PAW Patrol: A Dalmatian's Reunion || DA Book Two

(C17) A Starry View

As the group continued to stand in front of the lookout, waiting for Ryder to read the note that Marshall left behind before driving off, the tension in the air was so thick that you could easily hear a cheese slice drop.

Ryder took a deep breath as he finished scanning the note, shooting daggers at Marshall's parents before refocusing on the note and beginning to read it. "To my friends in the Paw Patrol, my parents and my siblings. I will be taking some time to myself. Unlike the last time when I went to the Paw Patrol training course here in Adventure Bay, I won't be saying anything about where I'm going, for now, at least. This is all becoming far too much for me to handle, and I desperately need some time to myself. Ryder, team, if I'm needed for a mission, call my pup tag and I'll make sure I'm there, no matter what. I have all of my gear and fire truck with me so I can arrive at a scene if I'm needed. Other than that, I don't have anything else to say on this note that hasn't already been said before. Marshall out." Ryder finished reading the note as everyone began to process what they had heard. There was no doubt in everyone's mind that this reunion with his family, but especially his parents has been extremely stressful for the Dalmatian, but at this point, the situation has undeniably reached a boiling point.

"So... what now, Ryder?" Chase asked as he growled underneath his breath, wanting nothing more than to hop into his police cruiser right now to go and find Marshall, but he knew that wouldn't be right to do right now. Marshall said he'll be at the scene of any emergency he's needed in, which means his tag is active and can receive calls at any times, so by mo means is this anywhere near the worst case scenario.

"Well... I'd say we give Marshall the space and time he needs. However, we will also be having a discussion with both of you, Blaze and Smoke. Things can't continue as they are any longer, and we all know that." Ryder responded as all of the pups, including Marshall's family nodded, everyone wanted to help Marshall right now; but that could very easily do far more harm than good with how things are.

"Yeah. That's for the best." All six pups replied as they headed back inside the lookout alongside Ryder, Cookie and Kai following closely behind, tears spilling down the faces of both younger Dalmatian's and staining their fur. Once the rest of the group was back inside the lookout, and out of earshot of both Blaze and Smoke, the two Dalmatian parents sighed in unison as they tried to find the words to say to each other right now.

"Smoke... I don't know any other way to put this, but...." Blaze began, the blue-eyed Dalmatian crying as he tried to find the words he so desperately needed to say right now, but it was as if he was incapable of doing so. "I've completely fucked up. There's no denying that, things never should've gotten anywhere near this bad. Not in a million years. Truly. Maybe everything that happened with Marshall, not only before he left us and Azura, but also now is the fault of both of our mistakes in life. But I need to be responsible and take the fall, not you, my love. I'm the one who wanted him to be a police dog, just like myself. And that selfish obsession of wanting a pup to carry on whatever family legacy there is in the Azura police department absolutely tore our family apart, and now everything is falling into pieces again. Our pups... don't deserve such a fucking awful parental figure like myself. I just wish I recognized this far sooner." Blaze let out as he found himself clenching his paws against the dirt he was standing on, loosening it as he screamed at himself internally. No respectable parent would ever do what he's done to Marshall in the past or present to their own children or pups, that's for sure.

"Blaze. Listen to me, Blaze. What's happened is history now. That doesn't make either of our actions right, but we can still make amends with Marshall before it's too late. Even if he'll never want to speak to either of us again, we have to at least do that to make things right." Smoke replied towards the one she loved, watching as the older Dalmatian laid down and allowed her to begin rubbing his back with one of her paws. "Maybe things didn't turn out as they should've, and we both fucked up. But we can still do everything in our powers to make amends, alright?" Smoke said as she continued to console her mate, they had both made irredeemable mistakes in their lives as parents for Marshall, Cookie and Kai, that was undeniable, and they weren't going to make excuses for themselves or throw some pity party. That's not what they're trying to do. All they can do now is try and make amends, how Marshall responds is wholly up to him.