Human AU. This is my first POM fanfic. I just want to check out the response.

I have gone with the semi-confirmed theory that one of the penguins is female; in my case I'm viewing it as Kowalski, because it's a gender-neutral name.

The original four from Madagascar will be in it to, the lemurs won't be for now. They are in 'sheltered accommodation' for teenagers in care.

The ages are as follows, Skipper, Rico, Kowalski – 17 Private – 15. Gloria – 18, Alex – 16, Marty – 16, Melman – 19.

I do not own anything associated with Madagascar in anyway shape or form. Feel free to check out my profile if you wish.

"I'm telling you give me the remote!" Alex Mayne made a lunge for it, while his best buddy Martin 'Marty' Johnson whisked it away.

"Nu-uh. Not until my shows finished."

"We've been watching friends for the last hour and a half, my dance show is on. Give me the remote!"

The two boys wrestled for a bit until Melman Smith looked over, hesitantly from the arm-chair. "E-erm, guys…maybe it would be better if you didn't do that. You might knock the drinks over." He nodded to the glasses of coke and water in front of them.

The two stubborn idiots didn't listen and continued wrestling until a yell from the doorway stopped them. "GUYS!" they looked up to see Gloria Laymen glaring at them. "Marty, give Alex the remote. Before I kill you."

Silently Marty did do, and sulked back in the chair as Alex change to channel to the dancers semi-final.

Just then Private Jones came in. "Anyone seen Kowalski?"

"She's upstairs I think. Why?"

"Me and the boys just came back from the gym. We wanted to check she was okay." Recently Kowalski had been down and her brothers had no idea why. She'd even refused to come to the gym for training, which was unheard of. Skipper had been panicking that she was coming down with something, but Private wasn't sure it was sickness that was making his sister act weird. Unfortunately Kowalski was refusing to tell them about it.

He turned around, and yelled out a status report to Skipper and Rico who gave him joint thumbs up. As they approached the top of the stairs they heard a yell of pain and a curse of.

"Oh, Einstein's boxers!"

Slamming the door open Rico looked around wildly, wondering what could have made his kid sister yell like that. Okay, technically she wasn't his kid sister, but she was still the youngest of the triplets, so it counted.

She was on the floor, black curly hair covering her face. Skipper pushed past him, went over to her and gently pushed her hair back of her face. She was clearly in pain.

"What've you done?" He asked gently, motioning to Rico to shut the door so no-one could see.

"Shocked myself." She muttered so gently Skipper hardly heard her.

"Shocked yourself? How?"

"Trying to fix that." She waved a hand at Ricos docking station, which had broken a week ago.

"Fix it?" Rico clarified, his mangled voice distorting the words a little. Luckily his sister knew how to understand him.

"Yes, and as you can see, it didn't go so well. I don't get it, I read about it. Why didn't it work?"

"I dunno. But it's alright K'walski. Anyone can make a mistake."

"I shouldn't! I'm a genius! This should be easy. Ugh I'm such an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, K'walski. I think you're intelligence is tip-top!" Private chirped, grinning widely.

"You also think there's a little man in the fridge who turns the light on and off."

"One day I'll catch him!"

Kowalski sighed and ran her hands through her curly black hair. "Looks like Kristen was right." The three brothers shot a glance at each other. Kristen Luv was Kowalski's arch enemy at school. Whenever she was mentioned trouble was always bound to follow.

"What was she right about?" Skipper asked as Rico stepped forward and carefully bandaged her thumb.

"She was making fun of me 'cos my inventions keep failing.. So I was going to fix the docking station and bring it in on Monday. Her face would have been a picture. Would have served her right for saying I can't fix or invent anything. I'm going to be a world-famous scientist someday. I'll win a noble prize and everything."

Skipper nodded as Rico finished up. Yes his sister would go far one day that he was sure of; she had the determination for it. "Listen, K'walski. Do you think you're intelligent?"

"I don't think, I know." Skipper smiled a little at that. There was the Kowalski he knew and loved.

"So are you going to let a little insult from a pip-squeak who barely knows her 12 times table intimidate you?"

"No."

"I can't hear you."

"No!" Kowalski laughed. Behind her Rico and Private fist-bumped.

"So on Monday you are NOT going to show anything to her on account of the fact that if you do that you're basically saying you need her approval. Which you don't. And now we are going to go and kick Alex the lump of the sofa and we are going to watch…" He wrinkled his nose a bit at his next words "The big bang theory."

"Yay!" Kowalski leaped up, grabbed Rico's hand and pulled him downstairs, while Private shot Skipper a smile.

"That was nice of you skipper."

"Don't sound so surprised, I'm not heartless. Just don't let on otherwise I'll never hear the end of it."

Private giggled. "Your secret is safe with me skipper."