[Skipper]

Septenber 3, 2019.

It was peaceful...too peaceful. Normaly I'd hear Julien dancing to musique as usual. But then again, I was gone for 9 years. Maybe he'd changed...well, toi 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 ou not, I still have to face them.

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

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

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

He saw me. "Skippa'?" he a dit 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 toi 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 a dit to myself. Private came back out with a bunch of other people.

"Hello penguin!" greeted Julien. "Are toi 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 toi since...you left!" he said.

Same old Julien.

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

"Rico? Since when did toi 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 toi gonna do with them?"

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

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

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

"Thanks. Well toi haven't changed at all," she a dit looking at me. "But toi 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 ou something? "...Oh! I forgot, toi 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 seconde there I thought toi 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 toi comming?" Marlene asked. I nodded.

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