Blu And I

Chapter Five: Blu's the Daddy

Blu and Jewel soared through the jungles of Rio, engaged in a friendly race.

"Can't catch me, novice!" Jewel teased Blu, flying a few feet in front of him.

"Wanna bet?" Smiled Blu, flapping his wings harder and faster. With that extra speed, he managed to fly ahead of Jewel, landing on the branch of their tree home first. "Who's the novice now, huh?"

"Very funny." Pouted Jewel. "How do you know I didn't let you wi-oooh!" A sudden bout of pain caused her to wrap her wings around her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Asked Blu, his voice tinged with concern.

"Yeah." Groaned Jewel, straightening up. "Whatever it is was, it's passed. Probably just something I ate..."

"Yeah, probably." agreed Blu, relieved.

The next morning, while Blu was fetching some food, Jewel was washing herself at the stream.

"Good morning, Jewel." Said Eva, flying in to join her.

"Morning, Eva." Waved Jewel. "How are y-oohhh!"

"What's wrong?" Asked Eva.

"Nothing's wrong." Jewel grimaced. "Just a stomach ache."

"I don't think so." Said Eva sagely, moving in close to examine Jewel. Placing a wingtip on one side of the blue bird's stomach while leaning her head against the other, the keel-billed toucan reached a conclusion. "It's not a stomach ache." She declared. "You're pregnant."

"What? Me? Pregnant?" Gasped Jewel. "Are you sure?"

"Take it from someone who's had eighteen kids." Eva said drily. "I'm sure."

"Oh, wow." Jewel murmured, as the full enormity of the situation came to her. "I'm going to be a mother. Blu's going to a father. I've got to tell him. We're going to be parents! WHOOO!"

Stopping only to give Eva a hug, Jewel took off, making a bee (or rather, bird) line back to the tree. Blu, who had just came back with the food, was busy arranging it when Jewel dived at him at full speed, sending them both sprawling into the hollow at the tree's side.

"Blu!" Squealed Jewel, hugging him tightly. "Guess what?"

"What?" Croaked Blu, barely able to breathe.

"I'm pregnant!" Jewel cheered. "We're going to be parents!"

What little air was left in Blu's lungs jetted out of his beak.

"You? Me? Parents?" He wheezed, as Jewel finally released her hold on him.

"Isn't it great?" She chuckled.

"Yeah." Blu smiled sweetly. "It's really great. ...Huh, I feel a little light-headed..."

Blu tipped over and fainted, the combination of lack of oxygen and the amazing news bringing him down. As he regained consciousness, he saw Jewel standing over him, her face full of concern.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Blu gasped. "Just... a little overwhelmed. So, we're really going to be..."

"Parents, yes." Nodded Jewel. "That's what those stomach pains were about. Eva clued me in."

"I'm going to be a dad." Blu mumbled. "I'm going to be a dad!"

"The best dad ever." Smiled Jewel, kissing him.

"You'd better believe it." Said Blu. "I'll be with you all the way. I'll help you with everything. I'll be the ultimate modern dad!"

"First things first, 'modern dad'." Chuckled Jewel. "We need to build a nice little nest for our eggs."

"Our eggs..." Sighed Blu, his eyes briefly misting over. Snapping out of it, he declared "Okay, let's go!"

As they went out to collect the materials required to build a nest, Blu and Jewel also spread the news of their parenthood to their friends. Nico and Pedro were ecstatic at the idea of becoming "uncles", and Rafael was just as pleased.

"Parenthood is a very special thing." He declared, before shouting over to his children "Hey! You do not pull on your sister's wings like that!"

Once the nest had been built, Blu and Jewel waited eagerly for the moment of laying. One crisp, clear night, it happened, and the two parents-to-be proudly looked upon a trio of little blue-speckled eggs.

"We're halfway there." Smiled Blu.

"Yeah." Sighed Jewel, perching herself over them. "Just need to keep them warm."

"Let me help with that." Whispered Blu, wrapping his wings tightly around his mate.

"Thanks." Said Jewel appreciatively. "Every little bit helps."

Over the next few days, Blu hardly left the tree, not wanting to miss seeing his children hatch. However, the procurement of food sometimes rendered it necessary, but Blu was always sure to get back as soon as possible. One morning, Jewel was roused from her sleep by a movement beneath her: The eggs were starting to twitch.

"Blu, wake up!" She cried, shaking him.

"Whuzzat?" Blu said blearily.

"I think it's happening!" Jewel declared, shifting off the shaking eggs. "I think they're about to hatch!"

"Now? Really?" Gasped Blu, leaning in for a closer look.

As they watched, one of the eggs started to crack as a small beak broke it's way through. The other two eggs followed suit, each slowly breaking apart as the newborn chicks made their way into the world. Unable to make any sound other then franctic peeps, they crawled over to the side of the nest, searching sightlessly, instinctively, for their proud parents.

"Wow." Whispered Blu, scooping one of the chicks up in his wings. "Just... wow."

"You took the words right out of my mouth... daddy." Smiled Jewel, taking the other two chicks in her wings.

"Daddy." Smiled Blu proudly. "I'm a daddy. Hi, kids. I'm your daddy!"

Word of the hatching spread quickly, and practically every bird in the jungle came to see the little ones: Ricardo, Rosa, Ruby, Verde, and more.

"Where those mini-macaws at?" Called Nico, as he and Pedro entered the tree hollow where Blu and Jewel had made their nest.

"Uncle Pedro and uncle Nico are in the house!" Declared Pedro.

"The kids are right here." Smiled Jewel, showing the chicks snuggled together in the nest.

"Awww..." Crooned Pedro.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry." Sniffed Nico, before bursting into tears.

"That's it, let it all out." Soothed Pedro, putting a wing around his best friend.

Rafael and Eva were also charmed by the blue macaw chicks.

"Aren't they beautiful, Raffy?" Swooned Eva. "Makes me want to have another of our own!"

"They do?" Rafael cringed.

Over the next few weeks, Blu and Jewel saw to their chicks every need, chewing up fruit for them to eat, soothing them whenever they got distressed, and generally being excellent parents. With each passing day, the chicks grew bigger and stronger. As Blu returned from food collection one night, he found himself tackled by the chicks.

"DADDY!" They cheered, hugging him and jumping up and down on his chest.

"Hi, guys!" Blu half-chuckled, half-groaned. "Miss me?"

"Easy there, kids." Giggled Jewel. "You've only got the one daddy. Don't want to break him, do you?"

As the chicks got off their father, they went to work on the food he brought, devouring it ravenously, their little stomachs having just recently adapted to eating solid food.

"Dad, dad!" Mumbled Azul, the biggest and strongest chick, through a mouthful of starfruit. "Look how high I can jump!"

"Wow, sport!" Smiled Blu, watching his son hopping up and down. "That's high!"

"That's nothing." Scoffed Sapphire, the sole female chick. "Watch me spin!"

Sapphire spun herself around, wings open, but lost her balance, nearly colliding with her mother.

"Careful, honey." Said Jewel. "You don't want to hurt yourself."

Blu noticed that his other son, Cerulean, was being awfully quiet.

"You okay, pal?" Asked Blu.

"I'm fine, dad." Mumbled Cerulean.

"Cheer up, kiddo." Blu smiled. "Tomorrow's the big day, remember?"

"Oh, yeah..." Said Cerulean.

The time had come for the chicks to learn how to fly. While Cerulean didn't seem to be too excited about it, his siblings were.

"I can't wait to fly!" Said Sapphire. "I'm going to soar so beautifully through the sky..."

"I'm gonna fly faster then any other bird!" Declared Azul, who had inherited his mother's spirited nature along with her blue eyes. "Just you wait and see!"

Okay, flybirds." Smiled Jewel. "Time to sleep. Like daddy said, it's a big day tomorrow, and you'll need your rest."

Reluctantly, the chicks climbed into the nest, settling down to sleep. Azul and Sapphire slept soundly, but Cerulean's rest was fitful. The next morning, after eating, the family moved out to one of the tree's lower branches.

"Okay darlings, this it it." Said Jewel. "Time to fly!"

"Yeah!" Yelled Azul.

"Whoo!" Cheered Sapphire.

"Yay." Mumbled Cerulean.

"Something wrong, champ?" Blu asked. "You don't seem too excited."

"Well..." Cringed Cerulean.

"He's scared!" Jeered Azul, pointing at his brother. "Scaredy-bird! Scaredy-bird!"

"Azul, stop teasing your brother." Jewel said sternly.

"It's okay to be scared, son." Blu comforted his son.

"But I'm a bird." Sniffed Cerulean. "I shouldn't be scared of flying."

"Well, I used to be." Admitted Blu. "I was once terrified of flying."

"You were?" Gasped Cerulean. "How did you get over it?"

"I just had to feel the rythym of my heart. That, and I had a little help from your mother." Said Blu, giving Jewel a loving look.

"Yes, he did." Jewel smiled lovingly back. "Your dad can be a very quick study... given the right incentive."

"Come here, you!" Said Blu, giving Jewel a big kiss.

"Ewwww!" Cringed Azul.

"You guys are sick!" Gagged Sapphire.

"The point is, you can do this, son." Said Blu. "All you have to do is feel it. Feel everything that makes you happy, everyone you love. Feel it all in your heart, and you will fly."

"But what if can't?" Asked Cerulean.

"Then your father and I will catch you." Said Jewel.

"Me first!" Said Azul. Raising his wings, he shook his tail feathers from side to side, and lept off the branch, rising up seconds later. "Ha! Piece of cake!"

Sapphire went next. As she descended, she started flapping her wings, a little wobbly at first, but quickly got the hang of it.

"Okay Cerulean, your turn." Prompted Jewel.

"Do I have to?" Cerulean shivered.

Blu looked into his son's eyes. They were anxious, unsure, just as his used to be.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Blu assured him. "It's your choice."

Cerulean considered putting flying off until another day, but his father's kindness bolstered his confidence.

"I'll do it." Nodded Cerulean, his face set in determination.

"That's my big brave boy." Smiled Blu.

Cerulean stepped over to the edge of the edge, where he could see the ground, many feet below. Pausing to gulp, he jumped. As he fell, he screwed up his eyes and did what his dad told to do: He thought of all the things he loved. His home, passion fruit, his brother and sister, his mother, and, most especially, his father. His heart started beating louder and faster. Instinctively, he opened his wings, and they started flapping. Stopping his descent, he flew back up to the branch, where his family was waiting.

"Did you see that dad?" Cerulean called. "I did it!"

"That's my boy!" Declared Blu proudly, wrapping his wings around his son.

"Way to go, honey!" Cheered Jewel.

"That was great, Cee!" Said Sapphire.

"Eh, not bad." Azul grudgingly admitted.

"Well, now everyone in the family can fly, what do you say we all go for a nice family flight?" Offered Jewel.

"Yeah!" Said Sapphire.

"Alright!" Cheered Azul.

"You up for another flight, son?" Blu asked Cerulean.

"You bet!" Chuckled Cerulean.

"Then let's go!" Declared Jewel.

The family of blue macaws took to the air, soaring through the jungle in perfect formation. They spent most of the rest of the day in the air, the chicks revelling in their new-found abilities. That night, as the family snuggled together in their nest in the hollow of the tree, Blu took a moment to look at the wonderful mate and beautiful children he had acquired, and thought about how lucky he was.

"This is the life." He sighed contentedly, before drifting off to sleep.

The End

(Rio and all associated characters are the property of 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios.)