(A/N: I don't own Paw Patrol, enjoy!)
Chapter 2: A Certain Point of View
Since she had joined the team, he had always been there for her. Even though they didn't get to see much of each other, and most of that was tied to rescues, training and events, she had felt this connection to him. Skye was her best friend, but it was much easier for the helicopter flying cockapoo with a jet pack to fly up and visit. And they were both girls. It was much harder for a certain boy pup with fancy flashing lights on his truck that always seemed to be needed to just drive up to hang out. And he always came when called, whether it was by Zuma down at the beach, Tracker in the jungle, Chase or Rocky or Rubble somewhere in Adventure Bay, or up in the mountains where a certain rescue pup lived. Everest had to admire his dedication to helping others and his sheer stamina. Though I can think of a couple of different ways that stamina is useful she thought wistfully to herself.
Thought it was not to be. Everest let out a little growl at the thought. In the first month that Marshall had been gone, the pups had gotten into a routine. Marshall would call on Saturday when all the pups were together, they would all chat for a bit and the go about their business. During the week, individual pups would call Marshall to talk about various things. Once the practicals started, the Saturday morning calls became shorter and the weekday calls more infrequent. And then the pictures started coming. At first, Everest enjoyed the window in Marshall's world that the pictures offered. She loved seeing him on rescues, saving people, fighting fires, doing all the things he loved. Then it all changed when the second month of practicals started.
It hadn't even been anything that Marshall sent. It was Saturday morning and Marshall had already called and had to run off on another rescue. The pups were down on the beach training in water rescues, much to Zuma delight and Rocky's displeasure, when Everest saw a newspaper with Marshall on the cover. He had a big smile on his face, his right paw flung out in a welcoming gesture, and his left arm wrapped around another pup. A girl pup. An absolutely gorgeous female dalmatian pup. An absolutely gorgeous female dalmatian pup that was mirroring Marshall, with her arm around him and the biggest smile on her face. Everest's jaw dropped as she ran back to the team. She tried to push the image out of her head but she couldn't. She had held it together through the training day and the afternoon play and dinner. But then she settled down with Skye for some evening girl time and told her what she had seen and what she thought it meant. Then the pictures Marshall was sending started to include this mystery pup. Pictures of them on rescues together, saving people together, even hanging out in their few not-busy moments together. Everything Everest wanted to be doing with Marshall but couldn't.
Everest learned that her name was Cinder and she was going to be the first Pup Fire Chief if she made it through training. Just like Marshall would be the first Paramedic Pup. And they were set to graduate on the same day. The more she learned about Cinder, the more helpless and inadequate Everest thought. While Skye tried to keep Everest's spirits up, pointing out that if something was going on, Marshall would have said something and he wasn't saying anything romantic about her and none of the photos seemed terribly romantic. But fear had taken hold deep down inside Everest. Fear that she was losing the most caring and special guy she had ever known. Fear that she had already lost him by not saying anything before he left. Fear that he wouldn't come back, that he would stay in the city with Cinder. Fear that he was gone from her life forever.
Everest had worked up the courage to call him and ask him. She had called late, hoping that she could catch Marshall alone. But it was not to be. As soon as Marshall answered, she saw Cinder in the background walking up with a bowl of pup treats. She still remembered every second of that terrible call.
"Hi Everest!" Marshall had cheered when he saw her. "Hey Cinder, hurry up, its Everest!"
Everest had almost hung up right there. She managed to say hello to Cinder, who seemed almost like a female carbon copy of Marshall in every way. Then her pup tag mysterious died. Mysteriously to Marshall and Cinder. Not so mysteriously to Everest who had popped the battery out. Everest had run into the forest and cried until she could cry no more. She had howled her frustration to the moon and stars for all the unfairness. Then she put the battery back into her pup tag and called Skye. Skye had raced over despite the late hour and held Everest. No words were spoken, no tears shed, the sisters communed in silence. Everest felt like it was over.
But it wasn't.
It was Friday night and all the pups were gathered at the lookout preparing for a party. A Saturday morning party for Marshall to celebrate his graduation. While the rest of the pups were happily getting things ready, Everest was faking. Faking so hard her smile muscles were getting sore. When the pups were done, Everest went straight to bed. She sobbed into her pillow, trying to cry out all the tears before the morning. Trying anything to wake up from her nightmare. She finally passed out but morning came all too quickly.
Everest awoke to Chase yelling into his megaphone that Marshall was back. Everest leaped out of her pup house; heart filled with joy at Marshalls return. There he stood, backlit by the rising sun like an angel. He was even more handsome than she remembered. Lean and ready. His pup pack looked a bit bigger, bulkier, and it had the blue star of life on the side, symbolizing his certification as a paramedic. He smiled at her, melting her heart and making her want to leap into his arms. Her tail was wagging like crazy as she prepared to leap onto him and then she froze. She saw another pup next to Marshall.
Cinder.
Backlit just like Marshall, Cinder looked absolutely stunning. Her black and white coat shone like a bride's wedding dress. Her body looked just as lean and ready as Marshall's. She was slightly shorter than Marshall, her head almost perfectly positioned to press up against Marshall's chin. While she didn't wear a pup pack, her collar had the insignia of a Fire Chief. She wore an expression of slight trepidation, like girlfriend meeting the family for the first time.
They look so perfect together Everest thought dejectedly as all her hope and joys and dreams seemed to drain away.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chase open his mouth to bark into his mega phone. She knew what he was going to say, what she would have to do. But all she wanted to do was run away and never be seen again.
"DOGPILE!" Chase barked into his megaphone as the howling pups leaped and tackled an expectant Marshall and a surprised Cinder.
One pup leaped the other way, away from the pile of pups rekindling their family love and welcoming a new member to the family. Away from the pup she loved. Away from a pup she had never met but had stolen someone she loved away. Away from everything.
Everest buried her head in her blankets so she wouldn't be heard as she let out a howl of frustration. Even this moment, when she saw her favorite pup in the world for the first time in three months, had been taken from her.
No one saw her disappear.
No one except a sorrowful cockapoo and a very confused dalmatian.
(A/N: and that wraps up the short version of Paramedic Pup. With any luck, you'll be able to toon in soon to see what happens next in the next story.
Don't forget to leave me a message if there is some event, emergency or anything you want to see when I get around to backfilling key things that happen in the two months that this chapter encompasses. As a reminder your suggestions won't alter the overall story arc but they will make it that much more exciting!)
