They didn't encounter another mission on the way to Belize.

The ocean calmed, the sky cleared, and the air warmed little by little until everything smelled like tropical salt and sun. By the third day, Ryder stood at the rail watching the horizon shift into a soft green line.

Belize.

They arrived at a private dock near the rental home Ryder had booked. The Sea Patroller glided in, and the second the pups stepped onto the property—

"WOW!"

The house was wide and bright with open archways, greenery climbing over stone, and a path leading down toward water that glittered like glass. Palm trees swayed like they were waving hello.

Chase took off like a tour guide. "This place looks awesome—let's find bedrooms!"

The pups scattered immediately, voices echoing through the halls.

Ryder and Katie carried their bags into the master suite and froze.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, soft white sheets, a balcony that overlooked the ocean... and a view that looked too perfect to be real.

Katie set her bags down slowly. "This place is beautiful."

Ryder's mouth softened into a genuine smile. "We're going to have fun here."

For a moment, it felt like nothing could touch them.

The first night, Ryder had to calm everyone down because the pups wanted to do everything at once—beach, pool, jungle trail, snorkeling, local market, night walk, everything.

"Pups," Ryder said firmly, "everyone calm down."

They stopped, immediately listening.

"We're here for two weeks," Ryder continued. "We'll all get a chance to do things. And since Skye's the one who pushed for this trip the most, it's only fair we do what she wants first."

Skye puffed up proudly. "I want to go skydiving! It's supposed to be amazing here!"

Everyone cheered.

Everyone except Marshall.

Marshall's ears dipped. "Um... I'm not comfortable doing that. Are we obligated to go?"

Ryder's voice softened instantly. "No, of course not."

Katie smiled at him. "But it could be fun. You might surprise yourself."

Marshall shook his head fast. "I'm good. I don't like heights."

Everest nudged him gently. "You don't have to do it, Marshy."

Marshall exhaled in relief. "Thank you."

So everyone else went.

Marshall stayed at the pool with Everest for a bit, then Everest went to meet the group later and Marshall enjoyed the quiet—watching whales in the distance, spotting dolphins, letting the sun bake some of the tension out of his shoulders.

When the skydivers came back, they were buzzing like they'd been electrified.

Skye practically glowed. "The view was insane!"

Zuma's eyes were wide. "You could see the ocean forever."

Rocky was talking too fast. "And the wind and the drop and—okay I get why you love flying now, Skye."

Everest hugged Marshall anyway. "It was amazing, Marshy. I wish you could've been there."

Marshall smiled. "I watched whales and dolphins. I swam. I had a great time too."

Everest softened, clearly happy. "That sounds perfect."

Dinner was loud, warm, and for the first time in weeks Ryder found himself laughing without feeling like it hurt.

Later, Chase asked, "Who gets to decide what we do tomorrow, Ryder sir?"

Ryder leaned back in his chair. "To make it fair—Skye chose today, so Skye chooses who picks tomorrow."

Skye didn't even hesitate. "I choose Rubble!"

Rubble's jaw dropped. "Me?"

Skye grinned. "Go."

Rubble puffed up, proud. "Okay... there are caves I want to check out. Can we go cave hunting?"

Ryder nodded. "Tomorrow we go cave hunting."

Rubble beamed so hard Ryder could practically see him glowing.

That night, Ryder slept.

Not a perfect sleep. Not a flawless one. But deep enough that he didn't wake shaking.

Belize felt... safe.

The next day, the caves were cooler than the outside world, the air damp and earthy. Light spilled in through cracks in the stone, illuminating crystal edges and mineral veins that shimmered when Ryder's flashlight hit them.

Rubble was in heaven.

"Look how cool this is," he breathed. "The caves here are beautiful."

Everyone agreed, exploring deeper with careful steps, collecting a few small stones and crystals as souvenirs. Skye kept gasping every time the light caught something shiny. Rocky was already thinking about how he could display them. Zuma tried to echo his voice and got scolded for being too loud.

By the time they returned home, everyone was tired in that good way—the kind of tired that felt earned.

"Well Rubble," Ryder asked as they walked up the path, "did you enjoy your day?"

Rubble's smile was huge. "Yes. Caves are amazing."

Ryder's eyes warmed. "Then you pick who chooses tomorrow."

Rubble didn't even think. "I pick you, Ryder."

Ryder blinked. "Me?"

Rubble nodded proudly. "Yes. Your turn."

Ryder laughed softly. "Okay. I'll think."

That night, after dinner, Chase asked again, "Have you decided what we're doing tomorrow, Ryder sir?"

Ryder nodded. "Yes. I want to explore the old Mayan ruins and temples."

Everyone cheered. Even Marshall looked intrigued.

The next morning they were up early, dressed and ready, packed lunches in Katie's bag and pup packs tucked away "just in case."

Ryder couldn't help it. Being prepared made him breathe easier.

The bus ride was quiet but excited. Skye pressed her face to the window.

"This place is beautiful," she whispered.

Everest fanned herself with her paw. "Yeah... except it's too hot for me."

Marshall grinned. "Give it a day, you'll adjust."

Everest glared. "Easy for you to say."

They arrived at the ruins after about an hour. The driver smiled. "I'll be back at 4:30 to pick you up."

Ryder thanked him, tipped him, then gathered the group.

"Do we stick together or split into teams?" Ryder asked.

Rocky shrugged. "Splitting up could cover more ground."

Chase shook his head. "Stick together. If something happens, we're close."

Ryder nodded. "Agreed. Let's explore."

The ruins were breathtaking—stone worn by time, vines curling over old walls, carvings that looked like they were still telling stories. They watched locals perform a Mayan dance, the drums echoing across the open courtyard like a heartbeat.

They were midway through lunch when the sound hit.

A loud crash.

Screams.

Everyone turned.

A rockslide had collapsed part of a temple entrance, trapping a handful of people inside—tourists and locals alike.

Ryder was already moving.

"PAW Patrol, let's sort this out."

Pup packs clicked on. Chase's voice steadied the moment.

"PAW Patrol ready for action, Ryder sir."

Ryder snapped out assignments.

"Rubble, you're moving rocks."

"Rubble on the double!"

"Marshall, EMT—check everyone immediately."

"I'm ready for a ruff-ruff rescue!"

"Skye, Rocky, Chase, Zuma, Everest—support wherever needed."

"Let's take to the sky!"

"Green means go!"

"Chase is on the case!"

"Let's dive in!"

"Off the trail Everest won't fail!"

"PAW Patrol is on a roll!"

Rubble and Rocky worked together, muscle and mechanics, shifting stones carefully so nothing collapsed further. Skye hovered above with her harness ready, helping guide people out one at a time. Chase coordinated like a conductor, calm and sharp. Zuma kept the crowd back, making sure no one rushed in and made it worse. Everest helped guide the rescued people toward safety, steady and confident.

Marshall checked everyone as they emerged.

Not a single injury.

The temple, however, was damaged—cracked and scarred.

The locals were shaken, but grateful. One of the guides clasped Ryder's hands with intensity. "Thank you. Truly."

Another guide smiled suddenly. "You are heroes... and we would like to thank you. Free passes. Waterfall ziplining."

Skye's eyes went huge. "Ziplining?!"

Ryder laughed despite himself. "Thank you."

They spent the rest of the day exploring more carefully, then climbed onto the bus when it arrived. Everyone looked like they could fall asleep instantly.

The driver smiled. "Looks like you all had a good day. I heard about the rockslide."

Chase lifted his chin. "That's what we do."

The bus rolled them home, and by 5:30 they were wiped out.

Katie and Ryder made dinner, then everyone melted onto couches and blankets, a movie playing softly in the background.

Ryder and Katie slipped outside.

The night air was warm, the stars bright, the ocean whispering like it was trying to keep secrets.

"Katie," Ryder said quietly, "thank you. This place... it's beautiful."

Katie kissed him and laced their fingers. "You deserve peace, Ryder."

Ryder's throat tightened, but in a good way. "And thank you for pushing me into it."

They sat in beach chairs, listening to the water.

And for the first time in months...

Ryder fell asleep without fighting his own mind.

Chase woke up first the next morning, the sun barely up, the air still cool enough that the ocean breeze felt like a soft blanket instead of a blast furnace. For once, the house was quiet—no arguing over breakfast, no pup-pack beeping, no Ryder already up building something at an unreasonable hour.

Chase stretched, padded down the hallway, and stepped outside.

And immediately froze.

On the beach chairs near the patio, Ryder and Katie were asleep together. Katie's head was tucked into Ryder's shoulder, Ryder's arm loosely around her like even in sleep he still wanted to keep her safe. Callie was curled up like a little gray loaf near Katie's feet.

Chase's ears lifted and his mouth curved.

"Aww," he whispered, like saying it louder might break the moment.

He backed away carefully, then did what Chase did when he didn't want to wake anyone up.

He went for a swim.

The warm water wrapped around him the second he dove in, and for the first time since... well, since forever, Chase felt like maybe they were going to be okay. Maybe this trip really was what Ryder needed. Maybe nothing bad was going to happen here.

A few minutes later, Ryder woke up with a quiet groan, stiff from sleeping in a chair. He sat up slowly, rolling his shoulders, and then gently nudged Katie.

She yawned, stretched both arms above her head, and blinked at him like she had to remember where they were.

"Morning," she said sleepily.

Ryder smiled. "Morning, beautiful."

Katie's cheeks flushed. "You're cheesy."

"I'm honest."

Chase surfaced nearby, treading water and watching them with zero shame.

"You guys are just too much," he called.

Ryder laughed, and it wasn't forced. That mattered.

They headed inside, and Ryder helped Katie make breakfast while the pups slowly woke up one by one, drawn by the smell like magnets. Zuma and Rocky shuffled in half-asleep. Marshall wandered in last, blinking hard like he didn't trust his own eyes yet. Skye came in behind Chase, nudged him with her shoulder, and he nudged her right back.

Rubble ate like he hadn't seen food in years.

Mid-bite, he looked up. "Ryder, have you decided who gets to choose today's adventure?"

Ryder poured juice into cups and said casually, "I have, actually. And I choose Chase."

Chase perked instantly. "Awesome. I want to go on that zipline thing we got tickets for. Sounds like fun."

Everyone agreed immediately.

Everyone... except Rocky.

Rocky's ears folded back. "Waterfall... means wet, right?"

Zuma stopped chewing. "Rocky."

Rocky glared. "What? I'm asking a logical question."

Skye giggled. "Yes Rocky. Waterfall means wet."

Rocky looked horrified. "That sounds awful."

Zuma scooted closer and licked him. "Aw, Rocky, don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

Rocky narrowed his eyes. "You might keep me safe... but can you keep me dry?"

Zuma paused. "Well... no..."

Rocky groaned like his life was ending.

Ryder tried not to laugh. "Come on, pups. Let's get ready. The bus will be here soon."