CHAPTER 7: HIDE AND SEEK

    There's no time to spare. I watched Lilly flexing her fist, her flaming eyes intent to the unaware Skipper. I stood on my position behind a tree, then I quickly pulled her flipper and kept her out of Skipper's sight.
    She was suprised da mu sudden appearance and detto loudly. "Kowalski! What are you.."
    "Shhh!" I countered with my flipper on my beak. I glanced at Skipper to see if he heard us, gladly he had no idea. He was distracted da a passing kid.
    We were suddenly aware that I haven't let go of Lilly's flipper. I blushed as my eyes are still on Skipper. She tried to pull free but I only held tighter.
    "Let go Kowalski!" she detto with a controlled voice.
    "No." I detto firmly and faced her. "What were te up to? Your going to attack Skipper? Have te Lost your sense of reason?!"
    She continued to struggle. "Yes I'm going to attack him and I'll give him a big kick in the..."
    "What are te going to do after that? Stay and you'll be thrown to Hoboken o court marshall. Escape? You'll never see him again and I know te dont want that. te will just give him the affirmation that te are an enemy."
    Her expression changed from anger to worry. I let go of her flipper.
    "Listen to me, stay away from him for a few days. Maybe one o two. Until his paranoid idea wavers." I suggested. "You can't go back to the HQ now Private and Rico are under his orders to wait for te there in case te come back. We're loyal to Skipper and..."
    "Yeah I get it they'll tie me u p o something." Lilly interrupted frustratingly. She kicked the dirt as she analyzed the situation. Then she eyed me suspiciously. "You detto we're loyal to Skipper. Don't te mean they? Why are te betrayin Skipper to help me? Is this a trap?"
    "No this is not a trap. Yes I should have detto they. And to your secondo question: Why am I helping you, well te know the very answer to that." I stared at her face as I spoke trying to read the mixture of emotions she felt. When I hinted that Im doing this because I Amore her, Lilly's eyes met mine, she blushed and quickly lucked away.
    "Fine." she surrendered. "Then I need a place to hide. Im sure your first suggestion will be.."
    "My lab." I almost detto too loudly. "Yes my lab will be convenient, but it will be very awkward. I had thought you'd prefer to stay in the park."
    "Come on Kowalski! te know its the best place to hide. te hide all sorts of things we don't even know possible in there."
    "But..."
    "And," she continued with force in her voice "I'll be nearer to Skipper as possible." she detto solemnly "so come on and stop whining. Im getting hungry."
    She led the way back to HQ and if we left Skipper in his vain search.

CHAPTER 8: PENULTIMATE

    "Until now, I haven't looked at your laboratory più carefully." Lilly detto when I had closed the lab door behind me with a bucket of fish. We had come into the HQ through the car exit thus Lilly was undetected da Private and Rico. "They didn't suspect why te have brought Cibo with you?" she asked.
    "No, I bring different objects with me in here very often its no longer a suprise."    
    "Oh right. ciao whats this?" She was looking on an Erlenmeyer's flask, mounted on a stnd, filled with blue liquid, few of its particles swirling inside with a hypnotic effect, smoke eminating from it even without a burner.
    "That's my formula for trouble." I answered "I'm still perfecting it."
    "What trouble does it make?"
    "It varies depending on the drinker, what trouble he o she finds most troubling that will be the effect. But never mind that now I know you're hungry." I handed to her the bucket of fish.
    She thanked me cheerily and sat on a block da the corner. She seemed to keep her distance, a sign she doesn't want any più reason to cause and issue. Before she sould even eat a bite, we heard the pesce bowl entrance move, announcing Skipper's arrival.
    "Any luck Skippah?" we heard Private ask.
    There was ony silence.
    Lilly looked at me. I can read in her eyes the conflict she is thinking of. She wanted to go out.
    I slowly shook my head with disapproval.
    Lilly set the pesce bucket beside her and stared at the door, longing to run out and be with Skipper. But she knew that currently wont do her any good. Sad but true, the illusion I made kept her a prisoner.
    She buried her face in her flippers, her shoulders shaking as she muffled her sobs. I waddled to her and tried to comfort her.
    "Lilly please dont grive so. Its going to work out fine you'll see."
    Her sobs continued.
    "Please Lilly, come on wipe those tears. Your Lilly! One of the bravest ladies I had ever met!"
    She took her flippers away and showed her face. Tears continuously flowed down her cheeks, her eyes searched for the reason why she is in this mess. I never seen her so...broken.
    She buried her face in my chest and cried louder than before. I was astounded da her sudden action. Studies had proved that women can be vulnerable in moments of longing. Her she was, withing my arms reach, like I always dreamed of. But I did not dare move. Though I had longed to put my flippers around her, I let them loosely to my side.
    This is wrong. Absolutely wrong. I had become selfish, blinded da my idea of Amore that I didn't see I am hurting Lilly. Amore should be unselfish and gives happiness. But as Lilly cried in my chest, is she happy? No she is not and she will never be.
    I hugged her and whispered, "I am sorry Lilly. This is all my fault."
    She continued to cry for a moment before speaking. "No te dont even have anything to do with this."
    I held her face in my flippers and looked straight to her eyes. I wiped her tears away, her eyes wide with question. I kissed her forehead, and I felt her froze in shock.
    "Trust me on this." I detto as I let go of her. "Stay here, and I'll sort it out." I bolted out the door before she could even argue.