The trio landed softly in Nico and Pedro's hollow laughing about the subject they had finished talking about. The air between the birds suddenly became tense, or at least between Pedro and Rafael. Nico hopped further into the hollow not noticing the change in mood.

'Well Raffie,' Nico began, 'What is it you need to sort out?'

Pedro lowered his head slightly and slide to the side, pressing himself against the wall of the hollow, disguising it with a cool, chilled pose.

Rafael walked over to Nico saying 'Well it's not necessarily something I have to sort with you, it's more to do with Pedro if I'm honest.' He gestured over to the Cardinal with his left wing still looking at Nico.

Nico looked puzzled and looked from Rafael to Pedro and back questioning 'What over?'

Rafael kept a calm face gesturing to Pedro once more asking him 'Would you like to tell him Pedro?'

Pedro pursed his beak, cleared his throat and put his head down further, trying to find something interesting on the floor to look at as he felt his heart rate increase.

'It looks like Nico is going to know after all.' He thought to himself.

The trio stood in silence for about half a minute before Pedro slowly shook his head. Rafael smiled at the gesture and should have guessed he wouldn't be able to tell his lover that he was about to get spanked; and not in a sexy way.

Nico frowned at Pedro looking back to Rafael for an explanation which was delivered without hesitation.

'Earlier today, after you two had your second fall out, our young Cardinal here lied to me.'

'He lied to you? What about?' Nico asked.

'About why you had left the hollow in such a rush.' Rafael answered quickly.

Nico remember why; he'd let slip he loved Pedro to the very same bird. Nico blushed slightly at the memory, remembering how awkward he felt but at the same time panicked. Rafael saw the bluch on Nico's face and understood that he knew what he was talking about.

'What about it? How did he lie about it?' Nico continued with his questioning.

'He said you left for food, not that you had let slip something that could have saved you both tear earlier, yes I was watching. However pássaro, it's not how he did it, it's the fact that he did it.' Rafael explained.

Nico looked confused towards Rafael and was about to tell him he didn't quite understand when the Toucan spoke,

'It's the fact he lied Nico. I don't support lying in my children; not any of them. Pedro is old enough to know that and to know better than to lie to me about something so small and it's not a habit I'm about to let my filho fly back in too.'

The truth the hit Nico full pelt in the beak, Pedro was going to get spanked for lying. He had to hand it to Rafael, he was persistent with particular things with the fact he was going to pull an almost 15 year old bird across his lap for something he scolded his three year old children for.

Nico could find no other word to say but 'Oh' although it came out as more of a squeak.

The small word made Pedro, who looked like he was trying to be one with the wall, glance up at Nico with sorrow, embarrassment and slight fear in his eyes. Nico knew the fear was not because he was scared of Rafael but of the pain his rear end was going to get; a pain he hadn't felt in a fair while.

It hadn't been years since he'd gotten a good spanking for breaking one of Rafael's big rules in fact it had only been months. Nico's story was the same, he may have been a much smaller bird that Rafael was used to handling in such situations but that didn't mean he couldn't put up a fight.

-Flashback-

'Nicolas Gaspar Lucas! You do not kick people, it is not nice! Come here this instant!' Rafael bellowed across the hollow to a small four year old Canary who was hiding behind the nest.

He knew he shouldn't have lashed out at Rafael but he couldn't help it, it was pure instinct for him to try and get free in any way possible when grabbed; and he did; by kicking, rather hard, Rafael in the beak but the Toucan knew in the back of his mind he couldn't really blame the small yellow bird, it was in instinct after all.

Nico knew he'd made things worse by running away from him after kicking him, but at least he hadn't flown off. To be honest if he'd have flown off he would have got it twice as hard as he was going to get it now.

'Nico come here.' Rafael instructed.

Nico looked around the empty hollow unsure what to do, knowing he should go to his father and get it over with. It wasn't like there were any other birds around to see the happenings and the only two that would know, apart from him and Rafael would be Pedro and Eva.

The other two birds of the hollow had flown out for a while to get some fruit to keep in the den since Pedro had started waking up in the night slightly hungry after not wanting to eat during the day but Nico knew Eva had sensed Rafael wanted privacy for him and the smaller bird.

Eva had wondered how the bird he managed to get himself into the position, being nothing like Pedro when it came to things like this, it was harder to tell what he had done wrong so asking Rafael before she and Pedro left was her only option since he liked to wipe things like this from his memory so not to hold grudges or allow things to influence him.

It turned out that the tiny bird he felt mischievous while out with him and Pedro at a restaurant and poured hot sauce onto his best friends food as a joke without letting Rafael know anything about it. At the time it would have seemed pretty funny but the Canary made the mistake of reading the bottle he was about to steal a few drops from.

The sauce had turned out to be a lot hotter than Nico thought when Pedro's tongue swelled up like a balloon restricting his breathing slightly. It had panicked all three birds and they rushed to Tulio's for help and had Pedro fixed in no time.

Now Nico would have kept his beak shut and allowed the others to think that the food Pedro had was left by a tourist who liked their food real spicy but the guilt Nico felt panging at his insides was going to boil over. That and the strange rash on Nico's leg was going to give him away.

In all fairness the Canary had told Rafael before he noticed the rash so hadn't really hidden anything from him but the joke was dangerous and wasn't the kind of joke you could handle by yourself with more than your victim there. It would just cause sheer panic and it had.

Eva had laughed and shook her head when Rafael told her before whispering 'Don't be too hard on him, it wasn't meant to turn out like it did and he did own up.'

Rafael had nodded understanding that he hadn't lied to him but the danger he had put himself and Pedro in had still happened and if it the young hatchling wasn't taught it was wrong, a very nasty habit could build. He knew from watching his parents dismiss his and his 27 siblings' behaviour every day.

'Nico come here. I won't tell you again.' Rafael called out.

Nico felt his lower beak tremble and his eyes start to fill with one tear trickling out. This was downright embarrassing! He knew it was wrong and he was really, really sorry for it! Hell he hadn't stopped apologising to Pedro from the moment he admitted it was his fault until Pedro vowed that is the bird said sorry for it once more he was going to sit on him.

Nico clutched the rim of the nest and started edging his way towards his father, who was waiting patiently, for his punishment slowly. When he reached Rafael, he was hauled over his lap and had a wing placed on his lower back to stop him from escaping again. Nico whimpered and trembled in position; he didn't like having his tail feathers up; it came with being a Canary.

'I know how sorry you are filho and I know you know it was very wrong but I don't want my children to end up like me or my siblings.' These were the last things Rafael said to Nico before the small bird felt a painful thwack under his tail feathers causing him to yelp.

He suddenly understood why Rafael did what he did. It wasn't because he was mean or enjoyed it, if anything it was evident that Rafael very much disliked this, but it was because he feared for his children so through Nico's pain, crying, squirming, yelping and pleading he appreciated what Rafael did for them.

The procedure was the same, the spanking, explaining why you were being spanked while being spanked, the corner with your wings on your head and then the talk. Just before the talk you would be allowed to put your wings down and Nico's, just like Pedro's slid under his tail feather delicately.

The only difference with spanking Nico was, Rafael really did have to be careful not to really hurt the Canary so after the talk and Nico apologised and hugged Rafael, he would lay back over his lap while Rafael gently rubbed Nico's stinging behind gently to ease the pain a little until he could cope.

-End of Flashback-

'Well Pedro. Come here.' Rafael said.

Pedro's heart stopped as he realised he really was going to get it in front of Nico. Just as he would as a hatchling, he knew he had to go to Rafael to avoid making it worse but he seriously couldn't move.

Nico noticed the sudden extreme tension ripple through Pedro's body and said 'I'll go. I'll go and fill the thimbles up if you like. You know, with fresh water?'

Pedro looked up at Nico smiling in appreciation at Nico's attempt to excuse himself to give their father and his lover privacy for the awkward event but his eyes pleaded with him not to go although neither of them understood why.

He supposed having Nico there would be slightly comforting. Rafael watched the two gaze into each other's eyes and as much as he loved watching his sons happily caught up in each other's sight he had to get this over with.

'Pedro Diego Alvares, come here.'

The duo broke their gaze and looked over at Rafael who, as always, was stood patiently waiting for the bird. Nico quickly looked back to Pedro to see his face contorting in sorrow. He hopped over to him and pulled him into a tight hug whispering 'It'll be ok and I'll be here for you.'

Pedro smiled briefly at Nico before slumping over to Rafael for what was coming. Nico walked to the wall of the hollow and slide down it while Rafael pulled Pedro over his lap having his tail feathers up away from Nico's sight. The duo knew he would never humiliate them.

There were no words spoken before the first smack echoed around the hollow making Pedro grunt in pain. After the first three or four smacks Pedro began to yelp and sniff up trying to stop his tears.

Nico gazed out of the hollow flinching as he heard the thwacks come down on Pedro's rear end. A few moments later he glanced over at the scene in front of him to see a couple of tears drop from Pedro's feathers as a thoughtful Rafael opened his beak and spoke.

'Now why am I doing this Pedro?'

Pedro mumbled the answer quickly and tearfully as the spanking slowed but continued. The mumbling earned him a harder smack.

'Tell me clearly Pedro.' Rafael said.

'You're doing t-this, ow, b-because I-I, oow, l-lied.' Pedro managed to stutter out.

Nico felt sorry for him knowing that the last few smacks were the worst.

'That's right. What did you lie about?' Rafael asked the bird.

'I-I-I lied ab-b-bout, OW, Nico f-flying off, OW papai!' Pedro cried.

'That's right. You know I don't like my children lying.' Rafael spoke gently with a few smacks in between.

'I'm sorry, OW, papai! I'm sorry! I-I-I won't OW d-d-do it again!' Pedro sobbed.

After a few more thwacks, which reduced Pedro to a further blubbering mess and made Nico jump, the spanking stopped and Rafael instructed for him to stand in the far part of the hollow.

Pedro did as he was told, knowing the drill, and put his wings on his head. Nico smiled at his actions and stood up as Rafael approached him.

'Was that really necessary Raffie? It wasn't a big lie.' Nico asked.

Rafael gave him a solemn look which gave him his answer. Rafael had no reason to make Pedro think about the events or what he did too long because Nico was right; it wasn't a huge lie or put anyone in danger, it was just to make sure he didn't kick in a habit.

Rafael looked over at Pedro and called him over to him. Pedro came as called and stood before his father with his head low. Rafael reached out with his wing and pushed Pedro's head up kissing his forehead as a sign for Pedro to put his wings down.

Nico laughed quietly as Pedro's wings shot under his tail feathers, keeping his head low with his eyes still glistening from the tears.

'I'm really sorry Rafael. I don't know why I did it.' Pedro said quietly.

Rafael wrapped his wings around his eldest son hushing him saying 'I know filho, I know. I just don't want you to make a habit of it.'

Nico smiled as he watched Pedro snuggle into Rafael showing his affection to his father. Rafael stroked the Cardinals crest before letting go and walking over to Nico near the entrance to the hollow.

'I best get home to Eva before she kills me for being any later. I'll see you two love birds around.' Rafael called out to the duo smiling gently.

Before he took off for his home, he leaned to Nico and said 'Take care of him tonight, he's going to be sore.'

Nico laughed and nodded as Rafael flew off to his wife. Nico watched him for a few seconds then turned around to face Pedro who sheepishly still had his wings under his tail feathers.

Nico hopped over to him and hugged him gently as Pedro yawned. Nico giggled knowing he would be tired after that.

'Get into bed you. You're tired.' Nico said looking up at him.

Pedro looked down and was about to protest when Nico cut him off, pushing him towards his nest.

'I'll sleep with you tonight.'

Pedro stared at him, registering what Nico had just said then smiled climbing into his nest. Nico grinned at Pedro before also climbing into the nest, settling next to Pedro. The Cardinal hissed in pain when he shifted the wrong way in the nest, making Nico snigger and rub just under Pedro's tail feathers with one wing gently.

Pedro jumped at the sudden, very close, intimate contact wrapping his wings around the Canary causing him to imitate his actions and snuggle into him. Nico looked up again at Pedro and strained his beak up to him.

Pedro noticed the action and leaned down kissing him sweetly stroking under his bottle cap, removing it and placing it at the side of the nest.

When they pulled apart Nico yawned and pulled into Pedro a little more.

'I love you Pedro' Nico breathed.

Pedro smiled and replied naturally 'I love you too Nico, I love you too. A lifetime and I still don't know you.'

Fin.

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OH MY GOSH! I have just finished this fan fiction! I can't believe it! I know it was a very repetitive chapter and rather cliché but that's the way I wanted it.

I will change things about in the sequel when I start writing it (when I'm awake more, its 2am in the morning!) so have no worries.

I do have a plans for the sequel and I can't wait to star writing it but I won't be updating it as quickly as this one because I am finally stating university! I'm pretty nervous!

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I would like to make a point at this moment to say that I do not own any of the characters from Rio, that I have only named three of Rafael's children and named the mini macaws. If you want to use my OC's please ask me before you do it, it's only polite.

If any of you wish to draw or use parts of my story, I give you my permission but please credit me for my story idea and any OC's used. Oh and let me know you're doing it, I'd like to see!

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Thank you so very much to everyone who reviewed, whether it was one chapter or more, you are the reason I wrote the story so fast!

I hope you will follow me through on to the sequel and I hope you enjoyed your epilogue.

For the last time on this story please review and let me know what you thought. I will reply to everyone I can and I will toast marshmallows on your flames haha!

What was your favourite chapter?

I love you all my lovely fanlings

Trixabella Pixximist -x