Author note: I own nothing! Sorry for the long update. Enjoy!

*The Dare*

[Marlene's POV]

I giggled at the boys faces as I dragged Skipper out of the Zoovineer shop. I guess I definatley picked the right outfit out. "So Skipper what do you have planned?" he didn't answer my question. I turned to face him to see that he was starring at me- starstuck! I giggled and snaped a finger in front of his face. "Earth to Skipper! Come in Skipper!" He blinked and shook his head. "Sorry about that...what did you say?" he said, trying not to look like a total spaz. I though it made him cute. "I asked what you had planned for us tonight."

"How does a moonlight stroll sound to you?" he asked getting a look on his face that I hadn't seen since my fur was bleached and everyone thought I was a different otter named Arlene. It actually was that event that let me see that I had a cush on the commando. I've actually considered swiping the chlorine and bleaching my fur agian to see if he'd react the same.

"Sounds great!" I exclaimed instantly embarresed that I was acting so hyper. "Sorry!"

Skipper simply similed. "Its all right Marlene. You actually look very cute when you do that." he said grabbing hold of my paw. "Come on were burning moonlight here!" he began to pull me along toward the fountain. Once we were their he motioned for me to sit at the edge of the fountain. I sat down and looked at him expectantly, waiting for what he planned on doing. "Close your eyes and wait right here Marlene." I did as he told me to. I heard him begin to walk away- ur waddle away- so I opened my eye a bit. "Hey! No peeking!" He said it playfully and I giggled as I closed my eyes again. I waited a few minutes before I suddenly smelled something sweet. Something tickled my nose as well. I giggled.

"Okay Marlene you can open your eyes now," Skipper said slyly. I opened my eyes to find Skipper kneeling in front of me holding a bunch of cherry blossums under my nose. They were the same light pink as my dress and bow. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Are these for me?" I asked as he handed them to me.

He chuckled "Who else?" Skipper then sat down next to me. "Right." I said feeling embarrassed at my stupidity. I was acting like giggle idiot. What's wrong with me?

He pulled one of the blossums out of the boque, sniffed it, got this lovestruck look in his eyes, and then leaned over to me and tucked it behind my ear. "Lovely," he sighed. I felt my cheeks burn again.

"Really?"

"Yes." He wrapped his flipper my shoulders. I rested my head where his shoulder would be and sighed. "This is nice." He said pulling me closer to him. I agreed. It was so peaceful here. No zoo-wide chaos, no annoting lemurs, no sewer rats, no paranioa to interrupt this moment.

How could this moment get any better?

That's when I spotted the shooting star in the sky. I pionted at it and squealed(oh brother what's wrong with me), "Look a shooting star! Make a wish!" I closed my eyes and made my wish. I wish that Skipper and I would live happily ever after. I opened my eyes and looked at Skipper who was already looking straight at me. A smile that made my heart melt played on his beak. "Whatcha starring at?" I asked sure that I was an ugly tomatoe red.

He lifted his flipper a stroked the side of my head with it gentley, "You. Marlene I'll be honest with you. I don't think that've ever really seen you before this night. You're very beautiful. I can't believe that I've been so blind." He then pulled me into a hug. He nuzzled his beak into my neck.

I did something I hadn't done since we went outside to get snow-cones, right before I went wild: I purred.

Skipper chuckled, "Well I didn't expect that reaction, but I do like it." He said the last part slyly. His flippers had slid downward around my waist.

Then the clockbell rang. Midnight. Crap! Stupid clock! I heard Skipper sigh and felt him slowly pull out of the embrace. We pulled apart so to the point when we faceing one another and holding hands.

"I should be taking you home now." he got up and pulled me with him. Like a gentleman he escorted me to my habitat. "Goodnight Skipper." I said sadly. I looked at my feet, afraid that if I looked into his eyes I might cry because this night was coming to an end.

"Goodnight Marlene." He placed his flipper under my chin and made me look at him. He then did something I didn't expect: He kissed my nose. It was sweet, not to pushy, and romantic. I felt a grin spread across my face that would have rival the Cheshire Cat's. I was was acting like a lovestruck teenage girl. He then pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear, "Same thing tomarrow night?"

"Yes." I whispered back. "Excellante Marlene. I can't wait." He then left me standing there wondering if tonight had actually happened.

I began to dance and twirl around my habitat. I was on cloud nine, floating above the world a mile a minute. Then I realized that in my paw was Skipper's bow tie. Eeeekk! I must've taken it off while we were embracing. "I better return this to him." I jumped up and over the wall to my habitat. Then rushed back over to where he had been headed: the Zoovineer shop. Once there I saw that the door was open a bit. I was about to walk in when I heard them talking.

"Julien, I think your dare might've backfired a bit." I was able to distinguish that as Roy's voice.

"You are telling me. That otter has never looked hotter. You just got lucky silly penguin. Next time the dare will be uncomfertable not a pleasure as taking the otter in."

Everyone then yelled, "Out!"

"Right that is what I was meaning, out. Next time taking the out on a date won't be the dare that I will be using." What! S-S-Skipper was dared to ask me out.

"Joey wouldn't have minded that dare now mate." That was Joey of course.

"I don't think that any of us would've minded-"

"-taking the otter out dressed in that." I heard Bing finish Bada's sentence, but it didn't click in my mind. All that was going through my head was: Skipper only asked me out to prove that he wasn't a chicken. He didn't care about me. I was just a prize. A pon in their sick little game. That proud paranoid jerk!

Tears burned my eyes. I ran what he had told me earlier before embracing me in my mind. It now clicked in a different way. I felt sick then. That perverted womanizer! Ugh! I feel like a tramp. A prostitute. An easy little girl. He was probably going to string me along until we did it and then drop me like a fly.

My cheeks were burning again, but this time from anger.

I slowly pushed the door open while they were all laughing up a storm, probably over a suggestive joke that Julien had made. I cleared my throat loudly. Everyone turned toward me, a deep scowl on my face. They all turned ghost white. I laughecd dryly and said, "What's so funny pervs."

Uh-oh! Somebodies going to get kicked where the sun don't shine! What'd ya think? Be honest. R&R!