A Very Special Day

A/N: I'm not even finished with this yet. I like to finish one thing before posting it, but I have to post this now or I might never do it. Just like some of my other stories. It's happened. Okay, in this one, we've got, so far... I don't own anything. Expect another update either later today, tomorrow, or tomorrow's tomorrow. And please review.

Chapter One: Something's Fishy...

Marlene looked at the calendar BEFORE freaking out. Was it that close already? She thought she had more time! She had to work fast! She almost fell out of bed and broke her leg (but she didn't) trying to get to her door. The minute she burst out of her habitat, she had to start thinking, and thinking fast. Okay, okay, first... the phone call! But for that she would need...

"And with three more pulses of gamma radiation, we should have... Fried Fish Fridays!" The ray stopped and the smoke cleared, leaving a single fried fish. The other penguins high-fived as Kowalski held up the fish in success. Skipper was about to congratulate Kowalski when Marlene burst in, all out of breath and exhausted.

It was almost an immediate penguin freak out, Skipper, Rico and Private got into defense position and Kowalski threw the fish out the window and put his flippers behind his back. Marlene struggled to catch her breath, holding up a finger. Skipper frowned and stepped up to her. "Spit it out, Marlene!"

She just glared at him before inhaling. "Kowalski... talking box... need... now." The other three looked at Kowalski before he handed it over. "Thanks." She panted, before rushing out the door.

No one looked more surprised than Skipper at her recent weird behavior, but no one could say anything, since she had just... vanished, without a trace.

The office was a little cold, but Marlene couldn't care less. She had to get this done, and she had to do it fast. She dialed the numbers on the piece of paper, then listened to the voice on the other end.

"An appointment? For... our old otter, Marlene? And are you sure she has to come back to THIS zoo? It's a seven hour flight..."

"Yes. That zoo." The talking box said. The doctor on the other line muttered something, and Marlene listened closely. She would be picked up at the New York Central Zoo in two hours, and she still had to get a crate. She hung up the phone. There was still a LOT of work to do.

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"My liquefied cubic zirconium? Why--?" Marlene nearly exploded with anxiousness while Kowalski just stared. "I mean, Of... course--"

"Thank you!" She snatched it up and ran out, leaving four very stunned penguins in her wake.

It was then that Private made a very stunning discovery. "Skipper... look! She dropped her calendar. And the day after tomorrow is circled." It was true. And inside of the circle was a word, but no one could figure out what it was. Until they took it to the chimpanzees for analysis!

They waddled and slid as quickly as they could, right up to the chimps so they could decipher the older code. Phil took a look at it and began signing out what it meant to his accomplice, Mason. "Hmm... Phil says the calendar's marked to that date because there's something important going on in California... Specifically, 'Don't forget'." Mason scratched his chin while Skipper and Private pondered the mysterious message.

"What do you think it could mean, Skipper?" He questioned, hoping for an answer to get one of his few close friends back.

Skipper really wasn't sure, but before he could say so, Mason spoke up again. "Do you suppose Marlene would ship herself to California in a crate going there by plane?" Of course, that just seemed preposterous. How could such a thing even be possible? When he told Mason that, he agreed with him. "Yes, that may be silly... but that's what she's doing right now." They looked over to see Marlene, sticking some sticky piece of paper to a crate, then slipping inside.

The penguins slid into action, deftly avoiding being seen by anyone else, including Alice, the mean zoo-keeper. One by one, they let themselves into the crate, the leader going in last and nearly bowling over a curled up Marlene.