This chapter was written by KevinBlu and spell checked by me, takes place right in the morning of Age and Hayley's second day.

The Lost Two Weeks

Chapter 2

Do You Like Me?

The winter finally ended and the sun rose once again in the sky. The younglings were sleeping in the soft warn of their father's feet, until the light of the stars illuminated the white frozen plains. One by one, the inhabitants of Ross Bay began to open their eyes and check their offspring. Gilbert was the first to wake up.

"Morning, Cold" He greeted to his son, who opened his little eyes lazily and yawned.

"Good morning, Pa" Age said back.

"Are you cold?" Age looked at him puzzled.

"Yes Pa, you said that's my name right?" Gilbert giggled.

"No, no. What I meant was if you feel cold." He clarified.

"Ah… no, I'm fine" Little Age responded.

"Well… what do you want to do today? We still have a day before your mother returns." He asked his chick.

"I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, really…?" Gilbert said, in a insinuative tone "Well, I was thinking that, maybe, you wanted to visit certain penguin girl who's name start with H-, and end with -ayley…" He hinted at his desire to see Hayley.

Cold had to think a moment before he realized what his father had insinuated. When he did, he blushed and got a bit nervous. "Hayley?" His father nodded "I-I-I… I don't… know… I… I… her… she… we… I" He was totally confused with his emotions and he barely could think clearly… actually, he couldn't.

"So, you don't want to visit her?" Gilbert asked him, somewhat shocked.

"Yes, no, I mean yes! No… uh… is it ok if I want to?"

"Hey, it's ok son. I know how you feel. If you want, we can go." Gilbert said, comforting his son.

"Late!" Cage shouted, appearing with his chick behind his legs "Hayley had already asked me to visit you… and especially to visit Cold."

"Dad!" The little girl exclaimed, hiding her face behind his father's leg "I told you not to tell them!"

"Oh, sorry! I forgot" He responded, winking an eye to Cold.

Gilbert smiled, bowed his head and gently pushed his chick with his beak; making Cold realize that he wanted him to greet the little girl. Cold walked to the girl nervously, and not really knowing what to say, she was still hiding behind her father.

"Hi, Hayley" He greeted.

"Hi… Cold" She replied, blushing and a bit embarrassed.

"Do you want… to… uh… go for a walk?" Cold offered.

"I'd love to…" Hayley accepted, smiling.

Age stretched his flipper to Hayley and she put hers on it, getting out of her hiding and walking away with Age. Gilbert and Cage watched the whole scene with huge smiles in their faces.

"Don't go very far!" Gilbert shouted to the chicks. They nodded and continued walking until they were out of sight "They grow up so fast…" He sighed.

"Hey Gilbert…" Cage said to his friend

"Hm?"

"Remember what Justin taught us? That we found our special someone from a very early age?"

"Yes… you're thinking that maybe Hayley is the one for Cold?"

"The only thing I know is that she didn't stop talking about your son the whole night!"

"Well… you have to admit that they look cute together." Gilbert commented "I think that they are bound to be together. The way they look to each other… reminds me of Renee and I."

"Only time will tell, old friend… only time will tell."

(Meanwhile, with the chicks)

They walked through the frozen plains of Ross Bay until they reached the ocean; from there, they continued walking along the coast. Most of the trek they remained in silence, crossing their eyes from time to time and smiling to each other.

"So, do you like me?" Hayley suddenly asked.

"WHAT!" Cold exclaimed, he was caught out of guard "I… I… I…"

"It's ok, just tell me…" She was very curious to the answer because she knew she liked him.

"Well… I… I don't…" Age stuttered.

"You don't?" Hayley's smiled faded.

"No… I mean YES!" The eyes of the young female widened. "I mean… I… kind of… I… I don't know." Hayley smiled, that words were enough for her to realize what the boy was trying to say: he did; but she decided to drop the issue and to keep the conclusions for herself… at least for now.
She turned her gaze to the horizon. The great and vast ocean was in front of her, and its blue blank stretched far beyond of what their tinny green and amber eyes could see.

"It's beautiful…" She sighed, before directing her gaze to Cold again "Isn't it?"

"Yeah…" He sighed. Before he could even think in what he was saying, his beak pronounced words coming from his heart "…but you are much more beautiful than it…" When he took control of himself again, he closed his beak with both flippers. Hayley's face changed to a shocked one, with some traces of surprise in it "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to" He tried to apologize, but Hayley smiled and playfully hit him with her flipper in his shoulder "Ouch!"

"Of course I'm more beautiful than a large puddle of water." She said, giggling.

Age stood there, looking to her eyes. Suddenly, he started to get his beak closer to her. Hayley smiled faded as she timidly started to do the same. Their beak got closer… and closer… and closer. When they were about to touch each other, the chick closed their eyes, waiting for the contact.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here, boys?" A strong wing flapping and a threatening voice took them out of their romantic moment. The chicks opened their eyes again and turned their heads to the direction of the voice. They filled with horrors when they discovered and the owner of that voice was a large brown skua… and he wasn't alone, two more were with him. One was white and the other grey.

"Apparently, a couple of young lovers, boss" The grey skua said.

"Mmmm, I want to have the female!" The white one shouted, "They are always more tasty and their meat is softer."

Hayley took a step back terrified, but Age stood in front on her. "Hayley, behind me" He said.

"Cold… I'm scared." She quivered in her voice.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be ok." Age assured her, but one skua laughed.

"Aaaaaaw! Look at him!" The grey skua said, approaching to the chicks from the left.

"He is quite a hero…" The white skua said, taking a few steps to the right.

"It's a shame that he won't be able to keep that promise." The boss skua concluded, grinning.

The three evil birds jumped on Hayley, but Age threw himself on her too, protecting her with his own body. The sharp peaks of the skuas ripped out several body feathers of the poor boy with each peak they gave. The only thing that Age could do was close his eyes and hold back his cries. But the attack only lasted a few seconds, because after that time, the skuas just flew away. The chicks remained immobilized for a minute before they opened their eyes again.

"Are they… gone?" Hayley asked, looking around from the ground and checking that, indeed, the skuas had left.

"Yes, Hayley… I think so, I…" He wasn't able to finish his phrase, because when he looked down, he was speechless. He was on top of Hayley… in a quite compromising position. His blushing in that moment can't be described with words… neither could hers "I… I… I" But a sudden splash in the water diverted their attention. Both turned their eyes to the direction of the noise, and found a female adult emperor penguin standing on the coast, she shook the water from her feathers and began to walk in the direction of the colony.

A few second later, a second one jumped out of the water and landed in the ice, and then another… and another… and ten more… and finally hundreds of them were standing in the coast. That was the reason why the skuas had flown away; the wives were coming home!

"WIVES HO!" A quite raspy masculine voice screamed from the colony… the Patriarch of Ross Bay.

"The mothers are here, Hayley! The mothers are here!" Age shouted in excitement… still on top of her.

"Cold…" Hayley called. When they eyes met again, Age remembered where he was "Could you please get off of me? I don't want my parents to jump to conclusion." Cold immediately jumped off of her, totally embarrassed.

"Sorry… sorry." He said, deeply saddened.

"Hayley! Sweetheart, come here and meet your mama!" Cage shouted, appearing in the scene.

"Cold, you too son, come on!" Gilbert shouted, walking along to his friend.

Age was about to walk toward his father, but Hayley stopped him, and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, for rescuing me…" She grinned and walked off.

Age didn't know what he was feeling, one moment he was as uncomfortable as being picked on in class, and the next he felt like he was on fire he was so warm. It was a feeling he didn't know how to describe, but great moment typically don't last.

"Cold…there you are, I called you back, and didn't you hear me?" Gilbert came rushing up to his son. Age didn't respond, instead he just kept staring at the ground, and Gilbert knew what was wrong. Renee then jumped out of the water herself and saw that they were right in front of her, she smiled massively, and walked right over to them, Age looked up into his Mama's eyes and gasped.

"Ma…Mama…?" He stuttered, Renee smiled and shed a tear, Age then hugged her leg in a very warm embrace.

"Gilbert…" She said to her mate, "He's perfect…" She said kneeling down to Age and hugging him just as tightly. Age never forgot this moment, the moment where he first met his Mama.

So we finally get to meet Age's mama, yes her name is Renee, and I thought that it will work well with the rest of the family. There'll be more on the meeting in the next chapter; something that heartfelt can't be covered so easily. The next chapter should also contain the story's first song, can you guess who it will be sung by, let a review and let us know!