The Stellar Odyssey - A PAW Patrol Fanfic

🪐 7 - The Video Call 🪐

The sun rises slowly over Adventure Bay, casting soft, golden light across the lookout. Skye sits alone at the edge of the Lookout, her gaze distant as she watches the calm waves and rolling hills. The world around her seems peaceful, almost serene, but her mind is anything but calm. Her eyes drift down to her wrist, where a sleek watch with a ticking second hand rests snugly. She touches it gently, almost reverently, feeling its cool weight against her fur, a watch Chase had given her just two days ago.

"Seven years," she whispers to herself. The promise Chase made echoes in her mind. They had set their watches perfectly in sync, down to the very second. Chase had joked, "When I get back, our watches will still match exactly, Skye... just that I'll be seven years younger than you." The thought was both amusing and heartbreaking now, knowing that time would stretch and warp across galaxies for him, while she would feel every second of his absence back on Earth.

A soft voice interrupts her thoughts. "Hey, Skye." Marshall approaches, tilting his head curiously at her wrist. "What's with the old watch with the little ticking thingies? Aren't you more of a digital time kinda pup?"

Skye gives a small smile, shrugging lightly. "Chase gave it to me. It's... special. He has one too, and we set them exactly the same. He said that, when he returns, they'll still be running the same. It's... his way of promising he'll come back to me I guess."

Marshall's expression softens as he nods, understanding the unspoken weight behind her words. He opens his mouth to say something comforting, but just then, Ryder's voice calls out from inside the Lookout.

"PAW Patrol, report to the main screen! We have a live feed from the crew!"

Marshall's eyes widen in excitement. "It's them!" he barks, and he dashes back inside, Skye following a little more hesitantly. As they enter, the rest of the team is already gathered, their eyes glued to the giant screen where the faint, flickering image of the spaceship's interior appears.

Marshall bounces in excitement when Everest's face appears on screen, giving a small, hesitant wave. She grins when she sees him and points around her, trying to capture every part of the ship behind her in her camera feed.

"Marshall!" Everest's voice crackles with excitement. "You wouldn't believe how scary the takeoff was! I could feel my stomach turn into ice cubes!" She laughs, her eyes shining. "And the view from up here? It's... incredible."

Marshall chuckles, his tail wagging wildly. "Well, as long as you didn't faint up there!"

Rocky joins in with a reassuring smile. "Hey, everyone! Everything's fine up here. Systems are stable, and we've all adjusted to zero gravity now... though I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this suit." He tugs at the collar of his snug spacesuit, grimacing. "I think it shrinks every time I move."

Zuma snickers. "I dunno, Rocky, I think the suit's just showing off your 'space muscles.'"

A few of the pups laugh, and even Skye can't help but smile faintly at their banter. But her eyes quickly shift to Chase, standing quietly at the back of the group. He seems slightly distracted, glancing around the spaceship's cabin as if he's looking for something.

"Hey, Ryder," Chase's voice echoes through the comms, uncertain. "Is... is Skye there?"

The room goes quiet, and the pups turn to look at Skye, who has drifted toward the back of the room, half-hidden in shadow. She shifts uncomfortably, avoiding the screen. Marshall hesitates, then speaks up for her. "I, uh... I think she's still a bit upset you left," he says gently.

The hurt in Chase's expression is plain, but he nods, accepting the news. His eyes lower for a moment, and then he looks back up, giving a brave smile. "Just... tell her I'll be back, okay? And that I'll keep my promise."