Note: Hey Guys. Here is my new story. I decided to go back to my roots and write another sad story. There will some medical stuff going on and I haven´t decided yet if I make this happy or sad ending. So please pepare for both. I hope you like it. XOXO ladywhiplasher

1. A Cold Winter

It was in the middle of the winter and the Central Park Zoo barely had visitors. A very quiet period started for the zoo inhabitants. Everyone had fun in this man-free time. The Penguins enjoyed the quiet time of the year too and spent the days with indoor training.

It was Saturday evening, and the four penguins wanted to watch a movie together. Private prepared the popcorn and Kowalski was still tinkering on their DVD player. Everything went very quiet and happy, even Rico had planted his bombs and grenades to the side and brushed the blond hair of his doll girlfriend. Skipper relaxed while having a hot bath. The entire bathroom was plunged into a steamy mist and the leader fought a terrible war with a toy tank against the bath foam mass.

"Here, take this" muttered Skipper and broke through a foam tower, which he had built himself. In the living room almost everything was ready for a cozy movie night. Private just went once more to the periscope to take a quick look outside. He could hardly see anything, because outside was pitch black night. But suddenly startled the little penguin as a shadow rushed passed their habitat.

"Maybe I should tell Skipper." Private mumbled nervously and ran to the bathroom where Skipper was still engaged to break walls made of foam with his little tank. "Skipper, there is something out there. Someone sneaks around there. I´ve seen it!" cried the little penguin excited when he first burst into the bathroom.

Skipper startled and let his toy falling into the bath water, hoping that Private had not noticed that the brave leader was playing war in the bathtub. "What's wrong, Private?" Skipper asked, touched by a bit embarrassed as Private looked at the foam fortress. "I've seen prowling a shadow outside, Skipper. I don´t know who or what it was." said Private and Skipper jumped quickly from the hot water.

He wiped the remaining bubble bath from his body and waddled together with Private back into the living room. "Kowalski, have you heard anything?" asked the leader and also threw a look through the periscope. "No, Skipper. Maybe it was just the wind that has blown something through the air." said the scientists and made it clear today that he had no ambition to go outside into the freezing cold.

"And what if it was a spy creeping around our HQ, just waiting to attack us?" Skipper said sarcastically and went on his way to the ladder that led to the exit. Kowalski sighed and followed him. Rico, also disappointed, dropped his doll and followed reluctantly. "Now come on, men. We just take a look around." Skipper said to the slightly disappointed team to cheer them up again.

The four penguins climbed up and an icy wind almost blew from their island. Snow flakes flew through the air and the ground was covered with ice. "Let's go, men!" Skipper said, and slid on his belly from their habitat. On the ice sheet that covered the sidewalk, they could slip twice as fast now.

"Educational work" commanded Skipper, who had to yell almost, that the other understood him by the whistling of the wind. The four belly slid through the zoo, but couldn´t find any suspect object and after half an hour they gave up the search. "See Skipper, Private has just immagined that and made a mountain out of a molehill. Slowly he comes to your footprints." Kowalski said with some sarcasm and got an angry gaze from Skipper.

But the leader had to admit that nothing had happened. "Okay, we abandon the mission." Skipper said a little sad. With these words, they made their way back. The wind blew stronger and bitter cold they crawled underneath their feathers. Skipper was trembling, because he was suddenly very cold. He felt like this snowstorm was creeping through his veins.

Skipper knew that something was wrong with him. His body suddenly felt so numb and he couldn´t explain where this strange feeling came from. The leader just hoped that he won´t get sick now. He stopped in the middle of the way. "Skipper, what is wrong?" Private asked and looked to his leader, who pressed his flippers on his forehead. "I don´t know, Private. Everything is revolving around me."Skipper muttered and closed his eyes to get rid of the dizziness. But that only made it worse. Skipper groaned, and the others were instantly at his side.

"Skipper, what is going on. Don´t you feel alright?" Kowalski asked and looked worried to Skipper. "I don´t know, I'm so dizzy, Kowalski." Skipper muttered, but he felt that he was about to lose consciousness. He slowly put one foot before the other, praying that this dizzy would subside soon.

But it got worse with every step he took. Skipper could see just blurred and a few seconds later he collapsed on the floor. "Skipper!" Private called and was immediately at his side. "Kowalski, what´s wrong with him?" asked the little penguin worried. But the scientists tried to keep a cool head. "Quick, we bring him back to the HQ." Kowalski said, raising his leader from the ground. But Skipper was completely passed out and they had to carry him back through the snowstorm.