"Now where was that tree?"

Blu flew around the jungle, searching for breakfast. The morning breeze provided him lift as he flew. The jungle, new to him, was a sight to behold. Blu had never truly understood why Jewel didn't want to leave the jungle. He understood why. Though it was a danger to most, it wasn't any different from the town he and Linda left behind. As long as he could react to a situation, he and Jewel would be fine. He had Flor to thank for that.

It had only been a month since Blu and Jewel left the sanctuary. Blu had led Jewel to the den he and Flor had found and stayed in during that storm. She immediately fell in love with it. She said it would be a perfect place to set the nest, which Blu blushed shortly after she said that. During the recovery for Blu, their relationship grew stronger. Blu had realized after saving Jewel from the eagle that it was silly to think that Jewel would leave his side. Of course, he loved her, but did she show the same love back? His question was answered as Jewel took care of him as he did with her. Why he would think that? He didn't really know reflecting back on it, but thanks to the first encounter with Flor, that was just a drifting memory.

Of course, when they had finished the nest, they shared a night of intimacy. They ended their teen relationship and entered into something more internal. They were now mates for life. When one would hear the expression 'for life', a simpleton would find it weird that something could really exist for a lifetime. But it could happen. For Blu, it did. If he was immortal, he would spend an eternity with Jewel and would never get bored.

Blu smiled as he landed on a branch. He looked towards a hanging branch near him, decorated with some green leaves. It bared a fruit. He smiled.

"Ah, found it. And it's ready too."

He plucked the fruit by clipping the stem of the branch and started to fly back with the mango.

A few things had happened during their close-to-be four weeks in the jungle. Jewel had laid a clutch of three eggs two days after their romantic night. Blu had returned from getting food one day when he saw Jewel's stressful face. She told him it was time, and then she lashed at him for being late. She had wanted Blu to be next to her as she laid the eggs, but she had been waiting for a good thirty minutes. Blu tried to apologize, but he was cut short by Jewel calling him over to comfort her as she laid the eggs. Of course, he remembered it well. He still felt the sting of that slap every time he looked at the eggs.

"It's time Blu," said Jewel, sitting in the nest. Then her expression changed. "Where were you?"

Blu let go of the stem of the mango.

"Getting breakfast," he gulped.

He had endured Jewel's mood swings for the past two days, but this was starting off to be the worst one. For the fourth time in his life, he thanked himself he wasn't human.

"Just get over here," snapped Jewel.

Blu obeyed and quickly waddled to her side. He stood with a questioning face.

"Uh, what do I do?"

Jewel, with her straining face, narrowed her eyes at Blu. He gulped.

"Uh…" started Blu. "I know."

Blu grabbed his mate's wing and panted it.

"There, there. You'll get through this."

Jewel's wing curled around Blu's wing rather tight. Blu's eyes widened as he felt the crushing pain on his wing.

"Jewel…Honey? You're crushing my wing."

"I think one is about to come out."

"Je-Jewel?"

The pain escalated as Blu was slowly brought to his knees.

"Jewel, my-my wing."

"After this, I'm going to take a bath."

"Jewel!"

"What!" Jewel snapped at Blu. "Blu, what are you doing on the floor?"

"Yo-you're crushing m-my w-wing."

Jewel quickly let go of Blu's wing. He got to his feet and faced his mate.

"Does it hurt that much?"

Jewel narrowed her eyes. Blu flinched at the sight of the cold and angry stare. He tapped his wingtips nervously.

"I-I was just asking."

"I need to re-mind myself to sl-slap you after th-this, b-but I think on-one is com-coming."

A few moments later, a white egg appeared. Two more quickly followed in suit. Jewel walked off the nest. Blu was given the chance to marvel at the eggs, his eggs. He faced Jewel, but before he spoke, he was slapped across the face.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Does it hurt that much?" Jewel asked in an annoyed tone.

Blu rubbed his cheek.

"Oh…that. Was it the wrong thing to say?"

"Blu, you don't ask your mate does it hurt when she's laying eggs."

"Oh. I'm sorry. It-it was the first thing I could think of. I've never seen or done this before."

Jewel huffed.

"Well, hopefully on the second round, you don't say that."

Blu gulped, ducking his neck in astonishment.

"Se-second round? But-but-"

"Relax, Blu. Not anytime soon."

Jewel sighed and faced the eggs. She knelt down to observe them closer. A smile crept across her face.

"That's a relief. They all seem okay."

Jewel rose to her feet and wrapped a wing around her mate.

"Oh, Blu, isn't this exciting? We're going to be parents soon."

Blu smiled. He glanced at Jewel and rubbed his cheek against her cheek. Jewel kept her smile.

"Very," Blu whispered loudly.

That all happened about four weeks ago. Other news told of Eva and Rafael having a new daughter, Pedro and Nico starting their own club, and Tulio and Linda officially getting married. Of course, Jewel and Blu couldn't see these things happen when they did. They were preoccupied taking care of the eggs. Jewel would be warming the eggs as Blu went out to look for food or patrolled the area for any threats. Of course, the first three days were a living nightmare since Jewel needed a lot of food to recover from laying the eggs. After that, it was smooth sailing with some thunderstorms once in a while.

Blu landed on the branch of his home. He walked across it and entered the tree den. Jewel was in the corner of the den, but what was strange was that she was off the nest. She was staring at the eggs contently. Blu placed the mango down and walked over to where Jewel stood. Jewel looked back at him as he approached her.

"There you are, Blu," she said happily, "or should I say Papa?"

"Papa? But the eggs…"

Blu's eyes widened.

"Blu, they're hatching. Watch with me."

Blu looked at the eggs and watched the miracle of birth unfold in front of his eyes. He saw that all three were moving slightly. One of the eggs soon cracked. Blu focused on it as something struggled to escape. Blu faced Jewel.

"Should we help them?"

"No. They're strong enough."

Blu looked back at the pierced egg. The eggshell finally broke. Out crawled a chick, that didn't look like a brilliant blue bird. It was almost featherless, with white things that looked like symmetrically misplaced fur.

"Is…is that our chick?"

Jewel nodded.

"But it looks different."

"Don't worry, Blu. It will grow into a blue bird."

"Jewel, how do you know?"

"Motherly instincts."

Blu noticed that the other two eggs had been pierced. Soon, two more chicks appeared. Jewel smiled.

"Aw, Blu. Two boys and one girl."

Blu was going to ask how Jewel knew, but he figured it was just instinct. He smiled.

"Yep. Our new family."

Jewel smiled at his words and rested her head against his shoulder.

"So, what do you think? What should we name them?"

Blu grinned.

"Jewel, I think you know. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them."

"Blu, you still remember?"

"Of course. They gave their lives to protect us. If they didn't, these chicks, and we, wouldn't be here."

Jewel blinked, remembering the sacrifices made so Blu and she could live.

"Yeah, you're right, Blu. And it fits good. Two boys and one girl."

"Yep... Oh, and it's well, Jewel, not good."

Jewel smirked.

"Nothing gets by you when it comes to saying the correct words."

Blu chuckled.

"Yep. A nerd bird can get carried away sometimes."

Jewel sighed in content.

"But I'm glad I'm with one."

Blu smiled and faced the chicks.

"Flor, Xavier, and Joseph. One day, when they're old enough, we need to tell them about them and what they did for us."

"Yeah," said Jewel. "That way, they can learn where their names came from."

"So, Jewel? Are you ready for the next chapter of our lives?"

Jewel looked up at Blu.

"As long as you and the chicks are always there."

Blu smiled and kissed Jewel.

So, today marked a new stage in his life. He went from single nerd to father and mate. If it wasn't for Tulio, he wouldn't have met Jewel. If it weren't for the poachers, their relationship wouldn't have grown. And if it wasn't for Flor and Xavier, they wouldn't have lived to see this day. Up high in the sky, two birds, once bounded to Earth, looked down at Blu's den and smiled in blissfulness as Blu and Jewel celebrated the start of a new life with their chicks.