Chapter 23: Home (Three Weeks Later: In the South Station On a Sunny Day)

Time has passed ever since Marshall became a part of the station. Ever since then, he had only been assigned to guard the station while the others were out saving the day, and today was no different. Every day, he wondered if they'll ever need his help on the road, but until then, all he could do was wait. It was a quiet afternoon. As Marshall waited near a window, he noticed an unusual thumping noise coming from the walls that lead into the pantry.

"Hmmm? What was that?" He called out but received no response. Slowly, he began to shake in fear as he followed where the sound was coming from.

"Is… Is someone there? "He shivered before putting a small bucket over his head. "I-I'm warning you…!" He wasn't the best guard dog, but he knew if he wanted everyone to trust him, he would have to get used to walking into possible danger. "A-Alright, you asked for it…!" He shouted before opening the door and noticing a huge raccoon looking for food.

Hisss!

"Ahhhh!" Marshall screamed before trying to whack it with the bucket. The raccoon noticed it was in danger. It tried to escape through its entrance, but the way was blocked due to its mess. With nowhere left to go, it quickly jumped out of the pantry, causing multiple plastic peanut butter jars to fall and break on the floor.

"H-Hey! Get back here!" Marshall barked before throwing the bucket at its head, causing it to run into the wall, and collapse dizzy. As Marshall carefully approached it, he noticed something unusual. Although it was afraid, it was no longer trying to run away from him. Its facial expression said it all. It was ready to accept its fate. As the raccoon covered its eyes, Marshall quickly noticed what was going on, and backed away a little scared.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Wait! I'm not going to kill you or anything!"

Hiss!

"R-Right… The bucket… I'm sorry."

Hiss!

"Umm…" Marshall stammered before looking around. "H-Here, let me get you something for that."

Grrr…

3 minutes later…

"O-Okay! I found a first-aid kit and an ice pack, but I'm not sure if any of these will help…" He said as he tried to carefully place the pack on its head.

Hiss!

"W-Wait! I'm just trying to-!" Marshall cried before the raccoon bit his front leg. "Ouch! O-Okay… I kind of deserved that…"

Grrr…

"Hmm… Maybe I should try something different," He thought to himself before looking at the broken peanut butter jars on the floor. "Ah-ha! It was looking for food, so maybe it'll eat this!" The raccoon remained cautious as Marshall gathered the peanut butter with his paw.

Grrr…

"H-Here… Will this be okay?" He asked as the raccoon stood up and started licking his paw "Yeah! There you go! Nice and easy…." Marshall smiled as he used his other paw to carefully press the ice pack on its head. "Geez, we really made a mess, now didn't we?"

Mmmweraaaaabbbb….

"Heh… I guess you wouldn't mind either way. It'll be a waste to just throw it out," He sighed as the raccoon stopped and started eating off the floor instead. Marshall quickly washed his paws before looking back at the broken jars. Out of curiosity, he took some as well "Hmm… It's not bad. Maybe we can finish it before the others come back!"

Puuuurrrrrr!

10 minutes later…

"Alright… I don't think I can eat anymore!" Marshall sighed as the raccoon kept on eating. Geez! You're a hungry one, aren't ya? No wonder you were sneaking around!"

Reababababa!

" Heh heh! It's too bad they won't let me keep you. At least I think…" He said before hearing the fire truck pull in. "Wait, they're back already!? Quick! You've gotta hide before they see you!"

Purrrrr…

"Yeah, I know! I'll see if I can sneak you some food any time! Now run along!" Marshall said as he helped it climb through a window. He quickly slammed it shut as Zen and Nico walked in.

"Ugh… What a waste of time," Zen sighed as Marshall quickly sat down.

"H-Hey, guys! How'd it go?" Marshall nervously smiled.

"It's none of your business. Don't worry about it," Nico replied as he took off his uniform.

"Hey, don't say it like that! He's one of us now!" Lorenzo walked in before petting Marshall. "Everything turned out just fine! The leak was fixed, but it could have easily been avoided. What about you? Did you find anything while we were out?"

"Uhhh! N-No! N-Nothing worth checking in on!" Marshall nervously replied as Bruce entered the room covering his nose.

"Phew, it's like something died in here! What is that stench!?" He complained as Zen looked around.

"I don't smell anything," She answered.

"Yeah, me neither. You sure it's not your breath?" Nico asked.

"You saw me brushing my teeth before we left!" Bruce shouted angrily.

"Don't mean you did a good job," Zen replied before heading back to the office.

"Pshhhh… Whatever," Bruce sighed as he noticed Marshall was slightly sweating.

"Heh heh! You guys are funny, honestly! Anyways, why don't you take a little break, Marshall? You've probably been busy all day, haven't you?"

"Oh! Umm…! Y-Yes! It was very tiring! I think I'm gonna take a nap before I get a headache! I-I'll be in my corner if you need me!" Marshall stammered before running off as Bruce lifted an eyebrow.

"Heh heh! Looks like everything is working out great, right, Bruce?"

"I don't know… It feels like he's hiding something," Bruce mentioned.

Nah, he's just nervous! Weren't you like that when you first joined?"

"Well yeah, except I was… Oh never mind. I'll just go make a sandwich," He sighed before opening the pantry. "Hmm… I could have sworn I bought peanut butter last week…"

(5 days later: In the South Roseville Park)

It was a normal sunny day, where Marshall found himself alone at the park. Lorenzo had promised to play with him, but once he started talking with an old friend, he kind of forgot Marshall existed.

"He'll probably remember eventually…" He thought to himself as he sat down next to a tree. Suddenly the sound of sniffing could be heard from nearby. Marshall looked around, but couldn't find anything.

"Hmm… They're around here somewhere," A voice said as it got closer to Marshall.

"Now, Chase, don't get yourself lost, right?" Lorenzo's friend shouted out.

"I won't!" He replied before noticing Marshall. "Oh, cool! I knew someone was here!"

"O-Oh! Umm… H-Hi," Marshall greeted nervously.

"Hello! What are you doing all the way over here?"

"Uhh... You know… Just waiting."

"Waiting? For what?"

"M-My owners. They've been talking with that guy for a while, so I'm just waiting for them to finish so we can play."

"That guy…? Oh! He's my owner, Todd! He told me he used to talk with those guys after he retired from the police station. You're the firefighters, correct?"

"Y-Yeah, how did you know?"

"Heh heh! He told me a lot about you guys! It must be awesome being a fire pup!"

"Well… It's something." Marshall sighed.

"Hey, is something wrong?"

"No…It's just… a lot different than what I was expecting."

"Well, what did you expect?

"I don't know… Everyone always told me I'd get to be a big help to the city, but so far, all I've been doing is guarding our station. I mean, don't get me wrong! I like helping out at the station, it's just… different from what I trained for…"

"Training, huh? Say, were you part of the academies?" Chase asked.

"... Are you some kind of all-knowing wizard or something?"

"Heh heh! No, of course not! My brothers used to go there too! They said it was like the place where all the best and brightest go to train!"

"Yeah…? Well, maybe everyone just took pity on me…"

"What? Awww, come on, don't be like that! I can tell you've put in a lot of effort to get to where you are right now! I mean, why else would you be a part of a station?"

"I don't know... They probably had their reasons, but I never asked them."

"Well, think of it this way. You have potential, otherwise, you wouldn't have made it this far! And if you want them to see it, then you've just gotta show them that you can handle even more than what they give you! It's like… Proving your worth, and taking risks! That sort of thing."

"You really think I can do it?"

"I know you can! Trust me. It might take some time, but a little patience can go a long way," Chase smiled.

"Hey, Chase! Where are you at? We're leaving!" Todd's voice could be heard from a distance.

"Coming!" He replied before looking back at Marshall. "Well, I guess that's my cue to get going! I'll see you around!"

"Oh! O-Okay! Thanks!" Marshall replied as Chase ran off. "Hmm… Proving my worth, huh? I think I can handle that…"

"Hey, Marshall! You ready?" Lorenzo's voice called out.

"Oh boy!" He barked as his tail started wagging.

Five months later: (At a hotel conference room near the station with the Firefighters, excluding Marshall and Nico…)

"Alright, so that concludes the meeting for this month," The chief concluded. "Is there anything else you guys would like to discuss?"

"Umm… Actually, there's something that's been bothering me recently, and I don't think anyone is going to do something about it until I say something so… here it goes, " Zen announced before clearing her throat. "Alright, so it's been a while since Lorenzo got that stupid dog, and I've gotta say, it's been a major liability."

"Wait, what...?!" Lorenzo gasped as the others looked away.

"I mean, yeah, sure, it's been keeping the station safe, but if that's the only thing you're going to make him do, then you should have just relied on the security cameras instead."

"Umm… Yeah, I'd like to add on to that," Bret followed. "I've also noticed that he's been feeding himself lately, so what's up with that? You haven't been taking care of him, Lorenzo?"

"I…! I have! I just… keep on forgetting sometimes…" Lorenzo replied.

"You know… for being the person who really wanted that dog, he doesn't care as much as I thought he would…" Bruce thought to himself.

"You hear that, guys? He forgot!" Zen scoffed. "Honestly, I hope you don't plan on having children in the future."

"That's enough!" The chief interrupted as Zen went silent. "Okay, it seems like you have your work cut out for you, so I expect you to figure this out. Especially you, Lorenzo!"

"Yes sir," Lorenzo sighed.

"Alright then, let's start packing up."

"Phew! All this talking has put me in the mood for some coffee. Anyone wanna tag along?" Bret asked.

"Sure! As long as you're paying for it," Zen joked as Bret rolled his eyes.

"Ugh… Fine, but only this one time. Anyone else?"

"Wha… I was kidding, but alright! Guess I might as well."

"Ummm, I'll catch up with you guys in a bit. I need to go check out something in the station," Bruce replied before walking away.

"Alright then, suit yourself! Come on, Bret! Let's go!" Zen waved before pulling on Bret's arm.

"… Are you sure you're not bipolar?" Bret asked as they left the hotel.

At the fire station...

30 minutes had passed ever since Bruce left the conference room. As soon as he entered the station, he noticed an odd smell coming from the kitchen but decided not to check it out yet. Before entering the office, he paused a thought to himself.

"Wait… Why did I come here again?" He wondered as the smell grew stronger. "Okay, what the hell is that smell!?"

"Alright, Madame Coony, it took a while this time, but your monthly frogs for you and your new cubs have arrived!" Marshall's voice could be heard from the kitchen.

"What is he doing…?" Bruce wondered as he turned his head.

Purrrrr...

"Yeah… I know they're a little sticky, but I think they should be edible! I mean, it doesn't say to feed to wild raccoons," Marshall smiled as the mother raccoon fed her children.

"Dissecting kits? When did he get all those? And how…. And what's with the raccoons!?" Bruce thought to himself as he was about to walk in.

"You know, it's kind of funny… Heh heh... To think I'd be losing my mind if you guys weren't here. I'll admit, it gets really lonely whenever nobody's around, but that's why I'm glad you're around! The others would probably kick me out if they ever noticed, but don't worry! We've still got some time left before they come back!" Marshall explained as Bruce remained out of sight. "Maybe one day, I'll try to explain it to them. Who knows…? These last few months have been hard, but if I keep this up, then I'll be working with them in no time! Oooooh, just thinking about it is getting me all excited! Oh, I know! Maybe I should throw them like some kind of appreciation party! What do you guys think?"

Reababababa!

"Yeah… I know I should have been used to them by now, but honestly, I can't help it! Despite me always being a total klutz, they still chose me to be a part of their team because they knew I had potential! Or… At least I think they did. Either way, I'm just happy to be here, because now, it feels like I'm finally one step closer to becoming the best fire pup in the world! So, what should I do…?" Marshall pondered as Bruce took a step back. Regardless of Marshall not being his responsibility, he couldn't help but feel bad due to the real reason Lorenzo picked him.

"Oh geez…" He whispered as Marshall scratched his ear.

"Phew! All of this thinking is making me tired! I'm gonna take a leak real quickly. Be right back!" Marshall told the raccoons as Bruce moved out of the way so he could remain out of sight.

"I…. I think I'm just gonna let this one slide for now…" He decided before returning to the office.

3 days later…

It was a quiet afternoon on a sunny day. There, Marshall laid in a corner half asleep as Bruce, Zen, and Bret were playing in the background. A few moments later, a loud engine sound could be heard from across the street.

"Who the hell...!?" Zen mumbled as Bruce and Bret turned their heads.

"Heh… Sounds like they're having fun," Bret chuckled as Zen cringed.

"How does that sound like any fun?"

"Kind of sounded like they're testing an engine," Bruce said.

"Well, they better keep it down before I lose an eardrum," A few seconds later…

BEEP! BEEP!

"Wha-! Wha-! Wha!? I-I didn't break anything! I swear!" Marshall blurted out as he woke up.

"Screw it! I'm going to my dorm!" Zen fumed as Bret looked out the window and noticed a red sports car with someone familiar in the driver's seat.

"Wait a minute… Is that Nico!?" He gasped as Lorenzo approached the window from outside."

"Hey, guys! Come check this out!" He called for them as Bruce stood up.

"Well, this should be interesting…" He thought to himself as he went outside and noticed Nico with a huge smile on his face.

"So, what do you guys think?" He beamed as Bret approached him.

"Whoa! When did you get enough to buy this?!" He asked.

"Well, you know how I've been saving up over the last five years? Here is the result! My very own Solstice 860!"

"The latest model and the interior are insane!" Lorenzo said as Marshall walked outside with a confused look.

"I don't get it. What's so special about a car?" He wondered as Lorenzo turned to him.

"You mean you've never heard of a Solstice before? It's literally one of the most expensive cars in the country!"

"Well, top five to be exact," Nico followed. "Yep… This bad boy cost me about $117k! And don't even get me started on the insurance."

"What? You didn't pay it off or something?" Bret asked.

"No, I did! I just… Might have cussed out the workers."

"For what!?" Bruce gasped.

"... Let's not get into details! A-Anyways, anyone wanna go for a ride some time?"

"Ehh… Who knows? We've still got a lot of stuff to take care of, so probably not today," Bret replied.

"Oh, alright. That's cool. Just let me know if you guys need anything, and I'll probably lend a hand."

"Uhhh, actually, I was supposed to take Zen out to the store later on, so if you don't mind…" Bruce smiled.

"Yeah… No. The last thing I want to hear is her complaining about the engine," Nico sighed.

"Good thing he wasn't here earlier," Bret thought to himself before walking forward. "Well, in that case, there's another community event going on near the city hall. You know what that means."

"Geez…How much advice do they want us to give these people? I mean, It's not like they listen anyway."

"Well, it's better than nothing! Besides, it's not like we're reaching out to the same people every time," Lorenzo followed.

"Yeah, well it kind of feels like we are…"

"Then… Why don't we try killing two birds with one stone?" Bret suggested. "It's been a while since we've done physical training as a team, so why don't we jog over there?"

"Now you're talking! I'll go get dressed!"

"Well, I guess we'll do our own jog after we're done," Bruce said.

"Sounds like a plan! Let's get to it!" Bret smiled before walking inside.

"Are you sure leaving it out here is a good idea? You're next to a lamppost, so birds might probably poop all over it, " Lorenzo asked Nico.

"Ehh, I'm sure it'll be fine," He replied as Marshall looked at the ground with determination.

"One of these days, I'll get to go with them!" He thought to himself with a smile before following them inside.

2 hours later with Marshall inside the station…

"Alright, there's no sign of trouble here, and I've still got some time left before Madame Cooney and her cubs come back, so what should I do…?" He said to himself before staring out the window and noticing a few owners walking their dogs. "Hmm… I guess it wouldn't be fair if I was the only one not doing physical training. Maybe I should get my own thing going! But what would I be doing…?" He wondered before staring at the equipment closet. "Well, Brian always said I was going to do some heavy lifting in the future, so maybe I should get started right now. Yeah... I bet I could make an obstacle course out front with all the stuff we don't use! Now let's see… I could probably use some of these hoses… Oh! This crate looks nice! Umm… nope, that's too heavy… Oh! Bricks! Okay, I think this should be enough stuff! Time to get it all set up!"

45 minutes later… (With Bruce and Zen near the driveway)

"Geez, I can't believe you wasted all of that time doing absolutely nothing. I mean, look at the time! We're already late!" Bruce complained as they pulled up on the driveway.

"Hey, as I said, it's not my fault their registers have a habit of breaking whenever I'm next in line," Zen argued.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just hurry up and drop this stuff off so we can get over there. "

"What? It's not like they can't do it without us. Just take it easy. I'm gonna go get dressed." Zen said while ignoring Marshall's mess. "Walk away, Zen… Just walk away…"

"What's he doing this time?" Bruce thought out loud as he noticed Marshall covered in bruises while carrying a bunch of bricks on his back through the course.

"Almost… Finished…!" He coughed before reaching the end. "Phew! J-Just a few more rounds, then I should take a break…"

"He looks awful. How long has he been doing that?" He thought to himself while debating on whether or not he should approach him. "He'll be fine. I hope…"

"Ugh...W-Why is everything all fuzzy?" Marshall whispered while trying to keep his balance. "M-Maybe I should… stop for now… N-No… I can still keep going…" He mumbled before making his way back to the starting point and grabbing the last few bricks.

"Hey, Bruce? Can you come check this out?" Zen called out as Bruce stood up.

"In a minute!" He replied before looking at Marshall one last time, then heading off.

"Okay… Here I go…!" Marshall said before suddenly losing balance. "W-Whoa!" He yelped before running head-first into the lamppost and collapsing, causing the light to slowly tip over and crash into Nico's car.

CRASH!

"What was that?!" Zen shouted as Bruce turned around and noticed Marshall struggling to get up, along with the lamppost crushing the roof of the car.

"Oh no…!" He mumbled before bolting towards Marshall's direction.

"Wha… I-I did not… I-I'm so dead..." Marshall whimpered as Bruce caught up to him.

"Oh my gosh...! A-Are you okay?!"

"I… I-I... Ugh..."

"Marshall...? Marshall!?" Suddenly, darkness…