The air of Chase's kennel was clouded with the invigorating aroma of musk. Sweat and passion had soared just minutes before, a seal of love to finalize what they had for one another. Rocky laid on his side, breathing heavily in exertion.

"You alright?" Chase sat up beside him, rapidly panting in his disheveled fur.

Tapping his claws on the dog bed below him, Rocky let a yawn escape him as he stretched out his legs. "Yeah… just, tired."

"Was it… okay?"

"Okay?" The mix turned to him, an amused smile on his muzzle. "Give yourself more credit, it was amazing." He leaned forward to lick Chase's nose.

The shepherd looked aside. "Sorry I'm not really… uh, good… at that." He stammered. "I mean it's not my first time or anything, but it's my first time with…"

"Yeah, I get it, don't worry." Letting himself lie back, Rocky wiggled on the large cushion, trying to find his sleeping pose.

They went quiet for a couple minutes, each dog enjoying the blissful sounds of the other's breathing. It was tranquilizing, a moment of shared peace that could last forever and they wouldn't mind. Chase was the first to break the silence, a frown forming on his face as he turned over in bed.

"I'm… I'm sorry about Dakota." He said, nearly choking. "No one should have to face down their family like that."

Staring up at the ceiling, Rocky took a deep breath. "It had to be done." He said with a broken voice, clouded with shame and defeat. "He changed." He took a moment to search for the words. "He wasn't always so… crazy. Sure, he did things to stay alive all those years ago, but I had never seen him so…" he trailed off, a faint cry starting to push up his throat.

"It's okay," Chase said quickly, rushing to cradle his lover. "You don't have to wake up tomorrow pretending it didn't happen, and I don't expect you to either." Leaning down, he gazed into Rocky's eyes. "I'll help you through this. Anything you need from me, anything, I'll give it to you. Just name it."

Anything he wanted. Rocky's mind lit up at the thought. "All I've ever wanted in my entire life was you."

"Well, you have me now, and I'm not going anywhere." Yawning in his spent energy, Chase gently laid his paws on Rocky's grey chest. He hummed a pleased purr as he nuzzled into his partner's fur. "Love you." He said, voice lowered to a coo.

The words were almost foreign to Rocky; it had been so long that he'd nearly forgotten their meaning. The darkness in his mind was burned away in an instant, a fierce light shining through him from head to tail. The warmth of Chase's body melted the cold that had stalked him at every turn, sprouting flowers and sunshine that made his heart skip beats. He was uncertain if he'd ever feel whole again, but he certainly didn't feel empty anymore.

"Love you too." Rocky whispered, savoring the feeling of the shepherd on top of him.

-.-.-.-.-.-

A public statement was released in the local papers the next day. The killer of Adventure Bay, it said in big, bold letters, finally stopped. Finally, the citizens could rest easy, dogs could once again roam the streets without fear for their lives. Amidst the shared celebrations, a few people raised their eyebrows with puzzled expressions. The killer's name and face were missing from the newspaper, shrouding the perpetrator in mystery. While some wondered if it was a mistake, others whispered amongst each other that the murderer's identity had been intentionally omitted.

Skye and Rubble stood alone in the breakfast circle, looking around with confused frowns. There wasn't another dog in sight, they were completely alone under the morning sky.

Looking through the medical papers on his desk, Marshall turned to the two dogs who met him in his kennel. "I put Zuma in intensive care," he explained. "He'll be staying there for a while."

Chase tilted his head. "Really? His wounds didn't seem that severe."

"Well, it's because I needed somewhere to keep him." Marshall flexed his dull claws on the ground, a hint of venom in his voice. "I made sure to handcuff him to the vet bed. Once Katie is done with him, he'll be arrested."

The words grabbed Rocky's attention, making him turn from where he sat a few feet away. "Really? Like… truly? He's going to jail?"

Marshall met Rocky's gaze, giving him a gentle nod. "I don't know what Zuma did, Chase didn't tell me the specifics and it's not really my business anyway." He sighed, pained at the heart of what was made of his Labrador friend. "But yes, he's getting locked up."

The mixed breed was slightly taken aback, looking at Chase with a questioning expression. Returning his gaze, the shepherd gave his lover a confirming nod. His heart beginning to swell, Rocky looked back to the Dalmation gratefully. "Thanks… Marshall."

"Of course," the firefighter said, then his voice fell slightly. "Are you sure you want to leave?" He asked, addressing Chase. "I don't know what we'd do without you, you're the leader."

"No, Ryder's the leader." Chase waved off the claim. "He'll find another dog… he replaced Digger with Rubble, I'm sure he could replace me with someone too."

"Well maybe, but it won't be you." The Dalmatian said in protest. "You're my best friend, I seriously would hate to see you go like this!"

Before Chase could say anything, Rocky suddenly spoke up. "Adventure Bay… isn't for us." He said, struggling to get his voice out. "We won't be looked upon very favorably, this place is just full of…" his face twisted slightly. "Arrogant jerks."

"That's-" Marshall opened his mouth to argue, but quickly stopped himself. He cooled his temper swiftly, taking a deep breath. "You're right… there are, I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I wish there was something I could do."

Rocky jumped in the conversation. "We can keep in touch," he offered. "Meet up at the dog cafe on weekends, double date-"

Both Marshall and Chase snapped their heads toward the mix in surprise. "Double date?" They both said, in almost perfect unison.

"Mhm!" The mix nodded joyfully. "Me and Chase, and you and Everest! I think that would be sweet."

"Wow you uh," Chase blinked in disbelief. "You just have an entire future all planned out in your head, huh?"

"I guess," his partner said sheepishly. "It's just… I've always wanted to do things like this with you. And besides, I need more friends. I don't think Everest hates me as much as the rest do."

Marshall jumped to his girlfriend's defense. "Oh come on, she hates no one. Now she can be a little-" he snickered for a second, "airheaded… but she's sweet at heart."

"Why don't we just start small?" Chase asked, pleading to end the complications as he touched his paw to Rocky's shoulder. "Find our life out there and… maybe once we've found our foundation, we can start getting out."

Although his disappointment was visible, Rocky nodded with a smile. "Okay Chase."

"Anyway," the shepherd turned back to his spotted friend. "I don't really want to leave you either, you're one of the few actually good dogs here. The selfish part of me wants to take you along."

"Tempting," Marshall laughed. "But I think Ryder needs me. Besides, with Zuma gone, someone needs to pick up his coast guard position. I used to be one actually, it was one of my first occupations." The Dalmatian pointed at a placard he had hung on the wall, a symbol of his graduation from special training. "Even if I ended up a firefighter, I'm still certified to run his vehicle and equipment."

"Yes because I trust you so much on a jet ski," Chase suppressed his sarcastic chuckle. "You gotta stop crashing into things if you're gonna get one of those."

"Hey if I cause a fire, I can put it out myself."

Now it was Rocky's turn to laugh, truly tickled by the joke. His boyfriend watched him with an endearing expression, the joyful cheer spreading among the three dogs. Rocky had never felt so happy in his entire life.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The partners eventually returned to Rocky's kennel, laying low to avoid any prying eyes. Rocky was looking over his belongings, packing his essentials into a red backpack.

Chase was on a phone call, speaking to someone through his collar. "How far is that?" He asked, staring down at a map of Adventure Bay. "I know the freeway, but only up until the Blueridge exit, never gone farther than that."

"It's a little more down the line." A voice came through his accessory, coated with a thick accent. "Just go down I45 and stay in the right lanes, you'll eventually exit north and end up on I67."

Rocky listened in on the conversation, keeping his ears perked.

"Wow, that's really out there," Chase blinked. "I don't know whether to be excited or nervous."

"It's an adventure, mi amigo." The caller laughed. "Why don't you just call me when you get on I67 and I'll guide you from there?"

"If we get lost, it's on you." The shepherd quipped, although friendly banter was hidden under his tone.

"Don't worry Chase," the voice reassured. "I'll get you two out of there. Alright, call me later."

The shepherd nodded. "Thanks Tracker, keep your collar on. Heh, like I even need to tell you that. Alright, bye." He flicked his pup tag, ending the call.

"I haven't talked to him in a long time," Rocky approached Chase from behind. "How's he been?"

"The same thing he's always been doing," Chase rolled his eyes. "Wandering through jungles and somehow not getting killed. But see? We have friends! There are other dogs out there willing to help you!" He smiled, gently cupping his partner's cheek. "You aren't alone."

"He has a place for us?"

"Seems so. A small town in the country called Kanga Horizon." The shepherd said, letting his mind wander of a life out in the countryside. Images of golden sunsets, peaceful fields, and endless wonder were painted in his mind.

"Never heard of it," Rocky shrugged. "But it's a place that isn't here, and I'm all for it." He gave a quick peck, a gesture that completely blindsided the officer. The mixed breed laughed at his expense, savoring the image of Chase's blushed expression.

The shepherd turned away, trying to hide his reddened face. "There are other dogs there, so we won't stand out too much. But the PAW Patrol doesn't exist out there, we'll have to start over."

"Fine with me," Rocky wagged his tail. "Anywhere is better than here."

The dogs separated briefly; Rocky returned to pack his things and Chase studied his maps to draw out the route. One by one the mix rummaged through various metals and tools, items he once treasured so closely. The objects failed to spark happy memories, as he pushed each one aside with little time to reflect on how they had served him. Even his own pup pack, equipment that for so long had felt like an extension of his very being, was unceremoniously kicked aside.

A single screwdriver with interchangeable tips, a hammer, and a wrench were dropped into his backpack. Three tools. Among the hundreds of others, only three tools had the honor of coming with him.

"How are you going to use those without your pup pack?" Chase asked from across the room. "Little hard to hold them if you don't have thumbs, you know?"

"I have teeth, Chase."

"Oh, we're really going back to the basics, then?" He laughed, "alright, fine with me."

Rolling his eyes at his partner's antics, Rocky continued his scavenging with little results. Once he finished surveying his drawers, he came to his desk, still worn away with jagged claw marks. The first thing Rocky spotted was the disassembled radio, still in sad little pieces waiting to be fixed.

"Ugh, this thing." Rocky grimaced.

"What is it?"

"It's a radio," the mix rested his chin on the desk, looking through the pieces. "I've been trying to fix this thing for as long as I can remember. Name any possible way to fix a radio, and I've probably tried it. For some reason I just…" he sighed, searching the contraption for any meaning. "I just couldn't do it, I can't fix it."

"Let me see," Chase left his workstation and walked over, peering over Rocky's shoulder. "That's it?"

"Yeah, it's just some handheld radio, nothing too fancy." He continued his rambles as Chase leaned over to sniff the pieces. "I mean, I've rewired this thing, cleaned the circuit board so many times it's practically flawless, hell I even tinkered with the Morse code board. I have no idea what's wrong with it.

"Rocky," the shepherd squinted his eyes. "I think I recognize this model."

"You do?"

"Yeah, it's one of those crappy radios that Pritchet Corp shipped out when they tried to start their own technology line." Chase explained, "they all got recalled."

"Recalled?" Rocky looked at him with a puzzled look.

"Yeah, the dumbasses who coded the things were total amateurs, I remember."He looked aside for a moment, speaking carefully to his partner. "Rocky, this radio was never broken, they only worked a week tops until they all fried at once."

The mix stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. "But… I rewired it, and-"

"It wouldn't have mattered. I hate to say it, but you've been trying to fix something that literally couldn't be fixed, at least not with your methods. It was all in the programming."

"You're… you're kidding." Rocky blinked.

"Nope." Chase shook his head. "But you couldn't have known, it's not your fault." He gave his partner an affectionate look.

"I feel like a massive idiot."

"Oh come on, just finish packing. I'll buy you a good radio, okay?"

Leaving his mistakes behind, Rocky singled out his bare necessities and packed them away. There was something rather refreshing about starting over, leaving the mess of clutter behind to be someone else's problem. Despite the complicated route tracing and the mild swearing under his breath, Chase finally singled out their route.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The sun was just beginning to climb over the horizon, blanketing over three dogs as they met outside. The endgame was upon them, despite all the opportunities to turn back, neither Chase nor Rocky ever let the thought cross their minds.

"Do be safe out there," Marshall said, helping pack luggage into Chase's rig. "Why this early, anyway?"

Chase gripped the suitcase in his teeth and pulled it aboard, passing it to Rocky. "I just think it's better if we leave before everyone wakes up."

Sitting in the grass as he looked up at him, Marshall pouted with a whine. "I hate to see you go. I mean, I could probably pick up the pieces, but I-"

"Marshall," Chase jumped down from his vehicle, meeting his friend face to face. "It's gonna be okay. I know you can do this." He gave him a long look, looking over the one other dog that stayed by his side through all the strife. "I really hope you and Everest go far, you're great together."

Unable to keep gratitude from flooding his eyes, Marshall broke into a wide smile as his tail uncontrollably wagged. "I'll come visit, okay?" He said. "Whenever I can make the trip."

"Don't hurt yourself trying," Chase's tears were starting to break through. "Do try to stop tripping over things, since I won't be there to catch you." The two dogs hugged each other, embracing their friendship and setting it in stone. Discreetly watching them from the vehicle, Rocky couldn't help but frown, longing for a similar friendship to himself.

"Oh, Rocky," Marshall pulled away from Chase. "Come here."

"Hm?" The mix gave him a curious look, not yet used to having his name said without a slur next to it. "What's up?" He asked, jumping down to meet the firefighter.

Outstretching his arms in an affectionate offering, Marshall smiled at him. Rocky almost stepped back, his eyes widening slightly at the gesture. A gentle touch, not a strike, but a simple token of friendship. Unfamiliarity flashed in his eyes, but quickly he broke into a wide smile, springing forward to hug Marshall. The emotions surging through his veins were indescribable, breaking through the dark storm that festered in his mind for so long. Light poured out of his soul, his heart felt as if it would burst.

"Take care of Chase," Marshall said jokingly, patting Rocky's back. "He tends to go a little overboard."

The officer whipped his head at them, flattening his ears. "Hey!" He tried his hardest to sound offended, but the shining unity among them made it impossible to feel unhappy.

Final words were said, but did little to truly communicate the unbreakable bond they shared. Even through the darkest hour, the three of them could shine brighter than any dog could ever dream of. Chase climbed into the driver's seat and started up his police car, Rocky snuggling up next to him. With a final glance behind them, they looked back not at the Lookout, but at Marshall, the true friend until the end. The Dalmatian waved them goodbye, even as his spotted body became smaller and smaller as they drove away.

All PAW Patrol emblems and logos were discarded like garbage, tossed away like broken chains never to bind them again. The others would survive, Chase knew it, Ryder would just have to keep searching. Rocky couldn't help but laugh as he watched Adventure Bay pass by around him. If he had the voice and words to say, he probably could've started singing with how brightly his heart shone.

So what if he was a mutt? Who cares if he was born a stray? What did it matter what vile awakenings he had emerged from? He was here now, with Chase forever at his side, ready to take on their new life with open arms. Even as his heart bled for Dakota, his fallen family, he knew deep down that his brother was finally at peace. No more would he stew in hatred, his agony at last put to rest. Perhaps he was finally reunited with their mother in the stars, forming a constellation for Rocky to look up and remember them by. One day, Rocky knew, he'd see his family again, and Chase would be there too.

There was nothing left to fear.

THE END