PAW Patrol: Marshall Gone Missing.

Chapter 31

Chase didn't know how long he lay there in the mud, but time meant nothing to him at the moment. The sun was setting, he could tell that much. If anything, he didn't mind just resting here forever. Someone will come looking for me. Maybe bring me back to the Lookout. Chase didn't want to go back. Not when so many memories of his father were there. Of course, that begged the question of what he was going to do now?

"Chase?! Hey, Chase?!" shouted a voice in the twilight.

Marshall? thought Chase, ears perking up. He slowly got up from the mud, his clothes a complete wreck, as he saw his best friend emerge from the bushes. Panting like he had been in a three hour marathon, Marshall took a moment to gather his breath before he turned to Chase with a relieved smile.

"There you are! Everyone's been worried!" shouted Marshall a he rushed over and hugged Chase. Despite Chase not hugging back, Marshall nuzzled his best friend. "Come on, let's head back. Plus, I think my parents are gonna scold me for running off like that to look for you. "

"Leave me alone, Marshall," hissed Chased as he turned around. "I'm not going back. I want to be alone."

Marshall whimpered as he stared at his best friends back. "Chase..." He lowered his head. "I'm sorry you lost your dad. I liked him a lot, we all did. My parents, Ryder, Mr. Ryder, all of those police units there? They loved your dad too, and he was an inspiration to all of them. I understand that-"

"Understand?!" shouted Chase as he tackled Marshall, pinning him to the ground. "You don't understand anything about how I'm feeling, Marshall! You still have a family! My dad was my entire family! With him gone I... I'm all alone!" Chase leaked a few tears before returning to his rage. "I never knew my mom! She died soon after I was born! Dad's always been there for me, and I wanted him to watch me grow up like a police dog, but he can't because some trigger happy bank robber killed him! Who do I have left, Marshall?! Who?!"

"You have me!" shouted Marshall, pushing him off, much to Chase's surprise. Getting up, Marshall barked before shouting, "Darn it, Chase! You still have family who loves you! Maybe we're not related by blood, but..." his expression softened as his eyes began to get misty, "... you are a brother to me, Chase. And I love you like one."

Chase's eye widened as his mouth dropped upon hearing this. "M-Marshall..."

Rubbing his eyes, Marshall continued, "I hate seeing you like this, Chase. I wanna help you because your pain is my pain. I may not have been Trigger's son, but he was an uncle to me. We're all hurt by his death, Chase. Maybe it's different from your pain, but we still are sad."

He walked over and hugged his stunned best friend. "Do you know what puppy heaven is?"

"N-no..." whispered Chase, although he had heard of it.

"It's a place where good dogs go when they die. A place of peace and eternal happiness. Your parents are there, happy, and they are looking down at you right now. Watching you, always," said Marshall as he gave Chase a small smile. "I had a grandmother who died before I met you, and when she was gone I was sad too. My mother told me that all of us will see her again when we go to puppy heaven, but we have to wait for it to come. We have to live good and happy lives because that's what they would want us to do."

"T-they do?" asked Chase, tearing up at this point. "But... I... I miss them so much! How can I move on?!"

"By moving on with us together, Chase. If you let us," whispered Marshall.

Chase fell on his rump and started to rub his eyes."Do... do you really want to be my brother?"

"Only if you let me," replied Marshall.

Chase thought long and hard about it before he nodded. "Okay, but I want you to promise me one thing."

"Anything!" said Marshall, wagging his tail.

"Don't die before I do." Marshall looked a bit taken back, but Chase continued. "I don't care what it takes, but I don't want you to die before I die. I can't... I can't go through another loss, Marshall. Please."

Marshall was silent for a bit before he smiled. "I promise. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. Wait, should that be hope not to die in this case?"

Chase chuckled as a real smile, the first in many days, appeared on his face. "Yeah, it would."

The two looked at each as they held their paw out and touched each other. "Brothers?" asked Chase.

"Brothers!"