Somehow, the two managed to recollect themselves and move into the warmth of the living room, still keeping an eye out for Audrey. They had called out plenty of times for her, telling her that if she was playing hide and seek, it was over and she had won. As they figured by this point, that went without much success.

To make matters even worse, the sun was setting more by the minute, the early darkness of wintertime was taking effect. And with the raindrops still pouring from the sky, it wouldn't take long at all for the temperatures to drop more than they already had. Whether she had her hat or not, she wasn't prepared to handle the cold like that all by herself.

The others didn't have any trouble picking up on their moods as they walked inside from the elevators, then again, they weren't trying to hide it. Everest could have if she really wanted to, though now it wasn't worth the effort, while her mate never did a great job of keeping it a secret when he was anxious.

"Uhm...is everything okay, guys?" Ryder asked, instantly noticing his dogs' body language. Marshall couldn't even respond if he wanted to, he considered himself lucky to still be as functional as he was. He slumped against the back of the couch, paws on his head while he pulled his fur from stress. The Grim Reaper already had its grasp on him, at least that's what it felt like.

He had already lost Everest once, the mere thought of anything happening to Audrey was horrifying. It would be a living nightmare to see her get hurt, or worse, he would never be able to live with himself for that. This was all too familiar to the night where his mate was taken, so many reminders of how soul-crushing it felt. Everything he thought he could protect was crumbling before him, with almost everything around him pushing him further.

The blaring noise of the TV, the rain against the windows, the sudden moments of everyone looking in his direction with their loud voices all asking questions. He panicked, he couldn't help it, not while Audrey was missing, and now all this added stress. His tail wrapped around his own legs, and his head and ears lowered, shielding him from just about everything.

"Does it look like we're okay?!" Everest loudly snapped, stopping herself from pacing back and forth long enough to notice Marshall. She wasn't in much better condition herself. Her breaths only came out in slow, heavy intervals as her paws clenched together from stress.

Now realizing his current state, she quickly shushed the others, cutting off their questions and making sure they turned the TV volume down. With that taken care of, she slowly moved closer to him. She pressed both of her paws against his cheeks, causing his ears to carefully perk back up.

"Honey, don't worry, it'll be fine. W-we'll figure this out...s-somehow. Ugh, I-I don't know, j-just try and stay calm, okay?" Even she knew it wasn't her best advice, but it was about the best she had in the moment. Honestly, just the warm way she held him and the peaceful quiet in the room was enough to partially calm him down, and she had a feeling that would help a bit.

"What's wrong anyway? We might be able to help," Chase asked softly, making sure to keep his voice low as he propped himself against the top of the couch. He tilted his head innocently, waiting for an answer from his friends.

"Audrey's g-gone, she left for some reason and we have no clue where she is." The husky heard the sudden scramble of the others, the gasps escaping from their mouths as all of them looked at her and Marshall in worry.

Though she didn't pay them much attention, keeping her focus on the Dalmatian and cupping his head against her chest, muffling the collective noises while he took deep breaths to calm himself down. She also had her mind fixed on figuring out a plan of action for finding the pup before she got too anxious to think properly.

"Do you want us to go out and search for her?" the shepherd offered, knowing that the rest of the team would take his side if that was the case. The husky shook her head, pushing the offer away for the time being. She figured their best course of action was to have a general idea of what they were doing before bolting out the door.

"T-that would probably be helpful, but just wait a second. Marshy, what was the last thing Audrey told you before she went out?" The Dally clutched onto her and wiped his eyes, leaning up while pressing against her. It took almost all of his willpower to even fully stand, which she understood, feeling his heart beating out of his chest as she placed his head under her chin.

"S-she asked if she could get her mom." Everest nodded, going into deep thought while she carefully caressed his back. It was far from a clear answer, it sounded like nothing more than a simple question. Still, it gave them something to work with, it was better than nothing.

"Well if she didn't mean me...maybe she meant Katie?" They both knew that couldn't have been right, as much as Audrey loved the vet, she never called her mom. As far as they were ever told, only Everest was gifted with that title. Then again, today was full of surprises, maybe they were on the right track.

"M-maybe, I dunno," he muttered, gently rubbing his forehead. The husky grumbled to herself, this entire situation was driving her insane. Her mate was in the middle of a panic attack, she was amazed that she wasn't having one herself. Maybe it's that she was keeping herself distracted, but it didn't stop the fear from boiling inside of her. This had endless outcomes, and she had experienced too many worst-case scenarios to have faith in that.

"O-ok, let's go there and see if Audrey is with her. And if not, I-I guess we'll call you guys and we can start a search for her." The Dally nodded solemnly, holding onto her as they slowly got ready for the long, painful walk.

They both quickly grabbed their hats and scarves in preparation for the dropping temperature. The female quickly grabbed a blanket off the couch, draping it onto her back for Audrey if they managed to find her. They made their way to the elevator and sat down while the doors closed, it felt like an eternity before they were on the ground.

"Eve, d-do you honestly think she's there?" he asked nervously, staying close to her side as their fur wettened in the rain. The husky sighed to herself, she had to snap herself away from fully focusing on keeping him upright and watching for any signs of Audrey to respond. That and keeping them from straying off the sidewalk.

"I...I doubt it, honestly. S-sorry, I know it's not what you wanna hear, she's never called anyone mom except for me. But you never know, there's a chance." Marshall accepted her honesty, keeping his head low to the ground, seeing nothing other than the puddles and pavement as more worries flooded his mind.

"B-but what if she gets hurt? Or has another seizure? S-she doesn't know how to take care of herself out there." Everest only weakly shrugged, she hated not being able to reassure him, but there wasn't a whole lot of positivity to be said without lying. If there was, she would've tried it by now.

"I don't know, honey, I wish I could say anything else. W-we just have to hope that she stays safe until we find her," she answered softly, sniffling as she spoke. Out of her own personal worries, she froze and stood behind until Marshall noticed and turned back to her. "A-are you okay? W-we're passed the panic attack, right?"

"I mean, I'm doing about as you'd expect, but it's more manageable now if that's what you're asking. I-I know you're worried about me, but please, let's just focus on finding Audrey. We both know we aren't gonna feel better until we do." His mate nodded and continued forward, her head not hanging low as the rain pounded against her fur. This was getting to her more than she let on, once again doing a bit too good of a job at hiding her feelings.

"Just making sure," she muttered, changing her view to the veterinary clinic that was now only a few blocks away. They were almost there, so close to what would realistically be setting themselves up for disappointment. In fact, she was so caught up on nearly arriving at their destination, that she never noticed that Marshall was lingering behind.

Instead of leaning on her side, he sat on the sidewalk in front of a dark alleyway. Curiously, she turned back and walked to his side, placing her paw on his back while glancing around at their surroundings. The Dally squinted his eyes, sticking his nose in the air and sniffing for whatever it was that caught his attention.

"Marshy? What is it?" Without bothering to give much of an answer, he presumably caught the scent he was looking for and stepped inside the dark alley. It wasn't a very appealing place to stop, riddled with murky puddles and dripping pipes from the buildings around them. At first, there was nothing special, the only noticeable details being the trash cans and boxes, but none of those were considered noteworthy.

"A-Audrey?" With the sudden mention of the name, Everest didn't think twice about taking his side in the darkness. The Dally, making sure to watch his step, carefully walked to the back of the alley, only being illuminated by the glow of the moon and streetlights behind them. And just as he had said, they were met with a certain someone with a purple hat in the farthest corner.

Her caretakers' eyes widened in surprise and relief, seeing the Border Collie perfectly unharmed. She had yet to notice them, her eyes were glued to a dirty, torn-up blanket that she had interlocked between her paws. There was a dog bed that was covered in dirt, too big for her but not exactly a comfortable size if the three of them were to lay in it.

Marshall stepped behind her, his paw splashing in one of the cold puddles below him. The pup, slightly startled, quickly brought her head up and clutched the blanket closer to herself before realizing who it was. Lowering her guard, she innocently smiled and looked back at the bed.

"Oh, hi, Daddy. How did you know I was hewe?" The Dalmatian heavily sighed in relief, tightly hugging Audrey. She seemed confused but happily played along, pressing her head against him and enjoying his company. Unfortunately, he was the more relaxed out of the two, leaving the other to put them back in balance.

"Audrey, what on earth were you thinking?!" Everest roared, causing the pup to flinch and grip onto the male. Marshall looked at the husky sympathetically, her frustration was perfectly reasonable, but it was also visibly scaring the youngest. For the time being, he couldn't have cared less about why she was out here.

"Eve, t-take it easy on her, she's safe, that's what matters," he reminded, stroking the pup's fur, who softly whimpered at the sudden aggression. The husky took a quick deep breath to calm down, walking forward and setting the now-soaked blanket over Audrey's back.

"Thankfully, but regardless, she needs to know what she did was wrong." The Border Collie brought her head away from Marshall's chest, her original fear subsiding while she looked at her caretaker in anticipation. She rubbed her eyes and pulled the warm cloth around her, it was wet but it was more than what she had originally.

"B-but Daddy said I could," she mumbled, her voice breaking while she spoke. The lavender dog sighed and sat down alongside them, letting her sternness subside after hearing the pup's genuine confusion. Clearly, there had been some sort of misunderstanding between them, that much was obvious.

"No, he didn't, Daddy said you asked to go find me. Why did you go all the way out here? Where are we anyway?" Audrey tilted her head, her eyes questioning whether the husky was serious or not. This was news to her.

"W-what? But I nevew said I was getting you." Now both of her caretakers were just as confused as she was. The two looked at each other, raising their eyebrows before refacing the pup who was lost in her head. Just as they were, she seemed to be trying to figure out why they were so caught off guard by her actions.

"Princess, you said you were going to get Mommy," Marshall recalled to her, almost talking to himself as a reminder. Suddenly, Audrey's eyes widened, as if his words caused something inside to snap. Gone was her somber frown, but now replaced with a tiny smile that screamed realization.

"Ohhh, I meant my othew Mommy and Daddy, not you," she explained, as if that perfectly cleared up everything. The two were at a loss for words, now even more confused than they already were, which was saying a lot. They replayed what seemed like a reasonably logical explanation in her eyes in their heads, desperately trying to fit together this mystery.

"What do you mean your other Mommy and...D-Daddy..." Everest trailed off, cutting herself off as she froze with a blank expression. The Dally caught wind of her still movements and turned to her, about to open his mouth and question what was going on in her head.

However, that was when a simple fact entered his mind, likely the same one that his mate had thought of, that caused his eyes to widen and his mouth to partially gape open. A simple token of knowledge, one that they both had known but somehow managed to completely overlook this entire time.

They were never her biological parents.

"You mean...y-your Mommy and Daddy before you lived with us?" Marshall asked nervously, earning a simple nod from the puppy. Her elders exchanged concerned glances, this entire time they were wrapped up in being the best fosters that they could be, they failed to think into her biological family. There were many conversations that could come out of this, and very few of them seemed to be in their favor.

"Is...this where you lived, sweetheart?" The husky questioned, silently hoping that she was wrong. Whether she had guardians watching over her or not, living alone without an owner was anything but easy, let alone proper conditions for raising a pup.

"Yep! This is whewe we slept, and Daddy said if I evew couldn't find them, to go back hewe and they would come get me." Everest frowned sympathetically, stroking her head until Marshall asked the question they were both thinking.

"Do you know where they are now?" Audrey's face slowly turned back to dark and gloomy once more, her eyes drifting away as she shook her head in denial. "Hmm, well do you remember where you saw them last?"

"W-well, yeah, but...i-it was scawy." The Dalmatian gulped on her behalf, pulling her blanket around her front for extra comfort. She gripped onto the softness of the cloth, pulling it tighter and snuggling herself within its warmth. It looked like her own little cloak, especially when she pulled part of it over her ears to act as a hood.

"It's okay, Princess, I'm sure it was. But if you tell us, we might be able to help you find them." The Border Collie sighed, standing up and walking out onto the sidewalk—and almost tripping on her blanket. Her elders followed close behind, stopping once she sat on the concrete by the road. She slowly opened her mouth and began to recall what vivid memories she held from the incident.

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After what they considered a satisfying enough meal to keep them full for the night, the trio of Border Collies made their way to the place they called home as the sun disappeared behind them. It wasn't much, really just a dog bed and blanket they managed to grab from the curb of some vet clinic that was throwing them out, but it was better than nothing. The best they could offer for a certain someone when she was born.

The youngest among them, now seeing their alleyway just across the street, attempted to jump forward in eagerness. The male quickly stuck his leg out, catching her before a car flew right before her eyes in the road she nearly ran into. Startled, she gripped onto him and flinched backward.

"You have to look both ways, Princess," he instructed, sitting her back down with his front two paws while the shock wore off. After a few seconds, the traffic died down, giving them plenty of time to cross. The youngest excitedly ran inside the alleyway, jumping onto their bed and curling up under their blanket, her tail wagging as she waited for her parents to follow.

"Someone's tired," the female voice spoke with a small laugh. Frankly, she couldn't be more wrong, the pup was merely thrilled to be home. Hardly anything was more rewarding than laying down after a long day. One of the first that she was allowed to join her parents in the search for humans' thrown out food, or the occasional kind soul willing to give them warm leftovers.

"Thank goodness, I'm worn out myself. I don't know about you two, but I might just fall asleep...right...now." The male made sure he was over the bed, purposefully closing his eyes and collapsing while the pup squealed and jumped out of the way.

He opened his eyes and smiled at her, watching as she giggled happily. He slowly moved into a more comfortable position, while his mate laid beside them, leaving just enough room between them to comfortably cuddle their puppy in between.

"You're gonna hurt yourself one of these days, you know that?" she playfully scolded, bringing their singular blanket around them all as they huddled closer in perpetration for the cold winter's night. The oldest shrugged his shoulders, nuzzling his nose against her own while he ruffled the pup's head.

"Maybe, but I've managed so far, haven't I?" he asked in return, with the female rolling her eyes at his childish behavior. "Oh don't give me that, you fell for me for a reason, you know."

"I did, but your humor isn't going to save you from everything, so don't go and make me regret it by breaking your back." The tiny pup giggled at their banter, if one could even call it that. The male chuckled and brought his arms around them, nestling his head into the side of their bed.

"We both know you'd take care of me anyway. Now quit your arguing, or else the little one won't be able to get all the sleep she needs tonight." The female gasped and playfully kicked his side, placing her head next to his and kissing his cheek before huffing while turning away.

"Oh be quiet, you're the one who started it. But yes, we should call it a night, we still gotta get up bright and early if we wanna find a warm breakfast." The smallest's mouth watered at the idea of a warm breakfast, something she had only been lucky enough to receive a few times, but it was always the best way to start the day.

Her mom laughed slightly from her expression, her pup was a sucker for food, just as she was. She couldn't wait until the day they might find someone willing to take them in, someone who could give them shelter while she and her mate raised their daughter while promising them food every morning. If and when that happened was still an unanswerable question, but she held out on that hope on a daily basis, while the male was more of the type to just roll with the cards life had dealt.

"Love you two, goodnight. Don't let the bedbugs bite," she whispered, licking the pup's forehead while she rested her head against her mate. Her eyes shut, allowing her tiredness to take control against his soft fur.

"Love you too, hon." The youngest Border Collie watched as her parents shut their eyes, leaving her wide awake and alone in the night. She brought her head up to the sky, her eyes widening as she saw the bright, full moon above her. It wasn't like she hadn't seen the mysterious sky rock before, but it was never this big and full, becoming more than enough to get her curious.

She carefully inched out of her bed, tip-toeing into the glow of the streetlights. Now that she had learned her lesson, she checked both ways before stepping out into the road for the perfect view, sitting down on the pavement and watching the starry show on display.

Although unsure if it was the best idea to take their attention away from sleeping, the pup barked loudly, easily grasping the notice of her half-asleep parents. However, instead of being intrigued by the moon above as she expected, horror washed over their faces as they leaped up from bed and darted in her direction.

The pup tilted her head in confusion as they sprinted out into the road, not saying a single word as they did so. They were mere inches away, with the eldest of the two stretching their legs out for her. She would've barked again out of confusion, but before she knew it, two bright lights shined in her eyes and a blaring horn flooded her ears as her parents wrapped themselves around her.

And that was when everything went white.

The pup's eyes slowly fluttered open, still keeping her vision blurry and limited as she felt her body aching against the rough pavement. Hearing was pretty much out of the question, her ears were ringing loud enough to cover up whatever small noises may have been around her.

And that was nowhere near the worst aspect of it, that honor would go to her head. She hadn't even moved yet and it was pounding, tearing at her brain with the force of a sledgehammer with every small movement she made. Standing up was more challenging than it usually was, even compared to the mornings after not being able to sleep well. There wasn't a single part of her that didn't feel like it was on fire while she slowly rose to her paws, especially her head, which certainly didn't appreciate the movement.

She clutched her forehead with her paw, gently rubbing it in hopes of limiting the pain. After realizing that it didn't do enough to be worth the stress on her aching limbs, she pulled away and focused on keeping herself from falling back onto the street.

Another detail that she noticed was the strange red liquid now staining her paw, along with the several cuts and scraps through her skin, some of which also had bits of color dripping out. Curious, she quickly placed her paw on her head before looking down at it. Sure enough, more of that redness had filled her fur.

The pup slowly looked up, now realizing that she wasn't alone. Her mom laid still on the side of the road—surely she was just fast asleep, it was about that time after all—with similar crimson substances coming out. Her father struggled to keep himself up, for some reason he was also leaking red in some places, just as the other two were. He bent down and rested his forehead against the female, small tears trailing down his fur as he nearly collapsed next to her.

Admittedly confused by her parents choosing to rest here instead of their comfy bed, the pup slowly walked forward. Her muscles burned in agony with every step, begging and pleading with her to lay down and let them rest. She, however, despite the pain running throughout her system, didn't let up, she was only focused on getting to her guardians.

After what felt like an eternity, she made it to her parents and walked in front of her dad's face. His eyes appeared to be struggling to stay open, he must have been tired as well. She bent down and licked his cheek eagerly, whimpering while she tried to get him to stay awake. She couldn't be alone, not with all this pain coursing through her.

The older collie barely acknowledged her presence, looking up at the panting pup above him with what little strength he had. To her surprise, he smiled lightly, eyeing her from head to toe to take in her condition. She was clearly hurting, that much was expected, but from what he could tell, their goal was successful. As long as she got proper care from someone sooner than later, she'd make it.

"W-we love you, Princess. W-we'll...a-always be...w-with you" he muttered, running his paw against her cheek and wiping the tears out of her eyes. The pup whined as his own eyes shut, and so she gently nudged him to try and wake him up. She tried once, then twice, then a third time before her own head began swaying back and forth for all this movement. The aching sensation made it almost impossible for her to continue, clearly, her dad was really tired.

Soon enough, she felt more of her energy leaving her, what little strength she had could only be used to keep herself upright and somewhat steadily breathing. It was confusing to her, now she also felt the urge to lay down and shut her eyes. But she wasn't tired just moments ago, how come she felt this way now?

After resisting it for as long as she could, eventually, she had no other option but to lay down in between her parents, standing hurt too much to push through any longer. Gripping the male's paw, she drowned herself in his stained fur, clutching onto him as she fought off the temptation to close her eyes.

She knew her body wanted to, it was almost pleading with her, but it didn't feel right. Her mind didn't want to give in, it frightened her, and made her use every ounce of her willpower to stay conscious. As hard as she pushed herself, as the seconds ticked by, she found herself unable to keep up the fight. The last thing she could bring herself to do was gently grip onto both of her parents' paws, as the pain took over her body and her eyesight faded to black.

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"A-and then when I woke up, I wasn't even thewe. I was at...t-the pound, I think the humans called it that. I-I dunno what happened, I wanna see Mommy and Daddy again." Marshall and Everest looked at each other with terror-filled expressions, both still taking in what they had been told. It was a simple explanation, but told them what they needed.

They still had trouble processing everything they had been told, and the worst part was that Audrey was blissfully unaware of it all. She was so young and innocent, too much so to fully grasp the concept. And yet she had lost more in the few months she had been on this earth than most do in their entire lives.

Too many questions of theirs had been answered for them, but now they were left with the job of explaining the heartbreaking truth to her own question. A conversation that shouldn't have had to happen for months from now, one only brought up by her own curiosity. But as the cruelty of the world refused to spare even a child from its wrath, now was the time.

"A-Audrey, I'm so sorry y-you had to go through that. But, Princess...y-your Mommy and Daddy a-aren't coming back," Marshall carefully explained, struggling to even hold himself together. The Border Collie tilted her head, turning back to him in confusion.

The simple look of questioning on her face broke him even further, showing that she truly didn't have the slightest idea. Usually, things like this were easier. He was a doctor, part of the contract was breaking bad news to patients. But this, explaining the most painful aspect of life to the one he considered his own daughter, was far beyond his area of expertise.

"W-what does that mean? They pwomised they would.'' Dally sighed, resting his paw on her shoulder. He tried to think of the simplest way to put this, in such a way that it wouldn't seem as scary as it was. Then again, there was no way to sugarcoat this enough to fully show mercy on her. Thankfully, Everest had her gentle grip on him, giving a necessary sliver of moral support.

"So, uhm, you know when we go to sleep every night, and when you do, you can't even tell you fell asleep? It just happens and you can't feel anything?" Audrey nodded slowly, understanding most of what he meant as he continued. "W-well, when someone gets really sick, or really hurt, or really old, they go to sleep, b-but...they don't wake up."

The pup dropped her head down, her eyes squinting as she processed his words. Her caretakers stood above her, watching in sympathy as she slowly put the pieces together. They could almost see the gears turning as she thought harder on it, and they could see the broken expression on her face when a conclusion came to mind. With watery eyes, she looked up at them, now struggling to take full breaths.

"T-they nevew wake up?" He shook his head, no longer able to keep her from the brutal truth as she began choking on her words. "S-so they'we gone fowever? T-that isn't what happened to Mommy and Daddy...wight?"

"I...I'm sorry, Princess, b-but yes, that's probably what happened." Audrey reached her leg out, gripping onto his chest while her lip quivered. Assuming he knew where this was leading, he gently wrapped her up and pulled her closer. She barely showed any reaction, but it didn't take a doctor's insight to know she was on the verge of breaking down.

"B-but, D-Daddy pwomised he'd be with me. I don't want them to go to sleep, I miss them. I-I don't w-wanna nevew see them again." Marshall ran his paw down her back, smoothing out her wet fur as her own paws trembled. He could hear the sniffles she was trying to hold back, causing him to lean down and whisper into her ear.

"It's okay, Audrey, you can cry. It'll help." At first, she didn't pay any attention, but after a few seconds, she leaned forward and placed her forehead against his chest. She dug her muzzle into his fur while heavy cries echoed out of her mouth, joining the pitter-patter of the rain in the otherwise quiet of the night.

The Dally deeply hugged her, gently swaying her back and forth in his arms. He had seen her cry, it wasn't common but it happened, mainly after her seizures. But those were out of fear or pain, depending on how severe they were, these were different. These were the types he was all too familiar with, misery and grief, and all from a small, few-month-old puppy.

"I know it hurts, b-believe me. M-my Mommy and Daddy went to sleep when I was about your age too." The Border Collie tightened her hold on him, as if now she was trying to provide him with a source of comfort. He smiled slightly, more appreciative of the gesture than anything, and pressed her head against his chest while she let out her emotions.

Suddenly, a loud yet somehow soft and sorrowful howl broke through her tears, causing the two to look up at the source. Everest stood on the edge of the sidewalk, her face up to the full moon in front of them as she let out another howl. With Audrey gently pulling away from his fur, they slowly walked next to her, sitting down while the husky gazed at them. The pup was just barely able to keep herself together.

"I never knew my Mommy or Daddy well, but one of the few things I remember about them is what they said before I had to leave. They said that every night when the moon was above them, they would look at it and be thinking of me. And so if I ever felt scared or lonely, or if I really just needed to know that someone cared about me, I could look up at night and know that they were looking back at me," she explained, reminiscing in the lone memory.

"So that's why you howl at the moon sometimes?" Marshall asked, earning a small nod from the husky. Audrey curiously looked up at the sky, tilting her head while light tears joined the rain around them. It was cloudy, yet there was enough room in the air to see the moon and the stars above.

"D-do you think my othew Mommy and Daddy are thinking of me? I-I know they'we asleep, but what if they dweam of me?" Everest smiled, setting her leg around the two while keeping her eyes to the stars above.

"I'm sure they are, all of our parents are. Who knows, Sweetheart, maybe our Mommies and Daddies are dreaming of each other and all became friends," she suggested, gently tapping the pup's nose with her paw. Audrey halfheartedly smiled, sniffling and wiping the droplets of water out of her eyes before looking at the Dalmatian.

"D-Daddy...c-can we go home?" The Dally nodded, as Everest let go of the two and allowed the three to separate from each other. They couldn't imagine how ready she was to be home and warm, safe within the comfort of her bed. Surely there would be lots of questions waiting for them, but at least she would be able to heal through it all under a roof.

Before the husky had the chance to take off and lead them home, Marshall quickly led the pup back into the alleyway, bringing her to her old bed. She seemed a bit hesitant, mainly confused on why they were going back here instead of the lookout. He had his plans, however, thinking of a small token that could help her through this, seeing as reminders of those he cared about tended to ease his pain.

"Of course we can, but I just wanna ask you something. Do you wanna take the blanket or bed home? You can keep them if you want." Audrey leaned forward, pressing her nose against the items and sniffing. Aside from her own, the scents were foreign to her elder, but judging by the content expression on her face, it wasn't hard to guess whose it was.

"I-I'll take the blanket, but I'll let Mommy and Daddy have the bed. I can nevew sleep without a bed, t-they'll need it." With a small sigh at her lingering innocence, Marshall carefully brought them back to the sidewalk next to Everest where they were illuminated by the street lights. The husky smiled at the sight of the pup clutching the blanket in her paws, thankful that she could hold onto part of her past with something warm, literally and figuratively.

"T-that's nice of you. Now come on, you can have a piggyback ride home." The Dally bent down on the wet ground, allowing Audrey to slowly crawl onto his back and grip his fur. She placed the old tattered blanket around her neck, almost like a scarf, and dug her nose downwards, enjoying the mix of her old caretakers' scent and the ones she had with her now. She put her weight against him, leaning her head against his warm fur as they walked home to a long night ahead of them.