Rio 1. Home Sweet Home

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter One: Home Sweet Home**

The toco toucan Rafael flew through the jungles of Rio de Janeiro, eager to return home. After his capture at the hands of local smugglers, all Rafael wanted was to see his family once more. Which was ironic, considering he had been brought to the verge of exasparation by them barely a day ago.

Finally, he spotted the welcome sight of the tree containing his family's hollow. The moment he entered, he was swarmed by his seventeen offspring.

"Daddy! Daddy!" The chicks cheered, jumping all over him.

Normally, Rafael would have made a fruitless attempt to calm them down. Instead, he scooped them up in his wings and hugged them tightly.

"Hey, guys!" Rafael chuckled. "Carlos, Manuela, Marco, Sofia,... It's great to see all of you!"

"Is it great to see me, too?" Asked a sarcastic voice from the side.

The voice belonged to Rafael's mate, the keel-billed toucan Eva. The chicks, terrified of their mother's wrath, quickly made themselves scarse.

"I see you didn't exactly 'hurry back', did you?" Eva seethed. "Taking those two birds to see Luiz shouldn't have taken more then an hour, and yet, you were gone all night! You went off to Carnival, didn't you? I should have known! You care more about partying then your family!

In the normal course of things, Rafael would have been cringing before Eva's tirade. Instead, he was smiling. Without saying a word, he sauntered over to his enraged mate, wrapped his wings around her, and kissed her deeply.

"I missed you so much, _meu amor_." Rafael purred.

"I missed you too..." Eva sighed, both soothed and confused at the same time. "But don't you ever do anything like that again!"

"No worries." Rafael hugged her tightly. "I swear, I will never leave your side again, queen of my heart."

"Oh, my pudgy papaya." Eva simpered.

The two lovebirds kissed once more.

"Ewwww!" The chicks chorused.

Rafael chuckled as he and Eva parted.

"Okay, kids." He clapped his wings together. "Who wants to play with daddy?"

The chicks cheered, and swarmed their father once more.

"Why should you get to have all the fun?" Eva asked playfully, joining in on the game.

Rafael had returned to his family, and, true to the old saying, being apart had only increased their love for each other. He had gained a whole new appreciation for his domestic life, one which he would not soon lose. As night fell, the whole family snuggled together, sleeping a contented sleep of bliss and love.

Once known as the "King of Carnival", Rafael was now content where he was. A king couldn't ask for a better castle, or a better family.

**To Be Continued...**

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


	2. Crime Doesn't Pay

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter Two: Crime Doesn't Pay**

Marcel was having a very bad day. He had lost a full load of smuggled birds, his loyal bird-hunting cockatoo Nigel, and his plane. About the only thing he hadn't lost was his idiotic accomplices, Armando and Tipa. He had attempted to ditch them by leaping out of the falling plane with their only parachute, but they leapt after him grabbing onto his legs, pulling down his pants in the process (Thereby also causing Marcel to lose his dignity).

They had finally come down on the Rio coastline. The group were now clambering over a pile of rocks, the latest in a line of obstacles standing before them and civilisation.

"So we lost the birds." Tipa admitted. "And the plane. And Nigel..."

"That's a real shame." Armando said snidely.

"But hey, at least it can't get any worse!" Tipa said brightly.

The smugglers finally reached the top of the ridge, and made their way into the streets of Rio. Suddenly, a number of police cars drove up, surrounding them.

"Do not move!" One of the officer yelled. "Put your hands up!"

Armando slapped Tip on the back of the head.

"So, 'it can't get any worse', huh?" He snarled.

"What seems to be the problem, officer?" Marcel said in his oiliest voice.

"Well, for starters, there's the fact that you and your pals drove an unsactioned parade float through Carnival." The officer said matter-of-factly.

"Just a misunderstanding, officer." Marcel offered.

"And then there's the fact that you stole our birds!" Said a red-haired woman as she clambered out of the police car, one of the blue macaws the smugglers had tried to steal perched on her arm.

"Sh-she has no proof!" Marcel protested.

"Actually, she does." Said a bespectacled man as he too came out of the car, followed by Fernando, the boy Marcel had hired to help steal the blue macaws. "This boy is willing to testify against you."

The police started cuffing the smugglers.

"No!" Armando protested. "I'm too pretty for jail!"

"Can we stop for breakfast on the way?" Tipa asked. "I'm starving!"

"Please tell me we get seperate cells." Marcel begged the lead officer.

"Sorry, we're kind of full at the moment." The officer replied snidely. "You know how it is around Carnival, all those wild parties... Looks like you're gonna have to be roomies."

As the police loaded the smugglers into a car, Marcel could have sworn the blue macaw was waving his wing in a smug gesture of farewell.

"Rock-paper-scissors for the top bunk?" Armando asked Tipa.

"You're on!" Tipa declared.

The two started playing with their cuffed hands behind their backs.

"Idiots..." Marcel groaned.

**To Be Continued...**

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


	3. Hollow Hunting

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter Three: Hollow Hunting**

Blu and Jewel, the sole remaining blue macaws on Earth, flew across the Brazillian rainforest, seeking a hollow to call home. Blu had thought this would be a simple task. Unfortunately, Jewel was being a tad picky.

"How about this one?" Blu offered a likely candidate.

"Too small." Jewel shook her head. "Let's keep looking."

The two took off again, searching through the trees, until Blu found a promising-looking one.

"Here?" He asked hopefully.

"Nah." Jewel replied. "Not high enough."

"No offense Jewel, but do you really have to be so choosy?" Blu asked.

"Yes, actually." Jewel retorted testily. "We're talking about the place where we'll living for the rest of your lives. It needs to be perfect. It has be close to food and water, and high enough for us to fly in and out of without hitting the branches of other trees..."

"Really?" Blu asked. "I wouldn't know about any of that, what with living in a birdcage for most of my life... Did you have a hollow before you were brought to the aviary?" Blu asked.

"I did." Jewel sighed. "But the tree was knocked down by humans. I was in the middle of finding a new one when I was nabbed by your pal Tulio."

"Oh, sorry." Blu apologised.

"Forget about it." Jewel shrugged. "It's all in the past now. We've gotta look to the future. _Our_ future."

Blu got a misty look in his eyes, as he always did when Jewel spoke of he and her together.

"I'm looking." Blu gazed at Jewel. "And I'm liking."

"Smooth, Casanova." Jewel playful pushed Blu aside."Let's save a little of that for later, okay?"

"Anything you say, beautiful." Blu grinned.

The day wore on, and still, not hollow seemed good enough for Jewel. As the setting sun turned the sky a vivid orange, they stopped to rest on the branches of a large tree.

"It'll be getting dark soon." Blu noted.

"That's the least of our worries." Jewel sighed. "See those clouds moving in from the east? They mean we're in for a real shower."

"And me without my umbrella." Blu remarked sarcastically. As he did, he leaned against a patch of ivy. Suddenly, the patch gave way, and Blu fell into the tree.

"Whoa!" Blu cried out.

"Blu!" Jewel yelled, following him inside. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Blu groaned, rubbing his side. "I had no idea this hollow was even there."

Jewel surveyed the new find.

"Blu, you've done it!" She smiled.

"Done what?" Blu asked.

"Found our new hollow." Jewel chuckled. "This is perfect! Nice and high, close to food and water... And big enough to accomodate a family nest."

"F-family, huh?" Blu said nervously.

"Maybe later." Jewel winked at him. "For now, let's just get some rest."

"Can do." Blu sighed. I'm exhausted."

The two lovebirds snuggled together. Before long, the sound of the falling rain came through the opening of the hollow.

"Good thing we're in here, huh?" Blu smiled.

"Sure is." Jewel grinned. "Nice job finding this place, by the way."

"I wouldn't say I 'found' it." Blu shrugged. "It was just luck. I'm one lucky bird."

"Yes, you are." Jewel purred, snuggling closer to Blu.

"I'm not the only one." Blu gazed lovingly at his darling.

The two lovebirds shared a long, loving kiss.

"Goodnight, honey." Jewel whispered.

"Goodnight, my angel." Blu whispered back.

They fell asleep, snuggled together as close as could be. It was good to be home.

**To Be Continued...**

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


	4. Family Life

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter Four: Family Life**

The sun rose over the rainforests of Rio de Janeiro, bringing in the light of a new day. That light poured into the hollow of a large tree, gently awakening Blu and Jewel.

"Morning." Jewel yawned, stretching her wings.

"You know, I must be the luckiest bird in the world." Blu smiled.

"Why's that?" Jewel asked.

"Because I get to wake up to your beautiful face every morning." Blu grinned.

"It's a pretty good view from where I'm standing, too." Jewel chuckled.

The two lovebirds kissed each other deeply.

"Uhh, guys?" Asked a nearby voice.

It was Azul, the eldest of Blu and Jewel's children. He, like his siblings Cerulean and Sapphire, were looking upon their parents with a mixture of nausea and boredom.

"Could you save that for later?" Azul asked. "The first thing we see in the morning really shouldn't be our parents making out."

"Very funny, kiddo." Blu grimaced as he and Jewel parted.

"Really, Azul." Jewel tutted. "I don't know where you get that attitude from."

"It's a mystery, alright." Blu said sarcastically.

After breakfast, the family indulged in some playtime. Blu was lightly tossing and catching Sapphire in his wings, the two saying "Wheee!" in unison.

"I love you, papa." Sapphire whispered, hugging her father.

"I love you too, honey." Blu returned the hug.

"Mama, can I have a hug, too?" Cerulean asked Jewel.

"Of course you can, sweetie." Jewel smiled as she swept her wings over him. "You want a hug too, Azul?"

"No way." Azul shook his head. "I'm a big boy, and big boys don't hug."

"We'll just see about that, mister!" Jewel lunged forward, grabbing Azul before he could escape.

"Aww, moooom!" Azul protested, struggling to break free.

"You're never too old for a hug from mom." Jewel smiled.

Meanwhile, Sapphire climbed on top of Blu's head.

"Look at me, I'm flying!" She cheered, flapping her wings.

"Not just yet, sweetie." Blu grinned. "But you will, soon."

"I bet I'll be the best flyer!" Azul bragged.

"No, I will!" Sapphire boasted.

"What's it like, mama?" Cerulean asked.

"It's amazing." Jewel told him.

"Yeh, it is." Blu smiled. "You'll soon see for yourselves how incredible it is."

"How soon is 'soon'?" Azul asked.

"Soon enough." Blu shrugged.

"But that's not soon enough!" Azul protested.

Blu and Jewel shared a parental smile.

Blu had come a long way in life. It was hard to believe he once believed life in a Minnesota bookstore was the best existence he could hope for. Now he led an entirely different life, living out in the jungle, with a beautiful mate, and loving children. As far as Blu was concerned, life couldn't get any better.

Jewel too, had gained far more then she once had. Before, she had valued her freedom more then anything, priding herself on not relying on anyone, and flying unfettered through the skies. Now, she was a mate, and a mother, but not once did she ever think of herself as being "tied down"; if anything, she felt more free then ever before: Free to love her family, and watch her offspring grow, and she wouldn't have traded that for all the open sky in the world.

As the day ended, and night fell, Blu and Jewel herded their children back into their nest.

"Good night, everyone." Blu whispered, planting a kiss on Sapphire's forehead.

"I'm not tired." Azul insisted.

"Nice try, pal." Jewel kissed Azul's cheek. "Go to sleep."

"Night, mom." Cerulean yawned. "Night, dad."

"Sweet dreams, kids." Blu smiled.

As the chicks fell asleep, Blu and Jewel snuggled together.

"Back in Minnesota, I never dreamed I would end up a family like this." Blu mused.

"Me neither." Jewel agreed. "Feels pretty good, huh?"

"Sure does." Blu sighed. "Guess we're both lucky birds."

"Too true." Jewel smiled, giving Blu a soft kiss. "Good night, love."

"Good night, my angel." Blu whispered.

The happy blue macaw couple joined their offspring in a blissful sleep, content with their lot in life.

**To Be Continued...**

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


	5. I Wanna Party

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter Five: I Wanna Party**

As usual, Rio's local bird samba club was packed, the patrons dancing up a storm. Naturally, Nico and Pedro were holding court.

"That's it, birds!" Nico cheered, swaying his tiny hips to the music.

"Swing those tail feathers!" Pedro whooped, pumping his wings.

As the dancers moved like there was no tomorrow, Blu, Jewel and their children entered, having just flown in from their hollow. Blu and Jewel had decided it was time for the kids to experience the music of their homeland firsthand. Azul and Sapphire looked around in awe, while Cerulean was nestled between his parents, a look of nervousness on his face, for he had never seen so many birds before.

"Well, if it isn't our favorite blue macaw family!" Nico smiled as he and Pedro flew over to them.

"Welcome to the party, kids!" Pedro greeted the chicks.

"This place is awesome, uncle Pedro!" Azul smiled.

"I've never seen so many other birds before!" Sapphire grinned.

"You kids ready to dance?" Nico asked.

"Can we, daddy?" Sapphire asked. "Please.

"Sure thing, sweetie." Blu nodded.

"Just remember to stay where we can see you." Jewel told her offspring.

"Sweet!" Azul cheered.

"Yay!" Sapphire chirped.

"Do I have to dance, too?" Cerulean asked nervously. "In front of all those birds?"

"Not if you don't want to, honey." Jewel reassured him.

"You can stay with us if you want." Blu offered.

"Okay." Cerulean said gratefully.

"Wuss." Azul said under his breath.

"I heard that, little mister." Jewel snapped. "No teasing your brother, remember?"

"Yes, mom." Azul hung his head.

"Come on, let's go!" Sapphire tugged on her brother's wing.

The house band played a new beat. Azul and Sapphire started dancing along. They were doing quite well for their first time. Azul was even receiving admiring looks from chicks his own age.

"Am I awesome, or what?" He bragged.

"This is so great!" Sapphire whooped. "Too bad Cee can't get into it, too..."

Cerulean was staying close by his parents. He had always been terribly nervous around new people. As the music went on, Cerulean suddenly felt his foot tapping to the beat. Without warning, he stepped forward, moving and shaking to the beat, apparantly against his own wishes.

"There he goes." Blu smiled knowingly.

"Just like his father." Jewel tapped Blu with her wing.

Cerulean was like a bird possessed, pulling off all sorts of eleborate moves.

"Well, look at that!" Nico smirked.

"You go, bird!" Pedro called.

Cerulean smiled in response to his uncles' cheers. He was fully aware that half the birds in the club were now watching him, and he didn't care. He was having far too much fun.

"Go, Cee!" Sapphire cheered.

"Showoff." Azul pouted jealously.

As the rythym moved to a climax, Cerulean flew up into the air, then dived down, sliding on his knees as he landed.

The crowd went wild, cheering and whooping. A young scarlet macaw chick actually blew Cerulean a kiss. He lowered his head modestly, rubbing the back of his head with his wing.

"Way to go, pal!" Blu hugged his son.

"You were great, honey." Jewel smiled.

"Thanks." Cerulean smiled.

Another song began.

"You okay dancing solo again?" Blu asked. "Your mother and I love this song."

"I'm fine, dad." Cerulean smiled. "You and mom have fun. I know I will!"

As Cerulean went off to dance some more, Blu and took each others, and performed their classic duet.

All the birds in Rio knew that music was a magical thing, and now the blue macaw chicks had learned firsthand, just as their parents had intended.

**To Be Continued...**

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


	6. Playdate

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter Six: Playdate**

The blue macaw family flew through the jungles of Rio. They were heading for the tree contining the hollow occupied by Rafael's family. Understanding the need for their chicks to socialise with birds their own age, Blu and Jewel had arranged a "playdate" for them with Rafael's children.

As theu neared their destination, Blu and Jewel saw Rafael and his mate Eva perched on one of the tree's branches.

_"Olá, mi amigos."_ Rafael waved.

"Good to see you again." Eva smiled.

"You too." Jewel grinned back.

"So, are the kids ready?" Blu asked.

"Are they ever." Rafael chuckled. "They've really been looking forward to this. We don't know many birds who have chicks of their own to play with."

"Ours, too?" Jewel admitted. "Let's just be sure to keep an eye on them while they're playing."

"It's not like we don't trust your kids not to flatten ours, or anything." Blu lied badly.

"Don't worry." Eva told them. "I've already made it perfectly what will happen if there's any rough housing."

Blu and Jewel sighed, relieved.

"Kids, come on out!" Rafael called.

The toucan kids swarmed out of the hollow.

"Children, these are your new friends," Eva motioned to the blue macaw chicks. "Azul, Cerulean and Sapphire."

"The toucan chicks crowded around their new playmates.

"Hi, I'm Carlos!" Said the oldest.

The other chicks followed suit, introducing themselves in such a flurry that the blue macaws almost didn't get all their names.

"Uh, hi, everyone." Azul replied. "Wanna play?"

"You bet! Jorge replied.

And so they began their playdate. Most of the toucan boys gathered around Azul, and started challenging each other to flying contests and talon wrestling, while the girls gravitated towards Sapphire, indulging in dance moves and feather preening. Cerulean joined in on the flying contest. Being a moderately skilled flyer, he held his own against the toucans, despite their greater age and experience. As the contest ended, Cerulean landed on a tree branch, feeling quite proud of himself.

Suddenly, something splattered on his head, followed by another, similar something.

"Eww!" Cerulean groaned, wiping the goo off his head. His vision restored, he recognised the goo as berry juice.

Looking up, he saw Azul and Carlos chuckling to themselves.

"Hey!" Cerulean exclaimed. "I'm telling!"

"Telling what?" Carlos asked innocently.

"That you threw those berries at me!" Cerulean yelled back.

"Wasn't us." Azul smirked. "The berries came loose after that rough landing of yours."

"Really should work on that." Carlos taunted, before he and Azul flew off.

Grumbling to himself, Cerulean wiped off the rest of the berry juice. He was then joined by Rafael and Eva's youngest, Ramiro.

"Your older brother plays pranks on you too?" He asked.

"Yeah." Cerulean griped. "And he's not even that much older then me. His egg just hatched first!"

"Carlos is the same." Ramiro sighed. "Just once, I wish I could pull a prank on him."

"Maybe you can." Cerulean replied, a devious look on his face. "I've got an idea how to teach both our big brothers a lesson, but I need your help to do it."

"I'm in." Ramiro grinned.

The two chicks huddled together, discussing their plan in hushed whispers.

Soon after, Cerulean approached Azul and Carlos.

"Hey, berry face." Azul teased.

"Ha, ha, very funny." Cerulean retorted. "You two think you're pretty good fliers, don't you?"

"We don't think, we _know_." Carlos puffed his chest out arrogantly.

"In that case, I challenge you both to a race." Cerulean declared. "From here to the highest branch of that tree over there." He pointed to a medium-sized tree nearby. "Are you up for it?"

"For sure!" Carlos smirked.

"Prepare to lose, little brother!" Azul boasted.

The three chicks got into launch position.

"Three, two, one... GO!" Cerulean called out.

The three took off, flying towards there goal. Though their speeds were equal, Cerulean started to purposely slow down, letting his opponants win. Azul landed on the tree branch first.

"Oh, yeah!" Azul whooped. "I am the champion!"

"And I got second place!" Carlos cheered. "What do we win?"

"Some nice berries." Cerulean smirked. "Now, Ramiro!"

Ramiro, who had been hiding in a nearby tree, leapt into action, using the tree's vines to catapult berries at Azul and Carlos. The two were taken by surprise, and ended up splattered with berry juice.

"Oh, yeah!" Cerulean imitated Azul. "Who's the champion now?"

"Little brothers rule!" Ramiro flew over and shared a "high wing" with Cerulean.

"You did all this?" Carlos asked, shaking off soem of the berry juice.

"Yeah, I did." Ramiro folded his wings defiantly.

"It's our way of saying we won't just stand by and take your pranks anymore." Cerulean declared.

The older brothers looked angry. Cerulean and Ramiro back away a little.

"Not bad, little bro." Azul said finally.

"You too, 'Ro." Carlos added. "Didn't know you had it in ya."

"Thanks." Ramiro gushed.

"But you do know we're gonna have to get you back for this." Azul glared.

"Bring it on." Cerulean replied. "We'll just prank you right back."

"How about we call it quits on the pranks for now, huh?" Carlos suggested. "How about another race?"

"You're on!" Ramiro cheered.

"I was holding back last time." Cerulean admitted. "This time, I'll show you how fast I really am!"

"Oh, yeah?" Azul shot back. "Then put your money where your beak is!"

The four chicks flew off on their race, which, incidentally, Cerulean won.

By the end of the day, the exhausted toucan chicks returned to their hollow, while Blu and Jewel prepared to carry their sleepy offspring home.

"Well, that worked out better then I hoped." Blu admitted.

"It sure did." Jewel nuzzled Sapphire.

"We really must do this again sometime." Eva smiled.

"_Adios, amigos_." Rafael smiled.

The blue macaw family flew home. Once there, the chicks quickly fell asleep in their nest, happily dreaming of the fun they had with their new friends, and of what fun they could have in the future.

**To Be Continued...**

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


	7. Looking Back

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter Seven: Looking Back**

Through the dark of night flew a sulfur-crested cockatoo, his white plumage standing out against the twilight. He soared through the cloudy sky, no home, no owner, no friends... utterly alone.

_'My, how things change...'_ The cockatoo thought.

It wasn't too long ago that he had been plucked with a lowly pet store and made into a celebrity: Cocks Nigel Cockatoo, South America's most adored bird, star of the acclaimed _Fly Hard_! For a glorious few years, Nigel had everything: Looks, women, and fame. But all too soon, his perfect world came crashing down around him. Out of the blue, he was unceremoniously replaced by a parakeet named Patricious, and cast out like yesterday's garbage.

For a time, Nigel roamed the country, lost and alone, stopping only to attack any "pretty birds" he came across, for each one served as a reminder of the bird who stole his life, and taking out his anger on them was the only thing that made him feel better. One of his attacks drew the attention of a local poacher named Marcel, who took Nigel under his wing. Nigel relished the opportunity to capture and torment the pretty birds of the world, and once again, life was good for the cockatoo.

Unfortunately, all that changed after he helped pull off the poacher's most ambitious job to date: Capturing the last two blue macaws on Earth. The two were thought to be safely locked up, but they somehow escaped. In the ensuing chase, Nigel endured severe pain and humiliation by crashing into an electrical transformer.

Enraged by his failure, Nigel pursued the targets with a vengeance, even strongarming the help of a bunch of local marmoset thieves. In the end, though, it was he who managed to capture the cerulean birds once more. Then, just as victory seemed certain, they broke out of their cages again. Nigel leapt to stop them, pinning the male by the neck and breaking the female's wing. As he paused to gloat, he failed to spot the fire extinuisher being attached to his leg until it was too late. With a single tug of a plastic ring, the one called "Blu" sent Nigel flying out of the poacher's plane, which then caught up to him, it's propellers slicing off his feathers. Miraculously, Nigel survived, though experienced further humiliation when one of the marmosets took pictures of his featherless state. Even worse, the marmoset had threatened to have the picture copied and plastered all over Rio, showing off his embarassingly bare body for all to see.

Eventually, Nigel's feathers grew back, but it didn't change the fact that he had found himself once again robbed of all that he had known, leaving him alone and directionless for a second time.

_'Perhaps this is a sign.'_ He thought. _'My sins against the pretty birds came down on me in true karmic style. Perhaps I should take this as a cue to change my ways, leave my hate and anger behind, and fly down the airways of righteousness.'_

Nigel considered this thought for a moment.

"Nahh!" He spat.

The sulfur-crested cockatoo flew on, keeping his eyes open for another pretty bird to victimise.

**To Be Continued...**

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


	8. Daily Routine

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter Eight: Daily Routine**

Linda Gunderson-Monteiro was a creature of habit. Even in her new home of Rio de Janeiro, she stuck to a daily routine, a perfect schedule.

At 8:00 a.m., the alarm clock went off. With a grunt, Linda reached over and switched the beeping device off. Then, in perfect unison, she and her husband Tulio retrieved their glasses from the dressers on either side of the bed and donned them. They typically greeted each other with a cheery "Good morning" and a tender kiss.

After dressing and remaking their bed, the couple left the room. While Tulio used the bathroom, Linda entered the room of their adopted son, Fernando, waking him up, then greeting him with a kiss on the cheek. At first, having a son had seemed like such a daunting task, but Linda had quickly fit into the role of mother, and she and Fernando had formed a strong bond, the former orphan adoring both of his new parents.

After using the bathroom in turn, the family went downstairs for breakfast, which usually consisted of toast, cereal and orange juice.

Their repast complete, Tulio would then depart for his job at the Aviary, kissing Linda goodbye beforehand.

What followed was one of the few variants in their daily routine; Fernando would alternate between joining Tulio and helping Linda run the bookstore at the front of their home, _Livreria Blu_. Today, Fernando stayed with Linda, helping her open up the store, and helping any customer with their book-based needs. Fernando greatly enjoyed the work, serving the patrons with a chipper and friendly attitude. Undoubtedly, he preferred such a line of work to his former career of performing odd jobs for less-then-reputable characters.

At noon, Linda and Fernando shared a sandwich lunch in the backyard, enjoying the heat of the South America sun on their faces, before returning to work.

At 4:00 p.m., Linda and Fernando closed up shop. They would then have dinner, Tulio having returned from the Aviary just in time to join them.

Afterwards, they would travel to the Blu Bird Sanctuary and observe the activities of the various bird species therein. If luck was on their side, they would sometimes catch a glimpse of Blu, Jewel, and their chicks. On one such occasion, Linda had the good fortune to have a camera handy. She took a picture of the blue macaw family as they perched on a nearby tree branch. Linda had had the picture in question framed, and it currently adorned her bedside dresser. Every time she looked at that picture, Linda was reminded of all the good times she and Blu had shared together, and how much each of them had grown, each having gained a new family and a new life.

When dusk fell, the family would depart the sanctuary for home. Once there, they would snuggle into the couch together and watch television ("Fly Hard" being the household favorite) and talk about their respective days.

At 9:00 p.m, Fernando was sent up to bed, Linda giving him a goodnight kiss, and Tulio providing a fatherly toussling of the boy's hair.

Linda and Tulio would continue watching television (or reading books if there was nothing good on) until 11:00 pm, where they would ascend for bed themselves.

Changing into their pajamas, they climbed into bed together, sharing a goodnight kiss before turning out the lights, and falling blissfully asleep.

Such was the routine of the family, day in, day out, and none of them would have changed it for the world.

**To Be Continued...**

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


	9. True Blu Love

**Rio Tales**

**Chapter Nine: True Blu Love**

Blu and Jewel lazed together within their hollow home. Rafael and Eva had offered to look after their chicks for the day, leaving the blue macaw couple with some much-needed alone time.

"This is nice." Jewel sighed, nestled in the wings of her Blu.

"Yeah." Blu agreed. "As much as I love the kids, it's good to have a little alone time every once in a while."

"Very good." Jewel grinned.

Embracing Blu tightly, Jewel began nipping him gently around his neck. In short order, her beak pressed down on a particulary sensitive spot.

"Ohhhh." Blu groaned with pleasure. "That's the spot. That is the spot."

In response, Blu began rubbing Jewel's back with his wing.

"Mmm." Jewel sighed.

In time, the two moved slightly apart, so as to stare lovingly into each other's eyes.

"Blu, what are you thinking about?" Jewel asked, noting the dreamy look on her mate's face.

"I was just remembering the day we met." Blu smiled. "How pretty you looked."

"It seems so long ago now." Jewel mused. "It's like things just... snowballed from there, and here we are now, together, with a family."

"Yeah, I never would have thought I'd ever become a father." Blu reminisced. "But now look at me! Boy, I love those kids."

"Me, too." Jewel agreed.

"It'll be a sad day when they leave the nest." Blu sighed. "I'll really miss those little rascals."

"We could always have more." Jewel suggested.

"More?" Blu repeated.

"Yeah, why not?" Jewel chuckled. "After all, the whole reason we were brought together in the first place was to save the species. Stands to reason the species has a better chance the more kids we have."

"Good point." Blu agreed. "And having our first clutch was pretty great."

"You wouldn't be saying that if _you_ were the one who had to force those eggs out of your backside." Jewel replied sardonically.

"Very funny." Blu smirked. "Seriously though, having more kids would be nice."

"You know, you're not the only one who never thought about having kids before we met." Jewel told Blu. "I was too busy being "free" to worry about starting a family. Meeting you changed my life. The way I think, the way I feel, everything."

"Same here." Blu smiled. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, Jewel. I've loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you, and I'm never going to stop."

"Oh, you." Jewel sighed, wrapping her wings around him. "Too bad it wasn't love at first sight for me, huh?"

"That's putting it midly." Blu smirked. "You did stand on my throat, after all."

"Not the best first impression, I know." Jewel grinned guiltily.

"Oh, I don't know." Blu tilted his head, revealing a small indentation in his neck feathers. "I'd say you made a lasting impression."

"My point being." Jewel nuzzled against him. "It may not have been love at first, but it's still love, and it'll last forever, sweet beak."

The two lovebirds kissed deeply.

"Ugh, they're kissing!" Came a disgusted voice from outside the hollow.

It was Azul, who, alongside his siblings, had been returned home by Rafael. The orange light of the setting sun was filtering into the hollow.

"Ooh, sorry, _mi amigos_." Rafael apologised. "Bad timing."

"Daddy!" Cerulean and Sapphire chorused as they charged at Blu.

"Hey, there's my little guys!" Blu lifted them in his wings. "Whoa, maybe not so little. You're getting heavier by the day."

"Or maybe you're just getting older, dad." Azul snarked from within Jewel's embrace.

"You mind your father, mister." Jewel admonished him. "You're never too old for a mom punishment, y'hear?"

"Yes'm." Azul cringed.

"Thanks again for watching them, Rafael." Blu said.

"Anytime." Rafael saluted before taking off.

"Send Eva our love!" Jewel called.

"Did you kids have fun with uncle Raffy and auntie Eva?" Blu asked.

"Sure did!" Sapphire beamed.

"Okay, time for supper, and then bedtime." Jewel declared. "We're having mangos tonight."

"My favorite!" Cerulean grinned.

After supper, the chicks were put to sleep in the nest.

"Good night, my darlings." Jewel whispered, kissing Azul and Cerulean on their foreheads.

"Love you." Blu added as he kissed Sapphire's brow.

The two lovebirds nuzzled together.

"I love you too, my angel." Blu told. "Forever."

"Forever and ever, baby." Jewel grinned.

Eventually, the chicks grew old enough to leave the nest. By then, Blu and Jewel had produced another clutch of eggs, and more still as the years went by. The two lovebirds lived to a grand old age (as bird lifespans go), passing away peacefully in each others' wings. They left behind numerous children, and countless grandchildren. The blue macaw species, whose numbers were once so slim, had been risen to prominence once more, all thanks to two birds and the power of true love.

**The End.**

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


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