Author's Notes: And we're back again with more Penguins of Madagascar, what bombs shells will Nigel reveal to the brothers? And more importantly will they believe him?
Let's find out! As always thanks for reading and please review.
Yours Truly, RoxieDivine
(Back with the Penguins)
Once Skipper had given the go-ahead Nigel wasted no time diving in. Only stopping to pass out the prepared tea to his audience.
"Just a bit over 10 years ago my brother Samuel had presented me with exciting news." The older penguin talked in an eccentric sort of way that Private couldn't help taking a liking to. "His Wife Mary was expecting, they had been trying for many seasons you see. I must admit I was starting to lose hope." He waves the admission away and continues. "Of course, there was great joy, but it was shortly lived."
"Why is that?" Marlene asked. She had stucked around to listen to the fascinating tale and Nigel produce another teacup and pour her some El Gray as he answered.
"Even though I lived far away in London, My brother and I were still close. We rarely went more than a week without speaking, but months after I heard the news he had gone silent. It had been one of the coldest winters in the artic, and I began to worry. Feeling something amiss I dropped everything and traveled to my brother's colony."
"Did you find him?" Private asked. Part of him already knew the answer, but another part of him hoped that this stranger found his brother and he was doing just fine.
"No I couldn't find a trace of him." Nigel revealed. "I asked around, visiting some old friends of ours and I was met with a horrifying reality. Samuel had gone out fishing and never returned. Rumor was a Leopard Seal got him."
"Leopard Seals…" Skipper growled. "Whiskered tyrants." He took a swig of the tea out of politeness, but his was stronger than expected. Thanks to Private's fondness of tea, Skipper knew the brand, but he wasn't used to it packing such a punch.
"Sugar?" Nigel asked, offering him a small dish of sugar cubes.
Skipper nodded and took a few, adding to his tea before sipping gingerly. Spy or not, he had to admit the guy new his stuff. He spoke in a confidence that was hard to fake, which meant he was most likely English. His liKenyaess to Private in both behavior and appearances was also hard to ignore. Still Skipper kept his guard up, it was just too convenient for a long-lost family member to show up now. Right before they were about to embark on a deep undercover mission.
Kowalski, however, wasn't even touching his tea. He was determined to fine any discrepancy in the story the stranger was weaving. He had to be a Spy, there was no way he wasn't, the timing was just too coincidental.
Rico, usually the first to cry an outburst was oddly quiet, He swigged all his tea down, including the cup in one big gulp.
This caused a pause from Nigel. "Goodness, that was a matching set." He complained politely.
Rico regurgitated it at once. "Sorry." He grunted.
"Quite alright." Nigel assured him before pouring Rico more tea.
"What about Mary did you find her?" Marlene asked. She was a sucker for tragedies even though she knew the endings were always sad. She always secretly hoped there would be a happy ending, even though she knew there wouldn't be. Stories were called tragedy for a reason after all.
"No, Mary had gone looking for Samuel and after several days waiting for her…" Nigel faulters, obviously trying to keep his emotions under control. "I had to come to the realization that she must have met the same fate as my brother. I decided to shift my focus to their Egg, it should have been laid by then so again I asked around. And heard rumor that an abandon egg had been seen rolling past the colony just a few days before." Nigel revealed. "It was being chased by three hatchlings that followed it off a ledge and onto an abandon boat."
Kowalski froze, that was them. His heart skips a beat as his realizes for the first time there might be some truth to this stranger's intentions. To know specific details like that Nigel would have had to ask around, their old colony. Chances of a similar situation accruing in another were impossibly slim. Yes, this could be a penguin who was desperately searching for his brother's son and hoping that Private was him. Still, it was just as likely that Private was not the abandoned egg he was looking for. Sadly many parents never returned from fishing trips, and many eggs were left alone in the cold. It was nature's design as their elders had explained to them so many years ago.
"That was us." Rico shouted, stating what the others were undoubtingly thinking.
Nigel nodded. "I know, I was devastated to hear that the ship blew up." His flipper shook as he tried to pour himself another cup of tea.
Private reached out to help steady him and they poured the tea together. "So if you thought we blew up, how'd you know to find us here?" He asked.
Skipper couldn't help but be proud of him, even in the mist of the stranger's story Private stayed focus. His mind never straying from the true task, yes the stranger's story was sad, but he was still possibly a threat. One that had to be treated with caution, whether he dangerous or not. Such a realization made Skipper realize that perhaps he had miss judged his younger brother earlier. Private was capable of a lot more than he gave him credit for. While kind and timid, if the mission required it, he would see it through. Even if that meant pretending to be a harden criminal.
"I kept searching, hoping that perhaps you were someone else's egg." Nigel answered. "But more months went by with fruitless efforts. I had no choice but to abandon the search and return home. Haunted by your disappearance and what happened to your parents I kept returning, kept searching but years went by, and I was nowhere closer to finding answers. Finally while I was on Holiday in Keys I happened to see a news story on the telly. Zoo animals escaped from Central Park Zoo and made a ruckus at the Grand Central train station. It showed the animals in question, and that's when I saw the four of you." Nigel explained. "You looked so much like Samuel, I knew it had to be you, but I was too late."
"We were shipped to Africa." Kowalski revealed. It was only a half truth. He was testing the stranger, seeing if he could catch him in a lie. Sure the guy's story was becoming more likely by the second, but that didn't mean he should let his guard down. Time with his brothers on the job had taught him to stay sharp.
"Yes the telly had said Kenyaia Wildlife Reserve." Nigel answered flawlessly. "I wasted no time packing, planning to make the trip in a few days' time." He shakes his head. "But the ship you were boarded on was lost at sea. Knowing there was a chance you survived a possible shipwreck I searched the coasts of any land mass you might turn up on. My first being Madagascar, I ran into some locals, a few dancing loving lemurs. They said you: arrived on a ship, defeated the fossa, and stowaway with their king on a plane."
"Unbelievable." Kowalski couldn't help but shake his head.
"Yeah if anything the nuisance stowaway with us." Skipper corrected.
Nigel sounded excited now, as if giddy that he had been on the right track when he was hunting them down. "Knowing your origan destination was Kenyaia I set my sights on locating you there, but again I was too late. I was informed you had gone to Monte Carlo on a honeymoon of sorts."
"Honeymoon?" Marlene asked.
Skipper paled as his brother's turned towards him.
"No way?" Marlene gasped. "You were married?!"
"Never again." Skipper said ominously and left it at that.
Kowalski cuts in. "It sounds like you were always one step behind us."
Nigel nodded. "I followed your trail through Paris, Rome, and back to New York." He huffed, sounding exhausted by the chase as if he was still a part of it, instead of at the end. "Always one step behind, Once I reach this very Zoo however, I heard word you few away on a flying circus."
"You guys were in a circus?" Marlene asked.
"We were ring masters." Private explained quickly, and like Skipper left it at that.
"I followed your Circus across Europe for a second time before stopping in Rio de Janeiro. Again I just missed you, strangely enough none of your circus mates recalled any penguins being in their group at all."
Skipper flinched at that despite himself. Alex and the others didn't remember because Kowalski had erased their memories of them. After his solo mission went horribly wrong they had to disappear for their sakes. "We left on bad terms." He lied effortlessly.
"Well, regardless, I had reached a dead end and having been away from home for over a year I was forced to return once more." Nigel sighed, again showing his frustrations. "I never truly gave up though, my search for you had gained me many new friends and I would call them often asking if they had seen you come back around. Finally three days ago I heard word that the penguin I was looking for was in photo on a brochure for this very Zoo."
Skipper couldn't help but gawk as Nigel produced said brochure.
the Central Park Zoo Brochure photographer, a human by the name of Jim was very fond of Private, and aways chose him as the cover animal.
Private couldn't help but smile at the picture, it had been the first time he posed for Jim in a long time. This was of course because they had been shipped away and ended up on their serval miss adventures starting with Madagascar. Jim had been overjoyed to see that his favorite was back and just as photogenic as ever.
"I must admit I feared I'd be too late." Nigel admitted. "But Marlene assured me you were indeed here and now here we are."
Silence followed as he finished his story, and the brother's did their best to absorb it. Nigel had traveled hundreds of miles, searching several places more than once just to find Private.
Private found the emotions over whelming. It was a lot to know that someone who never once met him would go through all that trouble.
"I know I'm nothing but a stranger to you, but…at least give me a chance." Nigel pleased through the silence.
"Well I could always do some test." Kowalski suggested. "If you'd be willing to offer some DNA I could compare it…"
Nigel plucks off one of his feathers before he can finish, he gives it to him. "Oh thank you, this mean so much to me."
Kowalski nodded, he could care less if it meant anything to Nigel, what matter was what it meant to Private. He could see it there, the hoping in his younger brother's eyes, and he felt guilty for never noticing it before. Private had been suffering in silence about the events that led him to be alone that fateful day 10 years ago. He was in pain, and Kowalski had been too blind to see it.
He wasn't the only one.
"We'll get to the bottom of this." Skipper assured him.
"It could take a few weeks." Kowalski revealed.
"Weeks?" Skipper didn't like the sound of that. They were in the middle of planning a deep undercover mission when Marlene had interrupted them. The information they had in their files was time sensitive and may not stay relevant for that long. Not surprising, the location of the underground criminal empire was always changing. This was because suspected criminals kept moving in order to say outside the reach of the law. Meaning if the team waited to act on this, they'd miss their chance to locate the criminals that could lead them to Blowhole.
"Well I suppose there is nothing we can do but wait." Nigel said, content that they were looking into it.
"Do you need a place to say?" Private asked, always being the polite one.
"Not currently." Nigel answered. "I had this silly notion in my head that you would just magically know who I was, and we could spend a few days catching up…for lost time." He trailed off sadly.
"Maybe you still can." Skipper insisted.
"Skipper?" Kowalski looked confused, and rightfully so, just like him, Kowalski knew how time sensitive there current mission was.
"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Skipper asked.
"Of course." Nigel nodded.
The brother's stepped away, almost to the edge of the Ice floe before Skipper began.
"Look we all got our mission." Skipper insisted "That can't wait, and Private…" He pauses looking to his youngest brother. "You have a right to know your real family." The words were bitter in his mouth and made him sick to his stomach.
"Skipper." Private softened. "You guys are my brothers, blood or not." He added. "Him being here doesn't change that."
"But you do want to get to know him." Kawasaki stated the obvious. "I mean look at him, he's obviously not a spy."
Skipper nodded, feeling silly for thinking that now. "Obviously, but it is likely he is your uncle and deep down I think you know he is."
Private nodded, Marlene was right, it was obvious. "I do want to get to know him, I mean he's traveled the world just to see me, I think I owe it to both of us to at least give him a chance."
"Then it's settled." Skipper said. "We'll go on our missions and Private will spend time with Nigel."
"Alone?" Rico grunted.
"Private can handle himself Rico." Skipper reminded him. "Besides we can't afford to wait."
Rico grunted a reluctant agreement, sure the guy seemed nice enough, but the circumstances that led to Private's last absence from the group still weighed heavy on his mind. They thought he had died, and even though he turned out fine the pain was still there. The pain of losing him was real and the thought of possibly feeling it again was too much to bare much less think about.
Sensing his distress, Private reached out to him. "I'm gonna be alright." He promised. "If I can handle Dave than I can handle anything."
"of course you can." Skipper agreed, though he was just as worried as Rico, still regardless he had to be strong, for Private. Deep down he knew Private needed to take this journey, he also knew that it was a journey he would have taKenya eventually. With or without Nigel's arrive, sooner or later Private would have these questions about his parents and go searching for answers. To find himself, it was a big part of life and growing up.
His emotions swelled at the thought, his Private, was growing up. He pushed the thought away and continued. "Soldier you can either go with Nigel or join Kowalski on his mission."
"Whatever you decide." Kowalski cut in. "We will back you up 100%"
"Yeah." Rico agreed, though it sounded strained, like that was the last thing he wanted.
Private smiled, he could always count on his brothers for their support in anything he did. Still, part of him wanted to say no,. After all, until the DNA test came back with a positive reading they wouldn't know for sure. What if Private got to know Nigel only to find out they weren't family after all? It would be devastating for both of them.
And yet if he said no now he knew he would come to regret it.
"I'll stay with him." Private said, coming to a decision at last. "But you guys have to call and check in regularly."
Skipper smiled. "Hey, that's my line." He joked. "And we will, you all have your files so get ready. We leave in three days' time."
His brothers nodded their agreement before they all rejoined Nigel and Marlene .
"Alright, Nigel." Skipper cleared his throat. "My brother's and I have a trip of sorts…" He trailed off. "But Private is going to spend some time with you."
"Here, alone?" Marlene asked. "She was stunned that the penguins would leave a stranger in their pass with no one but Private to guarded it.
"Actually." Private cut in. "I was thinking we could go on a trip of our own. A Holiday for us to bond and get to know each other."
Nigel's eyes lit up. "Oh I know just the place." He exclaimed. "Have you ever been to Australia?" He asked suddenly.
"No, I can't say I have." Private admitted.
"You father and I use to love going there." Nigel explained.
"To a desert filled with the deadliest animals?" Private squeaked.
"Oh the Humans always over exaggerate that, just because they are dangerous doesn't mean you're in any actual danger. Besides the land down under is a hot spot for friendly competition, tell me do you play sports?"
"Uh no." Private admitted.
"Yeah competition isn't his forte." Marlene revealed.
"None sense, competition is in our blood!" Nigel assured her. "Trust me Sammy you're going to love-"
"Private." Rico grunted.
"I'm sorry?" Nigel said.
"Private, my name is…I know I may have been named something else, but I go by Private." Private explained.
"Right of course." Nigel suddenly realized his error. "I'm sorry, of course I'll call you Private too. But uh do tell me, why Private."
"We're uh obsessed with all things military." Skipper explained. "The Names Skipper by the way." He offer his flipper to Nigel.
"Ah Skipper, I see, Private makes since now." He shakes his flipper.
"This is Kowalski." He gestures to the scientist. "And Mr. Grumpy here is Rico."
Nigel shook Kowalski's flipper before going to do the same with Rico.
Rico grunted, but decided to play nice and shook his flipper.
Nigel smiled. "Thank you, really." He told them. "Even if Private isn't Samuel's son He's lucky to have you in his life."
"And if he is his son?" Kowalski dared to ask.
"Well, I imagine he'll want to stay with you." Nigel said, the warmth never leaving his eyes. "You did raise him after all. Just getting to see him every now and then, to be a part of his life that's all I want."
Rico's deminer did a total 180. He grunts his approval and fully relaxes for the first time.
"Well why didn't you say so?" Skipper laughed. "Of course, any family of Private's is family of ours." His eyes met Private's as he spoke.
Private smiled, relieved that Nigel didn't plan to steal him away from the only family he ever known. Still, he was nervous this would be the second time he would be on his own without at least one of his brothers by his side. Not to mention he was going to be in a foreign land with an uncle he only recently met. But he had to do this, regardless, other wise he would spend the rest of his life not knowing.
So, he tried to get excited as Nigel continued to go one about their pending trip.
Meanwhile Marlene pulled Skipper away. "Did I hear you right, you're leaving…again!?"
"Just a temporary measure." Skipper explained. "Don't worry we're updating the Zoo logs Alice is going to transfer the four of us to different Zoo's across the world."
"Why?" Marlene asked, even though she knew he wouldn't tell her.
He couldn't, this was a top-secret op, Marlene couldn't know that each Zoo the penguins were going to would be just miles from known locations of the criminal underground. Nor would she know that said Zoos would be acting as a base of operations for each of them. No, no one could no what they were doing or why.
"Sorry Marlene , but it's…"
"Classified, yeah I get it, just promise you're coming back." Marlene insisted. "This place always falls apart when you guys are gone."
Skipper forced a smile. "That's the plan." He told her but made no promises.
A fact that wasn't lost on Marlene . "When are you leaving?" She asked.
"Three days." Skipper told her.
"Any idea when you will be back?"
"If all goes well, sooner rather than later." Was his answer.
Marlene nodded, figuring that was all the information she would get. "Well, let's hope it is soon."
"Yes." Skipper agreed. "Let's hope.
-To Be Continued
