Hi everyone, I wrote you a short chapter for this story. The next one will be longer.

Jaq and Gus follow the Rescuers and meet Orville.

Good reading.

Chapter 3: Tomorrow Is Another Day

After losing track of Medusa, Jaq, Gus, Bernard and Bianca were at the airport to take a plane to the Devil's Bayou. Hoping to reach their destination before the horrible shrew.

Bernard was running so he wouldn't miss the plane. But Bianca, having more luggage than him, was helped by Jaq and Gus. And it slowed them down.

"H-Hurry up, Miss Bianca! Jaq! Gus!" Bernard panted to his companions. "Medusa could be down at the Devil's Bayou by now."

"Oh, I'm sorry, but a lady does have to pack a few stuff, you know?" exclaimed Bianca.

"Too big a suitcase!" Jaq ran. "Zugk-zugk!"

Together, they did mount the escalator. Once at the top, Jaq insisted on going away from the humans who threatened to crush them. They arrived at a hut with a sign on the roof saying «Albatros Air Service». They climbed the ramp and placed their luggage on a scale. Bernard looked up and read the picture on the wall.

"Flight leaves 6:45." (He turned pale when he saw the clock at 7 a.m.) "Oh dear, we missed the flight!" (Quite upset, he addressed his friends.) "If you hadn't––––"

"It's not our fault that Miss Bianca has a big suitcase!" said Jaq, indignant.

"We-we-we couldn't do it faster!" added Gus.

He had a concert of protests between the three mice.

"Oh, c'mon, gentlemen. C'mon. You concern too much! You know that flights are always late." said Bianca, urging everyone to calm down.

"Albatross Flight 13 to tower! Albatross 13!" resounded a voice by radio communication.

Bianca was delighted.

"Now, what did I warn you? We are lucky, my friends."

"So we-we-we're not late?" asked Jaq.

"Absolutely not."

But Bernard didn't share the enthusiasm of his co-agent. He seemed very scared.

"Luck? Flight 13?"

With determination, he came to take back his suitcase.

"Perhaps we'd better take the train."

He turned to leave, but the voice on the radio stopped him.

"Wake up! Dab-drat it! Somebody respond down there! Get off the dime! Hello? Hello! Is anybody down there?"

"Who-who-who speaks?" asked Gus, intrigued, not knowing the radio.

Bernard hurried up to the desk and lowered the microphone to his level.

"Uh... uh, h-hello?"

"Where have you been, you lazy knucklehead?" cried the voice in the radio.

"Well, we, uh, we just got here, sir. Uh... uh, you see, my co-agent existed on packing her, uh—"

""Look, bud, am I clear to land? Traffic up here is thicker than fleas on a hound dog's-"

All of a sudden, there was a loud hum as what looked like a jet flying at full speed, creating a gust of wind that knocked Bernard down. As the voice spoke, it interrupted several times.

"Wow! Dad-blast, you dirty road hog... road hog! You crazy... look, what is... YOU FOOLISH LUNK-HEADED...!"

Bernard turned the radio volume knob, but the now louder voice hurt his ears even more.

"What did he say, Mr. Bernard?" asked Bianca, who was looking outside the hut.

"W-W- Who speaks?" asked Gus, puzzled.

"I wouldn't dare repeat it." replied Bernard abruptly.

"Well, then give him the permission to land." Bianca gently suggested.

Bernard returned to the microphone and spoke to the pilot onthe radio.

"Uh, uh, Captain, you, uh, you have our permission to land."

"Well, it's about time, bud!" replied the voice.

"Look, look! There he is!" cried Bianca excited looking out the window.

All the mice had their eyes out. They could see an albatross wearing a headscarf and a pilot's cap on his head.

"Is he our means of transport?" wondered Jaq, stunned.

"Zugh-zugh!" added Gus.

"Doesn't he fly beautifully?" said Bianca. (Then she turned to her co-agent.) "And you wanted to take the train, you 'fraidy cat."

"Fraidy cat?" offended Bernard. "I-it was just that, uh... no, I-I love trains. I mean, they serve, uh, Roquefort—"

He gasped in shock at seeing the albatross miss the landing ramp.

"PULL UP, PULL UP!"

The albatross straightened up and landed on the runway with a great strident noise. The mice ran towards him as he adjusted his glasses and dusted himself. It was Orville, the main means of transport for mice.

The big bird cleaned himself by humming an air of «Into the Wild Blue Wonder».

"Are...are-are you hurt, sir?" stammered Bernard approaching him.

"No," assured Orville with confidence. "One of my better landings, bud."

"W-w-w-w-w-w-wonderful landing, s-s-s-ir!" added Gus, rejoicing, shaking his head.

"Oh, sure." replied Bernard, exasperated. (He turned to Bianca and the other two mice, whispering.) "C'mon. We're...we're gonna take the train. Play it safe."

But Orville, who had heard him, was offended, feeling insulted.

"Train? Safe? Huh! Listen here, buster. I'm as fit as a fiddle."

"If y-y-y-ou can take us far, that will be p-p-p-p-perfect," replied Jaq.

"And you look simply wonderful, Captain." marveled Bianca gently.

"Oh, shucks, just call me Orville, little lady." replied the flattered albatross.

"Alright, that's it, uh, it's most reluctant we get to Devil's Bayou." reminded them of Bernard being the only serious mouse.

"A l-l-l-l-little g-g-g-g-g-girl needs us… us… !" added Gus, who was afraid.

But Orville patted both of them casually.

"Well, now, will you just keep your shirt on? Flight 13 hits the wild blue yonder in five moments."

And he began to hum again as he was about to leave.

Soon after, the mice headed for a ramp with «Albatross Airlines» embroidered on the side. Bernard counted the steps of the ramp as he went.

"Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve..."(Then he came back anxious.) "Oh dear! Miss Bianca! Jaq! Gus! There are thirteen steps on this ramp."

"So?" asked Jaq, shrugging his shoulders.

"What's the problem?" added Gus, confused.

But Bianca only laughed at her colleague's superstitious fear.

"Well, why don't you jump the last one?"

Bernard clung to the ramp and jumped the last step on a passenger seat made from an empty sardine box. Bernard folded the cover and Bianca powders her face. Jaq and Gus took place at the sardine box just behind the two Rescuers.

Orville made his announcement before the flight.

"This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard, folks. Fasten your seat belts. No smoking. Just sit back and leave the driving to me."

"Are we really going to f-f-f-fly?" asked Gus, still stunned, not being used to flying.

After tightening his belt, Bernard read a checklist.

"Goggles down?" he asked.

"Check." replied Orville, tightening his glasses.

"Uh, wing flaps down."

"Check." replied the albatross, stirring his wings.

"Tail feathers."

"Double check." replied Orville, stirring the feathers of his tail.

Bernard read the last sentence of the list with apprehension.

"If at first you don't succeed... try... try again."

"AND HERE WE GO!" cried Orville, starting to run.

Orville ran towards the edge of the tower, shivering along the ramp. Meanwhile, Bernard stood at the edge of his seat, visibly as frightened by the plane as by the number 13.

"I sure wish we'd have taken the train." he said, clinging to his seat with anguish.

Even Jaq and Gus were not very reassured. Both clung to their seats, as Orville made his way to the edge of the tower.

"We'll fly away! Not crash!" shouted Jaq.

"Zugh-zugh!" added Gus.

Orville jumped up and down. As he approached the take-off ramp, Bernard closed his eyes and Cinderella's mice screamed in awe as the albatross fell from the edge of the tower. He fell very quickly to the ground while Bianca enjoyed the ride emotionally, her companions reacting to the shock.

"Oh, I just love takeoffs!" she exclaimed ecstatically.

But just as it seemed that Orville was about to crash, he stood up and flew over the cars and trucks in the streets below. To the great relief of Jaq and Gus realizing that there was no more danger.

Bianca couldn't help but comment on Orville's flight.

"Captain, you fly beautifully. It's just like being on a 'roller-coaster'."

Suddenly, a traffic light in front of them turned red, but Orville crossed it. Bernard looked behind him at the traffic that had stopped.

"He just went through a red light."

"Is it b-b-bad?" asked Jaq, shrugging his shoulders.

But Bianca remained indifferent and replied with amusement:

"Oh, I do that all the time, darling. Now, c'mon, Bernard. Stop concerning!"

She gave a kiss to her co-agent who made him forget all him anxieties. And she addressed the two mice in the back.

"Jaq! Gus! Enjoy the flight!"

"Oh yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes… Miss Bianca!" replied Gus, looking around.

Orville flew over New York City and passed the Statue of Liberty.

Come along

Will there be sunshine shinin'?

Will we find a silver linin'?

Come along

Sing a song

When today becomes tomorrow

Will we find joy or sorrow?

Sing a song

Is it wrong

To put all our hopes together

And wish for somethin' better?

Is it wrong?

To be loved

To face the future with another

Who means more than any other

Is to be loved

We'll paint the grey clouds

With pretty rainbow hues

And we'll brush the gloom away

And save it for a rainy day

Rainy day

Oh, today

If troubles cast a shadow

And shadows make the sun afraid to stay

But it's okay

'Cause there'll be sunshine shinin'

And we'll find a silver linin'

Another day

Tomorrow is another day

How I hope you'll always stay.

Orville flew over a coastline with a lighthouse, then a night of heavenly storm with waves breaking against the rocks. Despite heavy rain, the albatross continued to fly while the four mice took shelter under an umbrella.

Finally, the rain stopped and Bernard closed the umbrella, but shook it and put it next to him. Orville flew under a rainbow in front of some flowers. At that time, the sun set and the night covered everything. Jaq and Gus gazed upon the heavens with wonder.

"It will do us something to tell Cinderelly." said Jaq in ecstasy.

He continued to fly, the light of the full moon guiding him. Meanwhile, Bernard consulted a guide to get a better idea of what the Devil's Bayou was. Bianca, however, was half asleep on a pillow, barely listening to her, while Jaq and Gus were deeply asleep.

Noticing that no one was interested in his tourist book, Bernard finally fell asleep. Orville flew on the horizon, hoping to reach their destination.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.

While writing this story, I learned something about Bernard that I didn't know when I was young. Bernard has triskaidekaphobia, the number 13 phobia. So he's very superstitious. I never noticed it before.