I don't own anything about this story except for my OC's. Please read and rate though; I need an idea on how well I did. Thanks!
"Training time, boys." Skipper announced one sunny morning, in the H.Q.
Kowalski, Rico, Anna, Millie, and Private turned away from the T.V., where they were watching High School Musical for the thirty-billionth time. It was a wonderful Sunday morning, and they had been enjoying some cartoons when the beginning of the famous movie had come on.
"But, Skippa, it's Sunday," Private said, pleading. "Can't we watch our show for a bit longer?"
"I'm afraid that's a no-can-do, Private." Skipper said, leaping out the door, and peeking his head back in to call out; "Well come on, boys! Troy Bolton isn't going to train you."
Disappointed, the boys slunk out the fishbowl. Outside, the world was warm and bright, and Skipper was waiting for them on the opposite side of the rock pad, with his arms crossed.
"Well, finally!" Skipper said, starting to work on his warm ups. "Let's get started! And one, two, three, four…" he drilled endlessly.
A few minutes later, Anna and Millie came upstairs as well.
"Yo," Millie signaled the peace sign, diving into the water.
Anna watched her swim down to the bottom, and turned back to the bemused group of male penguins staring at her. "Well, um, we were wondering if we could swim out here…? Or would that bother you guys?"
Skipper sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, Anna. You can swim. Just try to keep it down, ok?"
"No problem," Anna smiled, taking a headfirst dive into the water. She was so streamlined she barely made a splash, and then she swam back behind them to where Millie was floating around.
Kowalski couldn't help but grin. They were still dating even another year after Anna had been so sick. He was glad she was strong enough to swim; she hadn't been at the start of the summer.
Anna ducked beneath the surface, twirling in endless circles underwater. She seemed so graceful; her eyes squeezed shut, bubbles escaping from between her beak, her body swirling in her almost zero-gravity surroundings…
"Kowalski!" Skipper slapped him.
"Wha-what?" Kowalski said, realizing with a jolt that he hadn't been paying attention at all since Anna had come outside.
"Can you handle your lady-friend being outside while we train, or do we need to ask her to kindly go back inside?" Skipper asked, stepping between Anna and Kowalski's view of her. He had to keep his options guy on track nowadays; with Anna around, Kowalski had a hard time focusing on his work.
"N-no, I'm fine, Skipper. It…won't happen again." Kowalski looked down at the ground, a little embarrassed to have been caught unawares. Focus, Kowalski. He told himself, starting to stretch again. Maybe if Anna sees you training amazingly, she'll be impressed.
Skipper started pacing up and down in front of his soldiers, and froze. What in the name of sweet potato salad was Rico doing? His weapons expert was staring much like Kowalski had been, except his eyes were following Anna's twin sister.
"Rico! Snap out of it, man!" Skipper said, waving his flippers in front of the guys face.
Rico, groaning a little, turned to face Skipper. "Wha?" He asked, his eyes uncrossing as he saw the look on Skipper's face. "Wha'd I do?"
"Seriously, men!" Skipper berated, walking out to the middle of the platform, waving his arms for emphasis. After checking to make sure that Anna and Millie were underwater, he started his mornings tirade. "Please tell me that it takes more than two females to distract you guys!"
Kowalski and Rico felt ashamed. "No, Skipper." They said simultaneously, looking down at the ground.
Private was confused. "What do you mean, Skippa?"
"Never you mind, Private. You'll understand when you get older." Skipper said, eyeing the two older of his army. "Now let's get chopping!"
Beneath the crystalline water, Anna and Millie faced each other, blinking their eyes almost continuously in the wet environment. Sometimes, the twin pair had wondered if they could hear each others thoughts. As young children, they had often had rare moments of concise synchronization.
Anna had come up with the idea of testing the theory once and for all under water, where they couldn't pick up on any verbal cues, intended or not.
Millie rolled her eyes. This is stupid, she thought, but Anna could tell from her body language exactly what she was thinking.
Stop that, and try! Anna frowned, squinting in frustration. She couldn't hold her breath as long as her twin, and she was feeling a little lightheaded.
Ok, Millie gestured with her shoulders as if to say, I'm trying and it's not working out, is it?
I can hear you! Anna smiled, drawing out her last gulp of air as long as possible. But, maybe this is just my imagination. If you can hear me, shake your head from side to side!
Millie's eyes contracted suspiciously, and she slowly began to shake her head.
Excited, but unable to hold her breath any longer, Anna frantically swam up to the surface. Once she broke the water, Anna opened her beak to breathe, but remembered that she had promised to be quiet. A sudden gasping from the other side of the habitat might distract them.
Breathing quietly yet as fast as she could manage, Anna was enthralled with watching Kowalski fight Skipper in a combat exercise. She knew he hadn't noticed her yet, and she allowed her mouth to twitch into a smile. He was so strong, and fast, and smart. She watched him slice through the air with his flippers, smiling in confidence as he kicked Skipper to the ground, settling his foot on his stomach and leaning on his knee.
"Nice work, Kowalski!" Skipper said, and Kowalski withdrew his knee and took a step back.
"Thank you, Skipper." He said, and then his head turned and noticed Anna watching him with a smile on her face. Feeling pleased that he had done extraordinarily well that round, he smiled back and winked at her as he settled back in line besides Private.
She smiled even larger, blushing a bit. Giving him an encouraging flippers-up, Anna disappeared back under the water with barely a ripple.
Kowalski's eyes closed half-way, a relaxed grin splaying across his face. She is so ADORABLE! He thought, watching the black streak she was now disappear deeper under the surface.
And then Millie surfaced, gulping in as much air as her throat could hold. She made such a large amount of noise that Rico, who was fighting Skipper, turned and noticed her. Puffing up his chest, Rico determinedly coughed up a chainsaw and swung it towards Skipper.
"Whoa, whoa, Rico, you win!" Skipper ducked, and reached out to shake hands with him. "But next time, no chainsaw."
"Aww…uh huh." Rico said, as Millie raised her eyebrows and clapped for him. But that was when Anna gripped Millie's ankle and tugged, causing Millie to swim away in an annoyed manner.
What do you need, Anna? Millie thought, as her sister drug her down to the bottom of the pool.
So you CAN hear me? Yes! My theory really did pay off! Anna pulled out her clipboard, scribbling on it furiously.
Millie fidgeted. Why was she feeling so fluttery, and why could she not keep her mind off of Rico's demented grin? Only one person she could ask, Millie realized. Hey Anna?
Yes, Millie?
I…I…Well, what does it feel like to be in love with Kowalski?
Anna paused, glancing up at her twin. Why do you ask?
Oh…just wondering. Millie stared away, purposefully avoiding her sister's gaze.
Anna carefully phrased her next thoughts, marshalling together the most reasonably believable ways of describing how she felt about the scientist. Well…it feels unmistakably, er, unmistakable. It feels wonderful, and it almost feels like flying, every time he looks at me.
Millie realized that was what the strange falling sensation was in her gut. I guess I was asking why, really.
Anna looked a little flustered. He is so…I don't know, amazing. Why do you want to know?
Millie scratched her neck awkwardly, feeling embarrassed. I think I'm in love with Rico.
And at that, Anna's pencil snapped and the other half floated up to the surface. She was frozen, and the only thing that moved about her was a steady stream of bubbles coming from her lips. And then an enormous smile stretched across her face like a rubber band. Really? I knew you would someday! Oh, Millie! What are you going to do about it?
Millie's face contorted into a look of sheer confusion. What do you mean, do about it?
I mean you have to let him know! Anna said mentally, allowing her remaining pencil half and clipboard float up to the surface.
This coming from the girl who allowed her love for Kowalski to sit for a year before he made the first move. Millie smiled, crossing her arms. Besides, I was hoping you could give me any insight on how to crush those feelings?
C-crush them? What? Anna's voice floated into Millie's thoughts like a bubble, popping quickly and loudly. I don't think that's possible!
I can't allow my tough shell to be infiltrated by some guy, Millie thought, as Anna motioned regrettably at her throat and popped up to the surface for some air.
Millie chased her twin.
Anna was so worked up from what Millie had said, she forgot the no-noise rule. She broke the surface panting, and when Millie joined her, Anna began to rant.
"What do you mean, crush them?" Anna asked, since talking was more natural than their recently re-discovered talent.
"I mean, I don't want to allow them to control me." Millie surfaced with a splash, her voice grating on the ears of the training men besides them.
"They don't have to; they're perfectly natural." Anna said, swimming closer to her sister. "Why do you have to be so thick-headed?"
All the men were frozen, staring at the head-to-head sisters. They had never seen the twins fight for real before, and it was obvious that they were both really worked up.
"What? Thick-headed? I'm keeping myself single, thank you. Sorry if I don't fling myself around to whatever idiot wants me." Millie said sharply, watching Anna's face fall.
"I didn't fling myself around! It took me a year, you said so yourself!" Anna spluttered, her cheeks burning scarlet. "Besides that fact, Kowalski is my first ever boyfriend, and you know it."
Kowalski grinned at this. He hadn't known that. The first love is always the best, he reminded himself, feeling smug.
"Yea, whatever." Millie retorted, feeling satisfaction in her sister's frustration. "Like I believe that you two are 'in love'. More like, 'neither of us can get anyone else to love us, so we'll just date anyway'."
Anna was glaring at her sister so sharply that the male penguins were all surprised that she wasn't lighting Millie's hair on fire with her eyes. They had seen Millie this angry, true, but not at Anna. And Anna being mad like this was like seeing the sky fall.
"Of course that's what you would think, what with you never having matured mentally past the age of five." Anna said, "Grow up, Jennifer. Love is a normal, natural thing. Not some imaginary enemy."
Millie blanched. "You. Called. Me. Jennifer."
"Yes, I did, didn't I? Ooops." Anna said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "F.Y.I., Millie, you aren't a boy."
"Well, at least I don't need one to feel complete." Millie said, turning her back on her sister. "But it's not like you have a real man, anyway."
"Hey!" Kowalski said, "I'm right here."
"Shut up, poindexter." Millie said, swimming away.
"Don't call him that, Jennifer!" Anna yelled at her retreating figure.
"Blah blah blah…" Millie mocked her, smiling maliciously.
As the men watched, Millie swam off beneath the surface. Then they turned their heads to Anna, who was fuming at her twin's back.
Mumbling incoherent phrases, Anna swam away in the opposite direction as quickly as she could, eventually diving underwater.
A stunned pause followed.
"…What the heck just happened with them?" Skipper asked, still staring at the patch of blue liquid where they had been a few seconds before.
"I didn't know that Jennifer was Millie's name," Private mumbled, but no one was really paying attention to his comment.
"I don't know, but I've never seen Anna so angry before," Kowalski remarked, trying to spot his girlfriend on the bottom of the pool. "I was wondering if I could…?"
"Fine, Kowalski. Go see what's up." Skipper pouted a bit, feeling like his team was getting more and more unruly with each passing day. The only reason he was allowing Kowalski to leave after Anna was because he was curious what had gone down between the siblings.
Kowalski smiled, waddled over to the edge, and dove in after the blur of his Anna. She was streaking back and forth in the corner, shaking her head and glaring at the ground.
He swam up slowly, watching her curiously, before reaching out and touching her shoulder.
Anna reacted furiously, jumping back and frowning. But then she noticed who it was, and she dropped her angry gaze, her shoulders sagging.
Kowalski put on a confused face, seeking her eyes to get her to understand what he was trying to ask.
Anna shook her head, rolling her eyes, obviously making faces at Millie. She seemed so upset that Kowalski put both flippers on her shoulders, bringing her face up to his.
A serious question. Was she ok?
Anna nodded, but with a look on her face that said otherwise. Realizing that she was probably just feeling bad about fighting with her twin already, (Anna was one of those immediate apologizers) Kowalski smiled a tiny bit. It was his way of telling her that it was ok to get upset sometimes.
A brief hug, and a grateful look from Anna made Kowalski regrettably point at the surface. 'Skipper' he mouthed, shaping around the water trying to gush down his throat.
Anna nodded, like she understood, and motioned for him to go on up with her head. She was still smiling a little, with pinprick tears hiding in her eyes under water, as he left for the top.
With a splash, Kowalski surfaced up on the grey rock. "I didn't find out what happened, but whatever it was…" he looked surprised, "It sure has Anna worked up."
"Hmm…well, I suppose we should keep an eye on those two over the next few days." Skipper said, stroking his chin.
"But what if they hate each other now?" Private asked, his voice implying horror.
"Oh, young Private, I'm sure they'll be fine." Skipper said, "I mean, this is the first time in three years that they've ever fought over anything serious. I'm sure it'll blow over soon."