Seeking Solace 03.08.15
Note: This chapter contains mild Skilene.
— § —
“Marlene?” Skipper called from behind Marlene.
Marlene sat in the park, staring at her reflection in the pond. She looked in Skipper’s direction, but couldn’t meet his eye. “What are آپ doing here?” she asked.
Skipper frowned. “Someone told me they saw آپ leave the zoo. I was worried. What’s wrong?” he asked sitting اگلے to her.
Marlene glanced at him, afraid to answer. “It’s nothing. I just came out here to think.”
Skipper studied her. “Marlene, I know you. Something is troubling you. آپ know آپ can trust me, right?” he asked gently.
Marlene looked down. “Yes, I know. That’s not—what I’m worried about,” she کہا hesitantly.
Skipper knit his brows. “Marlene, آپ can tell me anything.”
She looked at him. Then she bit her lip and away. “Well . . . آپ know how آپ just came back from that solo mission?”
Skipper nodded slowly. “Yes, why?” he asked.
“When آپ returned, I—accidentally heard آپ listening to your logs while آپ were filing the mission,” she کہا quietly, looking at the grass. She felt him remove his flipper from her shoulder, but he didn’t respond. She hesitantly turned to him. “Are آپ mad?” she asked sheepishly.
Skipper disregarded the question. “How much did آپ hear?” he asked looking out across the water.
Marlene watched him carefully. “Enough. Like about how آپ would’ve died if you’d have been a سیکنڈ later. I didn’t hear how. It—frightened me.”
Skipper looked at her regretfully. “I’m sorry آپ had to hear that.”
Marlene raised her brow. “That’s it?” she asked irritably. “I just told آپ I know I nearly lost you, and all آپ have to say is ‘I’m sorry’?”
Skipper shook his head. “And آپ also just told me that آپ heard intel on a classified solo mission. What do آپ want me to say? Sorry آپ were snooping around?”
Marlene got to her feet. “Who’s snooping? It was an accident!”
Skipper stood up with her. “Look, I’m sorry آپ heard that, but I’m not sorry that I did what I had to to complete my mission. I don’t know what else to say.”
Marlene scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You can be really insensitive sometimes.”
Skipper spread his flippers. “Insensitive? There aren’t many ways I can مکھن up ‘I almost died’! If that bothers you, آپ should listen to some of my other logs! I’ve been in a hell of a lot worse situations than that.”
Marlene turned away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. “Don’t say that,” she said, tears stinging her eyes.
“So آپ get mad when I say things are classified, but then آپ get even مزید upset when آپ hear the truth. I’m not seeing a winning side here,” Skipper کہا folding his flippers over his chest. “Marlene, آپ know what I do. I put myself in life-threatening situations all the time to protect people like you. آپ should be grateful.”
Marlene turned back to him. “It’s hard to be grateful when I’m sitting around praying آپ won’t come ہوم in a body bag,” she کہا in a shaky voice.
Skipper sighed and looked away. “Well, I’m sorry آپ feel that way, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not going to stop doing my duty,” he said.
“I’m not trying to ask آپ to stop doing your duty, Skipper,” Marlene choked. “I’m asking آپ not to leave me.”
Skipper watched as a tear trailed down her cheek. He exhaled. “Marlene,” he کہا softly, “I could tell آپ that I never would, but that would be a lie. I can’t deny that one day, the mission I go on will be my last. I wish I could bring آپ that kind of comfort, but I can’t promise that I’ll always come back in one piece. I can promise that I’ll keep آپ محفوظ until I don’t.”
Marlene shook her head and turned away. Skipper stepped behind her and put a flipper on her shoulder and she turned back and smacked it away, but Skipper stepped آگے and tried to لپیٹ, لفاف کریں his flippers around her to comfort her. She resisted at first, but finally relaxed into Skipper’s embrace. He gently stroked her back.
“Marlene, آپ never had this much of a problem with it before. What’s so different about now?” he asked over her shoulder.
Marlene gripped his feathers and buried her face into his chest. “Because hearing the words made it مزید real. I don’t want to lose you.”
Skipper looked down at her. “I never knew آپ cared so much,” he کہا quietly.
“Of course I care, آپ clueless idiot,” Marlene کہا in a muffled voice.
Skipper smiled slightly. Then he tilted Marlene’s chin. “I’ll always protect you, Marlene,” he said. “Whether آپ hate me for it یا not doesn’t matter at this point. I just care that you’re safe.”
Marlene grunted and pushed him away, turning her back on him. “Dang it, Skipper! Why do آپ have to be so selfless?”
“I prefer ‘heroic,’ but selfless works too,” Skipper said. Marlene rolled her eyes with a frustrated sigh. “What? I’m kidding!” he protested with a laugh. Marlene didn’t respond and Skipper sighed as he wrapped his flippers around her from behind. “It’s your fault, آپ know” he said.
“What?” Marlene asked defensively.
Skipper smiled. “You’re one of the few that give me a reason to fight.”
Marlene arched a brow. “What do آپ mean?”
Skipper looked down and fiddled with Marlene’s paws, which she’d rested over his flippers without realizing it. “You remind me that there is good in the world if آپ look in the right places. That’s what I fight for. If no one fought off the evil, those like آپ would just . . . disappear.”
Marlene looked down for a moment, and then looked at Skipper. Then she turned into his embrace and kissed him on the cheek. “The world needs مزید people like you.”
Skipper shook his head. “No, Marlene. The world needs مزید people like you.”
Note: This chapter contains mild Skilene.
— § —
“Marlene?” Skipper called from behind Marlene.
Marlene sat in the park, staring at her reflection in the pond. She looked in Skipper’s direction, but couldn’t meet his eye. “What are آپ doing here?” she asked.
Skipper frowned. “Someone told me they saw آپ leave the zoo. I was worried. What’s wrong?” he asked sitting اگلے to her.
Marlene glanced at him, afraid to answer. “It’s nothing. I just came out here to think.”
Skipper studied her. “Marlene, I know you. Something is troubling you. آپ know آپ can trust me, right?” he asked gently.
Marlene looked down. “Yes, I know. That’s not—what I’m worried about,” she کہا hesitantly.
Skipper knit his brows. “Marlene, آپ can tell me anything.”
She looked at him. Then she bit her lip and away. “Well . . . آپ know how آپ just came back from that solo mission?”
Skipper nodded slowly. “Yes, why?” he asked.
“When آپ returned, I—accidentally heard آپ listening to your logs while آپ were filing the mission,” she کہا quietly, looking at the grass. She felt him remove his flipper from her shoulder, but he didn’t respond. She hesitantly turned to him. “Are آپ mad?” she asked sheepishly.
Skipper disregarded the question. “How much did آپ hear?” he asked looking out across the water.
Marlene watched him carefully. “Enough. Like about how آپ would’ve died if you’d have been a سیکنڈ later. I didn’t hear how. It—frightened me.”
Skipper looked at her regretfully. “I’m sorry آپ had to hear that.”
Marlene raised her brow. “That’s it?” she asked irritably. “I just told آپ I know I nearly lost you, and all آپ have to say is ‘I’m sorry’?”
Skipper shook his head. “And آپ also just told me that آپ heard intel on a classified solo mission. What do آپ want me to say? Sorry آپ were snooping around?”
Marlene got to her feet. “Who’s snooping? It was an accident!”
Skipper stood up with her. “Look, I’m sorry آپ heard that, but I’m not sorry that I did what I had to to complete my mission. I don’t know what else to say.”
Marlene scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You can be really insensitive sometimes.”
Skipper spread his flippers. “Insensitive? There aren’t many ways I can مکھن up ‘I almost died’! If that bothers you, آپ should listen to some of my other logs! I’ve been in a hell of a lot worse situations than that.”
Marlene turned away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. “Don’t say that,” she said, tears stinging her eyes.
“So آپ get mad when I say things are classified, but then آپ get even مزید upset when آپ hear the truth. I’m not seeing a winning side here,” Skipper کہا folding his flippers over his chest. “Marlene, آپ know what I do. I put myself in life-threatening situations all the time to protect people like you. آپ should be grateful.”
Marlene turned back to him. “It’s hard to be grateful when I’m sitting around praying آپ won’t come ہوم in a body bag,” she کہا in a shaky voice.
Skipper sighed and looked away. “Well, I’m sorry آپ feel that way, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not going to stop doing my duty,” he said.
“I’m not trying to ask آپ to stop doing your duty, Skipper,” Marlene choked. “I’m asking آپ not to leave me.”
Skipper watched as a tear trailed down her cheek. He exhaled. “Marlene,” he کہا softly, “I could tell آپ that I never would, but that would be a lie. I can’t deny that one day, the mission I go on will be my last. I wish I could bring آپ that kind of comfort, but I can’t promise that I’ll always come back in one piece. I can promise that I’ll keep آپ محفوظ until I don’t.”
Marlene shook her head and turned away. Skipper stepped behind her and put a flipper on her shoulder and she turned back and smacked it away, but Skipper stepped آگے and tried to لپیٹ, لفاف کریں his flippers around her to comfort her. She resisted at first, but finally relaxed into Skipper’s embrace. He gently stroked her back.
“Marlene, آپ never had this much of a problem with it before. What’s so different about now?” he asked over her shoulder.
Marlene gripped his feathers and buried her face into his chest. “Because hearing the words made it مزید real. I don’t want to lose you.”
Skipper looked down at her. “I never knew آپ cared so much,” he کہا quietly.
“Of course I care, آپ clueless idiot,” Marlene کہا in a muffled voice.
Skipper smiled slightly. Then he tilted Marlene’s chin. “I’ll always protect you, Marlene,” he said. “Whether آپ hate me for it یا not doesn’t matter at this point. I just care that you’re safe.”
Marlene grunted and pushed him away, turning her back on him. “Dang it, Skipper! Why do آپ have to be so selfless?”
“I prefer ‘heroic,’ but selfless works too,” Skipper said. Marlene rolled her eyes with a frustrated sigh. “What? I’m kidding!” he protested with a laugh. Marlene didn’t respond and Skipper sighed as he wrapped his flippers around her from behind. “It’s your fault, آپ know” he said.
“What?” Marlene asked defensively.
Skipper smiled. “You’re one of the few that give me a reason to fight.”
Marlene arched a brow. “What do آپ mean?”
Skipper looked down and fiddled with Marlene’s paws, which she’d rested over his flippers without realizing it. “You remind me that there is good in the world if آپ look in the right places. That’s what I fight for. If no one fought off the evil, those like آپ would just . . . disappear.”
Marlene looked down for a moment, and then looked at Skipper. Then she turned into his embrace and kissed him on the cheek. “The world needs مزید people like you.”
Skipper shook his head. “No, Marlene. The world needs مزید people like you.”