Jean-Luc's POV or any other character that speaks French is going to be mark as (). Writing the same sentence in two languages is tough
New house New Family
*11 Years Ago*
*Brisbane Airport*
It was a busy day at the airport, a world where the atmosphere differed from the outside. Dogs of all sizes and breeds were sleeping, having breakfast, having dinner, walking, waiting, boarding, and disembarking the planes, and among the sea of dogs sat a family of dark blue Labradors waiting near one of the boarding gates.
The father Labrador was on his phone while his wife and son were watching a children's show on the mother's phone until suddenly, the speaker started ringing with a female voice.
"Flight A-1719 bound for Vancouver is starting to board passengers; please first class passengers, board the plane first."
A handful of dogs got up from their seats and walked to the boarding gate, all under the gaze of a blue Labrador boy who did not look all that happy.
The mother Labrador with blue glasses, notices her son's face and asks in French, "(Are you okay, darling?)."
The Labrador boy looks at his mother and answers,"(Yes, I'm okay)" but he keeps that tone of sadness in his voice.
"(Don't lie to me son, I know you're not okay)" Says the mother Labrador
The boy finally sighs and confesses, "(I don't want to leave Brisbane)."
The Labrador mother smiles and begins to caress her son's head. "(I know Son...but the holidays are over, we have to go back to work and you have to go to school...Our time in Brisbane may be short, but at least we enjoy it as a family, right?)"
"(Yes...I met my friend from camp, and we caught a wild pig together) " said the boy with enthusiasm while wagging his tail slightly
"(That makes this whole trip worth it)" said the Labrador mother, but she finished speaking just in time before the speaker spoke again
"Passengers in the economy class of flight A-1719 bound for Vancouver, please board the plane."
"(Ok, it's our turn)," said the Labrador father as he took his carry-on bags. He is the only family member who knows the country's native language. That's how he manages to understand the instructions at the airport
Following his father, the boy gets up and puts his backpack on his back to follow his parents. The boy asked his mother when the family was already lining up to go through the check-in.
"(Mom…when will we return to Australia) "
"(I don't know son… who knows? The world is a magical place) " the mother answered looking at her son
It was the Labradors' turn to scan the boarding passes. Thanks to the technology present in the place, only a quick scan was needed, and they were ready to board the plane.
"Enjoy your flight," says the Golden retriever who represents the airline
"Thank you," answered the Labrador father and walked with his family through the tunnel toward the plane
When the family was already in the tunnel's center, the boy turned his head back to take a last look at Brisbane and whispered.
"Au revoir Brisbane, au revoir Australia, au revoir Bluey"
*One week later*
*Quebec City, Canada*
Despite its location in the north of the American continent, it was a sunny day countered by a slightly chilly wind in the small and proud city adjacent to the St Lawrence River as its citizens walked the streets like blood in a heart. In an elementary school, a 25-year-old Canadian Eskimo teacher with a white body and a white and brown face walks into her classroom to find, as expected, a classroom full of children chatting as if there were no tomorrow.
The teacher stood in the middle of the blackboard and shouted in French, "(CHILDREN!)"
With a single shout, the children stop talking to pay attention to their teacher. "(Well…Good morning, class)"
"(Good morning teacher Juneau) " the class responded
"(Oh come on class…)" Juneau pretended to complain to her class "(with enthusiasm, with feeling, Good morning class!)
"(Good morning, teacher Juneau) " the class responded with more enthusiasm
"(Well, today we are supposed to do some math exercises but…) " says Juneau with her index finger up "(today we have a very special guest)"
Juneau's class exploded with excitement, not because of the news but because they will not do math exercises so early in the morning.
"(Shhhhh…)" Juneau instructs her class to keep quiet "(She works on this exchange student program with the Quebec Ministry of Education and she…)"
Out of nowhere, a red husky girl interrupted Juneau by raising her hand, and Juneau points to her to give her permission to speak "(What is the Ministry of Education Professor Juneau.)"
"(Oh…)" Juneau puts a hand over her mouth. She wasn't expecting that question "(Good question Jenna…)"
Juneau balances a finger over her mouth thinking of an answer "(...In a few words they are in charge of managing the schools here in Quebec Jenna)"
"(Oh, Ok)" the red husky nods
Having already answered her student's question. Juneau wipes her forehead and whispers to herself in English so that the kids won't understand her "Stop using complicated words, Juneau"
Juneau clears her throat and continues explaining to her students in French. "(As I was saying, she's going to give some presentations at nearby high schools and she needs your help to practice her presentation about exchange students…)"
Out of nowhere, another student raised his hand to speak. It was a black Chihuahua, and as before, Juneau permitted him to speak.
"(What is an exchange student?)" asked the Chihuahua innocently
"(Excellent question Teodoro)" Juneau says amicably
"(But I said I want you to call me "Thatcher")" The Chihuahua protested, causing the class to laugh a little
"(Yes, of course, "Thatcher" I will try not to forget)" Juneau quickly corrected herself while rolling her eyes to clear her throat again and continue talking" (As I was saying… Our special guest can answer that question for you)
"(Boys and Girls, meet…)" says Juneau excitedly with both arms pointing to the door "(Alice Qimmit, or as I like to call her… My little sister)
The class pays attention to the door to see a 23-year-old Eskimo dog poke her head into the classroom.
"(Hello kids)" Alice greets nervously and enters the classroom entirely. Unlike her sister. The brown tones extended past her face, resulting in a 50/50 combination of white and brown on her body
"(Hi Alice)" the kids waved back at Alice
"(Hi sis)" Juneau hugged her sister still in front of the whiteboard
Alice breaks the hug and half whispers in English "You could have done something else, right? Like, make them clap or something."
Juneau laughs lightly and says " Well, first time for everything, right?... look I'm going to set up the projector. Keep them busy in the meantime."
"What?" Alice exclaimed "Isn't that your job?"
"Yes but I'm not ready to set up the projector and deal with six-year-olds at the same time," said Juneau as she headed to her desk that had her laptop on it " Also, someone asked what an "Exchange Student" means so you can start there"
"Ok" Alice nodded and turned her attention with her nerves on edge to the class
Now, it was just Alice with her sister's class. With her nervous face, Alice could see the children present: several Canadian Eskimos and Huskies of different colors and patterns, a Chihuahua, two Dalmatians, a terrier, and a golden retriever. And to her surprise, there was only one dark navy blue Labrador in the class.
After a minute of gathering her courage, Alice came up with an idea to fight her nerves and began to speak to the class in French "(Well guys… as my sister said, I work for this program that coordinates everything related to exchange students and today I am going to explain to you what an "exchange student" is but first…)"
"(...I would like to get to know you a little better because I think this is not going to be my first time here)" Alice explained, causing several "Huh"s in the class
"(And how are you going to do that little sister)" said Juneau still working on the laptop
"(Good question)" said Alice placing her right hand on her chin "(How about you guys tell me what you did on your vacation)
Alice's suggestion bears fruit. The children are surprised, and soon they all speak simultaneously. Causing Alice to put both of her hands on her ears to protect her eardrums
"(SILENCE)" Juneau shouted in French to regain control of the class and looked at Alice, who still had her ears covered and said, "Welcome to my world…"
"(Class!…)" Juneau called the attention of her class "(Let's do it like this, raise your hands like we've always done and Alice is going to choose one and stand up to tell his adventure. Okay class?)
"(Ok teacher Juneau)" the class responded to their teacher
With the situation under control, Alice sees how the entire class raised their hands in the hope of being chosen. But as before, a dark navy blue Labrador caught her eye.
"(You…)" Alice pointed at the Labrador and stood up under the sighs of his disappointed companions"(...What's your name)
"(My name is Jean-Luc)" the Labrador introduces himself
Juneau looked up at Jean-Luc "("Madam" Alice)"
"(Madam Alice)" Jean-Luc quickly corrected himself
"It's not that bad" Alice said under her breath "(Tell us Jean Luc, how was your vacation)"
"(It was amazing, Mrs. Alice)" Jean-Luc began to tell" (I spent a large part of my summer in Brisbane. I went to the beach, visited a giant peanut, and also went camping with my parents, where I built a house of sticks and hunted a wild pig with a blue girl I met)
"(A girl!)" Thatcher exclaimed, looking suddenly at Jean-Luc
"(Blue girl!)" A black and white husky exclaimed and suddenly looked at Jean-Luc who was next to him
"(Wild pig!)" Juneau and Alice exclaimed at the same time with their eyes totally open
The four dogs began to drown Jean-Luc with questions until Juneau noticed how Jean-Luc covered his stomach with his arms, his ears were down, and his tail was holding one of his legs.
"(Alright, that's enough!)" Juneau shouted, making Alice, Thatcher, and the Husky fall silent "(First things first. Did you really hunt a wild pig in Brisbane?)"
"(Well…)" Jean-Luc looked up trying to think of something "(I actually think it was the girl's dad because he's so fat)"
Jean-Luc's comment caused the class to laugh, but Juneau and Alice just sighed in relief.
"(My turn)" The husky exclaimed and stood up while clearing his throat "(You're a liar Jean-Luc)
"(Louis…)" Juneau calls the husky with a reluctant tone
"(What?... Blue dogs don't exist so Jean-Luc's story is false)" Louis defended himself causing several murmurs in the classroom
"(Actually…)" Alice comes to the rescue with her index finger up "(Blue dogs do exist)
"(Oh really?)" Louis reacts confused
"(Yes… I studied with some of them when I was in Melbourne, Australia)" Alice explained to the class "(If I'm not mistaken, that breed is called "Australian Cattle Dog" or simply Blue Heeler)"
"Ohh" the class reacts to Alice's information
"(Also Louis… Jean-Luc is technically blue)" Juneau intervenes, looking at Louis with her eyes half closed while still on her laptop trying to get the projector to work
"(Really…?)" Louis wondered "(I always thought Jean-Luc was purple)"
Louis's comment causes Jean-Luc to look at his own fur that was on his arm and think "(Ah… I'd never thought about it before)" but a piece of information that Alice said caught his attention "(So you went to Australia?)"
Alice just nods with excitement "(Yes!... I spent my first year as an exchange student at Melbourne University… I learned a lot of things there and met a lot of my friends)"
The class sank into a collective "Wow," and Alice realized she had control of the class for the first time.
Her doubts and nerves were gone.
The stage was clear for her.
Even without the projector in her sister's classroom, Alice was ready to rock her presentation.
And with a smile on his face, the Canadian Eskimo begins her presentation "(My time in Melbourne is a classic example of an "exchange student." A high school or college volunteer who goes to other countries to study at their schools and learn about the local culture…) "
Jean-Luc raised his hand to speak, and Alice noticed him" (Yes Jean-Luc?)
"(Can we go to any country we want?)" Jean-Luc asked
"(Ahh not exactly, volunteers have to choose a country with a different native language, this is to encourage the learning of different languages in students)" explained Alice to Jean-Luc
"(But if we learn the native language of the country… can we still go to any country?)" Jean-Luc continues asking
"(Yeah, sure…)" says Alice making Jean-Luc's tail move slightly" (There are several requirements, but the most important ones are learning the language and having good grades)"
"(So if I study really hard, I can go to Australia as a exchange student?)" Jean-Luc asked
Alice nods and says "(Yeah sure, of course… I even met quite a few dogs from here in Australia. There's something about Australians that attracts quite a few people)"
Jean-Luc upon receiving Alice's answer, whispered "(I agree)"
After struggling for a while with the computer, Juneau says to Alice, "(I'm ready here)."
Juneau turns on the projector hanging from the ceiling of the classroom, lights up the whiteboard, and the first page of Alice's presentation appears.
"Hooray!" Alice and the class celebrate with their arms extended.
"You really took your time, didn't you?" Alice jokes to her sister.
"Shut up," said Juneau, annoyed with her sister
With the projector running, Alice turns her attention to her class "(Ready to learn more?)"
The class responds resoundingly with a "QUI". Especially Jean-Luc, who sat down at the same time as Louis
"(Okay, let's go)" Alice continues with her presentation
For the next 30 minutes, Alice explained how it works and also shared her experiences as an exchange student. All this was done under the watchful eye of Jean-Luc. During the presentation, he noticed how some of his classmates were getting distracted or simply not paying much attention to him, but he remained firm with the desire to learn more. And that was something that Alice quickly noticed.
The school bell rang, indicating to the students that it was time for recess, and with no time to waste, Juneau's class left the classroom immediately. Our protagonist was going to be the last one to leave until
"(Hey Jean-Luc)" Alice called the labrador
Not knowing any better, Jean-Luc listens to her and stays in the room to talk to Alice.
With Jean-Luc in front of her, Alice bends down to be at the boy's height and says "(Hey... it may take you a while to understand this but... I'm glad you participated in my presentation)"
"(Yeah, sure )" Jean-Luc says nervously about the situation
Alice laughs inside herself and says "(Hey, you don't need to call me a Ms anymore. It makes me feel old like your teacher)" That makes her and Jean-Luc laugh.
When the two dogs stop laughing. Alice continues"(Jean-Luc…I need you to do yourself a favor)
"(Yes…Alice)"
Alice took a moment to look at the Labrador's face and eyes "(You are a very special kid, you know? And kids like you usually go very far in this life…so please…Don't change)"
Jean-Luc took a moment to think about what Alice told him "(Okay)"
"(Go…your friends are waiting for you)" Alice pointed to the door, indicating that she has finished talking to him
Jean-Luc nods and leaves the classroom, leaving Alice and her sister Juneau alone. The latter approaches from behind her sister and says "I'm not that old" Earning a frown from her.
Jean-Luc leaves the classroom to find Louis and Thatcher waiting for the Labrador.
"(What happened there?)" Louis asked
"(Nothing...)" Jean-Luc answered the Husky, and the three friends begin to walk toward the playground"(...but.)"
"(I have an idea)"
"(A very crazy idea)"
*11 years later*
*Quebec City Airport Terminal*
It was 7 a.m. on another busy day at the airport terminal when 16-year-old Labrador Jean-Luc, his family, and childhood friend Louis walked through the sliding doors. But only Jean-Luc had a backpack and carry-on bag to travel with.
As the group stood in front of the security checkpoint, which served as a barrier between the terminal and the boarding gates, Jean-Luc turned to his family and friend.
"(Well…it's time for me to go)" Jean-Luc said before approaching his mother to hug her.
Jean-Luc's mother accepted the hug and said over his dark blue shoulders with tears falling from her eyes "(No matter what happens, we will always be proud of you sweetheart)"
"(I know Mom)" Jean-Luc says before separating from his mother and going to his father to hug him.
In the middle of the father and son hug. Jean-Luc's dad says over his son's shoulders, "(You remember what we talked about, right?)."
Jean-Luc pulls away and says with a hint of annoyance and with his eyes rolling "(Treat everyone with respect and don't do anything stupid. I know Dad)"
Jean-Luc's dad raised his hands slightly up and said "(I'm just trying to do my duty son. You'll understand that someday)."
Jean-Luc laughed under his breath and finally had to say goodbye to his best friend, 16-year-old Louis. Despite his fur pattern, Louis could be seen with ear muffs from getting up early. The husky already had his arms open, and without thinking twice, Jean-Luc threw himself at Louis, giving him a firm hug.
In the middle of the hug, Louis whispered on Jean-Luc's shoulder, "(Mom raised a guardian...)"
"(...Not a coward)" Jean-Luc finished the sentence that Louis started and separated from him
When Jean-Luc finished saying goodbye to his family and friend. He grabbed his carry-on bag and said "(I'll try to keep you posted on where I am, but keep in mind the time difference)"
"(We already know, Honey, don't worry)" Jean-Luc's mom reassures him
Jean-Luc turned to the security checkpoint and said, "(Quebec, Vancouver, Hawaii, and Brisbane… eh, I've been through worse)," and the lab started walking.
As he was walking, he managed to hear his friend's voice say, "(Go get them, Jean-Luc!)" followed by his father saying, "(Try to bring an Australian home, son)"
His father's sentence caused him to turn around to see his friend laughing and his mother covering her eyes in embarrassment, but Jean-Luc decided to play along with his father.
"(I'll try, Dad)" Jean-Luc says before putting his cap with the Canadian flag printed on it on the side and waving his right hand in farewell
Jean-Luc turns again and stares forward, towards the security checkpoint, towards Australia, towards Brisbane… towards Bluey.
*3 Days Later*
*Brisbane Airport, Australia*
It was 11 pm with the cold of the night entering the Brisbane Airport parking lot. There wasn't much life in the sea of cars, except for a family of 3 Border-Collies and Jean-Luc, who were walking towards the family pickup truck.
"Mackenzie, help Jan-Luc load his bags" instructs Mel, the mother Border Collie. Jean-Luc only rolled his eyes at the mispronounced name, but he was expecting that
"Yes Mom" says Mackenzie, the only boy in the family. When the family was getting near the pickup truck, the adults got into the vehicle as Mackenzie climbed onto the open trunk of the vehicle
Jean-Luc understands what Mackenzie wants to do. He stands on the right side of the pickup and lifts the carry-on bag to the Border Collie.
Mackenzie grabs the bag and asks "Hey, remind me again where you come from?"
Jean-Luc answers in English with a French accent, "Quebec, Canada."
"Really?" Mackenzie answers with a confused grimace "Don't Canadians speak English over there?"
"Yes, but in Quebec, we speak French" Jean-Luc explains as he handles the backpack to Mackenzie
Mackenzie grabs the backpack and asks again, "Let me guess… France had something to do with that." The Border Collie leaves the backpack alongside the suitcase in the open trunk, and leaning on the bodywork, Mackenzie jumps out where Jean-Luc is. When he lands, he meets the Labrador face-to-face, who just nods.
After nodding, Jean-Luc said, "It's a long story."
"Ok let's go" Mackenzie says and opens the passenger door for Jean-Luc, who gets in right away
Already in the vehicle, Jean-Luc takes off his cap and sighs, but Mackenzie interrupts him "You better move to the other window. You'll be able to see the city better"
Following Mackenzie's advice, Jean-Luc moves to the other window, vacating the seat so Mackenzie can get in the truck. This causes Mackenzie to be behind his father, who is going to drive, and Jean-Luc behind Mel, who will be the co-pilot.
Fozzie, the adult Border Collie, starts the car and prepares to leave the parking lot. When they manage to be outside, the family finds themselves on a lonely street covered in darkness. Fozzie looks in the rearview mirror and notices how Jean-Luc has his head back, looking into the darkness of the night while letting his body feel every millimeter of the upholstery that he so lacked on the flights on the way to Brisbane.
"Long trip?" Fozzie asks Jean-Luc.
Jean-Luc notices that the question is from him, so he answers, "Yes… I never thought this would be difficult"
"Well at least you're here Jan-Luke and you're going to rest soon…" Mel joins in the conversation "Besides, I talked to Alice, and she told me she was going to let you rest for a few days"
Mel and Fozzie didn't notice, but Jean-Luc smiled. "That's why I love her so much"
"Yes, me too," Mel agrees with Jean-Luc "Plus, we managed to have some days off starting tomorrow, so what you want to do tomorrow is up to you. Jan Luke".
"(I'm going to get tired of "Jan-Luke" sooner or later)" The Labrador thinks in French with annoyance but looks up to think about what Mel said "(A day of rest sounds good... But you didn't come to rest, right?)"
"I want to go to a place I visited 11 years ago during my childhood..." Says Jean-Luc with a smile "...But besides that, I want to explore Brisbane"
"Well, you're in luck..."Fozzie speaks as he enters the ramp that connects to the highway and points to the horizon. "Welcome to Brisbane"
When Fozzie finished going up the ramp to the highway, Jean-Luc slowly raised his head from his seat and noticed small lights of various colors in the distance that formed lines towards the sky. It didn't take Jean-Luc long to realize that they were skyscrapers.
"Wow" Jean-Luc barely manages to make that sound. As he comes from a small city, he doesn't have many opportunities to see giant skyscrapers, so without thinking twice, Jean-Luc takes out his phone to take a picture of them, but a voice behind him stops him
"Hey…" It was Mackenzie watching how the city center lights managed to amaze the Labrador "... Wait until we are closer. We are going to pass by the center"
"Really?"
Mackenzie just nodded and leaned towards the pilot and copilot seats "Mom, if you want, I can make a list of things to explore in the city"
"Good idea Mackenzie" Mel agrees with his son "How about you also involve your friends too"
"Ehhh…Not yet" Mackenzie encloses his eyes with his cheek at the idea "I want to wait a little before introducing him"
"But Mackenzie, we all know how excited we are to receive him" Fozzie joins in the conversation "It would be unfair to keep Jack-Luc away as if he were a treasure"
"(This was not in the brochure…)" Thinks Jean-Luc in French when hearing another version of his name
"Alice also told me that one of the reasons he's here is to meet new people from other countries" Mel presses Mackenzie "We have to open the horizons to Jan-Luke."
Jean-Luc couldn't help but hear the mess going on, so he decided to intervene. "I know Alice said that, but it doesn't mean I have to follow every word she says. If Mackenzie wants to wait for me to meet his friends, that's fine with me," Jean-Luc finishes speaking before turning his attention to the city.
Mackenzie notices how his mother rolls her eyes at her husband, but he quickly shrugs his shoulders.
"Besides... All my friends go to the same school, so he'll meet them sooner or later," Mackenzie finishes speaking before returning to his seat.
The car sank into silence as it moved towards the city's center, something Jean-Luc anxiously awaited until he felt something next to his seat. Jean-Luc looked at what it was, but it was only Mackenzie who approached his window.
"What?..." Mackenzie notices how Jean-Luc looks at him strangely. "It's very boring to be on the other side of the car."
"Yeah..." Jean-Luc looked out the window again to the buildings that were approaching. "We don't have something like this in Quebec."
"Really?" Mackenzie asks
"Yes" Jean-Luc looks back at Mackenzie "It's a very small and old city, with its bridge and a stone fortress"
"A stone fortress?" Mackenzie asks incredulously
Jean-Luc nods his head. "Do you remember the French?...they built it when they founded the city."
"Wow," Mackenzie reacts amazed by the fact "That has to be very cool to see"
"Yes, but you get bored after seeing it so many times" Jean-Luc says before looking out the window again. "It was time to see something different"
"You mean the city?" Mackenzie asks. "Yeah, I get it…it's a really nice city, Luke" Mackenzie says, causing Jean-Luc to turn his head toward him
Jean-Luc looks at Mackenzie with half-closed eyes until Mackenzie says, "Give me a break…your name isn't easy to pronounce."
Jean-Luc replaces his half-closed eyes with a warm smile "Don't worry Mackenzie, I can live as "Luke" for now"
Mackenzie smiles back at Jean-Luc "You know what…just call me Mack"
"Mack…" Jean-Luc moves his eyes up to think about it. "Yeah, I think I can get used to it."
"Yeah, my best friends call me Mack" Mackenzie starts to explain. "It's easier to say than Mackenzie."
"I've only been in Brisbane for 2 hours and am already best friends with someone" Jean-Luc asks in astonishment, while only Mackenzie shrugs and nods. "That was fast."
"Yeah, hey look" Mackenzie points out the window
Jean-Luc does as he says and looks out to see the skyscrapers that makeup downtown Brisbane. "Wow!" Jean-Luc reacts and takes the opportunity to start taking photos of the large size of the skyscrapers.
Fozzie looks at Jean-Luc and Mackenzie through the rearview mirror and with his fingers on the steering wheel, activates the flashing light to turn left and exit the highway. Mel hears the flashing lights and asks her husband "What are you doing?"
Fozzie answers, "We're going to take the scenic route home"
Upon hearing this, Jean-Luc and Mackenzie look into each other's eyes and the border collie says "Oh, now you're going to get to know Brisbane Luke"
Mackenzie comes back to snuggle up to his side and Fozzie pulls off the highway heading towards the city center
As they got closer and closer to the center, Jean-Luc could see the buildings getting bigger and Brisbane's nightlife getting more and more noticeable until they finally reached the foot of some of the skyscrapers
Jean-Luc was stunned to see the scene he was witnessing. Brisbane's nightlife was at its best. On the streets, there were still groups of dogs that Jean-Luc didn't usually see much in his homeland going from bar to bar, the occasional drummer showing off their skills and electronic music coming out of the nightclubs at full blast. This caused Jean-Luc's tail to start wagging with the emotions that were running through his head. He could hardly believe what he was experiencing in his mind. 11 years of hard work were paying off and he had every desire to make the most of it, and Jean-Luc had an idea of how to do it
"Hey Madam Mel, Monsieur Fozzie!" Jean-Luc calls the Border-Collie parents "Can I roll down the window? "
Mel looked at Jean-Luc and nodded several times, but Fozzie just showed his thumb up
With the green light, Jean-Luc rolls down the window, and like the good dog that he is, he sticks his head…or half his body out the window to feel the wind from the southern hemisphere pass through his fur. This brings out the feelings inside him that were hidden when he was six years old. Jean-Luc had no time to think that what he was doing was illegal, but he didn't care, especially if he had accumulated more than 24 hours on a plane to get here.
Jean-Luc hears a group of young adults shouting "Heyyyy" out of nowhere with their beers up. The Labrador just repeats the gesture but pumps his fists in the air like an athlete who has just won a championship.
As Fozzie drives past the group of adults, Jean-Luc looks across the truck and is surprised to see the teenage Border-Collie imitating the position he was doing. Mackenzie notices Jean-Luc's gaze and shouts over the roof of the truck "WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BRISBANE LUKE."
Jean-Luc's big smile forms when he sees what Mackenzie did. "I'M LOVING IT"
With his head still out, tail wagging at full speed and emotions running at a thousand miles an hour. Jean-Luc couldn't help it much longer. He raises his head to the sky and shouts in French "JE SUIS DE RETOUR BRISBANE! (I'm back Brisbane) WOOOOOHOOOOOO"
Mackenzie laughs amiably at Jean-Luc, then looks ahead and points. "LOOK, LUKE" Jean-Luc looks where Mackenzie is pointing, and his mouth drops in amazement at what is in front of him
The Border-Collie's truck was about to pass through the Story Bridge, an Australian engineering feat and Brisbane tourist site. The bridge's lights were lit up in a purple color. Jean-Luc looks around with his mouth open in amazement, he looks at the purple-lit bridge pillars, the Brisbane River reflecting the bridge lights, and finally, another clear view of the city's skyscrapers
Jean-Luc takes the opportunity to take a photo of the skyscrapers and the river but turns his head when he hears Mackenzie say, "HEY"
The Labrador turns and sees Mackenzie spread his arms out and yells, "WELCOME TO BRISBANE LUKE."
However, Mel decides to cut the scene of the boys. "HEY, GET YOUR HEADS IN THE CAR BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE POLICE SO LATE"
The boys listened and got back into the compartment. Once inside, Fozzie crosses the bridge completely. He finally changes direction and sets his course toward his home…and Jean-Luc's new home as well.
*Border-Collie House*
It was 12 midnight and the Border-Collie family finally arrived at their home. A modern two-story white and gray house. A significant upgrade from their old and first home that was across the street
As Fozzie finishes parking the pickup truck in front of the garage, Mel says "Mackenzie, could you please unload Jan-Luke's Luggage? Honey, you help him too."
"Ok," the two Border Collies respond
As the two canines were preparing to unload the Labrador's backpack and suitcase, Mel and Jean-Luc arrive at the front door
"Well Jan-Luke" Mel says, placing the key in the lock and opening the door. "Welcome to your new home."
"Oh," Jean-Luc enters first and sees the humble decor of the living room and the kitchen. The living room has its brown sofa in front of a shelf with a 60-inch television on top and several pieces of art of New Zealand origin. The kitchen had a fridge, oven, microwave, and cabinets colored white and brown. Next to the kitchen, there was a table with four wooden chairs, and not far away was a staircase that led to the upper floor
"Come with me" Mel says, starting to climb the stairs with Jean-Luc behind her
"This is the bathroom," Mel says, pointing to a door on the left side and then pointing to another room on her right. "And this is the room where Fozzie and I rest"
The two canines reach the end of the hallway where there are two other rooms, one closed on the right and another with the door open on the left. "The room on the right is Mackenzie's, and yours is this one" Mel says, pointing to the room with the door open.
Jean-Luc pokes his head into his room and is amazed at what he sees. inside the four white walls of the room, there was a large white bed, a window overlooking the street, a 40-inch television on the wall, a wooden table with a flashlight to do homework and a small room that also functioned as a closet. but there were also Mackenzie and Fozzie, who finished bringing Jean-Luc's luggage
The two Border-Collies noticed Jean-Luc's presence and understood that it was time to leave the room, Fozzie leaves without problems but Mel stops Mackenzie
"Son, take this" Mel says giving a sign with a rope attached to the ends to Mackenzie
The sign that Mel gave Mackenzie had a green background with the words "AVAILABLE" and the other side of the sign had a red background with the words "NOT AVAILABLE"
"If Jan-Luke has a problem or a doubt, he can consult with us as long as the sign is green" Mel explains to Jean-Luc and Mackenzie about how the sign is going to work. "This is one of the many rules that we are going to talk about tomorrow."
"I agree," Mackenzie says with tiredness visible on his face. "I'm going to my room
Mackenzie was about to leave Jean-Luc's room but stopped in the door frame to look back and ask" How do you say "good night" in French
"bonne nuit" Jean-Luc answers
"Bon nuit" Luke, good night Mom" Mackenzie says goodbye before returning to his room but not before placing the sign on the handle with the green background "AVAILABLE" pointing outwards
With Mackenzie and Fozzie in their rooms. Mel yawns and says "Well I have to go, "Bon-in" Jan-Luke"
Jean-Luc rolls his eyes with a smile and says "Bonne nuit, madame Mel"
Mel leaves Jean-Luc's room and goes to close the door but stops before closing it completely. "Hey, I know you've heard it many times…but it's worth repeating again…Welcome to Brisbane Jan-Luke"
Jean-Luc responds with a warm smile before saying, "Merci (thank you)"
Mel closes the door leaving Jean-Luc alone with his thoughts.
The Labrador places his hands on his hips and begins to slowly turn around, looking at the room that the Border Collie family had prepared for him
"tu l'as fait (You made it)... tu l'as fait…tu l'as fait" The Labrador repeats to himself
"TU L'AS FAIT" Jean-Luc throws himself onto his bed and begins to move his arms as if he were making snow angels "Ha Ha Ha Ha
After laughing like the Joker. Jean-Luc sighs and stares at the white ceiling "bois-le, mec" (Drink it, man)
With every second he spends in his bed, the Labrador's eyes were getting heavier and heavier until a reminder flashed through his mind.
"(My family!)" Jean-Luc snaps his eyes open and pulls out his phone to go to the group he created with his family and friends
Jean-Luc starts sending some pictures he took in the city center along with a message that says
Jean-Luc: Je suis arrivé à la maison. (I arrived home)
It didn't take long for the Canadian family to reply to Jean-Luc. The Labrador's mother sent a message saying, "Have fun in Brisbane," with Australian flag emojis. Jean-Luc's father just sent some confetti gifs, and his friend Louis just wrote, "Don't have so much fun over there; we still need you here in one piece."
Seeing the messages from his family and friend, Jean-Luc smiled and replied
Jean-Luc: Je veux te parler, mais je dois me reposer. Demain est une très longue journée (I want to talk to all of you, but I have to rest. Tomorrow is a very long day)
After sending the message. Jean-Luc places his phone on the floor next to the bed and, using all the strength he has left, he reaches for the light switch to have the darkness he needs to sleep.
Finally, Jean-Luc puts the heavy blanket on top of himself, arranges his pillows and thinks before closing his eyes
"(Now that I'm here…I'm going to find Bluey)"
References:
A-1719 is a reference to the date the episode Camp in Australia premiered: April 17, 2019
"Qimmit" is dog in "Inuit" so I thought it was a good idea to have that be Juneau and Alicia's last name
The character "Jenna" in Juneau's class is a reference to "Jenna" from the movie Balto, but since she's only going to appear in this episode it doesn't matter much
Juneau and Louis' "Jean-Luc is technically blue" dialogue is a way for me to get even with myself. When I uploaded the first episode and saw a picture of Jean-Luc, I immediately thought "WAIT HE'S NOT PURPLE" and literally a minute later I thought "Oh well...this is fic material." So you can take this as a lesson if you want to start writing on your own
And that's going to be a running joke in the fic so... deal with it lol