The animals made their way back to the HQ in silence, wondering what to do. Emma kept scratching her back, causing Kowalski to poke her flipper. She looked towards him.
"I'd strongly advise not scratching it." He told her, taking her flipper and holding it gently.
"But it's itchy." Emma protested, beginning to scratch with her other flipper. Kowalski stopped her and Emma sighed.
"You should only need these stitches in for about a week, then you can take them out." He began. "But scratching will just irritate it." He explained. Emma grumbled under her breath, and Kowalski watched her with curiousity. "Are you alright?" He asked, lifting her face up so she looked directly at him.
"I guess I'm just annoyed about letting Tiatra get away..." Emma replied.
"C'mon, bad guys get away most of the time, it's very common Em." Kowalski reassured her.
"Yes, but she's from another planet, who knows what technology she has, and who knows when she will be back." Emma argued.
"Well when she comes back, then we'll be ready." Kowalski told her firmly. "Hey if it makes you feel better, we can finish the Hover Chair tonight."
"Ok." Emma agreed, brightening a little at this. The animals reached the penguin habitat, and hopped into the HQ. Tom was pacing from one end of the room to the other, his big brown eyes wide with worry. He looked towards the fishbowl, and his face broke into a smile, and he ran over to Skipper, hugging him tightly.
"I thought you guys weren't going to make it back!" He exclaimed. "What happened?" He asked. Skipper patted his head and turned to Private.
"Private, explain everything to Tom." He ordered, heading to the cinder-block table and plopping down on it. He sighed heavily, and buried his face in his flippers.
"Is he alright?" Michael asked, nodding towards the downcast penguin.
"Probably not." Emma replied, watching her brother sadly.
"Is there anything we can do to help him?" Sky asked helpfully. Emma shook her head, her eyes still on him.
"Well, I'm extremely tired, I think I'll head bed." Michael decided. Sky, Tom, Rico and Private nodded in agreement, and headed to their beds.
"Well I think I'm up for a wee walk." Ashley remarked brightly. "Do you wanna come lass?" He asked Ava shyly. Ava nodded and the two animals strolled out of the HQ, holding eachother's flippers. Emma caught Kowalski's eye and smiled.
"I'm gonna sit outside for a while." Maya decided. She caught Dustin looking at her, and she smiled. Wanna come as well Dustin?" She asked. Dustin managed a small nod, and the equas climbed the ladder and disappeared through the fishbowl. Marlene sat over by the periscope, and started listening to music, using the phone and headphones Emma had given her as a Christmas present. Emma looked towards Kowalski, who quickly got the message and went into the lab. Emma then walked over to Skipper and sat down beside him.
"Hey Skips." Emma said, smiling at him. Skipper looked up and managed a weak smile back. "Skips." Emma began, putting a flipper on his shoulder and forcing him to look at her. "This is not your fault, you had no idea-"
"But you did." Skipper interrupted. "You knew, you tried to warn me, but I was too stubborn to listen, too stupidly love struck..."
"Skips, we all make mistakes at one time or another, and love is a powerful thing. If you told me Kowalski was evil, and he actually was, I wouldn't believe you for a second." Emma pointed out, smiling sympathetically at her older brother.
"I know, but my mistake nearly got you and the others killed." Skipper argued. "And Tiatra got away."
"Well we'll stop her next time Skips. And don't beat yourself up over this, it's not. Your. Fault." Emma told him clearly, tapping the table every time she paused.
"I guess so..." Skipper agreed reluctantly.
"And trust me Skips, there's better girls in this world than Tiatra." Emma told him brightly. Emma watched his eyes fall on Marlene for a second, and she hid a grin. Skipper nodded and smiled genuinely for the first time that evening. She patted his shoulder, then disappeared into the lab. Skipper smiled to himself and went to sit with Marlene, who smiled brightly at him. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad day after all....
Meanwhile outside, Maya stared into the slowly darkening sky, lost in deep thought. Whilst she and Dustin were on the conveyor belt, heading towards the saw, Dustin said that he really needed to tell her something, just incase they didn't make it. But the machine stopped before he opened his mouth, and he still hadn't told her what he was going to say. Part of her thought she already knew but she wanted to be sure.
"Dustin.." She began, taking a deep breath. "What were you going to tell me when we were on the conveyor belt?" She asked bravely. Dustin looked towards the floor shyly, and back up at Maya, not looking her in the eye for more than a second.
"Urm..." He began uncertainly, his eyes dropping to the floor again. Maya scooted over so their bodies were only inches apart. Dustin blushed and looked as if he was thinking something over carefully. "I- I've got kinda..... a- a....crush on you...." Dustin stammered, his eyes not leaving the floor. Maya blushed and smiled at this. She lifted up Dustin's face gently, and looked directly into his bright yellow eyes. Dustin's heart skipped a beat as the young leader kissed him softly. His thoughts turned to mush, and he stroked her cheek lightly, as he kissed her back. A few seconds later they pulled away and got lost in eachother's eyes for a moment.
"I've got a crush on you too." Maya admitted, blushing a little. Dustin smiled and outstretched his flippers, letting Maya cuddle up in them. She smiled warmly at him, and stared into the sky, her heart beating faster then it ever had before.
In the park.
Ashley and Ava strolled slowly beside the shimmering lake, flipper in flipper, as the sun began to set. They sat down on a springy patch if grass, and Ashley turned to the young equa.
"Lass, what are we gonna do when you have to go back to your planet?" He asked an edge of worry in his voice.
"I'll visit you two or three times every week, and hopefully, if Skipper lets me, stay the night." Ava promised, hugging Ashley tightly.
"I wish you could move to the zoo." Ashley said wistfully.
"That would be amazing." Ava agreed, smiling up at Ashley. "Maybe one day, Maya will let me."
"I hope so lass, these past few weeks have been the most amazing of my life." Ashley admitted, blushing a little.
"Same here." Ava replied hugging him a little tighter. The time they would be apart would hurt a bit, but they were both strong enough to endure that bit of pain, and knowing someone out there loves them was good enough for them. They stared into the sky, completely forgetting about Tiatra, and just enjoying the setting sun, which cast beautiful rays of gold around the park, and filled the summer sky with shades of pink, orange and gold.
"I'd strongly advise not scratching it." He told her, taking her flipper and holding it gently.
"But it's itchy." Emma protested, beginning to scratch with her other flipper. Kowalski stopped her and Emma sighed.
"You should only need these stitches in for about a week, then you can take them out." He began. "But scratching will just irritate it." He explained. Emma grumbled under her breath, and Kowalski watched her with curiousity. "Are you alright?" He asked, lifting her face up so she looked directly at him.
"I guess I'm just annoyed about letting Tiatra get away..." Emma replied.
"C'mon, bad guys get away most of the time, it's very common Em." Kowalski reassured her.
"Yes, but she's from another planet, who knows what technology she has, and who knows when she will be back." Emma argued.
"Well when she comes back, then we'll be ready." Kowalski told her firmly. "Hey if it makes you feel better, we can finish the Hover Chair tonight."
"Ok." Emma agreed, brightening a little at this. The animals reached the penguin habitat, and hopped into the HQ. Tom was pacing from one end of the room to the other, his big brown eyes wide with worry. He looked towards the fishbowl, and his face broke into a smile, and he ran over to Skipper, hugging him tightly.
"I thought you guys weren't going to make it back!" He exclaimed. "What happened?" He asked. Skipper patted his head and turned to Private.
"Private, explain everything to Tom." He ordered, heading to the cinder-block table and plopping down on it. He sighed heavily, and buried his face in his flippers.
"Is he alright?" Michael asked, nodding towards the downcast penguin.
"Probably not." Emma replied, watching her brother sadly.
"Is there anything we can do to help him?" Sky asked helpfully. Emma shook her head, her eyes still on him.
"Well, I'm extremely tired, I think I'll head bed." Michael decided. Sky, Tom, Rico and Private nodded in agreement, and headed to their beds.
"Well I think I'm up for a wee walk." Ashley remarked brightly. "Do you wanna come lass?" He asked Ava shyly. Ava nodded and the two animals strolled out of the HQ, holding eachother's flippers. Emma caught Kowalski's eye and smiled.
"I'm gonna sit outside for a while." Maya decided. She caught Dustin looking at her, and she smiled. Wanna come as well Dustin?" She asked. Dustin managed a small nod, and the equas climbed the ladder and disappeared through the fishbowl. Marlene sat over by the periscope, and started listening to music, using the phone and headphones Emma had given her as a Christmas present. Emma looked towards Kowalski, who quickly got the message and went into the lab. Emma then walked over to Skipper and sat down beside him.
"Hey Skips." Emma said, smiling at him. Skipper looked up and managed a weak smile back. "Skips." Emma began, putting a flipper on his shoulder and forcing him to look at her. "This is not your fault, you had no idea-"
"But you did." Skipper interrupted. "You knew, you tried to warn me, but I was too stubborn to listen, too stupidly love struck..."
"Skips, we all make mistakes at one time or another, and love is a powerful thing. If you told me Kowalski was evil, and he actually was, I wouldn't believe you for a second." Emma pointed out, smiling sympathetically at her older brother.
"I know, but my mistake nearly got you and the others killed." Skipper argued. "And Tiatra got away."
"Well we'll stop her next time Skips. And don't beat yourself up over this, it's not. Your. Fault." Emma told him clearly, tapping the table every time she paused.
"I guess so..." Skipper agreed reluctantly.
"And trust me Skips, there's better girls in this world than Tiatra." Emma told him brightly. Emma watched his eyes fall on Marlene for a second, and she hid a grin. Skipper nodded and smiled genuinely for the first time that evening. She patted his shoulder, then disappeared into the lab. Skipper smiled to himself and went to sit with Marlene, who smiled brightly at him. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad day after all....
Meanwhile outside, Maya stared into the slowly darkening sky, lost in deep thought. Whilst she and Dustin were on the conveyor belt, heading towards the saw, Dustin said that he really needed to tell her something, just incase they didn't make it. But the machine stopped before he opened his mouth, and he still hadn't told her what he was going to say. Part of her thought she already knew but she wanted to be sure.
"Dustin.." She began, taking a deep breath. "What were you going to tell me when we were on the conveyor belt?" She asked bravely. Dustin looked towards the floor shyly, and back up at Maya, not looking her in the eye for more than a second.
"Urm..." He began uncertainly, his eyes dropping to the floor again. Maya scooted over so their bodies were only inches apart. Dustin blushed and looked as if he was thinking something over carefully. "I- I've got kinda..... a- a....crush on you...." Dustin stammered, his eyes not leaving the floor. Maya blushed and smiled at this. She lifted up Dustin's face gently, and looked directly into his bright yellow eyes. Dustin's heart skipped a beat as the young leader kissed him softly. His thoughts turned to mush, and he stroked her cheek lightly, as he kissed her back. A few seconds later they pulled away and got lost in eachother's eyes for a moment.
"I've got a crush on you too." Maya admitted, blushing a little. Dustin smiled and outstretched his flippers, letting Maya cuddle up in them. She smiled warmly at him, and stared into the sky, her heart beating faster then it ever had before.
In the park.
Ashley and Ava strolled slowly beside the shimmering lake, flipper in flipper, as the sun began to set. They sat down on a springy patch if grass, and Ashley turned to the young equa.
"Lass, what are we gonna do when you have to go back to your planet?" He asked an edge of worry in his voice.
"I'll visit you two or three times every week, and hopefully, if Skipper lets me, stay the night." Ava promised, hugging Ashley tightly.
"I wish you could move to the zoo." Ashley said wistfully.
"That would be amazing." Ava agreed, smiling up at Ashley. "Maybe one day, Maya will let me."
"I hope so lass, these past few weeks have been the most amazing of my life." Ashley admitted, blushing a little.
"Same here." Ava replied hugging him a little tighter. The time they would be apart would hurt a bit, but they were both strong enough to endure that bit of pain, and knowing someone out there loves them was good enough for them. They stared into the sky, completely forgetting about Tiatra, and just enjoying the setting sun, which cast beautiful rays of gold around the park, and filled the summer sky with shades of pink, orange and gold.
