The penguins headed to the H.Q. Private seemed aroused.

"Oh, boy! I can't wait to meet the new otter! I bet Marlene feels the same! They'll make a perfect couple!" Private exclaimed.

"Private, be quiet!" Skipper snarled.

That night, Skipper couldn't fall asleep. He tossed and turned, there simply was too much on his mind. He closed his eyes and began to count fish. It was only a matter of time before he fell asleep.

The hatch opened slowly, causing the light of the moon to stream in the room. A broad figure tip-toed in. The mysterious guest grabbed the handle of Kowalski's lab's door. It was locked. The figure forcefully slammed into the door, which caused it to fall over under the brute strength. Soon, he proceeded out, but not without glancing at Skipper and chuckling, with several papers in its grasp.

Early the successivo day, Skipper woke up in a crabby mood, but seemed to be the only one.

"Ready, to meet the new arrival, Skipper?" Kowalski asked.

"Ready, as I'll ever be." Skipper moaned.

The sky was full of clouds and the air was humid. Marlene walked with them to the zoo's garage, where the gabbia, cassa waited for them. Skipper walked da Marlene, who looked anxious, he felt as if he was loosing her. If this lontra was anything he had heard she would soon fall in Amore and forget about him. It was his last chance, but he couldn't. Maybe, Marlene belonged with her own kind. Marlene looked over at him with concern.

"Are te okay?" Marlene asked.

"Perfect. Can I talk to te alone?" Skipper sheepishly asked.

"Yeah, is there something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to say ... I hope he's everything te wanted."

"Thanks, me too."

Rico spit up a crowbar and opened the crate. Inside, was a skinny, but musclular lontra sleeping with a oro Spainish gutiar successivo to him. Marlene's eyes opened wide, he was so handesome. Marlene cautiously stepped closer.

"Hello, my name's Marlene."

"I'm Antonio, nice to meet you." He spoke with a romantic, thick Spanish accent, and stood up revealing a furry 'six-pack'.

"Where am I, exactly?" Antiono asked.

"The Central Park Zoo! You'll be sharing a habitat with Marlene." Private explained.

"Let me mostra Antonio around the zoo, guys." Marlene said. They both headed out of the box auto, garage together. Marlene looked back at Skipper who looked full of bitterness, but not toward her.

"If he really hoped, 'Antonio was everything I wanted,' why did he react that way." Marlene thought to herself.

"So, te play Spanish gutiar and is it really made of gold?" Marlene nervously asked.

"Yes and yes, do te play?"

"Well, I really don't know how to actually play, but I do play it."

Antonio laughed, "I could teach you," he offered.

"That would be great!" Marlene exclaimed.

"Who were those penguins?"

"Oh, the tall one's name is Kowalski, the one with the feathers sticking up from his head is Rico, the shortest one is Private, and Skipper is -"

"Was he the one with the weird flat head?"

"I don't think it's weird, I kinda think it's ... um, nevermind,"

"Oh, I see, te must like him. Well, I know, he sadly doesn't feel the same way."

"Good, because I don't like him."

Just then, Julien leaped out in front of them. He crossed arms across his chest. Behind him were his loyal subjects.

"You better be backing off of my ladyfriend, buddy!" Julien demmanded

"Whoa, whoa, whoa girlfriend?" Antonio asked puzzled.

"Your Majesty, te sure te wanna be doing that?" Maurice asked cautiously.

"Shush, Maurice, I'm wooing her."

"No, Julien, I told you, I'm not your girlfriend."

"But of course te are. te are taking me, your king to the dance."

"Dance?"

"Oh, yeah, I didn't get to that yet. On Friday, there's a dance and eveybody's bringing a date, but I'm not sure who I'm going with - yet."

"Good to know," Antonio said.

"Alright, buddy, let's go." Julien detto raising his fists. Antonio simply laughed.

"You don't want to be messing with me, lemur. I can get pretty wild in fights, but Marlene is no trophy to be won da fighting. I'll only fight te if you're bothering her, which it seems te are." Antonio thrusted a fist into his other hand which was cupped. Only then did Julien notice how buff his rival was, and gulped. He stepped back.

"Okay, okay, te can have her!" julien cried and fled into the habitat in shame.

"Thanks, for getting him to stop annoying me."


"No problem, is he always that annoying?"

"Pretty much." Marlene sighed. They both laughed, and walked around the zoo, until dusk. They watched the sun go down on the bench, while Antonio played his gutiar. Marlene felt comfortable around him, and even liked him. She also, knew she liked some one else, but wasn't about to admit it. What could she do? Probably, Antonio was the one who really had feelings for her.

"I know, this sounds strange, but ...."

"What is it?"

"I feel something ... magical about us together, I know, we just met. I sound like a sappy romantic, right now, but I think we would be great together." Antonio admitted.

'Skipper would never say something like that to me.' Marlene thought to herself, but she couldn't get herself to say yes.

"I think, we're moving a little too fast."

"Alright, I'll wait." Antonio said.

"Thank you, I'm sorry."

"Maybe, we should go to the habitat, now."

"Yeah, I'll be right back."

Marlene skipped to the penguins' habitat extremely joyfully. Skipper was sitting down with a pesce smoothie. Private was talking to him and looked serious.

"Ooh, how did it go?!" Private asked cheerfully.

"Actually, he detto he felt 'something magical about us together." Marlene detto with a gigantic smile across her face.

"Oh, .... um, .... well he's moving pretty fast there. He might be a spy." Skipper murmured and stirred his smoothie. Everyone stared at him.

"Well, I think it was sweet the way he came out and detto it." Marlene protested.

"I kind of agree with Skipper, Marlene. Rushing into this, might be a sign of just using you." Kowalski explained.

"Really? I don't know, guys. He seems quiet romantic, and not really that type of guy." Marlene admitted.

"Be careful, Marlene." Private warned. Once Marlene left the penguins began to contuine their discussion with Skipper.

"You don't really think he's a spy, do you?"
Kowalski asked.

"No, I just ... I like her okay!" Skipper shouted.

"Marlene?" Rico bewilderedly asked.

"Yes, and Antonio is going to steal her from me before I can get the guts to tell her." Skipper sighed.

"You know, Skippah. te can tell Marlene how te feel. I know, she won't laugh at you, and if she does say 'no,' if te really cared and te both were meant to be, te should let her go. You'll always have us, Skippah." Private explained.

"Your words insipire me, Private." Skipper admitted. The other penguins left Skipper alone they whispered to one another lowly.

"This is really bothering Skipper." Kowalski whispered.

"I don't even want to imagine what he'd be like if he Lost us." Private whimpered.