It all started on an iceberg. Rocko boasting that he was faster than Hubie, but then it began to vibrate. Rocko was informing Hubie of orcas and their capabilities. They hopped onto a new iceberg only to be knocked into the air by the impact it gave crashing back into the water. They landed back onto the iceberg, Rocko reaching first and Hubie landing on-top of him. The pebble fell out of his grasp and desperately felt the need to retrieve it, Rocko agreeing otherwise. Just as Hubie dove in, at the orca aimed for Rocko only for him to jump over its mouth and onto its back.
Heart thumping out of desperation and fear, Hubie swam all the way down to the bottom to come face to face with a shipwreck. To his relief, the pebble landed on the steering wheel of the ship and twirled for joy before collecting it. But fear soon refolded itself into his veins as hew saw the silhouette of the killer whale just under the icebergs above the surface.
The pebble clamped in his beak, Hubie aimed a nearby cannon at the orca that knocked away with its awesome impact. Seeing his chance, Hubie swam up to the surface, the whale just a few faces from him followed by a companion.
In the rush, the pebble fell out out of Hubie's beak. He had only noticed this at the same time of finding himself onto of the orca's lips. It took him up to the surface and attempted to eat him, but he narrowly missed and fell into the water with it. The Rockhopper appeared, grabbed his flipper and lured him away to safety.
"Head for the berg!" he ordered back up the surface. "I'll lead them."
"No!" said Hubie. "If you stay, I stay!"
The whale darted at them, its mouth open and it swam to fast for the duo.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Suddenly, Hubie found himself being shook awake to find Rocko's face an away form his.
"Rocko!" he cried hugging him.
"What's going on?" he cried.
Hubie didn't know where to start.
"YOU! ME! WHALES! CHASING US! EATEN! PEBBLE! WATER!"
SLAP!
Rocko gave him a huge slap on the face.
"Calm down!" he cried. "You're making this into a jigsicle.
After some hyperventilation, Hubie calmed down and spoke clearly, Rocko sitting patiently - as much as he could.
"I had a dream that we were back in the ocean and the whales cam after us again. But this time, we were too late."
"Hey now," said Rocko patting Hubie's back. "Just a dream, okay. And let me assure you, if any whale came my way, I stuff in a sardine can."
He pictured himself in a cape flying to the rescue of a damsel in distress from an orca as he screamed "NO WHALE MESSES WITH ROCKO!"
PWACK!
He got a noswball in the face from a penguin above.
"Shuddup! I'm napping here!"
"Fancey a walk to take your mind off things?" said Rocko, uncharasiistallly.
"I would," said Hubie.
"Achoo!"
They waddled to a nearby rock to find who had sneezed. And there crouched Hubie's first son Rocky. He very sweet son he was too - always there to make his daddy smile.
"I heard Daddy crying in his sleep. I wanted to be with you so I can look after you, Daddy."
"There is a way you can," relied Hubie, happy to see his son. "We are going for a night walk if you want to join us."
"Yes please!"
"You're a good son, Rocky," said Hubie happily.
Rocky ran up to him and nuzzled into the softness of his father.
"I just love the warmth of your stomach, Daddy," he smiled.
Hubie blushed. He remembered the first cuddle from Rocky so well:
He was sitting down look at his son was shivering from the cold.
"Wanna hug from Daddy?"
He waddled up to his father cuddled into his soft, warm stomach nuzzling not it enjoying the warmth. Hubie put his flippers over him for extra warmth and the baby started to nod off.
"You're so warm, Daddy."
Hubie on the other hand remembered the birth of Rocky so well and he felt something no one could feel until they were parents. He remembered eyeing the baby Marina was cradling. She passed it to him and Hubie's eyes opened to his own. Hubie smiled and tickled Rocky's belly as he giggled sweetly.
"Hey, Dad!" said Rocky as they came close to the ocean. "Shall we race Uncle Rocko to the sea?"
"Of course!" said Hubie was they waddled up to the top of the hill and Hubie plopped onto his belly as did Rocko.
"All aboard, Rocky!" announced Hubie and his son clambered on.
"On our marks," he signalled. "Get set - GO!"
And they were off, the wind blowing on their faces and Rocky closing his eyes enjoying the impact of it. He glided his father downline a toboggan as Uncle Rocko was close by. They were still in the lead so they worked together to zoom faster and fast until, they were gliding and aiming for the sea, Rocky still on his father's back as if he were jumping into a swimming pool and was getting his blow-up ready when he landed. Their gravity got closer and closer and closer and SPLASH!
They swam through the sound of the streaming of the water, fish swimming passed them and krill swimming about.
To Rocky the view was beautiful; everything blue and clear and with Daddy as his submarine, it was all the better for company. Especially when they up the surface and he sat on him like a boat. They looked through beautiful crystal caves that twinkled in the night and swam through the misty blue.
Next thing they realised they were back up the surface splashing at each other, Rocky spraying them with his feet, until his dad fell on his back afloat.
Rocky hopped up onto his stomach and sat there like he was on his own swimming float - obviously being his favourite one.
"Nice and peaceful ain't it Daddy," commented Rocky.
"Sure is son," agreed Hubie as he drifted in the still water. "No whales to interrupt a paradise like this."
As Rocky looked under the surface, he saw Uncle Rocko shooting up towards them. He struck at Daddy's back knocking Rocky off his belly and he went flying only for Uncle Rocko to grab him.
"Good thing I was there to watch it," he chuckled as he looked down on Daddy also chuckling. "Whales are so manipulative even a wise penguin would fall for it. You remember that."
"My hero," said Rocky as he cringed onto his uncle.
After setting him back onto shore, Rocko spoke to him.
"There will come a time where you will have to fight on your own," said Rocko. "And Uncle Rocko is gonna show how. Now, Rocky, show me your nastiest face."
Rocky pulled a very aggressive face at his uncle.
"Nice one, kid!" said Rocko proudly. "Now growl like a leopard seal."
Rocky's growl was rather weak, like a regular seal.
"Even Daddy is tougher than that," ramrod Rocko. "Try again."
Rocky growled even more feroculsly.
"Much better!" said Rocko. "Now try to give me a blow."
Rocky punched his uncle softly in the stomach.
"Really?"
"I just don't wanna hurt you."
"I know you don't kid, but if danger you gotta stand up for yourself. Noe come on."
Rocky pounced on his is uncle and they both rolled about in the snow, Rocky pinning his uncle down unbeknownst to him that his was being let to win to encourage his strength.
"That's what I like to see," said Rocko.
"I bet I could do better than that," said Hubie as he was shaking himself dry.
"Oh yeah, wise guy?" said Rocko.
Rocko tackled Hubie to the ground and held him there.
"Remember," he said referring to the fencing match, "brains, not brawn."
And Hubie pushed him off and charged at Rocko who dodged him.
Unbeknownst to Hubie, Rocko pretended to trip and Hubie saw his chance and pinned the Rockhopper down.
Rocko tackled Hubie to the ground and held him there.
"Remember," he said referring to the fencing match, "brains, not brawn."
And Hubie pushed him off and charged at Rocko who dodged him.
Unbeknownst to Hubie, Rocko pretended to trip and Hubie saw his chance and pinned the Rockhopper down.
They then began to playfully punch each other and doing each other, laughing their heads off.
Hubie pinned him down again and he immediately began to tickle his belly.
"No, no!" he cried. "Only a hatchling would tickle!"
"Like you!" said Hubie who was tickling Rocko more violently making him laugh harder.
Then Rocko lifted Hubie up with his feet and and sent him on his back and tickling his own belly back.
Hubie was, not surprisingly, the most ticklish of the two. For five minutes, perhaps longer, he kept Hubie tickle prisoner until they fell on their backs panting, Hubie gasping for air the most.
Rocky watched in awe as Uncle Rocko and Hubie tackled each other and all of a sudden, Uncle Rocko karate kicked Daddy to the floor on his back.
Rocky decided to get up, charge at Uncle Rocko and take him down, slamming his flipper down three times. Then he went over to his father who looked unconscious. He gave him VPR and still no prevail.
"Please wake up, Daddy," he said as he started snuggling Daddy's belly.
Hubie started to wake up enjoying the snuggly sensation his son was giving him and he picked him up and cuddled him.
"Thank you my little paramedic," he blessed drying his son's tears and cuddling him patting his back as he breathed from sobbing.
All of a sudden Rocko pounced on Hubie and began to tickle him.
Hubie laughed hysterically almost like a clucking chicken.
"Stop! Please stop!" he chuckled.
"You tricked your son so now you must pay."
Then he began to tickle Hubie's belly savagely, that being his weak spot.
All of a sudden, Rocky pounced on his uncle and tickle him all over.
"Tickle war!" he shouted.
And they began to tickle each other frantically laughing, as well as choking on it and find each other as tickling foes.
Rocko then let Hubie tickle to give him some confidence in himself. Hubie was proud of it.
After five minutes of tickle torture, they all slumped onto their backs, panting and their stomachs hurting from their laughing.
"I think this has earned him a fight break," smiled Rocko. "Hop on, kiddo!"
Rocky felt himself being lifted up and up and up as if on a growing mountain and Uncle Rocko was flying around the rookery without a care in the world. To Rocky, it felt to him a feeling of being free from the ground forever. Rocky closed his eyes and felt the night breeze blowing in his face - never had he felt anything so refreshing. Rocky thought back on the first time he had a flight. He was nervous but as soon as he left the ground, he felt like a free bird. He wanted to keep to the sky forever but knowing it was impossible. After the fight then, they landed and Rocky cuddled his uncle saying he was very cuddly - but in his head he said "Not as cuddly as Daddy."
After they landed, Hubie lay down with his son climbing onto him and lay his back on Daddy's chest. Hubie, cuddling Rocky with him watched the beautiful, twinkling stars. It was lovely, feeling. Feeling relaxed in the peace and quiet specially cuddling his son.
"I wished upon a star for a pebble for Mommy to win my heart but it turns out that I didn't need the pebble."
"Why?"
"Because she loved me for who I was and the real pebble we have is you."
They snuggled again until Rocko cut in -
"That pebble was how me and Daddy met. We were on a ship which we busted out of - credit to me - and we swam back and came across a bunch of killer whales but Uncle Rocko showed them who was boss. He sure did."
"He's a tough bird, your uncle," said Hubie."
"Wow!" Rocko reacted.
"You know," said Hubie to Rocky. "Mama and I always did this together before you came along."
"Really?" he asked. "What did it make you feel?"
"Daddy was always a loner so I was happy to have Mommy with me."
"And you have me as well," said Rocky as he cuddled into his father's chin.
"And me, buster," said Rocko. "Don't leave me out."
"Shall we go for another swim?" suggested Rocky.
"Okay," said Hubie. "We can have another underwater adventure."
"Probably meet Waldo on the way, huh?" said Rocko.
"Who?" asked Rocky.
"Daddy made him up for me to get him home. I was strangling him so hard he squawked like a chicken."
And Rocko throttled Hubie making him do so, making the chick laugh uncontrollably.
And so they jumped back into the water and enjoyed a nice game of under water tag and Rocky ended up tickling his dad.
Rocky noticed a pair of yellow eyes in the blackness and it advanced towards him, mouth open.
"KILLER WHALE!" he screamed.
Hubie screamwd, grabbed his kid and made for the surface. The whale was after them but suddenly, Rocko jumped onto its eyes blinding him and Hubie punching it's white gut.
Rocky watched in amazement but suddenly remembered why he was almost above the surface. He jumped out the same time as his two relatives.
"You both saved me!" he cried, hugging his uncle tight and addressed Daddy with another belly hug.
They were making their way back, Hubie feeling refreshed after the nightmare he had and feeling confident about after what happened. The generated their igloo where Marina was asleep with her eggs. Hubie set Rocky of his shoulders and he curled up into a ball.
"Dad?"
"Yes, son?"
"Could you please tell me a story?"
"Of course," smiled Hubie. "What story?"
"How you and Uncle Rocko met?"
The two penguins stared awkwardly at each other. Drake, the leaped seal, the Good Ship Misery, the Killer Whales, the confrontation.
"How will we change it, birdbrain?" said Rocko under his breath.
Hubie gulped.
"Improvise?" he decided.
"We'll have to," agreed Rocko. It all started when I was finding a beautiful pebble for Mommy to win her heart and then an evil pen - I mean an evil storm erupted and washed me away from the colony. As I thought I was doomed, Uncle Rocko brought me ashore to a beach. He told me he would lead me back home. We raced all the way back and we came across some mean, vicious whales and again, Uncle Rocko came to the rescue and turned them into baby krill. By the time we got back, there was a mean penguin named Drake and he was trying to kiss Mommy, so Daddy gave him a black eye. Form that day on, me Mommy and Uncle Rocko lived happily for the rest of our days.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Rocky?"
"What will it be like to be a big brother? Will I end up overshadowed?"
"Of course not," smiled Hubie as he sat down and put Rocky on his lap. "They will need a fair amount of attention, you must expect that because they will only be babies. But I promise you will never be overshadowed."
"What would it be like to be a big brother?" Rocky asked feeling a little better with what his father told him.
"I can't really say as I was an only child - but that is wear you come in to help me and Mommy. The babies will need a big brother to look up to, a big brother who will protect them. Everything you learned so far, you can teach them. But I will never stop cuddling you, son."
And they shared big cuddle together, Rocky shedding happy tears from that sentence.
And so Hubie settled down by his side and Rocky snuggled up to him, nuzzling his face into his stomach. He felt happy to be a father, happy to be protecting his child, while Rocky on the other hand was grateful to have a soft, cuddly father who went on an epic adventure.
Rocko remembered first viewing him: It was a clear day early in the morning when he found Hubie outside his cave. Hubie invited him to find Marina cradling a small chick in her flippers.
Rocko took a closer view and she held the baby out to him. The baby was dozing peacefully and breathing gently. Rocko cradled the baby softly, the feeling of love growing into him like the sun rising above the hills of the colony.
"What's his name?" he asked.
Hubie looked rather sheepish.
"Err, R-R-R-"
"R-R-R?" responded Rocko. "Oh, just to remind you of your stutter."
"R-Rocky," said Hubie.
Rocko's heart jolted at the fact the baby was named after him.
The baby open his eyes and smiled.
"Hello, Rocky. I'm your Uncle Rocko."
And he tickled the side of his face making the baby giggled innocently."Do you reckon there is someone out there for me?" asked Rocko suddenly.
"Of course," said Hubie. "What makes think there isn't?"
"It just so happened that I saw a penguin not far from my size and I went up to her. I was as friendly as possible and she seemed so too until I gathered the courage to ask her out. She said 'Where's your pebble then?' and I said I didn't have to which she laughed saying 'I wouldn't marry a shrimp'. It's just I thought if Marina didn't need a pebble then maybe it would be the same with me."
"You're too good for her buddy," said Hubie gently. "Any girl would give anything to go out with you. You'll see I'll help you."
And they hugged.
"Plus I would love a kid of my own, knowing how good love is for one."
"And maybe you could call him Hubert."
After three seconds, they found themselves laughing until Rocko finally succumbed to sleep.
Hubie looked at his sleeping kid and softly sang to him:
I am a penguin with a full life
I think's perfect how we blend
Just as I thought me and wife
No friendship like this will not end
I got a new pal filled with cuddles
Something I can always defend
Sharing the ocean blowing bubbles
Looks like I got me a friend