Author’s Note: I’ve already done a set of ten skits for just POM in general, but these are, as the title says, purely Skilene. Most just imply Skilene, but there a few at the end in which Skipper and Marlene are an actual couple. link are the skits for normal POM skits if you wish to read them. Any title with a Roman numeral next to it has a skit note associated with it displayed at the end. I hope you enjoy these skits and I hope I succeed in making you laugh. Peace, out.
11) Sweet Dreams
On a quiet Saturday afternoon, Skipper had sent his men off for a snowcone reward since the past few days had been left problem-free. He decided to stay behind to use the vacated HQ to go through some classified files.
Flipping through file after file, he found himself going through a rhythm due to the lack of disturbances. His rhythm was interrupted when a voice from behind him gave him a start.
“Whatcha doin’?”
Skipper twitched in surprise and instinctively turned around on his heel, ready for combat. His stance softened when he saw that it was only Marlene standing in the doorway behind him.
“Marlene? What are you doing here?” he asked straightening himself.
It wasn’t until now did he realize Marlene’s appearance. Her hip was cocked and her arms were folded over her chest. One eyebrow was raised higher than the other and her smile was smooth and seductive.
“You here alone?” Marlene asked without answering Skipper’s question.
Skipper found nervousness creeping into his chest and he swallowed. “Yeah. Why…?”
Marlene strided in and stopped when she was barely a couple of inches from Skipper. “I just thought we could…Talk?” she said taking on a deep, sexy tone to her voice. Skipper gulped.
“S-Sure,” he stuttered, “what exactly did you want to talk about?” he asked trying to act like he didn’t notice the way Marlene was acting.
Marlene reached out and ran one of her paws up Skipper’s chest, bringing it to a rest on his shoulder. “Us,” she answered staring deep into Skipper’s eyes, which widened at her answer.
“Us?” Skipper repeated. He cleared his throat slightly. “What about us, exactly?” he asked awkwardly.
Marlene guided her other paw to meet the other around Skipper’s neck. “You know, Skipper, I’ve always found you rather attractive.”
Skipper laughed nervously and tried to respond, but all that came out was a jumble of half-words before Marlene put her finger on his beak and laughed slightly.
“And you’re just plain adorable when you’re nervous,” she said tracing her paw down the side of his beak before resting it on his shoulder once again. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.”
Marlene slowly pulled him closer and Skipper was too stunned and nervous to object. His beak met Marlene’s lips and he was overwhelmed with surprise and electricity, stumbling back into the table. He heard his pile of files fall to the floor, but he found himself not caring as he and Marlene seemed to melt into each other.
A few seconds into the moment, Skipper could hear someone calling his name from a distance and he suddenly found himself jerking awake in his bunk with Kowalski at his side.
“Skipper! Wow, I don’t know what you were dreaming about, but you seemed to really be enjoying it. I’ve been trying to wake you up for six whole minutes!”
12) The Power of Charm [VI]
On a quiet morning, Marlene busied herself in tuning her Spanish guitar. It was just about perfect when Julien strolled into her cave.
“Ah, hello, Ms. Otter! May I enter?” he asked entering without waiting for an answer.
“Um…Sure, Julien. Come right in,” Marlene answered rolling her eyes and propping her guitar up against a nearby wall. “What are you doing here?”
“Is it a crime to want to visit a good neighbor?” Julien replied coming to a stop by her side.
“No, but I get worried when you do,” Marlene said with a suspicious look on her face.
Julien laughed slightly. “Oh, Marlene! You’re poking fun at me! You got me, there!”
Marlene cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest. “Julien, are you alright? You’re acting strange.”
Julien shook his head and leaned against the wall by Marlene. “No, no, Marlene. I am just fine. Actually, I was just coming to be making sure you were alright.”
“Me? I’m fine. Why?” Marlene asked.
“Oh, I was just wondering if it hurt when heaven fell upon you?” Julien asked with a smooth smile.
“Um…Excuse me?” Marlene replied with her face twisting in confusion.
“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put you and me together,” Julien added.
“Julien, are you…Hitting on me?” Marlene asked in astonishment.
“No, silly otter. I am simply wooing you with my charm,” Julien answered pushing his crown back slightly.
Interrupting them, Skipper popped up through the sewer drain.
“Hey, Marlene! Rico and I found some—” he stopped short when he noticed Julien’s presence. “What are you doing here, Ringtail?”
“Apparently, he’s ‘wooing me with his charm.’ But, quite frankly, he’s just annoying me with it,” Marlene answered.
“Annoying?! How could a handsome and brave king, such as me, be annoying?” Julien asked folding his arms over his chest in frustration.
Skipper looked Julien up and down for a moment, then started laughing. “Are you serious? You’re flirting with Marlene?” Upon saying his thoughts aloud, he started laughing even harder.
“I am failing to see the humor in this!” Julien exclaimed angrily throwing his paws up, then bringing them to his hips.
Skipper—unable to stop laughing—pulled himself up into Marlene’s habitat and stumbled over his own feet as he tried to regain his composure. His guffaw became contagious as Marlene found herself unable to keep from cracking a smile.
“I am demanding that you all stop laughing this instant!” Julien commanded. But Skipper and Marlene were now both laughing uncontrollably, resulting in Julien leaving in an angry huff. “I will not stand here and be made fun of by a couple of commoners!” he said on his way out.
After a few more moments of trying to catch their breath, Skipper and Marlene’s laughing softened into small convulsions.
“Whew…I’m sorry, Marlene. I just couldn’t help myself,” Skipper said once he’d caught his breath.
“Heh, it’s alright, Skipper,” Marlene replied. Her face fell upon a thought entering her mind. “Wait, what were you laughing about, anyway? Is it really that funny that someone would…Want me?” she asked.
Skipper’s smile faded and he strode over to Marlene. “Marlene, that is most certainly not why I was laughing. I was laughing because it was preposterous to think he’d have a shot with you. You deserve much better than anything he could offer you in a relationship.”
Marlene smiled bashfully. “You really think so?”
“No, I don’t think so. I know so, Marlene,” Skipper said returning a reassuring smile.
A short-lived silence followed and Skipper was the first to break it. “So, what exactly did Ringtail say, anyway?”
Marlene laughed and scratched the back of her neck. “Well, first he asked if it hurt when heaven fell on me.”
Skipper suppressed a laugh. “I think he meant, ‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’” he told her.
Marlene laughed. “Yeah, I know,” she said shaking her head.
Skipper thought for a moment, then smiled coolly. “So, did it?”
13) Denial [VII]
“So, Kowalski, is there anything new?” Skipper asked entering his lab.
“Actually, yes. I’ve intercepted some transfer papers. We’re going to have a new resident in the zoo,” Kowalski answered picking up the transfer papers.
“Really? What species?” Skipper inquired.
“It appears that a new male otter will be joining us,” Kowalski told him. Skipper’s face lifted in surprise.
“Male otter?” Skipper repeated.
“Um…Affirmative. Why?” Kowalski asked, confused by Skipper’s tone.
Skipper crossed his flippers over his chest. “Well, why does the zoo need a male otter? What? Marlene isn’t good enough for them?”
“Sir?” Kowalski urged, trying to understand Skipper’s sudden outburst.
“What? Can I not have an opinion? Marlene is perfect all on her own. She doesn't need a male around to steal her spotlight. Let me see that transcript!” he ordered snatching the papers from Kowalski and looking over them.
Kowalski laughed slightly. “Skipper, if I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you were jealous.”
Skipper darted a look at him over the transcripts. “Jealous? I’m not jealous! I’m just saying that Marlene attracts enough visitors to the zoo all by herself,” he insisted.
Kowalski folded his flippers over his chest. “So, you find Marlene attractive and perfect, hm?” he asked with a teasing smile.
Skipper shook his head. “No! I mean…Well, she does, doesn’t she?!”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Kowalski said with a wink. Though, the fact that he didn’t answer his question was an answer in itself.
“Focus on the problem at hand, Kowalski!” Skipper ordered, trying to change the subject.
Kowalski sighed. “Fine,” he said. Though, a moment later, he coughed out the word jealous.
“I am not jealous!” Skipper insisted slapping the papers down on the table.
“Denial!” Kowalski said in a sing-song tone.
“I am not in denial!” Skipper told him jabbing a flipper in his direction.
“So, you deny that you’re in denial?” Kowalski asked, unable to contain his laughter any longer.
“Yes! I mean…No! I mean…Kowalski!” Skipper stuttered in frustration.
“What is going on in here?!” Private asked entering the room.
“Skipper’s jeal—” Skipper slapped Kowalski before he could finish.
“Nothing, soldier. Right, Kowalski?” Skipper said giving him a hard stare.
Kowalski held back another laugh. “Yes, Private. Absolutely nothing. And apparently, it’s going to stay that way unless your leader man’s up.”
Skipper narrowed his eyes at him. Private eyed both of them curiously, then turned around with a roll of his eyes.
“I’ll never understand grown-ups.”
14) What the Future Holds [VIII]
“Eureka! Skipper! I have finally perfected my time machine!” Kowalski said entering the room with a small device.
“Fantastic. Are you sure it’s safe?” Skipper replied.
“Absolutely. I just tested it myself,” Kowalski told him.
“Oh, really? Then where did you go?” Skipper asked.
“Einstein’s first steps were truly a beautiful thing…” Kowalski said in recollection. Skipper rolled his eyes.
“Alright. So, where do we go, now?” Private asked.
“I thought we could sneak a peek at the future. What do you say?” Kowalski offered. The others exchanged a glance and shrugged.
“Sure. Let’s go see what the future holds,” Skipper said.
After setting the time machine for June 30th, 2030—exactly seventeen years from that very day, they huddled together and Kowalski pressed a button. After a blinding flash of light, they stood alone in an empty HQ.
Skipper looked around. “Did it work?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Let’s go see what’s going on in the zoo. Just make sure our future selves don’t see us,” Kowalski warned.
“You could’ve mentioned that before we came here in the HQ,” Skipper pointed out. Kowalski shrugged.
“Sorry, got excited,” he admitted. Skipper rolled his eyes.
“Never mind. Move out,” he ordered.
When the team left the future HQ, the habitats were empty. Figuring that there was probably a zoo meeting taking place, they headed to the Zoovenir Shop. Sure enough, the animals were all gathered there. But when they peered over the windowsill, they quickly realized that it wasn’t a meeting. It was a wedding.
“What the deuce?” Skipper inquired under his breath. They looked past the zoosters and saw the future Marlene and Skipper at the makeshift altar, giving their vows.
“Marlene, I have loved you from the first day I met you. You’re everything I could ever want in life. Let this ring be a symbol of my promise to love and cherish you until my last breath and forever longer,” the future Skipper said as he slipped a ring over the future Marlene’s finger. Her eyes were welling with tears of joy.
Skipper’s eyes widened and he couldn’t bring himself to look at his team, despite the fact that he could feel them staring at him. After watching for a moment longer, he fainted to the ground with a thump. The team silently gasped as the attention of the zoosters turned to the sound made outside and hopped down from the windowsill. Kowalski quickly took them back to their time period before they were caught.
“Skipper!”
Skipper snapped back into attention. “Huh?”
“Are you ready to try out my time machine?” Kowalski asked again.
“Um…Sure, Kowalski. But let’s go back in time, alright?” Skipper replied.
Kowalski became confused. “But you just said that you wanted to see what the future held, though.”
Skipper smiled. “I think I’d rather be surprised.”
15) Girl Talk [IX]
While out on some recon duty, Skipper was passing Marlene’s habitat when he heard voices inside that he recognized as Becky and Stacy’s.
“…about Skipper?” he heard Becky’s voice say. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help himself upon hearing his name.
“What about him?” said Marlene’s voice.
“C’mon, Marlene! You can’t tell us that you don’t notice the way he looks at you. He’s totally into you,” Stacy’s voice replied. Skipper felt the heat rush into his cheeks. Had he really been that obvious?
“Guys, come on. Skipper’s a nice guy…But I seriously doubt he has any kind of romantic feelings for me,” Marlene’s voice replied.
“Well, do you have feelings for him?” Becky asked.
There was a short silence that followed and Skipper’s heart started to race with anticipation. He leaned a little further into her habitat to see if he could hear anything when he lost his balance and fell in the entrance with a thwack.
“What was that?!” he heard Becky’s voice say, along with growing footsteps. A moment later, Marlene, Becky, and Stacy emerged from Marlene’s cave, looking for the source of the sound.
“Hm. I could’ve sworn I heard something,” Marlene said when they found her empty habitat.
“Me, too,” Stacy concurred. “I suppose it was a bird or something,” she suggested.
“Probably. Let’s go back inside,” Marlene said as she turned back.
Luckily, Skipper had made it outside Marlene’s habitat before anyone had seen him. He leaned back against the habitat’s wall and let out a relieved sigh. Then he took a deep breath.
I guess I’ll just have to find out when the time’s right, he thought with a smile.
16) Intruder Alert [X]
Skipper had had a long day with returning home from another successful solo mission and arrived at the zoo in the dead of night. Stealthily making his way through the zoo, he hopped atop his habitat’s boundaries when he noticed that a faint light was emanating from Marlene’s habitat. Curious about why Marlene would be up so late at night, he jumped down from the wall and crossed over into her habitat.
Being as quiet as he could manage, he moved slowly into her cave in attempt not to disturb her. He was almost inside when the room suddenly went dark and he felt someone grab his flipper and pull him to the ground before he even had time to think.
“Who are you?! Why are you in my habitat?!” he heard Marlene’s voice say just inches from his face in the darkness.
“Marlene! It’s me, Skipper!” Skipper protested. The next thing he knew, a light was switched on to reveal Marlene above him, pinning him to the floor. Her expression was a mix of shock and confusion.
“Skipper?” she said surveying him for a few seconds. After assuring herself that she wasn’t dreaming, she wrapped her arms around his neck from atop him. “Skipper, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?!”
Skipper chuckled and wrapped his flippers around Marlene. “I’m fine, Marlene. You want to tell me why you’re up so late? And why you ninja’d me to the ground?”
Marlene pulled away and got to her feet. “Well, I couldn’t sleep,” she said helping Skipper up. “I was just in here thinking when I heard something outside. I really am sorry about that,” she said scratching her neck.
Skipper waved a flipper in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it, Marlene. I’m actually pretty impressed. At least I know you can take care of yourself. I have to admit, I was completely caught off guard. And you know how hard it is to catch me off guard,” he told her with a grin of pride.
“I learned from the best, Skipper,” Marlene told him with a smile. Skipper chuckled.
“That you did. However…” Skipper snatched Marlene’s paw and pinned her by the shoulders to the nearest wall, catching her by surprise. “There’s still much more to learn,” he finished with a grin.
Marlene’s expression softened. “Then I guess you’ll have to teach me,” she said with a smile.
Skipper released his grip on Marlene’s shoulders and gave a salute. “Count on it.”
17) A New Side
“Hey, guys,” Marlene called as she dropped down into the penguins’ hatch. “Have I ever told you guys that I think of you as family?”
“What can we do for you, Marlene?” Skipper asked giving her a sideways glance.
Marlene scoffed innocently. “Pft! What makes you think I want something?”
Skipper crossed his flippers and gave her a look.
Marlene sighed. “Fine. Look, you guys know that it’s April Fools Day, right?” she asked.
“That we do. Why?” Skipper replied.
“Well, I’ve noticed that Julien already pulled a few pranks on the other zoo animals today and I really don’t like his sense of humor. Would it be okay if I stayed here until he gets it out of his system?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not. And I don’t blame you; the royal pain doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘no.’ Then again, he doesn’t know the meaning of a lot of words,” Skipper replied taking a couple of steps closer to Marlene. “Such as ‘personal space,’ ‘mind your own business,’ ‘go away’…I think you get my point,” he said with a grin.
Marlene laughed. “Can’t disagree on that one,” she said as she closed the distance between them.
“Though, I’m not sure what we’ll—”
Interrupting Skipper’s spoken thoughts, Julien fell through the hatch and landed at their feet, grabbing both of their ankles.
“Ringtail! What are you—?!”
When Julien got to his feet with a laugh, Skipper realized what he had done. He’d handcuffed his and Marlene’s ankles together.
“Oh! Oh, I so got you two! You should see the looks on your faces!” he said as he leaned against the wall holding his stomach, laughing so hard that tears started welling up in his eyes.
“Ringtail! Undo these cuffs! Now!” Skipper ordered.
“Oh, sure. When April Fools is over!” Julien replied before scrambling up and out of the hatch. Skipper started after him without thinking and tripped over the bracelet that connected him to Marlene and fell to the floor, unintentionally pulling Marlene with him and landing her on top of him. Even with her face millimeters from his, he kept his cool.
“Sorry, Marlene,” he said with a sigh. He pushed her up by the shoulders and helped her to her feet as he got to his.
“It’s alright. So much for avoiding Julien,” Marlene replied looking down at the cuffs around their ankles.
Skipper followed her gaze and shook his foot a little bit, watching the chain clink between their feet.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m ripe for revenge,” Marlene said with a sly smile. Skipper rose his gaze to meet hers.
“Really? I didn’t think you were for that kind of thing,” Skipper inquired.
Marlene laughed slightly. “Let’s just say that Julien’s got me in a…Pranking mood,” she replied, her expression unchanged.
The corners of Skipper’s beak slowly rose as a smile stretched across his face. “You mean a payback mood?”
“A little bit of both,” Marlene replied.
“Well, I must admit, this is a side of you I’ve never seen before. I like it,” Skipper said as he rubbed his flippers together deviously.
“Actually, Skipper, there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, yet,” Marlene told him. Skipper smiled curiously.
“Yet?”
“Shall we?” Marlene said gesturing to the door with intentions of plotting their revenge against Julien. Skipper grinned.
“We shall.”
18) Complicated [XI]
“No, Marlene, I just can’t chance it.”
“Please, Skipper? I’m ready for this. You’ve been training me for nine years. Can’t you just trust me?” Marlene begged.
Skipper rolled himself out from under the car and got to his feet, setting down his wrench on the nearby barrel. He then gently took Marlene by the shoulders.
“Marlene, I love you. You know I do. And I care about you too much to let anything happen to you,” he said.
“Excuse me,” Kowalski said as he reached past Skipper for the wrench he’d laid down.
Marlene became defensive and crossed her arms. “So, you don’t think I’m ready?”
Skipper sighed. “No, it’s not that I don’t think you’re ready, it’s just that…” His voice trailed off.
“Just that what, Skipper? Is it because I’m a girl and you don’t think I can handle it?” she inquired.
“Marlene, please don’t put words in my beak. It’s not because you’re a girl. If I thought that, I would’ve never trained you in the first place,” Skipper insisted dropping his flippers to his sides.
“Then it’s because I’m your wife?” Marlene said.
“No! It has nothing to do with our relationship!” Skipper asserted.
“Then why won’t you let me go?! I’m ready for this, Skipper! Let me prove that to you!” Marlene persisted.
“Marlene, I just don’t feel comfortable with you going on this mission! I admit, you’ve been more than help on the missions we’ve been on together. But this one is so much bigger than any of those combined! There are lives at stake, Marlene! I don’t want your life to be one of them!” Skipper shot back.
“Skipper! I’ll be fine! You’ve seen what I can do!” Marlene reasoned. She took a couple steps forward, put a paw on his chest, and jutted out her lower lip. “Plus, I had a really good teacher.”
Skipper’s brows raised slightly and he shook his head. “Oh, no,” he said taking her wrist and lifting her paw off of his chest. “Getting cute with me isn’t going to change my mind. I know you’re good, Marlene. I wouldn’t have let you come on any mission if I’d thought any less. It’s just that the boys and I have been in this line of work far longer than you have. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Skipper’s right, Marlene,” Kowalski said as he passed them carrying a can of oil. “I think you should leave this one to us.”
I don’t believe I asked for your opinion, said Marlene’s eyes and threatening posture. Kowalski gulped slightly and awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Sorry…” he said quietly as he turned back to continue working on the car.
Marlene turned back to Skipper. “Skipper, you know I can’t let you go without me. I’m going with you,” she insisted.
“No, you're not,” Skipper shot back.
Marlene grunted in frustration. “Skipper, I love you, but why do you always have to be so stubborn?!”
“You knew I was stubborn when you married me!” Skipper protested.
“I know that, but I’m your wife! Can’t you cut me a little slack?” she pleaded.
“Marlene, I told you this from the beginning; when it comes to missions, you’re a member of this unit. And in anything else, you’re my wife. That way, no one is subject to favoritism. And as your commanding officer, I deny your request to join in on this mission!” Skipper ordered.
The team—who had been preparing the car for the mission during Skipper and Marlene’s disagreement—stopped abruptly and turned to Skipper with their brows raised in shock. Their eyes flitted to Marlene, worried about her reaction.
“You deny my request?” Marlene repeated slowly and firmly. “I’ll have you know that this is far from a request. Skipper, I am going on that mission with or without your permission,” she said with an affirmative stare.
“This is insubordination, Marlene. You’ve worked yourself up to Private First Class. I’d hate to have to demote my own wife, but I’ll do it,” Skipper threatened.
“Demote? Skipper, now you’re going too far. I’ve worked hard for this position and I am not going to let you take me back down,” Marlene said firmly.
“Good. Then we’re on the same page. You stay here while the boys and I go complete the mission,” Skipper said with clarity. Marlene grunted in frustration and grabbed his shoulders.
“You are impossible!” she said putting emphasis on the syllables by shaking him slightly. Skipper grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close.
“But you still love me, right?” he said with a grin.
Marlene sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I still love you. You know that.”
“I know. I just like to hear you say it,” Skipper said before pulling her into a kiss. Back at the car, the team exchanged a glance.
“Are they still fighting?” Private whispered to Kowalski.
Kowalski watched them for a moment longer, then shrugged.
“It’s complicated. Love always is.”
19) Alone At Last?
“Marlene?” Skipper called as he entered Marlene’s cave.
“Yeah, I’m here, Skipper. Did you give the team something to do to keep them busy?” Marlene asked as Skipper moved deeper into her room.
“Yep. They don’t even know I’m here,” Skipper answered. He moved forward and took her by the waist. “Now, we can finally be alone.”
Marlene smiled and rested her paws on his shoulders. “Yeah. Alone.”
Skipper touched his forehead to hers. “I really am sorry about last time, by the way. I wasn’t expecting Alice to feed us that early in the afternoon.”
Marlene laughed slightly. “Skipper, it’s fine. I don’t blame you for that. Besides, it’s not like you were upset with me when I had to cancel our date when I got food poisoning,” she told him.
“Of course I wouldn’t be. If Alice would check the food before serving it, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. Besides, we still had a pretty good time watching that movie instead, right?” Skipper said giving her a nudge.
“Even though I threw up in the middle of it?” Marlene inquired with an awkward smile.
“Well, at least you made it to the bathroom…The first time,” he said with a slight laugh. “No, I wasn’t upset with you. I was just upset that we haven’t had a real moment alone in…Geez, I can’t even remember,” Skipper explained. “First, it was Kowalski’s invention gone haywire…”
“Then, it was the emergency mission…” Marlene added.
“Then, the Vesuvius Twins came to visit the zoo again…” Skipper continued, then he shook his head in dismissal. “But none of that matters. All that matters is here and now, just you and me, finally alone.”
Marlene smiled and Skipper gradually started to close the distance between his beak and her lips…
“Hello, smelly, flightless waterbird!” Julien said as he entered Marlene’s cave, causing her and Skipper to pull away in surprise. “So, I saw you come in here and was just wondering if—”
“No,” Skipper said, cutting him off.
“But you didn’t even know what I was—”
“No! You know what?! I don’t care about privacy anymore! This is my time and I’m not going to let you ruin it!” Skipper snapped as he turned back to Marlene, grabbed her once again by the waist, and kissed her right in front of him. Julien’s eyes widened as he stood where he was, unable to look away in the shock of Skipper’s action.
After a few seconds, he got over the shock and the awkwardness of the situation crept in as Marlene wrapped her arms around Skipper’s neck to deepen the kiss.
“Eh…You know what? I think I-I’ll go, now. O-Oh! Do you hear that? I think Maurice is calling me! I sh-should go see about that. And…I’m shutting up now…” he said awkwardly as Skipper and Marlene carried on as if he wasn’t even there. He turned and stumbled out of Marlene’s cave without another word.
Skipper—after peeking off to the side to see if Julien was truly gone—finally pulled away with a sigh.
“Finally. I haven’t been able to do that in a while,” he said with grin.
“I’m surprised at you, Skipper. I didn’t think you liked kissing me in front of anyone. Especially Julien,” Marlene replied with a laugh. Skipper pushed a tuft of fur out of her eyes.
“Well, it got him to go away, didn’t it? We’re finally—and truly—alone,” he said holding her closer. Marlene smiled.
“Alone at last.”
20) One In the Same
“I had a nice time tonight, Skipper,” Marlene said as she and Skipper returned home flipper-in-paw through Central Park.
“I did, too,” Skipper said with a smile. Without warning, Marlene gradually slowed her pace and she turned to Skipper.
“Skipper, can I ask something?” she requested. Skipper stopped and turned to face her.
“Of course you can, Marlene. What is it?” he granted.
“Well…I was just wondering…What is it that attracts you to me?” she asked bashfully.
Skipper smiled.
“I think a better question would be, ‘What doesn’t attract you to me.’ Which I can’t answer, because there isn’t one,” he replied.
Marlene smiled sheepishly and looked down. “Aw, Skipper, that’s sweet. But…I meant more…Why are you attracted to me?”
Skipper’s brow lowered in confusion. “I don’t think I’m following,” he told her.
“It’s just…We’re so different. I mean, we do have some things in common, but for the most part, we have two completely different personalities,” Marlene explained.
“Well, I don’t think that’s such a big deal. We have feelings for each other and that’s all that matters, right?” Skipper asked taking her paws into his flippers.
“Yeah…But…I just hear that relationships don’t last as long unless you have a lot in common,” Marlene said without meeting his eye.
Skipper’s face fell slightly and he released one of her paws to lift her chin.
“Marlene, you’re not having second thoughts about us, are you?” he asked.
“No, no, not at all. I want to be with you, Skipper. It’s just that I’m just a little insecure, that’s all—”
Marlene was interrupted by a sound coming from behind her and she and Skipper followed it with their eyes. Next to a tree that wasn’t too far behind her, a hippie had made himself comfortable under it and was tapping along on his bongos. Marlene sighed in irritation.
“Here I am trying to have a serious conversation with you and a stupid hippie has to interrupt us,” she said, spitting out the word ‘hippie’ as if it were a disease.
Skipper eyed her curiously.
“Stupid hippie?” he repeated.
“Yeah, I mean, can’t these guys get a life? Someone needs to just make them get jobs,” Marlene told him. Skipper fought off a smile.
“So, you dislike hippies?” he asked her.
“Totally. I just don’t get the point. And they talk weird…” she said rolling her eyes. “Man,” she added, mocking the tone of a hippie. Skipper finally found himself unable to keep himself from grinning.
“What?” Marlene said in response to Skipper’s expression. “What are you smiling about?”
Skipper wrapped his flipper around Marlene’s shoulders and started for the zoo again.
“Marlene, I can assure you that we are one in the same.”
♦ ♦ ♦
[VI] This sort of came to me as I was watching Otter Things Have Happened again. I could sort of imagine Julien attempting to win Marlene over and/or try to inform her that she was his girlfriend before any of that happened.
[VII]-[IX] Thanks to link for giving me the idea for these skits in the link forum post, Page 39.
[X] Okay, maybe that one was a little more cute than funny. It was just an idea I had.
[XI] I started writing this skit and realized that I think I can actually do more with it. I might turn it into an actual story sometime.
11) Sweet Dreams
On a quiet Saturday afternoon, Skipper had sent his men off for a snowcone reward since the past few days had been left problem-free. He decided to stay behind to use the vacated HQ to go through some classified files.
Flipping through file after file, he found himself going through a rhythm due to the lack of disturbances. His rhythm was interrupted when a voice from behind him gave him a start.
“Whatcha doin’?”
Skipper twitched in surprise and instinctively turned around on his heel, ready for combat. His stance softened when he saw that it was only Marlene standing in the doorway behind him.
“Marlene? What are you doing here?” he asked straightening himself.
It wasn’t until now did he realize Marlene’s appearance. Her hip was cocked and her arms were folded over her chest. One eyebrow was raised higher than the other and her smile was smooth and seductive.
“You here alone?” Marlene asked without answering Skipper’s question.
Skipper found nervousness creeping into his chest and he swallowed. “Yeah. Why…?”
Marlene strided in and stopped when she was barely a couple of inches from Skipper. “I just thought we could…Talk?” she said taking on a deep, sexy tone to her voice. Skipper gulped.
“S-Sure,” he stuttered, “what exactly did you want to talk about?” he asked trying to act like he didn’t notice the way Marlene was acting.
Marlene reached out and ran one of her paws up Skipper’s chest, bringing it to a rest on his shoulder. “Us,” she answered staring deep into Skipper’s eyes, which widened at her answer.
“Us?” Skipper repeated. He cleared his throat slightly. “What about us, exactly?” he asked awkwardly.
Marlene guided her other paw to meet the other around Skipper’s neck. “You know, Skipper, I’ve always found you rather attractive.”
Skipper laughed nervously and tried to respond, but all that came out was a jumble of half-words before Marlene put her finger on his beak and laughed slightly.
“And you’re just plain adorable when you’re nervous,” she said tracing her paw down the side of his beak before resting it on his shoulder once again. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.”
Marlene slowly pulled him closer and Skipper was too stunned and nervous to object. His beak met Marlene’s lips and he was overwhelmed with surprise and electricity, stumbling back into the table. He heard his pile of files fall to the floor, but he found himself not caring as he and Marlene seemed to melt into each other.
A few seconds into the moment, Skipper could hear someone calling his name from a distance and he suddenly found himself jerking awake in his bunk with Kowalski at his side.
“Skipper! Wow, I don’t know what you were dreaming about, but you seemed to really be enjoying it. I’ve been trying to wake you up for six whole minutes!”
12) The Power of Charm [VI]
On a quiet morning, Marlene busied herself in tuning her Spanish guitar. It was just about perfect when Julien strolled into her cave.
“Ah, hello, Ms. Otter! May I enter?” he asked entering without waiting for an answer.
“Um…Sure, Julien. Come right in,” Marlene answered rolling her eyes and propping her guitar up against a nearby wall. “What are you doing here?”
“Is it a crime to want to visit a good neighbor?” Julien replied coming to a stop by her side.
“No, but I get worried when you do,” Marlene said with a suspicious look on her face.
Julien laughed slightly. “Oh, Marlene! You’re poking fun at me! You got me, there!”
Marlene cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest. “Julien, are you alright? You’re acting strange.”
Julien shook his head and leaned against the wall by Marlene. “No, no, Marlene. I am just fine. Actually, I was just coming to be making sure you were alright.”
“Me? I’m fine. Why?” Marlene asked.
“Oh, I was just wondering if it hurt when heaven fell upon you?” Julien asked with a smooth smile.
“Um…Excuse me?” Marlene replied with her face twisting in confusion.
“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put you and me together,” Julien added.
“Julien, are you…Hitting on me?” Marlene asked in astonishment.
“No, silly otter. I am simply wooing you with my charm,” Julien answered pushing his crown back slightly.
Interrupting them, Skipper popped up through the sewer drain.
“Hey, Marlene! Rico and I found some—” he stopped short when he noticed Julien’s presence. “What are you doing here, Ringtail?”
“Apparently, he’s ‘wooing me with his charm.’ But, quite frankly, he’s just annoying me with it,” Marlene answered.
“Annoying?! How could a handsome and brave king, such as me, be annoying?” Julien asked folding his arms over his chest in frustration.
Skipper looked Julien up and down for a moment, then started laughing. “Are you serious? You’re flirting with Marlene?” Upon saying his thoughts aloud, he started laughing even harder.
“I am failing to see the humor in this!” Julien exclaimed angrily throwing his paws up, then bringing them to his hips.
Skipper—unable to stop laughing—pulled himself up into Marlene’s habitat and stumbled over his own feet as he tried to regain his composure. His guffaw became contagious as Marlene found herself unable to keep from cracking a smile.
“I am demanding that you all stop laughing this instant!” Julien commanded. But Skipper and Marlene were now both laughing uncontrollably, resulting in Julien leaving in an angry huff. “I will not stand here and be made fun of by a couple of commoners!” he said on his way out.
After a few more moments of trying to catch their breath, Skipper and Marlene’s laughing softened into small convulsions.
“Whew…I’m sorry, Marlene. I just couldn’t help myself,” Skipper said once he’d caught his breath.
“Heh, it’s alright, Skipper,” Marlene replied. Her face fell upon a thought entering her mind. “Wait, what were you laughing about, anyway? Is it really that funny that someone would…Want me?” she asked.
Skipper’s smile faded and he strode over to Marlene. “Marlene, that is most certainly not why I was laughing. I was laughing because it was preposterous to think he’d have a shot with you. You deserve much better than anything he could offer you in a relationship.”
Marlene smiled bashfully. “You really think so?”
“No, I don’t think so. I know so, Marlene,” Skipper said returning a reassuring smile.
A short-lived silence followed and Skipper was the first to break it. “So, what exactly did Ringtail say, anyway?”
Marlene laughed and scratched the back of her neck. “Well, first he asked if it hurt when heaven fell on me.”
Skipper suppressed a laugh. “I think he meant, ‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’” he told her.
Marlene laughed. “Yeah, I know,” she said shaking her head.
Skipper thought for a moment, then smiled coolly. “So, did it?”
13) Denial [VII]
“So, Kowalski, is there anything new?” Skipper asked entering his lab.
“Actually, yes. I’ve intercepted some transfer papers. We’re going to have a new resident in the zoo,” Kowalski answered picking up the transfer papers.
“Really? What species?” Skipper inquired.
“It appears that a new male otter will be joining us,” Kowalski told him. Skipper’s face lifted in surprise.
“Male otter?” Skipper repeated.
“Um…Affirmative. Why?” Kowalski asked, confused by Skipper’s tone.
Skipper crossed his flippers over his chest. “Well, why does the zoo need a male otter? What? Marlene isn’t good enough for them?”
“Sir?” Kowalski urged, trying to understand Skipper’s sudden outburst.
“What? Can I not have an opinion? Marlene is perfect all on her own. She doesn't need a male around to steal her spotlight. Let me see that transcript!” he ordered snatching the papers from Kowalski and looking over them.
Kowalski laughed slightly. “Skipper, if I didn’t know you any better, I’d say you were jealous.”
Skipper darted a look at him over the transcripts. “Jealous? I’m not jealous! I’m just saying that Marlene attracts enough visitors to the zoo all by herself,” he insisted.
Kowalski folded his flippers over his chest. “So, you find Marlene attractive and perfect, hm?” he asked with a teasing smile.
Skipper shook his head. “No! I mean…Well, she does, doesn’t she?!”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Kowalski said with a wink. Though, the fact that he didn’t answer his question was an answer in itself.
“Focus on the problem at hand, Kowalski!” Skipper ordered, trying to change the subject.
Kowalski sighed. “Fine,” he said. Though, a moment later, he coughed out the word jealous.
“I am not jealous!” Skipper insisted slapping the papers down on the table.
“Denial!” Kowalski said in a sing-song tone.
“I am not in denial!” Skipper told him jabbing a flipper in his direction.
“So, you deny that you’re in denial?” Kowalski asked, unable to contain his laughter any longer.
“Yes! I mean…No! I mean…Kowalski!” Skipper stuttered in frustration.
“What is going on in here?!” Private asked entering the room.
“Skipper’s jeal—” Skipper slapped Kowalski before he could finish.
“Nothing, soldier. Right, Kowalski?” Skipper said giving him a hard stare.
Kowalski held back another laugh. “Yes, Private. Absolutely nothing. And apparently, it’s going to stay that way unless your leader man’s up.”
Skipper narrowed his eyes at him. Private eyed both of them curiously, then turned around with a roll of his eyes.
“I’ll never understand grown-ups.”
14) What the Future Holds [VIII]
“Eureka! Skipper! I have finally perfected my time machine!” Kowalski said entering the room with a small device.
“Fantastic. Are you sure it’s safe?” Skipper replied.
“Absolutely. I just tested it myself,” Kowalski told him.
“Oh, really? Then where did you go?” Skipper asked.
“Einstein’s first steps were truly a beautiful thing…” Kowalski said in recollection. Skipper rolled his eyes.
“Alright. So, where do we go, now?” Private asked.
“I thought we could sneak a peek at the future. What do you say?” Kowalski offered. The others exchanged a glance and shrugged.
“Sure. Let’s go see what the future holds,” Skipper said.
After setting the time machine for June 30th, 2030—exactly seventeen years from that very day, they huddled together and Kowalski pressed a button. After a blinding flash of light, they stood alone in an empty HQ.
Skipper looked around. “Did it work?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Let’s go see what’s going on in the zoo. Just make sure our future selves don’t see us,” Kowalski warned.
“You could’ve mentioned that before we came here in the HQ,” Skipper pointed out. Kowalski shrugged.
“Sorry, got excited,” he admitted. Skipper rolled his eyes.
“Never mind. Move out,” he ordered.
When the team left the future HQ, the habitats were empty. Figuring that there was probably a zoo meeting taking place, they headed to the Zoovenir Shop. Sure enough, the animals were all gathered there. But when they peered over the windowsill, they quickly realized that it wasn’t a meeting. It was a wedding.
“What the deuce?” Skipper inquired under his breath. They looked past the zoosters and saw the future Marlene and Skipper at the makeshift altar, giving their vows.
“Marlene, I have loved you from the first day I met you. You’re everything I could ever want in life. Let this ring be a symbol of my promise to love and cherish you until my last breath and forever longer,” the future Skipper said as he slipped a ring over the future Marlene’s finger. Her eyes were welling with tears of joy.
Skipper’s eyes widened and he couldn’t bring himself to look at his team, despite the fact that he could feel them staring at him. After watching for a moment longer, he fainted to the ground with a thump. The team silently gasped as the attention of the zoosters turned to the sound made outside and hopped down from the windowsill. Kowalski quickly took them back to their time period before they were caught.
“Skipper!”
Skipper snapped back into attention. “Huh?”
“Are you ready to try out my time machine?” Kowalski asked again.
“Um…Sure, Kowalski. But let’s go back in time, alright?” Skipper replied.
Kowalski became confused. “But you just said that you wanted to see what the future held, though.”
Skipper smiled. “I think I’d rather be surprised.”
15) Girl Talk [IX]
While out on some recon duty, Skipper was passing Marlene’s habitat when he heard voices inside that he recognized as Becky and Stacy’s.
“…about Skipper?” he heard Becky’s voice say. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help himself upon hearing his name.
“What about him?” said Marlene’s voice.
“C’mon, Marlene! You can’t tell us that you don’t notice the way he looks at you. He’s totally into you,” Stacy’s voice replied. Skipper felt the heat rush into his cheeks. Had he really been that obvious?
“Guys, come on. Skipper’s a nice guy…But I seriously doubt he has any kind of romantic feelings for me,” Marlene’s voice replied.
“Well, do you have feelings for him?” Becky asked.
There was a short silence that followed and Skipper’s heart started to race with anticipation. He leaned a little further into her habitat to see if he could hear anything when he lost his balance and fell in the entrance with a thwack.
“What was that?!” he heard Becky’s voice say, along with growing footsteps. A moment later, Marlene, Becky, and Stacy emerged from Marlene’s cave, looking for the source of the sound.
“Hm. I could’ve sworn I heard something,” Marlene said when they found her empty habitat.
“Me, too,” Stacy concurred. “I suppose it was a bird or something,” she suggested.
“Probably. Let’s go back inside,” Marlene said as she turned back.
Luckily, Skipper had made it outside Marlene’s habitat before anyone had seen him. He leaned back against the habitat’s wall and let out a relieved sigh. Then he took a deep breath.
I guess I’ll just have to find out when the time’s right, he thought with a smile.
16) Intruder Alert [X]
Skipper had had a long day with returning home from another successful solo mission and arrived at the zoo in the dead of night. Stealthily making his way through the zoo, he hopped atop his habitat’s boundaries when he noticed that a faint light was emanating from Marlene’s habitat. Curious about why Marlene would be up so late at night, he jumped down from the wall and crossed over into her habitat.
Being as quiet as he could manage, he moved slowly into her cave in attempt not to disturb her. He was almost inside when the room suddenly went dark and he felt someone grab his flipper and pull him to the ground before he even had time to think.
“Who are you?! Why are you in my habitat?!” he heard Marlene’s voice say just inches from his face in the darkness.
“Marlene! It’s me, Skipper!” Skipper protested. The next thing he knew, a light was switched on to reveal Marlene above him, pinning him to the floor. Her expression was a mix of shock and confusion.
“Skipper?” she said surveying him for a few seconds. After assuring herself that she wasn’t dreaming, she wrapped her arms around his neck from atop him. “Skipper, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?!”
Skipper chuckled and wrapped his flippers around Marlene. “I’m fine, Marlene. You want to tell me why you’re up so late? And why you ninja’d me to the ground?”
Marlene pulled away and got to her feet. “Well, I couldn’t sleep,” she said helping Skipper up. “I was just in here thinking when I heard something outside. I really am sorry about that,” she said scratching her neck.
Skipper waved a flipper in dismissal. “Don’t worry about it, Marlene. I’m actually pretty impressed. At least I know you can take care of yourself. I have to admit, I was completely caught off guard. And you know how hard it is to catch me off guard,” he told her with a grin of pride.
“I learned from the best, Skipper,” Marlene told him with a smile. Skipper chuckled.
“That you did. However…” Skipper snatched Marlene’s paw and pinned her by the shoulders to the nearest wall, catching her by surprise. “There’s still much more to learn,” he finished with a grin.
Marlene’s expression softened. “Then I guess you’ll have to teach me,” she said with a smile.
Skipper released his grip on Marlene’s shoulders and gave a salute. “Count on it.”
17) A New Side
“Hey, guys,” Marlene called as she dropped down into the penguins’ hatch. “Have I ever told you guys that I think of you as family?”
“What can we do for you, Marlene?” Skipper asked giving her a sideways glance.
Marlene scoffed innocently. “Pft! What makes you think I want something?”
Skipper crossed his flippers and gave her a look.
Marlene sighed. “Fine. Look, you guys know that it’s April Fools Day, right?” she asked.
“That we do. Why?” Skipper replied.
“Well, I’ve noticed that Julien already pulled a few pranks on the other zoo animals today and I really don’t like his sense of humor. Would it be okay if I stayed here until he gets it out of his system?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not. And I don’t blame you; the royal pain doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘no.’ Then again, he doesn’t know the meaning of a lot of words,” Skipper replied taking a couple of steps closer to Marlene. “Such as ‘personal space,’ ‘mind your own business,’ ‘go away’…I think you get my point,” he said with a grin.
Marlene laughed. “Can’t disagree on that one,” she said as she closed the distance between them.
“Though, I’m not sure what we’ll—”
Interrupting Skipper’s spoken thoughts, Julien fell through the hatch and landed at their feet, grabbing both of their ankles.
“Ringtail! What are you—?!”
When Julien got to his feet with a laugh, Skipper realized what he had done. He’d handcuffed his and Marlene’s ankles together.
“Oh! Oh, I so got you two! You should see the looks on your faces!” he said as he leaned against the wall holding his stomach, laughing so hard that tears started welling up in his eyes.
“Ringtail! Undo these cuffs! Now!” Skipper ordered.
“Oh, sure. When April Fools is over!” Julien replied before scrambling up and out of the hatch. Skipper started after him without thinking and tripped over the bracelet that connected him to Marlene and fell to the floor, unintentionally pulling Marlene with him and landing her on top of him. Even with her face millimeters from his, he kept his cool.
“Sorry, Marlene,” he said with a sigh. He pushed her up by the shoulders and helped her to her feet as he got to his.
“It’s alright. So much for avoiding Julien,” Marlene replied looking down at the cuffs around their ankles.
Skipper followed her gaze and shook his foot a little bit, watching the chain clink between their feet.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m ripe for revenge,” Marlene said with a sly smile. Skipper rose his gaze to meet hers.
“Really? I didn’t think you were for that kind of thing,” Skipper inquired.
Marlene laughed slightly. “Let’s just say that Julien’s got me in a…Pranking mood,” she replied, her expression unchanged.
The corners of Skipper’s beak slowly rose as a smile stretched across his face. “You mean a payback mood?”
“A little bit of both,” Marlene replied.
“Well, I must admit, this is a side of you I’ve never seen before. I like it,” Skipper said as he rubbed his flippers together deviously.
“Actually, Skipper, there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, yet,” Marlene told him. Skipper smiled curiously.
“Yet?”
“Shall we?” Marlene said gesturing to the door with intentions of plotting their revenge against Julien. Skipper grinned.
“We shall.”
18) Complicated [XI]
“No, Marlene, I just can’t chance it.”
“Please, Skipper? I’m ready for this. You’ve been training me for nine years. Can’t you just trust me?” Marlene begged.
Skipper rolled himself out from under the car and got to his feet, setting down his wrench on the nearby barrel. He then gently took Marlene by the shoulders.
“Marlene, I love you. You know I do. And I care about you too much to let anything happen to you,” he said.
“Excuse me,” Kowalski said as he reached past Skipper for the wrench he’d laid down.
Marlene became defensive and crossed her arms. “So, you don’t think I’m ready?”
Skipper sighed. “No, it’s not that I don’t think you’re ready, it’s just that…” His voice trailed off.
“Just that what, Skipper? Is it because I’m a girl and you don’t think I can handle it?” she inquired.
“Marlene, please don’t put words in my beak. It’s not because you’re a girl. If I thought that, I would’ve never trained you in the first place,” Skipper insisted dropping his flippers to his sides.
“Then it’s because I’m your wife?” Marlene said.
“No! It has nothing to do with our relationship!” Skipper asserted.
“Then why won’t you let me go?! I’m ready for this, Skipper! Let me prove that to you!” Marlene persisted.
“Marlene, I just don’t feel comfortable with you going on this mission! I admit, you’ve been more than help on the missions we’ve been on together. But this one is so much bigger than any of those combined! There are lives at stake, Marlene! I don’t want your life to be one of them!” Skipper shot back.
“Skipper! I’ll be fine! You’ve seen what I can do!” Marlene reasoned. She took a couple steps forward, put a paw on his chest, and jutted out her lower lip. “Plus, I had a really good teacher.”
Skipper’s brows raised slightly and he shook his head. “Oh, no,” he said taking her wrist and lifting her paw off of his chest. “Getting cute with me isn’t going to change my mind. I know you’re good, Marlene. I wouldn’t have let you come on any mission if I’d thought any less. It’s just that the boys and I have been in this line of work far longer than you have. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Skipper’s right, Marlene,” Kowalski said as he passed them carrying a can of oil. “I think you should leave this one to us.”
I don’t believe I asked for your opinion, said Marlene’s eyes and threatening posture. Kowalski gulped slightly and awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Sorry…” he said quietly as he turned back to continue working on the car.
Marlene turned back to Skipper. “Skipper, you know I can’t let you go without me. I’m going with you,” she insisted.
“No, you're not,” Skipper shot back.
Marlene grunted in frustration. “Skipper, I love you, but why do you always have to be so stubborn?!”
“You knew I was stubborn when you married me!” Skipper protested.
“I know that, but I’m your wife! Can’t you cut me a little slack?” she pleaded.
“Marlene, I told you this from the beginning; when it comes to missions, you’re a member of this unit. And in anything else, you’re my wife. That way, no one is subject to favoritism. And as your commanding officer, I deny your request to join in on this mission!” Skipper ordered.
The team—who had been preparing the car for the mission during Skipper and Marlene’s disagreement—stopped abruptly and turned to Skipper with their brows raised in shock. Their eyes flitted to Marlene, worried about her reaction.
“You deny my request?” Marlene repeated slowly and firmly. “I’ll have you know that this is far from a request. Skipper, I am going on that mission with or without your permission,” she said with an affirmative stare.
“This is insubordination, Marlene. You’ve worked yourself up to Private First Class. I’d hate to have to demote my own wife, but I’ll do it,” Skipper threatened.
“Demote? Skipper, now you’re going too far. I’ve worked hard for this position and I am not going to let you take me back down,” Marlene said firmly.
“Good. Then we’re on the same page. You stay here while the boys and I go complete the mission,” Skipper said with clarity. Marlene grunted in frustration and grabbed his shoulders.
“You are impossible!” she said putting emphasis on the syllables by shaking him slightly. Skipper grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close.
“But you still love me, right?” he said with a grin.
Marlene sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I still love you. You know that.”
“I know. I just like to hear you say it,” Skipper said before pulling her into a kiss. Back at the car, the team exchanged a glance.
“Are they still fighting?” Private whispered to Kowalski.
Kowalski watched them for a moment longer, then shrugged.
“It’s complicated. Love always is.”
19) Alone At Last?
“Marlene?” Skipper called as he entered Marlene’s cave.
“Yeah, I’m here, Skipper. Did you give the team something to do to keep them busy?” Marlene asked as Skipper moved deeper into her room.
“Yep. They don’t even know I’m here,” Skipper answered. He moved forward and took her by the waist. “Now, we can finally be alone.”
Marlene smiled and rested her paws on his shoulders. “Yeah. Alone.”
Skipper touched his forehead to hers. “I really am sorry about last time, by the way. I wasn’t expecting Alice to feed us that early in the afternoon.”
Marlene laughed slightly. “Skipper, it’s fine. I don’t blame you for that. Besides, it’s not like you were upset with me when I had to cancel our date when I got food poisoning,” she told him.
“Of course I wouldn’t be. If Alice would check the food before serving it, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. Besides, we still had a pretty good time watching that movie instead, right?” Skipper said giving her a nudge.
“Even though I threw up in the middle of it?” Marlene inquired with an awkward smile.
“Well, at least you made it to the bathroom…The first time,” he said with a slight laugh. “No, I wasn’t upset with you. I was just upset that we haven’t had a real moment alone in…Geez, I can’t even remember,” Skipper explained. “First, it was Kowalski’s invention gone haywire…”
“Then, it was the emergency mission…” Marlene added.
“Then, the Vesuvius Twins came to visit the zoo again…” Skipper continued, then he shook his head in dismissal. “But none of that matters. All that matters is here and now, just you and me, finally alone.”
Marlene smiled and Skipper gradually started to close the distance between his beak and her lips…
“Hello, smelly, flightless waterbird!” Julien said as he entered Marlene’s cave, causing her and Skipper to pull away in surprise. “So, I saw you come in here and was just wondering if—”
“No,” Skipper said, cutting him off.
“But you didn’t even know what I was—”
“No! You know what?! I don’t care about privacy anymore! This is my time and I’m not going to let you ruin it!” Skipper snapped as he turned back to Marlene, grabbed her once again by the waist, and kissed her right in front of him. Julien’s eyes widened as he stood where he was, unable to look away in the shock of Skipper’s action.
After a few seconds, he got over the shock and the awkwardness of the situation crept in as Marlene wrapped her arms around Skipper’s neck to deepen the kiss.
“Eh…You know what? I think I-I’ll go, now. O-Oh! Do you hear that? I think Maurice is calling me! I sh-should go see about that. And…I’m shutting up now…” he said awkwardly as Skipper and Marlene carried on as if he wasn’t even there. He turned and stumbled out of Marlene’s cave without another word.
Skipper—after peeking off to the side to see if Julien was truly gone—finally pulled away with a sigh.
“Finally. I haven’t been able to do that in a while,” he said with grin.
“I’m surprised at you, Skipper. I didn’t think you liked kissing me in front of anyone. Especially Julien,” Marlene replied with a laugh. Skipper pushed a tuft of fur out of her eyes.
“Well, it got him to go away, didn’t it? We’re finally—and truly—alone,” he said holding her closer. Marlene smiled.
“Alone at last.”
20) One In the Same
“I had a nice time tonight, Skipper,” Marlene said as she and Skipper returned home flipper-in-paw through Central Park.
“I did, too,” Skipper said with a smile. Without warning, Marlene gradually slowed her pace and she turned to Skipper.
“Skipper, can I ask something?” she requested. Skipper stopped and turned to face her.
“Of course you can, Marlene. What is it?” he granted.
“Well…I was just wondering…What is it that attracts you to me?” she asked bashfully.
Skipper smiled.
“I think a better question would be, ‘What doesn’t attract you to me.’ Which I can’t answer, because there isn’t one,” he replied.
Marlene smiled sheepishly and looked down. “Aw, Skipper, that’s sweet. But…I meant more…Why are you attracted to me?”
Skipper’s brow lowered in confusion. “I don’t think I’m following,” he told her.
“It’s just…We’re so different. I mean, we do have some things in common, but for the most part, we have two completely different personalities,” Marlene explained.
“Well, I don’t think that’s such a big deal. We have feelings for each other and that’s all that matters, right?” Skipper asked taking her paws into his flippers.
“Yeah…But…I just hear that relationships don’t last as long unless you have a lot in common,” Marlene said without meeting his eye.
Skipper’s face fell slightly and he released one of her paws to lift her chin.
“Marlene, you’re not having second thoughts about us, are you?” he asked.
“No, no, not at all. I want to be with you, Skipper. It’s just that I’m just a little insecure, that’s all—”
Marlene was interrupted by a sound coming from behind her and she and Skipper followed it with their eyes. Next to a tree that wasn’t too far behind her, a hippie had made himself comfortable under it and was tapping along on his bongos. Marlene sighed in irritation.
“Here I am trying to have a serious conversation with you and a stupid hippie has to interrupt us,” she said, spitting out the word ‘hippie’ as if it were a disease.
Skipper eyed her curiously.
“Stupid hippie?” he repeated.
“Yeah, I mean, can’t these guys get a life? Someone needs to just make them get jobs,” Marlene told him. Skipper fought off a smile.
“So, you dislike hippies?” he asked her.
“Totally. I just don’t get the point. And they talk weird…” she said rolling her eyes. “Man,” she added, mocking the tone of a hippie. Skipper finally found himself unable to keep himself from grinning.
“What?” Marlene said in response to Skipper’s expression. “What are you smiling about?”
Skipper wrapped his flipper around Marlene’s shoulders and started for the zoo again.
“Marlene, I can assure you that we are one in the same.”
♦ ♦ ♦
[VI] This sort of came to me as I was watching Otter Things Have Happened again. I could sort of imagine Julien attempting to win Marlene over and/or try to inform her that she was his girlfriend before any of that happened.
[VII]-[IX] Thanks to link for giving me the idea for these skits in the link forum post, Page 39.
[X] Okay, maybe that one was a little more cute than funny. It was just an idea I had.
[XI] I started writing this skit and realized that I think I can actually do more with it. I might turn it into an actual story sometime.
could it be true? she still loved him?
