DISCLAIMER: I do not own PAW Patrol, the characters, or any association of the series.
A/N: HELLO READERS! Finally, after four months, an update! I'm done school so time to f%*king write!
AND…I've opened up a Deviantart Account! I've been amping up my drawing skills for awhile now and figured I should upload some shit. I intend to draw for all my fandoms so don't be surprised if you see other stuff on my page. I go under mokocchii-art on that site.
COMMENTS
Starflight98 – Yup. Not every pup is gonna have a fully resolved story. Characters will come back in some shape or form, or maybe never. Who knows…*laughs manically*
Jetski1980 – don't worry. Pretty much every has said that when reading it (which makes me very grateful the scene worked). Yeah, I tend to brush over my editing,... *laughs awkwardly* Don't have a beta, so usually when I finish a chap I quickly edit to publish cause I'm an eager little shit. Thanks for pointing out the mistake. And yeah, Ryder's is surprisingly interesting. But that's not till the end though we'll see his full story. Just snippets so far.
ChaseLovesSkye – you're back! Always love your reviews. Yeah, I'm not heavy into the show anymore either, but I do have a soft spot everytime I see it or hear someone talk about it. And then bam! Chapter appears in my hands.
LDSoshawottRockpaw – haha aww, thanks for your kind words.
Guest – Thanks! Want each story to be as different as possible
marcogalmich – Haha, you're catching on the plot!
Daisy Rhine – Thanks! ^^
x Aura x – Hopefully you'll like it! It's cute, if I must admit! And yes, it's a Pokemon city from the Sinnoh Region XD I was thinking of city names and that one came up in my head! Think it sounds fancy enough lol
desgarbiuz – muchos gracias!
mdmpinkie9088 – Haha yeah I saw those two episodes! It was so obvious Chase had feels for her lol but the cute thing was that Skye receipted the feeling back. (that friendship day ep, how she leaned against him and poor boy looked shocked XD Granted, my tone will be a little different, but hey, they gotta start somewhere.
CyberWolf SgtJay – Glad you like the name! And hope I shall deliver
RubbleOnTheDouble – Haha, thanks! I'm so glad you're excited for the next part.
.
.
.
"So this is the best hotel in town?"
"Well, a motel," the assistant corrected. "But out of all of them here, this is one is the largest. And most grand."
Skylla glanced up to Sophie. She could tell her owner's face morphed into slight disturbance. And disgust.
"Ah, well…if it's the best one here…" her eyes suddenly turned sharp, staring at the building. "Then we'll make do."
Skylla joined in viewing. The hotel (whoops, she meant motel, that was weird to say), wasn't anything special to look it. It mirrored the same brick colour and style of the houses they've seen since coming here. Guess the only difference was the glass, circular doorway that sat in the front. And maybe had about three floors. Sheesh it was small.
Without further notice, Sophie strolled into the motel with Skylla in her hands. The two assistants from the train struggled to carry in Sophie and Skylla's bags. They suggested Sophie to keep some of the stuff back on the train, but that was out of the question. With the train situation and all, Sophie didn't know how long they were going to be stuck in the town. Thus, bringing all their stuff with her was the only option.
The doors opened, and in there was a front desk at the back. If Skye had to describe the interior, it looked bigger on the inside. Still, the tacky yellow staining the walls looked old and unwelcoming. They seriously needed an upgrade.
When walking over, the guy at the desk sat there on his iPod, earbuds in use. He didn't even notice Sophie standing in front of him.
"Ahem."
The guy didn't move, and that made the brunette frown deeply. She tapped her foot.
"A-hem!"
The guy glanced over, and when noticing, he jumped from his seat, ipod flying away.
"Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't see you kid."
Sophie crinkled a brow at her dog, them sharing a knowing look. Kid? Just whom did this boy think he was talking to?
"Hello. Welcome to the Main Street Inn. I'm uh, Morty. How can I help you?"
Despite his poor manners, Skye knew Sophie would remain focused and proper.
"Good afternoon." She began. "I'm in need of a room at your facility. Possibly for one night."
"Alright then." He typed into the computer, then peering his brown eyes up. "What type of room do you request?"
"Your penthouse suit." Sophie said. "Or even a honeymoon suit. Something that has an ocean view. I'll even downgrade and say the room could be 1500 square ft."
"Um, we don't have 1500 square rooms." He replied honestly," Or a penthouse suit."
"What?" Sophie looked surprised. "You don't have 1500 square rooms? It's not even the biggest size for a suit."
"Um…cause we're a motel miss?"
Skylla could tell Sophie was getting frustrated, but still, she remained in control. "Fine, the largest room you have. King size. And a top floor."
He nodded, and while he typed, he eyed to Sophie's hands.
"Is that your dog?"
"Yes, why?"
"We…don't allow dogs to stay here."
"WHAT?!"
Skylla cringed at her owner's yell. Oh no…
"What do you mean you don't allow dogs here?! What kind of business do you operate if you can't satisfy the needs of your customers?!"
The poor boy shrunk back into his seat, clearly intimidated by the thirteen-year-old girl.
"S-Sorry miss it's just p-policy!"
"Policy?! Hmph! Nonsense! Your company is being discriminatory against dogs! What kind of sick people are you?"
"Hey! I love dogs! I even have one at home! But the owner is allergic to dogs! So the policy says – "
"Do you know who I am?" she sneered, green eyes turning fierce. "I am Sophie Lockwood, heiress to the Lockwood fortune, daughter of CEO Charles Lockwood and fashion designer Fiona Lockwood, and I demand you give us a room where my pup can stay with me! Otherwise I will sue!"
"Sue?!"
"Yes, sue! And not just the motel!" she pointed at him. "I'll sue you."
He paled. Immediately he typed into the computer, sweating profusely.
"Ahh…S-Sophie Lockwood wasn't it? How does r-room 312 sound?"
She leaned back, grinning in satisfaction.
.
.
.
The assistants hurried around the room, trying to arrange it to the needs of the Lockwood daughter and pup. The said individuals eyed the room, observing it all.
Sophie voiced her thoughts of the room, disgruntled that this was supposed to be the nicest room in the motel. Skye couldn't argue on that. With its little television and alleged king bed (it did not look like a king size), the room wasn't appealing to stay in.
However, the window view, wow, that looked beautiful. Sure, it didn't have a dazzling city view or fancy mansions, but they were directly in front of the street, having a perfect view of the ocean that coasted the city.
Sophie's sigh drawled out Skye's thoughts. "The day is not even done and I'm already exhausted." She slugged on the bed, and immediately pouted. It probably meant the bed wasn't comfortable.
"Oooh, don't be upset Sophie." Skylla sat on the bed. Oh. It definitely wasn't nice to lie on. "It's only a minor delay. They said they're working hard to fix the train." She titled her head. "How long did you tell the boy downstairs we'd be staying?"
"Three. But I'm really hoping one. I don't think I can stand staying here too long."
Skylla, being the ever optimist and faithful friend, smiled at her. "Don't worry my Sophie! The place is not…" she glanced around, holding her disgust in, "…that bad. Uh, we do get a beautiful view of the ocean."
Sophie smiled. "That is very much true." She eyed the assistants. "We're fine. You can be dismissed, or ah, stop working."
They dropped to the ground, exhausted. Sophie blinked widely.
"Do you want rooms as well?"
"Oh, no, Miss. We don't want to intrude –"
She waved her hand. "My mood is already ruined from this trip." They turned red at that mention, and Sophie noticed their reaction. "No, like, I don't blame you. Or any of your crew members. This whole situation is just frustrating."
"We're working very hard to fix it, as swiftly as possible!" One said. The other nodded vigorously.
Sophie smiled. "Thank you. Your hard work will be appreciated. Now, go rest in room 311. You both look exhausted."
"Miss?"
"I'm tired myself, and I haven't even carried anything. How can you work if you're falling every ten seconds?"
They glanced at each other. The young lady booked them a room?
Skylla grinned. "It's okay. You're dismissed for the day, perhaps until dinner hehe."
The pup's words reassured the two. After another hesitant glance, they both nodded and left the room.
Once that ended, Sophie sighed loudly and flopped her entire body onto the bed. She yawned.
"Now, I'm going to nap Skye. Care to join me?"
"Ah," she glanced to the window. "I'll stay up. I'm not that tired."
"Okay then." Sophie turned over, closing her eyes. "Let me know if it gets near dinner."
Skye nodded, and moments later, her owner was sound asleep on the dull blue bed.
With the light snoring now stretching throughout the room, Skye thought about opening her luggage and grabbing the magazines she had yet to finish. Or perhaps check her pup pad to catch up on news and celebrity gossip. Or even better, watch the latest clips of Ace Sorensen performing.
Her eyes drifted outside again.
Now, in a new place, Skye had never left the safety of her home. She was never tempted to leave, but wow…outside looked so inviting! Maybe she could find a garden somewhere and relax. She should call Ollie to get her a picnic –
Oh. Reality hit her. She wasn't home. And he wasn't here.
She quietly made her way to the balcony of their room, staring into the sky. Oh, it was so beautiful here! While it held nothing of comparison to her home county, there was something…nice about it. It felt peaceful, like getting detox facials at her favourite salon. She giggled at the thought.
A huge gust of wind drifted by, and breathing in the fresh air, she tried to get closer to the sky, sticking her head higher, and leaning over farther.
But then her paw slipped.
"Woah, woah!" immediately, the pup tumbled off the balcony, and panicked, she sealed her eyes shut, feeling her body landing and bumping into many different things. She fell branch after branch, and almost reaching the bottom, she slid on the large curving branch, which then flung her in the air like a toy. She landed on something hard.
Snapping her eyes open, Skylla saw a red metal coating under her paws, and blinking, she realized she was moving.
She...She was on a car!
Skylla fiercely clung on the roof, feeling the car swerving on the road and beeping. It made a sharp turn, and despite her might, she was thrown off, tumbling somewhere far off.
She was rolling, spinning and spiraling till she was dizzy, and then finally, she landed somewhere flat on the grass.
Trying to focus, she shook her head, stumbling as she stood back on her paws. And wait – she frowned – was the thing beside her…a slide? Turning, she saw a swing set, some benches, more slides…
She paled. Oh gosh. She was in a park. Outside! And alone!
"Oh no. Sophie!" she barked around, vigorously searching for some type of familiarity, but it was no use.
Oh gosh, that fall was terrible. She didn't know how she survived it without getting hurt or even dirty.
Oh no. Her clothes!
Quickly glancing down to her outfit, she sighed in relief at its appearance. Despite her crazy fall, at least everything was still kept in place. Her pink peacoat and matching hat were in one piece, and the ribbon that tied the front still plush and clean. And on her neck was her collar, studded with usual jewels and her name.
Now, a usual tap of her collar and a maid would come flying by, but here on this sidewalk, she noticed how no one was coming to her.
It hit her. She was alone – alone and without an escort!
She suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. This was terrible! She did not like this! When she said she wanted independence she didn't think she would be literally thrown into it so soon! She knew nothing at being on her own. What if an eagle ate her? Or what if she got kidnapped by money-hungry criminals? What if she could never find her way home?!
No... She tried to breathe her way out of anxiety. While she didn't want this, it was still the first time she was actually alone. And it would be normal for a middle-class pup to be alone, right?
Okay…she could do this. It shouldn't be hard. She was Skylla Lockwood! Like Sophie earlier at the motel, she would triumph any situation that came her way, and ensure it would meet her satisfaction.
And on top of it…she'll prove to her friends! Wait till they hear that she walked alone on a sidewalk in a town with no security. She could already see them regretting their words.
Now…how to get home.
Hmm. Well, Sophie always said sitting prettily would always draw attention. And while that would have worked in any other setting, Skye felt it would be useless if no one were around. And there was no one around!
In midst of her worry, she suddenly noticed across the street a human walking out of a restaurant of some kind, holding a tray.
Her eyes lit up. Ah! A butler! He would surely know what to do. Granted, he looked scruffier than her usual ones, but nevertheless, he was a butler. Perhaps that's the look out here in this Adventure Bay.
With her mind at ease, she obliviously trotted across, completely forgetting she was crossing a road.
"Excuse me! Mr. Butler!" she exclaimed, but still he didn't hear. Surely he could hear her and understand her. She spoke human perfectly, in English and French! She would use both if –
A loud rumbling ignited near her, and Skylla turned to the sound's direction. Something large and grey was zooming towards her, and that's when Skylla realized…
It was a car.
Her eyes widened, body suddenly stiffed, and all Skylla could do was stare in horror as the car was literally seconds from hitting her.
But all of a sudden, she was pushed by a strong force.
She blinked dumbly, suddenly in shock that she was on this side of the road, her back on whatever hard thing (the sidewalk?) it was. But it wasn't the only reason of Skylla's puzzled look.
It was the German Shephard that was on top of her.
The dog had a stern look, observing the road, partially panting, but then the dog turned back its face to her, looking alarmed. "Watch where you're going! Cars are dangerous you know?"
Her mouth was dry. She rarely encountered other dogs who were not part of her social circles, and this one, being definitely larger than her, somewhat startled her.
"Hey, you okay?" The dog asked again, and now thinking of it, the dog sounded…like a boy dog. He sounded young, but not younger than her. Surely older.
And then she becomes heavily aware that he still had his paws on both sides of her head.
As she responded with nothing but a gaping expression, the pup suddenly realized his ordeal, ears twitching as he scrambled off her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to keep you on the ground."
"It…It's okay," standing back up on her paws, she went to fix her crooked hat. "I, ah simply wasn't watching where I was going."
Silence came upon the two pups, and that's when Skylla truly got to observe him. He was tall – his fur looked soft with its two brown shades, and he seemed to belong to someone, as he had a rich blue collar beckoning his neck. The obvious thing though was his blue outfit, which looked like a police uniform, wearing the hat on top. But what was the most striking to her oddly enough were his warm chocolate coloured eyes. They seemed kind.
Well, for a brief moment before his eyes narrowed in slight frustration or annoyance. "Don't make it a habit. Humans sometimes don't see small pups like you walking across roads. Don't expect them to stop."
She nodded at that, glancing back at the scene where her life could have ended ugly. To her relief, she smiled brightly, staring back at him. "Thank you officer for saving me. I am extremely grateful and humbled by your action!" And as usual tradition of pup etiquetcy, she bowed gracefully.
The pup looked slightly stumped at her, but his stern gaze wore off as he tilted his head. "You're welcome." It seemed he didn't know what to do next, but he cleared his throat. "Well, my work is done. Take better care of yourself."
"Wait!" she yelped, and he turned, looking a bit puzzled. "I do not know your name. It's fair, since you did rescue me. May I know it?"
"Oh," it appeared he was disappointed at himself for not revealing it earlier. He stood tall, and as she could describe, proud and valiant. "My name is Chase. Police pup and member of the P.A.W. Patrol." And he barked sternly yet lightly.
P.A.W. Patrol? She never heard of that, scrunching her face curiously, but she shook off the thought in order to introduce herself formally. "And my name is Skylla Rose Lockwood, lady pup of the Lockwood Manor."
A dubious look came upon his face. "That's… a long name for a pup to have."
She giggled. "I guess so. It's the name my owner gave me."
"Your owner? You live with a human?"
"Yip!" Skylla smiled oh so brightly. "Her name is Sophie Emilia Lockwood. She's very nice, always doing anything to make me happy."
A clouded look came upon his face. "I don't remember a Sophie Lockwood living in Adventure Bay. Did you recently move here?"
"Oh no," She shock her head. "We were passing by here but there was a problem with our train."
"You were on that train?" he said, and further realizing his words, Skylla's face gasped in realization.
"You!" she suddenly pointed, forgetting good manners to never point at anyone. "You were the pup I saw earlier! You were at the scene when our train stopped!"
"I was?"
"Yes! I saw blue. A rich navy blue, and I know my colour schemes." She confirmed.
He crooked a brow.
After nodding to herself, she bowed once more. "Thank you Mr. Chase! I appreciate your efforts. Now, do you know where that butler is?"
"Butler?"
"Yes," she pointed to the restaurant. "That human one in the green apron. He's the one that works here?"
"Hey Chase." A human approached the pups. He was a brown man with a thick mustache, wearing a blue collared shirt with form fitting pants. He noticed the pink wearing pup. "Who's this?"
"She's from out of town." Chase said in monotone, explaining the situation. He then turned to Skylla. "Mr. Porter here is the owner of the restaurant."
"Oh." She mouthed, finally understanding. "So where's your butler then?"
"Butler?" the man laughed wholeheartedly at the mention. "I'm no butler! But now I'm thinking for formal days I should dress like one! Wouldn't that be a cool restaurant theme?" he tapped his chin. "Fancy dress up days? I bet Alex would like it."
"Excuse me! Mr. Porter!" a couple sat a table, with the male looking over and yelling. "We're ready to order now!"
"Whoops. I better get going. Business as usual." He waved goodbye in good gesture, smiling. "See you later pups."
He made his way off back to the patio, and Skylla pouted. "Oh great. Now I feel really lost."
"What?"
"Oh, I didn't mean to mumble." She waved her paws in front of her. "It's just that this town is so unfamiliar to me, and unfortunately I lost way back to my motel."
His face remained neutral. "Which one?"
"Hehe," she had an uneasy smile. "I actually don't remember the name. But I do know it has spinning doors, and…a yellow interior."
Silence dawned on the pups, and Skylla continued to glance up, trying to read his face. Unfortunately, it was unreadable as a wall. What was he thinking?
"I'll help you."
"Eh?"
"Help. As a police pup and P.A.W. Patrol member, it is my duty to help those who need it."
Her pink eyes broadened at his reply. "Really? But I said I don't remember which motel I'm staying at."
"From the description you're telling me, I'm pretty sure I know which one you're talking about.
She continued to blink at his casual answer, and quickly her face morphed into a blissful grin, eyes sparkling in relief. She was so, so tempted to do a flip, but thankfully her pup etiquette training was enough to control her bouncing paws. Again, she beamed. "Thank you Mr. Chase!"
"Yeeeaaah…" he turned, beginning to lead the way. "Don't call me Mister."
.
.
.
Skylla learned something very quickly about this police pup.
Besides his sticking look, and obvious status of a pup in authority, and of course, his valiant effort when he saved her…
He was… kinda grumpy.
From her experience of social behaviour, the male would continuously converse with the lady, ask questions to keep it going, and dote to her every need.
But this Chase she had met did none of those things.
Like, he wasn't rude, not in the slightest, but it was so odd of her to simply be quiet around someone else without saying anything. She was taught it was improper to do so. Or, if nothing to say, dismiss yourself physically from the conversation. Obviously in this situation, she couldn't do that, as he was guiding her to her motel, but still.
Furrowing her eyes with a pout, she watched him from behind. He didn't say one word to her about anything. Not, "Why are you here in Adventure Bay?" or "How did you get lost?" or "Wow, isn't that a coat from Louis Pup Vuitton you're wearing?" Nothing. He didn't say a word to her.
She grumbled inwardly – he could do something to entertain her. Do all police dogs act like this? She never met one before him, so she couldn't compare much.
A determined look came on her face. Well, if they all do act like this, she'll simply learn how to talk to them! She'll make him talk.
"So, Officer Chase…" she slowly started, peering her eyes upward to him. He didn't stop, but it didn't seem he was ignoring her. "Where are we heading now?"
"Your motel."
She pouted. "Yes, I know that, but which way are we going?"
"This way."
She wanted to exasperate her frustration. This was ridiculous! But still, once her mind was set onto something, she couldn't let it up. "But…as I said before, I don't know which motel I came from."
"From the description you told me, it sounded like The Main Street Inn. There's only two motels here, so if it's not that one, we'll check the other out."
"Oh." She didn't know what to say. "Okay. That makes sense."
He didn't reply.
Skylla continued to frown. Mr. Chase was very odd. Why wasn't he saying anything? He was willing to converse earlier when he saved her! (But then she remembered he was willing to leave right after, so maybe that didn't count).
Wait, did his silence mean he didn't want to talk to her? Was she boring? Annoying? Oh no. Was she ugly to look at?!
He suddenly stopped, and with her focus on his face, she unexpectedly bumped into him.
She staggered back, eyeing a worried look at him. "What's wrong?"
He didn't reply, (which shouldn't be any surprise) but his gaze looked dubiously at something in front of him. She peered her eyes over his shoulder and she too mirrored a similar expression.
A family of ducks was waddling in front; with the mother duck in front a six baby ones following behind. One even tripped, and they were quacking loudly.
She couldn't help but gasp at the cuteness.
"Awww, they're so cute!"
He almost jumped at her squeal, but she didn't notice, bending lower to get a closer look at the ducklings. Despite what she thought of Chase earlier, it didn't stop her from smiling and glancing over to him. "Aren't they cute?"
He looked confused at her question. "Cute?"
"Yes," she giggled, "Cute! I would say even adorable."
He continued to look unsure, turning back to the ducks. "Um…I guess."
A pout was on her face. "Nonsense. I bet you think they look adorable. You're just trying to keep up the tough police act."
He frowned. "I'm not. And this isn't an act."
"Hehe, it's okay Mr. Chase. I shall keep your secret!"
"I don't have a secret. And didn't I say don't call me – woah!" He jumped back, and scrambling at his paws was one of the ducks, now a seventh, rushing to meet its siblings.
Skylla giggled at the sight. She probably shouldn't have, but it was funny! She didn't think a duckling would catch the police pup off guard.
But then the wind caught her.
A leaf slapped right into her face, and she pushed it off, grossed out something not clean was touching her. Ew, it was wet too! It probably dripped on her coat.
Checking her garment, the wind suddenly picked up, rustling her clothes and fur, and with its final snag, carried off her hat.
"Eeeh! My hat!" She would have grabbed it but the wind took off with the pink beret, gliding it over to the road and landing across.
She puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Wind would be very helpful in her love of flying, but right now it was being a nuisance. She quickly tried to catch up.
"WAIT."
She froze.
Looking back, she saw Chase walk towards her, his face stern and disapproving. His sudden change of demeanor confused her, even inclining her to pout once more. What did she do now?
His eyes were leveled at her. "Just where you think you're going?"
Where was she going? Did he not see? "My hat." She said matter-of-factly. "I must get my hat back!"
"Right, but look where you're running to." He pointed with his paw outward, and her eyes followed.
"The…sky?"
"No," he said, frowning. Something honked beside them. "The road."
Oh. She completely forgot about that.
"I know it's your hat but you're not running into the road again."
Thoughts of what happened earlier came back, and it caused her to inwardly shiver. But it wasn't like she intentionally ran to roads. This was actually the first time she was even walking beside a road! She was always driven or carried around for goodness sake!
"Look, we'll get your hat back, but we'll do it right."
She blinked. "Right?"
Instead of replying, he turned away and strolled beside a large, metal pole. It appeared he gestured her to follow, which she did in curiosity. In front of them was painted white and yellow markings stretching on the gravel pavement from one side to another.
She couldn't stop herself from asking. "What's this?"
"A crosswalk."
"What do you do with it?"
"You…cross it?" he clicked the button, and the sign lite up in a blinking pattern. Slowly, the cars stopped, and Chase began walking ahead. Skylla caught up.
"So I need to always use this to cross?"
He nodded.
"I see. But wouldn't the cars stop anyway if they see you?"
"Doesn't matter. They might not have enough time to brake. And besides, legally, you should use a crosswalk to ensure you get safely across. Walking at unmarked areas is potential danger waiting to happen. Even bicycles are to yield for pedestrians since the law changed last month."
"O-Oh." That was surprising. She didn't think Mister Quiet would give her a mini lesson on street safety. But then again, he was a police pup. Aren't they trained to know those things?
Her eyes peeled away to the cars beside them, and oh gosh…they're huge! She never realized how small she was till now, and it was a terrible feeling. The wheel itself could crush her! With that thought in mind, she sped her pace, matching the German Shepherd.
Once they were over, she said. "So they won't move, not even a second if we cross?"
"Exactly."
She turned back, looking at the road in a mixture of curiosity and worry.
"Haven't you used one before?"
"Pardon?"
"A crosswalk."
She shook her head honestly. "Never needed to! I was driven." With that, another gust of wind came by, and in the air once more was her hat deciding to fly off.
"Yip! My hat! It's going again!" She might be a good jumper, but the wind was not being a fair obstacle, deciding to further itself from them in distance.
Before she could react, the pup beside her abruptly leaped into the air, and caught the hat right in his jaw. He then strolled right back to her, releasing the grip from his fangs, and held it out.
She blinked widely at his action. That was quick. Literally in seconds he got it back! And…how far did he jump? That was a ridiculous amount! No pup could jump that far.
Overwhelmingly surprised by his kind gesture, she took back the item in her paws. Maybe she was too stunned to notice its slight dampness from being in his mouth.
She inspected the item a bit more, then turning her eyes back at him.
"Thank you." she smiled once more, doing another curtsy. "I owe you more than one Mr. Chase!"
"Not again with the Mister –"
"This is one of my favourite hats, and I would have been devastated if I lost it." She quipped, placing it back on her head. She nodded in satisfaction.
He didn't reply, instead staring at her slight confusion.
"Uh…" he turned his face away, eying down the sidewalk. "We should keep going. We still have a long walk to go."
"How long?" she asked.
He began walking off, and Skylla pouted at his reply. Oh great. He was back to being quiet. And they were having such a lovely conversation! (she should probably use that term loosely but oh well, it was still moderately successful). The cockapoo wondered what else she could say to him.
Catching up, she said, "What do you like?"
"What?" He glanced back to her.
"I mean, what are your interests? Hobbies?" It was suddenly dawning on her that she was making the effort to speak. It was a strange turn of position. Like she noted before, pups from Hearthome would constantly try to talk to her. Especially in party settings.
But then again this wasn't a party.
He looked slightly dumbfounded at her question, and to Skylla, it seemed he was trying to conjure up an answer in his head.
And finally... "I don't know. Never thought about it before."
She arched a quizzing look. "Oh, surely you must like something to do! For example, I like spending time with my friends, going to the spa, playing piano, reading fashion magazines…oh! Do you know any fashion brands?"
Seconds passed.
"…I guess," she was hanging on his word, eager to hear more, "I know your coat is from Louis Pup Vuitton."
She gasped widely, eyes sparkling excitedly. "You know Louis Pup Vuitton?!" She did not expect that from the police pup!
"Nooo... You just said it out loud earlier when you were talking to yourself."
She blushed. "Oops! Ah, hehe." She recomposed herself. "That must have been weird to see."
He shrugged half-heartedly. "It's okay. I'm used to weird."
She laughed. It must have startled him because his eyes went wide in confusion, staring at her if she grew two heads. "Was it something I said?"
Skylla shock her head. "You're funny Mr. Chase!"
"I'm not – Hey, I said stop calling me Mister, didn't I?"
"Habit, habit!" she replied, giggling to herself more. "But I say Mister because I presume you're older than me."
"I'm not old!" looking partially offended, "I'm still a pup."
"How old?"
"Uh…" he frowned inwardly to himself, and to Skylla, it looked like a little pout. "Not older than three."
"You're not three yet?!" she was shocked, learning he must be around her age. "But you're so young! And already a police pup on duty? I didn't know they did it so early."
"They don't." he said as they continued to walk. "But because I'm part of the P.A.W. Patrol, I'm allowed to."
The P.A.W. Patrol…she wondered about that when he mentioned it earlier. It was something that sparked her interest. "I've been meaning to ask Mr – I mean, Chase. What is this P.A.W. Patrol you speak of?"
His face relaxed, and it appeared he was fully comfortable with their conversation. "It's a pup rescue training program I'm part of. Pups with different skills and jobs form a team, and we well, rescue. It's run by W.O.O.F."
"W.O.O.F?"
"Ah," he gestured his head to the side. "Think of it as an organization run by dogs working with the government."
Her mouth circled in awe. "That must be so exciting! How many P.A.W. Patrols are there?"
"So far, just ours. Only in Adventure Bay."
"Then that means you must be very skilled if there's only one." She quipped.
"I guess so. It wasn't easy, but we got in."
"And congrats to that Chase!" she said, grinning in admiration. Looking up at him, the neutral pup choked out a cough, darting his eyes nervously away from her. She tilted her head innocently at the odd response.
"Are you alright?"
He nodded mutely. "Y-Yeah." She wondered why he was stuttering. "Just had to…clear my throat."
"Ah. Okay." She then realized there was nothing else to say to him, and that dejected her a bit. Knowing it was going to be silent again, she began looking ahead once –
"How did you get out?"
She whipped her head to back to the side. "Excuse me?"
"Out. Like, if you were in the motel, how you ended up outside, opposite side of town?"
"Oooh." She blinked widely at the thought, glancing up the sky in remembrance. "We just checked in, and my owner fell asleep. I wasn't tired, so I went onto the balcony to see the ocean. But…" she laughed softly to herself. "I leaned over too far, and fell over the edge! The trees braced my fall, but then the oddest thing I was suddenly thrown into the air, on top of a car! I was trying to hold on, but then before I realized it, I was thrown into the park." Now saying it out loud, Skylla recognized how ridiculous her story sounded.
Turning back, the German Shepherd was gawking at her.
He blinked dumbly. "And you didn't get hurt?"
She shook her head. That was surprising too. "Nope."
His jaw dropped even further. "That sounds cra –!" he stopped himself, realizing he was yelling, and quickly corrected his voice. "I mean, you're very lucky. Like real lucky. Shoulda gotten hurt but I'm really surprised. Uh, maybe your jacket protected you or something."
"Oooh. Maybe." Funny how when she fell in the park, she was actually more concerned about her jacket than safety.
Before another word could be uttered, her eyes flickered in observation. She pointed ahead. "What are those people doing?!"
He followed her gaze, and sure enough, there was a large yellow vehicle parked at the side. A few adults and children were getting off.
"A school bus." He said simply.
"But it's Saturday."
"It kinda acts as public transit here too, since this town is so small."
Her mouth circled in awe. "But why would they use one? Aren't they driven by their chauffeur?"
"Um…a chauffeur?"
"Someone who drives you everywhere! To boutiques, parties, events. I have one when I go to school."
He shrugged. "I don't think everyone has a chauffeur. There's someone, called a bus driver, that picks up them up and takes them where the need to go. And that sign is the bus stop, so you have to wait till it comes."
She gasped. "You mean they have to sit with strangers?!"
"Uh, yeah?"
She took that in. That sounded so weird! She didn't think a moment in her life came around where she had to share her ride with someone she didn't know. It was ludicrous.
He eyed her plainly in observation. "You don't go out much, do you?"
"Ah," she bashfully itched her cheek, realizing the truth in his words. "No. Not really. I wasn't allowed to go out."
"Why?"
That surprised her. He was asking about her? "Well, Sophie told me it's dangerous. Since I'm small."
"Oh." He didn't know how to reply to that. "So you can't go anywhere without someone?"
"Not at all. This is actually the first time I've been on my own! Well," she added. "If I include you in it."
That surprised him. "Never been alone?"
"Nope!"
"Like ever?"
"Never ever." She innocently replied.
"Wha…?" a concerned look came upon her face when she noticed Chase acting baffled.
"Is that wrong?" she asked with a pout.
"Uh, no. It ain't wrong." He said, shaking his head. "It's just it would drive me crazy if I can never be alone, much less go anywhere on my own."
"Wait one moment!" she began but then her eyes went wide, momentarily horrified she suddenly shouted. She had no mannerism today! Oh goodness if Ms. Coco or her parents saw her behaviour today. "I...I mean, it's not like I'm completely limited to going anywhere. I can go into our gardens by myself, which is actually two acres of private property. And! And...my...room…" she plucked her lips together, furrowing her brows in thoughts. That's odd. She never really thought about this before. She enjoyed privacy, but her life was such an open book she was used to this lifestyle. Now recounting any moments of going anywhere was actually extremely small, and being with Sophie didn't count. But even then with her owner, there was always a driver or maid or security nearby. And why would she be alone? She was a sociable pup.
Perhaps he noticed her inner turmoil, because he said, "Hey. I ain't judging you for it. Isn't it good to always have someone around? You won't be lonely."
"I've been told it was because I'm a little lady, and it would look foolish for someone of my status." She said, but then she had a pretty smile. "But your answer is much nicer."
He stiffened, and again, his reaction was very weird. Trying to understand him was something that sparked her curiosity, especially how his face was looking a little red right now. Was the sun bothering him? It wasn't even warm today.
Walking up the curved sidewalk, Skylla realized this was probably the most walking she had done since...forever. She was grateful she was fit due to her competition training, overwise she would he huffing out desperate breaths to slow down, and wouldn't that look degrading?
But then something pink caught her eye. "What's that building?"
"Hmm?" he looked up. "Oh, that's Katie's Pet Parlor."
Her pink eyes sparkled, almost shoving her face nears his in excitement. "You mean like a spa?!"
He recoiled at the approximately. "Uh, sure?"
Her heart soared at the thought. She could go! And judging from the appearance of the store, it looked absolutely beautiful! And on top of that, it was pink! That was a plus in her books.
She couldn't help it. Oooh, she knew it was bad manners to do this unless it was a competition, (and Ms. Coco would scold her like no tomorrow) but the happiness was bursting! She abruptly flipped into the air in her little typical summersault, landing gracefully back on the ground. "Yip! I must go there later! I'm sure Sophie will love it!"
He stood there, obviously stunned at her display of athleticism, his mouth aghast. "How you do that?"
"What?"
"T-That flip! You twirled in the air like it was nothing!"
"Oh! That." She patted her jacket and fur, something she self-consciously did. "I learned that trick training in dog competitions. I try not to do it often, but sometimes I get really excited and I can't help it! It really isn't proper behaviour." She reminded herself.
"Are you kidding?" he retorted, and for the first time all day he looked genuinely impressed, and she was caught off guard by his astonishment. "That was a crazy trick! I've never seen that before. Who would tell you not to do it more?"
"My…ah, t-teacher." What's this? Was she stuttering? Oh goodness, that wasn't proper at all!
To even her further shock, he scoffed. "I wouldn't pay much attention. What you did was...amazing. Even I can't do that."
She blinked. Amazing? It wasn't the first time she heard someone compliment her. In fact, amazing was a word she heard often enough. But that was usually directed at her appearance. How wonderful she wore something, or how beautiful she looked. No one truly thought her tricks were unique besides Sophie and Ollie, as other pups her size could do it too if they were willing to learn. But Chase, this police pup she barely knew, was saying her trick was amazing? It struck a cord in her. Genuine flattery.
Her mouth curved brightly, and she nodded happily. "T-Thank you! I appreciate your compliment. I actually know more tricks, but that one is my favourite!"
"You know more?"
"Yes! I've learned many." Innocently she asked, "Do they teach you tricks when you trained to be a police pup?"
"Not tricks." He corrected. "More like skills, so running, jumping, stamina."
"It sounds a lot like dog competitions!" she concluded, "Perhaps you should enter one day. You jumped so high when you got my hat!" she giggled. "You'll do splendidly."
He arched her a look of disbelief, and another laugh tumbled out of her mouth. Wow, she couldn't stop today!
Before he could reply, a loud beep went off, and ooh, that made her jump! She zipped right beside him tightly, vigorously looking around the street. "What was that? Pupnappers? An eagle? Is it gonna swoop down and eat me?!"
He didn't respond, instead the thing beeped again, and that was when she noticed Chase's collar was lightening up to a bright blue. He leveled a look at her, noticing how she right up against his side. "Uh, not an eagle."
He answered the call with a bark.
"Hey Ryder."
"Chase!" The voice boomed from the collar, and Skylla was impressed. She didn't know they even had collars like that.
"Meet me at the Lookout! We got ourselves a lost pup emergency!"
"On my way Ry –" he momentarily blinked. "Lost pup?"
"Yes! I've received a call from someone who's a visiting Adventure Bay, and her pup is missing! Come to the lookout immediately!"
"Ahh…" he glanced to the smaller pup in front of him. "I think we don't need to search for the pup though."
"What do you mean?"
"Because I think I have her already." He pointed out. "I'm taking a pup back to her motel after she fell out of a balcony."
"Is the pup's name Skylla Lockwood?"
"Oui!" Skylla suddenly intervened, talking into the tag. "Did Sophie call? Oh no, is she okay? Tell her not to worry Mr. Ryder!"
"I will Skylla. And Chase," the pup stood attentively. "Continue taking her back to the motel. It's the Main Street Inn. I'll call her owner and let her know she's in safe hands and you guys are heading there now."
Bark! "You got it Ryder sir."
"Thank you Chase. Over and out." The call ended, and Chase turned back to her. "Let's keep moving. Now that your owner knows you missing, we can't keep her waiting."
Skylla nodded. "Yes."
It was funny. Because even though there was a sense of urgency and how they were close to the motel, she felt their pace didn't change. She also noticed how he wasn't walking in front of her anymore, keeping his pace slower for her to catch up.
She smiled at that little fact.
.
.
.
By the time they reached the motel, evening was approaching. The sky was a mixture of red and purple. It was one of the things Chase loved about Adventure Bay. The sunsets were spectacular.
"You have beautiful sunsets here." She pointed out, as the two were heading up the path.
He looked to her, seeing how she was eying the view as well. It was like she read his thoughts. "For sure. One of the things I really like about here." he voiced.
"I assume you sit at the beach and watch it sometimes." The pup quipped at that fact, as she too glanced up at him. "I would if I were you."
He shrugged, and for the oddest reason he smirked at her comment. "Sometimes."
She giggled at his remark.
The two stopped, eying up at the sign of the Motel. They were literally ten feet away from the entrance.
He took a moment to peek again at her, and her eyes were doe-like, staring up at the building. He still couldn't believe someone could have such large pink eyes. It was a colour he never saw before.
In fact, she was unlike anyone he had met before.
"Chase," she said, bringing out of his musings. "This has been one of the most exciting days of my life!"
He blanched. "Really?"
"Yup! I have never been on my own. It was different…but a good different. And the fact I fell on top of a car is something I call the craziest thing that happened to me."
He scoffed. "Can't argue with that."
"And thank you."
He was caught off guard. "What?"
"Thank you." She smiled again at him, and he was quickly feeling uncomfortable. Ugh, he did not like this. But seriously, why was he getting weirded out by her smiles? Dogs and people smiled at him before.
And oddly enough, he wondered how someone could smile so much, and even more so, smile at him on top of that? The only other pup who could top that off was Marshall, and that was a hard thing to beat.
"I wanted to say thank you." She said, "A day that began horribly…and you made it better. So much better! I cannot thank you enough for your actions Chase."
Great. Now he felt really uncomfortable, and his face was feeling flush in embarrassment. Seriously, what was wrong with him today?
Thankfully, he was able to hide his inner turmoil and nodded in agreement. He cleared his throat, something he quickly noted he was doing more often lately. "Ah, well I am a police pup. Wouldn't be doing my job if I can't help."
"And you did." She added, and before she could say anything else, the two pups noticed a frantic figure rushing towards them.
"SKYLLA!" Sophie scooped her pup with eager arms, and Skylla wiggled her tail back, clearly happy to be back with her owner.
"I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU." Sophie pulled back, checking her pup's face. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Oh no, your jacket is dirty! What happened? How, How –"
"Don't worry Sophie!" Skylla licked her cheek, smiling warmly at her owner. "Officer Chase here has escorted me back. He's been most extremely helpful and courteous of me."
Chase arched a brow. Her demeanor…it was different. It wasn't as excited, for a lack of a better word. Maybe tired, who knew, but for sure, her tone sounded more formal. It was weird.
Sophie glanced down at the pup, and her emotions finally came under control. She lowered herself to eye him. "Thank you. I wouldn't know what to do without Skylla."
He grinned lightly back. "All in a pup's work."
"And certainly so!" Sophie stood back up. "Your owner Ryder reassured me you would return my Skylla back, and you did, all in one piece. I cannot express enough gratitude. How shall I reward you?"
"No need Ma'am." He answered. "It's my job. I'm glad I could return her to you."
Sophie hugged Skylla tighter. "Again, thank you. And well, goodnight to you." She turned her heel towards the small elevator, cooing at her pup, to which the coat-wearing pup smiled back happily.
Chase observed them both. Huh. They were close. It was clear Skylla's owner really cared for her. It was good to know there were more humans out there like Ryder and people in this town who really appreciated dogs. Animals period.
Before he was about to walk out, his brown orbs caught with her pink, and Skylla lifted her head, leaning her tiny body on Sophie's shoulder.
She waved her paw, her smile bright and warm. "Goodnight Officer Chase! I hope we see each other again!"
He probably looked stupid with his face in complete surprise, but nevertheless, he nodded back with a small grin of his own. Soon, the two females disappeared into the building, behind the elevator doors, and Chase was then alone.
Now walking down the street towards the Lookout (damn, it got so late already?), he recalled today's events in his head.
And when his thoughts scattered to the times when the pup in pink smiled, he suddenly couldn't keep his cool composure and decided to blitz the heck home.
.
.
.
A/N: So…What ya'll think? I actually had a lot of fun writing out their dialogue, which surprised me, since I thought it was gonna be a little dull. However, I really loved how it's turning out. They're really cute when they talk. I actually had to cut A LOT of scenes out because hey, they've just met! It's gonna be a slow burn baby. And poor Chase! Boy didn't know what hit him haha.
Throwback to Marshall's part 5, if ya'll didn't realize it, Chase suffers from Nightmare Disorder or night terrors. Yikes. But after what he experienced, I don't blame him.
Thank you to all those who continuously read, comment and follow my work! (critique/suggestions are welcomed!) ^_^
P.S REVIEW!
Till next time,
mokocchii