Skipper paced the apartment like a caged tiger. He'd been doing that most of the day, and all Private could think of was that it was some kind of meditation, but Skipper wouldn't be caught dead doing that. Private could tell Skipper was upset. It was so obvious even Kowalski or Rico probably could. What Private had been thinking over the last fifteen minutes was how to get him to admit it. He knew how Skipper dealt with emotions: he bottled everything up, which only made the problem worse.
"Skippah?" Private finally broke the silence, only to be acknowledged with an annoyed grunt, "You know that model kit Nigel sent you for Christmas?"Private didn't receive much more than a 'leave me alone' glare. Still, something was eating at Skipper, and he was going to find out what it was, "I don't suppose you want to have a go at building it?"
"Models aren't my kinda thing," Skipper finally replied, "ask Kowalski."
"I just thought you seemed a bit bored," Private realised this was going nowhere. Still, he had only one other option, "Skippah, would you look at me when I'm talking to you?" Skipper hazarded a glance up from the floor, only to be met with Private's signature puppy dog look, "Please build it with me, Skippah?"
"Alright," Skipper grumbled reluctantly.
"Thanks Skippah." Private beamed, to which he got a hint of a smile. Well, it was a start.
"Pass me piece alpha two niner," Skipper ordered, engrossed in the two pieces, both no larger than the head of a pin, which he was trying to glue together.
"Alright…" Private searched through the various numbers on the plastic frame that denoted the parts beside them, "A 28 as well? They're identical."
"No, that's the next step."
"Piece A 29," Private presented his leader with the part. That really was all he'd been doing most of the afternoon, handing Skipper pieces. The one thing he hadn't expected that on reading through the first step Skipper would discover quite the aptitude for models, and all but snatch the pieces from Private's hands.
Private looked at his watch. He'd given Skipper ample time to calm down.
"Skippah, what was bothering you earlier?" Private asked tentatively.
"Um… Y'know, this and that," Skipper dodged, "pass me pieces alpha two eight and alpha three."
"No." Private replied stubbornly. He moved the pieces out of reach as Skipper's hand extended to get them himself, "You're not building any more of the model until you tell me what's wrong."
"Give that back!" skipper ordered, somewhat childishly.
"I'm going to be quite firm," Private stated, doing his best to imitate Mrs Snodgrass, the teacher who'd been the central point of many of his childhood nightmares, "You will not build one more step of that kit until you tell me what is the matter."
"That is not fair, Private!" objected Skipper, and he almost attempted to forcibly take the kit back, but Private's undeniably adorable scowl made him back down, "Alright…"
"Well?"
"I suppose you could call it girl trouble," Skipper replied sadly, "It's pretty stupid of me even to be upset, I probably should have even seen it coming…"
"Is this about Marlene?" Private asked. Skipper nodded. He'd picked up snippets of information from conversation between the older members of the group about what had happened, "It's alright to feel..."
"She was a spy, Private," skipper stated, "I should have been able to tell. I slipped up, and depending on the information she had on us…"
"Stop trying to overcomplicate the issue," Private interrupted softly, "You couldn't care less about the mission. You miss her."
"I don't know how you came up with…" Private raised an eyebrow, "alright, I miss her."
"Well that's quite simple, then. It might hurt, but eventually you'll move on."
"I guess I will." Skipper replied, and Private was almost about to hand him back the kit, when he noticed something else in his expression that he was obviously trying to hide.
"Do you think you might have been a little quick to judge her a spy?" Private asked.
"No." Skipper replied with false conviction.
"I see." Private could spot denial a mile away, "Tell me what happened last night."
"Well, she beat up two lobsters," Skipper replied shortly, "I tried to ask her how she knew those moves, and she turned the gun on me."
"Don't you think that would be a normal course of action for someone in her position?" Private asked, "What would you do if someone snuck up on you, after you'd just been attacked?"
"I'd look before I shot."
"I mean, what would you have done before you started…? No, um… Skipper, before I started basic at the department, if I'd been that frightened, I would have shot first almost on instinct."
"Fight or flight. I get it." Skipper replied, though it was obvious he didn't really.
"Alright, continue."
"Well, when I restrained her, she accidentally called me by my code name. Naturally I was suspicious, so I pressed her for more answers…"
"Was she frightened?" Private asked, "Because she might have just said the first thing that came to mind. She might have called you Skipper because – and I hate to point this out – with all the follow up stories about the Penguins in the media, and you do look a lot like the photographs they have of your father…"
"She didn't look frightened," Skipper replied thoughtfully, "she seemed… guilty, I guess. That's what puzzled me."
"And yet you were quite certain when you passed judgement." Private countered with undisguised sarcasm.
Skipper sighed, raising his hands in mock defeat.
"Alright, I messed up, Private," he finally admitted, "Now that I think back on it, I might have judged her a bit harshly. She obviously wasn't a professional and…"
"Skipper?" Kowalski poked his head into the room, "I just got a call from Barry. He wants us over right away."
"What are you nervous about, Kowalski?" Skipper asked. The team was waiting in a sparsely decorated outer office. What they were waiting for, Kowalski wouldn't say, but he'd hinted at it being something to do with payment.
"Nothing, sir." The scientist lied.
"Then stop fidgeting, it's making me nervous too."
"Yes sir."
"He'll see you now," Barry announced, entering the room.
"You've kept me in suspense all afternoon," Skipper asked, standing up, the rest of the team following suit, "who was it who wanted to see us?"
"Oh, it's you that insisted on seeing him," Barry replied sarcastically, "Now hurry up, not all of us have carefree schedules like you."
On this note Skipper entered, though as soon as Skipper saw the man seated on the corner of his desk, his mood changed dramatically.
"What the hell have you done Kowalski," Skipper growled.
"Wait, you know him?" the lieutenant exclaimed, though he was one step away from cowering behind the nearest convenient object. The man on the desk looked up at him, and the scientist blanched, "Skipper…?"
"Kowalski, take the team outside," Skipper hissed, "Now." Immediately the three others obeyed. There was something about his expression that automatically silenced all questions.