"What are these?" Marlene frowned as she flicked through the photographs.

"Hey!" Skipper snatched them from her. "They're personal." As he stalked off with them Private explained to Marlene,

"That's Skipper with his ex."

"His ex?" Marlene sounded disbelieving.

"It was a whirlwind romance," Skipper came back over. "We met on a mission in enemy territory. Each moment could have been our last. Of course we rushed into it." He shook his head at the foolishness as Private whispered to Marlene.

"They divorced weeks later. In Monte Carlo."

"Divorced? Woah, woah. You married? A doll?"

"You have to understand, Marlene. She nearly died… I felt responsible. And the simians were threatening me with those photographs… it could have been a scandal!"

"Hey, back up. You're telling me you had a serious relationship… with a doll? Made of wood?" she added for emphasis.

"It was over within a month. Apart from the experience in Africa we didn't have anything in common." Marlene stared at him. He stared back.

"You really don't see the problem do you?"

"We've all had flings before, Marlene. It doesn't mean anything."

"It was a relationship based on an intense shared experience," Kowalski explained for her. "They never last." Marlene raised her hands.

"Fine. Whatever. I'll leave you to your reminiscences." She shook her head as she walked off.

"Marlene?" Skipper called after her. But she'd already gone.

*

Marlene went to hang out with Julien where she could be fairly sure of not running into any penguins. She really liked Skipper but the idea that he could have seriously married a doll… well she had to wonder what sort of guy did that.

"A-ha ha. Will you look at that silly penguin?" Julien gestured across the zoo. Marlene looked reluctantly and saw Rico sitting with his 'girlfriend'. She'd always thought the doll thing was just another crazy aspect of Rico but it seemed to affect all penguins. Even Private and Kowalski hadn't been disturbed.

"How foolish to be treating a doll as real."

"Hey," Marlene reacted angrily. "I didn't see you complaining when you won Carlotta from him."

"Oh, pooh! I was only doing that to be winding up the flightless bird. Back home in Madagascar I had an army of girlfriends all wishing to please the king… which is me." Marlene had a sudden inspiration.

"But the penguins were hatched in a zoo!"

"Excuse me?"

"Listen, listen," she waved excitedly. "You were born in the wild, right? You had a mother, a father, a family, right?"

"Of course…"

And even though I was born in a zoo, I'm a mammal so I had a mother from birth…"

"I am not under…"

"But the penguins are birds! Their eggs were hatched in a lab! I remember the people talking about it. There were no parent birds just these wooden penguin-head things." Julien looked at her blankly. Marlene didn't notice. "You and me learned who we were from our families…" her smile faded. "The penguins saw only dummies."

"A-ha! The penguins are dummies." Julien smiled happily. Marlene simply stared at him. She realised it wasn't worth her time to explain.

"Look, I gotta go. Thanks for the chat."

"OK." Julien waved at her retreating back and wondered what all that had been about.

*

"Hey, Skipper." Skipper looked up from his paper suspiciously.

"Back again, Marlene?" She smiled cheerfully at him.

"Yeah… sorry about before. I was just in a funny mood, you know." He watched her warily. "I was thinking… what's your earliest memory Skipper?"

"That's classified information," he responded immediately.

"Right," she drawled. Glancing round she saw Private. "Hey, Private? What's your earliest memory?" He looked over at her thoughtfully.

"I remember my crib, I think. It was warm and my mother used to drop fish in to me."

"Rico!" Skipper gestured to Private and Rico slapped the side of his face.

"Sorry Skipper," Private apologised. Skipper turned back.

"What's this in aid of Marlene?"

"Just testing a theory."

"Ah, a theory!" Kowalski came up to her. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Well now that you mention it… do you remember your mother, Kowalski?"

"My mother?" He looked thoughtful. "I believe she was very taciturn. I don't remember her speaking…" Skipper interrupted him irritably.

"Of course she was taciturn, Kowalski! Female penguins don't speak."

"They don't?" Marlene was surprised.

"No. They're models of discipline," Skipper drew himself up. "Silent and unmovable." Marlene opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find any words. She was faced with a harrowing image of a baby penguin, alone in a man-made crib, with nothing but a wooden penguin head for comfort. Memories of her own childhood returned… times when she'd felt scared and been comforted by a loving parent. What must it have been like to have no-one hear you cry?

"Are you alright?" She shook her head.

"I'm fine… I just… I never appreciated how dedicated you guys are." Skipper raised an eyebrow but seemed to accept this answer.

"Training and discipline are the key. That and a good team," he smiled at his troops. They drew themselves up proudly. Marlene realised that though they'd all had their families taken from them before birth, the penguins had managed to bring together their own. She smiled at them.

"Why don't you stay for a card game," Skipper offered. "Private, whip up some smoothies. Kowalski, cards. Rico…" he hesitated as he looked at Rico who was looking hopeful. "Oh alright, she can sit in." With a happy squawk Rico pulled his girlfriend over to join them. Marlene looked her over as they sat down.

"Something the matter?" Skipper sat next to her.

"No. Just..." she hesitated. "They look so happy."

"You know, I think they are. There's nothing so satisfying as having a beautiful girl by your side." He looked at her a moment longer before returning his attention to the game. "Stomp the Wombat?" he asked.

Marlene simply smiled.

_____________________________________________________________________

My first go at writing the Penguins. The idea for the wooden penguin heads came from a documentary about cranes. I've no idea if they really do that with penguins but it seemed like such a good explanation.