A/N:

Hey all, here's number 3 in my Pup Romance 1-shot series. Thanks to SharpDragonKlaw for a recommendation. This idea came to me quickly, which made it easy to write. I hope you like it! It's slightly different than my other one-shots.

Please leave comments and reviews, and let me know what you think! If you have any suggestions, please PM me!

Thanks again and Enjoy!

Chase carefully leaned back in his soft rocking chair and closed his eyes. He sighed and smiled to himself. His once brilliant brown fur was tinged with grey and white and the stiffness and aching in his joints was never quite relieved anymore, though he didn't mind. He opened his eyes and looked to his left; the dog sitting next to him stared eagerly into his gaze, waiting for more stories; more memories of the police pup's past glories in the PAW Patrol. The shepherd came here on a regular basis; it was a bittersweet place for Chase, leaving him both happy and somber each time he departed.

Sometimes, Chase would relive the successes of the vaunted rescue team's greatest missions, like when he stopped two of the most notorious art thieves from stealing the masterpieces from the Adventure Bay town hall. Or when he, his best friend Marshall, and crush Skye rescued six children from a burning high-rise building, before capturing the arsonists who lit the skyscraper ablaze. Or even when the entire team saved the wildlife of the serene forest from certain disaster after two punk teenagers disposed of smoldering cigarette butts while hiding their habit from their parents.

Other times, Chase would share stories about his family and his life after the PAW Patrol. When the team members grew old enough to move out on their own, they worked to identify replacements for the PAW Patrol of Adventure Bay. Chase worked closely with the other pups to interview and hand-select their proteges. After intense testing, interrogation, and physical exertion, each member appointed a new pup to take their place in the team. Ryder held a ceremony for the retiring teammates and sent them off with much fanfare. They all kept in touch, visiting each other at least once per year and meeting in Adventure Bay to celebrate their past successes.

But Chase knew the story he would share today. He smiled sadly again and looked to the dog next to him. He placed his paw on top of the other's and began his tale.

It was a chilly fall afternoon. The PAW Patrol was finishing a mission. A couple of hikers wandered off the trail in the deep woods and were separated from their group. Ryder received a call from the park rangers asking for assistance locating the missing people. Chase was tasked with locating the hikers using his spy gear, while Marshall would assist Chase before giving the hikers a check-up after they were located. The rest of the pups would hang back, ready to join if their skillset was needed.

The mission was routine from the start; Chase easily located the missing crew after a short search. He and Ryder lowered the shepherd's winch line to help pull the hikers up a small canyon they stumbled down. The pair were able to safely aid two of the three hikers and were working on the third when trouble struck. The last hiker grabbed Chase and pulled him into the canyon in a state of panic; Ryder worked fervently to free the final hiker before he focused on Chase. The poor police pup was dazed and injured, his paw sprained and his head was ringing, having banged it against a sharp rock as he fell. Dizzy, bleeding, and unable to focus, the shepherd pup wandered perilously close to the edge of the larger canyon. Ryder called Skye on his pup pad and directed the aerial rescue ace to hurry, hoping she'd be able to help save her own teammate.

Skye rushed to the forest, not realizing the severity of the mission ahead of her. By this time Marshall had examined the fallen hikers, giving them a clean bill of health. He focused his attention on keeping them near, but still kept an eye on his best friend, praying Skye would arrive soon. Minutes passed, until finally the sound of chopper blades was heard above the thick canopy of trees. Skye recognized the bright red of Marshall's fire truck and swooped downward, careful to avoid the towering pines around her. She pup-tagged Ryder, getting final instructions from him.

"Skye, lower your harness and let me strap in. Then, carefully fly over the canyon and I'll grab Chase," Ryder ordered the cockapoo.

"Wait, Chase is in trouble…" Skye thought to herself, feeling her heart rate quicken. She shook her head and refocused, "We've never lost a pup before, and we will not today…" she said silently to herself as she rapidly lowered the harness to Ryder.

Chase was still delirious and unaware of his surroundings. He stumbled closer to the edge, his paws slipping on the crumbling gravel. Unexpectedly, he lost his balance completely and plunged over the edge.

"Chase!" Ryder exclaimed exasperatedly. Skye swooped him over the canyon and lowered him down, hoping Chase somehow survived his fall. She was too worried to look; her crush may be hurt badly. "I never got to tell him how I feel…" she whimpered as a tear fell down her cheek.

"Lower, Skye! His collar is caught on a branch! We need to hurry!" Ryder yelled, struggling to grab his police pup. Skye finally peered down and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Chase hanging by his collar, unconscious, and stuck to a branch that was beginning to break. Skye flew lower, swinging Ryder towards the shepherd. Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the canyon as the branch snapped, sending Chase falling towards the rocky ground below. Skye gasped and screamed, closing her eyes as she was sure Chase was plunging to certain death.

Then, she felt her copter jerk. Skye opened her eyes slowly and peered down. She exhaled in relief when she saw the shepherd pup safely in the arms of the team leader. Ryder instructed Skye to fly them back to the top of the hill. She obliged, but her mind was in a fog. Ryder unclipped his harness and rushed Chase over to Marshall's ambulance. Skye gently landed her helicopter. She jumped out and scurried over to the rest of her team. She felt relief as she saw Chase's eyes slowly blink open; the overwhelming emotion overtook her as she burst into tears.

Ryder and Marshall guided the missing hikers back to base camp, while Skye flew home. The rest of the pups were waiting for her as she arrived; she filled them in on the mission, tearing up as she relived the near-disaster. A few minutes later, the three other members made it home. Ryder was towing Chase's police cruiser and Chase rode in the back of Marshall's ambulance. Marshall carefully helped the shepherd out of the vehicle and into the lookout. The rest of the pups followed, eager to help their injured friend. As night began to fall, Rocky, Zuma, and Rubble made their way to their pup houses, ready for bed.

Skye approached Marshall, who was still tending to his best friend. The Dalmatian let out a tired yawn, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Marshall, you should go to sleep. I'll take care of Chase tonight," Skye offered, her voice soft and gentle.

Marshall smiled and thanked Skye, before stumbling tiredly to his pup house for the night. Skye snuggled into the sleeping shepherd pup, smiling as exhaustion overtook her little body.

As the sun rose over the lookout, Chase blinked his eyes open and yawned, his head pounding. He looked down at the sleeping cockapoo next to him, confused, though oddly comforted.

"What happened…" he thought to himself as Skye stirred next to him. He began to recall the events of the previous day, his breathing hastening as the pain in his head increased. Skye sensed the police pup was awake. She blinked her eyes open, slowly lifting her head and stared into the eyes of the shepherd pup.

"Chase, you're awake," Skye said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Chase laid his head back down before he answered, "Skye, my head is killing me." He tried standing up but fell over as pain shot through his paw. He whimpered in discomfort.

"Don't stand up, Chase," Skye soothed, "I'll go get you some carprofen." Skye scurried over to the medical room and grabbed Chase some pain relief. She hurried back and handed him the chewables. Chase smiled meekly and took the medicine. A short time later, the pain began to subside. Chase sat up and moved closer to the aerial pup next to him. He nuzzled her in thanks, sending a chill down her spine. They laid together for a few minutes in silence. Chase's heart rate began to quicken. Skye felt it and looked up at the shepherd pup with a worried look on her face.

"Chase, are you OK?" she asked, her voice soft with concern.

Chase looked into her eyes and smiled warmly. He took a deep breath and calmed his nerves.

"Skye," Chase started, "you saved my life yesterday." He placed a paw over Skye's back and pulled her in closer.

"I've held this in so long, but now realize life is too short to have regrets," he continued, his pulse speeding up once again. "Skye, I think I like you…like, really like you…" he stuttered, finally admitting his feelings for the team's aerial pup.

Skye stared into Chase's eyes, her face full of surprise. Chase looked down, embarrassed, and began to chastise himself.

"Stupid me, that's all too soon. Sorry, Skye, I'm just a big dummy…" he couldn't finish his sentence as the cockapoo pup pulled him into a kiss, her lips pressed firmly up against his own. They held the kiss for minutes until both needed air. Panting, Chase looked over at Skye with disbelief and adoration.

Skye once again looked up at the shepherd and smiled. "You have no idea how long I waited for that," she shared, placing her paw on top of Chase's. "You're my big dummy," she smirked.

"I love you, Skye," Chase said quietly, yawning.

"I love you too, Chase," Skye answered, laying her head on the pillow.

Chase curled up around Skye and placed his head on her back, holding her paws in his good paw. The pair slept for hours, oblivious to the other pups walking in and snickering at them. Ryder came downstairs and shushed the other pups, smiling as he herded them out of the living room. Skye opened one of her eyes and smiled; even though it took a near-death experience for Chase to confess his love, she couldn't be happier.

Chase finished his story and smiled, looking over at the dog in the bed next to him. He closed his eyes for a moment and pictured his wedding day, the birth of his pups, his retirement from the police force, and the great times he had with his mate and family. He glanced at the dresser and the pictures in a row; there was one with all the members of the PAW Patrol, there was one at his wedding, and there was a family picture with his three pups. Once again, he turned his eyes towards the dog the bed next to him. He reached over and grabbed her paw and squeezed it.

"Did you like that story?" he asked her somberly, though still had a smile on his face.

The graying cockapoo looked at him and smiled herself. "That was a good story. I hope those two pups are still together."

"They are," he answered quietly.

Chase's smile turned into a slight frown. He sighed. "She still doesn't remember anything…" he thought to himself sadly. He slowly arose from his rocking chair and stretched his sore joints. He sauntered over to the door and looked sadly back at his mate in the nursing home bed. Tears filled his eyes as he once again accepted Alzheimer's disease had taken the pup he loved with all his heart. For months Skye failed to recognize him as he visited her each and every day. He held a glimmer of hope the stories and memories would trigger something deep in her mind. But it was no use. He pushed open the door and said his goodbye, promising to return tomorrow. As he strolled out the door, he stopped as he heard Skye speak.

"Love you! You're my big dummy…Chase is on the case!"

Chase spun around and looked into her eyes. "What did you say?" he asked her, stunned by what he just caught.

"Hmm? Nothing," Skye answered, smiling blankly at Chase. "Who are you?"

Chase blinked, tears once again filling his eyes. He wished Skye goodbye and turned around, walking out of the room.

"That single moment of clarity is worth every single minute I've spent by her side these last few months…" Chase thought to himself, smiling. He didn't know how much longer he'd have Skye by his side. And even though she wasn't really there, moments like that remind Chase his love is still strong.