Chapter 5 | Safe Harbor:

As they returned from their latest encounter with the broken building, the Paw Patrol eventually approached the large aircraft carrier that floated adrift on the water. Chase glanced at it as the team came alongside. The ship's bold exterior colors stood out in the midday sun.

Rush gasped as they drew near, "Wow! That's much bigger than I ever thought it would be!"

Chase smiled and said, "Just wait until you see the inside!" It was a magnificent ship, and he remembered the first time he saw it—his eyes had lit up, and his mind raced at the thought of exploring the interior. "It feels like it was so long ago," he thought, even though it had only been a month or two.

They drove up the ramps, and each team member parked their vehicles inside the spacious garage. Chase and Rush carefully hopped down from their vehicles, followed by the rest of the team. They gathered and moved toward the door leading to the rest of the ship.

"Chase and Rush, let's take a look at those injuries. Marshall, I'll need you to come with us too. The rest of you pups can go grab something to eat; I'm sure you must be hungry!" Ryder said to the group with a smile.

"Yes, I'm starving!" Rubble announced excitedly. His tongue lolled out, and he licked his lips in anticipation.

Chase's stomach growled at the thought of food. It had been hours since he had eaten, and the gnawing was worsening. Running on an empty stomach felt like he was driving his police car close to empty. The relentless clawing inside him battled for attention with the throbbing ache in his paw.

"Hey, dudes! Join us when you're finished!" Zuma called out, wagging his tail enthusiastically at the three of them.

"Don't worry, Zuma, I'll be there!" Chase barked, wagging his tail in agreement, sounding enthusiastic despite his discomfort. He gave Zuma a high paw before following Ryder down another hallway while the other pups headed to the common room.

Ryder led them to a different area of the large ship. They walked down a long corridor lined with large blue tubes overhead. Tiny red lights illuminated the ship's interior, casting a soft glow as they passed, creating a striking contrast against the white metal walls. Eventually, they arrived at a room, which they entered.

Chase recognized it instantly as their medical room. Although not used often, it was well-equipped with everything needed to assess someone's physical condition, especially that of a pup.

A large metal bed was centered against the back wall, painted white and red. It was low to the ground, making it easy for anyone to step up. Several scanners were attached near the bed, and a nearby computer on a swivel stand was ready for use. Various instruments were scattered around the room to monitor vital signs. Metal cabinets were mounted on the walls, filled with bandages and liquid supplies for injuries. A red plus sign was prominently displayed in several places to mark items for medical purposes.

In the corner was a smaller puppy-sized cot in case the injured party needed to stay in the room overnight. It had a blanket and looked like a comfortable resting place if required.

Chase noticed Rush blinking as he looked around the room. Ryder saw it, too, and snickered, "It's pretty sweet, right?"

"It's great," Rush exclaimed, still clearly surprised by the scene before him. His blue eyes darted around the room, while his black nose scrunched as he sniffed the area.

"Nothing's too good for my pups! We have to keep everyone in top shape," Ryder said. "Now, let's get you on this table to check that leg."

Rush moved over to the metal bed using his three legs and stepped onto it. Ryder pressed a button, and the bed rose higher off the ground. He and Marshall gathered around a small screen that swiveled on an arm, holding it over Rush's left leg to take a closer look.

Marshall and Ryder were looking at the screen, which provided an X-ray view of what was happening. Marshall's eyes quickly scanned the image as it focused on his leg. Fortunately, all the bones appeared intact without any breaks, although he noticed some swelling in the phalanx.

"I don't see any breaks, just some swelling; it looks like it was just a sprain after all!" Marshall said, wagging his tail.

Rush smiled in response. "That's good news! Thanks for checking it out."

"No problem, Rush," Ryder replied, lowering the bed back to ground level. "Chase, how's that paw? Is it feeling okay?"

Chase lifted his paw off the ground. He shook it lightly and tensed his muscles to assess the soreness. "It's a bit sore, but otherwise, I'm okay, Ryder, sir!"

"Great! I'm going to change; you pups should do the same. And Rush, why don't you grab some food with the pups? You must be hungry after such a long day of rescues!" Ryder suggested.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Marshall exclaimed with a yelp.

Rush nodded in agreement. "Sure, I am quite hungry."

Together, they left the room, and Ryder followed them for a few corridors before going his way, telling them he would meet them later in the common room. The pups continued together, quickly stopping at the armory to remove their clothing. Once they arrived, Chase and Marshall entered their familiar areas. The metal arms swooped in and removed their outfits, piece by piece, while Rush stared in awe.

After they finished, Marshall and Chase stepped out with Rush into the hallway. "It's incredible what you guys have here!" Rush exclaimed as they walked toward the common room. "You all must be extremely successful, huh?"

Chase and Marshall chuckled. "It is pretty great!" Chase replied enthusiastically. "But thankfully, we have these tools to help the people of the city."

Rush nodded thoughtfully, appearing satisfied with the response. The three of them continued, with Chase carefully walking on his front paw until they arrived. Marshall opened the door to the common room, where their team greeted them with warm smiles, and sunlight from the porthole windows beamed into their eyes.

"Hey, dudes!" Zuma barked, pulling his face up from his bowl.

"How are you feeling, Chase and Rush?" Skye said, moving away from her bowl and over to them.

"F-fine," Rush stammered, clearly taken aback by everyone's concern. "Wow, this room is incredible." As Rush looked around, the group giggled. Chase couldn't blame him; every room on this ship was outstanding. The large couches in the corner practically begged to be jumped on, and the enticing smells from their food bowls beckoned them to eat.

Chase glanced from Rush back to Skye. "Thanks for caring, Skye," Chase said. "Rush didn't have any broken bones, and I feel just fine!"

"Good!" she replied.

Just then, Chase's stomach growled, and he realized how hungry he was. Marshall seemed to have the same thought; he immediately moved to his bowl and began gobbling up his food.

Rubble looked up in the middle of his meal and snickered, "Come eat, Chase. I can hear that belly rumbling, and I know you're hungry!"

He was and didn't want to wait any longer. Chase started towards his bowl but paused, considering Rush. "Oh, he's hungry too…" Chase thought to himself. He looked around quickly for an empty bowl. Spotting one in a cabinet next to Liberty's, he grabbed it in his mouth and carried it to the dispenser. Using a paw, he filled the bowl with fresh kibble.

"Rush," Chase said as he finished filling it, "Have some!"

Rush turned his head from the large TV mounted on the wall to look at Chase. One of his eyebrows raised in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened again. "Oh… thanks," he said.

Chase tilted his head at Rush's response. "Are you not hungry?"

"No!" Rush replied quickly, "I didn't mean it like that; I'm just not used to hospitality like this. Thank you."

He hopped over on his three legs, and Chase pushed the bowl toward him with his nose, snickering. "No problem! Enjoy it!"

Rush happily began munching on his food, and Chase, finally satisfied that everyone had been taken care of, started to eat his meal. He picked up pieces with his jaws and crunched them with his large canines, rolling the morsels around his tongue to savor the variety of meat flavors that burst from each bite. The gnawing in his stomach gradually faded, replaced by the warm satisfaction of a full belly.

The rest of the team continued to eat, and the room soon filled with the sound of crunching and hums of satisfaction. After a while, Chase reached the last piece at the bottom of his bowl, which he snatched up with his tongue. He then took a long drink from his water bowl to wash the food down.

He licked the sides of his mouth to clean his fur and let out an audible sigh. "That was great," he said aloud.

"It really hit the spot!" Marshall agreed with Chase's statement.

"Finally, my belly can stop rumbling!" Rubble barked happily.

"How was it, Rush?" Rocky asked as he moved closer to him. "Need some more?"

"No thanks," Rush replied, pulling his face away from the food bowl. "That was plenty!"

Rocky snickered, "Good!"

"Hey, guys!" Chase exclaimed. "Don't forget dessert!" He moved to the treat dispenser, grabbed several treats with his mouth, and tossed them to everyone around the room.

Each pup quickly caught a treat and gobbled it down.

"Thanks, Chase!" Rocky said, wagging his tail in appreciation.

"No problem! Rush, catch!" Chase barked as he grabbed a treat in his jaws and threw it over to Rush. Rush jumped slightly off the ground, caught it in his mouth, and quickly devoured it. "That was great! I almost forgot my leg was hurt; I nearly jumped for it," he said with a smile.

Chase laughed and grabbed a treat for himself. It had a sweet taste that flooded him with happy memories of time spent in Adventure Bay. He finished it quickly and sat beside Rocky, who had settled on a soft rug on the floor.

"Wow, what a day!" Zuma exclaimed as he found a comfortable spot to crash on the couch.

The rest of the team settled down and found relaxing places to sit around the room.

"I'll say!" Marshall chimed in, poking his head up from his laid-back position on the couch. "Three back-to-back missions in one day!"

"You all did a great job!" Rubble barked from his spot on the floor. "You had an amazing save on that car, Zuma! I heard everything through the pup-tag!"

"Ya, Zuma! I got to see everything from above!" Skye added.

Zuma giggled, clearly a bit embarrassed by the praise. "Thanks, everyone! I'm just glad I had that glass breaker in my bag, or things could have gone badly. Great job spotting it in the first place, Skye!"

Skye smiled in appreciation, and Rocky picked up the conversation again, "I'm glad that we found out what happened with the lights so fast." Rocky said, then turning to speak to Marshall and Chase, "You guys did a great job directing the traffic!"

Chase nodded, and Marshall smiled happily. "These paws uphold the laws!" Chase said proudly.

"But what about that rain, guys?" Zuma asked excitedly, sitting up a bit. "Wasn't that sweet?"

"I wouldn't call it sweet. I'm just glad to be out of it!" Rocky replied. And Zuma rolled his eyes with a smile.

They all giggled, and Chase continued, "I'm sure you didn't enjoy it, Rocky, but you did a great job!" He then turned to Rubble and Zuma, saying, "The water was getting rough, so I'm glad you figured out what was wrong with the drains."

"I finally got to use that big drill for something!" Rubble exclaimed. "That was fun!"

"It was exciting," Chase added. "There was a lot of debris!"

"Yeah, there was, dude," Zuma continued, playing off Chase's comment. "Thanks for your help too, Skye!"

Skye and Chase smiled while Rush looked curious about their conversation. "You guys do a lot. What happened today that was so wild?"

"It was these blocked rain gutters!" Rocky barked. "You know that huge rainstorm that hit? Somehow, they got completely covered with junk and cement!"

"I don't even know how that happened," Rubble added. "No construction worker in his right mind would have put that there!"

Rush nodded, "You guys deal with a lot! That is strange, though, but glad it worked out."

"Hey," Rocky said, changing the subject, "Let's not forget what just happened. I can't believe half a building just collapsed!"

Just as Rocky finished his sentence, Ryder opened the door and walked in.

"Hi, Ryder!" the pups exclaimed in unison, turning to him with tails wagging and smiles on their faces.

Ryder snickered, "Hey, pups! How is every pup feeling?" He went over to the couch and took a seat, patting a few of them on the head as he walked by.

"Doing better now that we're full," Rubble replied with a grin.

Ryder smirked and rubbed Marshall's ear, much to Marshall's delight. "Good! You guys could use a break after today."

"It's great to be back, Ryder," Skye said. "We were just talking about what happened!"

"Yup," Marshall added as Ryder moved his hand, "and we were about to get to the best part, that building collapse. I thought it might come down!"

"Thankfully, we had Rubble to help stabilize the building with his cement," Ryder said.

Rubble beamed, "You know it!"

"I'm glad we heard you, Rush!" Rocky said, wagging his tail.

"Me too!" Rush replied with a grin.

"So, tell us what happened when you guys got in there," Zuma asked, excited to hear the details.

Marshall paused and glanced at Chase, expecting him to recount the story. Chase nodded in understanding and braced himself, reflecting on the recent events. "It was dark and filled with dust, but we heard Rush on the top floor," Chase began. "When we reached him, he was trapped under a bookcase. Marshall thought quickly and freed him with his axes!"

Rush smiled with one side of his mouth, "It… fell over when the building started coming down. Thankfully, they found me."

Marshall chuckled and said, "I'm always ready for a ruff-ruff rescue!" He then turned to the group, "But the best part was when Chase saved us from the ceiling collapse. As we were on our way out, the building started shifting, the ceiling started falling, and he pushed us out of the way! If he hadn't, we would have been seriously injured. He ended up hurting his paw, but he was amazing!"

The team turned to him, howling and yelping with enthusiasm. Chase couldn't help but feel proud of his accomplishments. He felt a bit of heat on his cheeks from embarrassment but held his head high with pride.

"Great work, Chase! And great job, team! I know it was a busy day, but you all did so well," Ryder said, his voice steady and determined. Chase could hear the pride in his voice as he spoke about his pups. "You are all such good pups!"

They howled again, exchanging high paws and compliments, each member taking pride in their achievements that day.

By the time they finished talking and eating, it was already late afternoon. They spent the rest of the day enjoying themselves however they pleased. Chase spent most of his time in the common room, resting his injured paw and chatting with Rush and other team members.

At one point, Rocky came in and played with a ball while Skye and Zuma booted up a game of pup-pup boogie. Chase would have loved nothing more than to join, but he couldn't dance because of his paw. Instead, he laughed and wagged his tail along to the beat as the others rotated through.

"What game is this?" Rush asked as Skye did a backflip and barked playfully.

"You've never heard of pup-pup boogie?" Rocky gasped, dropping the ball from his mouth onto the floor.

"Dude, you gotta try it!" Zuma exclaimed as he did a spin on the board.

"I don't know, I haven't played anything like that…" Rush responded.

Chase snickered and sat next to him. "It's one of our favorites!" Chase added, "You have to dance to the beat and get the highest score!"

"If you're ever around when you get better, you should try it!" Skye yelped happily.

"Ya…maybe," Rush said. Chase saw his white tail gently swaying to the beat as he spoke. Chase smiled to himself, "No pup can resist pup-pup boogie!" He didn't know how long Rush would stick around, but he would offer to teach him to play when they got better.

"So," Rush stated as the others danced, "Is this your whole team? I thought I remembered seeing another one with you on TV at some point."

Chase looked over at him. "Yes…well, sort of. All six of us are the original Paw Patrol team! We have a few other pups who join us for certain missions and help sometimes. Liberty, another pup we met here, joined us to assist in Adventure City."

Rush nodded as he continued, "She's currently visiting some family and helping out in that community, so she won't be back for a little while."

"I see…so this is your main team, and Ryder is your owner?" Rush asked.

Chase smiled, "Yup! Ryder is the owner of all six of us! And he acts as a part-time caretaker for the other pups who have joined the team." Chase snickered at how complicated it might sound.

"Sounds like quite the team then," Rush said.

"I couldn't love it more," Chase replied sincerely.

The others continued their game and danced for a while longer. Meanwhile, Chase and Marshall introduced Rush to a few places he was interested in seeing on the ship, such as the armory, garage, and other locations. On their way back, the team stopped at the elevator that led to the bridge, discussing how they prepared for their missions. Each stop left Rush in awe of how extensive and impressive the rooms were.

After a small tour of the ship, the three returned to the common room, and by this point, the pups had since finished their games. Soft red beams from the lowering sun sifted through the porthole windows, casting an amber glow across the metal interior.

Rocky, who was sitting next to Chase, gave a heavy yawn, revealing just how tired they all were. Chase blinked at the soft lighting and felt his mind beginning to grow fatigued.

"That was a great day," Chase told Rocky with a smile.

"Yeah, it was, Chase!" Rocky replied, "And I gotta win some games at pup-pup boogie!"

Chase chuckled, "Consider yourself lucky I wasn't playing. My paw won't be hurt next time!"

"Oh, yeah?" Rocky shot back, wagging his tail, "I guess we'll just have to see, won't we!"

They laughed as Ryder entered the room, followed by Zuma, Rubble, and Skye. The whole team gathered around Ryder again.

"Alright, pups, it looks like it's getting close to bedtime for us," Ryder said, turning to Rush. "Rush, how are you feeling?"

Rush, who was on the couch, gave a quick stretch of his leg to test it. "Stiff, but getting better. Thanks again for the wrap."

"You're welcome, Rush," Ryder replied with a nod. "Since it's getting late, how about you stay the night? That old building wouldn't be the best place to hang out right now."

Rush grinned, "That sounds great, thanks again. I guess I'll work on finding a new place tomorrow."

Ryder nodded, "There are a lot of great places in the city. I'm sure we can help you find one."

Rush wagged his tail joyfully, but Chase's mind returned to the building itself. He still felt curious about the building collapse and figured now might be a good time to ask. He waited a few moments as the others chatted before turning to Rush. "Rush, speaking of the building, why were you staying there?"

Rush turned and cocked his head. "Oh…well, it made for a good shelter, I guess."

"Were you there for a while?"

"Not very long," Rush replied. "But it helped keep me warm, especially during those big rainstorms like today's."

Chase smirked, "Well, I'm glad it helped you stay safe! That was until it started to fall. Did you notice anything strange when that happened?"

Rush paused for a moment, closing his eyes as if trying to think. Just then, Rubble overheard their conversation and chimed in.

"Chase, always on the case! Don't you wanna stop thinking about work?" Rubble said with a chuckle.

Chase snickered, and Rush opened his eyes. "It's alright! I'd expect nothing less from a police pup." He turned to Chase, "I'm sorry to say I don't remember much other than a few walls starting to collapse. There was some rumbling, and then bricks began to fall. I was so startled that I ran and tried to hide behind the bookcase. It didn't take long for it to fall. I tried to get away, but it caught my leg underneath."

Chase nodded, picturing it in his mind. "That makes sense. Was anybody else around at the time?"

Rush shook his head. Chase tried recalling all the different scents, remembering a few that stood out. He could swear a fresher human scent was somewhere in the building. "Perhaps it was just someone from a while ago. I'm sure Rush would have remembered if he saw someone else."

"Thanks, Rush. That'll be helpful for later!" Chase told him.

Rush nodded in reply while Rubble giggled and left to grab another treat.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team engaged in cheerful chatter, bustling about in preparation for bedtime as the sun slowly sank below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple while casting elongated shadows over the enchanting Adventure City. The other pups departed from the cozy common room one by one, padding softly down the calmly lit path toward their quarters. The dimly lit hallways, adorned with small, glimmering lights, cast a welcoming glow, guiding their way through the dark corridors of the metal interior.
"Alright, pups, have a good night," Ryder said as he opened the door to their quarters. The team filed in and started jumping into their beds.

Chase padded to the base of the beds and, with some help, climbed into his middle cubby recessed into the wall. It was a cozy and comfortable spot. "As great as this bed is, I miss my doghouse back in Adventure Bay," Chase thought, reminiscing about the months before they arrived in the city.

"Rush, you can use the empty bed over here," Ryder said, gesturing to an empty bunk on the wall to his left.

"Oh, could I use the movable dog bed... please?" Rush asked politely, noticing the smaller movable bed on the floor.

Ryder shrugged, "Sure, Rush, wherever you feel comfortable."

Rush took a corner and dragged it into the center of the room.

"Are you sure you're comfortable, Rush?" Marshall called from a top bunk.

"Plenty," Rush replied, already snuggling into the bed.

"Good to hear," Ryder said, "Night, pups."

He switched off the lights, allowing the soft glow of twilight to linger as he left the room, the door left slightly ajar. A gentle darkness enveloped the space, creating a soothing atmosphere. Chase lay in bed, his eyes wide open, lost in contemplation of the day's myriad events. "Our team performed so well today..." he mused, turning onto his side, "Three missions in one day; it was incredible how busy it all was."

His gaze wandered across the dim room, taking in the shadowy outlines of his friends enveloped in sleep. A warm smile crept across his face as he sought to quiet his racing thoughts by shutting his eyes and attuning himself to the rhythmic sound of their breathing. However, it took longer than he anticipated to succumb to slumber. Eventually, the weight of his eyelids grew heavier, and he was gently drawn into a peaceful sleep.

Chase didn't know what had woken him from his dreams, but his eyes fluttered open. A heavy fatigue still lingered in his gaze, and he blinked to clear it. His ear flicked as he tried to find some clue about what had brought him back to reality. "Probably just someone moving. Maybe it was Rubble's snoring again," he groaned to himself as he scanned the dark room, again seeing the blackened shapes of his friends lined along the walls. Their breaths were consistent and soft.

Everything seemed normal until he looked down at Rush's bed. Chase opened his eyes a bit wider and noticed it was unusually flat. He raised an eyebrow and quietly climbed down the steps to the side of his bed.

He stretched his paws as he landed on the floor. His muscles were stiff from sleep, and he released a soft sigh while stretching his back, feeling a satisfying heat spread through his muscles.

After a quick stretch, he padded over to Rush's bed and gave it a gentle prod with his paw, confirming that it was empty. Raising an eyebrow, he sniffed the air, which was still heavy with Rush's scent. He noticed it led outside the door, which was still ajar.

"He hasn't been gone long," Chase thought as he stepped outside and followed his scent. "Where could he have gone in the middle of the night?"

Hello again everyone!

Thanks for reading and being patient as they come out!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter focused around characters and build up, there is a lot more down the road I have coming with a lot of fun characters so stay tuned!

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Thanks again everyone!

- Prince-Noven