Author's note: Aww I love these guys. We are officially ending on chapter 41 with an extra little epilogue. Enjoy another chapter and I'll see you in the next one.
Kowalski spent the next few hours tangled up in his own thoughts. He was well and truly overwhelmed with work and emotions and didn't know what to focus his attention to. Blowhole was back, his mind had been fixed and he was able to think coherently once again. Kowalski wanted more than anything to have the conversations they used to have. To joke and talk deeply about their beliefs and scientific accomplishments. He wanted to invent, work and experiment with Blowhole. That would be one of the first things he'd ask of Blowhole once he was completely himself again.
He was still lost in thought when the door opened and Doris rode in. She was quiet but didn't try to startle Kowalski like she had the previous few times. She was smart and read the mood of the room. She knew how Kowalski was feeling and adjusted herself to deal with him.
"Kowalski," she said, sweetly. "My brother wants to see you, if you're not too busy."
Kowalski wasn't exactly busy. He was sitting on an empty desk so couldn't even make the excuse that he was. Not that he'd want to make an excuse not to see Blowhole. He couldn't wait to see him and hear his voice again.
Kowalski made his way down to the pool, his heart racing in his chest as he drew closer. The butterflies made him feel like a child and he had to shake himself to stop feeling so stupid.
Kowalski stood outside the door for a long moment, willing his heart to just calm down before he pushed the door open and found Blowhole resting by the wall.
Blowhole lifted his head and smiled. It was somewhat unsettling as Kowalski couldn't help but stare at inch long teeth but the soul controlling them would do him no harm, so he stepped forward confidently.
"You wanted to speak to me? You have questions? I can give you a report on everything that's going on in the lair, what your lobster teams are doing, what I'm working on, how we'll get you back to normal."
"Kowalski, I want to talk to you. Not about work and the stupid lair. I've had enough of the stupid lair. Calm down," Blowhole chuckled.
Kowalski stopped and stared awkwardly. 3 seconds in and he had already made a fool of himself.
"Oh, well if you have any questions."
"I'll make sure to ask you about them."
Kowalski nodded and tried not to avert his eyes. He waddled forward and sat himself down before Blowhole and smiled as warmly as he could up to the monster.
Blowhole looked happy, as happy as a monster could be. He looked as ease with himself, open and calm.
"Did Doris get you up to speed with things?" Kowalski asked, not wanting to get shot down again.
"Yes. She told me everything I needed to know. Some, perhaps, that's better heard from others... but I'm informed."
Kowalski sighed and looked down to his feet.
"That's good."
There was silence for a while. Kowalski just took the moment to appreciate being in his friend's presence and he was sure Blowhole felt the same. Just happy things were peaceful and happy again.
Kowalski could hear Blowhole's elongated breaths and could only imagine it was much the same as a mighty dragon. Blowhole was magnificent like one, not that he wouldn't give anything to have him back in his rightful body.
"Kowalski? Did I... did I hurt anyone?" Blowhole suddenly asked.
Kowalski looked up into Blowhole's sorry eye and quickly shook his head.
"No! Not once," he said putting on a warm smile. "Do you remember anything?"
"Not really... I remember pain. I remember waking up in the night scared. I remember crying in agony and then nothing. I don't even know how much time has passed. It feels as though it could be only a day since then. How long has it been?"
"It's been a full 2 weeks."
"And I remember none of it... was I easy to manage? As easy as it can be to manage a monster?"
Kowalski smiled tenderly and placed a flipper on one of Blowhole's webbed claws.
"You were a dream. Don't worry about all of that. Focus on resting yourself."
Blowhole nodded and let his head fall to the ground where he stared at Kowalski for a long while. Kowalski found it some how soothing. The once lifeless eye now filled with knowledge once again. He knew Kowalski and could recall fond memories of their short time together.
"Kowalski," Blowhole spoke again.
"Hm." Kowalski leaned back and rested himself on Blowhole's long tail that had been drawn in to encase them both.
"How did you manage to do this? Skipper wanted to kill me."
Kowalski caught the cringe that wanted to surge through his body. The confrontation with Skipper had not been a nice one and looking back, he was ashamed of how he had acted. Perhaps if he would have kept calm, things would have ended very differently.
"It was a lot of hard work. Determination. I wanted you back. And... a punch between the eyes gets a penguin to listen."
"I would have paid to see that."
"I was rewarded... with a punch to the gut, a kick to the face, a tackle to the floor and a demerit."
Blowhole looked almost shocked. Of course Skipper didn't take disobedience lightly and he expected nothing less. But perhaps he was more impressed with how Kowalski fought to protect him.
"Yikes. I can get him back. Take these chains off and I'll show him a thing or two," he chuckled back.
"I'm not taking those chains off," Kowalski said crossing his flippers.
"But no one messes with my Kowalski."
"You don't own me anymore, you took the poison out. And I'm pretty sure at this point the treaty is void."
Blowhole made a look of thoughtfulness. A look reminiscent of his old scheming days.
"True. Unless..."
Kowalski cocked a brow. Blowhole could not have already been thinking about reverting back to his old ways. Kowalski had to admit that changing was going to be hard, but he couldn't quit this early.
"Unless what? There's something else in my leg you didn't tell me about?"
"I wish I was smart enough to do that. No, unless we make a new treaty."
Kowalski let his face soften. What purpose could a new treaty hold?
"Oh? What is it that you can bring to the table? I've already proven how my brain far surpasses yours. Perhaps it's the lack of oxygen? Just the dolphin way?" Kowalski joked.
"I'm not really a dolphin anymore," Blowhole said lifting a webbed claw.
"Then what?"
"I bring acceptance, I bring loyalty, I bring compassion, I bring honesty and ravishing good looks."
"Uh huh... and what is it you want from me?" Kowalski crossed his flippers again but a smile rose on his face as he began to catch on to what Blowhole could have been proposing.
"I want your acceptance, your loyalty. I want you."
"You want me."
Blowhole smiled tenderly, bringing his tail in closer, pushing Kowalski in closer. There was no such thing as the outside world to the pair now. They were in this little bubble of acceptance and journey. They were the good and the not so good.
"Yes. I know I'm a monster, I know I've done bad things and I know I like to use this sentence structure a lot. I know I was the worst kind of bad and deserved for all of this to happen, but you changed me. I look back at who I used to be only months ago and I feel sick. I can't even recognize myself. You were right, I was so enraged and taken over by fear. I wanted the world to burn just as I did. I liked being cruel, I liked inflicting pain, I loved the idea of revenge that I let it change who I was. I got a taste of my own medicine. What I had become... You saved me... I admire you Kowalski. I want you to stay with me, teach me, mentor me."
Kowalski took a moment to pause. He had done this. Indeed he had done this. He had not only brought down Skipper's mortal enemy, but he had reverted him too.
"I never saw you as a monster. I still don't," Kowalski said with a warm smile. "So, you want me to be your teacher?"
"Are you really this slow or just messing with me because this is a rare moment coming from me? Also, side question, did you forget I have inch long teeth?"
"Explain," Kowalski chuckled.
"I swear, Kowalski. I swear on my life, the moment I'm rid of these chains, the moment I break free, the moment I am back in my rightful dolphin body, I am going to kiss you. You won't know what hit you, and right when you think it's all over, I'll shower you with all the respect you deserve."
Kowalski's heart started to pound again. But this time he didn't mind it. The butterflies were still there, although they were more like a swarm of wasps. This was what he wanted, what he had been fantasizing about. This was real life right?
"Old habits die hard, huh? I couldn't imagine anything better."
The pair shared a moment of silence, but the quiet spoke so many words. The looks of pure admiration filled the air and Kowalski completely forgot that he was staring into the eye of a monster. A monster who had once wanted to see the world burn, had once wanted to rid the earth of an entire species. But all this monster wanted now was to see him smile. Kowalski did smile. He couldn't stop.
"Did Doris influence this?" He cautioned with a raised brow.
"Perhaps a tad. But you're so easy to read, Kowalski."
Perhaps he was. How many times he had gone red in the face around Blowhole and how many times he had listened extra hard just to understand. His empathy, his sympathy, it was all for Blowhole.
"And you feel the same?"
Blowhole nodded.
"Maybe it was because we're so academically similar. We both have a thirst for knowledge and a will for making the world a better place... relatively speaking. Our roots are different and overall goals may be different but I see myself in you sometimes. The me I want to be. I dont usually like talking about stuff like this... it goes against my rock hard image I've painted for myself. But Doris said you're conflicted. You got kicked from Skipper's team in order to save me? You've worked night and day to save me but you're hesitant. Why?"
Kowalski sighed and looked down to his feet again. He was conflicted. After everything he had been through and experienced in his life. His penguin brothers were everything to him but now Blowhole meant a lot to him too. It was like 2 separate worlds were trying to come together, but that would only cause more conflict.
"It's because I'm scared. I'm terrified of change. For years I've followed the strict orders of my commanding officer. I've obeyed Skipper and been as loyal as I could possibly be. But now there's nothing left for me. I have no master and no mission. I feel empty and almost every part of me wants to go back to how things were before. Throwing myself into helping you kind of gave me a sense of organisation. I had a job and someone to please. I want that."
"But Kowalski, you're free. You can chose to do whatever you want. Make your own missions and be your own boss. Make yourself happy."
Kowalski shook his head slowly and sighed.
"That may have worked for you but I don't think it'll work for me. I can't make the decisions that a leader would. I just... I'm sorry for laying all of this on you. I should be helping you not complaining."
Perhaps it was true. Blowhole had been through hell and Kowalski could not compare his situation to that of his friend's. But pain is relative and everyone feels it differently.
"No, it's ok. I like this. Acceptance and respect remember? That's what we're founded upon."
Kowalski let a small smile engulf himself for a second before he suddenly jumped to his feet and outwardly sighed.
"Right. Well, anyway, I really should inform you of a few things. Doris may be a smart girl but she can't explain everything."
"Alright, start with what's wrong with me and what solutions you've got. I also want to know how you fixed my mind. Doris was talking about something called Henry? Did I miss something?"
Kowalski chuckled and shook his head. He could almost imagine the explanation Doris would have given her brother when she couldn't even state the definition of science. Perhaps it would have been better if Kowalski was the first person Blowhole saw after his regeneration. But Kowalski was going to be able to do what he did best, talk about science. He may not have known the ins and outs of love and dating, that was clear on account of how many times he and Doris had broken up, but he could tell things were going to be different with Blowhole. He wouldn't want flowers on valentine's day, he'd want a supersonic incineration machine, and that sure sounded fun.