Where there's Smoke. Chapter 1-The question and the begining of a problem.
_Grace_
The tiara slid down and rested against Grace's ear. "What?" she said. More in disbelif than anything else.
Grace stood and stared at the engagement necklace. It had the silver heart on it from her bracelet that had broken in a fight with Lebba.
"Do I really have to repeat it? This is awkward enough for me as it is." Skipper stood up.
"This is just so.."
"Sudden?" Marlene asked falling out of a tree.
"Actually I knew it was coming." Grace answered trying not to laugh as Private fell out of the same tree and landed on his face.
"Evesdroppers!" Skipper demanded. "I worked really hard on this and you guys ruined it!"
Kowalski jumped out of the tree next, "It was ruined when you made me pretend to be Grace so you could practice!"
"Oh, you to?" Marlene put her hands on her hips. "He made me distract her all week!"
"Ok that's enough of what I did or didn't do." Skipper turned around and walked away, obviously embarrassed.
"Nice going." The wolf shot them a look and trotted after her life-long friend.
"Skipper, wait." She actually had to break into a run to catch up with him.
"What Grace? You know that I was nevous about it and-"
"I think it's really sweet." Grace finished for him.
"What? You do?" he stopped walking and gave me a hopeful look.
She nodded. "It shows that you care and stuff." Grace allowed Skipper to put the necklace around her neck.
"So, is that a yes?" Skipper still sounded hopeful
"Let's see how the next few months go, with the Agency and everything."
"Yeah. I get it." he seemed dissapointed.
"I didn't mean it like that." she quickly corrected.
"I said I get it!" Skipper snapped. He took off agian, jumping back into the zoo.
"Skipper!" she started to follow him, but stopped herself, not wanting to ruin any chance she had left.
"Wow." Private's british accent was almost torture to the already annoyed Grace.
"Private!" Marlene hissed. "Grace? Are you-"
"I'm fine." she sighed, "I should probably get back to the party.
Marlene followed Grace over the fence. "Grace?"
The brown wolf dropped her head and held her tail low, as she walked slowly back towards the lemur habitat.
_MEANWHILE_
Jay Robbers opened the door to the Central Park Zoo office. A red-haired zookeeper was just finishing her work.
"I heard you had a wolf here." Jay said.
"Yeah. What's it to you?" Alice answered, glaring at the new comer.
"I've come to take her off you hands. Let me explain, I'm part of a gold mining crew, we work deep in the Alaskan moutian forests. We use dog sleds to get to the mines-"
"Yeah yeah." Alice snapped "Would she come back?"
"Probably not." the man replied.
"Deal." Alice answered quickly. "Ever since she showed up, her and those penguins have been acting stranger than usual."
Mr. Robbers returned to his truck to get supplies. This was my best idea ever. he thought as he pulled two catch poles out.
Grace laid down in her exhibit and watched the sky.
"Ah, Grace, Happy birthday." a dark Gray wolf stepped into a section of light.
"Lebba." Grace growled.
The two wolves circled each other, growling.
Lebba lunged for Grace, Grace countered and began to fight back.
"What the-" Alice screamed upon seeing the two wolves. She grabbed a catch pole and easily captured the wolf she knew belonged to the zoo.
Grace yelped as a cable tightened around her neck. Lebba stepped back in shock.
Jay secured the other wolf before she had a chance to escape.
Marlene quickly ran to penguin HQ, she had to help Grace.
"Skipper!" she yelped, jumping down and into the room.
"What!" he rolled out of his bunk, narrowly avoiding landing on her.
"Grace is being transferred!" Marlene was gasping for breath at this point.
Skipper flew out of HQ and over to Grace's habitat. He spotted Alice and another man dragging Grace and Lebba away.
"Grace!" Skipper gave chase. He caught up just as Alice pushed Grace into a crate in the back of a truck. Skipper launched his attack, only to be hit with a stick and fall.
He jumped up just in time to see the truck pull away with Grace and Lebba in the back.
"Don't worry, Grace" Skipper sighed. "I will find you."
What should Grace's answer be? Should she say Yes or No to Skipper? But first- Where is this new man taking Grace and Lebba? Will they survive? Can Grace possibly get home? Will Skipper find her? How will Kowalski react to Skrace? And what about Marlene? Why am I asking all of the questions to you when you don't know the answer?