Authors note: Sorry for the late update and the short new chapter, but I´m very busy at the moment. But I hope you´ll enjoy it anyway.

25. Father and Son

"No, Private, don´t fall asleep" Skipper cried as Privated turned his head to to side. "Haha, Skipper. Now, I´ve got you. I´ve taken the most precious person in your life. I´ve always known, that you´re almost like a real father for the little guy. But now, it´s over" Hans laughed deviously. Skipper patted Privates cheek to keep him awake and didn´t paid any attention to Hans´words.

Rico couldn´t stand this anymore. With all his power, he released himself from the chains and lunged at Hans. The puffin was too surprised to defend himself and Rico pushed him against the wall. "You´ll pay for what you´ve done. You´ve killed my friend and hurt us all. You deserve nothing but endless suffering and when I´m finished with you, you´ll beg me for death!" Rico hissed at the puffin and he choked.

Meanwhile, Skipper tried to do anything to help Private. But the wound was to deep and had hurt lots of the little penguin´s internal organs. "Skipper, please forgive me... But I just wanted to protect you" Private whispered as the leader stroked his cheek. The commander pulled him as close as possible to his body, trying anything for comfort. "You don´t have to apologize for anything, son. Please, tell me, how can I help you?" Skipper asked, because he couldn´t even accept the thought of Private´s death.

"J-Just stay with me. I want you by my side when my time has come, Skipper" Private gasped and Skipper tightened the hug. "I would stay with you forever, Private" the leader wept and snuggled his head on the little penguins cheek. Skipper heard Private´s breathing became weaker and weaker. Rattling sounds came from his throat and the leader knew, that Private´s lungs had been filled with blood now.

"Private, try to breath calmly" Skipper whispered and his flipper slid down on Privates body, pushing gently down to reduce the bleeding. All of the sudden, Hans tortured scream sounded and Skipper turned around. But what they saw sent shivers down his spines. Rico had ripped open Hans chest with his beak and shoved his flipper inside his ribcage. Hans screamed, but even his vampire subjects were too petrified from the shock. Rico had never looked so mercyless as he destroyed Hans´ heart with his bare flippers.

The puffin sank to the ground and died in front of the other ones eyes.

"Master!" Marlene gasped, but Julien grabbed her hand. Both vampires knew, that the fight was over. The had no other choice than escaping. Kowalski, Maurice and Mort were jubelating loudly, but soon their cheerful mood vanished by the sight of Skipper, holding the half dead Private in his wings.

Skipper didn´t even realize, what happened, he was just focused on Private, who´s life was fading with every second. His breathing became weaker and turned into gasps. The leader couldn´t stand to see Private suffering anymore. Tears were floating from his eyes, as he felt, that the little penguin desperately clung to his chest. "Don´t die, Private. My dear boy, please don´t leave me... " Skipper whispered quietly but desperated.

Private felt a slight stinging in his heart, as he´d heard Skippers words. It meant so much to him. "S-Skipper, I-I just want you to know, that I love you, father. You mean everything to me..." the little penguin whispered back and Skipper let out a mourning gasp. Private pressed his head on the leaders chest, burying his face in his best friends feathers, for the last time. He felt his life was about to end any minute now.

"Skipper, there´s a way you could save his life..." Ricos voice sounded in the leaders thoughts and Skipper startled for a second. Quickly he turned to Rico, who was covered in Hans´ blood from head to food. He had a stern expression on his face and Skipper understood instantly. But he hestiated. "No, I can´t do that. He´s just a boy. I don´t want him to be a monster like me" the leader said in a crackling voice. His whole body began shaking just from the thought of turning an innocent, young penguin into a bloodsucking vampire.

"That´s the only way. It´s your boy, you´re responsible for him now. I don´t want to loose my little friend, Skipper" Rico answered and sadness took over his voice. Skipper clenched his eyes and felt his tears dropping down on his cheeks. He knew, that he had no other option left. Cautiously he lifted Privates head to make him look into his eyes. "Private, do you trust me?" Skipper asked. The little penguin stared into his leaders tear filled eyes. "I´ve always trusted you, Skipper. I lay my life into your flippers now" Private whispered as he understood what his father was up to. "I wouldn´t want anyone else doing this to me. I want you to do it, just you" he added.

The leader didn´t even noticed, that the other ones gathered around them. Now it was just him and Private. "You know it´s going to hurt, right?" Skipper asked and moved his beak closer to Privates neck. "I don´t care, I just wanna live. I just wanna be with you, forever" Private gasped as the pain became even stronger. Everyone knew, that his time was almost over. The little penguin gave a last reassuring nod to Skipper and closed his eyes. Two seconds later, he felt Skipper gently nuzzling his beak into his neck. His warm tongue slid across it and the numbing feeling appeared. Now he was ready, to kiss is old life goodbye.

Skipper slowly drilled his beak into his son´s neck, feeling hot blood streaming out of the wound. The first sip of blood tasted bitter, but soon he realized, how sweet Private´s blood actually was. Cautiously he began sucking on the little soldiers neck and Private lost consiousness. "Now, Skipper. Give him your blood" Rico said, putting his flipper on his leaders back. Without hestiation, Skipper ripped a deep wound into his flipper with the peak of his beak. Dark crimson blood streamed out and ran into Private´s open mouth.

He felt Private´s breathing becoming quicker again, his heart rate increasing. It worked and Skipper stopped the blood exchange. Now, Private laid in his wings, unconsicous, but alive. The leader licked over his own flipper, to stop the bleeding and a quick glance at Privates stomach showed him, that his wound was healing too. Slowly the leader lifted his soldiers body from the ground, holding him in his flipper like a little baby. "Men, let´s go home" the leader whispered and everyone around him nodded silently. All penguins, lemurs and even the vampire penguins were just exhausted to talk much.

Slowly they walked through the exit of the vampires lair. The door opened and everyone gasped at the sight of the city now. The morning dawned, the darkness had completely disappeared from this world. Along with all the desperation and pain. The streets were still empty and deserted, but the air was filled with the smell of new life. "What will happen to Julien and Marlene?" Maurice asked Kowalski, worried. "Hm, I can´t tell. Both were much longer under the dark influence of Hans. But I´m sure, they´ll be back to their old selves" Kowalski answered.

Everything seemed okay now. All of them were just relieved and glad, that they survived this hell, but they all had to pay with the lives of some of them. Skipper, Rico and Private will never have a normal life again. Suddenly Skipper felt, Private moving slightly. The first sign of life since the leader had bitten him. He bend his head and started licking off some blood from Skippers blood smeared chest feathers. The little penguins tongue tickled him and Skipper smiled widely. "He learns so fast" he thought and the group made it´s way back to the hideout.