CHAPTER 9: DONE

    It was Private who first acknowledged my prescence "Kowalski are u okay? u look sick. And what was that strange sound..."
    "Good you're here!" Skipper exclaimed. He, Rico and Private are bent over the table, maps of New York laid out on it. He pointed his blue ruler at me. "I was about to drag u out of your lab! Kowalski, give me options where Lilly could be! Pronto!"
    "Ummm..." My mind was on the scene Skipper could have seen if I continued my plans and he walked in the lb. Lilly crying in my arms and--
    "Think man! Your wasting valuable time!" Skipper interrupted my thoughts.
    "Yes I am." I answered. "Its time for my weakly progress report."
    "Aw man." Rico mumbled.
    'No time for that!" Skipper zei dismissively, his eyes on the maps. "Give me the options Im asking for of I'll.."
    "But Skipper, my meld will solve all your current problems with Lilly."
    At that, I gained the whole attention of Skipper. His nonexistent eyebrows raised in question.
    "Go on." he prompted.
    "You don't have a picture of Lilly do you?" I began.
    "Well," he pondered. "It didnt occur to me before." I brought out my clipboard as he spoke, I took the hidden picture of Lilly, gazed on it one last time and placed it on the table. Skipper picked it up and examind the picture. Rico and Private came closer to have a better look.
    "I think thats the prettiest shot of her u could take." Private complimented.
    "How long do u have this in your clipboard? And where are u going with this?" Skipper interrogated.
    I ignored his questions. "Skipper would yo please step right here in front of me please?"
    He glared at me for a seconde but complied with my request. "And then what?"
    I opened my lab door widely and revealed Lilly's location. From her expression, she seemed to have been listening intently to our conversation. The tears are still visible from her face.
    Skipper and Lilly stared at one another, unmoving in silence like some romantic movie. Even Rico and Private seemed to have been frozen in time.
    "Do I have to do everything?" I mutttered. I took Lilly's lipper and pulled her out my lab. I took Skipper's flipper with my other and placed it on Lilly's. Their flippers instinctively held on to one another. I looked away and began to speak.
    "While everyone is in shock, let me fill u in with the details. The popcorn I gave u yesterday have truth serum in it. The reason u two were very open in our past conversations. Skipper, what u heard last night was not Lilly, but my recorder." I waved the device for everyone to see. "I recorded her voice, repositioned some words to make it sound like she's betraying you. Lilly, what Fred heared earlier is the same old trick, only this time, I used Skipper's voice. You're fight was carefully planned and conjured up door me."
    "So it was u all this time!" Lilly yelled angrily.
    "I am sorry. Yes it was me. This conspiracy, that I carefully planned for the past week, just hit a dead end." I zei gravely. "I let myself to be blinded door my affection, that I didn't see its hopeless from the start. I can see that now. door the misunderstanding I made between you, it taught how much u love one another."
    "So the popcorn had truth serum?! u could have periled our whole operation!" Skipper zei as he tapped his beak. "Deuce, I didn't even feel its effect!"
    "Private," I said. "Ask Skipper about Denmark and he'll tell u the whole story."
    Private's face was filled with excitement and he opened his beak to ask. But Skipper glared at him like he was saying "Dont u dare." He just closed his beak and fell silent.
    "Dont worry the effet lasts only for two days and you'll be less truthful tomorrow."
    Lilly then took a step vooruit, voorwaarts and punched me in the stomach. "That's for all the trouble u caused."
    "I deserve that." I zei weakly, my body bent and my flippers on my stomach.
    Without warning as well, Skipper took a step vooruit, voorwaarts and punched me in the fade. I lost balance and fell to the floor. "And that's for making Lilly cry!"
    "I deserve that too." I managed to say. Skipper offered his flipper and helped me up. He patted my shoulder. "I dont blame u compadre. Get caught door Lilly's charm and u have no chance of escape!" Skipper smiled at the blushing Lilly. "Dont worry Kowalski you'll find your own lady to love."
    "Perhaps." I zei as I thought of recreating the Love-U-Lator. No, I thought and shook my head.
    "And Kowalski no meer conspiracy business alright?" Lilly demanded her flippers on her hips. "Brave on another attempt I'll make u regret u have that smart brain of yours."
    Private giggled. "I never imagined Kowalski as a love's conspirator, did u Rico?"
    "Na-ah."
    "And we're glad that its all over." Skipper concluded. "I'll pass this one sine I still have Lilly, earned a pretty picture of her. Its all win for me!" He slapped my stomach with the the back of my flipper. I slightly crouched of the pain. "Get yourself some ice before u sore."
    I nodded with a weak smile and walked to my lab. Honestly I was overwhelmed door the fast happenings of the moment, to comprehend what emotions this will bring me later. It was worth the try.
    "I have one last thing to say however." I zei as I stood on the lab door. All eyes went back to me upon hearing my announcement. "Your a very lucky pinguïn Skipper. Keep your promise and keep her happy. As long as she's happy, I can say I am too. I wish u all the best."
    I closed the lab door behind me and began of thinking ways to test my formula for trouble.