Author’s Note: I’ve already done a set of ten skits for just POM in general, but these are, as the tiêu đề says, purely Skilene. Most just imply Skilene, but there a few at the end in which Skipper and Marlene are an actual couple. link are the skits for normal POM skits if bạn wish to read them. Any tiêu đề with a Roman numeral tiếp theo to it has a skit note associated with it displayed at the end. I hope bạn enjoy these skits and I hope I succeed in making bạn laugh. Peace, out.
11) Sweet Dreams
On a quiet Saturday afternoon, Skipper had sent his men off for a snowcone reward since the past few days had been left problem-free. He decided to stay behind to use the vacated HQ to go through some classified files.
Flipping through file after file, he found himself going through a rhythm due to the lack of disturbances. His rhythm was interrupted when a voice from behind him gave him a start.
“Whatcha doin’?”
Skipper twitched in surprise and instinctively turned around on his heel, ready for combat. His stance softened when he saw that it was only Marlene standing in the doorway behind him.
“Marlene? What are bạn doing here?” he asked straightening himself.
It wasn’t until now did he realize Marlene’s appearance. Her hip was cocked and her arms were folded over her chest. One eyebrow was raised higher than the other and her smile was smooth and seductive.
“You here alone?” Marlene asked without answering Skipper’s question.
Skipper found nervousness creeping into his chest and he swallowed. “Yeah. Why…?”
Marlene strided in and stopped when she was barely a couple of inches from Skipper. “I just thought we could…Talk?” she đã đưa ý kiến taking on a deep, sexy tone to her voice. Skipper gulped.
“S-Sure,” he stuttered, “what exactly did bạn want to talk about?” he asked trying to act like he didn’t notice the way Marlene was acting.
Marlene reached out and ran one of her paws up Skipper’s chest, bringing it to a rest on his shoulder. “Us,” she answered staring deep into Skipper’s eyes, which widened at her answer.
“Us?” Skipper repeated. He cleared his throat slightly. “What about us, exactly?” he asked awkwardly.
Marlene guided her other paw to meet the other around Skipper’s neck. “You know, Skipper, I’ve always found bạn rather attractive.”
Skipper laughed nervously and tried to respond, but all that came out was a jumble of half-words before Marlene put her finger on his beak and laughed slightly.
“And you’re just plain adorable when you’re nervous,” she đã đưa ý kiến tracing her paw down the side of his beak before resting it on his shoulder once again. “It’s okay. bạn don’t have to say anything.”
Marlene slowly pulled him closer and Skipper was too stunned and nervous to object. His beak met Marlene’s lips and he was overwhelmed with surprise and electricity, stumbling back into the table. He heard his pile of files fall to the floor, but he found himself not caring as he and Marlene seemed to melt into each other.
A few giây into the moment, Skipper could hear someone calling his name from a distance and he suddenly found himself jerking awake in his bunk with Kowalski at his side.
“Skipper! Wow, I don’t know what bạn were dreaming about, but bạn seemed to really be enjoying it. I’ve been trying to wake bạn up for six whole minutes!”
12) The Power of Charm [VI]
On a quiet morning, Marlene busied herself in tuning her Spanish guitar. It was just about perfect when Julien strolled into her cave.
“Ah, hello, Ms. Otter! May I enter?” he asked entering without waiting for an answer.
“Um…Sure, Julien. Come right in,” Marlene answered rolling her eyes and propping her đàn ghi ta, guitar up against a nearby wall. “What are bạn doing here?”
“Is it a crime to want to visit a good neighbor?” Julien replied coming to a stop bởi her side.
“No, but I get worried when bạn do,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến with a suspicious look on her face.
Julien laughed slightly. “Oh, Marlene! You’re poking fun at me! bạn got me, there!”
Marlene cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest. “Julien, are bạn alright? You’re diễn xuất strange.”
Julien shook his head and leaned against the tường bởi Marlene. “No, no, Marlene. I am just fine. Actually, I was just coming to be making sure bạn were alright.”
“Me? I’m fine. Why?” Marlene asked.
“Oh, I was just wondering if it hurt when heaven fell upon you?” Julien asked with a smooth smile.
“Um…Excuse me?” Marlene replied with her face twisting in confusion.
“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put you and me together,” Julien added.
“Julien, are you…Hitting on me?” Marlene asked in astonishment.
“No, silly otter. I am simply wooing bạn with my charm,” Julien answered pushing his crown back slightly.
Interrupting them, Skipper popped up through the sewer drain.
“Hey, Marlene! Rico and I found some—” he stopped short when he noticed Julien’s presence. “What are bạn doing here, Ringtail?”
“Apparently, he’s ‘wooing me with his charm.’ But, quite frankly, he’s just annoying me with it,” Marlene answered.
“Annoying?! How could a handsome and Công chúa tóc xù king, such as me, be annoying?” Julien asked folding his arms over his chest in frustration.
Skipper looked Julien up and down for a moment, then started laughing. “Are bạn serious? You’re flirting with Marlene?” Upon saying his thoughts aloud, he started laughing even harder.
“I am failing to see the humor in this!” Julien exclaimed angrily throwing his paws up, then bringing them to his hips.
Skipper—unable to stop laughing—pulled himself up into Marlene’s habitat and stumbled over his own feet as he tried to regain his composure. His guffaw became contagious as Marlene found herself unable to keep from cracking a smile.
“I am demanding that bạn all stop laughing this instant!” Julien commanded. But Skipper and Marlene were now both laughing uncontrollably, resulting in Julien leaving in an angry huff. “I will not stand here and be made fun of bởi a couple of commoners!” he đã đưa ý kiến on his way out.
After a few thêm moments of trying to catch their breath, Skipper and Marlene’s laughing softened into small convulsions.
“Whew…I’m sorry, Marlene. I just couldn’t help myself,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến once he’d caught his breath.
“Heh, it’s alright, Skipper,” Marlene replied. Her face fell upon a thought entering her mind. “Wait, what were bạn laughing about, anyway? Is it really that funny that someone would…Want me?” she asked.
Skipper’s smile faded and he strode over to Marlene. “Marlene, that is most certainly not why I was laughing. I was laughing because it was preposterous to think he’d have a shot with you. bạn deserve much better than anything he could offer bạn in a relationship.”
Marlene smiled bashfully. “You really think so?”
“No, I don’t think so. I know so, Marlene,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến returning a reassuring smile.
A short-lived silence followed and Skipper was the first to break it. “So, what exactly did Ringtail say, anyway?”
Marlene laughed and scratched the back of her neck. “Well, first he asked if it hurt when heaven fell on me.”
Skipper suppressed a laugh. “I think he meant, ‘Did it hurt when bạn fell from heaven?’” he told her.
Marlene laughed. “Yeah, I know,” she đã đưa ý kiến shaking her head.
Skipper thought for a moment, then smiled coolly. “So, did it?”
13) Denial [VII]
“So, Kowalski, is there anything new?” Skipper asked entering his lab.
“Actually, yes. I’ve intercepted some transfer papers. We’re going to have a new resident in the zoo,” Kowalski answered picking up the transfer papers.
“Really? What species?” Skipper inquired.
“It appears that a new male con rái cá, rái cá will be joining us,” Kowalski told him. Skipper’s face lifted in surprise.
“Male otter?” Skipper repeated.
“Um…Affirmative. Why?” Kowalski asked, confused bởi Skipper’s tone.
Skipper crossed his flippers over his chest. “Well, why does the zoo need a male otter? What? Marlene isn’t good enough for them?”
“Sir?” Kowalski urged, trying to understand Skipper’s sudden outburst.
“What? Can I not have an opinion? Marlene is perfect all on her own. She doesn't need a male around to steal her spotlight. Let me see that transcript!” he ordered snatching the papers from Kowalski and looking over them.
Kowalski laughed slightly. “Skipper, if I didn’t know bạn any better, I’d say bạn were jealous.”
Skipper darted a look at him over the transcripts. “Jealous? I’m not jealous! I’m just saying that Marlene attracts enough visitors to the zoo all bởi herself,” he insisted.
Kowalski folded his flippers over his chest. “So, bạn find Marlene attractive and perfect, hm?” he asked with a teasing smile.
Skipper shook his head. “No! I mean…Well, she does, doesn’t she?!”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến with a wink. Though, the fact that he didn’t answer his câu hỏi was an answer in itself.
“Focus on the problem at hand, Kowalski!” Skipper ordered, trying to change the subject.
Kowalski sighed. “Fine,” he said. Though, a moment later, he coughed out the word jealous.
“I am not jealous!” Skipper insisted slapping the papers down on the table.
“Denial!” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến in a sing-song tone.
“I am not in denial!” Skipper told him jabbing a flipper in his direction.
“So, bạn deny that you’re in denial?” Kowalski asked, unable to contain his laughter any longer.
“Yes! I mean…No! I mean…Kowalski!” Skipper stuttered in frustration.
“What is going on in here?!” Private asked entering the room.
“Skipper’s jeal—” Skipper slapped Kowalski before he could finish.
“Nothing, soldier. Right, Kowalski?” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến giving him a hard stare.
Kowalski held back another laugh. “Yes, Private. Absolutely nothing. And apparently, it’s going to stay that way unless your leader man’s up.”
Skipper narrowed his eyes at him. Private eyed both of them curiously, then turned around with a roll of his eyes.
“I’ll never understand grown-ups.”
14) What the Future Holds [VIII]
“Eureka! Skipper! I have finally perfected my time machine!” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến entering the room with a small device.
“Fantastic. Are bạn sure it’s safe?” Skipper replied.
“Absolutely. I just tested it myself,” Kowalski told him.
“Oh, really? Then where did bạn go?” Skipper asked.
“Einstein’s first steps were truly a beautiful thing…” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến in recollection. Skipper rolled his eyes.
“Alright. So, where do we go, now?” Private asked.
“I thought we could sneak a peek at the future. What do bạn say?” Kowalski offered. The others exchanged a glance and shrugged.
“Sure. Let’s go see what the future holds,” Skipper said.
After setting the time machine for June 30th, 2030—exactly seventeen years from that very day, they huddled together and Kowalski pressed a button. After a blinding flash of light, they stood alone in an empty HQ.
Skipper looked around. “Did it work?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Let’s go see what’s going on in the zoo. Just make sure our future selves don’t see us,” Kowalski warned.
“You could’ve mentioned that before we came here in the HQ,” Skipper pointed out. Kowalski shrugged.
“Sorry, got excited,” he admitted. Skipper rolled his eyes.
“Never mind. di chuyển out,” he ordered.
When the team left the future HQ, the habitats were empty. Figuring that there was probably a zoo meeting taking place, they headed to the Zoovenir Shop. Sure enough, the động vật were all gathered there. But when they peered over the windowsill, they quickly realized that it wasn’t a meeting. It was a wedding.
“What the deuce?” Skipper inquired under his breath. They looked past the zoosters and saw the future Marlene and Skipper at the makeshift altar, giving their vows.
“Marlene, I have loved bạn from the first ngày I met you. You’re everything I could ever want in life. Let this ring be a symbol of my promise to tình yêu and cherish bạn until my last breath and forever longer,” the future Skipper đã đưa ý kiến as he slipped a ring over the future Marlene’s finger. Her eyes were welling with tears of joy.
Skipper’s eyes widened and he couldn’t bring himself to look at his team, despite the fact that he could feel them staring at him. After watching for a moment longer, he fainted to the ground with a thump. The team silently gasped as the attention of the zoosters turned to the sound made outside and hopped down from the windowsill. Kowalski quickly took them back to their time period before they were caught.
“Skipper!”
Skipper snapped back into attention. “Huh?”
“Are bạn ready to try out my time machine?” Kowalski asked again.
“Um…Sure, Kowalski. But let’s go back in time, alright?” Skipper replied.
Kowalski became confused. “But bạn just đã đưa ý kiến that bạn wanted to see what the future held, though.”
Skipper smiled. “I think I’d rather be surprised.”
15) Girl Talk [IX]
While out on some recon duty, Skipper was passing Marlene’s habitat when he heard voices inside that he recognized as Becky and Stacy’s.
“…about Skipper?” he heard Becky’s voice say. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help himself upon hearing his name.
“What about him?” đã đưa ý kiến Marlene’s voice.
“C’mon, Marlene! bạn can’t tell us that bạn don’t notice the way he looks at you. He’s totally into you,” Stacy’s voice replied. Skipper felt the heat rush into his cheeks. Had he really been that obvious?
“Guys, come on. Skipper’s a nice guy…But I seriously doubt he has any kind of romantic feelings for me,” Marlene’s voice replied.
“Well, do bạn have feelings for him?” Becky asked.
There was a short silence that followed and Skipper’s tim, trái tim started to race with anticipation. He leaned a little further into her habitat to see if he could hear anything when he Mất tích his balance and fell in the entrance with a thwack.
“What was that?!” he heard Becky’s voice say, along with growing footsteps. A moment later, Marlene, Becky, and Stacy emerged from Marlene’s cave, looking for the nguồn of the sound.
“Hm. I could’ve sworn I heard something,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến when they found her empty habitat.
“Me, too,” Stacy concurred. “I suppose it was a bird hoặc something,” she suggested.
“Probably. Let’s go back inside,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến as she turned back.
Luckily, Skipper had made it outside Marlene’s habitat before anyone had seen him. He leaned back against the habitat’s tường and let out a relieved sigh. Then he took a deep breath.
I guess I’ll just have to find out when the time’s right, he thought with a smile.
16) Intruder Alert [X]
Skipper had had a long ngày with returning trang chủ from another successful solo mission and arrived at the zoo in the dead of night. Stealthily making his way through the zoo, he hopped atop his habitat’s boundaries when he noticed that a faint light was emanating from Marlene’s habitat. Curious about why Marlene would be up so late at night, he jumped down from the tường and crossed over into her habitat.
Being as quiet as he could manage, he moved slowly into her cave in attempt not to disturb her. He was almost inside when the room suddenly went dark and he felt someone grab his flipper and pull him to the ground before he even had time to think.
“Who are you?! Why are bạn in my habitat?!” he heard Marlene’s voice say just inches from his face in the darkness.
“Marlene! It’s me, Skipper!” Skipper protested. The tiếp theo thing he knew, a light was switched on to reveal Marlene above him, pinning him to the floor. Her expression was a mix of shock and confusion.
“Skipper?” she đã đưa ý kiến surveying him for a few seconds. After assuring herself that she wasn’t dreaming, she wrapped her arms around his neck from atop him. “Skipper, I’m so sorry! Are bạn alright?!”
Skipper chuckled and wrapped his flippers around Marlene. “I’m fine, Marlene. bạn want to tell me why you’re up so late? And why bạn ninja’d me to the ground?”
Marlene pulled away and got to her feet. “Well, I couldn’t sleep,” she đã đưa ý kiến helping Skipper up. “I was just in here thinking when I heard something outside. I really am sorry about that,” she đã đưa ý kiến scratching her neck.
Skipper waved a flipper in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it, Marlene. I’m actually pretty impressed. At least I know bạn can take care of yourself. I have to admit, I was completely caught off guard. And bạn know how hard it is to catch me off guard,” he told her with a grin of pride.
“I learned from the best, Skipper,” Marlene told him with a smile. Skipper chuckled.
“That bạn did. However…” Skipper snatched Marlene’s paw and pinned her bởi the shoulders to the nearest wall, catching her bởi surprise. “There’s still much thêm to learn,” he finished with a grin.
Marlene’s expression softened. “Then I guess you’ll have to teach me,” she đã đưa ý kiến with a smile.
Skipper released his grip on Marlene’s shoulders and gave a salute. “Count on it.”
17) A New Side
“Hey, guys,” Marlene called as she dropped down into the penguins’ hatch. “Have I ever told bạn guys that I think of bạn as family?”
“What can we do for you, Marlene?” Skipper asked giving her a sideways glance.
Marlene scoffed innocently. “Pft! What makes bạn think I want something?”
Skipper crossed his flippers and gave her a look.
Marlene sighed. “Fine. Look, bạn guys know that it’s April Fools Day, right?” she asked.
“That we do. Why?” Skipper replied.
“Well, I’ve noticed that Julien already pulled a few pranks on the other zoo động vật today and I really don’t like his sense of humor. Would it be okay if I stayed here until he gets it out of his system?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not. And I don’t blame you; the royal pain doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘no.’ Then again, he doesn’t know the meaning of a lot of words,” Skipper replied taking a couple of steps closer to Marlene. “Such as ‘personal space,’ ‘mind your own business,’ ‘go away’…I think bạn get my point,” he đã đưa ý kiến with a grin.
Marlene laughed. “Can’t disagree on that one,” she đã đưa ý kiến as she closed the distance between them.
“Though, I’m not sure what we’ll—”
Interrupting Skipper’s spoken thoughts, Julien fell through the hatch and landed at their feet, grabbing both of their ankles.
“Ringtail! What are you—?!”
When Julien got to his feet with a laugh, Skipper realized what he had done. He’d handcuffed his and Marlene’s ankles together.
“Oh! Oh, I so got bạn two! bạn should see the looks on your faces!” he đã đưa ý kiến as he leaned against the tường holding his stomach, laughing so hard that tears started welling up in his eyes.
“Ringtail! Undo these cuffs! Now!” Skipper ordered.
“Oh, sure. When April Fools is over!” Julien replied before scrambling up and out of the hatch. Skipper started after him without thinking and tripped over the bracelet that connected him to Marlene and fell to the floor, unintentionally pulling Marlene with him and landing her on hàng đầu, đầu trang of him. Even with her face millimeters from his, he kept his cool.
“Sorry, Marlene,” he đã đưa ý kiến with a sigh. He pushed her up bởi the shoulders and helped her to her feet as he got to his.
“It’s alright. So much for avoiding Julien,” Marlene replied looking down at the cuffs around their ankles.
Skipper followed her gaze and shook his foot a little bit, watching the chain clink between their feet.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m ripe for revenge,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến with a sly smile. Skipper rose his gaze to meet hers.
“Really? I didn’t think bạn were for that kind of thing,” Skipper inquired.
Marlene laughed slightly. “Let’s just say that Julien’s got me in a…Pranking mood,” she replied, her expression unchanged.
The corners of Skipper’s beak slowly rose as a smile stretched across his face. “You mean a payback mood?”
“A little bit of both,” Marlene replied.
“Well, I must admit, this is a side of bạn I’ve never seen before. I like it,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến as he rubbed his flippers together deviously.
“Actually, Skipper, there’s a lot of things bạn don’t know about me, yet,” Marlene told him. Skipper smiled curiously.
“Yet?”
“Shall we?” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến gesturing to the door with intentions of plotting their revenge against Julien. Skipper grinned.
“We shall.”
18) Complicated [XI]
“No, Marlene, I just can’t chance it.”
“Please, Skipper? I’m ready for this. You’ve been training me for nine years. Can’t bạn just trust me?” Marlene begged.
Skipper rolled himself out from under the car and got to his feet, setting down his wrench on the nearby barrel. He then gently took Marlene bởi the shoulders.
“Marlene, I tình yêu you. bạn know I do. And I care about bạn too much to let anything happen to you,” he said.
“Excuse me,” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến as he reached past Skipper for the wrench he’d laid down.
Marlene became defensive and crossed her arms. “So, bạn don’t think I’m ready?”
Skipper sighed. “No, it’s not that I don’t think you’re ready, it’s just that…” His voice trailed off.
“Just that what, Skipper? Is it because I’m a girl and bạn don’t think I can handle it?” she inquired.
“Marlene, please don’t put words in my beak. It’s not because you’re a girl. If I thought that, I would’ve never trained bạn in the first place,” Skipper insisted dropping his flippers to his sides.
“Then it’s because I’m your wife?” Marlene said.
“No! It has nothing to do with our relationship!” Skipper asserted.
“Then why won’t bạn let me go?! I’m ready for this, Skipper! Let me prove that to you!” Marlene persisted.
“Marlene, I just don’t feel comfortable with bạn going on this mission! I admit, you’ve been thêm than help on the missions we’ve been on together. But this one is so much bigger than any of those combined! There are lives at stake, Marlene! I don’t want your life to be one of them!” Skipper shot back.
“Skipper! I’ll be fine! You’ve seen what I can do!” Marlene reasoned. She took a couple steps forward, put a paw on his chest, and jutted out her lower lip. “Plus, I had a really good teacher.”
Skipper’s brows raised slightly and he shook his head. “Oh, no,” he đã đưa ý kiến taking her wrist and lifting her paw off of his chest. “Getting cute with me isn’t going to change my mind. I know you’re good, Marlene. I wouldn’t have let bạn come on any mission if I’d thought any less. It’s just that the boys and I have been in this line of work far longer than bạn have. I just don’t want bạn to get hurt.”
“Skipper’s right, Marlene,” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến as he passed them carrying a can of oil. “I think bạn should leave this one to us.”
I don’t believe I asked for your opinion, đã đưa ý kiến Marlene’s eyes and threatening posture. Kowalski gulped slightly and awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Sorry…” he đã đưa ý kiến quietly as he turned back to continue working on the car.
Marlene turned back to Skipper. “Skipper, bạn know I can’t let bạn go without me. I’m going with you,” she insisted.
“No, you're not,” Skipper shot back.
Marlene grunted in frustration. “Skipper, I tình yêu you, but why do bạn always have to be so stubborn?!”
“You knew I was stubborn when bạn married me!” Skipper protested.
“I know that, but I’m your wife! Can’t bạn cut me a little slack?” she pleaded.
“Marlene, I told bạn this from the beginning; when it comes to missions, you’re a member of this unit. And in anything else, you’re my wife. That way, no one is subject to favoritism. And as your commanding officer, I deny your request to tham gia in on this mission!” Skipper ordered.
The team—who had been preparing the car for the mission during Skipper and Marlene’s disagreement—stopped abruptly and turned to Skipper with their brows raised in shock. Their eyes flitted to Marlene, worried about her reaction.
“You deny my request?” Marlene repeated slowly and firmly. “I’ll have bạn know that this is far from a request. Skipper, I am going on that mission with hoặc without your permission,” she đã đưa ý kiến with an affirmative stare.
“This is insubordination, Marlene. You’ve worked yourself up to Private First Class. I’d hate to have to demote my own wife, but I’ll do it,” Skipper threatened.
“Demote? Skipper, now you’re going too far. I’ve worked hard for this position and I am not going to let bạn take me back down,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến firmly.
“Good. Then we’re on the same page. bạn stay here while the boys and I go complete the mission,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến with clarity. Marlene grunted in frustration and grabbed his shoulders.
“You are impossible!” she đã đưa ý kiến putting emphasis on the syllables bởi shaking him slightly. Skipper grabbed her bởi the waist and pulled her close.
“But bạn still tình yêu me, right?” he đã đưa ý kiến with a grin.
Marlene sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I still tình yêu you. bạn know that.”
“I know. I just like to hear bạn say it,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến before pulling her into a kiss. Back at the car, the team exchanged a glance.
“Are they still fighting?” Private whispered to Kowalski.
Kowalski watched them for a moment longer, then shrugged.
“It’s complicated. tình yêu always is.”
19) Alone At Last?
“Marlene?” Skipper called as he entered Marlene’s cave.
“Yeah, I’m here, Skipper. Did bạn give the team something to do to keep them busy?” Marlene asked as Skipper moved deeper into her room.
“Yep. They don’t even know I’m here,” Skipper answered. He moved phía trước, chuyển tiếp and took her bởi the waist. “Now, we can finally be alone.”
Marlene smiled and rested her paws on his shoulders. “Yeah. Alone.”
Skipper touched his forehead to hers. “I really am sorry about last time, bởi the way. I wasn’t expecting Alice to feed us that early in the afternoon.”
Marlene laughed slightly. “Skipper, it’s fine. I don’t blame bạn for that. Besides, it’s not like bạn were upset with me when I had to hủy bỏ our ngày when I got thực phẩm poisoning,” she told him.
“Of course I wouldn’t be. If Alice would check the thực phẩm before serving it, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. Besides, we still had a pretty good time watching that movie instead, right?” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến giving her a nudge.
“Even though I threw up in the middle of it?” Marlene inquired with an awkward smile.
“Well, at least bạn made it to the bathroom…The first time,” he đã đưa ý kiến with a slight laugh. “No, I wasn’t upset with you. I was just upset that we haven’t had a real moment alone in…Geez, I can’t even remember,” Skipper explained. “First, it was Kowalski’s invention gone haywire…”
“Then, it was the emergency mission…” Marlene added.
“Then, the Vesuvius Twins came to visit the zoo again…” Skipper continued, then he shook his head in dismissal. “But none of that matters. All that matters is here and now, just bạn and me, finally alone.”
Marlene smiled and Skipper gradually started to close the distance between his beak and her lips…
“Hello, smelly, flightless waterbird!” Julien đã đưa ý kiến as he entered Marlene’s cave, causing her and Skipper to pull away in surprise. “So, I saw bạn come in here and was just wondering if—”
“No,” Skipper said, cutting him off.
“But bạn didn’t even know what I was—”
“No! bạn know what?! I don’t care about privacy anymore! This is my time and I’m not going to let you ruin it!” Skipper snapped as he turned back to Marlene, grabbed her once again bởi the waist, and kissed her right in front of him. Julien’s eyes widened as he stood where he was, unable to look away in the shock of Skipper’s action.
After a few seconds, he got over the shock and the awkwardness of the situation crept in as Marlene wrapped her arms around Skipper’s neck to deepen the kiss.
“Eh…You know what? I think I-I’ll go, now. O-Oh! Do bạn hear that? I think Maurice is calling me! I sh-should go see about that. And…I’m shutting up now…” he đã đưa ý kiến awkwardly as Skipper and Marlene carried on as if he wasn’t even there. He turned and stumbled out of Marlene’s cave without another word.
Skipper—after peeking off to the side to see if Julien was truly gone—finally pulled away with a sigh.
“Finally. I haven’t been able to do that in a while,” he đã đưa ý kiến with grin.
“I’m surprised at you, Skipper. I didn’t think bạn liked kissing me in front of anyone. Especially Julien,” Marlene replied with a laugh. Skipper pushed a tuft of lông, lông thú out of her eyes.
“Well, it got him to go away, didn’t it? We’re finally—and truly—alone,” he đã đưa ý kiến holding her closer. Marlene smiled.
“Alone at last.”
20) One In the Same
“I had a nice time tonight, Skipper,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến as she and Skipper returned trang chủ flipper-in-paw through Central Park.
“I did, too,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến with a smile. Without warning, Marlene gradually slowed her pace and she turned to Skipper.
“Skipper, can I ask something?” she requested. Skipper stopped and turned to face her.
“Of course bạn can, Marlene. What is it?” he granted.
“Well…I was just wondering…What is it that attracts bạn to me?” she asked bashfully.
Skipper smiled.
“I think a better câu hỏi would be, ‘What doesn’t attract bạn to me.’ Which I can’t answer, because there isn’t one,” he replied.
Marlene smiled sheepishly and looked down. “Aw, Skipper, that’s sweet. But…I meant more…Why are bạn attracted to me?”
Skipper’s brow lowered in confusion. “I don’t think I’m following,” he told her.
“It’s just…We’re so different. I mean, we do have some things in common, but for the most part, we have two completely different personalities,” Marlene explained.
“Well, I don’t think that’s such a big deal. We have feelings for each other and that’s all that matters, right?” Skipper asked taking her paws into his flippers.
“Yeah…But…I just hear that relationships don’t last as long unless bạn have a lot in common,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến without meeting his eye.
Skipper’s face fell slightly and he released one of her paws to lift her chin.
“Marlene, you’re not having một giây thoughts about us, are you?” he asked.
“No, no, not at all. I want to be with you, Skipper. It’s just that I’m just a little insecure, that’s all—”
Marlene was interrupted bởi a sound coming from behind her and she and Skipper followed it with their eyes. tiếp theo to a cây that wasn’t too far behind her, a hippie had made himself comfortable under it and was tapping along on his bongos. Marlene sighed in irritation.
“Here I am trying to have a serious conversation with bạn and a stupid hippie has to interrupt us,” she said, spitting out the word ‘hippie’ as if it were a disease.
Skipper eyed her curiously.
“Stupid hippie?” he repeated.
“Yeah, I mean, can’t these guys get a life? Someone needs to just make them get jobs,” Marlene told him. Skipper fought off a smile.
“So, bạn dislike hippies?” he asked her.
“Totally. I just don’t get the point. And they talk weird…” she đã đưa ý kiến rolling her eyes. “Man,” she added, mocking the tone of a hippie. Skipper finally found himself unable to keep himself from grinning.
“What?” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến in response to Skipper’s expression. “What are bạn smiling about?”
Skipper wrapped his flipper around Marlene’s shoulders and started for the zoo again.
“Marlene, I can assure bạn that we are one in the same.”
♦ ♦ ♦
[VI] This sort of came to me as I was watching Otter Things Have Happened again. I could sort of imagine Julien attempting to win Marlene over and/or try to inform her that she was his girlfriend before any of that happened.
[VII]-[IX] Thanks to link for giving me the idea for these skits in the link diễn đàn post, Page 39.
[X] Okay, maybe that one was a little thêm cute than funny. It was just an idea I had.
[XI] I started nghề viết văn this skit and realized that I think I can actually do thêm with it. I might turn it into an actual story sometime.
11) Sweet Dreams
On a quiet Saturday afternoon, Skipper had sent his men off for a snowcone reward since the past few days had been left problem-free. He decided to stay behind to use the vacated HQ to go through some classified files.
Flipping through file after file, he found himself going through a rhythm due to the lack of disturbances. His rhythm was interrupted when a voice from behind him gave him a start.
“Whatcha doin’?”
Skipper twitched in surprise and instinctively turned around on his heel, ready for combat. His stance softened when he saw that it was only Marlene standing in the doorway behind him.
“Marlene? What are bạn doing here?” he asked straightening himself.
It wasn’t until now did he realize Marlene’s appearance. Her hip was cocked and her arms were folded over her chest. One eyebrow was raised higher than the other and her smile was smooth and seductive.
“You here alone?” Marlene asked without answering Skipper’s question.
Skipper found nervousness creeping into his chest and he swallowed. “Yeah. Why…?”
Marlene strided in and stopped when she was barely a couple of inches from Skipper. “I just thought we could…Talk?” she đã đưa ý kiến taking on a deep, sexy tone to her voice. Skipper gulped.
“S-Sure,” he stuttered, “what exactly did bạn want to talk about?” he asked trying to act like he didn’t notice the way Marlene was acting.
Marlene reached out and ran one of her paws up Skipper’s chest, bringing it to a rest on his shoulder. “Us,” she answered staring deep into Skipper’s eyes, which widened at her answer.
“Us?” Skipper repeated. He cleared his throat slightly. “What about us, exactly?” he asked awkwardly.
Marlene guided her other paw to meet the other around Skipper’s neck. “You know, Skipper, I’ve always found bạn rather attractive.”
Skipper laughed nervously and tried to respond, but all that came out was a jumble of half-words before Marlene put her finger on his beak and laughed slightly.
“And you’re just plain adorable when you’re nervous,” she đã đưa ý kiến tracing her paw down the side of his beak before resting it on his shoulder once again. “It’s okay. bạn don’t have to say anything.”
Marlene slowly pulled him closer and Skipper was too stunned and nervous to object. His beak met Marlene’s lips and he was overwhelmed with surprise and electricity, stumbling back into the table. He heard his pile of files fall to the floor, but he found himself not caring as he and Marlene seemed to melt into each other.
A few giây into the moment, Skipper could hear someone calling his name from a distance and he suddenly found himself jerking awake in his bunk with Kowalski at his side.
“Skipper! Wow, I don’t know what bạn were dreaming about, but bạn seemed to really be enjoying it. I’ve been trying to wake bạn up for six whole minutes!”
12) The Power of Charm [VI]
On a quiet morning, Marlene busied herself in tuning her Spanish guitar. It was just about perfect when Julien strolled into her cave.
“Ah, hello, Ms. Otter! May I enter?” he asked entering without waiting for an answer.
“Um…Sure, Julien. Come right in,” Marlene answered rolling her eyes and propping her đàn ghi ta, guitar up against a nearby wall. “What are bạn doing here?”
“Is it a crime to want to visit a good neighbor?” Julien replied coming to a stop bởi her side.
“No, but I get worried when bạn do,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến with a suspicious look on her face.
Julien laughed slightly. “Oh, Marlene! You’re poking fun at me! bạn got me, there!”
Marlene cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest. “Julien, are bạn alright? You’re diễn xuất strange.”
Julien shook his head and leaned against the tường bởi Marlene. “No, no, Marlene. I am just fine. Actually, I was just coming to be making sure bạn were alright.”
“Me? I’m fine. Why?” Marlene asked.
“Oh, I was just wondering if it hurt when heaven fell upon you?” Julien asked with a smooth smile.
“Um…Excuse me?” Marlene replied with her face twisting in confusion.
“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put you and me together,” Julien added.
“Julien, are you…Hitting on me?” Marlene asked in astonishment.
“No, silly otter. I am simply wooing bạn with my charm,” Julien answered pushing his crown back slightly.
Interrupting them, Skipper popped up through the sewer drain.
“Hey, Marlene! Rico and I found some—” he stopped short when he noticed Julien’s presence. “What are bạn doing here, Ringtail?”
“Apparently, he’s ‘wooing me with his charm.’ But, quite frankly, he’s just annoying me with it,” Marlene answered.
“Annoying?! How could a handsome and Công chúa tóc xù king, such as me, be annoying?” Julien asked folding his arms over his chest in frustration.
Skipper looked Julien up and down for a moment, then started laughing. “Are bạn serious? You’re flirting with Marlene?” Upon saying his thoughts aloud, he started laughing even harder.
“I am failing to see the humor in this!” Julien exclaimed angrily throwing his paws up, then bringing them to his hips.
Skipper—unable to stop laughing—pulled himself up into Marlene’s habitat and stumbled over his own feet as he tried to regain his composure. His guffaw became contagious as Marlene found herself unable to keep from cracking a smile.
“I am demanding that bạn all stop laughing this instant!” Julien commanded. But Skipper and Marlene were now both laughing uncontrollably, resulting in Julien leaving in an angry huff. “I will not stand here and be made fun of bởi a couple of commoners!” he đã đưa ý kiến on his way out.
After a few thêm moments of trying to catch their breath, Skipper and Marlene’s laughing softened into small convulsions.
“Whew…I’m sorry, Marlene. I just couldn’t help myself,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến once he’d caught his breath.
“Heh, it’s alright, Skipper,” Marlene replied. Her face fell upon a thought entering her mind. “Wait, what were bạn laughing about, anyway? Is it really that funny that someone would…Want me?” she asked.
Skipper’s smile faded and he strode over to Marlene. “Marlene, that is most certainly not why I was laughing. I was laughing because it was preposterous to think he’d have a shot with you. bạn deserve much better than anything he could offer bạn in a relationship.”
Marlene smiled bashfully. “You really think so?”
“No, I don’t think so. I know so, Marlene,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến returning a reassuring smile.
A short-lived silence followed and Skipper was the first to break it. “So, what exactly did Ringtail say, anyway?”
Marlene laughed and scratched the back of her neck. “Well, first he asked if it hurt when heaven fell on me.”
Skipper suppressed a laugh. “I think he meant, ‘Did it hurt when bạn fell from heaven?’” he told her.
Marlene laughed. “Yeah, I know,” she đã đưa ý kiến shaking her head.
Skipper thought for a moment, then smiled coolly. “So, did it?”
13) Denial [VII]
“So, Kowalski, is there anything new?” Skipper asked entering his lab.
“Actually, yes. I’ve intercepted some transfer papers. We’re going to have a new resident in the zoo,” Kowalski answered picking up the transfer papers.
“Really? What species?” Skipper inquired.
“It appears that a new male con rái cá, rái cá will be joining us,” Kowalski told him. Skipper’s face lifted in surprise.
“Male otter?” Skipper repeated.
“Um…Affirmative. Why?” Kowalski asked, confused bởi Skipper’s tone.
Skipper crossed his flippers over his chest. “Well, why does the zoo need a male otter? What? Marlene isn’t good enough for them?”
“Sir?” Kowalski urged, trying to understand Skipper’s sudden outburst.
“What? Can I not have an opinion? Marlene is perfect all on her own. She doesn't need a male around to steal her spotlight. Let me see that transcript!” he ordered snatching the papers from Kowalski and looking over them.
Kowalski laughed slightly. “Skipper, if I didn’t know bạn any better, I’d say bạn were jealous.”
Skipper darted a look at him over the transcripts. “Jealous? I’m not jealous! I’m just saying that Marlene attracts enough visitors to the zoo all bởi herself,” he insisted.
Kowalski folded his flippers over his chest. “So, bạn find Marlene attractive and perfect, hm?” he asked with a teasing smile.
Skipper shook his head. “No! I mean…Well, she does, doesn’t she?!”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến with a wink. Though, the fact that he didn’t answer his câu hỏi was an answer in itself.
“Focus on the problem at hand, Kowalski!” Skipper ordered, trying to change the subject.
Kowalski sighed. “Fine,” he said. Though, a moment later, he coughed out the word jealous.
“I am not jealous!” Skipper insisted slapping the papers down on the table.
“Denial!” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến in a sing-song tone.
“I am not in denial!” Skipper told him jabbing a flipper in his direction.
“So, bạn deny that you’re in denial?” Kowalski asked, unable to contain his laughter any longer.
“Yes! I mean…No! I mean…Kowalski!” Skipper stuttered in frustration.
“What is going on in here?!” Private asked entering the room.
“Skipper’s jeal—” Skipper slapped Kowalski before he could finish.
“Nothing, soldier. Right, Kowalski?” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến giving him a hard stare.
Kowalski held back another laugh. “Yes, Private. Absolutely nothing. And apparently, it’s going to stay that way unless your leader man’s up.”
Skipper narrowed his eyes at him. Private eyed both of them curiously, then turned around with a roll of his eyes.
“I’ll never understand grown-ups.”
14) What the Future Holds [VIII]
“Eureka! Skipper! I have finally perfected my time machine!” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến entering the room with a small device.
“Fantastic. Are bạn sure it’s safe?” Skipper replied.
“Absolutely. I just tested it myself,” Kowalski told him.
“Oh, really? Then where did bạn go?” Skipper asked.
“Einstein’s first steps were truly a beautiful thing…” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến in recollection. Skipper rolled his eyes.
“Alright. So, where do we go, now?” Private asked.
“I thought we could sneak a peek at the future. What do bạn say?” Kowalski offered. The others exchanged a glance and shrugged.
“Sure. Let’s go see what the future holds,” Skipper said.
After setting the time machine for June 30th, 2030—exactly seventeen years from that very day, they huddled together and Kowalski pressed a button. After a blinding flash of light, they stood alone in an empty HQ.
Skipper looked around. “Did it work?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Let’s go see what’s going on in the zoo. Just make sure our future selves don’t see us,” Kowalski warned.
“You could’ve mentioned that before we came here in the HQ,” Skipper pointed out. Kowalski shrugged.
“Sorry, got excited,” he admitted. Skipper rolled his eyes.
“Never mind. di chuyển out,” he ordered.
When the team left the future HQ, the habitats were empty. Figuring that there was probably a zoo meeting taking place, they headed to the Zoovenir Shop. Sure enough, the động vật were all gathered there. But when they peered over the windowsill, they quickly realized that it wasn’t a meeting. It was a wedding.
“What the deuce?” Skipper inquired under his breath. They looked past the zoosters and saw the future Marlene and Skipper at the makeshift altar, giving their vows.
“Marlene, I have loved bạn from the first ngày I met you. You’re everything I could ever want in life. Let this ring be a symbol of my promise to tình yêu and cherish bạn until my last breath and forever longer,” the future Skipper đã đưa ý kiến as he slipped a ring over the future Marlene’s finger. Her eyes were welling with tears of joy.
Skipper’s eyes widened and he couldn’t bring himself to look at his team, despite the fact that he could feel them staring at him. After watching for a moment longer, he fainted to the ground with a thump. The team silently gasped as the attention of the zoosters turned to the sound made outside and hopped down from the windowsill. Kowalski quickly took them back to their time period before they were caught.
“Skipper!”
Skipper snapped back into attention. “Huh?”
“Are bạn ready to try out my time machine?” Kowalski asked again.
“Um…Sure, Kowalski. But let’s go back in time, alright?” Skipper replied.
Kowalski became confused. “But bạn just đã đưa ý kiến that bạn wanted to see what the future held, though.”
Skipper smiled. “I think I’d rather be surprised.”
15) Girl Talk [IX]
While out on some recon duty, Skipper was passing Marlene’s habitat when he heard voices inside that he recognized as Becky and Stacy’s.
“…about Skipper?” he heard Becky’s voice say. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help himself upon hearing his name.
“What about him?” đã đưa ý kiến Marlene’s voice.
“C’mon, Marlene! bạn can’t tell us that bạn don’t notice the way he looks at you. He’s totally into you,” Stacy’s voice replied. Skipper felt the heat rush into his cheeks. Had he really been that obvious?
“Guys, come on. Skipper’s a nice guy…But I seriously doubt he has any kind of romantic feelings for me,” Marlene’s voice replied.
“Well, do bạn have feelings for him?” Becky asked.
There was a short silence that followed and Skipper’s tim, trái tim started to race with anticipation. He leaned a little further into her habitat to see if he could hear anything when he Mất tích his balance and fell in the entrance with a thwack.
“What was that?!” he heard Becky’s voice say, along with growing footsteps. A moment later, Marlene, Becky, and Stacy emerged from Marlene’s cave, looking for the nguồn of the sound.
“Hm. I could’ve sworn I heard something,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến when they found her empty habitat.
“Me, too,” Stacy concurred. “I suppose it was a bird hoặc something,” she suggested.
“Probably. Let’s go back inside,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến as she turned back.
Luckily, Skipper had made it outside Marlene’s habitat before anyone had seen him. He leaned back against the habitat’s tường and let out a relieved sigh. Then he took a deep breath.
I guess I’ll just have to find out when the time’s right, he thought with a smile.
16) Intruder Alert [X]
Skipper had had a long ngày with returning trang chủ from another successful solo mission and arrived at the zoo in the dead of night. Stealthily making his way through the zoo, he hopped atop his habitat’s boundaries when he noticed that a faint light was emanating from Marlene’s habitat. Curious about why Marlene would be up so late at night, he jumped down from the tường and crossed over into her habitat.
Being as quiet as he could manage, he moved slowly into her cave in attempt not to disturb her. He was almost inside when the room suddenly went dark and he felt someone grab his flipper and pull him to the ground before he even had time to think.
“Who are you?! Why are bạn in my habitat?!” he heard Marlene’s voice say just inches from his face in the darkness.
“Marlene! It’s me, Skipper!” Skipper protested. The tiếp theo thing he knew, a light was switched on to reveal Marlene above him, pinning him to the floor. Her expression was a mix of shock and confusion.
“Skipper?” she đã đưa ý kiến surveying him for a few seconds. After assuring herself that she wasn’t dreaming, she wrapped her arms around his neck from atop him. “Skipper, I’m so sorry! Are bạn alright?!”
Skipper chuckled and wrapped his flippers around Marlene. “I’m fine, Marlene. bạn want to tell me why you’re up so late? And why bạn ninja’d me to the ground?”
Marlene pulled away and got to her feet. “Well, I couldn’t sleep,” she đã đưa ý kiến helping Skipper up. “I was just in here thinking when I heard something outside. I really am sorry about that,” she đã đưa ý kiến scratching her neck.
Skipper waved a flipper in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it, Marlene. I’m actually pretty impressed. At least I know bạn can take care of yourself. I have to admit, I was completely caught off guard. And bạn know how hard it is to catch me off guard,” he told her with a grin of pride.
“I learned from the best, Skipper,” Marlene told him with a smile. Skipper chuckled.
“That bạn did. However…” Skipper snatched Marlene’s paw and pinned her bởi the shoulders to the nearest wall, catching her bởi surprise. “There’s still much thêm to learn,” he finished with a grin.
Marlene’s expression softened. “Then I guess you’ll have to teach me,” she đã đưa ý kiến with a smile.
Skipper released his grip on Marlene’s shoulders and gave a salute. “Count on it.”
17) A New Side
“Hey, guys,” Marlene called as she dropped down into the penguins’ hatch. “Have I ever told bạn guys that I think of bạn as family?”
“What can we do for you, Marlene?” Skipper asked giving her a sideways glance.
Marlene scoffed innocently. “Pft! What makes bạn think I want something?”
Skipper crossed his flippers and gave her a look.
Marlene sighed. “Fine. Look, bạn guys know that it’s April Fools Day, right?” she asked.
“That we do. Why?” Skipper replied.
“Well, I’ve noticed that Julien already pulled a few pranks on the other zoo động vật today and I really don’t like his sense of humor. Would it be okay if I stayed here until he gets it out of his system?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not. And I don’t blame you; the royal pain doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘no.’ Then again, he doesn’t know the meaning of a lot of words,” Skipper replied taking a couple of steps closer to Marlene. “Such as ‘personal space,’ ‘mind your own business,’ ‘go away’…I think bạn get my point,” he đã đưa ý kiến with a grin.
Marlene laughed. “Can’t disagree on that one,” she đã đưa ý kiến as she closed the distance between them.
“Though, I’m not sure what we’ll—”
Interrupting Skipper’s spoken thoughts, Julien fell through the hatch and landed at their feet, grabbing both of their ankles.
“Ringtail! What are you—?!”
When Julien got to his feet with a laugh, Skipper realized what he had done. He’d handcuffed his and Marlene’s ankles together.
“Oh! Oh, I so got bạn two! bạn should see the looks on your faces!” he đã đưa ý kiến as he leaned against the tường holding his stomach, laughing so hard that tears started welling up in his eyes.
“Ringtail! Undo these cuffs! Now!” Skipper ordered.
“Oh, sure. When April Fools is over!” Julien replied before scrambling up and out of the hatch. Skipper started after him without thinking and tripped over the bracelet that connected him to Marlene and fell to the floor, unintentionally pulling Marlene with him and landing her on hàng đầu, đầu trang of him. Even with her face millimeters from his, he kept his cool.
“Sorry, Marlene,” he đã đưa ý kiến with a sigh. He pushed her up bởi the shoulders and helped her to her feet as he got to his.
“It’s alright. So much for avoiding Julien,” Marlene replied looking down at the cuffs around their ankles.
Skipper followed her gaze and shook his foot a little bit, watching the chain clink between their feet.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m ripe for revenge,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến with a sly smile. Skipper rose his gaze to meet hers.
“Really? I didn’t think bạn were for that kind of thing,” Skipper inquired.
Marlene laughed slightly. “Let’s just say that Julien’s got me in a…Pranking mood,” she replied, her expression unchanged.
The corners of Skipper’s beak slowly rose as a smile stretched across his face. “You mean a payback mood?”
“A little bit of both,” Marlene replied.
“Well, I must admit, this is a side of bạn I’ve never seen before. I like it,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến as he rubbed his flippers together deviously.
“Actually, Skipper, there’s a lot of things bạn don’t know about me, yet,” Marlene told him. Skipper smiled curiously.
“Yet?”
“Shall we?” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến gesturing to the door with intentions of plotting their revenge against Julien. Skipper grinned.
“We shall.”
18) Complicated [XI]
“No, Marlene, I just can’t chance it.”
“Please, Skipper? I’m ready for this. You’ve been training me for nine years. Can’t bạn just trust me?” Marlene begged.
Skipper rolled himself out from under the car and got to his feet, setting down his wrench on the nearby barrel. He then gently took Marlene bởi the shoulders.
“Marlene, I tình yêu you. bạn know I do. And I care about bạn too much to let anything happen to you,” he said.
“Excuse me,” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến as he reached past Skipper for the wrench he’d laid down.
Marlene became defensive and crossed her arms. “So, bạn don’t think I’m ready?”
Skipper sighed. “No, it’s not that I don’t think you’re ready, it’s just that…” His voice trailed off.
“Just that what, Skipper? Is it because I’m a girl and bạn don’t think I can handle it?” she inquired.
“Marlene, please don’t put words in my beak. It’s not because you’re a girl. If I thought that, I would’ve never trained bạn in the first place,” Skipper insisted dropping his flippers to his sides.
“Then it’s because I’m your wife?” Marlene said.
“No! It has nothing to do with our relationship!” Skipper asserted.
“Then why won’t bạn let me go?! I’m ready for this, Skipper! Let me prove that to you!” Marlene persisted.
“Marlene, I just don’t feel comfortable with bạn going on this mission! I admit, you’ve been thêm than help on the missions we’ve been on together. But this one is so much bigger than any of those combined! There are lives at stake, Marlene! I don’t want your life to be one of them!” Skipper shot back.
“Skipper! I’ll be fine! You’ve seen what I can do!” Marlene reasoned. She took a couple steps forward, put a paw on his chest, and jutted out her lower lip. “Plus, I had a really good teacher.”
Skipper’s brows raised slightly and he shook his head. “Oh, no,” he đã đưa ý kiến taking her wrist and lifting her paw off of his chest. “Getting cute with me isn’t going to change my mind. I know you’re good, Marlene. I wouldn’t have let bạn come on any mission if I’d thought any less. It’s just that the boys and I have been in this line of work far longer than bạn have. I just don’t want bạn to get hurt.”
“Skipper’s right, Marlene,” Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến as he passed them carrying a can of oil. “I think bạn should leave this one to us.”
I don’t believe I asked for your opinion, đã đưa ý kiến Marlene’s eyes and threatening posture. Kowalski gulped slightly and awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Sorry…” he đã đưa ý kiến quietly as he turned back to continue working on the car.
Marlene turned back to Skipper. “Skipper, bạn know I can’t let bạn go without me. I’m going with you,” she insisted.
“No, you're not,” Skipper shot back.
Marlene grunted in frustration. “Skipper, I tình yêu you, but why do bạn always have to be so stubborn?!”
“You knew I was stubborn when bạn married me!” Skipper protested.
“I know that, but I’m your wife! Can’t bạn cut me a little slack?” she pleaded.
“Marlene, I told bạn this from the beginning; when it comes to missions, you’re a member of this unit. And in anything else, you’re my wife. That way, no one is subject to favoritism. And as your commanding officer, I deny your request to tham gia in on this mission!” Skipper ordered.
The team—who had been preparing the car for the mission during Skipper and Marlene’s disagreement—stopped abruptly and turned to Skipper with their brows raised in shock. Their eyes flitted to Marlene, worried about her reaction.
“You deny my request?” Marlene repeated slowly and firmly. “I’ll have bạn know that this is far from a request. Skipper, I am going on that mission with hoặc without your permission,” she đã đưa ý kiến with an affirmative stare.
“This is insubordination, Marlene. You’ve worked yourself up to Private First Class. I’d hate to have to demote my own wife, but I’ll do it,” Skipper threatened.
“Demote? Skipper, now you’re going too far. I’ve worked hard for this position and I am not going to let bạn take me back down,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến firmly.
“Good. Then we’re on the same page. bạn stay here while the boys and I go complete the mission,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến with clarity. Marlene grunted in frustration and grabbed his shoulders.
“You are impossible!” she đã đưa ý kiến putting emphasis on the syllables bởi shaking him slightly. Skipper grabbed her bởi the waist and pulled her close.
“But bạn still tình yêu me, right?” he đã đưa ý kiến with a grin.
Marlene sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I still tình yêu you. bạn know that.”
“I know. I just like to hear bạn say it,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến before pulling her into a kiss. Back at the car, the team exchanged a glance.
“Are they still fighting?” Private whispered to Kowalski.
Kowalski watched them for a moment longer, then shrugged.
“It’s complicated. tình yêu always is.”
19) Alone At Last?
“Marlene?” Skipper called as he entered Marlene’s cave.
“Yeah, I’m here, Skipper. Did bạn give the team something to do to keep them busy?” Marlene asked as Skipper moved deeper into her room.
“Yep. They don’t even know I’m here,” Skipper answered. He moved phía trước, chuyển tiếp and took her bởi the waist. “Now, we can finally be alone.”
Marlene smiled and rested her paws on his shoulders. “Yeah. Alone.”
Skipper touched his forehead to hers. “I really am sorry about last time, bởi the way. I wasn’t expecting Alice to feed us that early in the afternoon.”
Marlene laughed slightly. “Skipper, it’s fine. I don’t blame bạn for that. Besides, it’s not like bạn were upset with me when I had to hủy bỏ our ngày when I got thực phẩm poisoning,” she told him.
“Of course I wouldn’t be. If Alice would check the thực phẩm before serving it, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. Besides, we still had a pretty good time watching that movie instead, right?” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến giving her a nudge.
“Even though I threw up in the middle of it?” Marlene inquired with an awkward smile.
“Well, at least bạn made it to the bathroom…The first time,” he đã đưa ý kiến with a slight laugh. “No, I wasn’t upset with you. I was just upset that we haven’t had a real moment alone in…Geez, I can’t even remember,” Skipper explained. “First, it was Kowalski’s invention gone haywire…”
“Then, it was the emergency mission…” Marlene added.
“Then, the Vesuvius Twins came to visit the zoo again…” Skipper continued, then he shook his head in dismissal. “But none of that matters. All that matters is here and now, just bạn and me, finally alone.”
Marlene smiled and Skipper gradually started to close the distance between his beak and her lips…
“Hello, smelly, flightless waterbird!” Julien đã đưa ý kiến as he entered Marlene’s cave, causing her and Skipper to pull away in surprise. “So, I saw bạn come in here and was just wondering if—”
“No,” Skipper said, cutting him off.
“But bạn didn’t even know what I was—”
“No! bạn know what?! I don’t care about privacy anymore! This is my time and I’m not going to let you ruin it!” Skipper snapped as he turned back to Marlene, grabbed her once again bởi the waist, and kissed her right in front of him. Julien’s eyes widened as he stood where he was, unable to look away in the shock of Skipper’s action.
After a few seconds, he got over the shock and the awkwardness of the situation crept in as Marlene wrapped her arms around Skipper’s neck to deepen the kiss.
“Eh…You know what? I think I-I’ll go, now. O-Oh! Do bạn hear that? I think Maurice is calling me! I sh-should go see about that. And…I’m shutting up now…” he đã đưa ý kiến awkwardly as Skipper and Marlene carried on as if he wasn’t even there. He turned and stumbled out of Marlene’s cave without another word.
Skipper—after peeking off to the side to see if Julien was truly gone—finally pulled away with a sigh.
“Finally. I haven’t been able to do that in a while,” he đã đưa ý kiến with grin.
“I’m surprised at you, Skipper. I didn’t think bạn liked kissing me in front of anyone. Especially Julien,” Marlene replied with a laugh. Skipper pushed a tuft of lông, lông thú out of her eyes.
“Well, it got him to go away, didn’t it? We’re finally—and truly—alone,” he đã đưa ý kiến holding her closer. Marlene smiled.
“Alone at last.”
20) One In the Same
“I had a nice time tonight, Skipper,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến as she and Skipper returned trang chủ flipper-in-paw through Central Park.
“I did, too,” Skipper đã đưa ý kiến with a smile. Without warning, Marlene gradually slowed her pace and she turned to Skipper.
“Skipper, can I ask something?” she requested. Skipper stopped and turned to face her.
“Of course bạn can, Marlene. What is it?” he granted.
“Well…I was just wondering…What is it that attracts bạn to me?” she asked bashfully.
Skipper smiled.
“I think a better câu hỏi would be, ‘What doesn’t attract bạn to me.’ Which I can’t answer, because there isn’t one,” he replied.
Marlene smiled sheepishly and looked down. “Aw, Skipper, that’s sweet. But…I meant more…Why are bạn attracted to me?”
Skipper’s brow lowered in confusion. “I don’t think I’m following,” he told her.
“It’s just…We’re so different. I mean, we do have some things in common, but for the most part, we have two completely different personalities,” Marlene explained.
“Well, I don’t think that’s such a big deal. We have feelings for each other and that’s all that matters, right?” Skipper asked taking her paws into his flippers.
“Yeah…But…I just hear that relationships don’t last as long unless bạn have a lot in common,” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến without meeting his eye.
Skipper’s face fell slightly and he released one of her paws to lift her chin.
“Marlene, you’re not having một giây thoughts about us, are you?” he asked.
“No, no, not at all. I want to be with you, Skipper. It’s just that I’m just a little insecure, that’s all—”
Marlene was interrupted bởi a sound coming from behind her and she and Skipper followed it with their eyes. tiếp theo to a cây that wasn’t too far behind her, a hippie had made himself comfortable under it and was tapping along on his bongos. Marlene sighed in irritation.
“Here I am trying to have a serious conversation with bạn and a stupid hippie has to interrupt us,” she said, spitting out the word ‘hippie’ as if it were a disease.
Skipper eyed her curiously.
“Stupid hippie?” he repeated.
“Yeah, I mean, can’t these guys get a life? Someone needs to just make them get jobs,” Marlene told him. Skipper fought off a smile.
“So, bạn dislike hippies?” he asked her.
“Totally. I just don’t get the point. And they talk weird…” she đã đưa ý kiến rolling her eyes. “Man,” she added, mocking the tone of a hippie. Skipper finally found himself unable to keep himself from grinning.
“What?” Marlene đã đưa ý kiến in response to Skipper’s expression. “What are bạn smiling about?”
Skipper wrapped his flipper around Marlene’s shoulders and started for the zoo again.
“Marlene, I can assure bạn that we are one in the same.”
♦ ♦ ♦
[VI] This sort of came to me as I was watching Otter Things Have Happened again. I could sort of imagine Julien attempting to win Marlene over and/or try to inform her that she was his girlfriend before any of that happened.
[VII]-[IX] Thanks to link for giving me the idea for these skits in the link diễn đàn post, Page 39.
[X] Okay, maybe that one was a little thêm cute than funny. It was just an idea I had.
[XI] I started nghề viết văn this skit and realized that I think I can actually do thêm with it. I might turn it into an actual story sometime.