It was only a few days, but to Rusty, it seemed like a lifetime before the humans opened the crates, and let the penguins out. Rusty, who was leaning against the door, tumbled out onto the snow.

"Hey, where'd that chick come from!" one of the men asked. "He wasn't there when we shipped them off to New York."

"Maybe it was planned for him to come here from the zoo. It looked pretty crowded with all the penguins," a second said. The men shrugged, and left the penguins.

"Wh-where is th-th-the v-v-v-village?" Rusty asked, shivering.

"Follow us," Sal said, as the adults waddled away. Rusty scampered after them, hoping the exercise would warm him up. The adults didn't seem to notice the coldness, compared to the spring day in New York. In fact, they looked more comfortable in this environment.

An hour later, as they climbed to the top of a snowy hill, Rusty saw tons of igloos stretched out before them. Many looked damaged, and penguins all around were fixing them up, and helping each other.

"We have a very good community," Sal explained. "Everyone knows everyone else, and they help out in any way they can. Your mother – she helps out the most. Always thinking of others first, and tiring herself out everyday to get everyone comfortable."

"Will I be a bother, then?" Rusty asked.

"Probably not, if you help her." He scanned the area. "There she is." Sal pointed out a penguin about Rico's hight, with an hourglass figure, and ruffled feathers. She was carrying baskets full of food to some workers fixing an igloo that was destroyed. A family of penguins stood nearby, watching.

"That's Jackson's family's house," Aqua explained, as they neared the group. "He got the worst of it, since he was having a family barbeque the night the seals came."

"Is Jackson helping fix his house?" Rusty asked.

"Too injured," Nef replied, shaking her head. "Lost a leg, and still healing. His wife and two daughters can't help out much, either, but Veronica, she takes care of them." Rusty sighed to himself. His mother seemed like the most wonderful person in the world; helpful, kind, caring. He wasn't as much; selfish at times, sometimes lazy, and rude. He was hoping his mother's ways would rub off on him. He followed Sal, as the other penguins went their separate ways.

As they approached her, Sal called out.

"Hey, Veronica!"

"Sal, you're back," Veronica replied happily, not looking up from what she was doing. She had a slight Southern accent.

"Veronica, there's someone here I want you to meet." Veronica looked up, as he motioned to Rusty, and she gasped.

"Oh my goodness," she cried, putting her flipper to her mouth. "It's like going back in time, to my childhood. Alpha, that ain't you, is it?" Rusty looked shyly at her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, no, sorry to disappoint you, uh… Mom…" he mumbled. Veronica looked almost to tears.

"Why, y'all even sound like Alpha when he was a child," she said. "You certainly are my son."

"Rusty was very upset when he couldn't meet you in New York," Sal explained. "So his father and I agreed-"

"He ain't got a father!" Veronica snapped. "He may have an adopted daddy, but he ain't got a father." She picked up her empty baskets, and walked off in a hurry. Rusty stared after her, feeling awkward, and upset. Sal put a flipper on his shoulder.

"Don't worry; give her some time."

Later that day, they went to Veronica's house.

"I'm leaving him with you," Sal said sternly, when she answered the door.

"Send him back to that zoo of his, and I'll visit him when I'm good and ready," Veronica replied just as sternly.

"He's your responsibility, being your son," Sal said. Veronica stared hard at him, then sighed, taking Rusty's flipper, and pulling him through the door, slamming it in Sal's face. Rusty noted she was also very stubborn.

"Alright, you can stay here until you go home," she said in a slightly gentler tone. "But y'all have to help out in this village, too, ya know."

"Oh, I knew that from the beginning!" Rusty told her.

"And y'all stay out of the way when you're not needed," she continued.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now, what you can do now is- What's that you got?" She pointed at his painting, which he had safely tucked under his wing.

"A painting," he explained. "Of the Central Park Zoo." He showed it to her. "That's the penguin habitat, where I live."

"That's nice," Veronica said. "You got his talent of art, too."

Ease-play eview-ray. LOL! XD