Hello, everyone! This is Umbra the Hedgehog signing back in! Well, uh...here it is. Last chapter, people. Came out just in time for that special month, too. In fact, it was a little faster than I thought it would be. I guess that's what happens when you like something so much. Anyway, I better stop it so you can read.

NOTE:

-I do not own anything presented in this story other than my own OC.

Operation: Unite and Conquer

Chapter 5: PHASE THREE – The catalyst.

As dawn broke over the Central Park Zoo, Marlene was on her bed, sleeping peacefully. The sun's reflection made its way into her habitat, waking her up like it usually did. She slowly got up from her bed, letting out a yawn and heading outside, ready for her morning swim.

As she made her way out, however, she noticed that her roommate wasn't around.

"He's probably with the boys." Marlene quietly laughed to herself.

She then jumped into her pool. After all the tension that had been going on after Jason's arrival, the female found her morning swim really relaxing. As she made some underwater spins, she managed to get her mind off of everything, thinking about nothing but the feeling of the water covering her.

As she came out to the surface for a breath, Jason came back right in front of her, like the penguins usually did, except he came out with a jump, landing with one hand.

"Whoo, yeah! I still got it!"

Marlene was left surprised. "H-how did you do that?"

"Believe it or not..." The male got on his feet. "...that's what happens when you watch lots of TV." He scratched the back of his head, with a goofy grin on his face.

Marlene couldn't help but laugh.

This caught Jason's attention. "Good to see you laugh. You've been awfully tense."

"I guess I just needed a swim." She gave out a smile. "I forgot how relaxing the pool was."

"Yeah, maybe I should have a swim sometime."

As Marlene came out of the pool, she asked him a question. "So, where were you?"

"Oh, right. I went to talk with Kowalski." Marlene's guess was proven correct. "I wanted to see if he could help me get satellite TV." Jason then took out a little gadget. "Turns out he can. I'm gonna go and install it."

He headed inside, and Marlene followed him, curious to see if it worked.

"OK, I think it goes here." He placed the gadget on top of his TV. "Now, let's turn it on."

As he turned it on, some voices could be heard from it.

"...and that's the end of this show for today!"

And then, the image began to appear.

"Yes! It works!"

Marlene was left confused. "How does that work?"

"Kowalski said this thing is supposed to be some sort of miniature satellite dish. He said their TV has one too."

"I guess you have several things to watch if you had to ask him for it."

"Yep. There's the Blue Beetle cartoon, reruns of Sonic the Hedgehog...they even say Spliced is back on qubo."

"That's nice...I guess."

As Jason sat down in front of the TV, the penguins came out of nowhere.

Marlene just stared. "Guys, do you ever knock?"

"You know we pride ourselves in a rapid response, Marlene." Skipper gave her his usual kind of answer.

Kowalski then noticed that his other otter friend was watching TV.

"I see this one works too." He then sat down next to Jason.

The otter turned to Kowalski. "Works like a charm." He then turned back to the TV. "Wow, look at that! A preview for the third season of Ratchet & Clank!"

As they watched TV, the others just looked at them silently.

"So, why did you guys come here?" Until Marlene broke the silence.

Private was the one who answered. "Remember the sabotage we managed to undo?" The female nodded. "Kowalski said the transfer was scheduled for today."

Skipper then took over for him. "And we've come to ensure that the new mammal arrives safely...and to ensure she's not a spy."

"Oh, Skippy. Still as paranoid as ever." Marlene stroked the top of his head, surprisingly affectionate.

As she slowly backed away, Skipper didn't know what disturbed him more. The fact that she just stroked his head...her calling him "Skippy"...him not caring that she called him "paranoid"...or the fact that this whole exchange resembled the one they had when she told them about her new roommate.

It took all of his willpower to not spill his guts and tell her what he felt, as he still wasn't sure if it was the right moment. As hard as it was for him, he had to admit it...Marlene was breaking through his defenses.

Thankfully for him, he was distracted by the sounds of the TV.

"Your luck is extraordinary, sir, but...do you lose as gracefully as you win?"

"I would not know, Maximilian. I never lose."

"There is a first time for everything...Agent Clank!"

As a short action scene began, Marlene let out a chuckle.

"Does that remind you of someone?"

Upon hearing this, the others had a small laugh. All of them except for Skipper.

They kept watching for a while, until the preview came to an end.

"Don't forget to catch it tonight at 8:00!"

Once it ended, a sound was heard from the outside. Immediately after, the penguins went into their fighting stances, while the otters just turned to the outside.

They all headed outside, stopping in front of another box.

"Well, here it is."

As Jason began to approach the box, he was stopped by Skipper. "Stay back, newcomer. Until we ensure that it's safe, this is a job for Rico."

Rico then regurgitated his flamethrower and pointed at the box.

After he poked it, the box opened up, and Jason's suspicions were confirmed.

"I hope this is the one." It was his girlfriend, Lani.

As she came out, she noticed that a penguin was carrying a flamethrower. However...

"Hey, uh...your flamethrower is blocked."

Rico tilted his head to the side, confused. After turning his flamethrower around, he noticed that, indeed, it had been blocked by a banana he had for breakfast. He then proceeded to swallow it back, disappointed and slightly ashamed.

Lani was left baffled by this, but not for long. "So, um...is there a green-eyed male otter with gray paws anywhere around here?"

"Affirmative." Skipper walked up to her. "But first..." He began to look her in the eye, the same way he had done with her boyfriend.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Private answered her question. "He does that to make sure you're not a spy or something similar."

Skipper then backed away from her. "Perfecto. Come with me." He then took her to where Jason was, behind Private and Kowalski.

Upon seeing her up close, he just froze.

"Um, Jason? Hello?"

And then, in the blink of an eye, he found himself hugging her.

"You're here...for real..." She was surprised by this, but quickly returned the embrace. "Lani...it's been only a few days, but darn, did it feel like an eternity!"

"I know. I...I really missed you, too. The habitat was really dull without you around." She closed her eyes. "And I missed your hugs, too..."

Kowalski looked at the two, satisfied.

"Just like I knew it would happen. Now, it's only a matter of time."

Marlene was the first to comment on this scene. "Aww, isn't that just sweet?"

Private watched as well, while Rico was kneeling in front of their usual entry point, his mushy love sensitivity getting the best of him. Skipper just stood, watching them without so much as a cough.

Jason and Lani then let go of each other.

"So, let me introduce you to the gang." He turned to Marlene. "This is my roommate, Marlene."

Lani then walked up to her. "Hi, Marlene. Pleased to meet you."

"Oh, uh...right. Hi. Um...nice to meet you, Lani." Marlene had a little trouble forming that sentence.

He then took her to see the penguins. "And these are the zoo penguins." As he went through their names, he pointed at each one of them. "The flat-headed one's name is Skipper, the tall one is Kowalski, the short one's Private, and the one with the scar and mohawk is Rico."

They all saluted her, which left her slightly confused.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." The other two otters told her in unison.

Skipper then turned to his men. "Alright, men. Our work here is done."

As they headed for the exit, Jason stopped them.

"Hey, guys!"

Skipper was the one who answered. "What is it?"

"Actually..." He scratched the back of his head again. "If you guys don't mind, can we welcome Lani...uh, penguin-style? Is that right?"

"I'll let it slide. Go on."

"Well, Marlene worked hard on my welcome. I'd say she definitely deserves a break. Besides, your boys look like they could use some fun. What do you say, Skipper?"

Skipper remained silent, trying to make his decision.

"......Very well." He then turned to his men. "Attention, soldiers. We are having a welcome party!"

Everyone cheered at the sound of this.

As three of the penguins made their way back to their HQ, Skipper turned to Jason. "This is your girlfriend we are talking about. You better come with us."

"Aye-aye, Skipper." Once again, Jason joked around with him, which got a laugh out of Lani.

With this, Skipper entered the secret passageway, thinking about one thing.

"First Marlene, and now this guy...what is it about otters that makes them so persuasive?"

Jason, however, stayed behind for a moment. "I'm gonna leave the ladies alone for a while. Have fun!"

The two females responded in unison. "We will!"

Jason then went into the secret passageway too.

Later that day, at night...

As Jason and the penguins prepared Lani's welcome party, she and Marlene got to know each other very well. They had a long talk, went out for a tour of the zoo, and even managed to see Alice not caring about the recent transfer, just like she usually did about everything else. During all this, they were surprised to find that they also shared several interests, like their love for candy.

As they made their way back home, Marlene could feel her happiness rise to insanely high levels. Lani was like the sister she never had. And the fact that there was another female in the zoo that she could talk to, not to mention one who would live with her, just made it all the better.

The only thing that could possibly top it off, she thought, was Skipper saying what she wanted to hear from him.

She kept thinking about this when they arrived at their habitat, but was distracted from those thoughts when Jason popped out of the secret tunnel. This time, however, only his head was visible.

"Hey, girls. We're all done. Come over here." With these words, he went back inside. The two then went into the tunnel.

After some sliding and walking, they found themselves inside the penguins' base. Marlene was surprised to see that the military HQ look was dropped in favor of a more festive look.

"Oh, hey." Private greeted them. "You're just in time."

Jason wrapped his arm around Lani. "This is all for you!"

The party went smoothly. There was a regular dinner, a game of Musical Chairs (as you can guess, it was Private who suggested it), a game of hockey, a fish duel, and even the usual poker games that the penguins had. Even Skipper found himself having a lot of fun during the party.

And then, it all came down to the final event: a fireworks display.

Rico stood in front of all the fireworks, while all the others sat away from them.

Skipper then gave the order. "Rico...make them fly."

The manic penguin regurgitated his flamethrower, having unblocked it during the preparations, and lit the fuses.

"Kaboom!" Immediately after, the first rocket exploded.

Rico then went back to the others, as the rest of the fireworks began to fly.

As they kept on exploding, they caught the attention of the other zoo animals, though only briefly, not enough to keep them watching. The penguins and otters, on the other hand, just sat and kept watching.

"Alright, it's time to end this plan." Kowalski thought, knowing what his friend would do during this.

During this remarkable sight, Jason wrapped his arm around Lani again. Near immediately, the female leaned onto him, both of them staring into the sky with a smile on their faces.

"It doesn't get any better than this." Upon saying this, he stroked his girlfriend's cheek.

"I wouldn't trade this for anything." Lani sighed happily. "The sky is just beautiful."

Jason then turned to her. "Yeah, but I know someone who can top that."

"Sappy as always, huh?" She let out a chuckle.

"Heh, you know you love it."

As this ensued, Private just stared into the sky, Rico was firing away into a paper bag, and Kowalski just kept taking glances at Skipper and Marlene, who had been distracted from the fireworks display by the scene that was next to them.

They were both going over the same thought: when was Skipper going to speak up?

"Attention, everyone." They didn't have to wonder for long.

Everyone turned to the source to the sentence. Skipper was standing up, which left them slightly confused. All of them except for Jason and Kowalski, who knew where this was heading.

"I have something important to say." Skipper took a step forward. "But before I do, be warned: given the matter at hand, you might want to stay away from Rico. Trust me, you should."

This got a laugh out of all the others.

"Alright. Now, I continue."

With this comment, he turned towards Marlene, holding out his flipper in front of her.

"It's now or never. There's not going to be another moment like this one."

As he went over this, Marlene reached out and grabbed his flipper. Once Skipper helped her up, he turned back to the others. However, there was one thing she noticed once she was on her feet...he was still cradling her paw in his flipper.

"I've had something to say for a long time. Something I've kept on the deepest, darkest corners of my mind." Skipper's voice had softened again. "The two most recent zoo transfers have made me realize that...I can't keep it in there anymore."

He then turned to Marlene. It was obvious to her now that he didn't plan on letting go of her paw.

"Marlene..."

There was no going back now. It was time to swallow his pride and get down to business.

"We've been through so much together. Almost as much as me and the boys. And now, looking back on all of it, I want to thank you for all those times." He was staring deep into her eyes, though not in the same way he did with the other two otters. "I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything in this world. I..."

He made a pause, trying to find the proper follow-up. Marlene, on the other hand, just stood in front of Skipper, speechless.

Skipper took a deep breath before continuing. "I've really come to appreciate your company, Marlene. I don't think the zoo would be the same without you." He then took her other paw. "And I can't imagine what I would do if that happened. I just don't want to. I doubt that I could live with it. I want you here...with us...with me." He came closer, their faces separate only by a few centimeters. "What I'm trying to get to is...I..."

He made another pause. The others were just staring in shock, even the ones who orchestrated this moment. They never would have guessed that Skipper could put together such sentences. Marlene just kept staring, so shocked but overjoyed at the same time that she just barely remembered to breathe.

"Marlene..." Though with some difficulty, the words finally came out. "I...I love you."

At the very same time, one of the fireworks exploded, almost as if to celebrate this moment.

After these words, Skipper finally let go of Marlene's paws, and backed away slowly with his eyes shut tightly, bracing himself for whatever was going to happen next. However, not even that could prepare him for what came next...

Nothing.

He opened his eyes, which met the image of Marlene. She still kept staring at him. His speech had caught her completely off-guard, and she didn't even know how to react at this.

Skipper turned away from her, heading towards the HQ entrance. However, he was prevented from making the first step when he found himself caught in Marlene's grip.

"Skipper..." He turned around to face her again. "That's...the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me. You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that." Now it was his turn to be caught off-guard. "And how long I've wanted to do this..."

Much to his surprise, Marlene came closer and planted a kiss next to his beak.

"I love you too, Skipper."

A smile made its way to Skipper's face, which was met by the smile that was already on Marlene's face. As they hugged each other, the others gave them a huge cheer.

During this, Jason and Kowalski stood next to each other.

"Well, we've done it. They finally said it."

"And it sure was worth it. Skipper seems really happy."

"So does Marlene. And I sure as heck am happy too."

They gave each other a low-five.

Lani then joined them. "What's up, guys?"

"Don't worry, I'll tell you later." Jason told her, with a grin on his face again. "Speaking of, what time is it?"

Kowalski took out his abacus. "Well, judging by our shadows, the position of the moon, and the location of the clock's hands, it's roughly...7:58."

Upon hearing this, Jason's eyes widened with shock. "Oh, man! I almost forgot! That new Ratchet episode comes out today at 8!"

"There's new episodes?" Lani replied, surprised.

"They advertised them right before you got here. We better get back home if we want to catch it in time!"

"Right behind you!"

The two then entered the penguin HQ, intending to use the secret passageway to get there as fast as possible. Private and Rico soon followed, leaving Kowalski alone outside with Skipper and Marlene.

But not for long. "And with that, I take my leave. I better let them be by themselves."

With this, he entered the HQ, which left only Skipper and Marlene outside.

"This is the best day of my life."

"I agree. This is a moment I will remember for the rest of my days." Marlene made a pause before continuing. "But promise me one thing, Skipper."

"And what's that?"

"Don't get so sappy all the time, OK?"

"I can't promise you anything." Skipper replied, mockingly.

This earned him a light nudge. "Same old Skippy. That's the way I like you."

With this, Marlene turned away from him, planning to go back to her habitat.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

"You always will." Skipper also made his way inside. "Good night, Marlene."

"Good night, Skipper."

With this, he went back inside his base, while she jumped into the water.

Operation: Unite and Conquer is officially a success.

There it is. It wasn't easy, I tell you. I actually had to rewrite several parts of this over and over again. Despite that, I think it ended nicely. I really hope you think the same, people.

My thanks go to all my readers, reviewers, and the users who faved and/or added this little story to their alerts. This is all for you, and it wouldn't have finished if you hadn't kept your eye on it.

P.S: I'm done with this, but that doesn't mean it's the end. If any of you wants me to, I can make a follow-up. Just PM me or leave me a review if you want a continuation.

This is Umbra the Hedgehog signing off.