The Secret Life of Pets Problems in New York

Until Spring...

The next morning, Tiberius jolted awake from his terrifying nightmare. Shaking himself, he sniffed the air. Guess it's time... he thought quietly to himself as he got up. Lifting his right foot, he blindly unclasped the chain. The hawk was about to tug his hood off when he heard whispering. Stiffening, he sniffed the air again. Slowly tugging the hood off his head, the old hawk crept out of his shed. Before him stood several other animals. "Guys, you don't need to do this," Tiberius mumbled. "Of course we do, why else would we be standing out in the cold?!" Pops called out. Pointing a paw at Gidget, Chloe grumbled, "It was Gidget's idea." Glaring at the tabby cat, Gidget retorted, "If I recall, we all jumped in on the idea." Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she padded over to Tiberius. Softly, she whispered, "And we're not letting you leave without saying goodbye."

Nodding his head slightly, Tiberius walked over to Mel, Buddy, and Sweetpea. "Send me a postcard if the squirrels begin to take over, alright?" he asked quietly. Smiling, Mel and Buddy saluted the old hawk while Sweetpea chirped. "I'll bring you an orange from Florida," Tiberius promised before he moved onto Leonard and Pepe. "I have a feeling you know what I'm going to say," the hawk murmured. Shifting his paws, Leonard replied, "Keep on partying until the cops shut us down." Quiet for a moment, the old hawk responded, "Uh, I was going to say to have fun but yeah, sure." Walking away, he added, "Don't get arrested."

"You're sending postcards, right Eagle Eye?" Pops asked. Looking into the basset hound's eyes, Tiberius replied, "Whenever I can get the chance." As he moved down the line, Pops shouted, "And tell Mickey Mouse that he owes me twenty bucks!" A few laughed quietly at the comment. Stopping in front of Duke, Tiberius murmured, "You and Sky take care of yourselves, okay?" Duke nodded his head. Turning towards Snowball, the old hawk stated firmly, "Please don't take over the world while I'm gone." Snowball merely waved his paw.

"Blue, did you want to say something?" Nitro asked as Tiberius came by. Nodding her head, Blue ran up to the old hawk and spoke quietly, "Thank you for saving me during that fire." Everyone shuddered at the memory. Patting her head with his wing, the hawk looked over at Ozone. "Don't let grief be your downfall Ozone," he cautioned before turning towards Chloe. "Be nice to Pops," he whispered quietly. "Max, I just want to thank you," Tiberius declared as he approached Max and Gidget next. Startled, the small dog asked, "Why? What for?" Meeting his eye, the hawk answered, "If you hadn't gotten lost, I would still be alone in my shed at this moment, if I hadn't died from loneliness." Facing Gidget, the old hawk whispered, "And thank you for finding me. You were the first friend I had in years, unless you want to count my owner." Trying to be strong, Gidget smiled as her friend moved down the line to the last person.

"Do you really have to leave?" Norman asked quietly. His eyes were glistening with upcoming tears. Lowering himself to the guinea pig's level, Tiberius murmured, "I'm afraid so." He soon added, "But aren't you the one who says everyone should follow their heart?" Wiping away a tear that had rolled down his cheek, the guinea pig nodded his head. Quietly, the old hawk went on, "Well, I'm following mine. But don't you forget, I'll always be with you. Right here." With those last words, he pointed at the guinea pig's chest, where his heart was beating. Rushing forward, Norman hugged Tiberius and whispered, "I'll miss you crazy bird." Holding back his own tears, Tiberius whispered back, "I'll miss you too little guy."

Just as the old hawk backed away, the early morning sky was filled with countless birds. "I'll see you all later, I suppose," Tiberius mumbled, heading for the edge of the rooftop. Hopping up, he glanced over his shoulder as the others watched him. "Until spring," he reminded them. Facing forward once more, he tipped over the edge of the apartment building and plummeted towards the ground. Frightened, everyone hurried over. "By south, did he mean going down?!" Duke exclaimed. Suddenly, Tiberius shot back up and circled above the their heads three times. Giving out a screech, he followed the other birds that were in the air. "There he goes," Gidget whispered, her eyes brimmed with tears. Silently, everyone turned around towards the fire escape and left the roof. Just before she walked away though, Gidget peered over her shoulder. The last she saw of Tiberius was him flying side by side with another hawk that could only be Angel...