Author note: I own nothing

*Something Beyond Friendship*

-Night 3 and Answers to Questions

"Hehehe," Skipper nervously rubbed the back of his neck waiting for Marlene to, he wasn't sure what she would do but he knew that he was in for it.

"Look Marlene I...I didn't mean to say that it was just a heat of the moment kind of thing. I guess that I just wanted to make sure that that creep didn't hurt you!" Skipper was babbling like an idiot.

Suddenly he heard something he didn't suspect to hear. Marlene was...laughing. Giggling acutally. He couldn't believe this, she was laughing at him. Him! The comander of a military team! Him! Who saved her butt more times then he could count! Why was she laughing?

"I'm-I'm sorry Skipper," Marlene choked out between laughes, "it's just that you're the last person that I expected to yell that out to anyone." She continued to laugh uncontrollable, only this time Skipper didn't get angry. He started to laugh with her.

"Wow!" Marlene said catching her breath.

"What is it, Marlene?" Skipper asked panting as well.

"It's just I don't think that I've ever seen you so relaxed before. Heck, I don't think that I've every heard you truely laugh until now!" She said staring at him.

"Hmmmmm...who are you and what have you done to Skipper?" She mock interrogated him.

"It's me Marlene, trust me." "Now, Skipper about what you said," Marlene began.

'Crud!' Skipper thought.

"What was that your way of asking me out on a date?" Marlene asked nervously.

"Huh?" that was not what he expected her to ask.

"What! Oh nothing I said nothing!" Marlene panicked. "Come on we should probably find the others." Marlene started to head to the door.

"Actually, yes," Marlene froze.

She turned back to him, "What?"

"Would you like to go out with me?" Skipper asked suavely.

"Um...sure. Yeah I would!" Marlene said shocked and happy at the same time.

"Congradulations!" Kaycee jumped out from behind a near-bye bush. "Yeesh it took the two of you long enough."

"She's right. Y'all must have everyone going nuts wondering when the two of you would get together."

"The two of you were about to drive me blooming bonkers."

"Oui, the two if you are the most stubborn people I have ever met, and I am French!"

"Since when is our love life anybody's business?" Marlene asked angry, embarrassed, and amused at the same time.

"Since always! Face it, once you come into the world everything you do is everyone's business." Kaycee pointed out.

"Anyway for your date you wear that outfit, Marlene and no buts! Its all yours. Ohhhhhh go to Hana's Sushi Hut! That would be so perfect! They have kariyoki and some of the best sushi ever. Then go to the observatory to see the sun rise. Oooohhhhh the ghost moon looks so pretty in the fire lit sky." Kaycee started rambleing about the date ideas and getting all hyper. This girl was three flavors of crazy: mild, insane, and psycopath.

"Kaycee...Kaycee...Kaycee...Kaycee...Kaycee...Kaycee!" Skipper yelled trying to get the hyperactive marsupial to calm down.

"Huh? Oh wait! I need to get you ready Skip! Follow me!" Before he could react Kaycee had already dragged him behind the curtain.

"Okay! Lets see what we got for you. Hmmmm...top hat, no...red bow tie, uh-uh...Phatom of the Opra Mask? Whats that doing here?...there's were my Jason mask

went to...googles., noooo...bowler hat, ewwww...Ah-hah! This has possibilites!" Kaycee pulled out a couple of clothing items and before Skipper could blink, she had them on him.

"Take a look in the mirror, Skip!" Kaycee said pointing to the full mirror off to the side.

Causously Skipper waddled over to the mirror, not sure what he'ld see. When he finally staring at his reflection he found that she had ut him in a dark trench coat and dark gray fedora. A private eye? Really? While it sounded kinda dumb it looked striking on him. However he felt something under the coat. Opening it up he found that he was also wearing a dark gray suit vest with a lapel.

He liked the outfit. It was kinda James Bondy. Suave.

"I have to say, not bad Kaycee." Skipper said closing the coat and sticking his flippers in his pocket turning to her.

When he turned he was greeted by a bouqet of cherry blossoms, lotus blossoms, and roses in his face.

"Give theses to her you idiot!" Kaycee snapped at him. He grabbed them partly because he knew that Marlene would like them and partly because he was afraid of Kaycee. This chick was no push over.

"Great now breath check." She sniffed his mouth and immediatly started gagging. "Gross, dude really. Look I know that you don't have teeth but pop in a mint every now and then. Whooo! That's some stanky breath! Here use this, better yet take it with you, too. Yeesh! I've heard of fish breath but that's just ridiculous!"

Skipper froze in place at the door...er curtain. He couldn't do this. Marlene was his best friend outside the team. What if he messed up? What if their friendship was ruined? What if she ever got kidnapped by Blowhole? That was it. He couldn't do this. Time to go back to the penguin habitat and stay there. He couldn't do it! He couldn't do! He could-

"Don't get all worked up like that. Look that girl over there-out there likes you. She wants you to go out there, be a man, and take her out for dinner. Look she feel for you quirks and all, ands you're going to let her go." Skipper realised that Kaycee was right. He needed to go out there. He needed not only to go out there...he wanted to.

"You're right."

"Duuuhhhh!"

"Here goes...everything." Taking a deep breath, he steped outside the curtain.

Scene! As I was editing I didn't like how blunt it was! Telling me what you thought. And Skipper "James Bondy" really.