The gun flew into the ocean.

"Melman?" Gloria looked up at the giraffe, shocked, "Did you do…what I just saw you do?"

A very surprised-looking Melman nodded, "I think so! OW!" He rubbed his head where he'd hit the gun like a baseball, "Yes, I did do it…hey! This bump was NOT here before! Anyone have an ice pack handy?"

Alex released the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He turned and resumed his latch-picking.

Marty opened his mouth.

Alex held up a paw, "I'll tell you later."

"Okay." Marty shrugged. Then he happened to peek over Alex's shoulder. He saw the infuriated human glaring at Alex. "Alex! Look out behind you!" Marty cried. Briefly, an image of Cora flying over the side of the boat flashed through Marty's mind. He shook his head. This was nothing like that, right?

Alex glanced behind himself, still pulling at the latch. He saw the human preparing to charge at him!

"Something is really wrong with this dude!" Alex growled.

Then it fell into place.

And Alex got an idea.

The man started running straight at Alex. The big cat waited, paws on the latch.

The man came closer.

Alex got ready.

When the man was only a few feet away, he lunged, but Alex was too quick. In a flash, Alex threw open the crate door, grabbed Marty out, and slammed the door shut. The latch snapped closed, this time with the half-crazed human inside!

Inspired, Melman ran at the group of men clustered around the cabin. The men, their leader captured, ran into the cabin and yanked the door shut behind them.

Melman looked pleased with himself.

Alex brushed himself off, then helped Marty up. "Are you really okay, Marty?" Alex looked the zebra over.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Alex!" Marty grinned, "Ahh, it feels good to stand up again! Ow!" Marty tried to hide it.

Alex's eyes grew large, "Marty! You're hurt!"

"It's nothing, Alex." Marty massaged his left front leg, "It just got bruised or something."

With concern in his eyes, Alex put an arm around Marty, "Come on, let's get off this thing. It gives me the creeps."

Marty nodded emphatically, "You got it!"

Alex let Marty cross the gangplank first. He looked back and saw Gloria and Cora following him. "Melman? Melman! You coming?"

The giraffe was dancing around on the deck! "I like to move it, move…huh?" Melman stopped dancing. "Oh, yes!" he put on airs, "I, Melman Mankowitz the magnificent, fearsome giraffe will accompany you on your journey!" Melman stepped grandly across the gangplank.

"Wow, what an honor." Alex said dryly.

Marty chuckled, "I wonder how long Melman's going to have a big head?"

Melman suddenly froze. He looked around nervously, "My head's swelling? Oh, NO! I knew I shouldn't have hit that gun so hard!"

"Not long," Cora sighed.

The animals, excluding Melman, laughed.

"What if I got a concussion?" Melman cried.

"You'd be unconscious." Gloria pointed out.

Alex shook his head and walked to the gangplank, "It's time we went back to Madagascar, guys." He took the gangplank and put it back on the boat. Then he gave the "thumbs up" to the ship's cabin to let the penguins know they were all on board.

But the penguins weren't done yet. Skipper led his troop down the handrails of the cabin stairs to the deck.

"Someone needs to ensure that these criminals come to justice!" Skipper declared, "Boys, commence Operation Just Deserts." Skipper leapt into action, "Psychotic Lion! Replace the gangplank."

Alex did so, a bit hesitantly. What are these guys doing? I just want to get out of here! We've got Marty, so let's go!

Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private marched onto the humans' boat. With military precision, they simultaneously headed for the cabin. They stacked themselves up to reach the cabin's doorknob. Then one by one, they entered.

Frightened humans huddled in a corner of the cabin. "The animals are getting revenge!" one man cried.

"I think it's aliens, come to Earth as animals!" another man hissed, "that's how come they can run a boat!"

Skipper shook his head in disgust, "And the world is run by these creatures." He gave each penguin a leg up to a station in the cabin.

"You know what to do, boys." Skipper nodded to them.

The penguins set to work adjusting dials and pulling levers. Once they were finished, they silently left the room.

Skipper and his penguins gestured to the animals on the cargo ship. "Mammals! Help us with this crate!" Skipper ordered.

Marty, Alex, Melman, Gloria, and Cora headed down the gangplank. Alex held Marty back. "Stay here," he said.

"Alex!" Marty protested. He was preparing to follow them anyway when the look in Alex's eyes stopped him. Marty stomped a hoof. I've got to have a talk with that guy when he's in a better mood! Marty thought.

The zebra watched as his friends moved the large crate in front of the cabin door.

The boss man yelled at them, "I'll get you for this! All of you!"

Skipper wiped his flippers together in a satisfied way, "I doubt that. We're sending you humans straight to the authorities. I'm sure they'll be glad to find you all packaged up for them." The penguin turned away from the angry man, "Report back to the cargo ship!"

Alex led the way back over the gangplank. Cora kicked the big crate one last time, "Serves you right, you jerks!" she said.

The penguins were the last ones to leave the humans' boat.

"Ready to pull anchor!" Skipper shouted.

"Ready!" Kowalski and Private said. Rico grinned a yes.

"Execute!" Skipper ordered, holding one end of the gangplank. The penguins pulled up the anchor and the ship started moving. They hurried to the gangplank.

"Go,go,go,go,go,go!" Skipper said as his troops waddled quickly off the now moving boat.

Good thing the gangplank was long.

Skipper ran across just in time, pulling the gangplank on board behind him. "Mission accomplished!" he said.

The penguins slapped fins and each other.

"Yeah! We did it!" Alex cheered as the boatload of humans cruised away. He looked happily at Marty. Marty smiled, "Yeah, you guys did it!" The zebra looked a little sad.

Alex was about to ask Marty what was wrong. He was interrupted by Melman, who brought up an excellent point.

The giraffe looked around, "Well, now what?"

Alex shook his head and smiled amusedly. The liberated lemurs had decided that the trip was getting too long and boring. And they had felt like celebrating. One lemur had found the ship's loudspeaker and was singing into it. The other lemurs danced and drummed on old crates left over from when the Central Park Zoo animals had been transferred away from New York. The crates were now empty, and made great drums and dance floors. Gloria, Melman, Cora, and even the penguins had joined in the celebration.

Alex frowned. There was something missing from this party. Where was Marty? The lion wandered around to behind the cabin.

He found the zebra standing at the very back of the ship, staring off across the ocean, deep in thought.

"Hey," Alex said softly, approaching his friend.

"Hey." Marty didn't turn around.

Alex tried again, "You're missing the party."

"That's okay," Marty answered, "there will be other parties."

The lion leaned onto the railing, "I don't know about you, but I feel like tonight we should be celebrating!"

Marty waved a hoof in the direction of the party, "Well, I'm not stopping you. Go ahead and enjoy yourself, you earned it!"

"Aw, Marty, come on." Alex smiled sincerely, "It's not the fun side without you!"

Alex thought he saw Marty smile a little.

"I'm actually pretty tired, Al." the zebra yawned, "I don't think I'd be much fun."

Alex sighed and stopped smiling, "Okay, okay, what's this really about?"

"Nothing." Marty turned and blinked at Alex.

"Don't give me that." Alex chided gently, "C'mon, Marty! I know you too well. I know something's bothering you, now what is it?"

Marty almost said something, then stopped. Then he blurted out, "Alex, we're still a team, right?"

"Of course we are!" Alex cried, "Why would you think we aren't? Why would you even consider thinking that we aren't?"

"I don't know," Marty looked down, "It's crazy, I guess."

"Sure it is!" Alex agreed, "We'll always be a team!"

Marty nodded How can we be a team if we don't do things together? he thought sadly. "You're right, Alex."

Still a bit mystified by Marty's question, Alex nodded, "Yeah, well, I'm glad we got that cleared up."

Marty changed the subject, "So, what're we going to do when we get to New York?"

"New YORK?" Alex gasped, "Whoa! Are you nuts? We're not going to New York!"

The zebra stared openmouthed at the guy he thought he knew, "What? We're not? What do you mean, 'we're not going to New York'? We're so close! We've got the boat now, and we can go home!" What is going on with Alex?

"Look what happened to you last time we were 'so close'!" Alex pointed at Marty's leg, "Besides, the city is dangerous! It's too dangerous, Marty! All those people!" Alex shuddered.

It was now Marty's turn to be mystified. "Alex, you love people!"

Alex glared at the ocean, "Not anymore."

"Alex," Marty shook his head, "not all people are bad! They were great to us in New York!"

"New York. They kept us in cages; watched us every minute of our lives. No freedom, no privacy, and pressure to perform for crowds multiple times every day…"

"And you loved that, Al." Marty said.

"I did," Alex admitted, "I was disillusioned. Because of people, I almost lost you, not just once, but several times, Marty! I can't go through that again! I can't!"

Marty looked seriously at Alex, "You can't let bad experiences mess with your life so much! So there are bad people in the world…yeah, but there are good ones, too. You gotta give New York another chance." Marty looked his friend in the eye, "I know you won't be happy until you do."

"Yes I will." Alex said stubbornly, "I'll be very happy!"

Marty gave Alex a knowing look, "No, you won't. New York is all you've thought about since we got here!""

"That's not true!" Alex denied, "I've thought about other things, too!"

"Like what?" Marty crossed his hooves.

"Um," Alex thought, "like…Steak!"

Marty groaned, "That doesn't count! Steak is from New York!"

Alex pretended to glare, "What about fish? I never had fish in New York! I'd miss eating fish if we went back."

"I don't know, there might be fish in the Hudson River that you could have!" Marty teased.

"YUCK! What are you trying to do, poison me?" Alex gagged, "If fish could survive in the Hudson, I am definitely not eating them!"

Marty chuckled, "I'm pretty sure the zoo could get fish from somewhere else."

Alex sighed and stared up at the starry sky. Two weeks seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since that Saturday that the animals had been taken away from their carefree life in the zoo. Alex briefly wondered what day it was.

"Okay, Marty. You win." Alex relented, "After we drop the fuzzbuckets off on Madagascar, we'll head to New York."

Marty smiled, "That works for me! So, are we going to join the party, or what?"

Alex grinned, "That's more like it! Let's go!"

The lion and zebra headed to the noisy deck.