A/N: This is my favorite chapter right now. I wrote it ahead of chapter three, so if anything's off, tell me. It's my very favorite because of the dialogue that goes on between Skipper... and himself, along with everything else that happens with this chapter. It's a blasty-blast to read, so go ahead, and don't forget... review! Also... LONGEST CHAPTER SO FAR!

Chapter 4: Amor Et Melle Et Felle Est Fecundissmismus (Love Is Rich With Honey And Venom)

The male took a deep breath before entering the otter habitat's small cave the next morning, and when he did, he gasped. Countless books lay open on the floor in a circle, and in the middle was Marlene, spinning like a bottle to read each and every book. She was alone, which meant Navi must have sneaked out to explore the zoo or something. He stared for some time before asking her what she was doing. She only answered when she was facing him, like a pointer on a compass.

Marlene looked up at Skipper. "Reading." At which the penguin was shocked. He didn't know she could read. Her honey-brown eyes met his again, and she bowed her head, submerging herself in her books once more.

"That's good. I'm glad you're doing something you enjoy." He said, not sure really of what else to say. He honestly didn't think Marlene could read before. Was that one of the side effects? He would have to remember to tell Kowalski so he could write this down.

It was odd, this whole thing was like... "I couldn't read before, could I?" Marlene asked, surprising Skipper when she closed one of the books with a heavy thump. He turned away from her and shook his head. How she knew was a mystery to him, but what did it matter now? "It's alright. It's not like this is one big science experiment or something." Her voice was so quiet, and so innocent that he forgot to be shocked that she had just said that. Because... he was just thinking it really WAS like that. Skipper turned back to her, and noticed she was picking up the books to put them away. He knelt down to help her, and when they got them all off the floor (Apparently, she had been very busy with the books.), she wrapped her arms around him.

Hugging Marlene now wasn't like hugging her any other time. This time felt different. Like... static and warmth and cold all at the same time. She pulled away, much to his displeasure, and looked him in the eyes with those big brown ones of hers. "Thank you, Skipper." Her voice was so low now that he almost had to lean in to hear it. And, if he didn't know any better (he didn't), he would think that he actually DID lean in (He did). "You're such a great friend. I'm so lucky to have you."

All at once, he felt two things: Fear and insurmountable joy. One, that was not something that before-Marlene would say. As a matter of fact, she would call him psychotic for a while, then shove him out of her house. Two... the way she said it made him basically melt! Her voice was so soft, but full of something he couldn't exactly place.

The doctor's voice spoke up in his mind. First softly, then as loud as a train whistle in the night. 'Her emotions may be inappropriate, or wild and mixed...'. But this was MARLENE! He knew her, and she wouldn't say anything she didn't mean... His common sense awoke in the back of his brain, which, unsurprisingly enough, had the voice of the doctor. 'She's not in her right mind now. It could be disastrous.'

Yeah, but he knew Marlene, and it'd be okay in the end...

'It's sick and wrong... and you know it. She's only acting like this because of the HumEx serum.'

It's Marlene's mind, not the serum, that's thinking these thoughts. The serum's just... bringing it to the foreground, that's all.

'Look at her, Skipper! Is this REALLY what you want? Some wolf in sheep's clothing!? She's not normal right now, it's not fair to her! And if you take advantage of this, you'll be putting your own moral standing in jeopardy, not to mention you'll lose the respect of everyone you know and love... even her.'

He looked at her. All of her. And realized that his common sense was right. Whatever was going on with Marlene had to be dealt with professionally. Besides, now-Marlene was possibly having an episode, and him being there was not good. Who knew what could happen later, what she would do next. "Would you sit with me for a while? I want to read you something." Everything, even his head, said to say no. Just say no, and walk away. Find Kowalski, make him fix this, just say no, right now. Say no...

"Okay." The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it. The female next to him smiled in a way he'd never seen before, and grabbed his flipper, pulling him to sit right next to her. She pulled out one of her biggest books, and set it across both of their laps, basically pinning Skipper to the rock beneath him. He grunted and tried to get comfortable. "A little tight, don't you think?" Marlene giggled, and he couldn't help but think it was the prettiest sound he had ever heard. A few pages flipped of their own accord until Marlene touched a page with her finger, and started reading to him. He wasn't a hundred percent sure WHAT she was reading... but it sounded REALLY nice. Every now and then one or both of them would look up and smile, then go back to looking at the book, and Skipper was so engrossed in the sound of the words, that he hadn't noticed the female sliding closer and closer to him... then resting her head on his shoulder.

Needless to say, now the penguin's blood was pumping, his heart beating faster than he ever thought it could go. He had only just begun thinking of a way to excuse himself and not seem like a total jerk when Marlene reached up and stroked his cheek to get his attention. He looked over... and she kissed him. Just like that. For a full twelve seconds, he felt his brain switch off and his body go numb. It only switched back on when Marlene leaned back to look at him, and laugh at his face a little bit. And it was lucky for him that he got back in control, because she was about to kiss him again, and he couldn't risk it this time.

He might not have gotten out of it. He held her back and tried to leave, but she held his arm. "But you like me. And I like you. I don't understand, what is the problem?" Skipper tried to think of an excuse while Marlene tried to shift herself into his lap. "Don't I please you?" Oh, geez...!

"That's not it at all! I mean..." He watched her deep brown eyes search his own, and for a second, he wanted to just go back to kissing her... And his common sense was just sitting back, watching him struggle. I told you what to do before, and did you listen? No. Deal with it. "You... I feel... you... p-please... me..." Why was the room so hot!? Skipper needed to get out, and fast, or he'd do something he knew he'd regret later. Heck, he was regretting it now, and he didn't even DO anything yet. "You please me, okay, it's just..."

Her voice was still so soft, so unsure. "Then what... Skipper?" Skipper wanted to stay and tell her it would be okay, but...

In the end, it really wouldn't. "It... I... just don't think it would work out right now." He said, a cold sweat falling from his brow. He kept trying to pull his arm away, and was finally successful, a feat he wanted to celebrate... until he saw the otter's face.

Let's just say she was very much not happy. "You're lying. You're lying to me. Right to my face... how could you?" Tears welled up in her eyes and Skipper started to look around frantically, now completely uncertain what was going to happen. He swallowed a big lump in his throat as the book she was reading so beautifully floated from her lap to a closed position in the air. "I thought I meant more to you than that." Her face hardened, and the book threw itself at Skipper, grazing him on the side of the face and giving him a very nice gash he would have to explain when he got back to HQ. "I guess I was wrong." The book floated up again, and Skipper barely got out of there without another huge cut on his face or even elsewhere.

Marlene sat on the floor, tears still falling fast. Even though she wasn't a hundred percent clear as to why she was crying in the first place. She looked at a book on the floor, and flipped it over in her hands before noticing one of the corners had blood on it. Her gasp echoed around her as she dropped it, scurrying away from it like it was contaminated with something. Tears fell faster and harder as they got thicker. What was happening to her? Her head hurt, there were so many voices, they wanted her to listen, and she couldn't remember... The otter fought the urge to scream right then and there, knowing it wouldn't do her any good. Every time she wanted to remember something, she kept having these blackouts... it felt as if her brain would just shut off, just like that time she left the zoo. A sudden ache told her she couldn't remember that either.

It's alright. It's just you and me here, after all. A voice she recognized seemed to whisper. Marlene relaxed, knowing that every time she heard that voice... she would go to sleep. And she felt so very tired, despite the fact that she had just woken up.

The bird didn't stop running until he was safely inside of his home, gasping for air and very aware of the blood running down his face, as well as all the eyes on him right then. Navi was the first to come up to him with a paper towel and some bandages.

"Skipper! Holy night, I told you to check up on Marlene, what did you do!?" She yelled, cleaning his wound. It wasn't bad enough to be bleeding, now he had to get yelled at (thus causing a massive headache later, he was sure) too.

He told his troops the story (except for the kissing part, he did NOT need anyone on his case about that too), and by the end they were stunned. "She threw a book at you... by levitating it? What, like a witch?" Navi asked, putting away the first aid supplies. She hadn't done as good of a job as Rico, but she was still in training, and Rico was in the bathroom at the time anyway. He came back just in time for the story, and even he was shocked.

Flopping into a chair, he shrugged his shoulders, and allowed Private to give him his favorite coffee mug. Kowalski jotted something down in his notepad and put the end of the crayon to his beak. "I can only deduce that you should probably not visit Marlene anymore, Skipper." He looked around, and judged by Navi, Private, Rico, and Skipper's dubious looks that that wasn't going to happen. The taller penguin made some adjustments and sighed. "At least, not alone."

That everyone could deal with. Kowalski looked at his notes again when the rest of the group was starting to watch TV. Marlene's emotions were like a roller-coaster in the dark without a beginning or end. And she was starting to go more and more haywire each time. Last time, she had almost skewered Private, then this time she had come close to giving Skipper a concussion. Shaking his head, the taller penguin set down his notepad and kneaded the bridge of his beak. What had become of the Marlene they had known before? Would they ever get her back?

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A dark laboratory with many computer screens lighting up the area was barely a hide out... but it would do, thought Blowhole. He looked at one of the screens, which, like all the others, was monitoring the HumEx. They were back, and Blowhole couldn't be more pleased. At least, he didn't think he could until HumEx Ultima flashed on the screen. He pushed the grunt out of the way and stared at her vitals over the past almost 48 hours.

"I see you've found Ultima, sir." A familiar voice behind him. Hawkins pushed a button on a small remote, and the screen Blowhole was looking at was projected onto the wall. "She's been faring quite well, sir, given the circumstances." Before the dolphin could ask, the projection switched. It was now a graph, showing-- "There have been three significant spikes in her emotion levels... one each day for the past three days." Blowhole gave him a look that clearly said "duh." and which was emphasized by him actually saying it. Hawkins cleared his throat and continued. "The first was minor, but it was still something. The second was much larger, as was the third. Those are what we are concerned with."

The evil doctor couldn't help but ask why. Hawkins knew this was coming and hit the remote again, showing another graph alongside the first. "Well, as you know, all HumEx are made to function without emotion. Ultima's emotions were compromised when she was pulled to early, so she still has them, albeit, they are unstable and out of control." At this, Blowhole became enraged.

"I thought you said ve vah still in control!" He yelled, holding the bird's neck against the wall with one flipper. This insubordination, he supposed, is why most villains choose to work along. He could have killed him right then and there, but it would be too messy, there were witnesses... he dropped the hawk onto the floor and splashed a cup of water onto himself. "Now tell me, please, in ze next six seconds, vhy I should not kill you."

Mr. Hawkins gathered himself, mentally cursing the doctor beside him. He would get revenge someday. But right now... he had a project to finish, and he liked to complete whatever he begun. "Ultima isn't in control." He said simply. Now he was worth listening to. Blowhole stopped looking as though he was going to kill him, and he continued. "Her emotions are hers to control, and it is true we have no way to get access to them, however her mind belongs to us. Any decisions she makes, we can watch... and alter." The timing couldn't be better for a clip show. The tantrum in the medic van... the sparring match... the kiss... they had seen it all, and Blowhole was almost giddy with delight. Not only was she in Skipper's head, she was in his heart.

It just couldn't get any better. "The reason we tell you this is because tomorrow, Ultima will have a mental breakdown. It's almost assured." Almost? The chances that she wouldn't...? "Very slim, sir. She's going to have the breakdown, it's part of the HumEx serum. She has to be under our control, or the serum starts to break her down, making her obey, hence the fits. It will be the perfect time for us to get her back. She will be confused... easily manipulated... ours." Blowhole wasn't a hundred percent sure he understood. He wanted to make sure this tantrum actually happened. He asked what caused it, and Hawkins couldn't help but grin. "The first time, it was anxiety and confusion, very minor. The second time, anger, rage... and a relentless urge to kill. Our doing through cerebral suggestion, of course. The HumEx inside of her is emerging more every day, making her vicious... the perfect fighter for us. Finally, today... Her latest tantrum was caused by desire. Lust, in other words. It seems she has strong feelings for Skipper she barely subconsciously remembers." But Blowhole barely cared about that. As long as he could get his weapon, and destroy the humans, he was happy.

"Sehr gut, mein untergebene. Zen, ve shall position ourselves near ze penguin base, unt vait for ze next trigger. Not long now boys..." He turned away from them all, feeling the need for a nice swim. "Not long now." Hawkins' emotion on the outside was steely and unchanging, no matter what Blowhole said. But on the inside, he was cringing and angry. Ultima was his project, his to be in charge of, not that oversized tuna's. He was right about one thing... they didn't have much longer to wait. When the time was right, Blowhole would lead the charge... but Hawkins would go home the victor.

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A/N: I love this chapter! Tell me what you think, review! I shall take them all in stride. Love you all!