I suppose I got inspired by thewriterstory when she sent out her one-shot. This was totally random, not based on her entry, actually. I just feel guilty for some reason...One thing I can say is that we have a similar plot, but this, whoops. Almost gave it away. This was dated in the early 2015.

Forgive Me

Dear Diary,

I did not think about it. I just did it. You can't tell me I was wrong, because I did what I had...wanted, needed to do.

Kowalski would reprimand me if he would ever see this, since it was always brain over brawn for him, but he won't be able to do that anymore. No more lectures from my geeky brother. I won't be able to see him in his lab creating his potions, as I like to call them, mixing them with different colored bubbly liquid in tubes and beakers. I won't be able to hide away when he looks for his test subject for his new invention...

Did you know that he tried shocking me once? I think he was trying to increase my brain capacity, or whatever it was he was talking about. I got pretty scared and started wailing, yes, wailing, since I was still a nestling. Back to it...he tried coming close with a pair of weird, scary-looking, black tongs and I started crying. Next thing I knew, I was in a pair of flippers, cradled and cooed to as he tried to calm me down.

I may have been scared back then, I probably am actually, but I will always be proud of him. He is my idol. A really smart one who at times didn't know the boundaries between inventing and rest, but still my idol. I'll cherish him always.

Just like Rico. Now, I know everyone thinks of him as crazy, violent, and all the other things I don't want to mention, but I love him. That 'crazy penguin', Julien's favorite words to describe him, was the brother I never want to let go of. And why would I let go of someone as great as Rico?

I remember when I was younger, he was the one who took care of me. He fed me, played with me, even let me have my first snow cone when Kowalski and Skipper wouldn't allow it. I have no reason to believe anyone who thought they knew my brother, because they knew nothing. I know him, and no matter what, I would never give up on him. He was always there for me, and even though we had different interests, we were the best of friends.

I've never loved Rico more than my Princess Self-Respectra doll. And that's saying something, especially when it was Rico who got it for me. I wouldn't keep quiet as a little chick, and Rico being Rico starting giving me random stuff to quiet me down since Kowalski and Skipper weren't there. It took some time, but we were both persistent in our tasks and soon I had a new love and comfort in Lunacorns.

Then there's Skipper. Another of my blood and feathers.

There isn't much to say about Skipper, except, hard and crusty on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, like jam on toast.

There are just so many times I've had with Skipper that I don't know what to write about. The one time when he saved me from the orcas and wouldn't let me go anywhere without him, or when he first taught me how to punch like a real penguin soldier. Maybe that one time when he had the three of you play hide n' seek with me and ended praising me because I found a truckload of fresh salmon. I still don't know where they came from...

He felt more like a father to me, to the rest of us actually. A bit irrational at times, but still the sturdy, stubborn leader I know.

If you're reading this, Kowalski, please don't be mad at Skipper. Don't be mad at each other. This was my fault. I'll take the blame.

I love you guys so much...

-l-

P

-l-

"...and so, I have decided to go. You can't follow me or even try to find me, because I want to do this. Sincerely yours, Private."

A drop fell on the glass, and slowly slid down the slanted surface. It collected at the bottom before dripping off onto the cold floor. The sound wasn't heard in the quiet HQ as flippers solemnly folded the piece of paper that had been torn from a notebook.

"That's," Kowalski struggled to keep his emotions in check while he held the piece of paper, "all there is. That was dated yesterday...not a single item he owns is here. Everything but this, this," the flipper not holding the paper curled as he glared it, but the anger fell away with a sigh.

He placed the paper on the table and looked about the room. "He's," the penguin choked on the next word, "gone."

Nobody said a word, not even Rico, who usually had some kind of reaction for them, was now moping about sadly in his corner. It was just pure silence, the words that Kowalski spoken from the note that came with a ripped out diary entry looming in the air with them.

Finally, the one mammal in the room with them spoke.

"I," Marlene shook her head and looked up at Kowalski, who noticed the tears in her eyes, "I just don't understand. Why would he do that?"

"To protect us, it seems."

"From what? I don't see what could be so dangerous that he had to pack up and run away."

"Stop." Kowalski, Marlene and Rico turned to Skipper, who had his back to them, clutching tightly the item that was left with the 'note'.

A strange sound rumbled from his chest as he brought the frame to his feathered chest, trying to hold in the rest of his tears. "How could he do this to us?" The others looked up shocked when they heard the crack in his voice. He heard it too, but he didn't care. His eyes traveled to the ceiling, seeking for anything to help him understand the situation.

"He had our best intentions, Skipper." Kowalski informed softly, playing with his flippers.

"Best intentions?" The leader whirled about and glared at Kowalski. "I didn't teach him to run away like a coward."

"You don't know what was behind that deal, Skipper. Don't make assumptions."

"But I didn't teach him to give himself up to the enemy either. It's even worse than cowardice!"

"What now? You think Private would betray us?"

"No! I just thought he would know better than this! We are a TEAM, Kowalski! We work together, we sleep together, we do things together. We do not keep secrets from each other!"

"It's not like Private's the only one with secrets." Kowalski hissed back at Skipper, who looked about ready to toss him out of the HQ.

"What shall we do, Skipper?" The soft voice of the otter carried over to the commander, who froze.

"We?" Skipper repeated and narrowed his eyes at Marlene, who glared back at him.

"Yes, we."

"Marlene, this is-"

"I don't care. So what if I wasn't that important to him." A tear fell from her eye at that but the otter ignored it as she continued. "He was important to me! He's my brother too, even if it wasn't like that to him!" Skipper took a step forward to try to calm her, but she thought otherwise and gave him a shove. "You will not stop me from helping you guys save your brother, Skipper!"

"Marlen'." Rico quickly placed a flipper on the otter and looked over at Skipper, who was assessing the mammal before him quietly.

Their eyes met, understanding going through them, and the weapons expert stepped back, watching the scene quietly as he had done before.

Marlene sobbed and dropped her head, wiping furiously at the tears dropping from her eyes. "You won't..."

Skipper hesitated for second, before he sighed and placed a flipper under her chin, making her look up at him. "Marlene, I won't stop you."

"You won't?"

He shook his head. "No, I won't. If you want to help-"

"I do. Even if it's the last thing I'll ever do, I am going to help you get Private back."

The penguin sighed again. "We might have to train you, but you're a quick learner, right?" Her mouth curved into a smile and she threw her arms around him. "Hey!"He gingerly held onto the picture frame in his flipper as he used the other to guide Marlene away from it. "Be careful." The otter blushed in embarrassment, but it went away when she looked at the picture.

"Is that," she took the frame from Skipper when he handed it to Marlene, a proud smile on his face.

"Private as a chick. Adorable, isn't he?"

She nodded in slight awe and looked at Skipper. "He has a military outfit on." The leader chuckled and held onto the frame.

"He managed to find one. I didn't even know where he got it, he just did." The penguin sighed and looked up at Kowalski and Rico, who both had the same knowing smiles on their faces. "It was supposed to be a family picture, but he didn't want to take it off. If we tried, he would start crying, so we just let him be."

Marlene stared at the picture, the smile fading when she saw the fluffy penguin in down feathers. "I miss him already."

"We all do, Marlene."

The otter smiled, a certain glint entering her eye as she looked over at her future comrades.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's get him back."

Rico nodded vigorously, his preppy and excited nature coming back as he threw up a fish, raising it high in the air. "For Private!"

The rest grinned at each other and followed, thrusting their flippers/paw in the air. "For Private!"

Thought I'll give a hand with the original POM (minus the OOC feel here) with a one-shot. *shrugs* Have a nice day, darlings!