Jalin, Elena, and Jalin sat in a file row as their parents scolded at them. Jewel was doing most of the scolding. Blu just acted like her backup.

"Jalin, you should know better," said Jewel with a stern voice.

Jalin simply nodded. He knew Pepito was getting the same lecture from Fides. His mind replayed the events of what happened at the river. He, Blu, and his siblings met Pepito's family at the river. The adults were talking amongst themselves as the kids decided to play. Pepito decided to play a new game today. He called it 'Rescue'. One of the birds had to be captured by a bad guy with a partner. Then a good guy with his partner was supposed to save the bird. The kids saw no harm in playing the game. Everyone selected Leoncio to be the bad guy, which he wanted to do anyways. As usual, he got carried away and tied up Jasmine and pushed her into the rapids. Bath time soon turned into survival mode. Jalin looked at his father.

"Papa, I'm really sorry."

"I know, but Jasmine almost died."

"But it was Leoncio's fault."

Leoncio faced Jalin with an annoyed face.

"My fault?"

Jalin faced his brother.

"Yes. You wanted to be the bad guy."

"It's not my fault I'm a good actor," Leoncio snorted.

"But you're the reason why we're in trouble."

"I am not. Pepito wanted to play the game. And you did too. None of this would've happened if Pepito and you didn't insist on playing the game."

Jalin half-closed his eyes.

"You were the one jumping up and down, wanting to be the bad guy."

"I don't care who's fault it is!" yelled Jewel. "All three of you are in trouble."

"But Mama," said Elena. "I was a good girl. The good girl doesn't get in trouble."

"This one does," said Blu. "What were you all thinking? Leoncio always get carried away when you guys play those kinds of games."

"Not all the time."

"Son, do you want me to make a list?"

Leoncio thought about.

"At least there will be some proof."

Jewel slapped Leoncio's beak.

"Don't talk back to your father!"

Leoncio covered his beak with his wings, and his eyes began to leak.

"But…I was…just an…swering the…question," sobbed Leoncio.

"He was being sarcastic-"

Blu nodded.

"-which he shouldn't be in the first place."

Blu glanced over at Jewel. She felt his eyes and looked back.

"Blu, the kids need to know they're in trouble. Sarcasm doesn't help."

Jewel faced the children again.

"But it helps to get the message across."

Jewel narrowed her eyes and turned back around.

"No, it doesn't! You're just showing the kids this is a joke!"

"Hey, Papa's getting in trouble," commented Leoncio and then he patted the floor next to him with his wing. "Come sit next to me."

Jewel slapped Leoncio's beak again, but he ducked her wing. Elena got the wing and cried. Leoncio faced her and snickered a bit before Blu's wing slapped his beak. Leonico faced his father and cried. Blu waved his wingtip at the kids.

"Okay, let's end this. We need to get back on watching the egg. For your punishment, we will not go to the circus."

The three chicks' eyes widened. The whole reason why they went to take a bath was to get ready for the circus. Today was the last day the circus would be in town. After much convincing, Blu agreed to take them. Jewel was going to stay behind to watch the egg as Blu took the kids to the circus.

"But Papa," complained Elena. "You promised us. You can't break a promise."

"Only if you were good kids."

"But we told you it was Pepito's fault," the three chicks chorused together.

"No, it's all your faults. Pepito decided to bring up the game. Leoncio got carried away. Jalin should've known he would. Elena…um…"

Blu scratched his head. Elena smiled.

"See? It wasn't my fault. I was a good girl. I deserve to go to the circus."

"No, Elena," said Jewel. "You're at fault for not helping Jasmine."

"But that was the whole point of the game. We were going to save her."

"Yes, but you also know how Leoncio gets carried away. You're older than him."

"Only by five seconds," she mumbled.

"Yeah," said Blu. "All of you playing the game should have seen that you were too close to the rapids. Jasmine almost died."

"We know Papa," Jalin simply said.

Blu looked outside. The sun was barely descending from its noon position. He faced Jewel.

"I'm going to get some food and apologize to Fides and Luis."

Jewel nodded.

"Alright."

Blu walked out of the tree den and took to the skies in search for food. The kids watched their father leave. Elena sighed and looked back. Jewel was sitting on an egg. It was the result of the doomsday phenomenon that happened. When the kids saw the egg, Jewel had to explain where they got it without telling them she mated with Blu. Leoncio got in trouble that day because he knocked on it to see if anyone was in it. Elena walked towards the nest and looked at her mother.

"Mama."

"Yes, Elena?"

"I'm really sorry."

"I know you are, but that doesn't change anything. Your friend almost died today. How would you feel if I or your papa was gone?"

Elena sighed.

"I know, Mama."

Elena looked at where she estimated the egg to be at. Jewel's body was covering it. She looked up at her mother again.

"When will it hatch?"

"Soon, but I hope not too soon. I want your papa to be here when it does."

"Will it be a boy or girl?"

"Mmm… I don't know. We'll just see when it hatches."

"I wish it is a boy."

Jewel was surprised by this.

"Meja, don't you want a sister to play with?"

"Yeah, but I'm papa's little princess. If a girl hatches, I won't be the princess anymore."

Jewel smiled.

"There can be two princesses."

"Yeah, but all the stories only have one. Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast…"

"But what about the one about the mermaid?"

"The Little Mermaid?"

Elena thought about it.

"Yeah, but the whole story is about her. Besides, she is the only one that married a prince. That what I'm going to do. I'm going to marry a prince."

Jewel looked at her daughter with worried eyes.

"Honey, you do know that we are the only ones? Your options are quite limited."

"What do you mean?"

Jewel pointed at Jalin and Leoncio. Elena looked at Leoncio. He was picking his beak and admiring what he found. She then looked at Jalin. He found him reading a textbook on mathematics. She faced Jewel with a disgusted face.

"So it's either being made fun of for the rest of my life or being bored to death?"

"Being with a nerd bird isn't so bad, Meja."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know because your papa is a nerd bird."

"I know that, but Mama, Papa is sometimes boring with his brain."

"Not all the time."

Elena half-closed her eyes.

"Mama, you're always the first one to go to sleep when he teaches us something."

"No…I'm not."

"Remember what happened when he talked about the different kinds of rocks and plants?"

"Oh… I was just…tired that day."

"Mama, he talked about it for a week and after that day, you would say you needed to do some errands before he talked about it."

"Listen, Meja. Being life partners with your papa is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I always admitted that I wanted to be free. Just to do things on my own, but your papa was the one that gave me the strength to finish what I started."

"I guess."

Elena looked back and forth between Jalin and Leoncio. She sighed.

"Do I have to pick now?"

"Of course not. You still have a long way to go. Things will change, for better or for worse."

Elena sighed in relief.

"Good. This is why I also want that egg to be a boy. If I like him, I can be with him."

"Yeah, but it will be a fight for you," pointed out Jewel.

"A fight for me?"

"You will be the only girl."

Elena thought about it and smiled.

"That's fine with me."

"You know Leoncio might win."

The smile dropped from Elena's face.

"You know, having a sister would not be that bad."