A/N: References to the episode: Otter Things Have Happened.

Chapter 5 - Ace in the Hole

~Skipper's POV~

Marlene almost dragged me to the exit of our zoo but then she stopped, probably recalling that she couldn't go out because of her...going loco outside. "Could you finally tell me why you have such a problem today? Are we running away from Kowalski or what now?"
"No! It's just...I saw him and he was going to visit Doris and...I didn't want us to disturb him..." She avoided any eye contact with me so I didn't even have to ask Rico for the truth detector. Besides, I didn't know what happened to my weapon expert. "Kowalski plays...lies that he's a crush on the dolphin. So I believe we should make him abandon this circus because it's useless." I folded my flippers, waiting for options how to convince my lieutenant to face the truth. Instead the otter mumbled: "I couldn't care less what Kowalski is doing."
"What? You just said that-"
"I know what I said!" She yelled at me. That girl...this conversation lost its sense from the very beginning. I sighed, tired of her behaviour and attitude.

"You give me a headache, Marlene. Just tell me whose ass I should kick and let me do my thing."
"No ones. It's more about...kissing than kicking..."
"It's neither Valentine's Day, nor Kupala Night to deal with such things." I remarked while my guts started to alarm me that she was hitting at something I definitely wouldn't like to hear.
"What night again?"
"Kupala Night...nevermind...Kowalski has elaborated on it once."
"Kowalski this, Kowalski that. Kowalski everywhere! Why don't you just, ugh, marry him?!"
"Don't mind if I do." It slipped out of my tongue because I didn't want to say something like that to her. I wasn't given the chance to put it right when Rico stormed out of nowhere and lifting me up, he 'kidnapped' me out of the zoo to the park.

"I give you 10 seconds to explain yourself, soldier!" Back on the ground the first thing I wanted to do was to slap him but then he choked up Kowalski's new invention. "Okay...maybe 30 seconds." I raised my not-existing eyebrow while the weapon expert started to half-show, half-tell me what had happened. About Marlene's plan. Well, I had to guess because Rico's moves were chaotic... even more than usual.

So Marlene came up with this conspiracy. Now everything is clear...almost everything but enough for me to understand. I have never looked at her like that. It's not like I don't like her, although she's a mammal. Not really her fault. Besides she's quite smart...for a mammal. But...she's the type of a girl...next door. You get used to her, spend time with her and have fun. Still, you're glad that she's behind the door and not in your room...all the romantic stories involving such girls ain't really my thing.

"And that thing?" I pointed at the Ear-Dropper, picking it up and applying it to my ear hole, not waiting for an answer because I already knew what to do, noticing Kowalski in the distance. "Let's see what that baby can do before it explodes..."

~Kowalski's POV~

I knew they couldn't be in the park because of Marlene's 'ailment'. However, my determination to stop her changed into doubt...

What if Skipper wants to be with her? They could actually be a nice couple. She's a female, to start with. Pretty and intelligent. She can offer him a lot. And me? I can't even tell him the truth...

"Skipper is my best friend and I don't want to lose him. Taking into consideration the fact that he and Marlene may be the ideal couple I should just keep my beak shut and let him be happy...with someone else. No! Bullshit! It will break my heart when I see them together. If only my Love-u-lator had worked properly and I had found a partner for Marlene I wouldn't have to worry about her now. Crap...I'll go to him, tell him how things are, that I want...need...ugh...I'll think about the formula later...and then he will...throw me out of the team and send me to another zoo. I already see it. Probably to Hoboken. So I get normal again and don't think about stuff like this. Why is it so that when finally my emotions emerge I invest them wrong..."

I thought I was on my own so I didn't really care if I spoke it out loud or just thought in my mind. Banging my head on an oak, I found no solution. No plan. In such situations I would just rely on Skipper but this time he was the problem...well, /I/ was the obstacle, in fact. But for me everything would be fine. "And they would live happily ever after..." I sighed, stopping the ridiculous activity as my head hurt even more. Leaning against the tree I looked around, feeling that someone was watching me. I wasn't wrong. Again. Something hid in the bushes. "Who is there?" I came closer. The creature jumped out of the shadows, revealing itself. Guess it would have been better to start running...but it was too late to escape...