(A/N): Hey guys! Back with another one for you today.

We're going to find out what Ryder's answer for Skye will be. Plus the state of Zuma and Rocky's friendship is seemingly in peril, as Rocky seems to be avoiding Zuma for some reason. Why? There's only one way to find out.

Welcome back to Paw Patrol: The Ballad of Dally!

Chapter 28: Going Down a Rocky Road

Zuma moaned in pain in his hovercraft, as he drove home from a very physically demanding rescue with Ryder and Skye. His head hurt, his legs felt like they wanted to rip off and leave him, and his right side felt like a truck hit it. He couldn't wait to go back to the lookout so he could lay in his puphouse to take a well deserved nap.

It was justified due to the rescue he had to do. Wally got himself stuck in between some rocks and needed help to get out. Of course Zuma was selected for the job, being the team's water pup, and Skye was called out to locate the walrus from the air and give directions.

When they found Wally, it took forever to get him unstuck. They eventually had to tie a rope around the walrus from Ryder's jetski and when that didn't work, Zuma got behind the walrus and pushed him out with his hind legs, It worked, but before Wally got free, he thrusted his body forward and his snapped back, popping Zuma right on the nose, making Zuma tumble down the isolated pile of rocks and into the water.

After resurfacing and resting on the rock, along with telling a worried Ryder that he was okay, Zuma got back on his hovercraft and headed over to the flounder to tell Captain Turbot of Wally's well-being. He was looking back at Wally to check on him, when he suddenly crashed into the Flounder. The inertia launched him out of his seat and pound the side of the flounder back first, and back in the water again. Forcing him to swim right back up to his craft with his legs still sore from pushing Wally. After reassuring Ryder again, he climbed back up in his hovercraft, wanting nothing else but to go home and sleep it off.

After receiving thanks from Captain Turbot and Wally, and howling at a job well done, despite hurting him a little, they finally went home, with Zuma expecting his hovercraft to blow up or something due to the luck he's had.

Zuma parked and didn't even bother to wait for his hovercraft to turn before plopping down on the asphalt and nearly falling asleep on the spot. He would've completely if it weren't for Skye jetting over to him with her EMT pack on her.

"Zuma. Are you alright?"

Zuma moaned. "If I told you that I was fine and just wanted to go to sleep, would you leave me alone?"

Skye stopped in front of him and smirked. "Sorry, but you took a lot of abuse today Zoom. I need to give you a check up. Ryder's orders."

Zuma groaned in annoyance as he started to get up on his feet. He moaned as his legs stung and his body on shaky legs. Skye whimpered at her friend's struggle. "Zuma. You didn't have to get up. I could've checked on you while laying down."

Zuma gave a soft smile. "It's okay Skye. I'm alweady up, so just go ahead giwl."

Skye notably hesitated before she barked out the X-Ray to scan Zuma. The lab stood still, as Skye scanned his body with it. "Well, you don't have any internal damage, that's a relief. Just a bruise on your right side."

"Gee Skye. I didn't need a fancy doohickey to tell me that."

They both shared a short laugh as Skye scanned Zuma's head. "Your very funny Zoom. Now obviously, you need to re…"

Skye stopped when she spotted the red on her screen.

"Huh? What's wong Skye?" Zuma asked.

"Zuma." Skye inched out in concern. "You have a throbbing headache."

Zuma tried to give an assuming statement to ease her. 'Well I did take a shot on the dose by Wally. It doesn't weally feel that bad."

It didn't work. Skye jumped in front of Zuma and sat down with a serious look on her. She barked out a popsicle stick and held it in front of the water pup. "Zuma, I'm going to move this stick left and right slowly. Try your best to follow it with only your eyes, okay?"

"O-Okay." Zuma responded, a little confused about what was going on.

Skye began moving the stick like she said, while Zuma tried his best to follow it with his pupils. There were a couple times where he lost track of the stick, but after a blink or two, he was back on track.

To Skye, this was very concerning for her. "Uh….o-okay Zuma. Tell me about the rescue. Tell me everything that happened."

Zuma cocked his head in confusion. "Huh? But Skye, You alweady know what happened. You wewe thewe."

"Yes I know Zuma. Just tell me everything that happened exactly. Leave no details out." Skye pushed.

Totally confused now, Zuma obliged and told what happened on the mission. "Uh...well. We we'we called out to help Wally get unstuck from a couple of wocks a little ways in the ocean. …..uh….when we went out thewe, we couldn't get him unstuck so I had to get behind him and…"

"What did you and Ryder do when you tried to get him out?" Skye interrupted blatantly, catching Zuma off guard.

"Wh-What?" Zuma replied.

"Come on, Zuma. What all did you two try to get him out before you climbed on top of him?"

"I-Is that weally impowtant Skye?" Zuma asked in confusion.

Skye groaned in annoyance. "Zuma. I told you to tell me everything that happened, and not to leave any details out. Please Zuma, it's for your own good. Tell me what you and Ryder did."

Looking at Skye suspiciously, Zuma continued to recall the events, or at least he tried to. "...um…...I-If you say so,...uh….um….we….we…"

Skye looked up with growing concern. "Zuma. You do remember what you and Ryder did….right?"

"I….of-of course I do. I...or….do I?" Zuma stammered, his headache worsening as he moaned.

"Zuma. Don't you remember a rope.."

"Oo oo oo! Yeah! That's it! We twied to pull him out with a wope connected to Wyder's jet ski! That's it! I know that because aftew that failed, that is when I got behind him!" Zuma blurted out with a sudden confidence boost.

Skye only grew more concerned for her friend. "There were actually some more things you two tried, but we'll move on for now. After you tried to pull him out of the rocks, you got behind him and did what?"

Zuma's uneasiness stayed in his stomach as he went on for Skye. "Um...I got behind him and angled myself to push him out with my back legs with Wyder still pulling the wope and Wally trying to thwash out. We wewe able to get him fwee, but when he thwusted the last time, his head popped me wight on the nose. I'm supwised that I'm not…." Zuma swallowed suddenly at the last part. "Bl-bleeding."

"Did you lose consciousness when Wally hit you?" Skye asked suddenly.

"Uh...I don't think so." Zuma responded. "All I wemembew is wubbing my nose so much, and tumbling down the wock and into the watew. I wesuwfaced quickie and get into my hovewcwaft. We then went back to the floundew, and that was it."

Skye raised an eyebrow. "Uh Zuma? Aren't you forgetting something?"

Zuma frantically shook his head. "N-No that's all that happened."

"No it isn't, don't you remember that you…"

"Yes I know! I cwashed into the flondew!" Zuma cried out suddenly. He then lowered his head to his paws in shame. "Thewe...happy?"

Skye felt extremely guilty for prying that out. "I'm sorry Zuma." Skye replied, a little guilty. "I just thought that you forgot about that."

Zuma whimpered at the humiliation. "How could I evew fowget that? It was totally embawasssing."

Skye sighed very sadly. "I know how you could've. You had a concussion."

Zuma raised his head, his face showing confusion again. "A...A….conc...confussion?"

"No Zuma. A concussion." Skye repeated with concern. "It's a brain injury you suffered when Wally hit you. That's why you have a migraine, and why you had a little trouble following my popsicle. Your trouble with recalling everything happened, confirmed it to me."

"Is….Is it bad?" Zuma breathed.

"It can be, but it doesn't seem like it did much to you. I just need to monitor you for the next few days to see if it gets any worse." Skye informed. "In the meantime, you're going to have to be inactive for a bit, and get plenty of rest. If your migraine, eyesight, or memory gets worse, you tell me or Ryder okay."

"Yeah….okay." Zuma whimpered.

Skye cracked a smile. 'Hey. It's not going to be that long, Zoom. It's just a few days. At least you didn't have a week without action like me. Now, I need to give you some medicine for that headache."

Zuma's eyes shot open in horror. "What?! No! No no no! Anything but that! It tastes so tewwible!"

"I know Zuma, but you need to take it, or that headache will never subside." Skye said, as she pulled out the medicine and a syringe.

While she filled it, Zuma started to scurry with his paws. "No….you know what? It doesn't weally feel that bad wight. Matthew of fact, I think it's gone now! It's a miwacle I tell you! A plainACK!"

During Zuma's plea, Skye suddenly fired the syringe right in Zuma's mouth. Zuma swallowed and gagged and coughed up a storm after tasting the vile liquid. He ran to his water dish, and furiously drank his water. Close to picking it up with his paws and drinking it humanly to get the bitter taste out of his mouth.

"Zuma, don't drink too fast. You're going to puke!"

Zuma lifted his head. "I'm about to chuck anyway!"

After swallowing a big gulp and catching his breath, Zuma looked back at Skye with a reassuring face. "It's okay Skye. It's just that dawn medicine. I always hated when Mawshall had to give it to me. Especially how he would twick us evewy time."

Skye chuckled. "Yeah. He was the fastest syringe in the west with that thing."

Zuma chuckled along with her. "Yeah, that didn't mean he was accurate with it. Wemembew when he got Chase in the eye?"

Skye's chuckles grew to erupt laughter. "How could I not! Chase wasn't even his intended target! He was supposed to give it to Rocky!"

"Yeah, but I'll nevew fowget how he got Wocky! He was giving Chase some eye drops after we all hovewed awound them, and when Wocky wasn't paying attention, Mawshall got him in the blink of an eye and when we looked at Mawshall, he blew on it like a gun and that did it for us, even Chase! I tell you Skye, that was the most funniest thing I had evew seen! We laughed and laughed and laughed so hawd! Just-hehe-like-hehaha-we awe-hahaha-wight now!"

The two fell on the ground laughing so hard, you would've thought the Joker from Batman let off laughing gas near them. Tears escaped their eyes as the memory of Marshall's mishap and redemption got to them.

The two's laughter started to die down as Zuma let out. "Heheheheh. Man Skey. I miss that pup too much."

"Y-Yeah. I miss him too." Skye responded. But she was not laughing anymore. She was whimpering. "I-I miss him so much." She started to sob, as Zuma inched over and hugged her side, while sad tears escaped him as well.

They spent a good minute crying on each other for their friend. It was hard to believe that it had been five months since they lost a brother.

"Zuma? Do….Do you think he's proud of me? Of how I'm doing? Do you think that he's happy with me filling in for him?" Skye asked with little confidence.

Zuma smiled at the cockapoo. "Of course he is Skye. You do a pwetty good job Skye, in my book, and you know him. He's probably full of ten "

Skye gave a smile back to her friend. "Thanks, Zuma. You know, you're doing a good job yourself. Taking up on fire pup duties." Skye brought up.

"But Skye. I haven't had many jobs to pwoove my wowth. Thewe hasn't been a fiwe since that day." Zuma replied.

"Don't be like that Zuma, you still have been rescuing climbing ladders and rescuing people from high up, and you've been a natural." Skye cheered.

"I just can't believe that I got it at all." Zuma mentioned in a sad tone. "I thought fow suwe he'd give it to Chase."

"I did so as well, but he gave it to you, because he felt you could do it." Skye said, with a smile.

"Ow because being a police pup and a fiwe pup would be too much on Chase." Zuma let out. "At least that's what Wydew told Chase when he asked him why he got totally snubbed. I thought Chase would never fowgive me."

Skye smirked at Zuma. "Zuma, the only reason he had a problem with it, was because he thought you were doing it out of spite. Remember? When you were mad at him for almost four months?"

Zuma let out a sad sigh. He felt like a complete jerk for being mad at Chase for so long. Filling in for Marshall nearly pushed Chase away from him forever, with Chase feeling the same way he felt about him. Thankfully, it had been put to bed a long time ago. Chase and Zuma were closer than ever before, but not without scars.

"I don't want to talk about it wight now Skye, I just want to go to sleep wight now, and get wid of this migraine."

"Understood Zuma." Skye replied as she rises to her feet while Zuma does the same. "Now go to your pupu house and rest. I'll come check on you after a while."

"My pleasuwe Skye." Zuma replied with a smile.

Skye bounded off to the lookout to report to Ryder. As soon as she was out of sight, he made no effort to get in his puphouse. Instead, he was looking down the hill, going towards the bridge, where Ryder's garage was.

Despite his injuries and wanting to crash in his puphouse, Zuma wanted...no he needed to talk to Rocky right now.

Skye knocked on Ryder's door with her nerves driven way up than usual. Even though she knew it was Ryder, she felt that she was about to speak to a hard headed judge.

She was there to give the update on Zuma, but what she was really there for, was a proposal that Ryder would definitely won't go with right away. To allow Chase to sleep with her at night, so Chase wouldn't be alone with his nightmares.

A valiant effort by Skye to help Chase, but considering all Ryder knew about their relationship and the restrictions he laid down for them, it was near impossible.

Ryder easily found out about them not long after Chase confessed to Skye. In fact it was only a month later that he did. He caught them making out away from the others during one of Adventure Bay's celebrations that the pups help set up. This one being the first cornerstone laid for the new city hall that was being built.

It was a classic instance where Chase and Skye slipped by everyone and thought they were being sneaky, but Ryder immediately caught on once he noticed that they were missing. He found them in the alley, kissing, not noticing him until he made his presence known to the both of them, resulting in thousands of sorrys from a very guilty Chase. Ryder immediately ordered them to his office at the lookout, with him closely behind.

He wasted no time laying down the law with them in his office. First telling them that he had no problem with them being together, and wasn't mad at them for keeping it a secret. Which in turn finally made Chase relax, after panicking since Ryder found them. Then he strictly stated that since they were still young, he was going to lay some ground rules for them to follow.

First, don't bring their relationship to the job. This one was more for their sake than it was for Ryder's. Although their feelings could make their teamwork stronger, it could just as easily put them in danger as well. Ryder couldn't have been more grateful and relieved when Chase and Skye stated that they trusted each other to be safe, but it wouldn't help to be more safe.

Second, There was a time and place for their love to show. While Ryder didn't mind them hugging, nuzzling, and kissing (to an extent), they still had to watch themselves when they were in public and even in front of the pups. They could hug, lick, and nuzzle anywhere, but unless they were at the lookout and no pup was watching them, kissing was strongly prohibited. Ryder would've never even given them that, had Chase and Skye not beg him to ease up a little on it. Mostly because every kiss could lead to Chase and Skye going further, which brings us to the last rule Ryder enforced.

Chase and Skye were very uncomfortable when Ryder talked to them about….mating. Ryder himself was uncomfortable with it, but he felt he had to, so the two were aware of the consequences. Chase and Skye swore on their lives that they didn't ever think about doing such a thing, nor would they see themselves mating in the near future. Unfortunately, this led to the rule that Skye was challenging today. Never under any circumstances would they be allowed to sleep with each other. A harsh rule yes, but it was the only way Ryder could be sure that nothing would happen.

Since that day, Chase and Skye have been walking the line very carefully, following Ryder's rules with no exception. They were just happy that Ryder allowed them to be together, so they didn't even challenge Ryder and try to be clever. There were some instances of course, where they were wrapped up in the moment, but the pups had their backs with that.

But now, Skye was looking at Ryder's door like it was a tall, steep mountain she had to climb, and she had no climbing gear to help her. This could end in so many ways, Skye hoped that one of them wouldn't at least be so bad.

Skye struck it odd that Ryder hadn't answered yet after she knocked. She thought about coming back later, figuring that Ryder wasn't in his office. She knocked a little harder this time. Somewhat hoping that he wouldn't answer.

After a few seconds, Skye finally got a response. "Oh….s-sorry. Come in."

Skye slowly opened the door, and walked in, seeing Ryder sit back behind his desk. She saw him take his headphones off and look at her with an inviting smile. Despite this, Skye still felt that he was more like a judge sitting behind his bench.

"Hey Skye. Is Zuma okay?"

Skye shook her head to get out of her thoughts. She had somewhat forgotten about her report on Zuma. "Oh y-yean. More or less. The only thing is that he has a sizable bruise on his side, and…..he got a concussion from Wally hitting him."

The second Skye said concussion, Ryder's face fell like a ton of bricks. Skye instantly took notice, and tried to reassure him. "He's okay Ryder. He just needs rest for a few days and as long as he is relegated to light duty, he should be fine.

Ryder closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "That's great to hear Skye. I'll try not to call on Zuma much for the next few days. Please keep an eye on him and let me know if anything changes."

"Of course Ryder. Not to worry. Zuma is a strong pup." Skye said with a smile.

Ryder cracked a smile at her. "I know he is Skye. I just….." His smile went as fast as it appeared. "I don't like any of you getting hurt. Especially on my watch, and here lately, we've been slacking a little on your pup's safety."

Skye whimpered in fear. "Oooh Ryder. Please don't bring the power points back. I swear I'll jump off a cliff if I have to look at them again."

Ryder let out a muffled chuckle. "Don't worry girl. I won't go that far. I just think I need to pay more attention and be more aware of you pups on the job. So…...I don't' lose any more of you."

A moment of silence filled the air after that. Skye and Ryder had their eyes to the floor at the thought of one of them joining Marshall.

"I'll tell the other's to be more careful Ryder. It's no use for you in keeping us safe, if we're not watching or tails as well." Skye announced trying to steer away from the gruesome subject.

Ryder smiles again. "Of course Skye. That will make it a little less stressful for me. If that is all, you can run along now."

Skye stood in place, debating on whether or not to go through with the real reason she was here. She felt like leaving and to just choose another time, when she was more confident, but she couldn't. There was no more night Skye could allow Chase to suffer through anymore, and if she had to speak out to Ryder, she would do her best to.

"There's….something else Ryder." Skye breathed.

Ryder looked at Skye very intrigued. "Eh? There is? Well, what is it Skye?"

Skye swallowed a ball down her throat. "It's….Chase, Ryder. He's….still having nightmares….almost every night."

Ryder didn't need to see Skye's tears to feel the weight of the situation. "I….see. Do you know what they are about?"

Skye sniffled and whimpered through. "I do…..Ryder. It's either his father, Marshall, or even both of them. From what he told me, they're really horrible, to the point where I think that he's too scared of even going to bed at night."

"That's…...very troubling to hear Skye. I wish we could do something permanent I could do for him, but the only thing we can do is be there for him, Skye." Ryder reluctantly stated. "We could counsel him, but that's the best we could do. I can even get Katie to help us, and watch him sleep, but we need our sleep too Skye. So….it won't be fixed right away, but I'll definitely try to help Chase as much as I can."

"I'm sure you and Katie will try your best. But…..I think there's something I can do to at least help him get through the night." Skye revealed.

Ryder looked with curiosity. "Oh? There is? Well then, out with it girl. I'm open to all ideas."

Skye's heart rate sped up at each word. "I…..I think if Chase starts sleeping with…..me…..It would keep his mind off of Marshall and his dad, and more on me. So he can stop having nightmares so much."

Ryder was shocked as much as Skye thought he would be. She just wished anger wasn't mixed in. "SSSSkye...I…"

"I know it's against your wishes, but I wouldn't even be saying this to you if I wasn't sure it would help him. He can't sleep by himself Ryder. He's terrified to. He feels like every night he goes to bed, he's up against something that wants to torture him. He comes to my puphouse almost every night or I will go over to his by himself, and he tells me how scared and pathetic he was in his dream. It's sad Ryder. Just plain sad, and he suffers through it every night! I don't want him to suffer through another night. I ask you, no I beg you, please let us sleep together. I promise to the moon and back that we will never go as far as that. I just want to help him through the night, I swear….that's all!"

Skye gazed at Ryder with her eyes welled up at the maximum. She was panting as she said every word in very few breaths, hoping that Ryder would see what she saw.

Ryder took a very long time to ponder Skye's proposal. Making Skye have a near heart attack, waiting for him to respond. Ryder then got up from his seat, and turned away from her, gazing out the window that was behind his desk.

Then, after a few more heart pulling moments, he finally responded. "Do you really think it would help him Skye?"

Skye gasped in shock. She expected a strong resistance. Maybe…. there's a chance. "Ye-Yes sir. I'm positive." Skye answered. Gaining more confidence with each word she spoke. "I don't think it would make them all go away overnight, I think it's effective enough to start off."

Another long pause until Ryder spoke sternly. "Can I trust you and Chase enough?"

Skye stood with all the confidence she had. "Ye…"

"I don't even know why I even bothered to ask Skye. Of course I can." Ryder intercepted. Turning around with a small, trustful smile. Surprising the bejeezus out of Skye. "You two have been such good pups and very respective of my authority. Both of you haven't complained once and walked as straight as you could. The only reason you're asking for a change is to help each other. I've got to say, I'm very impressed and proud of you both. I couldn't be more obliged to allow you two to start sleeping together. Just as long as you can promise me that you two can control yourselves."

Joy filled Skye's heart, as her tail wagged furiously. Despite her excitement showing, Skye acted as calm as she could. "I promise Ryder. On my parent's air show I will! Oh you won't regret this Ryder. You're the best!"

Skye couldn't hold excitement much longer, as she jumped up for Ryder to catch her. When she did, Skye licked Ryder's face many times before she cuddled in his arms. Happy that she could finally be Chase's shield as much as he was to her. "Thank you so much Ryder. I just hope it will be enough to help Chase."

"Don't worry Skye. If what you said is true, I think it will be more than enough for him."

There was nothing more that Zuma wanted to just go lay down in his pup house, and sleep his pounding headache away. But he couldn't will himself to do that, until he talked to his best friend Rocky.

Had it been any other time, Zuma wouldn't even hesitate to catch some z's, but for the past few days, Rocky has been very exclusive to himself to say the least. Whenever Zuma offered to spend the day with him, or help him with whatever he was working on, Rocky would decline with no real reason and would brush him off.

Zuma felt easily more worried than he should. Rocky usually didn't keep to himself very often. At least that's what Zuma thought of him. But he knew deep down inside the mixed pup, that his grief for Marshall was as strong as ever. It may have been six months. Since, but it was definitely still there. If Zuma still had it, he knew for sure Rocky did as well.

The thing is….how strong was it?

Zuma arrived at the open garage door with a painful smile. In the garage was of course his very good friend, on task with a big contraption that Zuma hadn't seen before. Made out of scrap metal, a motor(?), and a seat for one, sitting on two surfboards. Parallel with each other.

Zuma grinned at this with a raised eyebrow. "So that's whewe my suwfboawds went."

Rocky yelped in surprise as he looked at Zuma. "Zuma! You're not supposed to see this yet!"

Zuma would've laughed hard, but his headache kept him to a light chuckle. "Sowwy dude. Just couldn't wesist seeing such a good looking face."

"Good looking?" Rocky blurted out with a light blush.

Zuma chuckled more. He was just teasing him. Didn't mean much of it….maybe. "What? I can't call you good looking?"

"N-No. I-I just didn think you thought that much of me." Rocky stuttered out without thinking.

"What kind of talk is that dude?" Zuma piped back. "Of couwse I do. Youw my best fweind."

"And you are mine." Rocky charmed, before he looked back at his contraption. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag right now. You're probably wondering what that is."

"Not weally to be honest. I just wanna know what my suwfboawds and doing thewe." Zuma said, playing it up.

"Hey! You haven't used those Surfboards in months, and you have a new one Ryder got for you on your birthday! Fair game after that, pal!" Rocky defended.

"That may be twue dude, but don't I have a say in it?" Zuma replied with a grin.

Rocky flattened his ears and whimpered. "Your-Your right Zuma. Sorry pal."

Zuma laughed. "I'm just teasing you dude. You know I don't mind you using my old boawds. Just as long as you don't take my cuwwent one. What awe you building anyway? It looks like a boat ow something."

"Well….that's exactly what it's supposed to be, Zuma, but I might as well tell you since you know too much." Rocky said with a whimper. "It's a boat for me to use, so I can go out on the water with you."

Zuma was struck with curiosity by that. "G-Go out on the watew with me? I thought you hated the watew."

Rocky smiled at the lab. "I don't hate water pal, I just hate getting wet. I'm fine with being on the water. But being in it? Ugh. just the thought makes me sick. Yuck!"

Zuma started to laugh at Rocky's statement, but ended up wincing and groaning at the pain in his head.

"Zuma? Hey, are you alright pal?" Rocky asked, moving forward to his grunting friend. "Come to think of it, you don't look so good. Are you okay?"

After the pain subsided, Zuma replied with a groan. "Yeah dude, I just had a pwetty eventful wescue today. Skye said that I got a…..conclusion? Confasuion? Ow was it concussion? I don't wemembew what she said."

Rocky's eyes went wide. "What?! You had a concussion?! Oh man Zuma! What happened to you?!"

"Well wally popped me in the nose earlier and I cwashed into the flounder. Now I have a headache that won't go away and a bruise on my body that huwts."

"You should be at your pup house resting, Zuma. What are you doing here?" Rocky blurted out, deeply concerned for his friend.

"I will Wocky, I will. I just….wanted to come talk to you dude." Zuma answered.

"Why? Were you worried about me or something?" Rocky asked.

"Of course I was wowwied about you dude." Zuma answered, annoyed "You've been avoiding me all week. I thought something was wong."

Rpclu was a little puzzled "No….nothing's wrong. I was just avoiding you so I could work on your surprise without you knowing. That's all. What did you think was wrong with me?"

Zuma winced a bit as he sat in front of the us and concerned mixed breed. 'Well...I...I thought you were depwessed, about Mawshall."

Rocky was as still as a tree at Zuma's mention of Rocky's first friend he hadn't seen in so long. "Of course you would think that pal." he walked back to his project without saying another word, leaning on the workbench.

Fearing that he may have pushed him away, Zuma reached out to him. "Wocky I didn't mean to bwing him up. I just thought…"

"There's nothing wrong with you bringing him up, Zuma. He was your friend too. I just want you to understand that I won't fall in the same trap that almost consumed me. Nor will I end up like Chase." Rocky muttered, not looking at Zuma until he slowly turned to him with a sad determined face. "I miss Marshall more than you think I do, and I would give anything to see his face or even talk to him again, but I'm not going to screw my life up chasing my sorrows. Zuma. In fact I feel as good as I ever will be."

Zuma smiled warmly at his friend with tears. "That's…...so amazing to heaw Wocky. It's such a welief to know that youw okay, and that youw not pushing me or anyone away from you. I believe in you dude."

Rocky gave a smile back. "Thanks Zuma, I'm sorry if you feel that I don't give you enough credit."

"It's all totally cool dude." Zuma beamed. "I just can't wait to totally school you on the watew with my hovewcwaft."

Rocky chuckled confidently. "I wouldn't talk so much pal. You really don't know what I'm capable of."

Zuma turned to walk away. "Well just have to see dude." He then started to walk away, leaving Rocky with his boat.

But before he could walk any farther, he heard Zuma call out to him. "Zuma….can I tell you something?"

Zuma turned around and sat down with a wince. "Suwe dude. What's up?"

"I know I said…..that I won't chase after my sorrows and hang on, but….there's something that's been on my mind for a while about Marshall's death, and I feel like I need to tell you."

A sharp gasp ran through Zuma's lungs in response. What could he possibly need to say about Marshall's death? "Wh-What do you need to say Wocky?"

Rocky looked down at the table and stayed silent for a long minute, before he drew a deep breath, and looked straight at Zuma, with as much confidence in the words he said. "I don't think Marshall's dead."

Zuma's ears shot up to the sky. "Wh-Wh-What?!"

"Marshall's not dead, Zuma, I truly believe that."

Truly…...believe?

"Wo-Wocky. You-You've got to be pulling my leg. Mawshall died. He didn't make it out." Zuma pointed out grimly. "Thewe was know way he could've gotten out."

"We didn't find a body, Zuma." Rocky countered. "We didn't find anything."

"Well….y-yeah, I know we didn't, but that's because he…..he…..he was…"

"If you say what I think you're saying, it's impossible." Rocky took over. "There was not enough time for Marshall to be burnt to ashes and we would've definitely found something when we searched. But we didn't. We found nothing. Not even his pup pack. I'm telling you Zuma, he could be out there right now!"

"Wocky, If Mawshall somehow suwvived the fiwe, where is he?!" Zuma blurted out. "Where would has he been fow an entiwe yeaw, and why hasn't he came home?!"

"Well…..I…...I….I….I uh...I haven't gotten that far yet." Rocky stumbled.

"Thought so." Zuma responded.

"Zuma…you've got to….."

"Wocky, please." Zuma went on. "I'm having a vewy hawd time following you because Mawshall isn't here. He would've went stwaight to us, the minute he wan out the building. Why would he not be hewe?"

Rocky's confidence filled back up, but his voice dropped low. "What if….he didn't want to come back."

Zuma twitched. "Wha-huh?"

"What if…...he thought that we left him to die…in that fire."

The lab's heart nearly twisted off it's strings at what Rocky was saying. "Wo….Wo..Wocky? Youw saying that Mawshall…...faked his death and….wa-wan away?"

Rocky kept his stare on. "I'm sorry to cut it like that, but that's the only thing I can think of. Marshall realized that Chase and Skye left him in that building to burn, and he felt like he was abandoned. By everyone."

Zuma stood in silence as tears were forming in his eyes at the mere thought of Marshall feeling betrayed. It can't be true. IT CAN'T BE. "n-n-no. I-I refuse to believe that! Mawshall loved us. He thought the wowld of us! Thewe is no way in any univewse that Mawshall would evew feel that we didn't care about him, now will he evew believe that Wyder would just leave him. How could you evew think that he would evew wun away fwom us!"

Zuma put all his beliefs about Marshall in his statement. Not accepting that Marshall would ever even think of leaving everyone in such a horrible state. But to Zuma's complete shock and horror, Rocky deadpanned him.

"He's done it before."

All the air around the water pup was stolen from him. He's dead right. Marshall ran away from his parents. Not because felt unloved, but because he felt that he was a burden on his parents. Rocky….made sense. But just because he made sense, doesn't mean it's the truth.

"I undewstand that Mawshall was youw fiwst fweind. I know that thewe was a time befowe where you thought he was dead, but two yeaws later, he wasn't, and I also undewstand that thewe is some funny stuff about Mawshall's death. But…...I can never believe that Mawshall would just wun away from us on a whim." Zuma stood up.

"Look pal. I don't want to believe it either, but it all points to…."

"No dude. Youw going down a wocky woad that I can't follow you on. Youw awe in full denial that Mawshall is gone that you awe twying to find any way for youw theowys to make sense. But none of it is twue. Not by a longshot." Zuma's eyes were gushing out tears as he went on. "You need to accept it Wocky. You need to let Mawshall go."

Zuma stood with reluctant confidence. It was a hard reality check for the mixed breed to take, but the Lab thought he needed to say it. Rocky was stuck in the past.

All Zuma wanted to see was Rocky to admit it.

"Get out."

"What?" Zuma had to inch his ears close to hear Rocky.

"Get out of my face, right now." Rocky growled.

Zuma couldn't believe what he heard. "Wo-Wocky. What.."

"GO AWAY!"

Rocky's sudden enraged voice felt like a nuke in Zuma's heart, along with the face he was giving him. Out of true fright, Zuma ran out of the garage, the adrenaline in him powering through his pain. Tears splashing out of his eyes as he shot into his puphouse, where he collapsed to the floor, sobbing like a little puppy.

(A/N): Ooooh nooo...ooooh nooo...ooooh nooo... Zuma and Rocky seemed to have broke away in the matter of minutes! What will become of this? What does this mean for their friendship, and is Rocky...right?

Find out next time, when Chapter 29: Watching a Songbird, is uploaded next friday!

Question of the Chapter: If Marshall had the chance, do you think he would run away like Rocky said?

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!