[Skipper]

Septenber 3, 2019.

It was peaceful...too peaceful. Normaly I'd hear Julien dancing to Musica as usual. But then again, I was gone for 9 years. Maybe he'd changed...well, te never know.

The zoo was the same as when I left it. Exactly the same. Except there is no one crying and begging me to stay. And yes, that was my team who was crying and begging.

I wonder if they missed me. Do they still remember me?...I thought to myself. Maybe I'm just a distant memory to them. I sent them letters, but they never send any back. Don't they know that I'm comming? Maybe they're angry at me for leaving. But angry o not, I still have to face them.

I'm standing on our habitat now. Not a pinguino in sight. Not an animal in sight actually. They could either be trying to avoid me, trying to suprise me, o they didn't know I was comming. I rather have them not knowing that I'm comming then to be suprised o ignored.

I think I should wait til someone comes out. Because if I just barge in, successivo thing te know, I was being cut in half da Rico with a chainsaw.

A pinguino finally climbed out of the fishbowl enterance. The same size as me, but he doesn't look familier.

He saw me. "Skippa'?" he detto slowly. I'd recongnize that accent anywhere. It was Private! "Skippa' is that you?"

I finally got myself to say something. "Yea. Private?"

"Skippa'! I can't believe it's you," he cheered. "We missed te so-wait! I gotta tell the others!" Private ran inside the HQ.

Oh-Kay...

I looked at my reflection in the water. "Hmm, I haven't changed at all have I?" I detto to myself. Private came back out with a bunch of other people.

"Hello penguin!" greeted Julien. "Are te new? Let me to be introducing myself. I am King Julien, King of all kingly kings of king!...ly."

"Julien, it's me. Skipper." I said.

"Oh, Skipper! I haven't seen te since...you left!" he said.

Same old Julien.

A buff pinguino with a mohawk stepped forward. "Hey boss..." he detto to me. I didn't recongnize him. But I found out that this pinguino was Rico!

"Rico? Since when did te start to talk?" I asked.

"Yup. I can talk." he said. "My doll girlfriend was getting on my nerves, so I broke-up with her. Chicks...what are te gonna do with them?"

I stared at him. This doesn't look like the old Rico. The old Rico was psycotic, soft, and in Amore with that doll. Now he's buff, mean looking, and I think disrespectful. "Uh-huh..." I detto slowly.

Something caught the corner of my eye. Someone climbed out of the fishbowl enterace. It was Marlene, but a little taller. "Skipper!" she detto and ran to hug me.

We looked at each other. "Wow..." I said. "Since when did te look hot?"...Did I just say that outloud?

"Thanks. Well te haven't changed at all," she detto looking at me. "But te did grow taller."

"And stronger!" I added. "So...Where's Kowalski?"

"Oh, He's inside teaching Austin." she replied. I stared at her. Who the heck is Austin? A new member of the team o something? "...Oh! I forgot, te don't know."

"Yea I don't. Who's Austin?" I asked.

"You see...uhh...He's-"

"What? Your boyfriend?" I said.

"Uh no." she replied. I was about to give a sigh of relief, but she continued. " Austin's my son."

My mouth hanged open.

"And Kowalski's his dad..." I shook my head. I didn't want her to know that I'm shocked.

"Oh..." I said, still shocked. But I tried to sound normal. "That's great."

Marlene gave a sigh of relief. "Whew, for a secondo there I thought te were gonna kill Kowalski and me." she said.

"Well why would I do that?"

Rico smiled. He knew that I wasn't Ok. I was sooooo far from Ok! "Well boss." he said, "C'mon. You've missed a lot."

Everyone went down the fishbowl enterance.

"Sigh, Marlene's married. I shouldn't have left this zoo in the first place..." I mumbled to myself.

"Skipper, are te comming?" Marlene asked. I nodded.

Now let's see if anything else changed while I was gone.