Chapter thirty-eight: The Brothers Code
The German Shepherd brothers were laughing quite breathlessly, as they finally pulled up to the Lookout again. And as it turned out, they had the whole group of their friends, and in some cases family, as their welcome home committee.
Snowflake walked over to them with a deadpanned expression.
"Ruff, megaphone!" she commanded, causing Chase's megaphone to pop out of his pup pack. Grabbing it, she screamed into it.
"WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?! WE WERE WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!"
Snowflake then returned to the group of pups.
"Ow." Chester quipped dryly.
"What? We haven't even been gone an hour.." Chase protested, barking his megaphone away.
"Uh, Chase.." Rocky spoke up, earning their confused looks. "It's been three hours."
"Yeah, so what have you guys been up to that's kept you away this long?" Rayla wondered, her tone very purposeful and perhaps even a little challenging.
The two brothers eyes cocked over to each other and their eyes seemed to have a brief conversation.
"I told you, busted.." Chester sang softly under his breath toward his brother. Making Chase turn to him with an expression that told him to be quiet, then he remembered all the eyes on them and instantly felt put on the spot.
"Uhhh.." Chase hesitated.
"We know you guys went snowmobile driving, but what else?" Melody commented.
"Uhh.. that's what we did." Chase replied, biting his tongue to make sure he didn't fabricate a lie.
"Yeah.. give or take a rescue or two." Chester shrugged, and Chase froze up.
"Wait, back up.. what?!" Rayla cried.
"Chess!" Chase hissed.
"Oh shoot!" Chester facepawed. "We should never go exploring in the valleys again."
"Dude, you're gonna get us in trouble!" Chase griped, shoving him roughly.
"Dude, we already are in trouble..wah-oh.." The transition of Chester's speech from the shadows closing in on them was the point of dread as stern and confused faces bore into them. Again, their eyes met and awkward smiles turned back to the group.
"Uhhmmm, Ryder, you're gonna need to make a couple repairs to my snowmobile." Chase finally said, as slowly and carefully as he could.
"You broke it already!" Rayla cried, her frustration beginning to bubble back up again.
"Not exactly..ish.." Chase backtracked, with Chester peeking an eye through his paws, which he covered in preparation for the confession.
"Oh forget it, the jig is up, homeslice!" Chester groaned dramatically.
"Chester.." Chase warned.
"Chase busted his tread and we almost fell off a cliff twice and then used an avalanche to get us down into the same valley as the mansion, which we stopped to scope out before we came back." Chester rambled.
Now it was Chase's turn to peek out from covering his face.
"You did WHAT?!" Snowflake practically screamed, her eyes widening.
"Why didn't you call us?! We could have helped!" Brian commented before looking at the PAW Patrol and PUP Pals. "Well, they could have helped, anyway."
"Not sure how much you could've done since we were weaving through the woods trying not to barrel roll off a cliff." Chase disputed in an oddly laid back manner, but without making eye contact.
"Or getting buried alive, which is what I was worried about," Chester hinted subtly, "just saying."
"How on earth do you use an avalanche to save yourselves? That could have ended badly. You're lucky you weren't smashed with all that snow!" Melody said, astonished and baffled at the same time.
"You wanna tell them how we did it?" Chester offered perkily.
"What?" Chase queried, thrown off by his chipper tone.
"That's ok, I'll do it." Chester continued unimpeded. "Chase decided it would be a GRANDE idea to use our grappling hooks to pulley lock our vehicles around a tree to stop us from falling off the cliff. And then cause an avalanche to ride down like a wave onto a pillow of softness, with our grapples still attached." Chase looked at him in horror of being thrown under the bus so to speak and was about to go off on a tangent when more concerns were being addressed.
"Why go back into the mansion? That place has been nothing but a spooky trap! Were you two trying to get hugged by a ghost or get trapped on the ceiling again?!" Ned commented in disbelief.
"What, no!" Chase returned quickly, "we were fine, we snuck in, took a look at the ballroom chandelier and got out, simple as that, we were literally in and out. I didn't even wanna go but Chess insisted and I wasn't gonna let him go by himself, so we didn't stick around. And that's the truth.." The last statement looked so dead serious they were thoroughly convinced he was completely serious.
Snowflake looked skeptical at Chess with a head tilt, before looking back to Chase.
"Nice idea with the grapple lines, but the avalanche? Really? That.. sounds a bit extreme for you," the female husky said with confusion.
"Sounds like something I might try. Ha, you two call me crazy!" Ned added with a smile.
"Why? The slope was too steep and from a standstill our vehicles wouldn't have made it up without stalling." Chase explained. "If we'd have tried to gun it up that hill, we would've gone over it anyway without any padding. And that would've really spelled trouble for us and neither of us would have been able to call for help even if we wanted to. I weighed all the options and I couldn't think of a better one." Chase's earnest explanation seemed to get their attention and expressions noticeably changed.
"U-plus we didn't really have much time to call for help since the mountain is riddled with patches of pure ice. It was just enough for us to keep me from totally wiping out and making sure Chess didn't follow me.. At that point.. we were on our own."
"Very resourceful." Frank commented.
"This doesn't cancel our plans tomorrow, does it?" Chase asked dreadfully.
"No, of course not," the old man shook his head. "We're proud of you."
"And highly disappointed!" Billy spoke up, but his tone seemed mostly serious, but also a little dramatized.
"Ryder?" Frank spoke up, bringing to light how silent the boy had been this whole time. Chase's blood ran cold when realizing this fact as well, and daring himself to look at him, he was dreading what he was gonna see. Ryder locked eyes with him with an emotionless look that haunted him and he was waiting to see the fiery flames of anger ignite. It even made him nervous, when the boy came toward him, and knelt down to him.
"I didn't wanna leave you guys hanging, I swear.." he said, hoping it'd lessen the scolding he sensed was about to happen.
Ryder was silent a moment longer, and he knew he was in for it now. But when Ryder reached out and touched him, he braced like it was gonna be something bad. But when nothing happened, he plucked up the courage to look again and all he could feel was safety in the brown eyes that looked back at him and the hand that still touched him.
"I'm just glad you guys are ok," the boy finally said, placing a hand on Chester's shoulder as well. Then he pulled them both into a tight hug, which kind of took them by surprise.
"And I'm so proud of you, Chase." Ryder's compliment instantly perplexed him as they were soon released.
"W-why?!" He wondered, stunned by hearing this; almost panicking a little bit. "Because you stepped up in a situation where it mattered." Ryder replied, holding him firmly by the shoulders. "You tried everything you could to keep yourself and your brother safe first and foremost. And from the sound of it.. 'worked as a team to get back safely.. I'd rather you not to have gone back into the mansion, but I'm glad you didn't stay long. I know sometimes things happen and occasionally leave you to your own devices, but I can't think of any other pup.. that would've handled that better than you."
Chase just blinked a double take and just kept staring, completely speechless. Not a word coming to mind on how to respond.
The four huskies stared at Ryder in shock; Melody and Brian's jaws hung agape.
"Was not expecting that.." Melody said in a straightforward manner.
"Glad they are safe, but aren't they in trouble?" Ned asked, not knowing what to think.
"Agreed, but I have to admit I'm impressed by how they got out of danger," Snowflake stated, still in shock.
"And they did it, together." Rocky mentioned.
"Wait, are we supposed to be super proud of them or insanely angry with them?" Skyler wondered. "I can't tell."
"I'm note sure either for once." CiCi agreed, eyeing the German Shepherds carefully. "Rayla?"
"Give me a minute." Rayla huffed, and her stoic nature gave off an odd vibe, making the PUP Pals step back like she was a bomb waiting to go off at any moment.
"Oh boy,.." Tiny observed. "We might be in for another explosion today guys, watch out."
"Don't say that!" Kylie hissed. "Ignore him, Rayla's just running through all the info is all."
"Wow,.. I don't know whether to congratulate him or whack him over the head with something." Marshall admitted.
"I'm not sure I would've wanted to see that." Skye remarked honestly.
"Neither would I! I wouldn't want to get on Marshall's bad side," Snowflake agreed hesitantly.
"No offense. I love you, buddy," she added, before quickly covering her mouth with her front paws.
"It's ok," Marshall shrugged. "I probably wouldn't actually hurt him even if I was that upset."
"Neither would I," Rayla sighed in defeat. "Even if I am totally steamed that he scared the heck out of us like that.. the both of them."
"Well, looks like you pups are getting in trouble together again." Maggie commented suggestively. "Maybe things are getting back to normal after all."
"Hey, I wasn't trying to get into trouble, but he-"
"Woahwoahwoah!" Chase stopped his brother quickly. "You can't pin this all on me, bro, you had a paw in it too, just like any other time before."
"I was following you.." Chester clarified. "Which means I followed you into trouble this time. Thank goodness. At least I didn't start it this time."
"Great, thanks for having my back on this one, bro." Chase deadpanned.
"That's what I'm here for." Chester shrugged cheekily.
"I don't think that was a compliment, Chess.." Snowflake said in a monotone way, her face deadpanned.
"And since you followed your brother into trouble, nor did you contact us.. technically you ARE in trouble," Melody added seriously.
"I have your back, Chase!" Ned said before going up behind the German Shepherd and hugging him from behind. "Literally!"
Chase's ears laid back in disgust.
"Thanks.. but I'm good." He said, squeezing out of his grasp and pushing him away.
"Okay," Ned said, before sitting next to Chase.
"Want to know what we all did while you two were getting into trouble?" He added after a pause.
"Accent on Trouble." Rayla put in, making both German Shepherds look at her oddly.
"Do we really wanna know?" Chase wondered, cocking his glance over to Chess, who shrugged as they turned their gaze back to their friends.
"Well, it started back in The Lookout after you two left.." Melody began.
xxxx
"So, now that Chess and Mr. Stubborn are out in the snow, what do you all want to do?" Melody asked the group of friends.
"We don't KNOW! That's what we've been trying to figure out!" Skyler complained, throwing her paws in the air then melting to the ground in frustration.
"Well since you guys are here, I can show you some of the stuff I'm working on.." Ryder spoke up, leaning back on his heels and gently swinging his hands back and forth loosely. "'Could use an extra eye for another perspective."
"Certainly," Frank obliged, turning to follow him.
"Have fun, pups," he added when turning around to glance at them briefly, then he and the other two Prescotts continued to follow Ryder away towards the elevator.
Ned smiled before walking away and coming back with the big rainbow parachute in his mouth.
Melody looked at her brother suspiciously.
"Ned? What are you?-" she began before being interrupted.
"Parachute time!" Ned happily exclaimed as he covered Melody, Brian, and some of the PUP Pals under the parachute.
"Not it!" The PUP Pals called, the couple that had been covered darting out and all ran to hide somewhere away from Ned.
"Ah! Ned! Get us out!" Melody cried out before giggling.
"Ah! Hey! Seriously Ned? This parachute has been played with already!" Brian commented as he and Melody struggled to get out of the parachute.
"So? We can still play with it!" Ned replied casually.
"Glad it's not us." Rocky commented, then eyes turned toward him and the PAW Patrol pup re-evaluated this statement because of the looks he was getting from his fellow teammates.
"Right," he said, then after a pause they all scattered to follow the PUP Pals' lead to go and hide.
Upon hearing Rocky, Ned turned around, and leaped towards the pups, trying to grab Rocky and Marshall in hugs.
"Oh come on!" Ned said as he missed. He then looked around. "Come on pups! The parachute isn't that bad!"
Skyler suddenly stood up out of a pile of pillows with one her head.
"Yes it is that bad!" she shouted over to them, then sank back down like she was sinking into water and disappeared.
"It's actually pretty and soft under here!" Melody commented as she flailed about under the parachute.
"Yeah, thanks, but no thanks." Tiny called from somewhere in the vicinity.
"Hey, can we just have fun that all of us wanna do?" CiCi offered. "Or better yet.. You guys have your version of fun while we respectfully watch and maybe do our own thing too."
"Awwwww. Skyler, you look so cute with that pillow on you," Ned said until he noticed the pillow fort hiding the pups. Smiling, he went and grabbed the parachute, carefully taking it off Melody and Brian.
"Thanks," Brian said happily.
"I have an idea! We could wrap ourselves to stay warm!" Melody suggested.
Ned then walked to the pillow fort and threw the parachute on top of the pile of pillows.
"Haha! Missed me!" Skyler sang, appearing from around the elevator.
"Don't make this a ga-!"
"Shh!" Rayla hissed, cutting Tiny's sentence off.
Ned heard them and smiled. Grabbing the parachute, he listed it off the pillow fort before gently hugging a pillow, causing the fort of gentleness to collapse. Ned walked to where he heard the voices, the big, rainbow parachute in his mouth.
Every pup scattered and snuck around away from where Ned was.
"What do we do?" Kylie whispered, everyone observing Ned from a distance.
"I've got an idea.." Rayla decided. "Follow my lead."
Heyo! LOL! Chester and Chase at their finest. Especially Chess, when he blurts out the recap of their little avalanche adventure. And the various reactions of the other members of the team. I'm curious now.. which one was most notable to you?
Either way, Rayla and Snowflake's were probably among my favorites, but I can't wait to hear yours. XD
Also the flashback is gonna be fun with what we chose to do.. Hope you like it but till then thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it and we'll see you in the next one! Thx!