"So… where were you transferred from?" Private asked. He and Sarah were currently sitting under a bench, enjoying some stolen popcorn. He'd already shown her around as much as possible, considering there were still people milling around the zoo. She'd gradually become more comfortable with him as time wore on.

"Actually," Sarah replied, "Mom and I weren't transferred. Our habitat in Boston is being remodeled. We'll have to go back in about three months, unfortunately."

"Oh." Private said quietly, disappointed that she wasn't staying after all. Then, her last word suddenly registered. "Unfortunately… don't you like your home?"

Sarah shook her head bitterly. "No, I hate it." She sighed, then continued.

"My mom worries about how I don't talk to anyone back in Boston. The truth is, it's much better this way - for me, at least. The other penguins, mainly the older ones that we call the 'elders', are all a bunch of hypocrites with no sense of originality or uniqueness. I've never really fit in since I don't have a father, but what really started it all was about three years ago, when some zoo-goer had left behind a pencil and notebook. I found it, and discovered I had talent at drawing. The others elders didn't approve somehow, and told me as such. I got angry and didn't listen to them, preferring to practice my new passion that continue to hold myself up to their double-standards. About last year, I finally got tired of the glares that the elders kept giving me, so I 'borrowed' a Sharpie marker from the zoo's main office, broke it apart, mixed the juice with a small tub of water, and dyed my feathers grey to show my newfound - if somewhat cynical - beliefs. My mom nearly had a capillary, but otherwise the act had the effect I desired - instead of wordless glares of disapproval, I got nothing, which is much better in my opinion."

"That's terrible!" Private exclaimed. "Don't - don't you get lonely, sometimes?"

"Not really." she said, shrugging. "I try to talk to my mom sometimes, but then she just tries to play psychiatrist and talks to me like I'm a nut or something."

"Do I really?" said a voice from behind Sarah and Private.

They both jumped - Private nearly poked Sarah in the eye after landing in a combat position, as per Skipper's training.

"Mom!" Sarah said exasperatedly. She saw Private and cracked a smile. "What are you doing?" she said to him.

"Uh, nothing, erm… army thing I had to learn." he said, a little embarrassed.

"Army - oh, that's why they call you Private?" Sarah said.

"Yes."

"I really am sorry to interrupt, sweetheart," Vanessa said contritely, "but both of you need to come back to the habitat. There's someone you should meet, Sarah."

…

Private seemed to be more surprised (even shocked) when Vanessa properly introduced Sarah and Skipper.

"You're my father?" Sarah said, almost amused.

"Apparently." Skipper replied stoically.

"Funny. I don't think you're a bigheaded, cold-hearted bast-"

"That's enough!" Vanessa said sharply.

Skipper raised an eyebrow at his ex-wife and shook his head. "Thanks a lot." he said sarcastically. Vanessa smiled slyly and shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, "Oh well, you know it's true."

"So… Sarah's… your… daughter?" Private said nervously.

"Yeah…" Skipper replied, already suspicious.

Private looked back for a second, then leaned over to Skipper and whispered innocently, "So… she's off-limits?"

Skipper's eyebrows shot up. "What - Private!"

Skipper grabbed Private's flipper and quickly led him outside to talk more freely.

"What are you talking about?" he said, a bit angry.

"I like her, okay?" Private admitted. "She's clever, and unique, and honest and… pretty, very pretty…"

Skipper slapped a flipper to his forehead. "Pretty - you do realize she looks exactly like me?"

"Skippah, I'm being quite serious!" Private said indignantly. "She's really special, and I think she could like me too!"

Skipper massaged his temple, trying to chase away the migraine. Too much was happening too fast. "That's just the problem! You know my daughter better than I do!" he nearly shouted.

"Oh. Right." Private said softly. "Sorry, Skippah. I understand." Private turned back to the fishbowl, clearly disappointed but trying to hide it.

"Oh… sweet mother of scallops!" Skipper muttered. "Private!"

"Hm?"'

"Look… it's definitely not that I don't trust you or anything, it's just… I haven't spoken more than two words to Sarah yet. I'd like to get to know her first, you know? Plus, I'm sure she and Vanessa want to get settled in first, you know, find a couple more beds, show them were the booby traps are, warn them about the lemurs…"

"I suppose."

"But, believe me," Skipper said encouragingly, "If there was any penguin I'd trust with my own daughter, it'd be you."

Private smiled. "Thanks, Skippah."

…

Meanwhile, after being introduced to Rico and Kowalski… sort of ("I already know you. Kowalski's the smart, tall one - Rico's the crazy one with the mohawk" *stares* "Private told me"), she figured she'd done more than enough socializing for the day and was beginning to feel more than a little uncomfortable. She retreated to a cool spot beside the TV set with her notebook and pencils, and within five minutes she was in the zone. She'd began a new drawing on the way from Boston and the initial plans were finished… or were they?

Sarah took a second look at her 'final' draft. It was going to be her usual gray, burgundy, and navy blue color schemes with abstract shapes - she was going to have the drawing represent the feeling that you could look as hard as you wanted, but what you were looking at wasn't meant to be anything. But now that she tried to not look as closely as before, she did see something - a pair of eyes. New to her, but still somehow familiar… eyes that she had an odd feeling would someday become very dear to her…

Sarah smiled to herself and began to emphasize Private's eyes, bringing meaning to her drawing at last.

By the way, I've got some stuff to hand out...

Dinosaur sprinkles AND the best review award (ice cream to go with) go to PurplePugQueen! *gives ice cream and sprinkles*

Star and moon sprinkles go to OrangeSugar and InternetGirl123! *gives sprinkles*

Dr. Blow - I mean DOLPHIN sprinkles go to CayennePeppr!

And, since nobody wanted them, the fish-shaped sprinkles go to the penguins I'm twisting the lives of in my awkward stories - Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, Private, Sarah, Vanessa, Katrina, and Chico (:P). Actually, Chico gets no sprinkles. He's evil. And dead.

Review!