chapter 16

A/N so this is the second last chapter, the last one wil just be an epilogue though. I just want to say thanks to everybody who read this story and reviewed and stuff, knowing people actually read this story made me want to update more, becuase if nobody read it, i probably wouldn't have the energy to finish it, so thanks :'D

"Self destruct initiated"

Private's eyes widened as he heard the voice and turned to Kowalski, who was standing shocked behind him.

"5 minutes" The mechanical voice announced and began a countdown.

Private began digging frantically. I can't let Skipper die; I won't give up until... He broke out into sobs, thinking of a dead Skipper. Skipper, I'm coming, I'm not going to leave you. Just hang on, please! He dug furiously now, ignoring his scraped and bleeding flippers. "Skippah!" He cried into the soil, desperately trying to reach his leader.

"3 minutes" The voice announced.

At this Kowalski stood up slowly. "Its over. It's hopeless. Skipper's gone..." he wiped away a tear he didn't know he was capable of.

"NO!" Private screeched. "I'm not giving up! We can still save him!"

"I'm sorry Private. There's not enough time, Skipper would... want us to save ourselves" He turned way, embarrassed by his rare display of emotion.

"I never thought you were a quitter Kowalski," Private whispered, feeling his broken flipper strike a rock and cried out in pain, but continued on. "You can give up, but I won't, I won't give up on Skippah."

Kowalski turned away sadly. "Private please, getting yourself killed isn't going to help Skipper."

"No, but I'd be with him. I wouldn't have to spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have saved him, if I only hadn't given up, I'm not going to have that burden on me. If I die saving Skippah then at least he knows I tried, that I let nothing stop me from trying and persevering."

Kowalski had no reply, pondering what relationship the youngest had with their leader to make him act this way. Yes, I would like to save Skipper, but would I risk my own life for him? I feel so selfish, but he won't be forgotten, ever.

Kowalski and Rico turned away, walking down the steep cliffs to seek refuge.

"2 minutes" The voice said.

"AHHHH!" Private yelled, pounding at the dirt angrily, seeing his broken and bruised flippers seep blood into the muddy brown soil and rocks. He punched the soil in anger again, feeling close to defeat. He felt himself fall through air and was too shocked to react. He landed in what seemed like a control room and stood up swiftly, overjoyed. I finally made it! He looked up, searching for Skipper.

"Skippah!" Private shouted frantically, knowing every second counted. He heard a muffled reply and sprinted into the main room. He spotted his leader lying on the floor, his foot gushing blood.

"Private?" Skipper asked, astonished. "Private" He said again, this time a hint of anger in his voice. "Get the hell out of here while you can. What are you doing? GO!"

"No" Private said defiantly. "I can't do that Skippah". Private searched for something to wrap the older's foot with.

"One minute, 30 seconds"

"Shut up!" Private shouted frustrated.

He quickly knelt down beside his leader, wrapping the foot as gently while effectively as he could. Skipper moaned in pain as Private moved him.

"Private, please save yourself" Skipper pleaded.

"Shhh, you have to rest Skippah, I'm not leaving you"

"51 seconds"

Private hoisted Skipper up onto his back, planning to piggyback him to safety. He grunted with the effort. Skipper's not exactly light.

"Its okay, I can walk" Skipper argued, not wanting to cause Private any more problems.

"No you can't" Private said, stating the obvious and making his way to the exit painfully slow.

Private felt his heart tingle at the feel of Skipper so close. If we die, at least it will be with Skipper. NO! You can't think like that, stop it! He continued on his slow trudge to the door.

"30 seconds"

Private scrambled now, launching himself and Skipper out the exit.

"Hold you breath!" Private shouted before they both plunged underwater. Private grasped the older's flipper, pulling him through the water as fast as he could, his heart pounding. He swam as fast as he could, but he wasn't fast enough.

Private heard the powerful explosion behind them and felt shards of rock, metal and dirt rain down on them. He dived deeper, swimming even further away before going to the surface desperately for air. He gasped as he broke the surface, peering at Skipper worriedly.

Skipper also gasped for air, feeling woozy from holding his breath for so long. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before turning to the younger. He rescued me, even though I told him not to. He risked his life for me...

"That was the stupid, most dangerous, reckless thing you could have done!" Skipper said angrily. His voice softened and he pulled the younger to him, Private could have sworn he saw tears in the others eyes. "Thank you" Skipper murmured, hugging him tightly. He opened his beak again to speak, but Private covered it with his good flipper.

"Please don't yell at me yet Skippah, at least not until we're safe."

Private said, searching for any help he could find. He spotted tiny island on the horizon and asked Skipper. "Think you can make it over there?" There was no response from the leader, he had passed out.

You can't die, not after I rescued you! Private began making his way towards the island, Skipper half in his arms.

He could feel himself weakening considerably as they reached the tiny island. He shoved Skipper onto the beach and collapsed beside him. He snuggled next to his unconscious leader, resting. He felt the sand next to him become sticky and sat up, holding his beak to keep from puking. Skippers foot. The leaders foot was soaked in blood, while more gushed out. Blood. So much blood.

He stumbled backwards and promptly puked into a bush. He stood up, afraid to look back at Skipper. He distracted himself by picking up leaves to wrap the foot. He walked back to skipper, kneeling to inspect the injuries more closely. He peered at the foot, feeling the bile rise in his throat again. It doesn't even really look like a foot. There was a big gash half the length of the foot from the laser where the blood was pouring from. He cringed, trying to stop the bleeding, wrapping the foot gingerly. He went to stroke Skipper's feathers sadly, finding another sticky spot. Oh Skipper, your beautiful feathers. The leaders usually pearly white stomach feathers were slowly being stained a reddish tinge.

Private gathered some water from the ocean, dabbing it on Skippers wound.

"I don't know if you can hear me Skippah, but this might hurt a bit, I'm sorry."

Skipper tensed as the water was dabbed on. Private finished cleaning Skippers wounds as well as he could and gently rested his head on the others chest, wrapping his flipper around the older's, listening to the 'thump thump' of Skippers beating heart.

Skipper opened an eye, his whole body aching. He moaned in pain as his foot began throbbing again. "Private" he said sternly.

Private could tell by his leaders tone that he was in trouble. "I'm sorry Skippah, but I couldn't leave you. I know I disobeyed an order but I'm sorry, I know your going to yell at me, I kind of deserve it, maybe I'm selfish not wanting to imagine a life without you, but I just couldn't give up"

"I'm not going to yell, as much as I want to...thank you, again, even if it was the most stupid thing you could have done, you risked your life for me, and I'm touched that you'd do that for me, your too good for me, you have a good heart Private...I don't know what I can say..."

"Its okay Skippah, I think I know now what they mean by blinded by love. I was so scared that you would die that I didn't think about anything other than saving you. I didn't care about the dangers or even if I died, they seemed unimportant Skippah, all I though about was saving you."

Skipper began sniffling. "That's what scares me Private, I don't want you to get hurt for me"

"Skippah, I'd do anything for you, your not going to change my mind, so don't even try."

Skipper sighed, knowing the little penguin could be stubborn. "My stupid foot!" he shouted in pain.

Private scampered, wishing he could do something to help. He gathered some leaves to re-wrap Skipper's foot and watched as Kowalski and Rico tiredly collapsed onto the beach.

"Kowalski! Rico!" Private shouted happily, dropping the leaves promptly and running over to the other members of the team.

Kowalski stood dumfounded. "Private?" he asked, not believing his eyes. "But... but...you made it? You're alive!"

Rico wrapped the smallest into a bear hug before spotting his leader and running over.

"You got to help Skippah, he's hurt really bad," Private said urgently.

"And your not?" Kowalski surveyed the bloody and bruised penguin before him. Worse than this? That's horrifying.

Both penguins quickly ran to their leader.

Kowalski saw him and knew instantly that is was bad. "I have to go get the submarine and take him to the vet, its too bad for me to do anything." Before he finished he was already diving back into the water.

"Hurry, please" Private whispered softly, pressing a flipper to Skippers foot to try to stop the bleeding.

Skipper opened his eyes at the pressure. "You're so brave," he whispered.

"No I'm not Skippah," Private laughed.

"Yes you are Private, don't you dare say that. Your the bravest little guy a know. You saved me Private, you could have died, I think that's brave, if it isn't I don't know what is. And your still here with me, you didn't leave..."

"I'm not brave Skippah, I was scared." Private objected. "There's a huge difference between fear and bravery. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to help you, that there wouldn't be time, that you might die. No Skippah, I wasn't brave at all, I was petrified, I'd never been so scared in my life Skippah." His voice cracked and he took a deep breath.

"I'd say that's pretty brave Private, most people wouldn't have wanted to take the risk, they would have been more afraid of dying than losing someone. It's okay to be afraid, but you didn't let that stop you, it fuelled you, it happens to everybody and I still call it bravery, because its you."

"I'm not afraid of dying Skippah" The youngest stated bluntly. "What's there to be afraid of?"

"And you say you aren't brave" Skipper whispered, struggling to sit up. "Holy... you look terrible," he said stroking the younger.

"Not as bad as you" Private said with a smile.

Skipper laughed, leaning against the younger for support. "Good thing there's no mirror around" he joked.

Private smiled and realized the bleeding had stopped. He pulled his flipper away and leaned down with a sigh.

"Go sleep" Rico said, appearing next to them.

Private realized how close he was sitting to Skipper and scooted away quickly. Oh dear, I didn't know he was here, I thought he went with Kowalski. Oh dear! How much did he hear? Does he know? Is it that obvious?

"Go sleep" Rico said again, pushing Private against Skipper with a small smile. "Aww" he said before waddling a few feet away, leaving the two penguins to the sleep they so desperately needed.

Private snuggled in closer to his leader. "Its okay Skippah, everything's going to be okay now," he murmured reassuringly.