Since they didn’t get the full night’s recon in, Skipper, Private, and Rico went out early the next morning to check everything out. Ian replaced Kowalski, who was still berating himself in a corner. Ian saw the chance to put his next step into action. So, before the new team left, Ian whispered to Kowalski:
“I just feel so terrible about what happened last night. Here, let me give you some advice: go to Marlene.”
“What?” Kowalski said. What did she have to do with any of this?
“Ask her to talk you up to Skipper. She has his ear, not to mention his heart, and he will listen. You might get your position back that way.”
Kowalski considered this. It was a solid idea, and he was desperate.
“All right-”
“But,” Ian interrupted, “do not let Skipper see you. He is angry enough as it is.”
Kowalski nodded.
So, a few minutes after Ian and his ex-team left, Kowalski tried to leave out of the trophy door. However, Amy stopped him before he left.
“Kowalski, please, whatever Ian told you to do, don’t.” She was almost begging.
“Why?” he asked suspiciously.
Amy hesitated. She still loved Ian, and didn’t want him in more trouble than necessary. Besides, if she spilled the beans now, Skipper would kick her, Ian and Rodney out, and Ian was running out of buddies to rely on.
“Just trust me, OK?”
Kowalski shook his head. “No, his advice is sound. Amy… I need to get back on the team. They are my friends… they are all I have left.”
He closed the door. Amy sighed.
“Oh, come on Amy!” Rodney said from the couch. “I’m sure nothing is wrong.”
“Shut up, Rodney.”
…
Marlene was enjoying her breakfast outside when she heard the cover from the sewers lift. She dashed inside, and found Kowalski standing there.
“Kowal… seriously, don’t you guys ever knock?!”
Kowalski said seriously, “I’m not part of ‘those guys’ anymore, Marlene. I made a terrible mistake, and… and…” he was unable to finish.
“What do you mean? Kowalski, what’s wrong?” Marlene said kindly.
“Skipper fired me from the team.” he explained simply.
Marlene just stood there for a moment, trying to fathom what he had just said. Kowalski not on the team… the team without Kowalski? It was almost inconceivable.
“Why?” was all she was able to say.
Kowalski grimaced, still angry with himself. “I ate some chocolate and went temporarily insane. Surely you heard me screaming?”
“Wait… that was you?! I thought that was Julien in the hospital.”
Kowalski groaned and hid his face in his flippers, embarrassed.
“No, no, it’s alright,” she said, taking his hand. “Here, come outside, some fresh air could do you good.” They both went out into the sunny morning.
Kowalski, still holding Marlene’s paw, said to her, “I need to ask a favor of you. Skipper will listen to you - do you think you could put in a few good words for me?”
“Be assured that I will do all my abilities in your behalf.”(1) She said, smiling.
Kowalski beamed, the saw a group of black and white in the corner of his eye.
“Thank you, Marlene, but I have to go. Skipper is angry enough with me as it is, and it might upset him to see me out of the HQ.”
“Oh, right.” she hurriedly helped him inside, but not after Kowalski gave her a quick hug in appreciation.
About 2 minutes before… (try to see this through Skipper’s eyes)
“What’s he doing at Marlene’s?” Skipper wondered aloud. The rest of the team looked and saw as well. Ian smiled and went to work.
“Why, just look at how they are smiling at each other!” he said to Rico surprised.
Skipper saw that. “And they’re… holding hands…” he said uncertainly. “You don’t think-”
“Psh!” Rico scoffed.
“Oh, beware of jealousy, Skipper!” Ian supplied. “It is the green-eyed monster that mocks the very meat it feeds on!” (2)
They walked a bit closer, and suddenly, Kowalski actually HUGGED Marlene and dashed inside.
Skipper was more than puzzled. “What in the world…?”
Ian slid up next to him, moving Private out of the way. “Now, I wonder why he would go away so… sneaky when he must have seen us coming?”
“I’m going to go talk to her. You three get back to the HQ.” Skipper said officially. They went in separate directions. Skipper jumped the fence and sat beside Marlene, who was finishing her breakfast.
“Oh, hello Skipper!” she said brightly, kissing his beak cheerfully.
“Hi, Marlene.” His greeting wasn’t quite as cheery. “Hey, was Kowalski just here?”
She paused for a moment, then said rapidly, “No, why do you ask?”
“I could’ve swore I just saw-”
“No, no!” she said, holding him close. “Speaking of which, though, I heard it through the grapevine he’s no longer in your little team?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” he said warily. Even gossip can’t spread that fast… he thought.
“Aw, that’s a shame. He really is a great addition to the team, you know. He’s so SMART, and HARD-WORKING, and such a good TEAM-player…”
Skipper was amazed. She was practically singing Kowalski’s praises with he was right beside her! He just couldn’t take it.
“I’ve got to get back, the guys are waiting for me.” he said gruffly.
“Oh, OK.” she said, clearly disappointed.
Skipper noticed one last thing before he left - the necklace he’d given her was still sitting in the exact same spot as yesterday. She hadn’t even touched it.
(1) Act III, Scene I
(2) also Act III, Scene I
“I just feel so terrible about what happened last night. Here, let me give you some advice: go to Marlene.”
“What?” Kowalski said. What did she have to do with any of this?
“Ask her to talk you up to Skipper. She has his ear, not to mention his heart, and he will listen. You might get your position back that way.”
Kowalski considered this. It was a solid idea, and he was desperate.
“All right-”
“But,” Ian interrupted, “do not let Skipper see you. He is angry enough as it is.”
Kowalski nodded.
So, a few minutes after Ian and his ex-team left, Kowalski tried to leave out of the trophy door. However, Amy stopped him before he left.
“Kowalski, please, whatever Ian told you to do, don’t.” She was almost begging.
“Why?” he asked suspiciously.
Amy hesitated. She still loved Ian, and didn’t want him in more trouble than necessary. Besides, if she spilled the beans now, Skipper would kick her, Ian and Rodney out, and Ian was running out of buddies to rely on.
“Just trust me, OK?”
Kowalski shook his head. “No, his advice is sound. Amy… I need to get back on the team. They are my friends… they are all I have left.”
He closed the door. Amy sighed.
“Oh, come on Amy!” Rodney said from the couch. “I’m sure nothing is wrong.”
“Shut up, Rodney.”
…
Marlene was enjoying her breakfast outside when she heard the cover from the sewers lift. She dashed inside, and found Kowalski standing there.
“Kowal… seriously, don’t you guys ever knock?!”
Kowalski said seriously, “I’m not part of ‘those guys’ anymore, Marlene. I made a terrible mistake, and… and…” he was unable to finish.
“What do you mean? Kowalski, what’s wrong?” Marlene said kindly.
“Skipper fired me from the team.” he explained simply.
Marlene just stood there for a moment, trying to fathom what he had just said. Kowalski not on the team… the team without Kowalski? It was almost inconceivable.
“Why?” was all she was able to say.
Kowalski grimaced, still angry with himself. “I ate some chocolate and went temporarily insane. Surely you heard me screaming?”
“Wait… that was you?! I thought that was Julien in the hospital.”
Kowalski groaned and hid his face in his flippers, embarrassed.
“No, no, it’s alright,” she said, taking his hand. “Here, come outside, some fresh air could do you good.” They both went out into the sunny morning.
Kowalski, still holding Marlene’s paw, said to her, “I need to ask a favor of you. Skipper will listen to you - do you think you could put in a few good words for me?”
“Be assured that I will do all my abilities in your behalf.”(1) She said, smiling.
Kowalski beamed, the saw a group of black and white in the corner of his eye.
“Thank you, Marlene, but I have to go. Skipper is angry enough with me as it is, and it might upset him to see me out of the HQ.”
“Oh, right.” she hurriedly helped him inside, but not after Kowalski gave her a quick hug in appreciation.
About 2 minutes before… (try to see this through Skipper’s eyes)
“What’s he doing at Marlene’s?” Skipper wondered aloud. The rest of the team looked and saw as well. Ian smiled and went to work.
“Why, just look at how they are smiling at each other!” he said to Rico surprised.
Skipper saw that. “And they’re… holding hands…” he said uncertainly. “You don’t think-”
“Psh!” Rico scoffed.
“Oh, beware of jealousy, Skipper!” Ian supplied. “It is the green-eyed monster that mocks the very meat it feeds on!” (2)
They walked a bit closer, and suddenly, Kowalski actually HUGGED Marlene and dashed inside.
Skipper was more than puzzled. “What in the world…?”
Ian slid up next to him, moving Private out of the way. “Now, I wonder why he would go away so… sneaky when he must have seen us coming?”
“I’m going to go talk to her. You three get back to the HQ.” Skipper said officially. They went in separate directions. Skipper jumped the fence and sat beside Marlene, who was finishing her breakfast.
“Oh, hello Skipper!” she said brightly, kissing his beak cheerfully.
“Hi, Marlene.” His greeting wasn’t quite as cheery. “Hey, was Kowalski just here?”
She paused for a moment, then said rapidly, “No, why do you ask?”
“I could’ve swore I just saw-”
“No, no!” she said, holding him close. “Speaking of which, though, I heard it through the grapevine he’s no longer in your little team?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” he said warily. Even gossip can’t spread that fast… he thought.
“Aw, that’s a shame. He really is a great addition to the team, you know. He’s so SMART, and HARD-WORKING, and such a good TEAM-player…”
Skipper was amazed. She was practically singing Kowalski’s praises with he was right beside her! He just couldn’t take it.
“I’ve got to get back, the guys are waiting for me.” he said gruffly.
“Oh, OK.” she said, clearly disappointed.
Skipper noticed one last thing before he left - the necklace he’d given her was still sitting in the exact same spot as yesterday. She hadn’t even touched it.
(1) Act III, Scene I
(2) also Act III, Scene I