Arriving shortly back at the Look-Out, Marshall had halted the engine and the vehicle they rode on stopped by command. Without breathing a single soul, nor tell-tale a single opinion or emotion, both the husky and Dally had hopped off of the fire truck.

          It was merely afternoon when they've arrived, the sun stood idly in the midst of these blue and cloudless skies, and their mountain tops were only emitting a hot energy.

         By just looking at the surroundings, all knew well that the mission had finished — the missing vehicles have returned.

          Everest slipped away from the scene without saying a single thing, nor has she dared to look straight at anyone else's eyes. Marshall was supposed to do the same, he thought — he already had a horrible sudden confession, and wished he hadn't have to slip that way — but when he caught a glimpse of Jake, having his back onto a wall as he pinched the bridge of his nose, that mindset soon changed.

          Visibly in deep contemplation he was, and the creases on his brows indicated his inner frustration. That same energy somehow magnetized him and pieced himself wholly to him, feeling the same exact emotion he is in.

         How odd.

         "Is he.. Any better?" Quietly questions the Dalmatian, as he sat by Jake's leathered toes.

         Heat became more unberable as the sun slowly crept in the midst of the skies. Regardless of the evident refulgent weather, instead of seeing honey-lemon, everything's been tinted in a pessimistic gray scale picture.

           What once were called luscious green leaves were now painted in an unattractive dark grey color, and everyone had a solemn look — by everyone, means just the two of them.

          A grunt escapes from the man beside the canine, his chest cavity rising and falling rapidly; this had drawn Marshall's attention to look at him to observe the grunter for himself.

          "I should've begged to stay. If we hadn't left, he wouldn't be in a critical situation."

           Releasing a piqued air "It wouldn't have been any different," Saltily replies Marshall back, as he placed his chin within the forepaws that's situated in front of him.

        "—Turbot will and always will refuse to foster us." Harsh as what his sentence bare, it somehow shot a rather dull arrow, and instead, came out a weak and bitter comment. Something within his voice gave evident that he was in doubt.

          "But what if it wasnt this way. Would things have been different?" The dally contrdicts his earlier statement not a moment too long.

           Ricochet, came this dubiety dubbed by a specific canine. For a moment, it was all that reverbrates through these walls that he built for long years. Unsure of what words he could tell him, the deafening silence compared as to thousands of idle mirrors stood by them.

          As if space had stopped, and everything came suffocating. Gravity skyrocketed through these invisible roofs we call so dearly "atmospheres", before suddenly being released from the great grasp of the Earth.

          What once were held back by these cores, came streaming down as of those lively river streams, though these teary eyes emitted a polar of what this body of water.

          Unknowningly, Jake found himself in pool of years and had suddenly broke down in mute. His cries no longer had the innocence he had back when he was younger, where he'd cry unstoppably and because of this overwhelming emotions, had he only hiccuped in attempted to halt it. Those old hands that found its way to his tear ducts to wipe them away, we're now tucked in his dry pockets as these cheeks that belonged to him continuously dampens themselves.

          "One thing's for sure, " Suspires inwardly the now older boy, as he looks upon these similar skies that belonged to his childhood — a painting he thought that would last forever and keep ahold of it eternalize it; he thought deeply in contemplation and had a short montage of what life would've been like — if they were with him, perhaps they would've all been happy and had explored the seven seas together, and could of taken more care of Turbot.

          Unfortunately, their fates had been written in a way that the two of them were to feel miserable and regretful.

         What would life look like?

          "Is that we'll still face obstacles.. Though maybe, better than having wounded and guiltful hearts."

          Smoothly came the iron-framed glass doors open, it was semi-quiet as some were upstairs or had unknowingly slipped out of the Look-Out and scatter themselves on the boards on Adventure Bay, like little pawns, though strategize was entirely useless, maybe.

          Upon entering, the Husky had landed her eyes upon Skye, and a specific canine, the one that somewhat started it all yet not at the same time. The one that became the farmer who planted this guilty kernel-turned-stone into her heart.

         One look, and every possible waterfall that ever existed came crashing onto her head, thousands of caterwaul had out out nowhere, appeared. Figures that only the husky herself could see. As she has silentlt froze into her spot, that figure that she refused to talk to for a long time, had looked back.

          "Oh, Everest! Hello!" Acknowledges Chase with contagious enthusiasm, the husky herself couldn't stop herself but smile in return, at least a tiny bit.

           Blinking away the remnants of what she calls home, she grinned awkwardly towards the couple who were recently watching some show on the blue-light emitting television.

          "You're back from the mission, how was it?" Skye began, patting the pillow that's situated beside her. Everest could only agree half-heartedly to her offer. She sat down anyway in the end.

          "It went.. Well, probably.. I'm really sorry but.. Marshall's hard to work with." Admits Everest truthfully, her thoughts coming out as spontaneous.

          Skye and Chase had only shared worried glances at her kvetch anent to the Dally. Clearly had she showed signs she was displeased by this and had attempted to keep up with this Dalmatian's standard.

          "Sometimes, actually, no— It's always hard to be around him. The second he's smiling at you like I'm not an alien, and then like dust, he treats me as if I'm much that he wears so often! It's so hard to work with him when you always feel like you have to tiptoe your way around him all the time."

          Drooped, came Skye's golden tan fur upon hearing this. Truly, this was unlikely Marshall, but sadly, it appears that that once layer of paint of innocence that's painted on him had peeled off to unveil the package that contains what he genuinely was.

          The Cockapoo herself, was surprised to see this side of Marshall, and never had she seen him this upset with anyone. His episodes would usually last about a day or two; though oddly was she grateful that he's being more open with what his feelings were. But everything still boils down to confusion. She couldn't grasp why he was acting harshly to her.

           "Did he have a sorry life, that he took his anger out on me?!" This caused Chase to choke in the midst of her rant, which obviously had drawn attention from the two females.

          Heat crept his veins and cheeks that instance, and silently wished to dissipate into nothing but thin air. He didn't mean to do so, it somehow came to him as instinct, and that completely baffles him.

          Everest raised her brows and questions him if he knows anything, though as his response, he nodded sideways.

          This was horribly suspicious in the husky's eyes, she unglued her gazes away from the German Shepherd and contemplated what caused him to do so — obviously related to Marshall, that's for sure.

          "Maybe he did have a horrible past, and I'm not considering his feelings well enough. He did mention this he had one of those darkest times, and it's probably worse than I thought." After contemplating her thoughts for quite some time, her anger had boiled into idle waters and released the remnants of her steamy furious air.

          "Sorry, I just.. Got overwhelmed." Shamefully apologizes the husky with an awkward smile. In return, the couple only smiled and did not judge her earlier actions any further, which comforts her to such degree — that it felt like those cool hugs.

          "Oh and.. I'm sorry Chase for uh.. Getting you caught up in my mess. I think that's one of the reasons Marshall sees me differently."

          His face lit up and laughed softly "It's alright. That's what my job is, to protect and serve. What kind of police dog would I be if I wouldn't rescue nevertheless?"

          "I know, but.. It seems that you meant the whole world to him, I couldn't just do that.. The feeling's awfully familiar, and I didn't mean to hurt his feelings."

          Chase felt the sincerity within Everest's voice, that he couldn't help but hug her in return — tightly. His fur was warm, his heart beats steadily and peacefully within him, and his gesture was just.. Completely heartwarming, that she felt safe within his arms. It was as if such simple action told everything she needed to hear.

          "I'm sure you've heard this a lot of times, but on behalf of him, I'm truly sorry he's acting that way. We're still recovering from the blow, as you may have heard, and Marshall's greatly affected next from me and Skye." Grins the Alsatian, as if those scarring events meant nothing to him, as if it couldn't take this opportunity to witness such things away from him one snap and but him to bed.

          Sighing, Everest nodded in response "Yeah.. I've heard from Skye too. I just don't know how I can change him how he sees me. I never wanted to be an enemy in his eyes after all."

          "What can I do?"

           Upon Chase opening his weapon, that he decided to use it for the betterment, as he uttered these words, it had taken Everest aback, though something in that bonfire called "determination" had rekindled from such simple, yet meaningful words.

"Marshall's a broken vase. "