Author's Note: Made by PoMlovah611 and I!

~Natty.

But It Was My Fault!

~PoM~

The young Private had been sent to his bunk for early lights out after a long day of training. He was alone and it was quiet yet he couldn't sleep. For some reason he was kept awake. Soon Private heard a penguin jump down from the hatch.

"Hey Private." Kowalski greeted, waving a flipper.

"K'walski? Did you get sent to early lights out too?" The private sat up in his bunk, holding his Lunacorn.

"No... S-Skipper told me to look after you... H-He doesn't want you to be alone." The lieutenant explained.

"Why's that? I've been alone in HQ before."

"Oh you know Skipper... paranoid as always..."

"Oh..."

The analyst went over to the table and grabbed his nightcap. After placing it on his head, he started waddling to his bunk.

"You're going to sleep now?" Private looked down from his bed.

"Might as well sleep. At least I'm still looking after you by staying near you." Kowalski shrugged, sitting on his bunk.

"I suppose..."

The analyst lay on his bunk, closing his eyes to get some shut-eye.

"K'walski?"

"Y-yeah?" He replied, blinking his eyes open again.

"Don't you think Skippah's being a little bit overprotective of me ever since what happened with Dr. Blowhole?"

Kowalski gulped a little. "N-nah. He just wants you to be safe..."

"Still I can't help but THINK that-" Private started but never got to finish, hastily being cut off.

"Private, he just wants you SAFE. That's all. End of story." The lieutenant turned on his bunk to face the wall.

"But K'WALSKI!" Private objected. "Dr. Blowhole SAID that-"

"Enough, Private..." Kowalski said with a gritted beak.

Fed up, the private shouted it out. "DR. BLOWHOLE SAID HE WOULD TAKE ME FROM SKIPPAH, NO MATTER WHAT IT TOOK."

"And well he doesn't want that, okay!?" Kowalski tried to stay calm

"Well maybe it'll be a good thing..."

"How will that be a good thing!?"

"I don't want you all hurt trying to protect...me..." Private said. "I don't think I'm worth it."

"Well we don't want YOU, hurt or snatched away from us at all... besides... if you turn yourself in to Blowhole, he'd use you as bait to hurt us..."

"He would?"

"He most likely would..." Kowalski confirmed.

Private was at his end, starting to tear up. His voice cracked. "Oh K'walski what are we going to do about all of this?"

"We'll just make sure all of us are safe... and keep training. Everything will be okay..." Kowalski tried to reassure.

"But...what about Skippah?"

"He's the leader... he knows what he's got to do."

"What if he does something dangerous...for our sake? I don't think I could live with that..."

"He'll push through... he always does..."

Private just sighed sadly, looking over his plastic toy.

Kowalski peered out of his bunk to look at the private. "I-is something wrong, Private?"

"I...I love all of you."

"What do you mean, Private?" The scientist said, worried.

"This is all my fault..." Private looked down with guilt.

That caught Kowalski's attention. "How is it your fault?" There was no response from the British private so the analyst tried again. "Private?"

Nothing. "..."

"PRIVATE answer me." Kowalski said firmly.

"I...can't." Private said.

"Can't what?"

"It was stupid! I'm stupid!" The private said about himself bitterly and with a pout. "Regular old stupid Private makes everything go to bloody hell!"

This made Kowalski's eyes widen and drove him to get off his bunk and stand on the floor. "Private! What is all that nonsense!?"

"I-" Private was about to explain himself when the hatch opened and the rest of the team hopped down. The private couldn't take it anymore. "IT'S ALL MY FAULT, K'WALSKI!"

"What's your fault!? I'm really confused here, Private!" Kowalski exclaimed back. He didn't understand at all!

"What's going on down here?" Skipper demanded. "I thought I told Private to go to bed!"

"I'M SO SORRY, SKIPPAH!" Private sobbed hard.

"For what?" The leader was also confused and looked to the analyst to see what the heck was going on. "Kowalski?"

Kowalski shook his head. "D-don't look at me! I have no idea..."

"Private...what is all this about?" Skipper asked seriously.

"Wha gon on?" Rico shrugged.

"I did it all of you..." Private admitted finally.

"What?" Kowalski blinked.

"I told Dr. Blowhole our coordinates...that was how he found us and captured me away!" Private explained.

"WHAT!? How could you do that, Private!?" Kowalski exclaimed.

"He tricked me, honest he did!" Private sighed. "I'm sorry Skippah, I promise I am…"

Even though he was a bit disappointed, the leader had to smile at the young soldier. It was just like when he started out, also with a much similar event he endured with old Manfredi and Johnson. He chuckled. It was completely natural for a young cadet in low ranks to do such. He should know anyway, he once was one…and alright he couldn't bear to see the smallest penguin upset or guilt-ridden. That just wasn't the Private nature!

"Skippah?" The private raised a brow, confused. "Why are you laughing? I did a terrible thing."

"It's alright, Private! What you did wasn't that bad, in fact I've done worse!" Skipper told him.

Private looked up at that in shock. "You have?"

"Of course! Look soldier, everyone has their downs but what's more important is how to learn from those downs and make those ups! You got that?" The leader pat the kid on the back.

Private's beak turned up into a smile. "Th-thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, mister!" Skipper tickled under the young penguin's beak playfully. "But uh, one thing…"

The private gave a frowning head tilt. "What is that?"

The leader looked pissed off. "If that Blowhole ever so much as LOOKS at you with that one eye again I swear I'll take it from him!"

Private laughed. "Oh Skippah, what a real hoot you are!"

Skipper's expression didn't change. "I'm serious."

"Oh…" The private frowned and rubbed the back of his head. "Well then…"