A/N: I've been loving the reviews! Thanks to all for such good support and your wonderful comments, Enjoy:3

"I..Need you..."

Those three simple words, with more truth and meaning than anyone could have ever imagined, fell softly from the leader's beak. He held Private tighter, lowering his head and letting his tears fall on to the young soldier.

The tears refused to stop; Skipper tried his best to regain his composure, but failed miserably. He just couldn't hold it in anymore; he had to have Private by his side. Nothing would ever be the same without him.

Kowalski, solemnly watching his fearless leader break down right before his eyes, motioned for Rico to follow him back into his lab. He wanted to help Skipper with all of his heart, but honestly, what could he do? This was something Skipper absolutely had to deal with on his own right now, as much as he hated to admit it, and as much as it hurt to see his leader in such a state.

Skipper listened for the cold echoing of the metal door shutting before he finally let out his sobs of despair. He couldn't think of a life without Private; it was near impossible. He couldn't let the best thing that happened to him leave his life.

"I tried to be strong, Private.." He whispered, in the insane hopes that somehow, the little penguin had been listening the whole time. He faced the sleeping soldier, their faces just inches apart. "I tried so hard, but I can't do this.. Private, I know you can hear me, somehow. You have to listen to me..You have to wake up, Private.."

He waited for a response; nothing. His head dropped, even though he expected nothing less. 'I'm going crazy..' He thought to himself. He had to leave; clear his head for a bit, try to think straight. He had turned to leave, but he had noticed something right in the corner of his eye.

Private, under the sheets in his bunk, began breathing harder and more rapidly. Skipper rushed over, watching the body move up and down much faster than it had before. Skipper looked around nervously; what should he do? Should he get Kowalski? He decided against his better judgment, and slowly reached his flipper out to the young soldier.

"P-Private..?" He whispered, placing his flipper on the small patch of feathers near Private's head. His eyes widened. His face had become much hotter, and the leader just now noticed the color coming back into the young penguin's face. The once dull gray and black of Private's feathers now began to shine more in the light; Private was looking like his old self again.

"Private, can you hear me?" Skipper put his flippers on either shoulder and shook the small soldier gently. "I need you to wake up..just fight it, Private. I know you can do it." Skipper watched with great attention, noticing any small detail he could. Private's head slowly tilted to the side and back again. The leader, heart beating faster and hands becoming shaky, continued to edge him on in the hopes that he was guiding Private back from his deep sleep and into the world again.

"C'mon, Private..You can do this.." He said, his voice almost pleading out to the young penguin. Slowly, but surely, Skipper could see a pair of weary blue eyes shift open. His heart completely stopped. All was still; the leader was in another world as he watched the eyes open up to him. The entire room grew quiet, and then he heard it.

"S-Skippa...?"

Skipper's eyes shot open and he ran over to Private, wrapping himself around him tight and pressing his face against his.

"Private!" He shouted in surprise and felicity. Private moved his flippers around the leader doggedly, and looked around the HQ.

"W-What..happened?" He asked. His voice was shaky and cracked, but Skipper could still hear the preciousness in any word he spoke. It was heaven just to be able to hold him.

"You're home, Private." He replied, a tear rolling from his eye and the smile never leaving his beak. "That's what happened."

Kowalski and Rico soon found out about Private's condition, and, after a countless number of tests to make sure he was alright, the young soldier was back on his feet in no time. In the days that passed, Private had become much skinnier due to the lack of nutrition he suffered in his state. The once generously chubby penguin was now thinner, and more of his muscles showed than before. It was almost like looking at a young Skipper.

Skipper hadn't said much to Private in that time; he was either too busy getting fixed up by Kowalski or too busy trying to gain his strength back. The leader had so much to say, so much to tell Private, but he didn't even know where to begin, until that day..

The team sat in the living quarters. Rico and Kowalski sat at the table; the strategist writing down observations from the tests he ran and the weapons expert stuffing his face with fish. Kowalski looked up from his clipboard and noticed Private, sitting at his bunk, a troubled expression on his face. He turned his head and met Skipper's, the same look of concern and worry showing. He thought back to the many times he and Skipper had discussed Private in the time of what happened. He remembered just how much it hurt the leader to see Private like that, and how much he wanted him back. He slowly started to understand what everything meant.

He grabbed his clipboard and glanced at Rico.

"I..uh, need to double check some of the test results. Care to come with, Rico?" The weapons expert happily obliged and the two departed for the lab. Just before closing the door, Kowalski's eyes met Skipper's, and, with a knowing look in his eyes, he left the two alone once again.

The room grew quiet for quite some time, Private not moving from his spot at his bed, staring at the ground, and Skipper nervously trying to think of what exactly he could say. The leader approached and sat down near him on the bunk, hoping for the best.

"Private.." He started, but the little soldier stopped him.

"Wait.." He said. It was amazing how his voice still hadn't changed much since the incident; it was still cracked and had a low tone to it. The bandages left his once feeble body one by one, but there were still a couple that the leader noticed with concern, but thankfulness that the young soldier was alright.

"Skippa..I need to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that happened." Skipper watched as Private shifted in his seat, his eyes still glued to the ground and his flippers feeling over the dull scars that were left on his chest and stomach.

"I know I should have tried harder, and I shouldn't have just left like that.." His eyes swelled up, but he continued to speak.

"I couldn't even begin to think of what it would be like if I were a failure in your eyes, Skippa.. I'm so sorry for everything..." Tears slipped from his eyes and fell to the cold cement. Skipper couldn't handle seeing him like this. He put his flipper on Private's shoulder, and for the first time that day, their eyes met.

"Private, you're wrong." He said, a stern sense of truth in his voice. "I was so wrong to think anything less of you. I shouldn't have done what I did; you're my responsibility and I.. I let you down." The leader almost felt like crying himself, seeing how much Private was hurt by what he did.

"I should have been there, but I was so goddamn idiotic to realize that you're more than just a Private. You're an amazing soldier; you're an asset to this entire team. I..I don't know what I would even do without you here." Private lifted his beak into a weak smile, and his eyes never left Skipper's. The world around them grew silent and motionless. It was just the two of them.

Skipper suppressed a tear that threatened to leave his eyes. "But most of all, Private.. You did no wrong here. I can't even believe how I treated you, I don't even deserve to be speaking with you after what I said. I just want you to know that I was.. so wrong.. and I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy."

The leader choked up at his last comment, but it was all worth it to see Private's face light up like it used to.

"You..You really mean that?" The leader nodded his head, wiping away his tears. Private wrapped himself around Skipper tighter than he had ever done before, and Skipper did the same, both of them letting out tears of happiness and solace.

"Then you already made me the happiest person in the world, Skippa.."

Skipper could feel the warmth of Private's body pressed against his, and his arms reaching around him and holding his back. He never wanted to let go of that feeling, not in a lifetime. Slowly, he lowered his head until it touched Private's, and the little penguin held on even tighter, brushing his face up against his head.

They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, though neither of them minded. Once they pulled apart, Private stare deep into Skipper's eyes, a grin overcoming his expression.

"You know," He said, breaking the silence. "In a way, it felt like you were always by my side when I was gone. Even after what happened, the only thing I could think of was.." The leader smiled, putting his flipper around Private's waist, making the young soldier's face grow red.

The two held each other again, just to feel that marvelous feeling again.

"I'm just glad you had the will to wake up, soldier." He responded, his face growing quite red as well. "It's a miracle that you did."

"I'm surprised, too," Private said, uttering a giggle. "But I think out of everything, you helped me wake up, sir. The last thing I remember before I woke up," He said, now in a low tone. "Was your voice, right beside me.."

"It said, 'I need you..'"

Yay! Happy ending! Sorry, it's a little rushed, I admit, but even as much as I loved writing this, I'm even more excited for what other stories that are to come. Please, leave your final opinion on this story, PM me if you have a request for any type of story you'd like me to write, or if you'd even like me to write another chapter or two for this story, just as a sort of an 'epilogue'. And look out for anything else I have to offer, thanks for taking the time to read this!:D