Regaining Trust-A Paw Patrol Story

Chapter Twenty-One

"How is it possible?" Chase asked aloud to himself.

"What's the matter, Chase?" Ryder asked. "Do you know them?"

"I'm almost sure I do," Chase replied. "We have to help them."

"We will, but the stairs got destroyed."

"I will find another way up," Chase said. He tried to run towards the building, but Ryder got in front of him. "Ryder, what's wrong?"

"I won't let you go into a burning building," Ryder said. "Not again."

"Ryder, I have to help them. Let me help them. I promise I will come out alive, and it won't be like last time."

"Ryder was reluctant, but after giving it some thought, he moved out of the way. "Go," he said. "But if you need help, tell me."

"I will," Chase said as he ran towards the building.

Chase stopped in front of the building. "How do I get up there?" He asked himself. He noticed that Marshall's ladder was raised high enough to reach the roof. That gave Chase an idea. He grabbed an inflatable pad from Marshall's fire truck, put it inside his pup pack, and ran up the ladder. Before making it up, he jumped off the side and into an open window.

"Angel?!" he called out. "Junior?!"

"Chase?!" Angel asked. Chase couldn't see her, but he knew it was her voice.

"Where are you?!" Chase asked.

"Over here," she answered. Chase followed her voice through smoke and burning debris. He eventually found Angel and Junior in a corner. They weren't injured, but their fur was covered.

Chase would've hugged them, but a burning beam from the roof fell near them. "Come on," he said. "Let's get out of here."

"How?" Junior asked. His voice was dry. "The stairs are burning, and they are the only way out."

"Who said anything about using stairs?" he asked. He ran over to the nearest window, and Angel and Junior followed him. Chase pulled out the pad he took from Marshall's firetruck and threw it out the window. As soon as it touched the ground, it grew in size and filled with air. "Okay, I need you both to jump out the window."

Angel looked out the window and took a deep breath. "Okay, but what about you?"

"I'll follow once you both get out of here?"

"But you will come out, right?" Junior asked.

"I promise," Chase said with the most sincere smile he could give. "Angel, you jump out first, and Junior will follow you, and then I will jump out."

Angel nodded and jumped out the window. She bounced off the pad and landed on her feet on the ground. "Okay, send Junior down."

"You ready, Junior?" Chase asked.

"I'm scared," Junior confessed.

"It's okay to be scared, but you have to face those fears. Can you do that for me? Can you be my hero?"

Junior looked up at him. "Your hero?"

Chase took off his hat and put it on Junior's head. It was too big for him, so it slid down one side head. "My hero," Chase repeated.

"Okay," Junior said. "I can do this." He looked out the window, took a deep breath, and jumped out. When he got on the ground, he patted his neck and frowned. "Where's my collar?" he asked.

Chase looked around until he found it in the corner. "Found it," Chase called down. He walked over and picked it, but as Chase turned back around, part of the roof collapsed, blocking the window where Angel and Junior exited. "Okay," he told himself. "Plan B." The building started to creak, and another chunk from the roof fell next to Chase. That was his signal that he had to run.

Chase started running to the window that he entered from, dodging falling debris and jumping over burning furniture. When he was near the window, the ground under him collapsed, and he slid on the floor, out the front door of the building. Behind him, dirt and ash blew out of all the openings as the rest of the second floor fell.

Chase looked at the building, breathing hard. The only thing standing now was the outer walls of the building since they were brick walls. The inside of the building, on the other hand, was reduced to nothing but burnt debris. Chase was still staring at the building when he felt some arms wrap around him.

"Thank goodness, you made it out," Skye said. Realizing what she was doing, she let go and put her head down. "Sorry."

"For what?" Chase asked. He hugged Skye back. "I needed that." Skye was surprised at first, but she let in and hugged him back. When they let go, they stared into each other's eyes for a second. Chase then remembered about his other family. He turned his head at the perfect time to see the other German Shepherds walk around the corner. Skye followed his gaze, and her smile faded when she saw them.

Angel and Junior started running over, and Chase ran to meet them halfway. He hugged them. "I missed you both so much," he said. "And I'm glad you're safe."

"We missed you, too," Angel said. She kissed him on the cheek. They hugged for a while longer until Skye crept over slowly.

"Oh, right," Chase said. "Angel, Junior, this is Skye. She is the aviator specialist in the Paw Patrol."

"Hi," Angel and Junior said in unison. Skye gave them a half-hearted smile.

"And Skye, this is Angel and Junior, my..." Chase started.

"Your other family," Skye guessed in a sad tone.

Chase looked at her. "Well, yeah, but that's not what I..."

"No, I get it. You have a new family. You probably don't need us anymore. I understand. Just please say something before you leave again."

"Skye, it's not," Chase couldn't finish. Skye had started walking away. Chase looked at Angel and Junior. "I'm sorry, it's just that..."

"No, don't worry," Angel said. "Go with her. We'll be fine." Chase could tell that Angel was sincere and wasn't bothered by what Skye had said.

"Thanks," Chase said. He ran after Skye and met her sitting alone at the beach, watching the moon rise in the clear night sky. There were no waves, and the ocean was still. "Skye, are you okay?"

"Don't you want to be with them?" she asked. Chase noticed the sadness in her voice.

"They don't need me at the moment," Chase said. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Skye confessed. "I guessed seeing you with them, happy and grateful, made me jealous."

"Jealous of what?"

"Well, I thought they were going to make you leave us again." Skye put her head. "I'm sorry I acted that way. But I want you to know that I understand if you leave. Your son needs to have his father with him."

"My son?" Chase asked. But then he realized what she meant. The thought actually made him laugh, which made him feel guilty. "Sorry, but I've been trying to explain it to you since I returned. Skye, Junior's not my son. He's my nephew."

***Author’s Note***
I am dedicating this chapter to ChaseTheSpeedRunner. Thank you for your support and have a great day.