(Editor's note: This story is the result of a collabaration between myself and Zacarais. Basically, it's a "What If?" scenario that Zacarais thought up, so, just so you know, Blu will be acting somewhat differently then he usually does.)

Love Hawk

Chapter One: The visitor

In a small town by Mooselake, Minnesota, in the early hours of the day, Linda Gunderson was woken by her pet blue macaw, Tyler Blu Gunderson ("Blu" for short), who roused her by imitating her alarm clock.

"Good morning, Blu." Linda chuckled, tickling his chin.

The two then went through their morning rituals: brushing their teeth/beak, having breakfast, Linda coercing Blu into taking his vitamins, and finally, opening their bookstore, "Blue Macaw Books".

After all that had been done, Linda brought Blu some hot chocolate and marshmallows with cookies. Reaching through his bars, Blu opened the latch and clung to the cage door as it swung open, before jumping off and coming to the hot drink.

"Ah, this the life." He sighed. Linda had pampered and spoiled Blu his entire life, and as a result, he had become cocky, self-assured, and smug.

As he was about to start drinking, he noticed the canadian geese Alice and Chloe sitting on a bench outside.

"Hello, ladies." He crooned. "What brings such lovely birds to my neck of the woods?"

"Just taking a rest, casanova." Replied Alice tiredly. "Flying's hard work."

"I wouldn't know about that." Shrugged Blu. "But it certainly seems to do wonders for those pretty wings of yours."

"Oh, go on!" Gushed Chloe, blushing fiercely.

To say Blu had a way with the ladies was an understatement. He had picked up these skills the day the bookstore had accidentally received a shipment of dating books. Blu had read them all, learning how to woo ladies with just a few words and facial expressions. Before he could charm them further, Alice and Chloe were scared away by a human skidding on the ice and crashing into their bench. Getting up, he spotted Blu, and started conversing in an odd language, calling out "Arara! Arara!" before slipping again and crashing into the window.

Linda opened the door to let the man in.

Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm not really built for this weather." Shivered the man as he entered the store, rubbing his hands together.

"Oh, are you looking for some books?" Linda asked.

"Books? No, no." The man chuckled. "I have come over six thousand miles, looking for him."

The man gestured at Blu, who stopped short of taking a bite out of a cookie in surprise.

The man gave a business card to Linda, reading "Dr. Tulio Monteiro, Doctor of Ornithology."

"Doctor of Ornithology." Linda read out loud.

"Ooh." Gasped Tulio, gazing at Blu. "He's magnificent!"

Tulio started cooing and cawing, flapping his arms like wings.

"Linda, a little help here!" Blu called, deeply disturbed by the doctor's display.

Since Linda didn't speak bird, she didn't realize Blu's distress.

"Wow, you're actually communicating!" She gaped, awestruck.

"Yes, yes!" Nodded Tulio. "I introduced myself and shook my tailfeathers counter-clockwise, thus deferring to his dominance."

"I did not get that at all." Blu grimaced.

"So, Dr. Monteiro..." Linda started.

"Oh, no 'doctor'." Smiled Tulio. "Call me Tulio. Your macaw is a very special bird. In fact, as far as we know, Blu is the last male of his kind.

"Really?" Linda asked.

"Yes." Tulio replied. "And recently, we found a female, and our hope is to bring the two of them together to save the species!"

'A female version of me?' Blu thought. 'I must be dreaming!'

"Oh. Well, yeah, sure." Linda stuttered. "When can she come over?"

"Oh, no, no." Tulio shook his head. "She's in Brazil. Blu must come to Rio de Janeiro!"

Linda burst out laughing.

"Rio? Brazil?" She chuckled, while Blu checked a nearby globe for Brazil's location. "No, nononono. I never let Blu out of my sight. He needs me."

"Oh, no. You misunderstand." Tulio explained. "It's all been arranged. You will be with him every step of the way. And I will be with you."

Linda, idly arranging books, knocked one over in shock.

"Ummm..." She said uncertainly. "Look, I know you're just doing your job, but I can't, we... Blu is very particular, and we have our little routine here, and we're not big on travel. Heck, he doesn't even fly!"

"But of course he can fly." Tulio said confidently as he examined Blu. "He's a perfect specimen."

"Uh, what are you doing?" Linda asked nervously.

"Don't worry, their natural instincts always take over." Tulio reassured her, before tossing Blu into the air.

"No, wait, wait! No!" Linda said, a moment too late.

Blu sailed through the air, flapping his wings madly, before falling flat on the floor.

"Well, almost always..." Tulio said sheepishly.

"Blu!" Cried Linda, reaching for his prone form.

"You call yourself a doctor?" Seethed Blu, yanking his beak out the wooden floorboards. "If my beak's suffered any damage..."

"Are you okay?" Linda asked tenderly, picking Blu up and holding him closely.

"Perhaps he's too domesticated..." Mumbled Tulio.

Angered, Linda set Blu down and marched toward Tulio.

"It was very nice of you to step in, and squawk around, and throw my bird, but now it's time for you to go." Linda said firmly, giving Tulio back his card and pushing him towards the door.

"I'm very sorry." Tulio apologized. "I'm very sorry. But wait, wait, Linda, Linda..."

Linda pushed him through the open door.

"This could be our last chance." He pleaded.

"Have a safe flight." Linda said coldly, before closing the door in Tulio's face.

"Linda, please, listen to me." Tulio begged, face pressed against the door's glass. "If we don't do this, his whole species will be gone!"

Tulio pushed his card through the letterbox.

"Just... think about it?" He offered.

That night, Blu set up a makeshift runway on a bookshelf for a flying attempt.

"'Too domesticated'... What does that so-called doctor know, anyway?" He asked himself. "I'm a perfect specimen of birdhood! I can handle flying, no problem!"

Steeling himself, Blu ran down the runway, wings open. Unfortunately, he lost his nerve at the last second, veering off and becoming tangled in the Christmas tree lights he used as borders.

"That was... just a practice." He said to himself. "Next time, it's for real."

At that point, Linda came down the stairs, alerted by the commotion.

"Blu?" She called, before seeing him all tangled up, an embarrassed look on his face.

The next morning, Linda sat in the door frame of her bedroom, Blu perched on her knee.

"I promised I would always take of you, didn't I?" she said to him. "And have I ever broken a promise?"

Blu looked at her, an inscrutable look on his face.

"I'm scared too, but I wouldn't make you do this if it wasn't the right thing to do." Said Linda, raising her fist. "What do you say, Blu?"

Capitulating, Blu shared one of their special fist bumps in agreement.

"That's my big brave boy." Smiled Linda. "And we'll be back home before we even know it."

'And one lucky lady will be wooed before she even knows it!' Thought Blu smugly.

To Be Continued...

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