Author note: I have to say this chap did not turn out as well as I hoped it would. Sorry for not not updating sooner! T^T Mixture of writer's block, school (Jr. year! Only one more of High School to go! :P), plain ole' laziness, and computer problems. And I just realized that you probably wonlt read this anyway. Enjoy!

*The Dare*

[Skipper's POV]

My mood stayed gray for the next week. The team had to walk on egg shells the whole time and the base had a feeling of unease. In short I was a miserable wreck. I haven't been this depressed since my divorce with Lola.

Meanwhile Marlene's life never seemed better. After her little performance she had become extremely popular with the guys. After zoo hours if you saw her at least one guy was there staring at her hungrily. Her confidence had also increased and she has became alot more popular with the human crowds...and also received the attention of the zoo males...including me. Durring the 'smile and wave' routine my attention would shift over to her. She'd been doing a backflip into her pond coming out with her fur wet, glistening in the sun... Ugh! I feel like a perverted stalker! Though I don't think that I'm acting as bad as some of the other guys. Some of them are the defintion of pervertedness... is that a word?

I havn't see that otter, Antonio, around which I'm glad about. I didn't like that guy abit. He seemed uber perverted to me.

Dong!

Closing time. Finally! I just wanted to go to bed and sleep this nightmare away. I turned aournd to go on down the fish hole when my blue eyes met Marlene's brown eyes. We stayed that way for a few minutes. I was shocked to that she wasn't giving me the evil eye today, she just looked conflicted. She cocked her head to the side in a cute way keeping our eyes locked on anothers. She blinked, then hear face fell and she sighed. What ever she was disdeing about me I could see that she had made up her mind about it. She looked dissapointed. Marlene...

Then she looked off to the left talking to someone. It was Joey, Bada, Bing, and Phil talking to her, most likely asking her to judge their game for them. She nodded and gave a motion for them to wait a moment. Her gaze flickered back to me for a moment before she jumped off of her cave that she had been perched on into the water.

Sighing I waddled to the fish bowl and lept inside. Down there I recieved a salute from my team.

"Dissmissed. Go out and do something productive. I just need to be alone at the moment." I sighed in defeat as they looked at one another and left to go do whatever. At the moment I really don't care.

Grabbing a cup of Joe plopped on the couch and turned the T.V. on flipping through channels, not really paying attention. I quicked skippered through the romance junk. I don't need to be reminded of that at the moment.

Taking a big gulp of coffee, a hand touched my shoulder. Doing a spit-take I turned around ready to takle whoever it was that deceided to sneak up on me. I was ready to yell at Ring-tail, when I saw that it was just Marlene.

Marlene?

"Marlene? What are you doing here?" I was confused. Why would she want to see me?

"Skipper I wanted to talk to you about what happened a week ago." Shoot! This is just swell! I'm going to get yelled at by her! What can I do that can help me out now.

Apologize!

Right! Thats what I need to do. How could I forget that?

"Right, Marlene about last week. I just wanted to-"

"Skipper, I'm sorry."

Wait! What! Why is she apologizing. I was the one who hurt her.

"Marlene why are you apologizing. I was the one who hurt you!" I yelled confused.

She looked down at her feet, "I acted like a jerk. I had no right to humiliate you like that. It was just cruel and mean. I should've been the bigger person, acted like an adult but instead I acted like an immature spoiled brat. Can you forgive me?" Marlene looked up at me with pleading eyes.

"Marlene you don't have to apologize. I'm the one who should be apologizing. It was my fault that any of this started in the first place." To say that I was confused was an understatment.

"Please Skipper," she crashed into me, clutching me for dear life. This was the first time in a week that she even looked my way, her hugging me was almost to much.

"Marlene..." somthing wet was spilling on my shoulder, Marlene was crying.

"Shhhhhhhhh...Its okay Marlene...shhhhhhhhhhh.." it didn't feel right to say this, but knowing Marlene it was the only way that sheld feel better, "I forgive you, but," I pried her of my shoulder to look her in the eyes, "can you forgive me...for using you like that."

"Skipper...I forgive you." She smiled at me. The first smile that had been directed at me in a week. I felt a grin tug at my beak.

"So...friends?" I asked nervously.

She nodded, "Friends." It was silent for a few minutes, but she interupted it saying, "Well, I'd better go. Some of the guys want me to judge their basketball game...Do you want to join me? You know...make sure I get it right. At times I go off in lala land and get lost."

"Sure, Marlene. Anytime," I said as I followed her outside.

Awwwwwwww. Don't fret though it is not over yet! If you only like the two as friends then I suggest you stop reading here! I'll give you a hint for the next chap: Julien! What does he love to throw! And also the colors pink, white, and red.

I'ld say that thats a big enough hint! Bye!