paw patrol: all grown up #25: tying the knot
chapter 5: a little something happened...
5:30 AM
Skye and Chase were very exhausted and tired to say the least. After the wedding and the reception, the two went over to a low-cost cheap motel to spend the night, arriving at 11 PM. They had to wake at 1:45 AM to go to the airport nearly 45 minutes away, and needless to say, they had a long night. They went through the airport security as fast as possible, and they made great time. By 2:30 AM, they were through the security process, mainly because few people were booked for that flight to Paris specifically. They were in the airport terminal, waiting for their flight to begin boarding. The sun wasn't even up yet. Chase was trying his absolute hardest to stay awake, dozing and waking up again. During the time the two had to walk to different sections of security checks, the shepherd let Skye sleep on his back as he carried her gently. Skye was barely awake the entire time, and now that she had a chance to rest, she snatched that opportunity. She was sleeping, cuddled up with her new husband. Chase finally lost the battle of staying awake and began sleeping as well. Around 5 AM, while the police canine was getting some rest, a familiar scent (two of them) hit his nose unexpectedly.
"Wait…what the-" muttered Chase as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. There, in the flesh, were Everest and Marshall, donning their air-pup suits. The husky and dalmatian grinned as they saw that the shepherd had awoken. "What are you guys doing here?" asked the police dog in a very deep voice, surprised at the sudden intrusion of his sleep.
"We just wanted to see you both before you head off to France for a week. We're gonna miss you guys, that's for sure." replied Marshall.
"Thanks, guys. I didn't expect you guys to come here." The german shepherd answered with a yawn.
"You guys must have had a long night." Everest spoke up.
"Yeah, we did. We slept for less than 3 hours. Then, we had to get to the airport to get through the security part. Our flight's gonna start boarding in about 30 minutes or so."
"Is Skye even listening to any of this?" The husky asked with curiosity, turning her attention to the pilot next to him.
"We're both exhausted. But I'm letting her sleep. I'm trying staying up for the both of us." The shepherd muttered. He licked her forehead with love, and it awoke the cockapoo in an instant. She looked up to see two of her best friends trying their best not to laugh.
"Hey guys…" Skye weakly spoke.
"Hey, best friend." Everest giggled.
For thirty minutes afterwards, the two couples had small talk until an announcement rang over the speakers.
"Flight 517 from Adventure City to Paris may begin boarding. Flight 517 from Adventure City to Paris may begin boarding, thank you." The loudspeaker decreed.
"Well, that's us." The German shepherd sighed, getting up and stretching his limbs to the maximum his body could allow. He helped his new wife up to their feet, and faced their best friends one last time.
"Take it easy without us. Tell the boys and Hailey that we said hi." Skye told the husky.
"Oh yeah, we won't forget that." The pilot answered.
"You'd better get me a souvenir." Marshall joked as he bro-hugged his best pal.
"I'll find something for ya. Don't worry about it." assured the german shepherd.
"We might as well head home now. But before we do so, we just wanna congratulate you guys again. You guys have worked so hard for this moment and you love each other so much that you made this moment a reality. Better run along now. Those baguettes aren't gonna eat themselves." The mountain rescue dog told them. The sun was just beginning to rise as the couple exchanged their last goodbyes. The two honeymoon travelers walked off and as they did, Marshall felt an odd scent that he didn't notice before.
"Hey, Eve…didn't you notice the scent that they both had?" The dally asked his girlfriend.
"No, why?"
"I swear, the scent I got from them was…different. In a good way. Like, something happened. But I couldn't tell what. The way they were looking at each other…it just weirds me out." Marshall thought aloud.
"You're saying they mated last night?" gasped the husky.
"Now, don't be rushing to conclusions-"
"They had only three hours of sleep. How do you expect me to believe that?" Everest argued.
"I never said that they mated." Marshall shot back, trying his best not to laugh.
"Oh, Marshall…" She groaned, facepalming with the dalmatian giggling at her expense.
8 DAYS LATER
Chase and Skye simply had the most wondrous time in the great country of France. Without Ryder or anyone else from home for that matter to get into their business, they finally had a chance to be free from the restraints of the PAW Patrol lifestyle. Needless to say, they took advantage of it. Ryder booked the two for a week at a luxurious hotel the entire time, and the newlyweds did almost everything that they wanted to do. They saw the Eiffel Tower in person (Skye nearly fainted setting her eyes on the structure), walked along the confines of the Palace of Versailles, and saw the unassuming countryside. The streets of Paris, especially at night, were nothing short of a dream. The cockapoo and shepherd were in awe over the sights to see, the things to eat, and the live music around the corner.
While Skye knew French pretty fluently, Chase himself wasn't even close to her grasp on the language of love. But still, for a few months leading up to the honeymoon, he taught himself basic phrases. And it worked pretty well, to say the least. The shepherd surprised Skye when they visited a restaurant and he ordered a croissant perfectly in French. To hear her new husband, the man that swept her off her paws, speak that way in such a deep and entrancing tone had her speechless.
But all good things come to an end eventually.
After 7 days of experiencing France, the two finally went back home. The next day, Chase and Skye gathered all their pup friends and Ryder as the newlyweds showed off all the photos they got on the trip. Just after showing everyone the photos, Ryder suddenly got a call from Farmer Al. The fence had broken yet again. The animals escaped. Again.
Rocky, Chase and Skye grudgingly helped Ryder get them back into the farm, and after another pain-stakingly long half-hour, the task was done. Just before the mission, the pilot had requested that they go to the cliff at the sunflower field-the exact place where they shared their first kiss together.
"Sooo…why did you wanna meet up here?" The german shepherd asked with curiosity.
"Just wanted to tell you something…rather important." Skye answered quietly, dwindling her paws.
"Well, what?"
"I wanna start building that house for us that you've been wanting to build for so long." The cockapoo stated bluntly with a grin on her face.
"Wait a minute, how did you-" Chase gasped.
"I've overheard you talk about it with Rubble and Rocky a while ago. I love it! I mean, can you imagine? A tiny little house, a wrap-around porch, a white picket fence, with a big yard to top it off? Sounds like the American dream to me." The pilot gushed happily.
"Yeah. You see that big patch of land that's empty over there? That's where we're gonna build it." said Chase, pointing in a direction off the cliff and near the end of the sunflower field. There was a small patch of land that was nothing but green grass. It was the perfect size for a small, quaint house for the newlywed couple.
"I totally see it. You remember that it took Rubble and Rocky just under two months to build Everest and Marshall's cabin? This is gonna be so easy for them." replied the cockapoo in a confident tone.
"I'll say."
"There's…also…another reason I wanna build that house…and another thing that…I wanted to tell you…" Skye spoke up, feeling a bundle of joy that had festered in her since that morning coming loose.
"Yeah?" The german shepherd replied dumbly, not knowing what she would say thereafter would change their lives forever.
"Chase…I'm pregnant." Skye answered, squealing with joy and hitting a flip, having a bigger smile on her face than she could think possible.
"Wha…you…you mean…" The german shepherd stuttered. He felt the whole world stop for just a second. He just had to be dreaming. He blinked a few times and saw Skye still smiling at him. "Oh my god…OH…MY GOD…" Chase gasped as she looked at her stomach. Indeed, she had a small bump on her belly.
"There's six of them." Skye remarked. This sent the police dog's emotions to hit hyperdrive. When he was young, he never would have expected to actually raise his offspring with the one he loved the most. He covered his face with his paws and started weeping tears of joy. Skye couldn't help but get emotional as well. She rarely ever saw Chase shed a tear, and when he did, it was extremely important. After almost a minute, Chase looked up to his wife. His mate. And now, the future mother to his puppies.
"Skye…I…I…I love you so much…" The german shepherd cried with conviction, rushing to embrace her. He was careful not to hug her too tightly, though it didn't matter.
"You see, we finally have a reason to start building the house!" Skye joked as they separated.
"I know, I know! But I can't even think about that right now…We're gonna be parents in two months. Let that sink in." The german shepherd smirked.
"I can already feel something in there." The pilot told her husband.
"Hey, can you lie down on your back for a second?" Chase asked his mate, motioning to the green grass below them.
"Uhhhh…sure." The cockapoo replied, not sure as to what he had up his sleeve.
"Think about it. 6 years ago, we confessed our love to each other and kissed for the first time at this very spot. Today…I found out that I'm gonna be a dad. I just can't explain it…" The german shepherd said warmly.
"What are you…hey…that tickles!" giggled the cockapoo as the father-to-be licked her stomach six times.
"One smooch for every pup in there. And last, but not least, for the beautiful mother herself." Chase spoke up, smooching his wife's forehead.
"I…I love that…" The pilot whispered. The police dog then lied next to her and stared at her belly. And why wouldn't he be? The future the two had for each other was inside of his mate.
"Hey. I'm Chase. I'm gonna be your daddy in a couple months. Attractive german shepherd. Dashing police officer. One well-rounded guy. Also…a guy who can't wait to meet y'all." The German shepherd spoke to the puppies inside Skye. He knew they weren't going to respond, but he couldn't pass up an opportunity to talk with their future offspring for a moment. He paused for a moment, looked at his mate and then looked back at her stomach. "Oh, and the one you're inside? That's Skye. Your mommy. The one who's gonna make sure you're all protected and taken care of inside the womb. She's gonna give life to each and every one of you very soon, and wait until you see her. Skye is the most beautiful mommy you will ask for. She will feed you, love you, and take you to the skies herself when you guys are old enough…She's a pilot. But more than anything, we are super excited for you guys to come and see our new house we're gonna make. It's for all of us. The six of you are a blessing that we can't wait to share together. As a mom and dad." The German shepherd said. Skye was unbelievably touched by his words. She was going to be a mother.
"Chase…that was beautiful…" Skye teared up.
"It was all improvised, babe." admitted the shepherd.
"Sooo…since you're gonna be the dad…who do you wanna tell first?" The cockapoo asked eagerly.
"My dad. He's gonna flip out." Chase grinned.
"Oh, ok…how are we gonna reach him?" asked Skye.
"There's a payphone at the train station in town." The police dog answered.
There was indeed a payphone station at the abandoned train station that still somehow had a signal, so Chase and Skye took advantage of that.
"You got a spare quarter?" The german shepherd asked his wife playfully.
"Yeah!" The cockapoo replied, flipping a quarter so that Chase could catch it. He inserted the quarter into the slot.
"Alrighty, just gotta remember Josh's number because he takes care of my dad…oh, ok, there we go…" The police dog muttered to himself as he dialed the number. Meanwhile, it was almost 9 AM in the morning. Sam and his coworker/owner, Josh, worked the night shift for the Orchard Park PD from 10 through 6 in the morning. It paid quite handsomely and offered sleep during the day: which they both took for granted sometimes. They lived in an apartment in the city: two blocks from the station they worked at. Josh woke up, rubbed his eyes and heard his phone buzzing from his nightstand. He grabbed it and answered it.
"Uggggghhhh…what?" He groaned, realizing that he had no idea who the caller was.
"Hey, uhhh, can I speak to Sam for a second?" Chase inquired.
"Who's this? You know I'm a cop, right?" Josh replied, getting defensive over his partner in crime. Since they were cops, it was easy to feel suspicious of anyone sometimes.
"Josh…dude…it's Chase. You saw my wedding." The german shepherd deadpanned.
"Oh, right. Sorry, I'm just tired. Your dad and I worked the late shift again." Josh sighed, stretching his arms.
"Nah, that's ok. I get it." The german shepherd replied with understanding.
"Sam? It's for you." Josh turned to his K-9 friend. He handed the phone to the older german shepherd before crawling back into his bed for more of the treasured sleep the human officer desired.
"Hello?" Sam asked over the phone.
"Hey dad!" Chase grinned.
"Howdy, son! Gee, you really woke me up. So, how did your honeymoon go? Did you and Skye take pictures? You guys see the Eiffel Tower at night? Trust me, it's something else." The older german shepherd spoke up. He was always pleased to hear from his son about anything: even when it messed up his sleep schedule for a minute.
"Yeah, we sure did! We did everything. All the food, all the dancing, the walking along the streets, it was a dream come true for Skye and myself. I gotta show you the photos sometime, there's a lot of them." The young german shepherd answered.
"I can't wait to see them. Great to hear that Skye and yourself got home safe. You got anything else to tell me?"
"Actually, yes. I'll let Skye tell you." Chase answered his father. He gave his wife the phone and both laughed to themselves. They both couldn't wait to hear Sam's reaction.
"So…Sam…I hope you're listening real good…because you're such a great father, you're gonna get a promotion." Skye hinted to the elder german shepherd.
"Wait…oh my god…don't tell me." Sam gasped, catching his daughter-in-law's drift.
"Chase and I are expecting puppies in two months!" Skye proclaimed with ecstasy.
"Oh my GOODNESS, how amazing! Chase, if you can hear me through this, you just made me the happiest father in the world! And Skye, I know you will be a great mother. I have the upmost faith in you." Sam decreed to the couple over the phone. The elder K-9 couldn't have possibly dreamed of the day he would be a grandfather to several grandpups, but he couldn't be more thrilled.
"Thanks! We're gonna start building our house one of these days." The cockapoo told her father in-law proudly.
"I wish I can help out with your house-building project. Really…It's just that I'm always busy at night and I'm sleeping through the day." Sam admitted with a bit of regret in his tone. Ever since he and Chase have reconnected, Sam had been too busy with work at night and sleeping through the day to talk with his son. They did meet up several times, and it was great every time they did.
"That's ok. Rocky and Rubble are great architects. They're incredible at building things. They built Marshall and Everest's cabin, and it's incredible." Skye told the older german shepherd.
"Well, that's great. Did you let anyone else know about the wonderful news?" asked Sam.
"Nope. Chase wanted to tell you first and foremost." The cockapoo replied.
"You know, Chase…as a parent…to hear that your son is going to be a father himself before he tells anyone else…I appreciate it more than you know." said Sam, feeling a bit teary-eyed that his adult (and married) son still had time for his old man.
"Thanks. I love you too, dad." The younger german shepherd spoke, leaning close to the phone so that Sam could hear his flesh and blood.
"Well, I'll let you guys go on your merry way. I gotta catch up on my Zs. Feel free to stop by at my place one of these days. I'd love to see those photos sometime." Sam told the couple, a large yawn to follow.
"Sure thing, pops. Love ya, man." Chase told his father, hanging up.
"Josh…did you hear that?" The older K-9 barked to his coworker, flicking the lightswitch to get Josh's attention.
"Yeah, congratulations, Sam! Sorry, it was a late shift last night…" Josh smirked, before yawning again and turning to the right side of the bed.
"You don't understand!" Sam called out to his owner, jumping onto his owner and showering him with licks. Josh couldn't remember the last time that his canine coworker was this happy.
"I'm gonna be a grandpa!" The german shepherd howled with pride.
After telling Chase's father the news, the newlyweds decided to break the news to Ryder first before their canine friends would know about it. The two snuck by their friends in the living room and saw the boy working on his ATV in the garage.
"Hey, Ryder? Is it ok if we talk to you in private about something?" The German shepherd inquired. The boy silently nodded, and the three went up to the top of the lookout tower through the elevator so that no soul could hear them below.
" So, what's on your mind?" Ryder asked the couple.
"Ryder…I'm pregnant." the cockapoo spoke in the most dead-pan expression. Ryder felt his head spin. He took a moment to breathe, but felt overwhelmed with happiness.
"Oh…ohhh…oh my god…my pups are already becoming parents…I'm so happy for you guys…" Ryder spoke, embracing the both of them.
"Thanks, Ryder. We appreciate it more than you realize." Chase said with gratitude.
"You guys finally gonna start building the house now?" asked the boy with a chuckle.
"Yeah. We'll start it tomorrow." The german shepherd proclaimed.
"So, there was one question that Chase and I have been thinking about." Skye mentioned to the boy.
"What's that?" Ryder asked.
"Since I'm pregnant, how's that gonna affect my job? Obviously, I'm gonna have to quit at some point." The cockapoo inquired.
"I'm very glad you asked. See, I have been planning this very scenario since you guys started dating." smiled the boy.
"Wait just a minute. You have been preparing this scenario since we were thirteen?!" gasped the police dog.
"I never could have guessed that you two would have tied the knot, but it's always a good idea to have a plan in place." Ryder answered.
"This guy's a master predictor." Skye whispered to her husband. Ryder then turned on the screen behind him that showed some key information and a graph about what he was to say to them.
"Anyway, I had been talking with Katie over the last few weeks about canine pregnancy, and we both created this little chart. The first two and a half weeks are the first trimester of the pregnancy, so Skye, you could still do most of the work without any problems. The second trimester is 2 ½ to 5 weeks in. I would only have you in for little cases, not any big missions at all, and you would fly only when I allow you to do so." Ryder instructed the couple.
"That makes sense. So, what about the third one?" Chase asked with curiosity.
"The third trimester, which is five weeks to the full term, is gonna be a bit hard for you, Skye. Because I cannot, and I repeat, cannot, have you fly a plane or do a mission whatsoever. So, you can't do your job at all. I can't allow you to work again until at least two to three weeks after your pregnancy." Ryder warned the pilot.
"Wow…I have to give up flying eventually…well…it's for the babies. So, who's gonna take my place while I'm gone?" Skye admitted. She was a bit stunned by the news, but would do anything she could to protect the pups inside of her womb.
"I created multiple Robo-dogs that basically copy what you all do on a mission. So, a Robo-dog would be doing your job while you're on maternity leave. And don't worry, I tested these Robo-dogs, and they're very responsive." Ryder replied.
"That's great! Uhhh, what about Chase, though?" Skye asked the boy. She was concerned with the thought of Chase working through all of this-she actually was really nervous about the pregnancy, and she wanted Chase to be by her side as much as he could.
"That's also a great question. I made up to seven Robo-dogs that could take anyone's place at any time, so that it could cover any of you if you aren't available for any reason. Now, Chase, since you're the father, you have a choice." Ryder told the German shepherd.
"What is it, Ryder sir?"
"You can keep working during and after Skye's pregnancy. Or, you can stop working once Skye's third trimester starts up and be with her until your pups don't need their milk anymore. A Robo-dog would take over for your duties while you're gone. It's up to you." The boy told his police dog. Chase took one good look at his new wife. It took not even ten seconds to make up his mind.
"Ryder…I love being a police officer. It's a great job. But being a father? It's the greatest duty I could ever imagine. Not many fathers stick around after their pups are born, to tell you the truth. It's usually the mother, and the mother only that would take care of the youngins. But my father was an exception. He took care of me, and was always looked at as an outlier. He was one of the very few fathers in Orchard Park where I grew up that took care of me exclusively. Not all my friends can say that they had a father figure to look up to when they were pups. And I want to help change that. I didn't come this far to abandon Skye when she needs me the most. Skye needs me, just as much as I need her. It's not gonna be easy for her, I know that. She needs that emotional support to help her carry through the physical and mental toll of this time ahead, and I am very willing to give that to her." The german shepherd spoke up.
"Thanks, Chase. Your support means everything to me." Skye said, embracing her new husband.
"I'm very happy that you made that choice. Now, have you told anyone else about the news?" Ryder asked them.
"Only my dad. Now, we gotta tell the homies. They're gonna freak out." Chase smiled.
"You do that." Ryder told them. As he watched Chase and Skye head down the elevator, the boy felt like he had to tell someone. And that was the girl who ran the pet parlor across the bridge.
"Hey, guys!" Chase and Skye called out to their friends, who were hanging out in the front yard.
"Where were you? You were gone for almost two hours and you never told us why." Hailey inquired.
"We'll get to that. But first, Rocky…Rubble…I wanna ask you boys something important." The cockapoo asked the two.
"You guys finally wanna start building the house?!" The mix and bulldog blurted out excitedly.
"Exactly." Chase replied.
"It's about damn time! We've been waiting for the go-ahead for weeks now." Rubble smirked.
"You remember the spot?" Skye asked the recycling and construction canines.
"Yeah. Small, white house that looks like a cottage. Wrap-around porch. Picket fence. I remember that." Rocky answered.
"How do you just remember those…small details like that?" Zuma asked his gray-colored comrade.
"It's my aspergers, man. Don't wear it out." Rocky replied with a laugh.
"And we finally have a reason to start working on it…" Chase smiled, as he looked at his proud wife.
"I'm pregnant." Skye told her friends blankly. After mere milliseconds of hearing the news, the newlywed couple's canine friends went berserk, howling and cheering in ecstasy.
"YOU'RE PREGNANT?! Oh my god, that's CRAZY!" Everest cried in excitement as she and Hailey looked at the cockapoo's stomach to find that bump.
"You're gonna be a mom?!" Hailey gasped in disbelief. As expected, the guys jumped onto Chase in celebration.
"YOU'RE GONNA BE A DAD, LET'S GET IT!" Marshall hyped up his best friend as they bro-hugged it out.
"You're gonna have your own family?! Can ya'll just slow it down?"
"Well, I put it in a little too many times, if ya know what I mean." Rocky suggested with a laugh.
"The first ones to be parents! What a time to be alive, huh?" Jasen grinned.
"You guys know how many you're having?" Zuma asked the german shepherd.
"We're having six of them!" The future parents replied in unison, causing all of their friends to howl in response.
"How many of them are gonna take over for you in the PAW Patrol, though?" Rubble asked.
"Hey, let's not get to that just yet." Skye pointed out laughing. It was a great time to be living in Adventure Bay. The PAW Patrol certainly knew that. And it was only gonna get better.