(A/N): Hey guys!
Little surprise to bring in the new year, as a new chapter is here, and this one is a tear jerker.
Don't have much to say except...
Welcome back to Paw Patrol: The Ballad of Dally!
Chapter 3: Fears and Feelings
Chase stopped outside of the lookout with his stomach about ready to explode. Ryder never disappointed with food and today was no different. Dog sausage with a side of treats was today's dinner and it was an absolute delish for him. Even though he was full, he probably would've asked for seconds if they were more, but Rubble beat him to the punch.
After the incident from before, it felt really glad to have a nice little dinner with all of the pups and Ryder. Well, all of them except for Marshall, in which Chase had to admit, it was no surprise.
According to Ryder, Marshall came in a little early and requested to eat outside which was not really out of the ordinary as Marshall has done it loads of times. Sometimes, the other pups would join him, and eat their food in the quiet and peaceful outdoors. This time though, he was alone, as no pup came out there to join him, which was strange because Ryder also said that when he questioned him about whether or not he wanted to be alone, he said no. In fact, he was counting on someone coming out there to join him.
It was unexpected considering the fight him and Marshall had earlier. Chase would think that due to it, Marshall wouldn't want to be at least ten feet away from anyone, and would largely request to be alone. But from what Ryder said, that wasn't the case. In fact, it was almost like Marshall wanted Chase out there which was the direct opposite of what Chase thought Marshall wanted.
It was easy to find Marshall. The spot where he was, was a favorite for the dally for many months. Behind the lookout, on the edge of the plateau, where the view of the sun set down on the ocean was very viewable. It was Marshall's favorite spot to just sit, watch, relax, and decompress as the sun disappears from view.
As Chase made his way over there, his mind drifted to the conversation that he was in with Skye and Rubble before. It was fresh after what he felt was the worst argument he and Marshall ever had, possibly ever. Chase was a broken down pup during it. He had spilt his heart out in front of Skye which was very embarrassing for him. He didn't care though. Thanks to her, he had a little bit of confidence to face Marshall again.
He thought about what he said to Skye and Rubble at the end of the conversation. His uneasiness of his friendship with Marshall. He only half believed that, as he really wasn't ready to accept the end. The last thing he ever wanted was to break off with Marshall. He still loved him very much, and would often think that he was the best brother he never got to have. But they have drifted so far apart that there's maybe no hope for the two to ever reconcile, and connect again like they used to. Even if they did, who's to say that something like this wouldn't happen again? If it did, that would definitely be the nail in the coffin for their friendship.
But Chase didn't want that. He never wanted to come down on the dally in the first place, let alone yell at him. He loved Marshall like a brother, more than any pup on the team, and on some days even more than Ryder himself. He never felt any joy when he had to yell at Marshall. He would rather have his mouth permanently sealed shut than to do anything to make Marshall feel like he was a terrible pup. But the Paw Patrol was growing, and with that, came more intense emergencies, and with that came more opportunities for the pups to get hurt during their missions.
Chase felt that in order to accommodate for this and to make sure no one would get hurt, he had been ramping up on safety. He knew he was acting like a jerk, but he felt it was justified to get the pups to understand the risk they take every time they go out.
Unfortunately, he didn't count on his friends gaining any animosity for him and his friends. They appreciated it at first, but after so long, they started to get very frustrated about it.
'Yes Chase we promise we will be careful!
'Yes Chase we did inspect our vehicle, and they're fine!
'Chase, I think you're overreacting!
'Chase, we'll be fine. I swear on my dog biscuits we will!
That was just a handful of all the lines he would constantly get from each of his teammates. It was then followed by either an accident, close calls, or an injury, and then Chase would interrogate the pups on what went wrong.
He didn't notice at the time, but his attitude rubbed the pups the wrong way, and it only got worse as the months went by.
Chase knew this, but he thought it was necessary to stay safe and keep everybody else safe. But now, he regretted it completely. It wasn't worth losing the friends you were trying to protect. Especially if your best friend was one of them.
Speaking of supposed best friends, Chase finally came into view of Marshall, who was at the edge in front of him. He was just sitting there staring at the either that was the ocean, with the sun halfway down, giving a light orange tint to the environment and to Marshall and Chase himself.
Chase got closer and closer, making his steps super soft to where Marshall couldn't hear him coming. He was still debating on whether or not to talk to him. In case he suddenly decided not to, he wanted to make sure that he was not spotted when approaching him.
But that was shot down with a voice suddenly entering Chase's ears.
"I know you're there Chase. You're not that sneaky." Marshall said out loud, still looking forward at the sea.
Chase stopped immediately and hung his head in half embarrassment. "Darn, I guess I need more spy training."
Marshall chuckled a little. "A lot more Chase, you stuck out like a sore paw."
Chase thought about running away to his pup house, in fear of what else might be said to each other, but he was already here and Marshall knew he was. There was no use in turning around now. He swallowed as he gave his request to his friend. "C-can I sit next to you buddy?"
There was a long pause that absolutely tortured the german shepherd pup. The dalmatian pup finally answered in which Chase was pleasantly surprised. "Sure man, come up here and sit by me please."
Chase followed up with another question. "Whatever happened to you not wanting to see me ever again?"
It was at that point, that Marshall turned his head around to look at Chase and gave a small smile. "Do you always mean everything you say?"
Chase smiled back as he accepted the sudden invitation gracefully. He trotted up next to Marshall and sat next to him. He stared off to the sunset that was just about a quarter away from the moon taking full control of the starry sky.
They sat there for a good few minutes in complete silence, starting at the now blazing orange sky. The mere amazing sight kept them from saying at least one word to each other. They were in complete awe of the beautiful sky that was above them.
For a moment, their problems went away and the only thing that mattered was just being together again and seeing the admirable sky that blew their minds.
They were there for a reason though, and as much as Chase wanted to just sit and stare at the sky and get lost in it with Marshall, there was something glooming over them that had to be taken care of or they will never have this moment again.
Apparently, Marshall had the same thought, as he broke the silence before Chase could. "Chase? What happened to us?"
Chase thought long and hard for an answer, but couldn't come up with one. "I…..I don't know buddy."
"There must be an answer man. We used to be so close, I thought we would never break apart, but now…." Tears started to form in Marshall's eyes as he thought of the past few months and the events that happened. "It seems we fight more than we bond. The pups seem to think that we hate each other now and don't want to be best friends anymore. I'm not gonna lie Chase…...I'm starting to think that too."
Marshall sniffled as tears started flowing down his cheeks. "I…..I don't want to think that Chase. You're my brother! I don't want to think of you any lower than that!"
Marshall then stopped as he seemed to notice that his tone was rising slightly. He spoke again with his voice lowered, not wanting another screaming session. "I just don't understand why we drifted so far apart, when we see each other every day."
"I guess it just happens Marshall. Friends….fallout sometimes buddy." Chase finally gave an answer, but one look at Marshall told him that the answer didn't satisfy Marshall. In fact, it was probably safe to say that Marshall was horrified by the answer.
"B-B-But Chase! I don't want us to fallout Chase!" Marshall shakingly said. "I want to be best friends forever!"
Chase did his best not to tear up and break down. "I do too buddy. I never ever wanted us to fall apart. I've been trying to Marshall. I really have, but I guess it's just more difficult that I thought."
It was quiet for a bit before Marshall asked the hard hitting question that Chase was hoping he wouldn't ask.
"Chase? Why don't you trust me anymore?"
Chase noticed that Marshall's eyes had not moved an inch when asking that question. So much that it became difficult to answer the dally without upsetting him. Chase had to look away, or he would've caved in and let the dally in his mind.
He didn't want Marshall to know what had been going on. His pride was too proud for that. He didn't want Marshall to think that he was weak. That he couldn't handle his problems by himself. He's the leader for puppy heaven's sake. He's supposed to be strong, mindful, and efficient in everything he did as a dog. If Marshall or anyone were to know that Chase was having problems, they would probably think that he wasn't fit to handle the team. That might not happen, but Chase didn't want to take the risk.
But then again….It's Marshall.
The pup had already seen Chase weak and pathetic in his life, and he was the one who picked him back up from that lonely place. Admittedly, he had forgotten that Marshall never gave up on him, and it was very unlikely that he would give up on him now. If anything could be taken out of this conversation, it was that no matter what Chase has done to Marshall, and what Marshall has done to Chase, It would be the end of the world if they completely gave up on one another.
Chase gave a very long sigh and made the decision to finally let Marshall in his mind. But first, he had to make one thing clear.
"I never said that I didn't trust you at all, Marshall."
Marshall slowly tilted his head confused as to what the shepherd meant.
Chase paused a bit before he fully opened the door. "I just said I didn't trust you to be safe."
Marshall didn't say anything, he continued to stare at Chase who was still staring at the ocean.
"I'm sorry to be saying this to you Marshall but it's the truth. I can't trust you to be safe, or anyone for that matter."
Marshall's body jolted at the shepherd's confession. "Wha? Not even Ryder?"
Chase closed his eyes and mumbled out his last sentence. "Not even myself."
Marshall gasped at Chase's addition to the statement. He tried to say something but the shock prevented him from doing so. It was clear that he was trying to process everything that Chase was saying. The only thing he could say was "Wh-Why?"
It took a bit for Chase to respond as he was still debating on whether or not to let Marshall in so deep. "I-I don't know."
Marshall stood up and turned his body to face Chase, clearly not satisfied with The answer.
"What do you mean you don't know? You can't just leave it at that. There has to be a reason for all of this." Marshall paused for a bit. "You're holding back on me, aren't you? I have a feeling that you are and I don't know why you are." Marshall then looked straight at Chase as he pushed hard. "Please…..tell me. Tell me what's bothering you, or I can't help you."
Chase finally turned his head to face Marshall and saw his determined stance to help his friend. This was nothing new as it was probably Marshall's trademark signature attitude to do whatever he can to help.
Chase closed his eyes and hung his head down as he finally let Marshall in fully. "Okay, okay…...the truth is….I've been having …...nightmares."
Marshall gasped in immediate shock. "N-N-Nightmares?"
Chase drew a breath as he confirmed. "Yeah. Nightmares. Every night."
Marshall's pupils glanced away before attracting back to Chase like metal to a magnet. "Wh-What are these nightmares about?"
Chase closed his eyes again but this time, tears formed as Chase recalled the nightmare that had been plaguing him for months. "The-There about all of you, Ryder and the others."
Chase opened his eyes and found a horrified Marshall in front of him. The dally then pressed him for more. "Ch-Chase? What happens to us in these…." he swallowed slowly. "...nightmares?"
The painful memory of his dreams kept Chase from answering right away. The weight of the nightmares crushed him like an anvil. Somehow, he found a way to reveal the context of the terrible dreams. "Accidents. You all have accidents on the job and…." Chase was now leaking tears. "...and you all don't make it."
Chase then started to whine as Marshall stood in place clearly not knowing what to say.
"I would have them every night, and they keep me up all night long. I-It started happening so much that I would believe that they would come true. Because of that, Whenever we would go on a mission, no matter how dangerous, I would get paranoid, and scared that one of them would."
His whines turned into soft sobs as he continued with Marshall looking with terror. "I-It's funny that you mentioned Skye's crash because although I didn't get on to her like you said, I was on edge the whole time thinking that one of my nightmares came true and we were going to lose Skye!"
Chase's speech deteriorated as he went on, tears flowing down like a waterfall. "When I-I s-s-saw y-you cl-climb up on the tr-tree and n-nearly fall off each branch, I-I lost it, I-I didn't care a-about C-C-C-Calie, I w-was so w-worried about you! When I s-saw you a-a-bout to j-jump, I couldn't control myself! I-I-I-I-It only g-g-got worse when you missed! I-I-I-I-If it hadn't been for R-R-Ryder, I would've been too scared to even sh-sh-shoot out my n-n-n-n-net to catch you. You would've been hurt or worse!"
He sobbed out his last line as Marshall suddenly embraced him. He tried to calm him down the best he could. But he was sobbing a little too. "Chase! I'm so sorry, I had no Idea you were even going through that!"
The two pups hugged each other closely and sobbed in each other's arms. Probably the first time they've done this in so long. They sobbed their hearts out with months of animosity that was built up. Chase with the misery he was in, and Marshall with all the pain he added to Chase by resisting him and firing back at him.
They stayed that way for a few more minutes until they calmed down and let go of each other. Chase was still sobbing a little as Marshall pushed for more information.
"Chase? How long has this been happening? When did you start having these nightmares?"
Chase sniffed his nose in between his choice of words as he spoke. "Remember a few months back, when Rocky fell off the windmill?"
"How could I forget? I had to catch him. He was really messed up after that. Took him weeks to get him off my tail and back to his old self." Marshall recalled
"That was the wake up call that I got." Chase murmured. "They started right after that."
Marshall stood there for a bit before his eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Chase. That was seven months ago! Around the time Rocky and Zuma joined! Are you saying that you've been having nightmares for seven months?!"
Chase shook as he nodded slowly, confirming Marshall's suspicions.
Marshall breathed slowly. "Aww Chase!" He cried out and hugged the shepherd again and wept a little. "Why didn't you tell me?! I could've helped you for god's sake! None of this would've happened and we wouldn't have fought so much!"
Chase hugged back as Marshall whimpered. The shepherd then answered with as much agony as his crying friend. "I thought I could've handled it on my own. I thought that if I had focused on safety, then there would've been no way the nightmares would come true and would go away! But they stayed, and the only thing that it did was drive you and the pups away from me! I'm so sorry Marshall! So so so sorry! Please, please don't be mad at me anymore!"
Marshall let go of Chase and looked back at him with tears. "I'm not mad at you Chase. How could I? Now that I know about your nightmares, I would be a jerk if I was mad at you. I'm just hurt that you never came to me. W-We would've never fought so much!"
Chase stared back with as much feeling as Marshall had. Marshall then added on. "But that doesn't matter right now. What matters is your new found fear you have now."
Chase swallowed before he spoke. "What do you have to say buddy?"
Marshall took a moment before he said his statement. "I want you to understand that I know the danger of my job. I know that anything can happen everytime we go out. We may not make it back everytime and that's okay. I know that and so does everyone else. We can try to be as safe as we can when we are out there."
"What are you on about Marshall?" Chase asked blatantly.
"I'm trying to say that you need to have a little more faith in us man. We can be safe. You know we can."
Chase doubted Marshall's statement. He got up on his fours and faced Marshall completely. "But Marshall! I'm scared! I'm scared of losing you and the others. I can't just turn it off! I'll always worry about you!"
Marshall stepped forward and laid a paw on Chase's shoulder. "I know you worry about me. I worry about you too. But you need to stop thinking about it so much. That's why you're having the nightmares. The more you think about it, the more it gets worse."
"But what if it happens? What if by some dumb luck, you lose your life? I can't get through with that Marshall. I just can't! I don't know what I will do, or what all of us will do if we ever lose you or anyone for that matter!"
Marshall looked down slightly as Chase whined again. He raised it back up and responded. "If it happens Chase, it happens. We'll move on. But let me ask you something."
"What?" Chase sniffed.
"Am I dead yet?" Marshall asked.
Chase looked around before he answered. "N-No."
Marshall then added to his question. "Is anybody else dead?"
"No." Chase answered again.
"Then what are you worried about? It hasn't happened yet." Marshall cheerly said. "There's no use in thinking that the worst is going to happen because nine times out of ten, it won't."
Chase looked at his best friend as he soaked in what Marshall was saying. Believe it or not, he was right. Nothing has happened yet. Sure there have been accidents, but thanks to the team's efficiency, that's all they were. Accidents. No one was really seriously hurt and no one was on the brink of death. But the thought of the slim possibility of something going on, still lingered in the back of his head.
"I guess you're right buddy. Just promise me that you won't ever do anything dangerous without consulting at least Ryder okay?"
Marshall smiled warmly. "Sure thing man. Just as long as you promise that you will talk to me when you're uneasy about a mission and when you have a nightmare too. You know I can't stand you being miserable."
Chase smiled back, accepting Marshall's condition. "It's a deal Marshall."
The two hugged again as the sun went down and all there was, was the moon lighting up the now dark sky. They let go and turned towards the ocean again. This time, they were laying down on the grass, about ready to fall asleep.
The conversation would've been over but Chase looked over at Marshall and noticed that the dally didn't quite have a relaxed and peaceful look on his face like he was expecting him to have.
Chase sensed that something was bugging the poor dalmatian and figured that this would probably be the only time in a short while that he would get a chance to address it. He nudged Marshall gently as he began his request.
"Treat for your thoughts buddy?"
Marshall jumped a bit as he was not expecting Chase to talk. He looked at the shepherd and gave a long sigh. "I-It's nothing Chase. Really. It's not really important."
Chase raised an eyebrow at his friend. He knew Marshall too much to ignore him like this and since Marshall just repaired Chase's heart, it was elementary to think that it was Chase's responsibility to return the favor.
"Oh no no no. Wait a minute there Marshall. I just poured my heart out to you. It's only fair if you do the same." Chase said warmly.
Marshall sighed in defeat as he unlocked his doors with the key to his mind. "You win Chase." He gave another sigh as he began. "You know, It's funny that you told me your super secret fear because….I…...I have one too."
Chase then scooted closer to Marshall, ready to comfort the dally with anything that he might say. He looked at him with an intrigued look. "Really? What is it?"
Marshall took a minute to respond, and when he did, he spoke so quietly that Chase had to angle his ear to him. "I'm…. afraid of dying."
Chase was taken aback at the reveal. He truly did not expect Marshall to have such a fear, considering how brave he was. "Really? Wow Marshall. That's surprising coming out of you. You've stared death in the face countless times. Are you sure buddy?"
"Yeah Chase, I am." Marshall confirmed with a sad look as he turned to the ocean again. "But it's not what you think. I'm not afraid of death itself. Just everything after it."
Chase became confused at Marshall's statement. "What? Are you saying that you may not go to puppy heaven?"
Marshall chuckled a little at Chase's question. "No No Chase, not that ethier."
"Hm?" Chase said, still confused. "Then what is it buddy?"
Marshall closed his eyes and drew in a long breath, as if he was about to gain a massive fire. "Let me put it like this Chase. Remember when your father died?"
Upon hearing the question, Chase's face fell instantly. His head hung as if it was on a noose and his paws were clenched. Tears flowed down his checks as soon, his body started to shake.
The memory of his father's death still haunted him to this day. It's been four years since Chase's father, Tracer, was assassinated by a sickish crime boss he was after. As if it wasn't bad enough, it happened right in front of Chase. For years, the image of his father dying tortured him to the point where if someone even mentioned his name, Chase would get emotional, and shut down for a minute or two. This instance was no different, as he stood there trying not to cave in to grief.
"How could I." Chase mumbled softly, trying his best to push all his animosity back. "It was the worst day of my life."
Marshall put his arm around Chase as he added on. "I know man. But I'm not talking about that specifically. I'm talking about what happened to you after it happened."
Chase slowly turned to Marshall, knowing exactly what Marshall was talking about.
When Chase's father died, Chase completely shut down. He rarely left his room and only came out when dinner was ready, and even when he did, he only ate a little to none of his food, and went right back to his room to sulk. It took him weeks to get over it and even when he did, it was a slow climb back to the top. It was a dark point in his life and to this day, has tried all he can to not return to that lifestyle.
Chase eyed Marshall with this thought, and started to get where Marshall was coming from. But he decided to let Marshall talk his feelings out before he commented. For his sake at least.
"You turned into a completely different pup Chase." Marshall said, very devastated. "You locked yourself up, and you never came out. You barely know it existed, and not even Ryder could get through to you. I had to go in hard and annoy you for weeks before you even said a word to me."
Chase looked on with sadness. He recalled the time he was a complete wreck and not being very active. He could still remember the tear soaked pillows and sheets that he permanently stained thanks to him crying his eyes out almost every day. His father meant alot to him, and at the time, he didn't really understand death because he was still super young. When he was told that his dad was gone, he thought that he would get better, and come back. But he never did, and that almost killed Chase, literally.
Marshall choked up as he went on with his grievances. "It was like we didn't matter to you anymore! And you were going to be like that forever!" Marshall tried to hold back his sobs but it was hopeless, he started to sob at almost every word. "It scared me Chase! It scared me to death to see you like that! It was so hard to watch my own best friend shut down and destroy himself like that! If it hadn't been for me, you would still be in that depressing place, at the least! I don't ever want to see you like that Chase! It would be too much!"
Marshall started to wail loudly. Chase immediately shot closer to him to where their bodies were touching, and wrapped his arms around his neck and body and squeezed him tightly while Marshall sobbed into Chase's fur. Chase then started to pet him and hush him gently to get him to calm down.
"Hey, Hey shhhhh, buddy, shhhhh It's okay. I'm better now. You got me out of that remember?" Chase soothed, trying to calm him and reassure him that he was fine now.
It wasn't working though. Marshall continued to sob louder. "I know I did Chase! But what's going to happen if I'm not here?! What's going to happen to you if for whatever reason, tomorrow never comes?! What will you do if I do go before you?"
Chase could only brush Marshall's fur with his paw, as the dally continued. "And the worst part? It's not just you Chase! It's everyone else! I know of all the lives I've touched and how much I mean to them, and how much they mean to me! So what's going to happen when I do go and leave them?! I have no way of knowing that Chase?! What if they don't eat?! What if they blame each other?! What if they blame themselves?! What if you all disconnect from each other and none of you are friends anymore?! What if the Paw Patrol disbanded because Ryder couldn't go on without me?! What if my parents find out and…...oh CHASE! I JUST DON'T KNOW! WAHHH!"
Marshall now, was wailing at the top of his lungs while Chase continued to hug as tight as he could. He thought about calming him again, but figured it was probably best to let him get it all out of his system. Marshall wailed and wailed as long as he could until he exhausted his energy. His voice went back down as he let out quiet and short sobs. He even hiccuped some as Chase now took this opportunity to bring him backup from his breakdown.
"You okay buddy?" Chase said softly, still shocking the crying dally's back.
Marshall sniffled as he responded with a hoarse voice. "No, hic, but I can't cry anymore. Hic."
"It's alright Marshall." Chase soothes. "It's okay. Shhhhh you're okay."
Marshall sobbed before he finally calmed down to where he could make complete sentences. "It's not okay Chase. I just don't know if it will."
"Sure it will buddy. You just don't believe it will."
"How Chase?! How do I believe? I want to but I just Can't!"
Chase smiled all of a sudden and chuckled. "I think you're selling us too short buddy."
Marshall looked at Chase with a puzzled look. "Huh? What do you mean Chase?"
Chase's smile faded before he responded. "First, I wanna say that I am very sorry for putting you through that Marshall, I know it's been years but, I just want you to know that I didn't mean for you to see me like that, and to make you feel that I didn't care about you. I'm sorry Marshall."
"It's okay Chase." Marshall said, as hejgave a small smile himself. "Like you said, it was years ago."
Chase smiled back and nodded in acknowledgement. He then continued with a determined face. "Let me also tell you, that if there's anything I learned from that, is that I now know how it feels to lose someone close to you, and I now know how to deal with it."
Marshall looked at Chase having completely stopped crying to focus on him.
"Because of that, I am very confident when I say to you, that I will never go down that far ever again, no matter what happens. And while I can't speak for the others, I have no doubt in my mind that if any of us falls like that, we would pick each other back up."
A warm smile appeared on Marshall's face as his worries were starting to go away, but not completely. "I know Chase, it's just I can't stop thinking about it. For the sheer fact that if it does happen for any reason, I won't be here to make it better." Marshall's smile turned upside down as he whined with tears.
Chase chuckled a little to himself of the irony of the situation. He looked at Marshall with a funny grin. "Marshall, I have one thing to say to you."
Marshall turned his head over to Chase curiously. "What is it Chase?"
"Tell me if this sounds familiar buddy." Chase began, still grining. "You shouldn't be dwelling on it too much. If you do, you'll be miserable forever."
Marshall looked at Chase like his mind had just been blown. To his credit, so was Chase's. He didn't notice it at first, but both his and Marshall four were very similar to each other, with both involving possible future's. Upon this, Chase felt like he and Marshall were connected, and one truly couldn't live without the other, and that was admittedly a little freaky to him.
Or it's just one big coincidence and he was just thinking way too much into it.
Pushing the thought away, Chase looked at Marshall to see how he was doing and said that he was still laying down on the grass on his tummy, still looking very depressed. Though he also saw a small smile on his face.
"No fair Chase." Marshall chuckled out a little. "You're using my point against me."
Chase kept his smile on as he chuckled back. "I'm just pointing out the truth buddy. There's really no reason to be stuck on it. It's too unpredictable to say what's going to happen. All you can do is believe in us."
"But what if that's not enough? What if it still happens?" Marshall pressed harshly.
"Come on buddy, do you actually believe one hundred percent that the world will shut down if you die tomorrow?" Chase continued. "Do you have proof that it's going to happen that way?"
Marshall thought about it before he answered. "N-N-No."
"Then again, why are you worried about it? You don't know what's going to happen Marshall. So why bother worrying about it?" Chase implied.
"Because I don't want it to happen Chase! I don't want everybody to shut down because I'm gone! I want everybody to be happy and healthy! You all are my friends and family, and I want you all to be okay when I die!" Marshall sobbed out, frustrated that he wasn't going anywhere in feeling relaxed that he could look past his fear. "I have NO way of knowing Chase! And that scares me to no end! I have nightmares that it happens, I constantly think about it all the time! I just can't switch it off Chase! It'll never go away! NEVER!"
Chase watched the dally have another crying session in front of him with a very sad and concerned face. It's useless. All they were doing was going around in circles with this fear that Marshall had. He had to think of something or Marshall will carry this for the rest of his life and have a very very sad and miserable life. He pondered and pondered until he came up with an Idea. An Idea that was a little tough, but should be able to manage.
He put a paw on Marshall's head to calm him. "Marshall. Marshall! Calm down buddy, everything is going to be alright."
Marshall continued sobbing as he responded. "No it won't! It'll never be!"
"Yes it will. You wanna know why?"
Marshall stopped to hear what Chase had to say. "W-what?"
"Because I'm going to make a promise to you." Chase announced with pride.
Marshall sniffled a little in his response "A-A promise?"
"Yes buddy. A promise." Chase confirmed while raising to his feet, and looking directly at Marshall, who was laying on the ground looking up at Chase. The shepherd then stood in a very confident and proud pose as he laid out his promise. "Marshall, I promise with all of my heart, if you die before me, not only will I take care of myself and not shut down…"
Marshall paid full attention with his jaw agape.
"But I will also make sure everyone else makes it through with me. I'll help and take care of them in any needs they may have. I give you my word Marshall, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."
Marshall then raised to his paws, still looking at Chase with astonishment. Chase stood in front of them as proud as ever when Marshall finally spoke.
"Are you sure man? That's a big promise to keep. You think you would even be able to do that?" Marshall questioned.
Chase pride went away a little bit at the thought of the difficult task, but most of it still stood tall as he figured it wouldn't be anything too tough to handle. "It's going to be tough, but I'm willing to go through with it. For you. I will not fail you Marshall. I promise."
Marshall looked down at his paws as he looked to be processing what Chase was saying. He raised his head back up with fresh tears forming in his eyes as he met Chase's. "Y-You mean it?"
Chase's smile grew wider as he responded to Marshall. Still standing proud. "I will give it my absolute best buddy."
Marshall stood still and looked at his best friend's confident gesture. He started to shake again and tears welled up in his eyes. Only this time, he had the biggest smile the police pup ever saw.
He then rushed towards the shepherd and wrapped his arms around Chase. Squeezing so hard, that Chase could hardly breathe. He sobbed full of joy into Chase's fur. "Thank you Chase! You are the bestest friend I could ever have! No one even comes close!"
Despite being hugged to death, Chase didn't resist. He hugged the dally back as tears went down his own eyes for the billionth time that night, so glad he was back on good terms with Marshall again. "Anything for you buddy. I don't care what it is, I'll be willing to go through hell and back for you to be okay."
Marshall let go and smiled at Chase. "Thanks Chase, T-That means a lot to me. Even if I don't deserve it."
Chase smiled at his comment. "I would disagree, but we would be here all night. So I will just leave it at that."
The two laughed a little at the jokish comment as Chase yawns suddenly. "Haooooooah. It's getting pretty late. I think I'm going to hit the house."
He turns to leave as Marshall acknowledged. "Okay Chase, goodnight man."
"Goodnight buddy." Chase says back as he makes his way to his pup house. He then notices that Marshall had not moved from his spot, and was laying back down on the grass, looking at the starry night sky. Chase halted in his tracks and looked back at the dally. "Uh…..Marshall? You coming?"
Marshall waited a sec to answer. "Nah. Not yet. It's beautiful out here."
Chase was going to protest and get him to go to bed, but he noticed how peaceful he was out there. He didn't want to deprive him of some relaxing time at peace. "Okay Marshall. Don't stay up too late okay?"
"I won't." Marshall said quickly as he construed to stare at the stars.
Chase then continued to walk towards the lookout to go to his pup house to turn in for the night. Although, He might want to come out a little later to see if the dally had honored his word.
Chase didn't get far until he heard the dalmatian again. "Actually Chase? Could you lay here with me? We don't get to do this very often anymore."
Chase pondered whether he should or not. He was pretty tired, and he couldn't wait to get in the bed, but Marshall was right, and he figured that he could probably stay out a little longer.
"Okay." Chase said as he walked back towards Marshall, "But just for a little bit."
Chase got up next to Marshall, and laid down next to him. In turn, Marshall scooted closer to Chase, and leaned his head on his shoulder.
Chase was surprised by this, but was not against it. It gave him a warm feeling inside, a feeling he got only when he was with Marshall. He smiled warmly as he allowed Marshall to lean on him, but hoped that anyone looking on wouldn't get the wrong Idea.
The thought about the promise he made to Marshall. He was going from his heart when he made that promise and didn't really think about the possibility of Marshall dying before him and how difficult the task would be if it would become a reality. Would he be able to complete the promise? Will it really be much easier to move on now that he's been through losing someone he cared about? Will the others be alright with Marshall being gone and will Chase even be able to help them?
He shook the thought off for now. There was no point in thinking about it now. It hasn't happened yet, and was hopefully, way too far in the future to even have the faintest thought. Right? Now, all that mattered was laying next to his best friend. No….not best friend…...Brother.
He took a look at the starry sky and basked in its glory. It seemed that every constellation was on display tonight. Chase knew each and everyone of them and always enjoyed observing them at night. It reminded him of the many nights he would spend with his father, outside in a field, and getting lost in the stars. Those were simpler times back then, one that Chase wished he could one day relive at least once.
A single tear went down his eyes, as the happy memories began flooding in his mind. "It really is beautiful tonight, right buddy?" Chase waited for an answer, but strangely got nothing but the crickets chirping in the grass.
"Marshall?" Chase called softly, as he looked at what had become of the Dalmatian next to him. He then discovered that the dally had actually fallen asleep on him. Snoring softly on Chase's shoulder.
The police pup smirked and shook his head. This was probably what the dally wanted in the first place, and Chase fell right in his trap.
He thought about waking him up and telling him to go to his pup house to sleep, but then he took one more look at the sky. There wasn't necessarily any threatening weather ahead of them, and it was pretty warm out. It was also very calming, soothing, and quiet. Guess it wouldn't hurt to maybe spend the night out here with his best friend.
After making a quick and easy decision, Chase started to get into a more comforting position, while trying not to disturb his friend. There were a couple of close calls, but he was able to get into a little ball, with his head resting on Marshall's body.
As if it seemed like only seconds, Chase closed his eyes and made his way to neverland. But before he fell completely, he was able to get one last sentence out.
"Love you buddy." He yawned out as he went into sleep mode.
Very faintly, Chase could hear a response "Love you too."
(A/N): Awwwwwwwww such a touching moment and great to see considering everything that's happened.
Hope this means that the friendship is mended and stronger than ever.
Now I am going to warn you. This is probably the last time in a while that you'll see warm moments, because the real story starts in the next few chapters, so soak it all up, it will be a while before you will feel this again.
I'm still on holiday so I don't know when Chapter 4 will be up exactly. I know it won't be any later than January 22nd. It may come out earlier so check back for any updates!
Question of the Chapter: Do you think that Chase will be able to keep his promise?
Please review and tell me your favorite parts and if you have any questions about the story or anything else, just put it in your review or pm me and l'll get back with you as soon as I can.
This Is Sean Thames of Dragonsfire Entertainment signing off and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Goodbye Coof! Your time's up!