paw patrol: all grown up #25: tying the knot
chapter 10: bless this cabin
4 WEEKS LATER
Finally, after much hoopla and anticipation had arrived the other married canine couple: Marshall and Everest. Although the husky's pregnancy was "easier" than her cockapoo best friend, it still had its hardships. Like Skye, the mountain rescue dog hated not being able to function like a normal canine. She had to stay frozen in that same area in the second floor of the cabin, that little wall encompassing all around Everest. Marshall did everything he could, bringing her breakfast and dinner with compassion. But Everest couldn't shake the feeling of a bit of remembrance. The husky was the lone pup to survive her mother's pregnancy, and it haunted the mountain rescue pup's mother and father until the day they died not too long after. The fact that she was carrying puppies of huskies with wolf-infused DNA from her father and dalmatians made Everest uneasy. But, Marshall, always having optimism up his sleeve, quelled her worries. But privately, the fire rescue dog began feeling the same sentiment.
Just before 7 AM, the morning of Everest's due date, things were going rather normally at first. The husky had breakfast brought upstairs by her dutiful husband. Just after they both finished their morning chow, as Marshall was downstairs, Everest had the moment she had been waiting for-and silently dreading.
The husky hollered for the fire dog to call Katie and Ryder immediately, and he did just that. Both humans were grateful they got sleep compared to Skye's delivery, and rushed over within a moment's notice. Just after Katie arrived and hustled upstairs to help Everest start the delivery process, Marshall began calling all of his friends excitedly. The worry of his wife in labor seemingly disappeared that moment. Temporarily. About two hours in, the dalmatian began to experience the traditional wife-delivering-babies anxiety. Marshall was looking outside the cabin when he saw a taxi cab arrive. It confused him, until he saw the individual come out of the cab.
Wait…gahhh…what the fuck… The dally thought in frustration. It was Martha, his own mother. The anxiety Marshall had sparked into overdrive as Martha went through the doggy door entrance.
"Mom, what the hell are you doing here?" Marshall whispered to her, exasperated that she arrived wayyy before he would have liked her to come.
"Look…when you called me, I had to make a decision. Do I wait for a few hours or do I come here? I was nervous about both of you, so here I am. Is Everest up there? I wanna see if she's ok." Martha spoke to her son, then turning her attention to the stairs that led to the second floor. She was about to go upstairs, but Marshall had other plans.
"Mom, you can't do that!" The fire dog called out, blocking her way.
"Marshall…what's gotten into you?" Martha pleaded, confused as to why she couldn't just check on her daughter in-law.
"Katie's up there helping her out. She says I nor anyone else can go up there while Everest is in labor. Not even Ryder. Katie's gotta stay focused and have no distractions." Marshall admitted.
"Well, that's just great. You're her mate! At least you should have the right to go up and see Everest." Martha sulked in defeat as the two walked over to the fireplace in the cabin's living room.
"Katie did this with Skye when she gave birth to her pups. Chase was a nervous wreck that day. And Everest actually agreed to me not being upstairs, because both she and Katie want that concentration to focus." Marshall elaborated.
"I'm Katie's source of transportation. I'm the one that drove her over here. If there's one thing she hates most about being a veterinarian, it's being thrown off her concentration in big moments like these. I learned the hard way once. It wasn't pretty." Ryder added.
"There's not much that I…or any of us can do right now. Nothing to do but wait." Marshall sighed, looking into the fireplace. It wasn't burning at the moment, just charred logs sitting in place.
"Marshall, I'm sorry I had come so early. I didn't know that it was going to make you even more stressed than you already are." Martha confessed, putting her arm around her son's shoulder.
"Mom, you're fine. I get it. You were worried about both Everest and I. I'm grateful that you're here, actually. It kinda makes me feel a little better." Marshall admitted.
"You know I would have come up here anyway. No matter what." Martha joked, the two dalmatians laughing as a result. Another few hours had passed, and nothing was happening, other than Everest howling and shrieking upstairs for all to hear. The female dalmatian sensed her offspring's unease. Marshall felt torn. He wanted to just run upstairs and see his wife, lick her face for good luck and rush back downstairs. But that was not going to happen.
"You know, I think you're gonna be a great father. Not just saying this to be nice or anything." The female dalmatian spoke up, trying to alleviate the anxiety in her son's eyes.
"How's that?"
"I don't think I've ever told you about what happened when I was in labor." Martha told him.
"No…no, you haven't." Marshall remarked. Martha exhaled deeply and began to think back to 20 dog years previously.
"When I was in labor, obviously, I was in pain. But your father, Ed, wasn't very concerned. He knew that I was gonna pull through, regardless of how much pain I was in. I think it was ignorance rather than malice, really. Then, the fire alarms went off. Ed, like he always did, ran off to the fire truck with no hesitation. You see the problem here?"
"Yep." Marshall agreed.
"The firefighters protested this decision, and they tried desperately to make him stay and watch over me. But Ed was too dedicated to his job. Ed refused, and he went out on the job anyways, leaving me alone with the fire station's veterinarian. The backup firefighters that stayed behind felt so bad for me. Up to that point, I was in pain. There was one pup left. And that was you." Martha remembered.
"My father didn't even see me getting born? Damn…" Marshall sighed in disappointment. His father, Ed, wasn't a very big influence in his life. Ed was too focused on his job of fighting fires instead of being a quality father for his son, and when told to spend quality time with Marshall by his wife, Ed would simply teach him the ways of being a fire dog.
"Yep. You were quite the baby. You were born upside down, feet first. You almost broke my back. You were blue when you came out, due to the lack of oxygen. My milk saved your life." Martha stated. Marshall was surprised that his delivery was that complicated. He knew he was different right from the get-go, but was in awe by the fact that he was a miracle baby-just like Everest.
"Oh, wow…you literally could have chosen 8 of the other pups you had to keep…but you chose me…why's that?" Marshall asked. His mother gave him a smile that reminded him instantly of the days before he met any of his friends-living in the Orchard Park firehouse, with his mom being the first best friend he ever had.
"That was what Ed was trying to tell me! But there was something about you that convinced me to keep you. I had this gut feeling that you were going to be a wonderful son. You were worth all of that pain. I looked down at you and I just felt this…overwhelming love for you. You had a face that only a mother like me could appreciate in that moment. I looked at your father, told him to get the yellow collar. That was the signal to everyone that I would be keeping you over the rest. I was also the one who came up with your name, by the way." Martha said, motherly love pouring out of her very soul. His mother was the only one who truly loved him during his most formative years, until Chase came along. Ed wanted a physically fit dalmatian to be with him and Martha, but was disappointed that she chose Marshall. Marshall didn't look fit at all. Ed didn't offer any love to Marshall as a puppy, but Marshall looked up to him regardless: Ed was the greatest fire dog he and many in Orchard Park ever saw. When Ed found out that his son was going into the PAW Patrol, he couldn't have cared less. He thought that Marshall wouldn't stand a chance, and called him a "clumsy little failure" in front of his face and his wife. From that day forward, Marshall hadn't heard from his father since. It had been almost 15 dog years since he saw his dad. Not that he wanted to, anyway. Martha and Ed divorced soon after Marshall left, and not even the female dalmatian had heard anything about her ex-husband.
"That…that's something. That's something else." Marshall choked up, barely mustering anything to say.
"I knew you were built for great things. With Everest, you two are just unbelievable together. I'm just happy to be here. I'm literally gonna be a grandma. Holy smokes. I just can't believe it…It feels like yesterday when we were watching Sesame Street in the firehouse and playing in the city park together. Now, you're having puppies of your own with the one you love the most. I know you've had this thing said so much to you, Marshall, but…you grew up way too fast. But you are, and forever always will be, my baby boy." Martha spoke, crying tears of joy as she hugged her son.
"Awww, mom…." Marshall whispered as he embraced her back.
I wonder if I'll ever get to experience such joy. Ryder thought to himself. Even he was getting a little teary-eyed watching the scene. Finally, just past noon, Everest's cries of labor pain had died down to whimpers, and then, nothing. Twenty minutes more had passed, and Katie walked down the stairs with the biggest smile of relief on her face.
"Katie! How's everything going? Are the puppies alright?" Martha and Marshall begged the veterinarian.
"Couldn't be better. They all made it safe and sound." The veterinarian spoke.
"Did Everest hold up? Is she alright?" Marshall asked, a quiet desperation taking control of his facial expression.
"Yep, she sure did." Katie grinned. Neither dalmatian could talk. Their reaction was priceless. Ryder laughed to himself while Katie bent to the canine's eye level.
"Congratulations, Marshall. You're officially a father. And Martha, you're a grandma. I'm gonna go home and get a nice nap. You guys take it easy. Ryder and your other friends are gonna come over in a few hours, so…yeah. See ya when I see ya." The veterinarian said as she began to walk out the door.
"Katie…thanks for watching over Everest and our pups. It means everything to me…and to my mom." Marshall told her.
"It was my pleasure." Katie answered kindly, closing the door behind her. The spotted canines looked on as both humans departed the residence. They then looked at each other.
"I…I did it. I'm a dad." Marshall spoke aloud quietly. Both dalmatians howled with joy as they embraced one another tightly.
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart!" Martha proclaimed, motherly pride overflowing. She could have never imagined to see the day that Marshall would become a father himself. Neither could she imagine that she would be in his life after Marshall left for the PAW Patrol. Now, she was the proud grandma of eight grand-puppies.
"I know, mama!" Marshall exclaimed. This was just a dream come true for him. He was very much in love with the husky since they were both 13 years old, and both had become nearly inseparable over the years. To imagine that they would start a life together as a family with 8 puppies and Martha as a grandma? It was too good to be true. And it was!
"Why dont'cha go up and see 'em? Katie isn't stopping you." Martha joked playfully.
"I sure will. I'll let you know when you can come up." Marshall told his mother.
"Oh, Marshall, take all the time you need with Everest. You both deserve it." The female dalmatian spoke kindly. The fire dog timidly walked upstairs to the second floor, and when his eyes laid on Everest and their puppies, his anxiety disappeared for good.
"Woah…" Marshall gasped, his signature child-like grin coming onto his face.
"Hey, Marshy…" The husky smiled, motioning him to come closer. He came over to the barrier and was greeted by a nuzzle to the nose.
"Hey, Eve…" Marshall replied warmly. He got over the barrier and sat next to his mate, taking it all in. The puppies that they wanted for so long were finally here.
"How are you feeling?" The dalmatian asked.
"Marshall…I can't believe this is really happening." Everest spoke, looking down at her puppies with a face only a mother would understand.
"We made them. We made them together…We did it." Marshall grinned. They somehow brought eight healthy, stunning puppies into the world.
"I can't believe how much they look like us." The mountain rescue dog remarked. Both continued to smirk as they looked at their offspring. Marshall licked every single one of the puppies' heads and turned to the one he loved most of all.
"Everest?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for bringing our pups into the world…I love you so much." The dalmatian beamed proudly.
"I love you too, Marshy…" Everest choked up. The two kissed for just a few seconds, but to them, that one meant everything.
"Five boys and three girls…this is gonna be so fun." Marshall spoke, imagining of the chaos of watching over eight puppies growing up in the same tiny cabin they called home.
"Hey…five huskies and three dalmatians. I guess we're even." The husky giggled. The two laughed, and continued to look down at their puppies in content.
Hmm…I wonder how things are going up there…should I go up there? I promised him that I'd give them some time…oh, what's stopping me? Martha thought to herself. Lucky for her, she brought what she thought would come in handy-her trusty portable camera. She grabbed it by her teeth and walked upstairs. The female dalmatian made it to the second floor and looked to the end of the room. Martha could see it clearly.
Marshall. Everest. And all 8 of their puppies getting their new mother's milk.
Oh my god…WOW… She thought, gasping at how wonderful her new grand-puppies looked. She grabbed her portable camera and snapped the first photos of her grandpups' lives, being nursed by their mother as both parents looked down at their offspring. Marshall saw what her mother was doing, and the new parents glanced at Martha and smiled. The female dalmatian took the pictures within a moment's notice. She began to get emotional the moment she saw the new pups, barely even focusing at all while taking the pictures.
"I…I'm gonna cry…" Martha sobbed, tears of happiness flooding down her face. Her son walked over to comfort her.
"Mom…it's ok…You wanna see them up close? It's a better view than out there." Marshall suggested. Martha walked over to the little barrier that stood in front of Everest and the pups and looked down.
"They're so beautiful, Everest…" The new grandmother marveled.
"I'm so happy that you love them just as much as we do." Everest spoke to the female dalmatian. For almost another hour, the trio continued to watch over the puppies and gush about how amazing they looked. It was now time to let the new parents do their thing, and Martha hated saying goodbye, but she didn't want to be a burden.
"Hey mom, thanks for being here today. You're the first one to see the pups. And thanks for easing my nerves back there." Marshall said as he embraced his mother one last time.
"No problem. The only thing I want for you and Everest is to be happy." The elder dalmatian replied.
"You got a ride home, Martha?" The husky asked.
"Oh, yeah. I told the taxi driver to come back and get me at 1:30 PM. Soo, that's not too far from now." Martha answered.
"I'm surprised you were able to get here this early. He said you got here pretty fast." Everest remarked.
"I sure did. Now remember…if you guys ever need a babysitter in the future…you guys know my number." Martha winked as she headed down the stairs. Both Marshall and Everest knew it was going to be a while before that would happen, but they kept that in mind.
TWO HOURS LATER
Finally, after waiting patiently for almost 7 hours, the new parents' canine friends were able to see their new offspring. Everyone's faces were glowing in delight as they saw Marshall standing on the cabin porch, witing for them. All seven canines and Ryder got out of the PAW Patroller and rushed over to see the new spotted dad.
"Looks like we have a new member of the dad club!" The german shepherd called out to his best friend. The two bro-hugged tightly as the rest of their friends caught up.
"Couldn't be any more deserving parents, if I say so myself." Hailey complimented the new father.
"I know this is a dumb question, but are your puppies cute?" Zuma asked the spotted canine.
"Oh yeah. They really are." Marshall gushed with pride.
"How did Eve hold up?" Rubble asked with curiosity.
"Aww, man. She was hollering and howling, bruh. But she made it out alive. And man, is she alive. She's really taking the mother thing to heart." The dalmatian replied.
"Hey, can I just say how great it is to get out of the house?! It still feels weird walking on all fours again." Skye spoke up. Since it had been four weeks since she gave birth, she was finally allowed to stand and walk around without her new pups needing their mother's milk all the time. All of them have since opened their eyes and began communicating in high pitched howls and barks-something that made Skye and Chase immensely proud. She had trouble walking for a day after she was allowed to, but has since regained her balance and couldn't be more grateful.
"Did you get Sam to babysit for you guys?" Marshall asked the cockapoo and german shepherd, wondering if their puppies were home alone.
"Sure did. He's been waiting for this opportunity to hang out with the grandpups." The german shepherd answered.
"Why don't we say we head in and see the new family, shall we?" Rocky suggested with excitement. The seven canines, plus Ryder, walked up the stairs slowly and were greeted with an amazing sight.
"All right, my friends. Feast your waiting eyes on Everest and our new family." Marshall proclaimed.
"Awwwwww!" All the other canines and Ryder gasped as they looked over the four foot wall to see Everest nursing her young. The dogs oohed and aahed at the marvelous sight.
"Wow, Everest, look at you being a mom!" Skye complemented the new mother.
"I'll say. When you have 6 milk dispensers and 8 puppies, you really gotta pay attention. But it helps when all of our puppies are so cute." The husky chuckled.
"What's with you and Everest making…well…being a mom so easy?! I just don't understand?" Hailey asked in disbelief.
"It's harder than it looks, Hailey. I'm away from my pups for the very first time. I just don't know how well they're doing without Chase and I around." Skye spoke to her golden retriever pal. The german shepherd sensed the worry in his mate's voice and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Skye…relax. Everything's gonna be ok. Dad's doing just fine." The police dog reassured the pilot. This eased Skye's worries. For now.
"Look at you being a proud dad!" Rubble grinned as he and Marshall bro-hugged each other.
"Hey, pups, I know you can't hear or see me. But you can smell me. I'm Uncle Rocky. I repair stuff. If one of you ever breaks anything around the house, one of you guys can call me." The recycling dog spoke gently to the puppies, everyone having a giggle.
"So, Marshall, I know this is a weird thing to ask, the other pups that don't look like huskies are completely white. Why's that, my dude?" Jasen asked the new father.
"Simple. When dalmatians are born, they are born completely white. They grow their spots over their first month of life." Marshall said.
"I tell you, this place is going to be a wild place when your pups get older. Imagine eight brothers and sisters and two crazy fun parents."
"Yeah, we're trying our best to not worry about that right now." Everest answered with an awkward laugh.
"You know your pups…and my pups…when they get older, I'm pretty sure they're gonna be great friends." Chase told the dalmatian and husky.
"I think you may be right. Imagine how many playdates we're gonna have to arrange." Marshall replied candidly.
"Don't trust us to watch fourteen pups at once! We're not fun compared to you two." Skye playfully protested. Hailey felt she had to say something to her pilot friend, and she asked if they could talk on the other side of the room for a moment.
"Skye…this whole thing with you and Eve…I honestly want to be a mom, too. I'm not rushing it, though." Hailey told the cockapoo.
"Hey, don't rush anything. In fact, slow down and appreciate what you got with Zuma. You don't have to worry about committing. Just live for your youth. You barely even have responsibilities like us parents do." Skye responded. The two then embraced.
"Yeah…I guess you're right." Hailey admitted. The golden retriever and chocolate labrador had gotten pretty serious lately, their relationship improving as time went along. Just a few weeks back, Zuma and Rubble hit the age 18 barrier, making all 9 pups adult-aged. Hailey was actually one year older than her boyfriend at 19, and they both began discussing moving out together. Zuma and his girlfriend had decided to move to the lighthouse where Cap'n Turbot and Francois resided, as they both wanted to live by the sea. They were going to move in next week, and couldn't be more excited.
"And don't worry about the naming department. Eve and I already got that patched up." Marshall told his canine pals.
"Last minute suggestions incoming. Blaze? Snow? Any of those good?" The recycling canine asked the new parents.
"Blaze is a little too generic. Snow…for one of the huskies …sounds like a good idea." Everest spoke to the recycling dog with a smile. Rocky grinned to himself, knowing that one of his best friends' offspring might be named off of his own words.
"Hey, Eve, you mind if I use your phone downstairs? I'm gonna call Sam and ask if my babies are ok." The pilot asked the husky in a haste.
"Go ahead, bestie. You're not missing anything." The mountain rescue dog answered. Within moments of hearing that response, Skye was off in a shot, clambering downstairs.
"Again, it's her first time being away from our kids. Makes any mom nervous. She's never seen my dad around other pups before, so I understand why she's like that." The german shepherd said, easing everyone's worries. Chase knew that his wife was already a very protective mother, and felt a little anxious of his pups being alone with his father as a babysitter himself. But, in true Chase fashion, he didn't show the stress in his face or his body language at all.
"Ryder…again…you're just sitting in the corner." Jasen pointed out to the boy. Ryder liked taking in the sight of new things happening before him, not choosing to talk much when they did. He was grateful just to see how great Everest and Marshall were with their new offspring.
"What? You expect me to give a speech coronating your puppies as royalty?" The boy asked jokingly.
"Nah, man." The dalmatian brushed it off. He-and all the other canines around him-noticed a slight change in Ryder's personality. He was 13 now, and was a little sad that he had to see all of his dogs on the PAW Patrol move out of the lookout.
The two married couples already had houses.
Rocky has been planning to move in with Jasen at his apartment in Orchard Park for the last month after he turned 18 himself.
Zuma and Hailey were moving to Cap'n Turbot's lighthouse next week.
Rubble was the only one who never told Ryder he planned to move out. Ryder already missed the two couples at the lookout, and very soon, the bulldog was going to be the only one around to keep him company. But that didn't bother him too much. He was happy that his canines were getting out of the nest, and was also pleased that they'd still serve on the PAW Patrol.
"Marshall…Everest…I knew from the moment you two started dating that you'd be special. Watching you both grow as dogs and a couple has been a privilege for me I'll hold with my heart for the rest of my life. Even though you guys caused me headaches every now and then…especially the Mr. Porter's incident on your first date." Ryder cringed, remembering the mess that the new couple had to clean up the very day after the husky and dalmatian's first date. The whole restaurant's floor was covered in ice cream after Everest pranked the fire canine by dumping strawberry ice cream on his head, and the two starting a playfight as a result.
"She started it." Marshall pointed in the direction of his wife.
"True, true. I was a serial prankster." The husky admitted with a laugh.
"Anyways…about your pups later on…if any one of them wants to get trained for the PAW Patrol, let me know." Ryder spoke with a wink to the new parents.
"I don't want one of my pups being a fire dog. It's kinda dangerous, ya know? But if it's in the cards, then yeah. Definitely." Marshall spoke in a brutally honest fashion. He was very nervous about one of his own pups being a fire dog like he is, but took that in stride. He-and Everest- didn't have to worry about that for a while.
"So? Any updates from Aunt Skye?" The husky chimed in as she saw her best friend re-enter the room.
"So far, so good. Sam is having a great time. Pups are barely doing anything other than sleeping right now." The cockapoo smiled, her anxiety over her own pups disappearing for good this time.
"I wish Jake could come here and see this." Everest sighed with disappointment. She wanted Jake to be there for the special moment of her puppies being born, but the mountaineer had way too many things to do with the resort that morning and into the afternoon. He promised Marshall and Everest that he would come over and see the new puppies as soon as he got his work done.
"He's gonna be the godfather of the pups. End of discussion." Marshall blurted out suddenly.
"I can agree on that." Everest whispered gently to her husband. Nothing was said after that. All the dogs and Ryder continued to watch the new puppies in a content, satisfied and overjoyed silence. Things were going to be different. For Ryder, the differences in his life compared to the life of old couldn't be any more apparent and joyous.
The husky felt a beam of sunlight come onto her, her newborn pups and Marshall. She looked out the window and felt a prescence. A prescence that was all knowing. Two individuals were watching the husky and the dalmatian from the clouds above. Everest felt that her parents, even though they had died many years ago, were still here in spirit. And they were beaming with pride.
Everest then turned her gaze to her pups and Marshall.
It was her own little wolf pack.
THE END
Well, that's all folks! That is the end of what will probably be the longest story I have ever made (I mean, 50 THOUSAND is pretty damn high). It has been almost 6 months since I began writing this piece, and it feels SO RELIEVING to finally complete it. It feels like an 800 pound ape was thrown off my back.
I'm so happy to see that this story has gotten the most reviews I've ever got (11 and counting). I appreciate all the good, bad, and even the reviews that made me more confused than anything.
At the end of the day, you guys are the ones who make the whole process worthwhile to me, and I'm blessed to have the opportunity to share this story with all of you. Just seeing a review that my work made someone smile just means everything. That is my only goal with these stories, really.
The love I've gotten from you guys just makes my day so much better.
I've got some short stories planned for December. Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate! Be the light -mitch :)