(A/N): Hey guys!
You all have spoken and by a vote of 3 to 2, The chapter has been split into two, with this Chapter releasing today and the next one in two weeks, (Maybe earlier)
I appreciate all your opinions and patience you have given me. With all of you Reading, it tells me that My ideas arn't stupid and that you all care.
I better cease my rambling and let you get on to the good stuff, this Chapter is already long as it is.
Welcome back to Paw Patrol: The Ballad Of Dally!
Chapter 17: Preparations For Goodbye
To the surprise of the shepherd himself, no nightmares plagued Chase's sleep at all. He had no idea why, the past few months had been nothing but bad dreams for the shepherd. To the point where he would dread going to bed at all. He would get some sleep but most of the time he would end up leaving his pup house and go somewhere to reflect on his dream, trying to discover what the reason was for it. He was amazed that no one caught on to it. The only one who knew about them was Marshall and only because Chase told him. Still, as strange as it was, his dreams were the last thing on his mind. What was…..was the event that was finally here.
Marshall's funeral.
Those two words together were so alien to him. He never thought that he would have to say goodbye to any of his friends so soon. Worse yet, a friend he considered to be his closest brother, and a pup who busted his tail and pushed so hard against a life that kept badgering him to submission, just to do what he felt was meant to do, all because of his "disability." But he pushed through that and became in Chase's opinion, the best fire pup in the world, and what did he get in return? A premature death. One that came way too soon for him, before he could become the fire dog he always wanted to be. He was taken away before he even had a chance.
Life had been unfair to the wrong pup and it was a crying shame.
But as today's event clouded his mind, Chase couldn't help but feel a little relieved that Marshall wouldn't be as stressed as he was anymore. Although Chase and the others never saw any indication that the dally was so full of stress, after hearing the whole story of Marshall's challenging life, Chase was flabbergasted that the fire pup was able to live on without being depressed all the time. Perhaps he was and was doing a very good job keeping it hidden away from everyone at Adventure Bay. Though it also could be that Marshall thought Adventure Bay along with being the Paw Patrol was paradise for him. He probably forgot about the entire ordeal, a great example of his timeless phrase, "Do your best and forget the rest." Chase wished he could do that. He wished he could forget Marshall's death and focus on the good times with him, but he couldn't, at least not now.
Chase stepped out of his pup house and discovered to his dismay, that he wasn't the first one up for once. He saw Ryder, Katie, Norman, Sparky, Ashley, Katie, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma, and various citizens of Adventure Bay, all over the place, setting up for the funeral. Chase cursed himself. He obviously overslept, making him miss out on the preparations for the funeral. He spotted Ryder and began to trot over to him.
"Ryder?" Chase called out.
Ryder spotted Chase and smiled. "Hey Chase. Did you sleep well?"
Chase pushed away the strange cheery mood Ryder was in, and whimpered in humiliation. "I'm so sorry Ryder sir. I knew how important it was to help out and yet, I don't know how I allowed myself to oversleep like that. You must be very disappointed with me."
Ryder went up to the whimpering Chase and pet his head. "It's okay Chase, don't feel so bad about it. In fact if you must know, I actually let you sleep. You looked like you were having a very peaceful sleep, so I left you be."
"R-Ryder. You didn't have to do that. Really." Chase slurred.
"Don't be foolish Chase. You know that you needed that good night sleep as well as I did. Considering all that has happened these past few days, it's that obvious." Ryder stated.
'That's not the half of it Ryder.' Chase thought referring to the nightmares he has had for two years at this point. "So….uh…...where's the….." Chase swallows. "Funeral…..going to be held? I thought it was going to be at the lookout. But I don't see any chairs or anything indicating so."
Ryder's smile faded at the question. "Well...it is going to be held here…...well not exactly. We're actually going to have it away from the lookout, at that spot that Marshall liked."
"Really? It's happening there?" Chase asked back.
Ryder nodded sternly. "Yeah Chase. It is. Why don't you go down there and help the pups and Katie out. I'd talk with you more, but I need to get into my suit in the lookout. I trust that after you're done helping out, you will do the same."
"Yes sir, Ryder sir." Chase formally sounded off as he bounded off past the lookout, leaving Ryder by himself.
As Chase ran closer to the spot, he could make out the various rows of lined up chairs and a medium stage with a podium, a little ways from the cliff. But the thing that really caught his eye was the little blob in between the chairs and the stage. Chase ran up to it with his curiosity at the fullest. He sniffed around it and determined that it was a medium sized statue covered by a red tarp. By the looks of it and the fact that it wasn't there yesterday, it gave it away of what it was.
Chase thought about peeking at it just to see what it looked like, but before he could, a voice sounded off.
"Hey Chase! Glad to see you're finally awake!"
Chase squirmed away from the statue to release any suspicion of what he was doing. The voice turned out to be Katie who was carrying a medium sized box in her arms.
"K-Katie! Let me help you with that." Chase offered.
"No, I'm a good Chase. This was my destination anyway." Katie declined, as she placed the box on the stage. She then looks back at Chas as she opens the box. "I'm guessing you noticed the statue."
Chase looked back at the statue. "Yes, I did. It was kinda hard of me not to notice. It's Marshall isn't it?"
Katie sighed sadly in response. "Yes. It is. The Mayor had it erected as a memorial to him."
Chase eyed the statue with curiosity taking over his mind, wondering what it looked like. He then looks. He then looks at Katie with hopeful eyes. "Can I see it?"
"I wish I could let you Chase, but the Mayor was insistent that it not be revealed until the near end of the funeral. I want to respect her wishes, sorry boy."
Chase lowered his ears in disappointment. He really wanted to see what the statue looked like. "It's okay, I'll respect the mayor's wishes as well. So..what are you doing anyway?"
"I'm getting these brochures out and putting them on the chairs for the guests." Katie answered while taking the brochures out of the box and setting them on the stage. "Man, there's a lot here."
"Do you need my help Katie?" Chase asked.
"No, I'm good Chase. To be honest with you, I don't really think there really is nothing you can help with here. Rocky, Rubble, and Zuma pretty much did everything already."
Chase whimpered and dipped his head. Feeling very guilty for himself. "I'm so sorry Katie, if I hadn't overslept, I would've been out here helping." The whimpers then turn to whines. "This is my own best friend's funeral and yet I did nothing to help out with it."
Katie sees this and stops what she's doing to go over to Chase and pet him. "Don't feel so bad Chase. I'm sure they must be something you could do. Matter of fact, now that I'm thinking about it, maybe there is something."
"Really? What is it?" Chase perked while slightly wagging his tail.
"Mr. Porter and Skye are setting up the catering a little ways from here. I'm sure they still need some help."
Chase reacted with an uncertain look at the mention of the cockapoo. He was reminded of what happened late last night when Ryder asked every pup if they trusted him again. Everyone except Skye all pledged their lives to Ryder, and insisted that they wanted the Paw Patrol to go on. When it was Skye's turn...she didn't give an answer. She instead ran off and presumably went to her pup house. Chase wanted to talk to her, but Ryder opted for him to leave her alone to think. Chase urged against in his heart, but figured that Ryder was right, but a feeling inside him kept telling Chase that it was more than moving on from Marshall's death.
"Skye? Sh-She's out here? Is she okay?" Chase asked, very intrigued with worry.
Katie raised an eyebrow at this and answered with confusion. "Um…...I think so…..she seems fine considering….everything with Marshall. Why wouldn't she be? Is there something wrong with her?"
Chase took that as a hint that Katie might not know about last night's events, nor would she ever know had someone not told her.
"That's good...I guess. F-forget I asked then." Chase shrugged off, hoping to stop Katie's curiosity. "I'm going to go help them. See you later Katie."
"You too….Chase." Katie responded, a little suspicious as she watched the shepherd run off, very intrigued to what Chase was asking about Skye.
The only thing on the shepherd's mind as he looked all over the lookout, was Skye. The guilt of him oversleeping and not helping with the funeral had been totally chucked from his mind. Even the funeral itself was nowhere to be found. All he was focused on was what happened last night that he couldn't ignore. What Skye did last night, when she ran off after giving a vague answer, scared Chase, because he knew exactly why SKye did what she did. Chase knew it from the second Skye hesitated on her answer. That her mind was still contemplating on whether or not she would stay on the team. Not because of Marshall's death, although it was definitely a big factor to it, it was the thought of her not belonging to the Paw Patrol that was the main issue. There was no doubt in Chase's mind that it was the case. Even though Skye hadn't really shown any signs of it lately, he knew that it didn't just go away. Not even the death of a pup so beloved to her would've just made her forget all about that, in fact, It was more likely that it made it worse for her.
Adding the refusal to move on from Marshall's death, there was no doubt in the shepherd's mind that Skye was on the verge of quitting the Paw Patrol, and running away.
Like Rocky's suicide attempt yesterday, Skye running away was the last thing the team needed right now. If one of them were to run away and never come back, the morality of the team would be at an all time low and would make things worse for everyone. Confusion would flow through like a disease, as the pups would wonder why Skye would ever run away from them, regardless if they knew the answer or not. Some of them might even be influenced to maybe run away themselves. It was highly unlikely thanks to everyone's answer to Ryder's question last night, but anything is possible.
Not to mention, it of course would mean that Chase would've failed to fulfill the promise he made to Marshall. Not only that but Marshall's biggest fear would come true. Chase would have everyone to oust him from the Paw Patrol than fail his best friend. He gave the dally his word that if Marshall were to ever pass on before him, he would make sure everyone recovers okay, and the Paw Patrol would live on stronger than ever after the dally's untimely death.
Also…..Chase himself doesn't want Skye to leave, for the simple fact that if Skye left, there would be a strong chance that he will never see her again. Chase's heart would shatter to pieces, with them becoming lost and no way to put them all back together.
It was crucial that Chase had to convince Skye to come to her senses, and remind her how much she's appreciated, and how much Chase needs her. If he fails...and Skye runs away….Chase will never forgive himself and would more than likely….shut down...just like he did all those years ago.
After searching for what seemed like hours, Chase finally spotted Mr. Porter and Skye, setting up the catering station with liver sausages, various human food like sandwiches and crackers, cakes, and pies all organized neatly on the folding tables.
As he trotted over to them, he called out. "Skye! Mr. Porter!"
Mr. Porter smiled indelight while Skye looked as if she had been caught stealing a treat.
"Oh, Chase! It's great to see you, boy." The man chirped as he started to set up another table for the drinks.
"It's good to see you too Mr. Porter." Chase responded. He took notice of Skye's obvious nervous stare and decided to let it be for now. As much as he wanted to talk to Skye about everything, he didn't think it was a good idea to bring everything up in front of Mr. Porter and make a scene. He looked back at the chef with a small smile. "Is there anything I can do to help Mr. Porter?"
"I appreciate that Chase. I don't really have much left though so it won't keep you occupied for much." Mr. Porter said, as he put two water coolers, one full of water, and one full of lemonade.
Chase whimpered in response. He wished that he hadn't overslept. Then he would've been out to help everyone with the preparations.
"Aw Chase. Don't feel so bad." Mr. Porter cooed. "I'm pretty sure there's still plenty you can help out with."
"Maybe you're right Mr. Porter. I just wished I hadn't overslept. I feel so useless right now since everything is almost done." Chase whimpered out. "After all, this is my best friend's funeral and I didn't even lift a paw to help."
For the first time since Chase arrived, Skye finally spoke to the shepherd as she suddenly stood in front of him and gave him a heart warming smile. "Chase. Don't beat yourself up about it. In fact, you've already done so much these past few days for us. So you overslept, big deal. That's not what matters right now. What does, is that you continue being that strong pup that you are and you push on through, and not let silly mistakes stop you."
Chase gave a smile back to the cockapoo. It was things like this that reminded Chase why he needed her in his life. In a way, he should be saying the same to her, but her insecurities weren't on display now. What was, was the reason Chase was in love with her. Her mindfulness and strong personality, just like him.
"Skye. I appreciate you saying that. But, I really shouldn't have woken up so late." Chase pointed out.
Skye kept her smile on. "It's not so bad Chase. After all, I thought you needed that long sleep. From what I saw, you looked so peaceful."
Chase looked into Skye's eyes. Despite the smile she had on her face, Chase could see her conflicting mind struggling to regain itself. He wanted so desperately to get through to her, and tell her how much she means to him. But that sadly would have to come later.
Then...Chase realized something that Skye said and could help but feel a little warm and fuzzy. "Wait….you were watching me sleeping?"
Skye suddenly went wide eyed embarrassed as she blushed in front of him. "N-No, I-I was just…...ch-checking on you. I-I didn't see you yet and I was….worried."
Chase raised an eyebrow at Skye with a knowing smirk. "Yeah...of course you were."
"Oh lay off Chase. Like you never did it to me." Skye rebounded back.
Chase's eyes shifted around at that. If they were alone, he would've brushed it off like dirt, but they weren't , for Mr. Porter was standing right there. "Ssssskye….I-I told you..that I didn't do that. It was just a misunderstanding."
Skye smiled innocently. "I highly doubt that Chase. Especially since it happened on many occasions."
"Why are you on me now?! You're supposed to be the one embarrassed right now, not me!" Chase frantically said back.
It was then that Mr. Porter finally spoke. "Alright, you love birds. Settle down now. Before everyone gets curious."
"We're not love birds!" Chase and Skye insisted, although the blush on their faces told a different story.
"Yeah, sure, now can you two come over here and help me with the last of this food?" Mr. Porter requested, as he went to the back of his van.
Chase and Skye shook their embarrassed faces off, and wagged their tails. "Of course Mr. Porter. You can count on us."
It took a few minutes to finnish up the catering. By the time they were done, there were hundreds of sausages, finger sandwiches with various meats and vegetables, and probably twenty different cakes and pies. Chase and Skye's stomach grumbled at the food. They clearly hadn't eaten yet, and it was so tempting for them to at least have one. Mr. Porter noticed their faces and gave them one each.
"Here. A nice reward for being so helpful and cleery despite everything that's happened of course. You both deserve it a million times over." Mr. Porter claimed, as he gave two sausages to the hungry pups.
"Thanks Mr. Porter." Skye said as she began to chow down. "You didn't need to do this."
"Yeah." Chase added as he swallowed. "We could've waited."
"It's my pleasure pups. I just couldn't resist your hungry faces." The man said with a smile. "You know, it makes me so happy to see the both of you smile again. Oh geez, it must be so hard on you pups to lose someone so dear to you all."
As the two finnish their sausages, Mr. Porter's statement filled their ears and brought them back to reality they hoped not to be in.
Chase swallowed his list bite as he responded with a whimper. "Yeah…..well we're just doing our best to keep ourselves in high spirits. At least that's what Marshall would've wanted us to be."
Mr. Porter gave a long sigh in response to Chase's wording. "Yes, I suppose so of course. It's such a shame you know. Marshall was such a huge presence in Adventure Bay. I hope you know that his loss is not just felt by me and you all, but the entire town. From what I heard, all the school's children have been absolutely heartbroken. So much that school was closed yesterday. It was so bad that the kids had no effort to do anything but cry for their hero. On the other hand, every night without fail, the starry sky was filled with dogs and pups alike, howling in mourning. Stores and restaurants have had little to no customers except the regulars who go to work. I've never seen this city so deflated and so depressed since I've been here. It's as if Marshall was the heart that was ripped out of the city's soul."
"Skye dipped her head in sadness. "That's…...so so sad to hear. I had no idea Marshall meant that much to everyone. Oh what a pup he was….. He was such a great friend to us all…...and a dear brother." Skye sobbed quietly as Chase shoots over to her to comfort her with a nuzzle to her cheek. She gratefully accepted by hugging him back. "I-I still can't believe that we have to say goodbye to him. It feels wrong. Like he wasn't supposed to die at all." She then starts to sob a little louder. Tears flowed down for what had to be the millionth time this week. "Oh…..Marshall why? Why did you have to go? We still need you."
Chase could only hug and lick Skye's face as he had no words that could ease Skye's peril. Mr. Porter saw this and produced a reluctant face in response. "I'm terribly sorry you two, I didn't mean to rub salt in the wound."
Chase was about to respond but unexpectedly, Skye let go of him and looked at Mr. Porter. "It's okay Mr. Porter. We have to go through the whole day reminiscing about him. It wouldn't hurt to get used to it. Seems how we have to move…...on…...without…him."
Chase could hear the struggle in Skye's voice as if she had very little confidence or determination to say that. Noting that she wouldn't be able to move on and prosper without Marshall. Reminding him of Skye's very fragile state, and how important it was to help her.
Then, something suddenly tipped Chase off as he noticed something very strange. "Hey...not to suddenly change the subject, but….where's Alex? I thought he would be out here helping you for sure Mr. Porter."
Upon hearing his grandson's name, Porter's eyes went down as he gave a very sad sigh. "I was afraid you would ask that Chase."
Chase was struck with concern at Mr. Porter's answer. Wondering what has happened to Alex. "What's the matter Mr. Porter? Is Alex alright?"
"I think he is. The trouble is he's back in his room, refusing to come out again." Mr. Porter said sadly.
Chase gasped suddenly at the answer. Even Skye had seemingly mellowed out, looking at Porter with concern. "Y-Your not saying that he's locking himself in his room again?"
Mr. Porter nodded sternly. "I'm afraid I am Skye. I couldn't get him to come out for anything, and when I asked him if he was coming to the funeral, he didn't say anything and I had to leave him to get here in time."
"What?! You mean he's not even coming to Marshall's funeral?! Doesn't he want to help us say goodbye?!" Skye threw out, instantly putting aside all of her troubles to focus on Alex.
I simply don't know Skye. I haven't been able to get a response from him yet." Mr. Porter responded sadly.
Chase himself was in disbelief. "But I thought he had been getting better?"
"And he was Chase. He was. Since you talked to him, he had been eating, talking, and even laughing. He seemed to be getting better and better as the days went by. But I guess all that progress is lost now, because like I said, I couldn't get anything out of him and he won't leave his room."
Chase and Skye at each other in horror. From the sounds of it, it seemed that Alex had shut down yet again. Then, A feeling inside spooked Chase. A feeling he got when he was looking for Rocky the previous day. He tried to keep his cool as he said to Mr. Porter. "Mr. Porter. I think we need to check on him."
Mr. Porter looked at Chase and Skye with gratefulness. "As much as I would appreciate it Chase, I think it has to be me this time. I haven't really done anything to help him at all, except make him food and tell him that everything is going to be okay. I need to have a real sit down with him myself, and hope I can get through to him."
"But Mr. Porter, Alex could be….."
"I know what you're going to say Chase, and while I don't think Alex would ever resort to such a thing...I am aware of the possibility of the unexpected. But I'm his grandfather. I need to start helping him through this more than you two have. Besides, you all should be focused on the funeral. Not my grandson. You need to be here for Marshall.
Chase wanted to protest, but one look at Skye prevented him. She was giving her a knowing look that said all that needed to be said.
"Now, I'm going back to my restaurant to see if I can't get him to come down here, if I can't, I'll let Ryder know. While I'm gone, I need you all to do me a big favor and watch the food. Can you do that for me?"
Chase stood proud. "You bet I can Mr. Porter. I won't let any of this food out of my sight. These paws will uphold the laws."
Skye suddenly smirked at the shepherd. "I hope you'll be enough Chase, because once Rubble sees this, it's sure to be game over for the sausages."
The group had a short laugh at Skye's joke as Mr. Porter made his way to his van. "I sure hope not. Alright, I'm off!" Porter then got into his van and drove off towards his restaurant, leaving Chase and Skye with the food.
Chase eyed Skye as the van pulled away. Now was a good time to talk to her, and hopefully get through to her.
"I hope Alex is okay." Skye said, unaware of Chase's gaze that was on her. "I would really hate it if some…" Skye stopped when she finally noticed the police pup's emotionless stare on her. Skye got really nervous at this, fidgeting with her paws. "Ch-Chase? I-Is something wrong?"
Chase didn't know whether or not Skye playing dumb or generally clueless as to why Chase was looking at her this way. Chase had to be careful with his approach, or Skye could end up completely shuttering up.
"Skye. Are you okay?" Chase asked sternly but carefully, hoping to not scare the cockapoo.
Skye raised an eyebrow at this, like she was not really sure of what CHase was asking her. She answered him the best she could. "Umm, yeah...I g-guess so. I'm okay as well as everyone can be right now. I'm just trying to be as strong as I can."
Chase didn't move an inch as he responded. "Really? Because last night said different."
The second Chase said that Skye's ears drooped and lowered her head to the ground. She now knew exactly what Chase was talking about. "Oh…."
"Why did you run off Skye? Why did you give Ryder a vague answer like that?" Chase asked very delicately. "Do you not trust Ryder anymore?"
It took Skye a minute to answer him. Her tone was very skittish. "Of course I trust him Chase. That will never change. I-I was just unsure if I could go on without Marshall. But please don't worry Chase. I'm fine now. I talked to Ryder this morning."
Chase popped an eyebrow at this. "You...talked to Ryder?"
"Yeah. We talked. When he woke me up this morning, I apologized to him and told him that I couldn't ever see myself moving on. I'm going to be honest with you Chase….last night...I was going to say no. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't imagine the Paw Patrol without one of it's core members. So...I was going to say no and leave forever."
Chase stood quiet as Skye went on. He felt so sorry for the cockapoo but he knew in the back of his mind that she was holding back a lot.
"But then…..I started to get second thoughts, when all of you made your decisions one by one, you all told Ryder how much the Paw Patrol means to you, and how much trust you all have in Ryder. Your words clashed with my thoughts so much that when it was my turn, I was caught on the spot with a dead mouse. I really didn't know what to say or do, so when everybody was looking at me and waiting for me to question...I-I panicked. So I ran off." Skye paused a bit as she recalled what was going through her head. "I had never been more scared in my life. With all of you looking at me and wanting to know what I thought, it was frightening. I didn't have an answer anymore. I freaked and ran to my pup house and stayed up nearly all night thinking about what I should do. Then today when I woke up, Ryder was there and we talked. He told me that he understood whatever I chose, as long as I was happy. so…..I went for where I would be the most happy. I chose to stay with you all because you all make me very happy to be around, that's all Chase. I'm fine now. Y-you don't have to worry anymore."
Skye gave a small smile to Chase, hoping that her explanation had eased his worries for her, but Chase was very doubtful. Her little game of secret keeping may have worked on Ryder, but it certainly didn't work on him.
"That's so great to hear Skye." Chase stated, his tone still stern and determined. "But I'm sorry. That's not enough to convince me that's all."
Skye's smile disintegrated like burning paper. "What? Wha-What are you saying Chase?"
Chase drew in a deep breath as he decided to be blatant. "I think you're hiding something from me, Skye. Something that I know is the real reason why you want to leave, and you're trying to cover it up."
Skye twitched in bewilderment at Chase's claims. "What? Chase what on earth are you talking about? I've been completely honest with you this whole time."
"I don't doubt that Skye, but I know for sure that you're holding back something that you don't want to talk about."
Skye started to squirm a little. "Chase! I'm telling the truth! There is nothing else! I swear!"
"Well apparently you've forgotten about the conversation you, Marshall, and I had before the fire. More specifically what you said before we were called to action."
Skye let out a sharp gasp at that statement. As if she just realized what Chase was talking about. "Ch-Chase! How could you possibly think that would be on my mind right now?! I don't know if you noticed, but one of our friends has died! I think my insecurities are less relevant than that, don't you think?"
"That may be true, yes, but I think that this whole thing has made it worse for you." Chase insisted. "But you know what, If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're also using this as a smoke screen to hide your real thoughts."
Skye let out a sharp gasp again. She was in disbelief "A-Are you saying that I'm using Marshall's death to throw you off?! I would never do such a thing! I can't believe you would even think I'd do that!"
Chase held his paws up in innocence. "I'm not saying that you are fully, Skye. Just that I think you're hiding behind it."
Tears started forming in Skye's eyes which hurt Chase. He definitely didn't want to make her cry, but he felt that in order to help her, it must be done this way, or he will lose her forever.
"Wh-Why are you being so hard on me?! Skye sobbed.
"Because I care about you Skye!" Chase answered back with feeling but not too loud. "It hurts me to see you doubt yourself and think that you don't matter, because it's not true! You are just as important as I am on this team. Wings or not, you are still an important piece in the Paw Patrol!"
Skye averted her eyes away from Chase and quietly whimpered. Chase hoped that no one else heard the conversation, which dangerously sounded more like an argument, he then started to doubt his tactic for this. He was very surprised that Skye didn't straight up run away from him. He then thought about all those years ago when Marshall pushed on him to talk. Was Marshall really this hard on him? Would he really have done it this way?
"I don't know why you're pursuing me about this Chase. I don't. But I'll tell you this. You're right." Skye mumbled out. "You couldn't be more right about everything. Of course I still have those thoughts Chase. They didn't just go away when Marshall died." Skye then shifted her head back and looked down at her paws. "I just don't want to talk about it….at least, not now."
Chase looked on with regret for his actions. He felt a sharp pain in his heart when Skye raised her head back up to look at him with tears in her eyes.
"All I want is to just get through this day. Please Chase. Please let's just get through this blasted funeral first. Then tomorrow…..we'll talk. I promise."
As much as Chase wanted to solve the problem right here, right now, he had no motivation to continue. He had already ruined his chance of talking to her about it thanks to his ruthless attitude to solve the problem now. While Chase was very skilled at interrogations, he wasn't perfect by all means. Sometimes we would get so wrapped up in accomplishing his goal that he would end up pushing way too far and scaring his subject away. It worked for criminals no doubt, but when it came to friends, it was a curse. At least he got her to say that they would talk about it, and that was probably all he would get out of her. He had to step down.
Chase got closer to Skye and gently hugged the whimpering cockapoo. "I'm sorry Skye. You're right, we shouldn't be talking about this right now. We'll talk about it tomorrow, so just do your best to get through today. Okay?"
Skye responded by hugging Chase back and crying on his shoulder. "Thank you Chase."
Chase only held tighter, letting tears out himself.
"I wish Marshall was here." Skye mumbled out. "He would know exactly what to say."
After hours and hours of directing everything Ryder finally had some time to relax, now that everything was set to go. The stage was set, the statue was in position, the chairs were lined up, a walk way of candles and flowers leading from the lookout to Marshall's spot was laid out, the portrait of Marshall behind the chairs was in place, and the makeshift archway Rocky whipped up out of old wicker baskets covered with various flowers and roses stood behind the chairs acting as an entrance to the area.
Everything was done. Everything was set. All that was left…..was the funeral to commince.
It had been so hard so far, but now it has only gotten more difficult. It was finally time to move on…...and get back to business.
It stunned Ryder that everyone of his pups, with the exception of one, were not only willing, but also determined to keep the Paw Patrol going. He thought for sure that they wouldn't be so willing to keep on going. He also didn't expect them to still trust him, regarding the fact that Marshall died on his watch. Don't they understand that Marshall died because of him? That he truly wasn't experienced enough to lead the team? Don't they know that he can't keep them all safe? How on earth could they trust him when he let one of their friends perish in a fire?
It boggled Ryder to no end. He didn't understand that after everything, they still put their trust in him, and would go to the ends of the earth for Ryder's sake. Was it loyalty? Or…..something more than that? Like….love or something. He did love his pups and it was clear that they loved him. Maybe it didn't matter how much Ryder screwed up, they still see what they always saw in him. Strong and ambitious with a never give up attitude…..
and a father.
Foolish pups. How could they love someone who puts them in danger all the time? How could they be so blinded by their admiration of them?
They still trusted him. They still will die for him, and they won't accept anyone else to care for them. Not even Katie, who undisputedly could do better than Ryder can ever do. Nope, just him, only him.
As much as Ryder hated that his pups didn't see what he saw, that doesn't mean that he doesn't appreciate them and not love them. He felt flattered… no….loved when the pups answered him last night. At the end of the day, they still trusted him and wanted to see the Paw Patrol grow bigger and bigger. Even after the death of a member and beloved friend, they still look to him for guidance. When Ryder asked the question, he expected them to reject him, and not ever want to be associated with Ryder ever again. But the exact opposite happened, where instead of running away from him, they ran towards him, with the exception of Skye who acted normally in his opinion.
He wanted to tell them that they were wrong. That the Paw Patrol, at least with Ryder at the helm, was not going to work out, and that he was going to find new owners for them, but amazingly, their actions prevented his.
As much as his brain hurt him by trying to find logic in this, his heart marinated with love and happiness. For the first time in a while, Ryder felt that he was needed. It made him realize that his pups needed him and despite whatever war was going on in his mind, he needed to be there for his pups no matter what. Without him, they were lost, whether Ryder doubted it or not.
Ryder spotted the mayor and his father standing far, talking to each other and laughing. He made his way over to them, hoping to join in on their conversation. Once he got up to them, the mayor smiled at his arrival.
"Ah! Ryder! Why, we were just talking about you!" The Mayor announced.
"I heard you laughing as well." Ryder smirked. He then looked at his father suspectilly. "I hope my father isn't telling any embarrassing stories about me."
"Whaaat? Me? Perish the thought son. I would never do anything like that." Norman chimed.
Ryder raised a suspicious eyebrow with a smirk to match. "Yeah….sure. Then how did Katie find out about my little incident with the toaster?"
"Oh come on son, you know I only told that to her to say how amazed and impressed I was when you took it apart piece by piece and very delicately when you were only 5. Not to embarrass you." Norman defended.
"You didn't seem very impressed at the time." Ryder mentioned. "You grounded me for weeks, remember?"
"Only because you took the toaster without asking and simply took it apart." Norman added sternly.
"I put it back together." Ryder retorted.
"Yeah. Then it blew up after toasting once." Norman jeered back.
"It was an honest mistake, dad." Ryder claimed. "I just forgot to set the timing right."
"A mistake that ended up costing us a really nice toaster." Norman said back. "Which was a shame because I love toast."
"Okay now, I don't wanna have an argument break out between you two." Goodway inserted.
"We were not arguing, Mayor." Norman insisted heavily. Then he mumbled out. "Even if he did start it."
"I did not!" Ryder blurted back.
"Boys…..please. This is a funeral after all. Can't talk about this later?" The Mayor pleaded.
Both Ryder and his dad instantly look at the mayor with embarrassed expressions as they clear their throat, gaining control of themselves.
"Sorry Mayor." They both say.
The Mayor smiled with her hands clasped together. "It's okay you two. I must say it is a joyous sight to see you two together again. Oh it has been so long."
"It has been Mayor Goodway." Norman replied. "I just wish that I could've come under…...better circumstances."
His mood instantly went down between the three. Their faces deflated as they were reminded of why they were here. Ryder in particular looked miserable, nearly crying on the spot.
"Yes….yes indeed...if only. It's such a shame that this has happened." The mayor stated. Her eyes tearing up. "Especially to such a darling little pup like Marshall. Adventure Bay will miss him greatly."
"I will miss him as well, Mayor. Marshall was about a son to me as Ryder is. I remember when Ryder and I first met him. The lad was scavenging our trash to get by when we found him. I was going to take him to the Foggy Bottom kennel so he could be properly adopted with a caring owner, but Ryder thought differently. In the short span of a day, he had already considered him a friend and wanted Chase to have someone to play with his age. He begged me to keep him, and being the good person I was, I decided to keep him as long as he was taken care of no more or no less than Chase. I'm so glad I made that call. It was the right fit for our family."
"And indeed it was. Marshall was such an amazing pup, don't you agree Ryd…" The Mayor stopped suddenly when she looked at the boy in question, who was seemingly off track with the conversation. No….. he wasn't lost in thought…..instead, he was crying softly in front of her and Norman.
"Ryder? Are you okay?" The Mayor asked with a worried tone.
Ryder raised his head and revealed the tears he was shedding. His cheeks were red as tomatoes. Despite that, he composed himself with a simple sniff. "Yes mayor. I'm fine."
Unsurprisingly, his dad wasn't easily convinced. He looked at his son with deep concern. "Are you sure son? Is talking about Marshall right now taking a toll on you?"
Ryder kept his composure the best he could. "No dad. It's fine. Really. After all, I'm going to have to hear a lot about him anyway today, so it's best to get used to it now. Especially if I'm going….to...move….on without….him."
Ryder nearly broke down after that last sentence. The thought of him going on without ANY of his pus was unheard of to him. Still….he needed to be strong, not just for himself and his pups, but for Marshall's as well. He knew that Marshall wouldn't want Ryder to give up and willow around like this. He needed to move on.
The scary part was how long was it going to take?
The intensity lowered when two dogs joined in the conversation. They were of course Marshall's parents who had finished helping in every way they could do for their son's funeral.
The Mayor looked at them in confusion. "Oh…..uh...hello….can I help you two?"
Before they could speak, Ryder pushed his misery aside with a cough, to introduce them to the Mayor. "Mayor, this is Sparky and Ashley. Marshall's parents."
The Mayor then smiled gracefully as she shook the dog's paws. "Oh why yes! I apologize to you two. I had completely forgotten that you had come to visit here. Ryder told me all about you two."
"It's all fine Mayor. We never met you formally." Sparky replied. "It's nice to have a formal introduction, anyway."
"Why yes I'm sure it is." Goodway replied a little nervously. "I have to say, I can't help but feel so sorry for you two. Adventure Bay's grievances are nowhere near difficult, compared to what you've been through. I couldn't imagine having to go through that with even my nieces and nephews."
"It's all fine Mayor." Ashley stated, her voice a little horse. "Besides…" Ashley then turned her head around to look back at her pup, who was snoozing on her back. "At least we had some happiness in all of this misery."
Mayor Goodway's face filled with glee upon her presence. "Oh my! That must be Ember! Aw, she is so adorable!" the Mayor reached out and gently petted the pup, upon a few strokes through, Ember started squirming and whimpering, causing the Mayor to wince back. "Oh dear. I shouldn't have disturb her."
Ashley smiled at her pup. "It's quite alright Mayor. She's just very sensitive and groggy. Being a newborn and all. By two weeks, once she gets her spots, she'll probably have more energy than all of us combined. I can't wait to see her grow into a fine dog." Suddenly, her smile disappeared as she drooped her head to her paws. "I...I just hope that we don't fail her. Like we did with Marshall."
Ashley whined while her mate Sparky nuzzled her. The sadness reached out to Norman, the Mayor, and Ryder as they had sympathetic faces.
"Don't think like that Miss Ashley. It may have been a failure to you, but to me, it's nowhere near that." Norman suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to look at him. "Marshall was nowhere near a bad pup. He knew what it meant to be a fire dog, and was very talented despite his "disability." Others may not have seen it, but others did. Everyone in this town has seen the talents of young Marshall. Talents that he inherited and was taught from you two, not to mention the dalmatian's good sense in morality and good nature. Everyone here believes that Marshall's was the best fire pup in the world. I'm assuming you did as well."
"Of course we did. We believed in Marshall, no matter what anyone said, we were his biggest supporters." Sparky confirmed firmly. "We just didn't expect so many to doubt him. Just because of his disability." Sparky sighed annoyingly. "What a dirty word that has become for us. To describe our son as that feels so wrong. We did everything we could to stand by him and help him push on and we would've continued till the very end."
"Then in my eyes, you didn't fail him. It was the FDRA that failed, no, rejected him." Norman insisted softly. "Based on that fact, I think that you will raise Ember to be as good or even better than Marshall ever was."
Sparky and Ashley look at Norman with pride and gratefulness in their eyes. Ryder could then tell that the two so desperately needed to hear that, as he saw their faces being lit up with pride.
"Th-Thank you Mr. Norman. You truly have no idea how much we needed to hear that." Sparky commented. "I can understand why your son is such an accomplished boy at such a young age."
At that mention, Ryder blushed and flattered in response. He wanted to tell them that it wasn't the case, but that would bring up other ways to praise him for something that was not true, so he stayed silent.
"Which reminds me Ryder, We came here to let you know that we needed to have a word with you after the funeral." Sparky said.
Ryder raised a curious eyebrow. "You do? If you want, we can talk now."
"We would Ryder, but the funeral will be starting any minute." Ashley said, her voice cracking a little. "It would be a shame to be late at my son's funeral. Plus, we would prefer to have it after everything is done."
"Oh..okay. I'll be sure to find out then." Ryder accepted with an inviting smile.
"Thanks Ryder. We'll talk later." Sparky said, as both him and Ashley turned to make their way to the memorial.
Before they could get far though, the Mayor called out to them. "Wait. Wait! I need to talk to you real quick." The Mayor said, as she went after them. Leaving Ryder and Norman by themselves.
"I wonder what she wants to talk to them about." Ryder commented.
"Probably seeing if they would like to say a few words during the funeral. At least that's my best guess." Norman replied. He then looked at his son with a worried curiosity. "Are you sure you're alright Ryder? I know you have to give the eulogy today. Are you sure you can do that?"
Ryder looked back with annoyance. "Dad. I'll be fine. I've got it all set and on paper. All I need to do is read it out loud. That's all."
"I'm just looking out for you son." Norman insisted. "I know how hard this is for you. You are too young to go through something like this."
Ryder drew a breath before he responded. "I know you are dad. I guess I'm just unsure what might happen. I don't know if I will keep my cool or wail like a baby in front of everyone. Speculating that I can even get started. I don't want to blow it."
Norman put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Whatever happens son, I know you will give it your all today, and if you need help, know that you have me, your pups, and all of Adventure Bay behind you."
Ryder smiled at his father. "Thanks dad. I'll keep that in mind. Now that I think about it, I never got to ask you how long you are staying here."
As Ryder asked the question, Norman suddenly went wide eyed le he never wanted him to ask said question. "I….uh…..you see son….i'm...not going to be here long."
"Oh….well that's a shame. I guess we have to catch up sooner than I thought." Ryder said, a little heartbroken. "When are you leaving dad?"
Norman winced again as the boy's curiosity got worse. He swallowed before he answered knowing that his son wasn't going to like it. "Well….uh ….I-I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
When he heard that, Ryder felt as if he was suddenly shocked with electricity. "Tomorrow?! But that's barely anytime at all!"
"I know, son, but that was all I could get to free myself up for. It was amazing I was able to get this long."
"But dad." Ryder whined as he started to sob. "You can't leave! Not now! I need you!"
"I know you do son, but I'm powerless here. I don't want to leave you like this, but...there's something back in Washington that I have to be present for, or I will lose everything I have built. I hope you understand."
"I don't know if I can dad." Ryder admitted through his tears. "If only you would tell me what it is that's pulling you away from me."
Norman averted his eyes. It took him a bit before he finally responded with a very depressing tone. "I-I'm sorry son. But…..I can't."
Ryder felt as if his father had punched him in the gut after that. In his despair, he turned his back on him, and walked towards the lookout. He heard his father call out to him which made him stop for a second.
"Ryder! Where are you going?!" He heard his father say, with a regretful tone.
Although Ryder still had tears rolling down his eyes, his tone was as dead as Marshall was. "I need to get ready for the funeral."
He didn't even look at his father as Norman responded to his son. "Ryder. Please, you must understand! I don't want you getting wrapped up in something that you don't need to be in!"
With that, Ryder finally turned his head around and looked directly at his father's pleasing eyes. "You're starting to sound just like Mom."
Not wanting to see or hear a reaction, Ryder ran towards the lookout to suit up for the funeral, leaving his father stunned with that cold statement.
Thirty minutes have passed and all of Adventure Bay has turned up and taken their seats at the funeral. The statue in front of them is still covered, waiting to be revealed for all to see. At the back of the row of chairs, near the cliffside, stood the archway where the pups stood on either side, greeting various guests like a very sobby Captain Turbot, Farmer Yumi, To Chase and Skye's delight, Mr. Porter with Alex, Katie, many citizens and dogs of Adventure Bay, and even some from Foggy Bottom, to include Mayor Humdinger, who stated that while he may not have thought too much of Marshall, respect must be given to his enemy's. Whatever that means.
They gave their best smiles and gestures they could muster, with their formal attire on. The boys had black formal suits on, appearing like their own uniforms, while Skye had a black and white gown on. They were very tight as they never had to wear suits like these before so they definitely weren't used to them.
"Aw jeez. I can barely breathe in this thing." Rocky commented, trying to shift his body around in the suit to feel comfortable. "I understand why we have to wear them, but do they have to be so tight?"
"You're telling me?" Skye replied, annoyed. "I had to get THIS on. It would've taken me forever if it wasn't for Chase helping me. I don't know if I can last any longer in this."
"It's only for a little bit Skye. Hang in there." Chase suggested. "This will all be over soon."
"But I can barely move Chase, and I'm supposed to get in a chair with this? Yeah, I'd like to see that happening." Skye added with a whine."
"I'm sure it won't be that bad, Skye." Rubble implied. "Though there is something that's bothering me about this."
"What is it Rubble?" Chase asked curiously.
"It's these…..colors, or lack thereof. All this black and darkness, it's so depressing." Rubble answered sadly. "I understand that funerals are usually not filled with joy and upbeat but, do we have to look so sad?"
"It's tradition buddy." Chase answered. "That's how funeral's are. Celebrates death or gives respect or something like that."
Rubble cocked his head in confusion as he spoke with a sad tone. "But, I don't want to be sad, Chase. I want to feel happy about Marshall's life, not depressed."
"That's just how it is Rubble." Chase pointed out. "After all, we are not supposed to feel happy today. We are saying goodbye to Marshall."
Rubble dipped his head down and whimpered. "I guess you're right Chase. I can't find any reason to be happy about that."
The rest of the pups all whine in agreement as they were reminded of the fiftieth time of their friend's fate.
"If you ask me, we shouldn't be having this dumb funewal." Zuma blurted out in a harsh tone. "We should be out hewe, playing ball or tug-of-waw, while laughing and playing with Mawshall. Not saying goodbye to him. He should be hewe. Standing with us and telling us one of his tewwible puns. Why did he have to go? Why couldn't he stay with us?" The poor pup was barely holding his tears in. "Couldn't we just play with him at least one mowe time?"
Rocky shifted close to him and draped a forleg around the water pup's neck. "You're only preaching to the choir pal. We all feel that way."
"But it's not faiwe!" Zuma protested, his voice rising slightly. "Mawshall nevew hurt anyone! He never did anything wwong! Why was he taken away from us?!"
"I couldn't tell you for the life of me Zum." Rocky answered the best he could. "But it'll be okay. Marshall's in peace. No one can hurt him. He's in a better place now."
"No he's not!" Zuma cried out, scaring the bejesus out Rocky, who winced away in surprise.
"Zuma! You don't need to yell." Skye responded.
"What are you getting at buddy?" Chase asked. "Of course he's safe. Nobody and nothing will hurt him at all."
"No! You don't get it!" Zuma hollard. "Mawshall can't be happy! He can't be okay! That Mawshall is safe fwom hawm! That he is at peace! That may be twue, but thewe's no way in the wowld that he's in a bettew place!"
"Zuma, why are you saying such things? I'm having a hard time understanding you pal" Rocky said, very concerned for his best friend. "Please tell me what you mean? You talk as if Marshall is still in total misery and not happy."
Zuma shook as he sobbed out. "I'm saying that he's not happy because we awe not up thewe with him!"
Zuma's thunderous statement immediately paralized all the pups. His tone lowered down as they looked at him with wide eyes.
"Mawshall's misewble, I know that fow a fact. He loved playing with us. He loved talking with us. He loved being awound us. He loved wowking with us. But most inpowtantly, he loved us fwom the bottom of his heawt. All he evew wanted was to be with us fowevew. But now thewe's now way he can't. Not fow a long time. He died too young and was the fiwst one of us to go and now he's alone. Nevew to play, talk, ow be with us again. He's pwobaly up there teawing himself to pieces, twying to weach out to us."
Neither one of the pups could say or even think of anything to combat Zuma's claims. It's as if Zuma shook their foundations to their core.
"I…...I g-guess I….never...thought about it that way." Rocky stammered.
"Y-Yeah. I always thought that Marshall would be just fine. That Marshall will be safe from anything. That he was in a better place. But now that you say that, I…..I don't know what to think anymore." Rubble stated with tears forming in his eyes.
Skye looked at the lab with fragile eyes. "Z..Zuma. D-Do you really think that? Do you really think Marshall is still as miserable as ever?"
The chocolate lab looked back at the cockapoo with certainty, although he was still shaking a little. He nodded slowly. "Mhm, and you know what's wowse? What's weally weally wowse? Hew we awe, standing hewe waiting to move, waiting fow everything to be back to nowmal so we can get back on twack like Mawshall wanted us to. Don't get me wwong, I'm not saying we can't do that, but I have to admit, after thinking about this and knowing how misewble it must be fow Mawshall, I don't know if I can weally feel good about that. It's so wwong and not faiw, that we get to move on without him, but he has to move on without any of us. We get to be togethew while he has to be alone."
Zuma looked around at his friends, sorta expecting at least one of them to pipe up and say something to ease his worries, but no one did. They were too stunned and heartbroken to say a word.
Zuma plopped down on his belly as tears flowed down his cheeks. "Aw who am I kidding? I don't even know why I'm saying this stuff, it's not like anything will change. Mawshall will still be dead. We still have to move on, and Mawshall will still be all alone. Why do I even bothew."
Zuma then tucked his nose in between his paws and started to weep softly, having been tired of crying for the last five days.
Chase, Rubble, Rocky, and Skye all wanted to surround him and weep with him, but the words that Zuma said had shaken them to their core. They couldn't even cry, all they could do was stare on with horror and shock on their faces.
Is Marshall…...really alone up in puppy heaven?
From out of nowhere, Ryder came into view, completely dressed in his formal attire with a suit that looked just as comfortable as his pup's suits. Which of course meant no comfort at all. But that was the least of his worries.
When he saw his weeping chocolate lab crying, he wasted no time to go over to him, and picked him up, cradling him in his arms. Zuma opened his eyes to see his owner's which looked soft and wet.
"Zuma. What's wrong? Are you okay little buddy?" Ryder gently spoke.
Zuma sniffled in his owner's. "I'll be okay Wyder, I just had a sad thought about Mawshall and got a little carwied away. I scawed evewyone into thinking that…." Zuma took notice of Ryder's now bloodshot eyes. "W-Wyder? Ha-Have you been...cwying?"
Ryder smirked a little at the pup "I can ask the same thing to you boy."
Zuma averted his eyes down a bit before raising them back up. "Do you wanna talk about it dude?"
Ryder shook his head. "No, not really. You?"
Zuma did the same. "M m. I feel that I'm only wepeating myself of what we heawd a thousand times ovew which will only get me to say one thing I've been saying ovew and ovew.." he started tearing up again as he whimpered. "I want my brothew back, I want Mawshall back. I'm tiwed of seeing my fwiends so sad, I'm tiwed of being so weak. But most of all, I'm tiwed of cwying."
Zuma then buried his face into Ryder's chest and sobbed quietly. Ryder pulled the pups into a hugh in response and nuzzled his neck. Zuma tightly hugged back as he let more tears and sobs out.
"I know you're tired, Zuma. I'm quite tired myself. But I promise you Zuma, It'll all be over soon, and we won't have to be sad anymore." Ryder calmed while stroking his pup, his voice started to crack and he started to tear up himself as he heard his pup crying "You just have to be strong. Not just for Marshall, but for yourself." He then put Zuma down on his fours and stood back to look at the rest of his pups who still had depressed looks. "That goes for all of you. I know it has been hard for you all, but we can't give up now. Not when we're expected to."
The pups all looked at Ryder with their total admiration as he went on.
"We can get through this pups. You all know it and Marshall knew it. Now I don't know about you all, but I don't want to disappoint him in any way. Marshall wouldn't want us to be stuck in the past. He would want us to go on and make the Paw Patrol be as strong as ever, so that's what we've got to do. We can't keep thinking about what if and wishing he was here. That will only make us fall deeper. We need to get back up and shake this off and be stronger than ever before. Only then will we be able to continue on with our lives and remember Marshall for the great pup that he was. Do you all think you can do that?"
All of the pups eyeball each other, wondering if they all were in agreement with each other. Then, Skye, Rubble, Rocky, and Zuma, all look at Chase and nod to him. Chase took this hint that they all agreed with each other and would want Chase to give Ryder their answer. Chase then looked confidently at Ryder.
"Yes sir Ryder sir. We've come this far, we can't turn back now. We don't want Marshall to worry about us. So we are going to do our best and forget the rest. But only if you can do the same."
Ryder only responded by getting down on a knee, opening his arms, and smiling, inviting them to come into his arms. All at once, they went into his arms, as Ryder wrapped his arms all around them and squeezed tight.
A few minutes passed until they finally let go and looked at the stage and chairs that were filled with all their friends and supporters. Seven chairs stood empty in front on the right, next to Marshall's parents, Norman, and Katie, waiting for them to take their seats.
Ryder took a deep breath as his pups stood with him. He swallowed about ten baseballs down his throat as he prepared himself for the rest of their lives.
"Alright pups….let's get this over with."
(A/N): Oh goodness. This may go in any way. This is going to be a very difficult day to get through. I hope they can keep it together. For Marshall's sake.
One more chapter for real this time and the story will go on hiatus. I'm going to try to get it up by this Friday but there's a lot going on with my job and family so it maybe late so, just to be safe, I'm going to really say that it will be up by next Friday.
Question of the Chapter: Do you think Zuma was on to something about Marshall being alone and miserable even in heaven?
let me know in your review!
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!