That night, Amy went to chat with Marlene for a while. She hadn't spoken to another woman in weeks - it was a very nice change indeed. Near the end of their lengthy visit, Amy caught sight of a small sparkle - the strawberry necklace. She waddled over to Marlene's end table and picked it up. "Where did you get this?" she asked Marlene excitedly.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that… I was going to put it away, the clasp's broken." she answered, almost to herself. "That's why I wasn't wearing it when… oh, Skipper gave that to me yesterday morning. He said he'd gotten it from the lost-and-found."

"Why? Anniversary? Apology?" Amy asked.

"Actually, no, no reason, I think." Marlene said nonchalantly.

Amy was stupefied. The only man she'd ever been with was Ian, and he never gave her gifts, except on special occasions. Their anniversary… the time he'd nearly gotten her killed in one of his plots… but never anything as nice as this! He usually gave her flowers - her favorite yellow daffodils that unfortunately died after about two weeks of bright color.

"Do you think I could borrow it? Ian could do with taking more that one leaf out of Skipper's book, and maybe Kowalski could fix the clasp." Amy said, hopeful.

"Good idea!" Marlene said, nodding her head. "How is Kowalski, anyway?"

"Okay, I guess. I don't know him that well, but… it seems like he just doesn't know what to do with himself anymore."

Marlene was saddened at this news. She'd have to try and talk to Skipper again later.

Amy left, and when she arrived back at the HQ, she immediately pulled on Ian's flipper and pulled him aside. She took out the necklace. "Ian, do you know what this is?" she said softly.

"No, I can't say I do." He was a little miffed, she'd just interrupted a planning… ahem, 'thinking' moment.

"Well," she continued, ignoring his annoyed expression, "Skipper gave this to Marlene yesterday morning. I think you should take a good look at it, and think about the way he treats her, how Skipper loves her… just try to imagine, all right?"

Ian's eyes widened, as if he understood something. He took the necklace, turning it over in his flippers. He looked back up at Amy. "Of course, mio amore."

She giggled, but too softly for anyone to hear. One thing she knew she loved about Ian, the Italian accent he'd picked up from being born in Venice.

Amy allowed Ian to kiss - well, more like peck - her beak, then joined Rodney in watching a movie. Rodney was very excited, it was his favorite movie… he just loved that Scissorhands guy.

Ian did not join them in watching. He turned away from the rest of them, and smiled. This smile was nothing like the one he'd just given Amy - it was devious, hateful… evil.

Well, Ian thought to himself. I never thought I'd see the day when dear Amelia is actually helpful to me.

Here's what had happened: Skipper, to Ian's fleeting ecstasy, had informed Ian that he would take over for Kowalski - at least, until the official dismissal papers where in top headquarters and Rico, once third-in-command under Kowalski, was promoted.

Rico.

Rico, who had earlier that very day ATTEMPTED to hack up a pen and had produced a bomb instead, nearly killing them all.

THAT was Skipper's new second-in-command?!

This would not do. This would not do at all. Ian saw only one option now:

Ix-nay Skipper and become captain himself.

And now, with the fruit-shaped necklace in hand, the was to do so became clear. Skipper was already considering the possibility of his precious girlfriend's infidelity. All Ian had to do was 'prove' it. A few lies, some misconceptions, and a single realization of the truth after it was all over, and Skipper was out of the picture.

It would start tonight. Skipper was taking aerial recon duty for the night, and this was the perfect opportunity to get started. But first, he was too smart to base everything on a foggy idea… he needed a rumor he'd heard from Rodney totally confirmed.

He hid the necklace underneath his own pillow, and Ian casually waddled over by where Kowalski was sitting by himself. Kowalski, incidentally, did not remember anything that had happened between seeing a heart-shaped box and hearing Skipper's dismissal on that fateful night, so he still trusted Ian as Skipper did - after all, for all Kowalski knew, he'd knocked out Ian and went on his sugar-coated way that night.

Anyway, Ian saw that the "smarty-pants" (as Ian called Kowalski in his mind) was currently using a whiteboard and dry-erase marker instead of that clipboard he held so near and dear. Good.

Ian silently slipped away the clipboard. Rodney, Amy, Rico, and Private were too preoccupied with the movie, so Ian snuck out the "Private's 1st Prize" door. Instead of going to the usual destination - Marlene's habitat - he took a couple of left turns and found himself where no one could see or hear him. He clicked on the flashlight he'd brought and sat down against the cold concrete wall.

"All right, smarty-pants… let's see what secrets you're hiding."

The first five or six pages were filled front and back of numbers and symbols, all ending in a great, fat zero at the end. Ian didn't know it, but this was how Kowalski had figured out how to divide by zero. Ian figured this was of no use to him and discarded it. There were plans for inventions, blueprints, schematic drawings, blah blah blah… didn't this guy have an inkling of emotion? Ian thought, annoyed.

Then, he found it.

The second-to-last page. It had a drawing - not an intricate blueprint, an actual (if bad) drawing. A heart-shaped frame… on one side, a tall, skinny, black-and-white blob with feet and a beak… obviously, Kowalski himself. The Kowalski-blob was holding flippers with… was that a whale? No… an oversized trout?

Oh. A dolphin. Female, as evidenced by the overly-long eyelashes.

So the rumor was true. Kowalski had a secret dolphin girlfriend. Marlene had told Private, who told Amy, who told Rodney, who told Ian, who was far too clever and smart to have the entire plan rely on a foggy rumor.

This could work, Ian thought. This could work very well.

His last thought before he fell asleep when he got back was an image - him, covered in little medals, with the rest of HIS team, standing far in the background: Lieutenant Rodney, Sergeant Rico, and little Private cowering in the corner.

Again - thank you Monsy 38!!!!!!!! Reviews are loved by all (especially me)!!!!!