TWS: Good morning/evening ladies and gentlemen! The weather is stormy, there is a high risk of power cuts, not suitable for fanfiction writers who need electricity-

Skip: Hey readers! As you can see, Writer has lost her connection. *Grabs a device on the shelf* Wow! Well, I'll let you read while I see if I can get my hologram projector to project Writey. *plugs in device and starts to hum*

TWS: *recorded voice sounds out* We fanfiction writers do not own Penguins of Madagascar. Enjoy the story folks!

Private's Secret

One day when the penguins take a casual walk in their new city, NYC, Private gets attracted to a lunacorns commercial on a big screen outside a kid's store. However after it being ridiculed by Skipper, Private becomes too shy to reveal his new interest in the tv programme. Hence he devises a secret plan to obtain a lunacorns CD, with a little help from his other brothers. Will they agree? (Movie verse where they all were born in Antarctica)

"Ricoo..." Private whispered, shaking the penguin in the lower bunk. "Wake up..."

"Whaat?"

"Shh, let's go up please." Private replied vaguely, leaving Rico puzzled.

The siblings went up topside, stealthily so that Skipper and Kowalski would not hear them.

"Remember that TV show I saw last week?" Private asked.

"Huh?" He questioned, still dazed and sleepy.

Start of flashback

"Well boys I think it's time we ventured into the city a little more." Skipper announced, one summer afternoon when the zoo was closed.

They had just joined this zoo two weeks ago, after animal control found them on the streets and finally caught them.

It was a big jump from the free almost aimless life they led since they left Antarctica, however they were starting to enjoy the perks of living in a zoo - free food, free medical check up, a place to call home and store things, etcetera.

"Kowalski where is the map?"

"Over here Skipper." Kowalski reached over inside his bunk and took out the neatly folded paper.

He then proceeded to the concrete table slab they had in the same room and spread the map out. His brothers crowded around him.

"Where we ohing to?" Rico mumbled.

"Where've we been to and where have we not?" Skipper looked to Kowalski.

"We've been to the museum area over here." Kowalski indicated, circling the area with a pencil. "Last week we went to this street to buy electronics and window shop... we passed by Bronx Zoo. We haven't got to this part of town where there's the kids shops, the food districts and the New York Square."

"How far is it from here?" Private asked, tip-toeing to see the map.

"Abount half an hour to forty minutes."

"Why don't we take this route, so that we can look through the shops first, then when we are tired we can get some snacks?" Skipper proposed.

"Good idea, I have a feeling we will need some of the selling items in the malls around New York Square."

"We'll go at night and exchange goods for our fish currency. Rico!" Rico turned his attention from the TV to his oldest brother.

"Do you have our valued sardine packs?" Rico nodded eagerly.

"Alright let's hit the streets."

"Faster men! It is going to be after work hours soon, we don't want to get stuck in traffic!" pushed Skipper as he belly-slid on the pavement ahead of the others.

He then reached the road crossing and stopped, Kowalski and Rico stopping in tow.

"Ey where 'private?!" Rico muttered, causing the others to turn and look. Sure enough their youngest brother was missing!

"The deuce?!" Skipper exclaimed before tracing back their paths, the two others rushing after him. Skipper looked front, Kowalski left, Rico right and they searched the streets together.

"Skipper! Over there, at the Toys R US entrance!" Kowalski alerted, and the trio changed direction of their travel.

"Private what are you doing here?"

"Look Skipper that TV program seems interesting!" Young Private pointed at a TV screen advertising a new show. It was a lunacorns programme. A colorful educational series for young children.

"Private! Don't pollute your mind with such nonsense!" Skipper exclaimed, Rico doing an elaborate act to support Skipper's exaggerated statement. Kowalski frowned, but didn't say anything.

"These are hippie freaks! They will brainwash you! Come on let's move on, we don't want to miss out the better sales," Skipper reasoned, ordering everyone to follow him.

Before he slid away, Kowalski approached the young penguin.

"Don't worry Private, there is nothing really wrong with the show, Skipper just doesn't like hippies." Kowalski patted his shoulder.

"Private! Kowalski! Pick up the pace!" Skipper yelled, dodging past more humans.

"Coming sir!" Private spared one last longing look before hurrying behind Kowalski.

End of flashback

"Oh yeah!" He nodded.

"I want to go get the lunacorns CD!" Private exclaimed. Rico crossed his flippers.

"No tell Skipper?"

Private shut his beak. After moments of hesitation, he shook his head. Looking back up at Rico, he urgently continued, "Please don't tell him! He'll never buy me a cartoon!"

Rico stared at the young penguin, then at the fishbowl entrance, then back into...a pair of irresistible baby blue eyes. "Pweeasse?"

The elder shrugged. "I won't." He mumbled.

"Really? Thank you Rico!" Private immediately hugged Rico, before the latter pushed him away and went back into the HQ. "1 minute."

After strategically covering up (placing some dummies in the bunk I mean), Rico went back up and led Private out of the zoo.

"Why did you do that? We'll be back before morning, Skipper wouldn't know," Private clarified as they walked down the street.

"He wakes up by accident sometimes, then he might check." Rico told him; Private nodded in understanding.

"Wait, so you've sneaked out before?" Private looked up at him, frowning.

Rico averted his eyes to the intersection they were about to cross. "Everyone is a rebel," he said innocently.

-at the store-

"Got it!" Private exclaimed.

Rico put some sardine cans into the cash register then made his way back to Private who was holding the lunacorns CD victoriously.

"Good, let's go!" The two penguins expertly climbed to the top of the shelves, then Rico hoisted his sibling on his shoulder such as he could reach the vents and make their way back outside the shop.

-time skip-

"Do you think Kowalski sneaks out like we do?" Private questioned as they neared the habitat.

"Duh."

Private looked a little surprised at that.

"He needs chemicals for experiments." Rico explained simply, on Kowalski's defense.

"So... I am worse than him?"

"No, you aren't doing anything evil, and you aren't sneaking out alone." Rico justified in his gibberish slang.

Private looked unsure but accepted it anyways.

"Shh..." Rico put a flipper to his beak, warning the private before gingerly opening up the fishbowl entrance.

"Good night," Private whispered to Rico before disappearing into his own bunk.

"Tomorrow it will be just me and lunacorns!" Private's eyes glinted at the sight of the CD.

-the next night-

Private took a spare pair of earmuffs and silently made his way to Skipper's bunk.

He did dislike doing that to Skipper - sneaking out and now placing ear muffs - but nothing could stand in between him and the lunacorns.

"Skipper," he called in his usual voice.

No answer. The ear muffs did work well.

Private grabbed his precious CD and walked up to the TV. He just couldn't figure out how to work this thing... where was he supposed to insert his CD into the TV?

Private slumped against the wall with a sigh and closed his eyes, tiredly zoning out. Kowalski only redeemed the TV from the trash 4 days ago and Private wasn't sure of how everything worked yet. He couldn't think of what to do. Maybe the zookeeper could have some CD player object.

Some footsteps from the bunk area were heard. Private stiffened, his mind froze. 'He caught me! I am definitely in hot soup now! Skipper will be so ashamed of me!'

"Private?" Kowalski spoke softly. The young penguin trembled.

"You need help with your CD?"

Private opened his eyes.

"I can show you how to play it, you know, because I know how."

That was not what he had expected.

"How did you know that I have the CD?"

"I know everything." Kowalski boasted proudly. His smirk fell when Private raised an eyebrow and looked at him strangely.

"Alright, alright Rico informed me about last night."

Rico waved from his bunk where he was having his own secret activity behind Skipper's back.

"Rico! I told you not to tell-"

"Skipper, not Kowalski." He pointed out. "Kowalski won't tell."

"Ahem, let's get back to the issue at hand." Kowalski interrupted, in case they started arguing.

Kowalski explained to Private how he could play his CD through the player they had and watch it on the TV.

"Kowalski?" He called out softly.

"Yes Private?"

"Don't tell Skipper please?"

"I won't. It's a kids show, and you have a young mind, it shouldn't harm you anyway."

"Thank you and good night Kowalski!" He chirped.

"Don't stay up late, there is training tomorrow!"

"Oh right I forgot!"

And that's how the 3 brothers first conspired together behind Skipper's back. It wasn't a harmful secret anyway. The private was growing up and needed some age appropriate entertainment, whilst the Skipper was still impartial to the 'hippie' freaks. He'd find out in due time, but it shouldn't hurt anyone. Skipper had to get rid of his fear of/dislike towards hippies one day.

TWS: Read and review!

Both: Bye-Bye!