Vigilante PAW

Chapter Twenty: Broken PAW

Sitting on a balcony, Chase's eyes remained glued onto the backyard. The place where he and his friends would spend hours playing. He couldn't tell for sure how long he had been sitting there, his hind legs having grown numb quite some time ago.

A warm breeze wafted over the top of his head, rounding over it and slithering down his spine.

Just like always, his mind had wandered off, and he found himself recounting almost every event that led him to this point. He couldn't help it. It was an impulse. An impulse that he never seemed to be able to control.

He watched the branches and leaves of a tree sway along with the wind.

Come to think of it, he didn't really have much control of anything, did he? He didn't have control over his own emotions, didn't have control of the pups he was supposed to be presenting a good example to, he didn't even have control over whether or not he felt like eating in the morning.

His ears perked up once he heard the sound of the elevator opening.

They soon flattened against his head. He knew exactly who it was. The same pup that had been constantly checking in on him from the moment they got back to the lookout.

Chase's eyes closed tight. There was no possible way he could go another round with her. He was grateful that she was as worried for him as she was, but at the same time. He didn't want to face her. He didn't want to face anybody. Not the others, not Skye, and certainly not Ryder.

"Chase?" He heard the familiar feminine voice call out to him. The way his heart began pounding in his chest made him believe that it was going to leap out of it at any moment.

He didn't speak. He didn't feel like speaking.

"Chase, you have to talk. If not to me, then Zuma. If not Zuma, then Tracker. If not Tracker, then maybe even Rubble..." He heard her beg, "Please, Chase. Just don't keep shutting all of us out. We're struggling too. The team is hurt too."

Standing behind him was Skye, who noticed that her teammate was having a hard time following his impromptu meeting with Marshall. She knew that Zuma and Rubble, who didn't know about Chase and Marshall's meet up, were still churned up inside. And when it came to Tracker, she never knew what he was thinking.

So it was left down to her. She would do whatever it took to help her team. The Cockapoo stared blankly at the back of Chase's head. No matter what, she'd bring back the smiles she had gotten used to waking up to each day. That would have to start with Chase.

"Chase, talk to me!" She pawed at his back, "Nothing's ever gonna get better if you just stay quiet!"

"What's there to talk about?"

Skye's eyes widened. She had managed to crack him, "Marshall. We talk about Marshall."

"Yeah, we fought. I know..." The Shepherd kept facing away from her, "There's nothing else. Let's move on to the next mission."

The aviator pup sighed, shaking her head, "We're not moving forward."

"What?"

"I said, we're not moving forward!" Skye moved from behind Chase and shifted to stand in front of him, "You can't just say it happened and push it down!"

Chase turned his head away, avoiding looking at her, "It's over. Marshall's gone. Let it go..."

"Let it go!?" The Cockapoo's brows furrowed with irritation, "You're telling me to let it go? I'm sorry, but you're the only one sulking around the lookout! I can't bear to watch you do this to yourself!"

"Then don't watch!!" The Shepherd shouted, finally looking at Skye.

Chase's voice echoed into the sky, slowly fading away as Skye took a step back. Chase was always gentle with her. He was a sweet pup. Never in her life did he ever yell at her. It took her off guard. She couldn't believe it, but just for a moment, she was a little scared.