I do not own the songs used.

***

WINTER OPERATION

سے طرف کی THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

Juliet

When we made love آپ used to cry

Say; "I love آپ like

The stars above

I love آپ 'till I die"

There's a place

For us

(You know; the movie song)

When آپ gonna realize?

It was just the time was wrong

Juliet

-Romeo and Juliet سے طرف کی Dire Straits

***

PROLOGUE

She کہا it's like you're somewhere

Far away

-Love Like Winter سے طرف کی AFI

Skipper shivered a little but his tears were frozen in their ducts. His flippers were wrapped about his trembling body and he was chilled to the core, save his دل which seemed to have slowed its beating. But that was not the issue… His team was. The snow continued to fall about him as he thought of them, his feet touching the pond, where they'd once trained. His brothers, the people he'd loved his full time as a military commander.

He looked down at the ice, which showed another him looking back. آپ bastard. He thought, and if he could اقدام very well, he would have crushed the ice with a punch. He didn't need to look up to see the hobo, starting a آگ کے, آگ in one of the trash cans near by, to know the man was there. The guy probably was like Skipper. Trying to find warmth in a cold world. He could hear the garbage, and paper crackling under foot as the man moved close to the fire, and he could hear the man's praying. He might have even heard the tears that came with the sobs.

But he was preoccupied. His stomach was thin, and growling but he ignored it. He didn't feel like eating. He didn't need to. Hunger wouldn't kill him. But his mind would. Inside his brain, two penguins were there. They may have been Skipper look-alikes, یا they could just be any old penguins. But the one on the right was curled up in a بستر of snow and sniffling, all his tears had been exhausted, as Kowalski might have once said, he was dehydrated, his body gone of fluid expect for that, which was keeping his body shivering. Blood. And then the other, stood over him. The left one. It shouted and spat, and blamed, and hated, and threatened.

He might call out to them one day, to break up the fight, and bring peace between them, but what was the point? He didn't know them, and they had no importance to him. Because I would have done it. That was the right one speaking, softly to himself یا to the other, no matter. And like it mattered.

And he suddenly found himself, resting on his side, shivering. Something lay اگلے to his head. He looked up. He always did. Kowalski's note pad. But no Kowalski to claim it. He shivered harder and his eyes tried to wet themselves, but they remained dry in the کڑوا, تلخ wind.

He could see the جنک, فضول In the frozen water, the dead birds that floated in it when it was unfrozen. He suddenly heard a voice, pierce the ice that had encrusted his ear hole.

"You'll never bring them back سے طرف کی killing yourself."

The voice was vaguely familiar but he was uninterested. And it was probably just a voice in his head. Just another lost loved one, spinning in a realm of despair, and screaming to be let out. But he replied to it.

"I might as well try." His voice was cold, and scratchy because it had not been used in so long.

"You know I can't let آپ do that."

"No I don't."

"You've forgotten me to?"

"Most likely."

"You used to love me."

"I used to love a lot of people."

The presence drew near and he felt a warm hand touch his back. The touch was welcome and somehow, gave him some sort of glee. To feel someone, who he had apparently loved.

"Do آپ still love me?"

The voice was definitely feminine. He could tell now, because he was now a little interested.

"Probably not."

His answer was cold and emotionless but true. He felt the hand waver and he heard a small sniffle.

"I still love you."

Who was this? Someone who cared? Not likely. Maybe just someone trying to fool him. But as this hand touched him he knew there was at least a touch of emotion in the voice. But he hadn't heard emotion in so long, besides his own of course. He didn't know what it sounded like. But he had some facts to go on about this creature. He knew two things and that was enough to start on without looking.

Feminine.

And otter.