Chapter Six: Plane Ride

"Attention ladies and gentlemen, we'll be taking off to Minnesota in a few minutes. Thanks for flying South West and we hope you stick with your airline choice in the future."

"Oh, Tulio, I hope the two are okay." Linda said.

"They'll be fine." Tulio said. "Besides, they have those GPS trackers and the alert system on them. Blu sure seemed to understand how to use them." Tulio said, remembering what he taught Blu when he handed them the trackers for the plane trip.

FLASHBACK

"Okay Blu, you push this button if you are in danger." Tulio said. Blu then pushed the button and it sent out a piercing sound wave that humans could hear, but birds couldn't. An alarm went off on Tulio's phone, but Tulio was too busy covering his ears to the awful noise. He reached for his phone and put the tracker right next to it. The sound ceased. "Hey, Blu? Please don't do it again. Now we know it works, so only use it in emergencies." Tulio said.

Blu on the other hand had a better idea. Well, if you aren't polite, I now have a weapon that harms you and doesn't end until you catch me. Hmm. Jewel would love this way too much. Later, Jewel used it nonstop and kept having Tulio chase her around the aviary. Once he caught Jewel, he took off her tracker and said she would get it back before the plane ride. Tulio's ears were ringing.

Jewel was laughing too hard to notice Blu come next to her. "Well, that was, fun!" she said. "I may have to wear that more often. Oh, hi Blu." she said, as she saw his big smile.

"Do you like your little travel buddy?"

"Do I? Boy, it's the best going away present I've ever gotten!"

END OF FLASHBACK

"Hey Blu?"

"Yes Jewel?"

"I'm kinda cold, and also a little uncomfortable in this cage." said Jewel. The cage was big enough for the two of them to stay comfortable, but Jewel hated cages.

"Then come over here. I'll keep you warm." Jewel didn't hesitate. When she arrived into Blu's wings, she felt pure happiness, something she hasn't felt in a long time.

"Blu, thank you."

"Of course, I wouldn't want anything else." Blu said.

"By the way, you still owe me a dance at the samba club." She said as she started to doze off into Blu's warmth. It was an overnight flight, so that Linda and Tulio could start packing as soon as possible. Blu and Jewel didn't know that, of course.

She's so beautiful. Blu thought. "Goodnight Jewel." he said in a soft whisper. He then started to doze off himself and the two lovebirds were together for a short while once again.

A few hours later, Jewel woke to a start. She just experienced her normal nightmare of when she was separated from her family. When she realized she was still in Blu's wings, she calmed down and nudged him awake. "Blu, wake up."

He started to stir. When he opened his eyes, he saw his beautiful Jewel smiling at him. "Well, good morning beautiful." Jewel blushed at his comment.

"Morning. How did you sleep, my Blu bird?"

"Mighty fine with you here. And you?"

"Pretty good, until I had a nightmare." Jewel said as she shivered.

"I'm sorry to hear that. What was it about?" Blu asked in a concerned tone.

"Well, I watched my family flee from the fire that separated us, but this time, I saw their, their," she couldn't finish the sentence. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. Blu hugged her tighter.

"There there, I'm here now." he said, unable to fathom how hard this was. He never knew his family. All he remembered was a song and then a cage, then Linda.

"Blu, never leave, please." Jewel said as she continued to cry into his chest. "Promise?"

"I promise Jewel. Until my dying breath and forever after, I will love you with all my heart." At those words, Jewel felt comforted and stopped crying. She then had a few questions pop into her head.

"Hey Blu?" she asked, looking up to his comforting face.

"Yes Jewel?"

"What ever happened to your family? I mean, besides Linda and being domesticated all of your life so far."

"Oh, well first of all, I don't really remember anything of my family when I was a chick. I remember a song that I danced to one morning, then fell out of the nest while getting myself captured in a cage, then Linda found me. Then it's my boring 15 years of life of reading, learning to write, bullies, and then owning a bookstore for a few years."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Jewel said.

"Well, if it didn't happen, then I would have never met you."

"Aww, Blu," Jewel said as she snuggled closer to his body for warmth, "I love you."

"I love you too." Blu said as he pulled her closer.

"Blu?"

"Yes Jewel?"

"What bullies?"

"I'll tell you later."

"No, I would like to know. If my Bu bird was bullied, those birds are going to pay."

"Whoa, no need to get violent." Blu said, laughing. Jewel joined in for a short while. "Besides, this trip will be the last one where I ever see those two again."

"I guess, but my love, you weren't treated fairly." she said.

"I know, but I have you now and all of that changed."

"Aww, Blu, stop spoiling me with compliments." she said, as she snuggled in closer.

"Well, what can I say? You're the bird I love."

"I love you too." She said.

"Want to read?" Blu asked, since he was no longer tired.

"Yes please." she said.

Blu opened the book. He started to read, and Jewel snuggled closer. Wait, I should teach her how to read. We'll be in a library. Blu stopped.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because you need to learn how to read."

For the next few hours, Blu helped Jewel sound out words.

"Th-Tha-t ni-g-h-t."

"No, the g and the h are silent. N-igh-t."

"And now I know." She said, then continued.

As time passed, she eventually mastered sounding out words (with help from time to time) and started forming sentences. At the end of the few hours, she had read a full chapter without Blu's help. She really enjoyed it. "And Jewel."

"Hmm?" she said while still reading.

"I lived in a bookstore."

"So?"

"So think of all the books you could read."

Jewel just realized what he meant. She was very happy that Blu was thoughtful enough to teach her. "Thank you Blu." She said as she gave him a hug.

"Hey, I'm just happy you're happy."

"Aww." They heard a voice nearby.

"Who's there?" asked Blu.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Joeseph, but mostly, I go by Joe. I'm assuming you are Blu, and you are Jewel." Joe said. Blu and Jewel looked to his direction. He was a hyacinth macaw. His yellow feathers around his eyes and beak made him quite distinguishable in the dark.

"Oh, well, nice to meet you Joe. Do you live in Tiny soda?" Jewel said.

"Tiny what?"

"Minnesota." Blu said. "She is still learning." Jewel gave him a playful glare. Blu just hugged her tighter, and her glare ceased.

"Oh, oh no, I live in Rio, but my friends are in Minnesota. My friend's family is in Minnesota though." He said.

"Well, that's nice." Blu said. "So, do you have a wife, or in a relationship?"

"Oh, yes, yes actually. I recently married the most beautiful macaw in the world. She couldn't come though because she had family to take care of." Joe said.

Blu whispered into Jewel's ear, "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on." Jewel just giggled. "Well, congratulations."

"Thanks." Joe said.

"Maybe we could meet up at a lake or something." Blu said.

"Yeah, maybe. Well, I'm exhausted. I'm going to hit the hay." Joe said as he turned around and fell asleep.

"Well, he seems nice." Jewel said. "Maybe we'll see him again later, like you said."

Blu smiled at her. "Yeah, maybe. I'm kinda tired too. I think I'm going to bed as well."

"Alright cuddles, I'll be in your wings when you wake." she said as she fell into Blu's warmth after Blu laid down.

"Oh, why cuddles?" Blu asked.

"Because you're cuddly. Plus, I like doing this with you. Good night." she said.

"Good night Jewel." Blu whispered. They then fell asleep.

Jewel woke up to the intercom overhead some hours later.

"Attention all passengers, we have arrived in Minnesota. Once again, thanks for flying South West and we hope you choose this airline again. Welcome to The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes."

What? Ten thousand lakes? Jewel thought. That's almost all of the trees in the jungle combined!

Author's Note: Thank you for reading my stories. I enjoy creating them. I also enjoy all of you guys and gals support. Thank you! I will answer a few things before I sign off. Yes, the plane trip from Minnesota to Rio De Janeiro is about twelve hours. Yes, Minnesota is the land of ten thousand lakes, but really eleven thousand eight hundred and forty two lakes. Jewel couldn't fathom the number ten thousand and thought that that was a lot more lakes than trees. That is a lie. There are sixteen thousand species of trees in the Brazilian Jungles alone, which means that there are at least sixteen thousand trees. I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy writing these.