My sincerest apologies for not updating this sooner, But I went to a lake! Then I dislocated my knee-cap dancing because it actually is possible for someone to be that uncoordinated. And before you start thinking no, it wasn't professional dancing. I was just dancing in my room alone… because I'm that cool XD
Either way or upside down (Lol wut?)I want to thank SkipperPriavte for taking time out to tell me they wanted some Skivate. You get your wish! :D
Also to thank Asmith137! If it's Kico you want than why the heck would I not agree to that! I love Kico! Kico, there shall be much!
I Also want to say thanks to the two guests who commented with the exact same three words, only in a different order. It honestly made my day XD

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Penguins of Madagascar, My Attempt to break into the studio was foiled when my rappel rope broke on me and I fell from the side of the building.

The sunlight bore weakly down on the city scape, desperately trying to shed some warmth onto the people brave enough to venture outside into the cold swirling air of the morning, their breaths sending hot plumes of air into the space in front of them. The diluted sunlight worked its way between the drawn lengths of grey fabric to spill onto the carpet and messy dark blue blanket thrown roughly onto the bed, shielding the drowsy body coiled up under it. The slash of light splitting the darkness of the room travelled up over the bed to streak across a pale face.

Kowalski opened his eyes slowly, hissing angrily at the harsh sunlight scalding his retinas and snapped them shut again. He shifted and rolled over, burrowing his face again into his pillow with an annoyed moan. He enjoyed sleeping, it was one of the things you seemed to miss out on when you had this job and his ever spinning mind. The sheet was cold around him now and he balled it up under his chin trying to transfer some of his body warmth into it so he could doze off again. He briefly realized that one of his socks had come off during the night as he rubbed his bare toes against the fluffy clad ones on the other foot.

'Bloody sunlight.' He thought bitterly. 'I should invent some kind of invention thing that will polarize the windows at the push of a button so they don't let the light in anymore.' He knew he wasn't sharp at the point of being woken up, his mind still trying to flick the switches to turn his cognitive functions on properly, but it was like groping for the light switch in an unfamiliar dark room. But while he was grasping at straws for the science knowledge he knew he had he was hit over the head with a blunt realization.

The digital clock on his bedside, from where he had seen it only briefly, had read 9:55. There was sunlight streaming in from between the curtains and it wasn't a rally of tennis-balls to the sensitive part of his body walking him up. Instantly his hand reached up under his pillow, shifting around between the two layers of fabric with a drowsy clumsiness. Upon ending the search and coming up blank he rolled onto his back and breathed out, eyelids fluttering open slightly.

It happened every time. Every time they were allowed the day off or left to sleep in his first worry was that somehow the resident psychopath had managed to smuggle the batteries from their leader's alarm-clock under his pillow. He'd done it before, and needless to say Johnson had been less than impressed by what had been done and his punishment would have been running a basic training completion scenario solo had Rico not owned up minutes before the simulation was set to run.

Johnson must have been pissed about something else as well because they both had to run the course regardless. The whole time they had been stumbling through the dark avoiding next to 48 near deaths, screaming back and forth about whose fault it was.

Looking back on it now he still wanted to beat the fool with a lead brick for nearly killing them both, but at the same time had to admire the audacity of the joke and his bravery for owning up and preparing to take a challenge that had a 62% mortality rate.

Kowalski yawned and smiled contentedly up at the roof. It was true, he knew the most about the weapons expert, after all for nearing on three years he had been the only other person he could relate to. When Rico had joined the team only three months after he himself had they quickly bonded together, no doubt because they were both outsiders in an environment they hadn't been subjected too before.

"Therefor finding him a present should be easy as picking a lock." He chuckled, pushing himself up and swinging his legs around the side of the bed to stuff his feet into the worn slippers on the floor and throw a robe on over his pyjamas. "Something that explodes should do."

It wasn't until the scientist had shoved his door open that he heard the yelling.

"I don't care! Kowalski said that you should be fine by today! What happened soldier? Explain!"

Entering the room the first things he noticed were that the toaster was throwing another fit, The Clock was running at least 20 minutes fast and that Rico had managed to make his sickness worse. His skin was the colour of condensed milk, there were dark smudges under his eyes and he was sweating despite the cold in the room indicating that the fever had come back.

Kowalski tilted his head to the side and piped up. "Sorry Skipper. I didn't account for this."

The team leader looked up from his side of the table and raised one eye-brow questioningly. "Didn't account for what Kowalski? What is it you couldn't have possibly have accounted for?"

"The unpredictability that is a virus. No doubt it's just mutated slightly and Rico's White blood cells didn't recognise it as the same fever he had before." He approached with the muted scuffs of his slippers against the carpet and pressed the back of his hand against the weapons expert's fore-head. "It shouldn't hold him back as much as it did before, but only tests would be able to confirm that." He moved his hold to his wrists and checked his pulse, noticing the dark streaks over his hands.

Skipper scowled, eyes narrowing to chips of mid-blue. "Don't bother, training's off today anyway." He sighed irritably, snatching his metal mug of scalding coffee from the counter and stalking towards the balcony door.

Rico lent his head against the table with a soft moan, eyes screwed up in pain. "An oo Walski."

The scientist raised one eye-brow and braced his hands against the table, leaning over to look his sickly team-mate in the eye. "Yes, I agree, It was a good lie wasn't it?"

He smiled with that familiar crooked grin, "Oor oo 'lever." He chuckled, voice taught and much huskier than usual.

The scientist shrugged and walked over to the cabinets, swinging them open and looking half-heartedly inside. "It wasn't terribly difficult, your symptoms are the same and knowing your penchant for art coupled with the smudges of charcoal on the inside of your wrists and on your fingers you are drawing on the roof again." Rico's brows furrowed in confusion and he tilted his head towards him inquiringly. "I've been reading how to think like Sherlock. I think Skipper would enjoy it, it's a pretty good read. But back to the statement, you were drawing weren't you?"

"Uh-huh."

"Can I see?"

"Nuh-huh."

"I was expecting that." He sighed, closing the door and turning to face his team-mate again. "You are obviously talented, I could tell that from the time you drew all over the big White-board down in HQ, but you never show your work to anyone, why?"

The maniac shrugged, leaning his head heavily into his hands. "No 'ood."

Kowalski snorted. "Sure it isn't. You drew a very accurate drawing of Skipper in under 3 and a half minutes on a white-board with a nearly empty red marker, I'm pretty sure it would be fantastic."

"Walski…" A warning note had entered his voice now, a clear signal to the tactician that this would be the time to drop the subject.

He raised his hands as he swung open the cupboard again and pulled out a box of cereal. "Fine! Fine, I won't mention it again… Cereal?"

"Nup."

He paused for a moment, leaning against the counter and looking blankly ahead. "Do you remember that second basic training completion run we had to do after you stole the batteries to Johnson's clock?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded anyway. "Yup."

"Do you recall what it was called? I know the first one was the water mill simulation and Skipper told us he'd done the dark confines Simulation… what was that last one?" He chewed his lip before hitting the bench with a cry. "It was the one room Simulation."

Rico rolled his eyes with a quiet scoff and lent his head forward again, moaning yet again. He sat up again sharply after something smacked him on the back of the head. "Quit whining and take some pain-killers for Einstein's sake." Kowalski chided. "It's not rocket science." He smiled, "And I know that for fact."

"Pshhhhhh. 'Ame."

He sneered slightly, pale eyes flashing with cynisim. "Rich coming from the one of us that will most likely be retching into a bucket by 3 in the afternoon."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Ok my elves! We are needing to be getting down to the business of sorting out the secrety santa gifties for Our Secrety Santas! And by ours, I mean mine, the beautiful Marlene."

Julian stopped his pacing for a moment to clasp his hands together under his chin, bright Amber eyes going dreamy and distant as he stared out the window. "Yes. It is having to be the bestest present ever, then she will agree to be my queen and we shall live happily ever after. So I am needing the Ideas!"

Mort raised a hand, practically jumping up and down on the floor as he pinned his eyes yellow eyes on his king. "OOH! I am knowing King Julian!"

He stopped, shot a pointed look at the eight year old and curled his lip slightly. "Yes?"

Mort dropped his hand and shimmied his torso a little bit as he spoke. "You should get her some chocolates, because everyone likes chocolate!"

"Mort! That is being… Not a bad idea actually…" He mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I am supposing that would be nice, but then she may be getting the fatties, and we cannot be having that…

Maurice closed his eyes, leaning slightly to the left and resting his head on the dusting cloth in his palm. He really wasn't in the mood for King Julian's nonsense this morning, not after his late shift at 'the kingdom' and while there was cleaning to do around the apartment. There was just not enough hours in the day to deal with the lunatic, keep an apartment habitable and run a shift as a bar monkey until late. All he could hope for was that Roger got over his sickness and returned to his night work soon.

"Maurice?!" He grunted slightly, opening one eye lazily.

"Hm?"

The king propped a hand on his hip and rolled his eyes. "You should be paying attention more Maurice, I was asking what you would be thinking the ladies would be liking. Not that you would be having much experience in that area."

A loud giggle bit off his angry shout and mort bounced over the back of the couch from where the king had obviously kicked him. "It's funny because it's true!"

"What about flowers!" He snapped. "You considered flowers?!"

The king frowned. "They are not being permanent enough for my tastes. I am needing something that is saying 'I am kingly and royal and far too amazingly amazing for you, but I am still liking you,' You know?"

"What about a book?" He offered drowsily. "Wouldn't that be great?"

"Oh be coming on Maurice! You are not even trying anymore!" He pouted.

"Sorry my king, but I'm dog tired. I need a rest." Quickly something snapped together in his head. "What about a trip to the museum? There might be something there to give you an idea."

Much to his delight the Kings eyes lit up and he did a little jump. "Ooh Yes! I am liking that place! So many shiny thingies and maybe the talking egg is being there! MORT! Hurry up you slow! We are going to the Museum!"

"Ooh Goodie!" The boy cheered. "An outing!"

Maurice smirked slightly as he rose from the couch and grabbed his coat before following after the now raving king. With any luck this would get him too shut his pie hole for more than two minutes and give him a helping hand on his own secret Santa. After all, what the heck do you get for the intellectual who basically seemed to know everything already?

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Marlene couldn't help but raise an eye-brow, there really wasn't any Christmas item you could buy anymore that wasn't dumped in glitter or tinsel. She placed the glitter covered ceramic Santa back down on the shelf next to the others, and peered slightly between the cracks in the shelves to glace at her shopping companion. He was smiling faintly at a snow-globe of Santa being stuck in a chimney and looked up from under his dark curls to meet her eyes.

"Don't you think it's so cute?" He laughed, shaking the glass dome slightly before putting it down, leaving the white flurries to slowly settle in the glycerol and water mixture.

She shrugged, talking a small step further down the aisle to be faced by hoards of reindeer in all sorts of different outfits. "I suppose. But even you have to admit it gets a little corny after a while." She smirked, holding up a lawyer reindeer.

He grinned. "Yeah, but that's half the fun of it."

"What?" She asked, raising one eye-brow. "Seeing crap-loads of Christmas themed paraphernalia?"

"No." He stated, leaning through the shelves to grab the reindeer. "Laughing at it because you know it's paraphernalia. Also I must applaud your use of the word Paraphernalia."

She laughed. "Yeah, blame Kowalski's 'Word a day' Calendar. Next thing you know I'll be blowing up toasters and making tiny jello monsters."

Private rolled his eyes fondly and placed the stuffed animal down to inspect what appeared to be a set of Christmas shot glasses, humming the tune of snoopy's Christmas in time to the music in the small store.

Marlene narrowed her hazel eyes faintly at the boy, mind whirring as she again tried to figure him out. This was turning out to be much more difficult than she had first imagined it being. She knew Private well, but apparently not well enough to conjure up a meaningful gift for her Secret Santa. Carefully she put back the bouncy ball she'd been throwing backwards and forwards and strode forward to catch up to the soldier.

"So, anything you're really hoping to get this Christmas?" She asked, deliberately not looking him in his dark blue eyes as she pretended to inspect a set of wine glasses. Not like she didn't have enough of those at home anyway.

He shrugged, one hand absently pulling his oversized knit jumper back onto his shoulder. "There's one thing I'd absolutely love, but it's not like anyone would be able to get me that." He sighed, looking up at her meaningfully.

She pursed her lips and nodded. "I know what'cha mean. Still, is there anything else?"

Private stopped momentarily, looking hard at the decorative snowflake in his hand before shaking his head. "It's more about the giving than the receiving. I just really want to get my Secret Santa something that matters."

"Tell me about it" Marlene muttered, flicking a bobble headed Father Christmas.

Private was frowning now, looking at her seriously through the gap in the shelves. "It's really hard! I mean, most people would thing he would be so easy to buy for, but it's so difficult when you really want it matter." He looked away, cheeks flushing a bright shade as he rubbed his hands together anxiously. "It has to mean something to him."

Her hazel eyes widened suddenly, mouth dropping open slightly in shock. "You got him, didn't you!"

He grinned awkwardly, Marlene quietly screaming as she darted around the edge of the shelves and grabbed him by his upper arms forcefully and span him around. "You did! Oh my god!"

He pulled away and pressed his hands against his freckled face. "Marlene!" He protested. "You're not supposed to know!"

She snorted. "Yeah, just like I'm not supposed to know you stole his sweater, but I saw right through that one."

His face flushed darker and she scoffed, linking one arm through his. "You are useless at keeping secrets Pri, so don't even deny it! Plus, its cute and I've always wanted a Gay Best Friend!" He burst out laughing as she swept them out of the store. "Now I have someone to talk to for hours on end about shoes." She added with a cheeky smile.

"Fine!" He giggled. "But you can't tell him!"

"I promised!"

"You promised!"

"I promised, and I'll promise you again!" Marlene said, grasping his free hand and linking his pinkie finger with hers. "I pinkie promise to never, ever tell anyone about your feelings for a specific person who shall remain nameless."

"Thanks Marlene." He smiled, taking back his hand.

She waved it off broadly, stepping sharply to the right to avoid being crushed by a woman tearing through the mall on her mobility scooter. "It's nothing. Now! After the trauma that was that store, I think I need a decent coffee and a muffin."

"Marlene!"

"Yeah, yeah." She snorted. "I know I said I'd do a diet and all that stuff, but its Christmas!"

He frowned at her, eyes watching her carefully. "Ok, fine. But only because it's Christmas you hear me!" He stated heavily.

"Of course!" She laughed, nudging him with her elbow. "Look at you, so deep in your role as the gay best friend already Pri!"

He let loose another round of laughter as she dragged him away again, the sound of his joyful giggles threatening to drown out the blaring sound of 'Hark the Herald Angles Sing' Sounding over the Mall intercom.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Ok… this is not going to be done by Christmas, but whatever, it's just for fun after all XD
Please feel free to tell me what you thought, even if it is just pointless hate, because that makes me laugh, by leaving a review. It would be really appreciated :D