The vibrant lights of the carnival twinkled in the distance as the pups excitedly made their way towards the festive event. Skye couldn't help but notice Chase's distant and pensive demeanor throughout the journey. She had sensed a change in him lately, but she wasn't sure what it was or how to approach the topic.

"Hey Chase," Skye said gently, walking alongside him. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us to the carnival? It's going to be so much fun!"

While Chase couldn't see the huge crowds from the lookout, his sensitive ears could pick up the hustle bustle created by the people who were going to the carnival, his expression a mix of longing and hesitation. "No thanks Skye. I think I'll pass this time."

Skye nodded, though a part of her wondered if there was more to Chase's refusal. She had noticed his recent withdrawal and moodiness, but she didn't want to push him or make him uncomfortable. Besides, after the fun they had been having these past few days, she told herself that he was indeed alright, after all, a pup with problems wouldn't be doing what he had been doing this past week, playing, dancing, having fun...

No, she was just overthinking all this, maybe Chase just wanted to spend some time alone, he probably wanted to rest after the tiring last mission, yeah, it was probably that.

So she decided to respect his decision and pushed her doubts away.

"Alright, Chase," Skye replied. "If you change your mind, we'll be there, having a blast. Just know that you're always welcome to join us."

Chase managed a small smile, grateful for Skye's understanding. "Thanks, Skye. I appreciate it."

But as she left, she couldn't help but keep glancing back at the shepherd, something at the back of her mind telling her that she had misjudged him completely and the situation was way different than it looked, but she couldn't just pull Chase by ear and force him to come along, nor could she just straight up ask him to confirm her suspicions, what if he really was ok, then it would just make things awkward, and if he wasn't?

...

No, that couldn't be it, they were family, if Chase wasn't ok he'd know better than to bottle up his feelings and hide behind a mask, he would know that he could talk to them, Ryder kept reminding them that multiple times so it was hard to miss. And he wasn't an idiot to damage his own health by doing something so stupid.

But little did she know...

As Skye rejoined the other pups, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over Chase. He longed to be with his friends, to experience the joy and laughter they would undoubtedly share at the carnival. But the weight of his internal struggle held him back, leaving him feeling isolated and uncertain.

Throughout the day, the sounds of laughter and carnival rides echoed in the distance. Skye and the others enthusiastically immersed themselves in the festivities, their happiness palpable. Chase sat in his pup house, staring at the sparkling lights of the carnival afar, as if he could almost see his friends having fun, the ache in his heart grew stronger with each passing moment.

Part of him hoped that one of the pups would come back to him, encouraging him once more to join them. He yearned for them to insist, to make him feel like his presence truly mattered. But as the hours ticked by, his hope died down, realizing that the other pups were engrossed in the carnival, not once looking back in his direction.

With a heavy sigh, Chase retreated to his pup house, the weight of his emotions settling upon him like a suffocating blanket. The room felt colder, emptier, as he allowed himself to sink into solitude once more.

Doubt began to cloud Chase's mind. Did his friends truly care about him? Did his absence even make a difference to them? The nagging thoughts consumed him, leaving him feeling invisible and unimportant.

They don't care

A voice echoed in his mind, it had been there for a while, but only now could Chase hear it as clear as day.

And he couldn't help but believe it was true.

Sure, in the beginning, everyone noticed, the pups noticed, Ryder noticed, he knew it was true cause he had heard them, albeit while eavesdropping, and all it took to convince them that he was alright was an act, a fake show.

He slumped down into his bed, as tears welled up in his eyes, he started recounting everything that had gone wrong in his life up to that point, and when he couldn't hold it in any longer, he cried, he sobbed into his pillow, in the security of his pup house.

He remembered when Ryder had found him in Adventure City, how he looked at him with his soft eyes and welcomed him with open arms. It took everything in Chase to trust him and he was glad he did, Ryder took him in and gave him a place he could call home...

But as grateful as he was, his mind started filling up with absurd thoughts, maybe Ryder shouldn't have brought him here, he should've left him there, he didn't deserve this.

Another thought then came into mind, a completely different one, about his friends.

Were they really his friends? Ryder always said they were more then that, they were family.

Rubbish

Families don't leave each other out on activities. Families don't ignore it when a member is hurting. Families look out for each other.

Not his family

His tears were red hot, his sadness turning into anger. Family? They weren't even real friends, what kind of true friends fails to acknowledge your emotions even when they are hidden, a good friend knows you inside out, they know you better than you know yourself.

But then again, Chase was stubborn as a pup could get, maybe they didn't like the way he always bossed them around, or the way he woke them up at the same time every morning and compelled them to exercise. He wasn't a great friend and he was aware of that, he just didn't know that he was bad enough for them to ignore him.

He cried harder, and kept going back and forth, blaming himself for the mess he created, then blaming his fami- friends for his inevitable condition.

Ryder should never have brought him here.

He didn't deserve it.

The pups weren't his real friends.

He deserved better friends.

He never should've trusted Ryder or the pups.

It was all fake...

As the carnival drew to a close and the pups started leaving, Marshall ran up to Skye.

"All he said was 'no'?"

Skye nodded in response

"I asked him twice, I wanted him to come, but I couldn't force him to, besides, maybe he was just tired after the last mission..."

But a thought lingered at the back of Marshall's head, as he felt the events repeat themselves all over again.

Chase loved carnivals, he couldn't get enough of them, he loved running about and playing with the pups...

But maybe Skye was right, he was probably just overthinking this.

"Yeah maybe..."

They walked with the rest of the team towards the lookout, turning their attention to the other pups, sharing stories of their adventures, laughter filling the air.

Little did they know what was in store for them back home...

A/N: Tried a new writing style this time, just a little bit different. I wanted a way to express his emotions and his inner struggles through writing...