"Trading one For Three"
Chapter 4
Blu's eyes looked on, through Jewel in disbelief. "What? R- Really?" Jewel smiled, through her tears, nodding. "Yes." Was all she could say. She looked at him joyfully, "You're going to be a daddy," she said, laughing. She didn't know how to act really, though her bright eyes shone through the sun pierced cloud line. Blu didn't know how to react, what to do. A fake smile spread across his face. [Will I… Will I be a good father? No… no I can't…] He looked over to the window, then back to Jewel's beaming face, then smiled and hugged her. Jewel's wings were pinned to her sides from his embrace, and she nuzzled his neck, all she could manage. From behind her, Blu had a worried look on his face. Self-doubt worked its way into his mind, and he began to believe he wouldn't be a worthy father figure. He released her from the embrace and picked off the IV tubes from him, unaware that those very tubes were the only things keeping him conscious and painless.
The two stood in the artificial jungle, next to the ground hollow. Jewel walked in slowly, with hushed doubts working through her mind. [What if Blu doesn't want children? He wouldn't leave me… He wouldn't…] Blu stood in the entrance with much different thoughts; of what he wanted to eat. His stomach grumbled and Jewel turned around, looking at him with mixed emotions, how she felt was coinciding with what she thought. After a pause, Blu said, "I'm gonna get something to eat, okay?"She nodded, but asked, in desperate need of assurance, "Promise you'll be back?" He turned back, nodded and flew away. She looked on as he went, a nagging feeling tugging in the back of her mind.
Blu was flying about through the jungle, getting a feel for what he wanted to eat. He remembered the sweet taste of the papaya, and decided to head off in that direction. On his way there, a twinge jolted up his spine. Blu perched on the papaya tree, back warmed by the mid afternoon sun. He glanced at each fruit, inspecting it carefully when he found one that looked ripe and un-eaten. He smiled, when a large shadow engulfed his own on the tree, and he turned around to greet this bird, to be met with red, demeaning eyes. Blu grew serious, but before he could do anything, Nigel pinned him to the tree, slamming him on his back. A fierce pain shot through his back, but it didn't recede. Nigel then grasped Blu's throat, sliding him up the trunk, "Why you… You're more trouble than you're worth." Blu squirmed, gasping for air with a burning pain enveloping his senses. He tried to flap, but struggled, as did Nigel with his patches of open skin. He began to retreat from the tree, still gripping Blu as he slid into bouts of unconsciousness. The world blurred and twisted, and the next thing he knew, he was slammed against metal bars; opening his eyes just enough to see Nigel with a padlock, grinning evilly as the cage shut. Blu fell on his side, shut out from the world from the burning sensation shrouding his back. He slowly and painfully slid into a deep sleep.
Jewel was feeling her tummy, fondling the two eggs inside. One eye shut, and she looked up to the ceiling with the other, sticking her tongue to the side in concentration. A slow smile worked its way on to her face at the thought of being a mother, imagining Blu with his children. "they'll learn so much from him," she said aloud to herself. All she felt was pride, pride first, then strangely, honor. Honored that he was the one. He could've settled for any bird in the jungle. [He could get any bird in the jungle... But he chose me...] She slumped back, waiting for him to return and began to doze off. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she fought it to the best of her ability, but caved in. She slid into a dream, smiling. Nigel glared at the rows upon rows of metal hallways, and spotted a light blue feather tucked into the folding of the wall. "Hmph!" He grunted, and walked slowly down the vent, talons clinking against the cold metal. He rounded the corner and faced yet another dreaded hallway that went on a ways when a slight whirring kicked on behind him. A breeze gently wafted past his face, and he relaxed a little. He shook himself off and began to walk down the vent, when a harsh wind caught his feathers and he stumbled backwards a step. The whirring had grown to a hushed roar, but he pressed on. Then, he felt the floor sliding beneath his talons and glared at the smooth metal irritated. The wind picked up, and he felt as he was pulled backwards by an unknown force. He turned around, and to his horror came to see an unguarded blade rotating at a blistering speed. "No..." He said softly. He fell on his back, scraping on to the sides as he was being sucked into the industrial Conditioning unit. He tried to hold on to the sides to no avail, until the previous hallway came into sight. He grasped on to the side and finally belted, "Help! Argh!"
Jewel was jolted awake by a metallic scraping, and propped herself up, now fully awake. She smiled and waited in anticipation until she heard his voice. "Help!" Her eyes shot wide, it wasn't his voice... it was his... She poised at the ready, jumping to her feet. "Help me!" His voice trailed off. With a determined look in her eyes, she darted up to the vent. Upon entering, the numerous hallways rattled her mind, though she cautiously advanced. She looked down each and every hall, and was about to turn around when a Blue hue caught her eye. It was one of Blu's feathers. She walked up to it, when the sound of Nigel shouting startled her. She followed the corridor to see his wing gripping for dear life on to the side of the wall. Jewel peeked around the corner and asked cutely, "Hey there." He looked at her in disgust and grunted, "Are you going to help me or not?" She poked her head further out into the hallway, "Oh, I'm not too sure..." She smiled, and Nigel's wing slid a half inch. "Looks a bit uncomfortable hmm?" She cooed, "So what brings you here?" The white mass of feathery fury slid another half inch, only a half inch left. "So my uhh, wing healed... It's nice to fly again. " She looked sweetly at him and said, "Do you know where Blu is?" He growled, "Ugh... Fine! Yes, Yes! Now Help me out!" Jewel glared at him and pulled her head behind the corner. Nigel slipped another half inch.
A.N.: I apologize about the wait, I've had so many problems with my computer or internet that it had become impossible to write. Putting it this way, my computer is in pieces on my desk as I type, outside of the case, but I wanted to try to at least post the last of my series before, worst case scenario, I disappear from Fanfiction. Please leave reviews, it's the support that keeps me writing, and frankly, I haven't had many views or reviews lately, and I do hope that changes. With any luck you enjoyed this latest update in my Rio Fanfic series, and look forward to future chapters. They'll be there, I just can't tell you when...