Chapter 3: Babysitting Mort

„I just can't believe it. I've finally got to spend some free time with Skipper! And there are only two of us!" thought Marlene with delight as she was strolling with the leader penguin through the park.

"It's been a long time since we had such a beautiful weather" said Skipper, breaking the silence. "When I only think about my comrades sitting in front of the TV and wolfing down popcorn.. well" he chuckled. "It's their choice. They have the right to spend their free time as they please".

"At least they're not disturbing us" he added up in his thoughts and got a few inches closer to Marlene. The otter felt his flipper scuffing against her fur delicately and shivered.

"No, Mort, that's enough! I'm totally sick of your babbling! Why won't you go and torture somebody else, hah?"

Skippers face fell when he heard Ringtail's high pitched voice. He knew what was it about to announce. King Julien came along, with Mort glued to his left foot as usual.

"Why won't you do something about it, ha?" he cried to the couple, shaking his leg in fury. But Mort was clutching him tightly.

Marlene and Skipper exchanged mouthful looks.

"Why won't you take care of this little monster for a couple of hours, so I can enjoy my manicure in peace! Take him to the park or whatever! I have to prepare myself for my date!

Skipper goggled his eyes out in shock.

"You.. you have a date?"

"Yes…! For the first time since seven years! A girl has finally turned her attention on me! You realize how much does it mean to me, well? Do you?" he stared at the couple with his eyes wide open.

Skipper thought for a while. Marlene let out a sigh. They somehow understood King Julien's frustration. But they also knew what exactly was he up to. He wanted them to babysit Mort, so he could prepare for his date in peace.

"All right, Ringtail. We'll take him" he relented and reached his flippers for Sad Eyes. "Com'ere Soldier. How about a little stroll to the park?"

"Yupeeee!" on hearing this, Mort immediately let go of King Julien's foot, leaped towards Skipper and threw himself on his neck.

"I will pick him up at five o'clock okay?" said King Julien. "So .. bye bye Mort, have a nice day and try not to mess around too much!" before Mort had a chance to respond, the tallest lemur dashed quickly down the path and vanished from their sight.

"I know! Let's play hide and seek!" said Mort five minutes later, as they entered the park . "You to go and hide somewhere, and after I count up to 50 I will try to find you okay?"

"Ermm… okay, okay, that's a good idea!" cried Skipper and Marlene and nodded their heads with alacrity. They smiled at each other and discreetly knocked their fists when Mort wasn't watching. That meant at least five minutes of privacy.

They placed Mort in front of the tree and walked away, menacing greens leaking on their faces. Mort turned his head away and stared at the couple. Seeing them walking arm by arm he cried out loud:

"No way, mates! I want both of you to hide in two different places! Otherwise it would be no fun! Skipper goes left and Marlene goes right!" he ordered, his childish voice sounding stern and decisive.

Marlene and Skipper let out an irritated: "Oh,meeeh!" whisper and reluctantly split up.

Mort turned his head against the trunk, clasped his eyes with his paws and started to count.

Marlene cocooned herself somewhere in the bushes and rested her back against the tree trunk. She let out a big sigh. Will they ever get the chance? No matter how hard would they try, there would be always something on their way.

Suddenly she felt her left pocket shaking from vibrations. She jumped up in shock . The mobile!

She pulled it out and checked the message.

"Already forgot about this solution, sista?;)" the message said.

She sighed with relief and quickly texted him back.

"You clever commando, you! XD. Where are you hiding?"

The answer came shortly after.

"I'm sitting in a small cavern near the playground. I guess it will take some time for Sad Eyes to find me here. "

"I'm camping in the bushes. Watching over the sky, wolfing down blackcurrants and.."

"And what?:)"

Marlene squeezed the mobile phone in her hands and took a deep breath. Should she? Or should she not? Will she regret it? But if not now.. then when?

"Now come oon, don't be a coward!" she said to herself. She placed her paws on the buttons and started to compose another message.

"And thinking about y.."

"Gotchya!" cried Mort, jumping from behind the nearest tree. Marlene let out a short shriek, dropped her mobile and jumped up in the air, her heart pounding like crazy. A sudden wave of anger and frustration bathed her body from the inside. For a split of second she felt like straggling him to death, but she quickly cooled down, at the sight of Mort's childish, joyful face.

Scarcely had they picked Skipper up from the cave it started to rain.

"It's already five o'clock, we should be going home anyway" stated Skipper looking at the watch.

Twenty minutes later, they walked Mort back to the lemur habitat, where Maurice took care of him.

"Is King Julien already off?" asked Marlene, taking a discreet peek around the habitat.

"Yup. His Majesty left five minutes ago" nodded Maurice. The whole air was soaked with a strong coconut eau de cologne scent.

They left the habitat and made their way towards the pond. They sat on the wooden bench, and relaxed.

"Some peace at last." Sighed Skipper, watching over the sky. "I didn't know Mort could be that absorbing. "

"He's in that age, you know.." replied Marlene. " He needs everyone's attention, likes to babble a lot, he's very curious and inquisitive of the world.."

"Can't blame him for that, indeed" said Skipper. "Actually he is a very cute, little guy."

There was a moment of pause between them. Skipper placed his flipper on Marlene's hand. Her heart sank. They turned to face each other and then..

"Mack mack.. mack mack!" they heard some loud kissing noises echoing above their heads.

Ringtail and Darla were sitting on the tallest branch, exchanging passionate kisses.

Skipper pressed his flipper to his forehead. Marlene hid her face in her paws.

"Teheeh!" Ringtail leaned across the tree branch, absolutely nonplussed with the fact those two had caught them in their intimate moment. "She really is a good kisser, ya know? "

"I'm gonna barf in a minute" muttered Skipper, his face turning all greenish.