Revenge (PAW Patrol Fanfic)

Chapter Eighteen

The sun shone on his face, forcing him to squint as he opened his eyes. "Morning, boy," he said, patting the German shepherd on the head. The pup yawned, wagging his tail. A dalmatian, a bulldog, a gray mixed breed, a cockapoo and a chocolate lab all continued sleeping peacefully as they got out of bed.

Stretching, he walked over to the window, opening it a bit to let in some fresh air. Sadly, living in the city meant the air was anything but fresh, but they made do. "Fetch the mail?" he asked the pup. The pup trotted off while he started making breakfast. For an apartment in the city, it was relatively large, especially for the eleven year old and his six dogs. Granted, it was still an apartment in the city, so it had it's drawbacks. For one, there was no laundry in the apartment, forcing him to take the elevator down five flights to the basement. Another was the technical 'no pet' policy, but he worked it out with the owner. But, there was one major advantage to the apartment.

It was soundproof.

"Pups! Breakfast!" he yelled. 24 little paws scurried across the floor, sliding into the kitchen. The dalmatian, of course, knocked them all over. "Ah, memories," the boy said, laughing. The pups smiled and eagerly ate their breakfast. "Eat up, we're heading to the park to meet Katie." Each pup's ears and tail perked, staring at him curiously. "I know, I know. Don't worry about it." Unsure, the pups looked at each other before staring back at him. He sighed, sitting on the ground, motioning them to come closer. "Listen, pups," he said. "I know it's been months since we've seen her, but you've got to get check-ups at some point. We're too far away to head back and I can't risk you know who finding out."

"But, Ry-" the shepherd shook his head. "Roger," he corrected, sticking his tongue out at the pseudo-name. "What if he finds out?"

"It's alright, Chase," he assured the pup. "It's been three months. We'll be fine." Chase nodded, as did the other pups. They all went back to their food, staring at Chase. It was the first time any of the pups had spoken since moving there.

***

"Roger!" Katie yelled, hugging him. Ryder winced, not used to his fake name. "It's been so long!" Ryder hugged her back, forcing himself not to tear up. "And pups!" They tackled her, licking her face and hands, occasionally barking. "I missed you too."

"Alright, pups, go play!" Ryder said. "Katie, wanna sit?" She nodded. The two sat together at a nearby bench. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, Ry- Roger," she caught herself. "When will you come back?"

"When it's safe for my pups," he said, cautiously keeping an eye out. "This is the first time in weeks that I've brought them out here."

"I can tell," she giggled. The pups ran around with similar energy that Chase had when he was 'infected'. They were acting like puppies, playing, barking, running around. "That'll tire them out for a good while."

"I hope so," Ryder said. "How's the clinic?"

"It's good. Ever since you guys left, more people have been adopting animals and bringing them in for checkups."

"What about the rest of the town? And Goodway?"

"Everything and everyone is fine," Katie said, looking into his eyes. "But it would be better if you came back."

"You know I can't," he said. The two sat in silence for a while, watching the pups. Marshall had tripped for what seemed like the fifth time in thirty seconds, causing them both to giggle. "Any word on our hummingbird?"

"He hasn't made a peep and he hasn't left the nest, we think."

"He's planning something, I feel it."