky asked. "And why are you still here?"

"We always sleep together, Wocky…" Zuma whimpered.

"No, we don't, I just met you a few minutes ago," Rocky said.

"But you said you wemembered us jumping on the trampoline together!"

"When did I ever say that?" Rocky asked.

"A few minutes ago!" Zuma protested.

"Dude, you are starting to piss me off. Maybe you should leave me alone, now." Tears rolled down Zuma's cheeks.

"You don't wemember me…" Zuma said finally. "You simply don't wemember…"

"No, I don't. Because it never happened…" Rocky said drowsily. He drifted off to sleep again.

"Youw amnesia is getting worse…" Zuma whimpered. "I'll let you forget everything, but I'll never let you forget me." He kissed Rocky's neck. "I know you are in there Wocky...you just need some help coming out again." He slipped his paws around Rocky's waist. Rocky woke up.

"What...who…"

"Shhh…." he said, pulling back. "You will wemember me soon enough…" he laid his head over Rocky's chest, listening to his heartbeat. "You will wemember…"

It's been three months since Rocky's accident. His bones have healed and fused back together, and he can move again. His brain is still coming back online, but he is quickly becoming the smart pup everyone knows him as. Rocky's amnesia hasn't gotten any worse, but it hasn't gotten any better either. He still forgets who the pups are, and he outright denies ever loving Zuma. The pups have tried everything to restore Rocky's memory. The doctor says that one day, something will just trigger in his mind, and everything should come back. So far, no luck and Zuma is despondent.

Zuma laid in his bed that morning, feeling cold and alone without Rocky. Because he doesn't remember Zuma anymore, he doesn't feel comfortable sleeping with him. There was a knock on his door.

"It's me, Skye." he heard.

"Go away, sis," Zuma said, turning over in his bed so his back faced the door.

"You've been in here all day! We are halfway through the twilight, and dusk will be here soon.." Skye said, coming in anyway. "I'm worried about you. Don't you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"Then what?" Skye asked.

"Wocky...doesn't wemember me," Zuma said.

"Well, he sometimes forgets who all of us are, but…"

"No. I mean he literally doesn't wemember me. We were best fwiends, but he doesn't wemember any of it anymore. He's not mean to me but were aren't close anymore. I'd tried evewything I possibly can to help him wemember...but he's stuck in a loop! He'll never wemember me!" Skye was silent for a minute, then she hugged Zuma.

"It's okay, Zuma. I know this is especially hard, with you and him being such great friends. But don't give up on him. If you do...what hope does he have? Do you think he'd purposely forget you? If he could remember, he'd feel awful for treating you like this. We can't let him go, Zuma. I'm sure if you were in his place, he would fight for you till he died. So, why not fight for him?" Zuma sniffed. "If you want your friendship back, you have to fight for it. Take him somewhere special, and tell him everything. Remind him of all the times you had together. Remember how you too were such great friends. I'm sure something you say will remind him, and if he remembers you, it might trigger his mind to remember all of us as well!" Zuma jumped out of bed and licked Skye's cheek.

"You are wight! Wocky wouldn't give up on me, so I won't give up on him! I'm going to fight for us!" Skye smiled and clapped her paws.

"You go get him, Zuma!" she exclaimed, waving at him, and he left to find Rocky.

"Wocky? Wocky?" he called.

"Yeah?" he heard. Rocky was halfway in his puphouse, and halfway out. Zuma couldn't tell if he was pushing something in or pulling something out. Zuma came up to him and licked his cheek, which Rocky returned.

"Can we talk?" Zuma asked. Rocky looked amused.

"Is this another one of those 'we were best friends' kinds of conversations? Because it's never going to work, dude."

"Can we just go to the beach?" Zuma asked. "I think I know how to get through to you now." Rocky sighed.

"It's gonna be night soon," Rocky said. "Maybe tomorrow?"

"No, let's go now. It won't take but a second." Zuma said. Rocky sighed.

"Here we go again…" he muttered. "Lead the way, dude."

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to ride?" Zuma asked.

"I'm too old for piggyback rides. And you're too small." Rocky smirked.

"Hey, more of this is muscle than it looks. I keep in shape." Zuma replied, bending down.

"Yeah, right," Rocky said, holding on to his neck. He was surprised when Zuma stood up easily.

"Told ya," Zuma said.

"Hmmm...touche," Rocky said. Hmmm...why does this seem so familiar? After Rocky's accident, Rubble and Rocky had built an underground tunnel, similar to the one they had made for the turtles, for pups to go through. Zuma walked slowly to it, enjoying the constant contact he was sharing with Rocky. Rocky's paws absentmindedly tickled him up under the neck, and Zuma laughed. Maybe there is hope yet? Zuma ducked through the tunnel, walked under the highway, and out onto the beach. Rocky slid off of him and jumped down on the ground.

"That was fun," he said. Zuma smiled sadly.

"You used to carry me around all the time," he said. "I'd carry you sometimes, but you said you like carrying me better." Rocky snorted.

"Yeah...right…" but this time, Rocky's words were not laced with their usual dry sarcasm.

"Come on," Zuma said, grabbing his paw and pulling him. He stopped just where the water started.

"Oh...I hate water…" Rocky said, shivering. "Let's come back a little." Zuma sighed. He's forgotten he's not afraid anymore.

"Rocky...do you still not remember what happened?" Zuma asked.

"No...I remember sorting some things out in my puphouse...then I woke up in the hospital."

"I'm going to tell you what happened, but you have to trust me. Do you?"

"A little bit," Rocky said. Zuma felt hurt.

"At one point...you said you trusted me with your life…" Zuma murmured sadly. "That day, it was hot, and the AC went out. You and Ryder went in to fix it. I asked you how things were going...and you ignored me, giving me one-word answers. You hurt me that day."

"I just...I just don't remember this…" Rocky mumbled.

"It's okay," Zuma said. "I forgive you by the way. Anyway, I left and started jumping on the trampoline. I saw you come out a little later, and you joined me. Don't you remember? It was so much fun...we went so high…"

"Trampoline...trampoline...hey, I do remember that! Didn't I lose my pawing, and then you fell on top of me?" Zuma jerked his head up.

"Yes! Yes! That's exactly what happened! You're remembering! At least...I think you are…"

"Well, go on then," Rocky said, intrigued now.

"It was still super hot, so I asked you if you wanted to wace to the beach. We made it, and I won the wace. You wan into me." Rocky smiled. "What is it?" Zuma asked.

"Your voice. It's cute," he said. Zuma smiled wider.

"That sounds just like something Wocky would say!" Rocky looked confused for a moment.

"Oh...right...because apparently...I'm Rocky…I've gotta remember that…"

"We kinda tumbled and rolled around, wemember that?"

"You landed on top, correct?" Rocky asked.

"Yeah! I did! Do you remember me yet?"

"A little bit…" Rocky said, scratching his head. "What happened next?"

"I said thanks to you for playing with me, and you seemed very uncomfortable. You wouldn't meet my eyes. Then I asked you why you had been ignoring me for two months. I begged you to tell me why you didn't want to be my friend, why you didn't care about me anymore." Rocky looked saddened. Zuma looked down. "I know you won't believe this...but I'm not gonna lie to you."

"Go on," Rocky said.

"I began crying...and you threw me off of you. I begged and pleaded and did everything but lick your paws. I wanted to know so badly why we weren't good friends anymore. You wouldn't tell me, you just kept giving cryptic answers. Then I finally told you that I loved you." Zuma smiled faintly. "You kissed me, Wocky."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I did what?! What kind of mess is that?!" Rocky exclaimed. "Okay, this just got weird, I'm going back to the Lookout." He turned to leave, but Zuma held on to his paw.

"Just let me finish...then you can abandon me...again…" he whined. He looked up at the darkening sky. They had been out longer than he had anticipated, and soon, the stars would be out.

Rocky began feeling guilty and sat down again. "You kissed me with all the passion in the world. It was wonderful, magical, the most beautiful thing ever. You told me you were afraid and didn't know why you had fallen in love with me. You tried to fix things, but you only ended up hurting me. You came to yourself and accepted my love. You love me, Rocky. You just don't see it. But you are in love with me...and I don't know how to make you understand! I want you back Rocky...I want my best friend…"

"I'm sorry, Zuma! I just don't remember you! I'm not gonna lie to you either. I'm not in love with you! I never have been, and I never will! I hate hurting you, but I can't let you keep hurting yourself. I like you, okay, but as a friend! Nothing more! I'll never be in love with you!" His words came out extremely harsh, and much more sharply than he had meant them. Zuma began crying immediately, uncontrollably, all hope crushed in a single minute. But he was determined to at least get through the story.

"We ran back to the Lookout…"

"Zuma, stop!"

"...sniff….and then a car came...I was about to get hit, and you pushed me out the way!"

"Zuma…"

"...and you said you did it because you loved me!"

"I. DON'T. LOVE. YOU!" Rocky shouted finally. "I never have, AND I NEVER WILL! Stop telling me that I love you when I'm telling you I don't! We are just friends! Why would we ever fall in love? Do you even hear yourself?!"

Zuma let go of all the hope he had. His fear was confirmed: Rocky would never remember him. Zuma cried as Rocky had just died. Still, he wrapped his paws around him and cried all his hurt, and his pain, all his betrayal in the fur of the pup he used to call his best friend. Surprisingly, Rocky didn't push him away. He cried with him.

"I'm sorry that I'm hurting you, but there's nothing I can do!" Rocky whined. "I don't know what you are talking about, and I don't want to break your heart."

"Don't leave me...please Wocky...I love you…" Zuma pleaded. "I don't know what else to do...why won't you remember me?"

"Zuma, it's not that I won't, it's that I can't! I'm racking my brain trying to remember you, but all I know is that we live together! That's it!"

"You're bweaking my heart…" Zuma cried. "You'll kill me…" Rocky hugged Zuma tighter, feeling guilty for something he doesn't remember doing."

"I'm sorry...you have to let me go…" Rocky whispered. "I don't love you."

Zuma shook his head and cried harder into Rocky's fur. Rocky held him for the better part of an hour, and Zuma had his emotional breakdown. Finally, Zuma pulled his head up from Rocky's soaked fur and looked into his eyes. Rocky saw regretful acceptance shining in them, and he felt really bad.

"I love you Wocky...it's okay that you don't love me…" Zuma finally said, after all his tears had been cried. "I won't try to make you remember anymore...that part of you is gone...forever…" He sniffed. "I'll have to accept that."

"Zuma...I…" Rocky stopped, having nothing to say. His heart hurt and his ears were flat against his head.

"But let me do one last thing...one last thing before I let you go." Zuma pleaded.

"Anything, Zuma," Rocky said sadly. "I'd do anything to make you feel better."

"Close your eyes," Zuma said. Rocky obeyed. Zuma put his paws around Rocky's neck and slowly, softly placed his lips over Rocky's. He kissed Rocky for all he was worth. All the regret, all the pain, and all the love flowing out of him. Rocky tensed up for a moment but relaxed a split second after. It was a moment of paradise, and Zuma kissed the love of his life for the last time. Two months of hope were eradicated, and Zuma finally let it go. Rocky would never love him, he would never remember him. I still love you, Wocky. Zuma thought. He opened his eyes and slowly stepped back from Rocky.

Rocky felt woozy, and an image, long since forgotten, came to his mind. Flashes and snippets of it raced through his brain, but he couldn't focus on it. Rocky stared into Zuma's eyes in shock and felt the same attractiveness, the same mind-controlling force that he had felt two months prior. Every other thought became nothing, and all he could think about was Zuma. His sad gaze slowed the image down in Rocky's mind. It was him and Zuma, sharing their first kiss by the beach, water splashing over them.

Zuma looked away.

"Goodbye, Wocky." He said sadly. He dragged his paws away, going up the beach towards the Lookout. Rocky opened his mouth to protest, but his vision became blurry. He could no longer see Zuma, he saw faded, black and white images that slowly became colored.

"Hey, Wocky, do you want to jump on the trampoline with me?" Rocky saw Zuma looking at him with hopeful eyes.

"Not really," Rocky saw himself, scratching his head and looking away. Zuma looked crushed. Those pictures faded, and he saw another one.

"You wanna race to the beach?" Zuma asked, laying on top of Rocky.

"Yeah, why not?" Rocky asked. More pictures faded, and others came back to Rocky's remembrance. He saw their race, the way they fell, Zuma's heartfelt apology for something he didn't do.

"I can't live without you, Wocky! I LOVE YOU!" Rocky inhaled sharply. Everything just clicked in his mind. Who he was...who everyone else was... who Zuma really was. It felt like taking a deep breath after realizing you could. Rocky fell on the sand, panting hard. Oh my god….Zuma...

"What happened?" he asked himself. He looked for Zuma and didn't see him. I must have broken his heart...he thinks I still don't remember him! Rocky thought. I do remember him now...I remember everything! Rocky leaped to his paws.

"Zuma! ZUMA!" he shouted. No response. Rock felt unnerved. What exactly did he mean when he said he can't live without me? He asked himself. Zuma...you'd better not be doing what I think you are doing! Rocky ran up the hill, searching for the brown pup he knew so well. I'd better find him before he does something stupid!

Zuma's paws slid in the sand, scratching them painfully. But Zuma didn't care. Nothing matters anymore. If Rocky doesn't remember me, and never will...then what is the point of life anyway? What's the point in rescuing others, when you can't even rescue your own family. The highway was very busy today, and Zuma smiled softly to himself. Oh well...it won't matter in a bit. There was no voice screaming at him not to do it, no voice told him that this was the wrong thing to do. No, all voices were silent. Only raw pain remained, and soon, even that would shut up. Zuma made it to the street and ruefully looked behind him. He sighed. At least it will be quick. Zuma watched as a large tractor-trailer turned into the highway, and came close to the beach at a threatening speed. Its headlights shone onto Zuma's brightly, blinding him.

"He'll never be able to stop in time," Zuma said in sad happiness. "I'll give myself about ten seconds." He spent his time thinking about Rocky. He even thought he heard his name called. Wow...memories can be a powerful thing. Just as the vehicle was upon him, Zuma jumped off the ground and into the air. Everything had been planned perfectly. In T-1.5 seconds, Zuma would be hit by such a tremendous amount of force, his bones would snap like twigs, and he'd quickly die from organ failure, if not on impact. Except...he hadn't planned for Rocky. He felt teeth in his paw as he left the ground, and he was yanked back, hard. Zuma hit Rocky square in the chest and rolled down the hill, missing his chance to escape the pain in his heart, and splashing down in the bay. Zuma spat water out of his mouth and shook out his ears.

"Wocky?" he asked, in surprise. Rocky's chest was going in and out rapidly, and Zuma could practically hear his heart beating. His eyes were wide with fear. Zuma sat on his tail, his hind paws spread out.

"Why did you…"

"Zuma!" Rocky held onto Zuma and cried into his neck.

"Wocky...what's wong?" Zuma asked.

"Zuma, no!" Rocky cried. "I...I almost lost you...again!" Rocky's paws went around Zuma's waist, and he refused to let Zuma go. He shivered, fear causing his blood to run cold.

"I'm sowwy, Wocky...I just felt so…" Rocky cut Zuma off by capturing his lips with his own. He kissed Zuma softly at first, then with more and more passion.

Zuma did not heed his brain warning him of low oxygen. Rocky was what he had wanted the entire time. For two months he had dreamed of this moment. He wanted to know what Rocky's kisses felt like again. Well, every thought he had ever had was a drop of water in an endless sea, compared to how Rocky was treating him. Zuma felt Rocky put a paw over his chest, pushing him deeper into the sand. The water from the incoming waves soaked their pelts. The stars above shone brightly, and Zuma could clearly see Rocky's face, his eyes closed, concentrating on kissing Zuma to the best of his ability.

Rocky felt his legs go weak and he fell on Zuma's chest, breaking the kiss and inhaling deeply. Zuma allowed himself one breath before diving in again, and Rocky did not...could not...would not... deny him. Why is Rocky doing this? He said he doesn't love me...you know what...I don't care why. I'm just glad he's doing it. Zuma pulled away as he felt Rocky trying to enter his mouth, leaving Rocky wanting more. Rocky whined and tried to get closer, but Zuma turned his head.

"Zuma…" Rocky pleaded.

"Shhh..." Zuma said. "It's late, and the stars are out. Let's go to your puphouse and finish up there. We have a lot we need to talk about." Rocky nodded, stealing one last kiss from Zuma before stepping away. He bent down, let Zuma climb onto his back before climbing up the hill, through the tunnel, up the street, and to his puphouse.

"Rocky...Zuma...you're back!" Skye said. "How'd it go, Zuma?"

Zuma slid off of Rocky's back and hugged Skye. He stepped back and opened his mouth to answer, but Rocky knocked him down and kissed him passionately.

"Mine..." Rocky growled.

Zuma mewled softly and wrapped his paws around Rocky's neck. Rocky growled possessively put his paws under Zuma, picking him up and standing on his hindpaws.

"We are gonna have a good time tonight..." Rocky said amorously.

"Does that...answer...your question?" Zuma asked Skye, dreamily looking into Rocky's eyes. Both pups' tails were wagging way too quickly, and images began coming into Skye's mind. She retched and immediately dispelled those thoughts.

"You guys go have fun...I've gotta go. Goodnight..."

Rocky slid his door open with his hindpaw and brought Zuma inside, closing and locking it behind him.

Hi, guys! So yeah, I feel emotionally drained right now because of this, so this is probably gonna be the only update for the day...sorry...

No, before you go crazy, this story is not completed. It still has one more chapter to go.

*yeah, right, you said that last chapter...

No, really! It just ended up being longer than anticipated because I needed a lot of words to convey emotions correctly and things. The final chapter will be up soon.

Thanks for all your support!

Peace out!