PLEASE READ THIS WARNING FIRST! Well, I'm still writing Love in a Cast, but I'm going to let it permeate for a while before continuing, since I've had some...thoughts, and talked to some people that made me rethink some things. Anyways, This will be a very disturbing story for those of you who don't enjoy grief stories, and for those of you who do...you should talk to someone...seriously. JK, anyways, Like everyone says, I don't own Rio, the characters, or pretty much anything, just the story and the basic idea, I guess. Well, this has nothing to do with LiaC, and is really just a "What if..." story, so please, feel free to review as critically as possible, especially about the plot. Any feelings you have, and any guesses or theories you may have, please PM me or leave a review! Thank you...now, grab onto something and make sure you're not the "faint of heart" kind of people, otherwise...well...you'll see.

CHAPTER 1

The day had begun just like any other, and I'm sick and tired of thinking about that. The fact that the sun shone bright just like every other day, keeping the storm at bay…for a while. The way that my feathers were in order and sparkled with their natural beauty. The way that Blu's chest rose and fell, comforting me in my drowsy waking. The way the eggs wobbled and shook every now and again when I shifted my warmth. Life had begun glowing on my darkest of days, the day I was caught and trapped in a cage, and kept getting caught in cages. That had been the day that I'd met Blu, and I had begun feeling….feeling something I'd never felt before. Loved

And now that all disappeared, just as fast as that glow had begun, it diminished and left me in the dark. Everything was pitch black, the pain I should have felt was gone and my entire body shook. The blood I'd lost had numbed my entire body, but at least it kept me from feeling the pain. It was almost done, everything was almost over with, and I wouldn't have to look at my reflection and see myself ever again. I saw it in the water, those light blue eyes, the various blue hues covering that face, the gently-curving beak…and I hated it. I hated that reflection, I hated that bird that had ruined my life, and I planned to rip its insides out and claw its heart. I would do it, even if it killed me.

2 days earlier

I rose to the shining morning sun. The few hours of sleep last night hadn't exactly suited me, but it didn't really matter. When all you have to do in life is sit on a trio of eggs, which is not as comfortable as it would seem, sleep is usually your day job. Still, I wasn't born for this lifestyle, I yearned for excitement, I wanted to feel the wind in my feathers. But the sedentary weeks that lay before me were killing me, one slow and painfully boring day at a time.

Before I could take control of my motor functions, my beak opened wide in a staggering yawn, and my wings stretched out, caressing the gentle head feathers of my mate, my love, the father of my children, Blu. I unintentionally ran my feathers over his beak, and he abruptly sat up, scratching at his beak, still half-asleep.

"Wha-What's going on…Who's…"

I couldn't help but chuckle at his humorous somnolent mumbling as he shifted from his dream to reality. He always somehow managed to get a smile from me. I took a look outside for a brief moment to find that the sun continued rising, making it already pretty late in the morning. It must have been around 9:30, almost ten, and our rambunctious activities late last night had used up most of our calories, causing hunger pangs that morning. My stomach gurgled deeply and I glanced to check if Blu had heard. Fortunately, the strange noise had gone unnoticed by the still-hazy Blu, who just now rubbed his face to try to ease into consciousness.

"Good morning," I said suggestively.

We hadn't had a night like that one since I'd gotten pregnant, and I was surprised by how hot and steamy it had been despite the fact that it wasn't the first time. Somehow the sheer love I felt, both from my heart and his, always made it mean something deeper. Although, there were certain things that had nothing to do with love…lust and passion on the other hand...

Finally realizing that the morning had come and gone, Blu managed to respond in kind.

"Good morning."

He punctuated it with a kiss on my cheek, causing me to blush like a chick. It wasn't embarrassing, but it brought back thoughts of last night. I watched as he stretched his wings to their fullest , an amazing array of pure blue feathers sparkling in the sunlight. I was mesmerized by the spectacle. Just thinking about it I realized those wings, as beautiful and powerful as they were, and he'd just used them to their fullest potential only about a month ago. It was amazing to behold, and I just fell into a daze, until Blu looked into my eyes and we just held each other's gazes.

"So…" he said

"So…"

I didn't really know what to say. There were no words for what I felt, and the best way I could express it, well, I already had. Still, simply looking into his eyes made me feel all tingly inside, and I channeled all my love through my stare, hoping he'd catch the sensation. I knew what I felt for him, and I knew what he felt for me, and it was love.

If we could have, or at least if I could have, I would've remained lost in his eyes, but alas, we all have needs. Biological needs. Blu's stomach rumbled as I got the urge to visit the nearest lavatory facility, and we both smiled, embarrassed of our bodies' uncomfortable timing.

"I'll go get breakfast then. You hungry?"

"Yeah…but first I need to…step outside for a sec."

"alright, I'll just…wait in here then."

I blushed, as I stepped off our eggs, embarrassed by my need to dispose of my natural wastes. It was completely natural, but after a lifetime of living by myself, it was uncomfortable having to do so, especially telling my mate that I had to go.

I stepped back and once I was outside and sure that nobody was around, which some birds didn't bother to do nowadays, alleviated myself. I never enjoyed making my body a public spectacle, and when other birds did, I usually tended to fly away as quickly and politely as possible. Using the restroom was one thing, but there were birds that even made their…intimate acts…a public showing of their lust.

It was a split second, and I returned to the warmth and privacy of my own nest, where Blu was already stretched, ready for his daily flight, and was now accommodating the eggs, whispering quietly as he did so. I couldn't discern just what he was saying, but I knew he was talking to his babies, his children, the result of his requited love, the birds who'd one day carry on our legacy…

It brought tears to my eyes, just the sheer thought of his children, my children…it was too much, and I felt like I'd received something that was just too good. Perhaps I didn't deserve it.

The thought quickly left my mind as soon as Blu looked up at me with a heart-melting smile and blushed. I returned the smile, and I wish I'd had the courage to tell him that there was nothing to blush about, that he was a wonderful father, and that I'd tell our children that story…there are so many things that I regret now, but if I think about it too much I'll…I'll…

Yes, I know, I felt the same way writing it...but guess what? You can't change what's happened in the past, Jewel knows that, and so do you. I'll take any guesses as to what may have happened that made Jewel feel like this (yeah, in case you hadn't noticed, this story is narrated in first person from Jewel's POV).

It's not that I enjoy being evil, or torturing the characters, I'm simply a writer, and I've got a to of ideas to share with you...this is one of them. Hope you either loved it or hated it so far. So, keep reading, you'll be able to enjoy most of the story so far, but again, this is rated M for a very important reason! It's real life...nature's cruel, get used to it...