Chapter 14: The Greatest News Ever

Author's Notes

Great news everyone! I figured out how to post the chapters on my phone. (Please don't laugh, I'm sure you all knew how to do that already)

As the rising of the morning sun brought a new day to Rio de Janiero, the darkness of the previous night's storm vanished. The lovely pink skies and hot, dry weather proved to be a good omen that this was going to be a trouble-free day. Though the macaws inside the aviary's artificial jungle could not see the scenic display outside, if they had been able to they would have certainly agreed. Blu and Jewel remained in the position they had been for the last few hours. They were each curled up in each other's wings, Jewel's neck resting under Blu's beak. Even though the scratchy cast Jewel still wore was cutting into Blu's feathers and causing him more than minor irritation, he barely even noticed it. When he opened his eyes that day, he felt like he was in the middle of a wonderful dream. I still can't believe that happened he thought.

Blu released Jewel from his grip, causing her to wake up too. She stretched her wings and rolled her head around to loosen her neck muscles. When her eyes finally formed a clear picture, she saw Blu, her mate. She formed an amused smile as she took in his dark blue body with his wings held behind his back. He was shuffling his talons along the hard floor in his typical awkward manner. Jewel realized she was going to have to be the first to speak. "Well Pet," she said as she moved towards him to stroke his beak, "I really don't think that could have gone any better."

Blu looked into Jewel's light blue eyes. They looked like pools of water from the Caribbean sea, and they drank him in every time he made contact with them. "I don't disagree." he replied. "I'm so glad that you were the one I was able to experience this with for the first time Jewel; I really don't think it would have meant as much as it did if it happened with another bird."

Jewel pulled Blu in for a long kiss. His tongue still tasted like caramel from the dessert they had eaten at their first real date the other night. It was definitely fitting that Blu tasted as sweet as his personality was. When she finally pulled her beak away from his, Jewel said: "Thank you for coming to Brazil, Blu. You've changed my life, given me hope for a better future, and taught me how to love. You make me a better version of myself and I couldn't ask for anything more."

"You do the same Jewel." Blu murmured as he nuzzled his beak against Jewel's. "I love you and I always will."

"I love you too." Jewel whispered. Just as their bodies met for another kiss, Jewel felt pain in her stomach when it touched Blu's body. She pulled away quickly to prevent the sharp wave of pain from continuing to stab her flesh. "Yowch!" she yelped rubbing her belly, "Blu my stomach hurts." Jewel held an alarmed look on her face. "It feels hard too, like there's a big rock in there."

Blu's face paled as his heart began to hammer with fear that his loved one might be in danger. "Oh my God," he said, "I hope it isn't a tumor!"

Now Jewel became even more frightened and her beak began to shake as she spoke: "Wha-wha-what's a tumor?"

"Nothing good that's for sure," Blu stated shaking his head. "We've got to get you to Tulio so he can check you out. We won't know for certain what's the matter until he does."

Jewel nodded her head quickly. She continued to shake from the sudden, stressful turn of events. "Right, right," she agreed. "Let's call him."

The two birds then began squawking at the top of their lungs until Tulio burst in a few minutes later with his hands covering his ears. He was wearing his lab coat and carrying a stethoscope around his neck. His hair was messier than usual; however, as if he had just arrived at the building and hadn't shaken off last night's bedhead yet. "Whoa whoa," he shouted over their ear-piercing screeches, "it's okay. I'm here, what's wrong?" Jewel pointed to her stomach and squawked in a tone that she hoped would convey concern. Luckily for the macaws, Tulio had spent so much time with birds that he immediately picked up on her gesture. "Your stomach is bothering you?" he asked. Blu and Jewel both nodded their heads. Tulio picked up Jewel in one hand and Blu in the other. Careful not to do more damage to Jewel's healing wing, he passed his hand through Jewel's feathery crown in an attempt to calm her down. "Don't worry," he soothed, "I'll take you back to the examination room and we'll see what the problem is." Jewel nodded once again and breathed out a sigh of relief. Now they were getting somewhere. She hoped that they figured out what the issue was fast. Her relationship with Blu was stronger than ever now; the last thing she needed to be was getting sick. Blu took Jewel's good wing in his and smiled reassuringly to let her know that he would be by her side through this too, the same way he had been all along.

#

Blu and Jewel were sitting on the leather bed that was meant for patients in the examination room at the aviary. The area didn't appear to change much since the last time Jewel had been inside it. Some of the tools that had been on the counter before were no longer there, and there appeared to be a coffee stain on the linoleum floor now. Other than that, nothing was different. She turned to Blu who appeared to be trying his best to look calm. Jewel; however, could see right through him and knew he was crippled with anxiety. She placed a wing on his back and pulled him in for a hug. "Blu, don't worry. I'm sure I'll be okay." she said quietly. "You aren't going to lose me.

Tears came to Blu's eyes and he wiped them with one of his wings. "How can you be so sure?" he asked.

Jewel looked right at Blu and spoke as flatly as she could, even though she knew she couldn't be sure: "Because, I promised that I would be with you. I'm not going to let you down now." She nudged him playfully. "Hey, whatever is going on we'll get through it together. We're chained-to-each-other birds right?"

Blu smiled, feeling a little better. "Yeah, always" he said.

The door to the hallway swung open, and Tulio walked in, bent over some papers held together on a clipboard. Blu and Jewel attempted to gauge his facial expression. His forehead was wrinkled with seriousness, but he didn't appear to be upset. The two macaws hoped that this was a good sign. "Well," said Tulio as he continued to look at Jewel's test results, "I'm almost positive that I've figured out what the issue is, but you two are going to have to answer one question first." Blu and Jewel held each other's wing and nodded. "Did you two by any chance become, well, more than friends recently?" he asked. Blu and Jewel smiled shyly and looked down at the seat they were sitting on. It appeared that the jig was up. "A-ha," Tulio said now looking at the macaws, "then it's official. Jewel is pregnant. By my calculations, she is carrying four eggs and they should be ready to come out before midnight."

The two Spix's macaws blanched at the news at first. Slowly; however, elated grins spread across their beaks. Jewel was so thrilled, she grabbed Blu and shook him. "Can you believe it Blu?!" Jewel asked excitedly, "We're going to be parents!"

"Wow," Blu said a little dizzy from Jewel's gesture. He was still in a minor state of shock as well. Kids were a huge responsibility and he hoped that he was ready for that. However, he didn't feel like letting Jewel in on that fear of his. Right now she was in such a great mood. "This is incredible. I'm also happy that you're okay. This is probably the best possible outcome of the situation."

"I know, just think, that hard lump I was feeling was an egg! I'm so happy!" Jewel exclaimed. "Oh man we're going to have to think up names, find a place to live, there's so much to do!"

"Don't worry Jewel," Blu said as much to himself as to her, "even if you lay the eggs quickly, we still have time before they hatch to figure everything out."

Jewel was so over the moon she barely heard a word Blu had just said. It had been a dream of hers ever since she was little to have chicks of her own, and now that dream was going to become a reality. She couldn't wait to take on the task of parenting with Blu. There was no bird she'd rather do it with more. "We'll be the best mother and father Blu, because we already know how to work together as a team. Only this time, we'll be doing it raising kids instead of fighting for our lives!" she said.

Blu smiled now that Jewel had voiced his fears without him having to say anything. It was like she could read his mind and he loved that about her. "You're right Jewel," he said, "we've overcome so much already, how hard can it be?"

"That's the spirit," she said. The two macaws then hugged each other, both looking forward to the day their next journey would begin.

Meanwhile, Tulio who was unable to understand the birds' conversation, observed the two happily. The goal he had set out to accomplish when he first traveled to Minnesota would now be realized. The Spix's macaw species would be saved. It may have taken some time, but Blu and Jewel were now crazy about each other and eager to become parents. I did it, he thought with a huge smile, I really did it. I make a pretty good matchmaker, if I do say so myself.