Disclaimer: I do not own The Penguins of Madagascar or any of its characters, but I do own Alex the penguin and a lot more characters who appear in this story.

Very slowly, Alex backed away, fighting the urge to turn and run because she knew the dog would be faster. To her relief, the dog couldn't fit under the truck, but she knew she couldn't stay under here forever. She had a journey to complete!

Realizing she had to talk her way out of this, she took a deep breath and asked in the calmest voice she could manage," Please don't attack. I mean no harm."

The dog growled softly. "What are you?" he demanded.

Alex was surprised. Hadn't he ever seen a penguin before? "I'm a penguin," she told him. "I'm not from around here. Please let me go."

The dog hesitated, uncertainty in his eyes. Then he relaxed and took a step back. "You can come out; I won't hurt you."

She wasn't sure if she believed him, but she came out anyway, though she kept her distance from him. She studied him. He was a large dog, with brown and black fur, and he introduced himself as Jack, adding that he's supposed to guard this yard from intruders.

The dog narrowed his eyes. "Where are you heading?" he asked.

She didn't want to tell him, but she realized he might be able to help her. Reluctantly she admitted to herself that she was very lost and maybe Jack could point her in the direction of the endless road.

"I'm on my way to New York," she confessed, though she didn't tell him why she was going there. She remembered the animals she met at the food places and how she enjoyed telling them about her adventures. But this was different. Something was holding her back from telling Jack and she wasn't sure what it was.

"Do you know the way back to the endless road?" she asked him.

Jack blinked, looking confused. "I don't know much outside of my yard and the area around it," he confessed. "A couple of times my owner took me into town, but I couldn't tell you which way to go if I tried. Sorry," he added, frowning.

Disappointed, she told him," I need to find my way back to the endless road," and she turned to leave, but Jack blocked her way.

"I might know someone who could help you," the dog said.

Alex hesitated, worried this was a trick to lure her into an attack.

As if he could read her mind, Jack told her," I won't hurt you."

At first she wasn't sure, but then she nodded, deciding to trust him.

Leaving the yard, she followed him down a dirt road, glancing around in the hopes of spotting a food place or some other store where she could hitch a ride with someone heading to New York. But all that was around were houses. They passed a few with large yards before Jack stopped beside a fence.

The dog poked his head through a hole and called out. Alex waited for several moments, wondering what was about to happen. She was ready to give up and decide she was just wasting time standing around when a voice answered back.

Then a skinny gray cat slipped out of the hole, pausing when he spotted Alex and eyeing her suspiciously.

"Hello, Ash. This penguin is a… friend," Jack told the cat. Even though he said "friend", the dog still gave her a wary look.

Seeming satisfied with Jack's proclamation that she was a friend, the gray cat stepped down and even gave her a friendly nod. "I'm Ash," he told her.

"Alex," she replied curtly.

"She's lost," Jack informed the cat. "And she needs help."

Ash looked at her. "Where are you heading?"

"New York," she replied. "I was following the endless road, but yesterday I hitched a ride with someone and I woke up around here."

Ash cocked his head. "Endless road?" he asked.

"It's a road that doesn't have an end to it," she explained lamely, embarrassment washing over her when he gave her a funny look. "At least I never found an end to it," she added quietly. "When I was following it on foot, every few days another road would branch off it and usually beyond the road, there's many more roads and food places and other stores."

"Ooh!" Ash exclaimed suddenly. "You mean the interstate! It connects everything and people drive their cars on it to get to other states faster."

Alex nodded, though she didn't fully understand, but it sounded like this "interstate" was the endless road she was following.

"I can take you there," Ash told her. "But it'll take at least two days to journey on foot."

"That's fine," Alex answered. "Just take me to a food place near the interstate and I'll find a ride to take me to New York."

Ash nodded. "Okay," he agreed. He turned to Jack. "I'll see you in a few days." Then he started walking away, and Alex quickly followed, saying goodbye to Jack over her shoulder and calling out a thank you.

"Good luck!" the dog called after them, as Alex followed Ash down the street.

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