Takes place after the episode where the kids have to chase the bus (disguised as a bear) around the city. Carlos and Dorothy Ann friendship. Yay!

This is probably the last super happy thing I'll be posting for a while. Hope it's still up to standards.

I don't own the Magic School Bus.

GENERAL POV

Carlos sighed as Ms. Frizzle rounded the corner to his house. He and Dorothy Ann, being next door neighbors, were the last two students on the magic school bus after their long day at the zoo, and they were both exhausted from bus wrangling in the middle of the city.

As tired as he was, though, Carlos Ramon was restless. His arms itched to take flight and soar above the rooftops, and his body ached with the happy memories of effortlessly flying around the city with his best friend.

He blinked and glanced at Dorothy Ann, chuckling softly as he saw that she had fallen asleep and had her head on his shoulder, her pigtails falling over her forehead.

"Final destination," Ms. Frizzle whispered cheerfully, pulling open the bus doors and gesturing to Carlos' house. "You got her, Carlos?" the woman asked gently.

Carlos smiled and slid his arms under D.A., grunting as he lifted her up. "Yeah. I'll get her home. Thanks, Ms. Frizzle. I really liked tonight."

The Latino sighed and stepped to the ground, shifting Dorothy Ann in his arms. "I wish we could do it again," he murmured wistfully, looking back at his teacher.

Her eyes sparkled and she tilted her head at the boy. "Well, Carlos. You never know where unforeseen circumstances might find you."

Carlos smiled warmly and bid his teacher goodnight, allowing Liz to sling Dorothy Ann's backpack over his shoulder. The young third grader walked carefully to D.A.'s house, kicking on the door lightly with his foot.

While he waited for someone to answer, Carlos glanced down at his sleeping friend. A smile twitched on his lips as she mumbled in her sleep, her eyebrows squishing together. He jumped slightly as she wrapped her fingers in his sweatshirt, his face flushing violently when she relaxed in his arms.

The door clicked open and Carlos jumped, nodding to Evan. "Hey. Dorothy Ann fell asleep on the way home again," he said, a laugh in his voice.

Evan rolled her eyes and held her arms out. She was relatively strong for her age, so Carlos had no qualms about giving D.A. to her sister. He was surprised at how much he missed her body heat, though.

"Night, Evan," Carlos whispered.

The younger blonde nodded politely and kicked the door shut with her foot, leaving Carlos alone on the porch. He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking at a pebble as he walked back to his yard.

He had all but reached his bedroom when Carlos realized that he still had Dorothy Ann's bag slung across his body. "Oh shoot," the boy murmured, stopping in the middle of the hallway and staring at the bright pink fabric.

Should he give it back now? Carlos bit his lip and glanced over his shoulder, remembering how tired Dorothy Ann had been on the ride back. Deciding to hold onto the bag until he saw her tomorrow, Carlos walked into his room and plopped the satchel onto his desk.

Something inside rattled and the Latino flinched, hoping he hadn't broken anything. He flipped open the cover carefully, afraid of what he might see, and his jaw almost dropped to the table.

Slowly, Carlos pulled out the portable transmodifier that Frizzle often used on their trips. Had D.A. stolen it?

Carlos threw out the thought immediately. Dorothy Ann was many things, but she was not a thief. So where had the machine come from?

His mind flashed back on when he had been telling Ms. Frizzle that he wanted to do the night over again, Dorothy Ann asleep in his arms, the twinkle in his teachers eyes when she had mentioned unforeseen circumstances, Liz handing over the forgotten bag.

A warm feeling spread in the boy's gut and his smile stretched wide on his face. He needed to do this again, to get out and feel the power in his body that had carried him and D.A. across the town earlier that night.

He paused. D.A.

Carlos knew before he even thought it that he didn't want to go through this experience alone. And that the only one he could truly enjoy it with was next door.

The boy chewed on his lip before pushing open his window. As soon as he was sure it wouldn't fall, he darted for Mikey's room. His sibling was still awake, his nose buried in a book.

"Mikey," Carlos whispered pleadingly.

The wheelchair bound boy looked up, his eyes widening at the sight of the machine in Carlos' hands. "Is that what I think it is?" the boy asked breathlessly.

Carlos nodded. "Yeah. Mikey...I need you to zap me with it. Please?"

Mikey studied his sibling carefully, noting the trapped look in his eyes, the way his muscles were tightened. He nodded. "Sure thing. It's also a really good thing you told me you were going, in case something bad happened."

Carlos shrugged, handing the machine over to his brother with ease. "Its not like I would be going alone," he said, before clapping a hand over his mouth.

Mikey's eyes widened and he started grinning. "You mean Dorothy Ann, don't you?" he teased.

Carlos sighed in defeat. "Just zap me," he muttered, rubbing his forehead wearily, focusing his mind on the image of a falcon.

Mikey giggled and turned the ray on his brother. The amount of trust between the siblings was stronger than most. They trusted each other with their lives and secrets, Mikey being the only person outside of Janet that knew about Ms. Frizzle and wasn't in her class. Unlike Janet, however, people liked him and he truly enjoyed being involved in the classes adventures.

Carlos shut his eyes as the warm beam washed over him, relishing in the feeling of his body shrinking and changing. He could feel Mikey staring at him and reminded himself that his brother had never seen the class turn into animals. It was probably strange for him, yet Carlos was incredibly used to it.

He opened his eyes and tilted his head up to look at his brother, a smirk on his beak. "Well?"

"Cool!" Mikey cried with no hesitation. "You're a falcon! I know you said the Friz changed you guys into things, but I didn't really believe it until now."

Carlos chuckled, the sound echoing in his throat, and fluttered up to sit on the armrest of Mikey's wheelchair. "Okay. Wheel me to my room, and then I'll take the transmodifier and fly it over to Dorothy Ann's."

Mikey smirked but kept quiet, peering into the hall so that he didn't have to explain to his father why there was a two foot tall bird of prey on his wheelchair.

He pushed the wheels on his chair forward and sailed into Carlos' room, heading for the still open window. Mikey came to a halt at the sill and Carlos flapped forward, hovering outside the window.

Mikey picked up the transmodifier and leaned outside, allowing Carlos to grasp the machine in his sharp talons. "Thanks, Mikey," the third grade falcon said gratefully. "You're the best."

Mikey winked, shooting his sibling a finger gun. "Just be safe, bro."

Carlos grinned and pushed his wings hard, soaring into the dark navy blue sky and veering to the left.

Dorothy Ann woke up wearily, rubbing her eyes with her fists and blinking as she took in her surroundings. When had she gotten home? How had she gotten home? She didn't remember anything after climbing back into the bus and sinking down next to Carlos.

The girl frowned and shook her head, pigtails hitting her ears. Her fingers instinctively reached for her backpack, only to find that the bag of books was missing.

Her face fell and she tumbled out of bed, prepared to ask Evan if she knew where the bag might be, but a sudden thud at her window froze D.A. in her tracks. She whipped around, seeing nothing suspicious, but crept to the glass anyway, pushing her window up and squinting out into the dark.

She scanned the area carefully, her eyes immediately landing on the oak tree just outside her window. A large bird perched on the branch closest to her, preening its feathers. Dorothy Ann tilted her head, thinking the animal looked very familiar, and as soon as it lifted its head and met her eyes, she gasped.

"Carlos?" she whispered in awe.

The bird grinned cockily and D.A. felt her lips turn upwards as well. She stepped to the side and gestured in towards her room, and Carlos flew in, something clutched in his talons. He landed lightly on her bed and D.A. stepped over, her jaw dropping.

"That's the transmodifier!" she yelped in surprise. "How did you get it from Ms. Frizzle?"

Carlos fluttered his feathers. "You did, actually. You fell asleep on the bus so I carried you here and Evan took you. Only I forgot to give your bag back and this was inside."

"Well I didn't take it," Dorothy Ann said immediately.

Carlos nodded. "I know. I think Ms. Frizzle put it there, since we had so much fun tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if every group got one."

Dorothy Ann's face lit up. "So you mean we can...?"

Carlos gave her a sly smile and D.A. squealed in delight, scooping the machine up in her hands. She blinked as she realized the dilemma. "If I turn into a bird here, how are we going to turn back? Evan doesn't know about Ms. Frizzle."

Carlos grinned, ruffling his feathers. "Yeah, but Mikey does," he said, a twinkle in his eye.

D.A. smiled and hopped onto her bed, turning the ray on herself. She faltered for a moment, having never used a transmodifier before, but, seeing the look of restlessness on her friends face, thought no longer than a second before pulling the trigger.

When the whirling feeling of shrinking stopped, Dorothy Ann ruffled her feathers and looked to Carlos. The boy smiled brightly, grabbed the transmodifier back in his talons, and swooped out of the house, D.A. just behind him.

Mikey was still at the window when Carlos returned, and the tech genius' eyes sparkled as he nodded to D.A., taking the machine back in his lap. "Have fun you guys," he declared. "When you get back, just come get me. Be careful!"

"Thanks Mikey!" the duo called as they flapped their wings and soared towards the park.

Carlos tilted his head as they flew over Tim's house. "Let's see if the others transformed back too," he suggested.

D.A. nodded her consent and the two tilted their wings, veering downwards and swooping over to Tim's windowsill. Carlos flapped backwards quickly in surprise, his eyes narrowed. "He's asleep," the boy said in slight confusion.

Dorothy Ann bit her beak. "Well...maybe she didn't give one to Tim?"

Carlos pondered the idea and flicked his feathers up, careening into the night sky with Dorothy Ann at his side. "Okay, well then let's check on the others."

The two spent about five minutes going to each of their friends houses, only to realize that they were the only ones still awake, the only ones who had been given the chance to go on this adventure for a second time. Glancing at one another in confusion, D.A. and Carlos aimed for a large building, their clawed feet curling around the ledge to hold them in place as they settled down onto a window sill.

"Why did Ms. Frizzle only give us the transmodifier?" D.A. wondered, ruffling her feathers.

Carlos shrugged as best he could, considering his lack of shoulder blades. "I don't know. I guess we were the only ones she really thought wanted to do it again."

D.A. slowly raised the area where her eyebrow would have been, had they existed. "You didn't make a pun and you could have," she observed.

Carlos scoffed. "Is that according to your research?" he mocked teasingly.

Dorothy Ann fell silent and shuffled away from the boy next to her, making Carlos' smile fall from his face. "I'm just kidding D.A. I realize this is aviary sensitive topic for you."

D.A.'s beak twitched upwards in a smile and she looked at Carlos, who had a dorky grin on his feathered cheeks once more. "That was terrible," the girl declared.

Carlos snickered. "Sorry. That was really hawkward."

"Carlos!" D.A. shouted before bursting into giggles. "Stop. What do you want to do? It's late, and we have to be back before our parents notice we're gone. Mikey can distract your dad, but everyone still thinks I'm in bed."

The boy-bird ruffled his feathers and held out a wing. "Shall we?" he asked his friend.

Dorothy Ann smiled and leapt off of the skyscraper. "We shall," she called over her wing, flapping hard and heading for the park. Carlos smiled slowly and jumped after her, pushing himself to catch up.

The two falcons flew around each other, banter flung back and forth between two smiling beaks, and the duo fluttered to a halt only after their wings began to ache, nearly thirty minutes after the flight had started.

Landing in a tree on the far end of the park, Carlos shuffled closer to D.A. and sighed. "Boy, am I hungry."

D.A.'s mouth twitched and she glanced sideways at him. "Toucan say that again," she said, her voice deadly serious.

Carlos did a double take and burst into laughter. "Good one, Dorothy Ann," he chuckled, brushing a wing under one eye and shaking his head with amusement. "Good one."

Dorothy Ann smiled proudly and Carlos calmed down. "But seriously, I'm hungry," he said, glancing around him. A screeching cry of a bird sounded in the distance and Carlos' eyes glinted darkly. "Sounded like a nighthawk," he reasoned.

He took off before D.A. could process his words, and when she finally did, her heart nearly stopped. "Carlos!" she shrieked, leaping from the branch and darting after him in a blind panic.

Her eyes, designed for being able to see at a distance, picked him up almost immediately, his talons outstretched as he hurtled towards the unsuspecting nighthawk below him.

D.A. gulped and put on one last burst of speed, slamming into him just before he could grab the smaller bird. The two tumbled head over claws over wings, slamming into the side of a building and landing on the windowsill, both slightly dazed.

Carlos recovered first, jumping to his feet, his eyes filled with irritation. "What the heck, Dorothy Ann? What is your problem?"

She shivered and sat up slowly, keeping her eyes lowered as she latched onto the sill with her claws. "Nothing," she whispered, turning her head away. Her blonde pigtails bobbed slightly and Carlos began calming down.

"D.A., come on," he pleaded. "I just wanted a snack. It's not like we haven't eaten anything as animals before when we were on field trips."

Dorothy Ann turned away from him even more and Carlos gulped, feeling guilty. "Yeah," she murmured, "but it was always like, small animals. Like fish and grubs and stuff. I...none of us have ever eaten something as big as a nighthawk."

Her voice cracked a little and Carlos softened, hopping over to her and peering at her eyes, which were rimmed in red. His stomach dropped as he realized that he had just made one of his best friends cry.

"Geez, D.A.," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it bothered you that much."

The girl shuddered and Carlos did what came naturally to him, wrapping a wing around her and pulling her close to him. "Seriously, D.A. I'm sorry. I didn't even think."

The girl nodded and pressed her cheek into his downy chest, her shaking slowly decreasing. "I know," she whispered, her voice vibrating through his body. "I just couldn't help but think...what if it was one of us that was turned into the nighthawk, and you hadn't realized it?"

Carlos blanched, his heart nearly stopping. "Yeesh. That's some dark wondering, Dorothy Ann."

She shrugged and looked up at him. "Yeah. But...after all these adventures where our class changed to animals, I have a hard time thinking of animals in any other way. I'm always so careful about where I step now, after being the size of ants a dozen times."

"Well, I'm still sorry," Carlos said sincerely. He hesitated, realizing just how serious the two of them were being, and he gave Dorothy Ann a side hug. "I guess this whole thing was just a yolk to me."

D.A. burst into giggles and pushed her friend away, her tears drying quickly. "Shut up, Carlos," she said between laughs.

The Latino falcon grinned and sighed with relief, happy to have avoided Dorothy Ann being mad at him. He always hated it when she was angry at him, and sometimes his jokes proved useless or just made things worse. But he always tried.

Said girl yawned widely and tilted her head. "Think we should head back?" she asked finally, blinking her eyes sleepily.

Carlos could feel his own energy fading, so he nodded and jumped from the ledge, waiting for D.A. before flicking the tip of a wing and heading back towards his house, Dorothy Ann at his side.

They flew quietly through the neighborhoods, each relishing in their last moments of flight, and swooped in Carlos' window. Mikey wasn't in the room, and the two landed on the bed without a sound.

"One of us," Carlos murmured, his voice cracking with a yawn, "one of us needs to go get him."

D.A. gave no response and he looked over to find her curled up on his comforter, her chest rising and falling steadily. Carlos hopped over to the girl and nudged her lightly with his beak. "D.A.," he mumbled, his brain fuzzy as his tiny legs gave out. "We need to...get Mikey," he whispered, laying his head lightly on her feathered back.

He said nothing further, having fallen asleep.

Mikey glanced at the clock anxiously, noting that it was nearly midnight. His clueless father had gone to bed ten minutes ago, and yet Carlos and D.A. still weren't back from their flight yet.

The boy glanced at the transmodifier, slipping it into his fingers before swinging out of his room and rolling down the hall to his brothers, pushing the door open softly and gliding in.

He faltered in his movement as he took in the sight of two falcons curled up next to each other, each one sound asleep. A smirk played on his lips and Mikey turned the transmodifier on, aiming it at them carefully.

The room filled with a warm blue light and when it had faded from Mikey's vision, he tilted his head at the sight of his brother and next door neighbor. D.A. had her head resting on Carlos' chest, and he had his left arm tucked comfortably around her body. Each was breathing softly, their faces relaxed and at ease with sleep.

Mikey considered waking D.A. up to tell her to go home, but they looked so adorable in those positions that he just giggled quietly and shut the door behind him, knowing that their father would be receiving a panicked call from Dorothy Ann's mother in the morning.

Somebirdy was going to get into trouble, that was for sure.

Bird puns courtesy of BirdPuns on Twitter. I'm not that clever.

Review or something.