Chapter 3

Three weeks has gone by since the penguins were separated. Skipper grew sadder every day. No matter what game he tried, he didn't have much fun. He played volleyball, Bad Mitten, table tennis, and even floor hockey with the lemurs in his habitat. During the loud cheers whenever the lemurs scored a goal, he kept getting less aggressive in how he played.

When the lemurs had won the game and raced out, Skipper didn't congratulate them, he was too miserable. He went outside, looked at the moon, and sighed sadly. He just couldn't stop missing his friends.

From the otter pool, Marlene just got out of her nighttime dip in the pool. She then noticed Skipper, and felt sorry for him.

She then snapped her fingers with a wonderful idea. She jumped out of her habitat, and went to gather up the zoo animals.

"So that is why we must get Private, Kowalski, and Rico back." Marlene told them when she had the animals all gathered up at their usual meeting place outside. "So Skipper will no longer be sad and mope about."

"Uh excuse me." Julian told Marlene. "If you never noticed before otter lady, I don't like bossy penguin all that much. So, I don't mind him moping about and stuff. As long as he's out of my 'grooviness,' I don't really care all that much."

"But we do." Marlene explained. She looked at all the other animals. "He and the other penguins are like family to us. So, who's with me?"

"Ooh, me, me!" Mort piped up, jumping. "Pick me, I want to help!"

"No you don't Mort." Julian told the Mouse lemur. He folded his hands to his chest and looked away. "Remember the penguins are the enemies, we'll not helping them." Mort stopped jumping, and looked sad.

"Awe, but I want to help." He said. Julian just ignored him.

"I'll help." Burt offered. "If there's peanuts involved. Gosh, how I love peanuts!"

"Okay sure." Marlene said.

"We'll also help." Mason volunteered. Phil did something in sign language.

"What did he say?" Marlene wanted to know.

"Oh, he said he'll also help." Mason replied.

"Oh, that's good." Marlene said.

Mort gave his king the puppy dog look.

"No Mort!" Julian said. "I already explained it to you. We're not helping the penguins reunite and that is final!" Julian looked at Mort's sad eyes. He was about to cry when Julian gave in.

"Alright!" He gave up. "We'll do it. We'll help out the penguins, sheech!" Mort brightened.

"Yay!" He cheered. He ran and hugged the king's feet. "Thanks King Julian. I knew you'll understand." Julian didn't look amused.

"Yes, Mort!" He told him. "You knew I'll understand. Now get off the royal feet." He kicked Mort off.

"Sorry." He apologized. He got up again. Marlene went to him.

"But this is a secret Mort." She told the tiny lemur. "Skipper mustn't know. Keep it a surprise. So whatever you do, don't…" Skipper walked past. Mort ran up to him with excitement.

"Skipper guess what?!" Mort blurted out to him. "We're going to go get your friends back, so you can no longer feel sad! Isn't that terrific? Oops!" Mort realized what he done, and covered his mouth. Marlene slapped herself, and smiled guiltily at Skipper."

"Sorry, my bad." Mort said.

"Uh Mort?" Julian told him. "Don't you know what the word 'surprise' even means?"

"No." Mort confessed. Then he looked at his king with hope. "Can you tell me?" Julian bonked the tiny lemur on the head.

"See?" He explained. "That came unexpected to you didn't it? That is what surprise means."

"I get it now!" Mort said, before fainting.

"Skipper," Marlene said to the sad flightless bird. "I wanted you to be surprised. I just thought if you had your team back, you wouldn't be sad. I just want you to know that no matter what, we're always there for you."

"Getting back my ol' friends back, huh?" Skipper asked.

"I know." Marlene said. "What a ridiculous idea right? They all probably moved on, and made new friends. What a stupid idea."

"No, it's not stupid." Skipper told her. "Its pure genius, I like it!"

"W-what?"

"I need you, and the lemurs, to help out." He looked at them all. "Now, let's go save our friends!" The rest of the animals cheered, except King Julian who had his arms across his chest.

"Okay hold on a second." Marlene explained to him. "You're not serious right? We can't go and get your pals back like wilily nilly."

"Sure we can Marlene! You just got to believe is all."

"But even if we could, we don't know where they are. It may take our entire lifetime, and we still won't find them."

"Marlene, Marlene, I don't think you realize we're in the 21st century."

"What you mean?"

"Technology! Mason can hack into the computers, and find where my men are; lemon squeezy."

"Righto Skipper." Mason said, and then he dashed inside to where the computer is at.

"Okay, but it'll still take us days." Marlene continued.

"We can fly there." Skipper informed. Marlene looked at him oddly.

"Uh, no we can't."

"Sure we can!"

"Uh Skipper, you probably already know this, but I'm going to tell you again since you lost it. You're a penguin! Flying is impossible for you."

"I mean fly in a plane."

"Oh, okay, I suppose you know how to opporate one too."

"Indeed I do. My men and I have piloted a plane before. We crash landed of course, but we have piloted one."

"You're mental."

"No I'm not. When there's a will, there's a way! That's my motto."

"I thought you motto was smile and wave."

"It is. This is my action motto. We can have more then one, can't we?"

"Well, I suppose so."

"There you go then. Case closed!"

"Skipper!" Mason shouted from inside near Alice's laptop. The animals looked at the excited chimp.

"I've found where your friends are located."

"Perfect!" Skipper went beside him. "So where are we going?"

"Three places." Mason told him, showing the locations on a world map on the computer.

"Kowalski's at the zoo in San Diego California, Rico's at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, and little Private is at the London Zoo in the United Kingdom."

"Excellent! Print out the maps and we're go."

"Will do!" He printed out the maps as Skipper talked to the rest of the animals.

"Now the rest of you, watch the zoo, and don't let Alice get too suspicious." The animals all saluted.

"Yes sir!" They all said at once.

"Perfect." Skipper said. He turned to the lemurs and Marlene. "Guys, let's go save my boys. Mort and Julian cheered.

"Oh goody!" King Julian cheered. "I can't wait to raise my hands again when we are crash landing."

"I hope I don't get air sickness." Mort added.

"Nonsense Ring Tail." Skipper told him. "There's no time for crash landings. Not when my boys need to be rescued. None at all."

"Am I really waddling on what I think I'm waddling on?" Private wondered out loud. He and his mom were outside the zoo, and crossing The Millennium Bridge. "It is really the Millennium Bridge?" His mom laughed.

"It's sure is." She replied. "You miss it?"

"You bet I did! I haven't walked across this bridge in like forever!" His mom laughed again.

"Well it hasn't been opened to the public until 2000. That's where it got its name from, Millennium Bridge. Now come on, here's a great structure that been here for ages." Private followed his mom off the bridge, and somewhere else.

"Now here's a famous structure that's been keeping time since the 19th century." She showed him the clock tower. Private climbed and perched himself on the fence, gazing at the precious sight. Seagulls flew by under the wonderful sunset.

"Wow!" Private breathed in wonder. "Big Ben! It even still has that same crack in it since I left." Then the clock tower bonged.

"Still music to my ears."

"Come on now." Private's mom encouraged his son. "Who wants a ride on the London Eye?" Private took his eyes off of the tower.

"Ooh, I do, I do!" Private's mom laughed for a third time. She went and motioned her son to follow. "Well, come on tiger. Let's go." Private jumped off and waddled behind his mom to the London Eye.

"This is fantastic!" Private cheered as he moved through out the moving capsule, looking at the sights. "I feel like I'm flying even though I'm a penguin. Whoo hoo! This 30 minute ride will be awesome!" Private's mom smiled, she was happy to see her son happy like this. It brought back precious memories.

"Picture time!" Private said when the ride was almost over. "Smile mum as the camera takes your picture." He moved towards the camera. "The penguin stays in the picture. Whoo!" The camera clicked.

"That was the best night I ever had!" The little penguin cheered as they went home. Private ate a hot dog and cotton candy as they went. "Wasn't it fantastic mum? Gosh, I really missed London. Private's mom hugged her son a little.

"And London has missed you son." She said. "Welcome home son, welcome home."

The fight between Rico and Rocky's love for Lucile continued. Each grew jealous when the other took the gentoo out. When Rico took her out of the aquarium to explore (he blew up the wall with dynamite), Rocky grew jealous. When they came back with dilly bars, Rocky grew jealous. Everynight they went out, Rocky grew jealous. Everything that Rico did with Lucile made the Rock Hopper uncomfortable. Lucile even kissed Rico one night which made Rocky outraged! Rico waved goodbye weakly with a kissy mark on his cheek, then fainted.

Rico had his shares of jealously too. When the Rock Hopper impressed Lucile with his many fluent accents and languages, Rico grew jealous. When Rocky impressed her with his many different diving moves, his explainings that he went to lots of feign countries, and claimed that he was the first penguin to ever fly over all the world's oceans. He also claimed that he was the bravest, and the strongest penguin out there. All of these things made Rico uncomfortable and want to puke (not his normal way through).

Rico and Rocky both picked up a pebble they found that they thought was nice, and raced and pushed the other away to get to Lucile first.

When they both got there, they placed their pebbles near her. She looked at them and went away like they weren't there to begin with. Rico and Rocky were puzzled by this, they fought a little.

Then one day, Rico was drawing a heart in the sand that read "R + L", Rico growled when Rocky showed up. He looked at the drawing and pretended to be touched by it.

"You did this?" He asked. "Rocky and Lucile forever, how sweet." Rico growled, realizing his error. Rocky looked at him.

"Anyways, I know what we can do to win Lucile's love for us punk." Rico stood up and stood in the Rock Hopper's face.

"I'm listening." Rico murmured under his breath.

"Okay, so here's the deal. You and me rumble together. Whoever wins gets Lucile to himself. Whoever loses," he chuckled to himself. "And it won't be me; never talks to Lucile ever again, deal?" Rocky put out his flipper. Rico hesitated, looking at the flipper, then at Lucile. "Do we have a deal?" Rico looked back, and shook it firmly.

"Deal!" He agreed, and then looked lovingly at the gentoo again. Rocky slapped him, and the boys got to work.

They trained for days, nonstop as soon as the tourists all left and the aquarium closed. They trained and trained, not paying attention to Lucile as mush. Lucile didn't care, she was glad she was home free for the time being. They trained until the day finally arrived.

"Okay troops." Skipper said when they crash-landed in front of the San Diego Zoo sign. "Let's get Kowalski, and get out of here."

The animals hopped out of and plane and all went inside of the Californian zoo.