A/N: Okay, pplz! I need to know! Skilene or SkipperxPrivate? Which one shall prevail-It's up to all who review!

P.S. There's this one part in here not suitable for small children...YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

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Chapter seven: Love Equals Confusion

(Rune's POV)

Okay, so I've told Rico about my feelings for Kowalski. Man, what a slight increase pressure(yes, slight, but not completely gone...)! Now...to tell Kowalski...That might be a bit harder....

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(Private's POV)

Okay, okay, Private! Pull yourself together, I told myself nearly a billion times. I really liked Trixy and so...I was gonna tell her.

"T-Trixy," I called when I spotted her

Trixy turned to me. "Yes, Private?"

"I, ah...just wanted to tell you...I r-really like you..."

Trixy looked down at her feet. "Oh! ...W-Well... I'm afraid I only like you as a friend...Sorry," she muttered before talking away.

I was completely and totally crushed. At first, I stood there, then came the tears. Why couldn't I find love? Why? Didn't anyone cared about me like that?

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(Skipper's POV)

Rune's words kept echoing in my head. But you love her, don't you? But you love her, don't you? But you love her- Urg! Of course I loved Marlene! Still, my emotions had been screwed up ever since Rune came and I remembered who she was....Nicat- Arg! Make it stop! ...I tried to tell her. I really did. But right when she walked into H.Q. all angry, I knew I couldn't make her worse! ...No... the worse part was... if Kowalski ever found out...

"Hey, Marlene! Come mer!" I heard a male otter shout. I guess that was Nicolie... I quietly sunk over to the otter's habitat and spied. I saw the two otters talking, but I couldn't quite hear. I sunk closer to listen.

"...So, c'mon! Whadda say?" Nicolie asked.

Marlene fiddled with her paws. "Well... it would be nice if I didn't have to cook dinner tonight..."

Dinner? What kind of man cooks? Sissy! "Hey, Marlene-!" I yelled out. I managed to hold in saying, '-ditch the sissy boy and come over here!'

"Yeah?" Marlene asked as she walked up to me.

"I've...I've been meaning to tell you something..." I paused.

Marlene crossed her arms and sighed. "Skipper, I'm waiting... This isn't anything to do with your paranoia, is it?"

"No! It's not that," I shouted uneasily. But you love her, don't you? I paused to talk a deep breath. "Marlene, I-"

"Hey," Nicolie called as he joined us, "What's going on?"

Marlene looked at me. "Oh, never mind. Go on..."

"Ah... are you sure you don't have anything to say?" she asked.

"...I'm sure..."

As she walked away, I felt my heart twist and turn in knots.

But you love her, don't you?

Yes... I do love her...

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(Marlene's POV)

I was completely crushed. I thought Skipper was going to say he loved me... I sighed deeply. Why didn't he love me?

Sigh... Can't worry about that now. I needed to focus on Rune and Kowalski. No matter what, Rune loved Kowalski and Kowalski loved her; that I was sure of. Just as I got into deep thought on how to hook the two up, I heard sobbing. "Private?"

The young penguin was sitting by a base of the zoo's tree, crying like there was no tomorrow.

"Private? What's wrong?" I asked the little penguin.

"Trixy doesn't like me the way I like her," he sobbed. "Why can't I have someone who cares for me like Rune cares for Kowalski?!" He abruptly stopped crying and covered his beak with his flippers.

My eyes widened. "You know about them too?!"

"Y-Yes... Did Rune tell you? I shorta figured it out on my own," he explained.

"Ah...no, not really... I kinda over heard," I confessed. I leaned over and grabbed Private's flipper.

"Wait! Where are we going?!"

To find Rico, and then confront Rune!"

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(Rico's POV)

To be honest, I had no intensive to interfere with Rune and Kowalski; I didn't even want to think about it. So, of course when Marlene dragged Private up to me and she told me they were going to confront her, I wanted no part of it. Still, Marlene grabbed my flipper and pulled me and Private off. Nothing good can come form what she was about to do...I was sure of it...

***

"Rune!" Marlene called out as soon as we spotted the mainly rich brown lemur...Ya know, Rune's fur always reminded me of chocolate which-

"You did what!?!?" Rune's angry growl snapped my attention back.

"I wasn't actually spying... I was, ah, I just over heard," Marlene said nervously.

"You...you...You noisy bitch!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"How could you," Rune growled, "I only told Rico because I knew he wouldn't interfere and I knew Private knew, 'cause, well, he's smart about love stuff, but this is exactly why I didn't tell you!"

"Calm down," Marlene begged, "I just thought you could use some help."

"Oh really?" Rune snufted. "I think you and Skipper could use some help! And what's with you and Nicolie? Is he your sex buddy or something?!"

Marlene gasped. "What!?!? Nicolie isn't my sex buddy! He's my friend! And what about me and Skipper?!?"

I sighed. Women! Their arguing was totally pointless. I turned to Private to see his out take on this. He seemed concerned about the fighting.

"Let me handle this," Rune said finally. She seemed to have calmed down a it. "I'll Tell Kowalski...eventually."

Marlene let out a frustrated sight. "Okay, whatever. Do what you want."

When Marlene's back was turned, Rune mocked the otter, then stuck out her tounge.

I began to burst out laughing. Man, Rune was so cool! Why don't I hang out with her more?

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A/N: Wow. I think this might have been my longest chapter ever! ...Yeah, don't worry about

'Nicatia' and Rune's past. That's all gonna be explained in another story, okay?

As for the part i like the best... When Rune got all fire-y and called Marlene a bitch! XD I don't hate Marlene, just so ya guys know, okay? I just thought it would be funny ^^;

Aww! Poor Private! T.T *huggles*

Please review and tell me if it should be Skilene or not!