I realize that The Three caballeros HAVE been to the House of Mouse before, but there's a first time for everything!

I own nothing. Darn it.

"Has he come out yet?" Mickey asked Daisy. The duck was standing watch in front of the dressing room marked "Donald Duck".

She shook her head sadly. "Nothing. I even went it to ask what was wrong. He just sighed. I didn't want to press, so I came out."

Mickey put his chin in a gloved hand. "I wonder what's up."

Lately, Donald had been moping around the House of Mouse and if anyone asked what the matter was, he claimed it was nothing. He'd become more and more depressed recently, often shutting himself in his room.

Mickey furrowed his brow. Slapping a fist into his open palm, he said, "I can't take this misery! I'm going in."

Daisy put a hand on his shoulder. "You're his best friend. Maybe YOU can get it out of him."

Mickey quietly entered the dim room, shutting the door softly behind him. Donald was sitting backwards in a chair, legs splayed on either side, head and arms draped over the back.

"Hey, Donald."

Donald raised his head slowly. It took his brain a moment to register the mouse, then his head dropped onto his arms again. "Hi, Mickey."

Seeing this as an invitation, Mickey came forward, stopping next to his best friend. "What's wrong, pal?"

He sighed. "Noth~"

"Don't give me that!" Mickey interrupted. "You're sad about something. Out with it."

"Aww, phooey..." Donald's voice held no anger (it normally did when he said this), but instead was filled with misery. "I miss them, Mickey."

"Who?" By 'them' it could be anyone. From former partners to accomplices.

"The other two Caballeros..."

"Caballeros?"

But Donald had shut up again, becoming completely silent (surprisingly).

Mickey patted him on the back and left the room.

Daisy was waiting for him like a cat waiting to pounce (and when you're a mouse, that's slightly frightening). Minnie and Goofy were there too.

"Well?" All three asked at once.

Mickey shrugged. "He said something about missing two Caballeros."

Goofy scratched his head. "Cabby-yeros?" He couldn't wrap his clumsy tongue around the Spanish word.

"It means 'gentlemen'." Daisy translated.

"I've heard of them." Minnie spoke up.

"From where?"

"Come with me." She led them to a computer. Typing in "The Three Caballeros" she hit search. It showed a 1944 film. There were three birds on the cover, one of them being Donald.

"Who're the other two?" Daisy asked.

"I remember them." Mickey said. "He was partnered with a parrot named José~"

"And a rooster named Panchito." Minnie added.

"And the movie title was~" Goofy continued.

"THE THREE CABALLEROS!" All four of them shouted.

"If you'll excuse me," Minnie announced, getting up, "I need to make a few phone calls."

Mickey had (finally) succeeded in getting Donald out of his room. They were now sitting alone at the front desk.

"I don't get it," Donald complained. "Why do we hafta sit here?"

Mickey laughed. "Just wait, Donald. You'll find out."

Minnie had called José and Panchito earlier and both had said that they could come right away because they weren't doing anything of importance.

The doors to the House of Mouse swung open and both Mickey and Donald perked up.

In the door stood a green parrot with a boater hat, an umbrella, and a cigar in his beak. A briefcase lay on the floor next to his feet.

"'Alo. José is here. What's cooking?"

Donald's beak dropped open in amazement, then he leaped up, some of his old energy returning. "José!"

"Donal'!" The birds embraced each other. "It's been a long time, my friend."

"It's great to see you, José" Donald quacked.

"How have you been doing?"

"Great! How'd you get here?"

The parrot gestured to Mickey. "His girlfriend called. She said she wanted me to come for a visit." He straightened his bowtie. "Of course, I couldn't say no to a lady."

Donald's grin grew wider. "If she called you, does that mean~"

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-OO!" A screech and gunshots were heard after the banging of a door. Donald and José spun around to see a sombrero wearing rooster standing in the door, two smoking pistols in his hands and a coarse brown sack lying by his feet.

"Me amigos were having a caballero reunion without me?"

"Panchito!" José and Donald cried together, rushing to give their Mexican friend a warm hug.

"Remember these?" Panchito pulled two other sombreros off his own, putting one over Donald's hat and José's hat. "Now we are once again 'The Three Caballeros'."

Tears of happiness ran down all three beaks as the old friends got caught up. Mickey, who was still in the background, sniffed as he blinked back his own tears.

The three birds had stopped talking now, just embracing each other happily.

"We're Three Caballeros," Donald softly started their signature song.

"The Three Caballeros," José continued.

Panchito pulled them together again, finishing the verse. "They say we are birds of a feather!"

"Gee, I really missed you guys," Donald blinked, trying (and failing) to stop the wet flow coming from his blue eyes.

"I missed you too, Donald." Panchito sniffed.

"As did I," José added.

"How long are you staying?" Donald asked.

"A week, I believe." José said, looking at Panchito, who nodded in agreement.

Donald pulled them away, practically dancing with excitement. "Come on! I want you to meet everybody!"

He led them to Mickey first. "This is the head of the House of Mouse himself, Mickey Mouse!"

Mickey waved. "Hiya, fellows. Nice to meet you."

"Hola, Señor Mouse."

"'Alo."

"Just call me Mickey," Insisted the mouse while shaking the birds' hands.

"Whatever you say, Mickey."

Minnie came in behind her boyfriend. "I'm Minnie Mouse. Nice to meet you both."

Both José and Panchito whisked off their hats and bowed deeply to the female rodent. She giggled at their antics.

Donald led them to Daisy next. "This is Daisy."

"I'm Donald's girlfriend." She introduced. Donald rolled his eyes.

Both Latin-American birds laughed. "Donald finally settled down with ONE girl?" Panchito snickered.

"What's so funny?" Daisy asked defensively.

"No offence intended, señorita." The rooster insisted. "When we took him to Mexico, he fell head-over-flippers with every Spanish chica he laid eyes on!" He and José started laughing again. "He was a wolf in duck's clothings!"

Daisy flared at Donald, who grinned sheepishly.

José took over. "He went double loco when he saw the Brazilian girls!" The parrot was leaning heavily on his umbrella, chortling hysterically. Panchito was clutching his stomach, also laughing at the memory.

Donald, in an attempt to shut his friends up, lurched forward and tripped in his own two webbed feet, somersaulting past the two birds and landing on his head.

This even got Daisy to smile. Panchito fell onto his back and gripped the tip of his toes, rocking back and forth, still laughing. José held his head.

"Donal', você é um sujeito muito engraçado! You are very funny fellow!" He guffawed so hard tears ran down his feathery cheeks again.

Donald glared at the two of them, trying very hard to push his annoyance down inside him. His pride was delicate and bruised easily. The three others tried to calm their laughter.

Mickey saw this as the opportune time to interrupt before Donald lost his temper. "Hey Donald, it's almost time for tonight's show."

Donald took a deep breath to lose hold of any anger he still had. Turning to his friends, he explained, "I'm the greeter at the House of Mouse."

"Donal', you have a job here?" José asked. Donald nodded.

Panchito gave the duck a hefty slap on the back, firing off rapid Spanish. Getting his breath back, Donald headed towards the door, saying goodbye to José and Panchito.

The two other birds sat at one of the tables, along with Mushu, Cri-Kee, Timone, and Pumbaa. The two Lion King sidekicks had approached warily at first, nervously eying the pistols at Panchito's sides. They only sat down fully when the rooster promised to put the safety on and keep them under his sombrero (of all places).

Mike the Microphone introduced Mickey and the mouse skid onto stage.

"Hola, folks! We have a really great show tonight, featuring a musical act by Donald and his two pals dating back to 1944! THE THREE CABALLEROS!"

A spotlight fell on José and Panchito and they looked around in surprise. José spotted Donald's grinning face backstage and dragged Panchito to the duck. Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, and Donald were backstage, waiting for them.

"You want US to perform at the House of Mouse?" Panchito asked, beak hanging open in disbelief. The four members of the night club nodded.

The answer made José jump into the air, cheering, and Panchito whip out his guns. Screeching in a way that only a rooster can, Panchito flipped the safety off and shot into the air. Mickey, Minnie, and Daisy recoiled at the explosive sounds, but José and Donald just grinned. They'd gotten used to Panchito's gun-happy attitude YEARS ago.

The crowd had started to chant, "CABALLEROS! CABALLEROS! CABALLEROS!" Donald shoved Panchito and José onstage, hopping on behind them.

"Hola, everyone! I'm Panchito Pistoles!" The rooster greeted.

José took over. "And I am José Carioca!"

They both gestured to Donald. Synchronized, they said, "And you all know Donald Duck!" The white duck took a bow. Then all three birds put their arms around each other's shoulders.

"AND WE'RE THE THREE CABALLEROS!"

Taking a deep breath, they started.

"We're three caballeros

The Three caballeros

They say we are birds of a feather

We're happy amigos

No matter where he goes

The one, two, and three goes

We're always together

We're three happy chappies

With snappy serapes

You'll find us beneath our sombreros

We're brave and we'll stay so

We're bright as a peso

Who says so? We say so!

The three caballeros

Ahhhh!

We have the stars to guide us

Guitars here beside us

To play as we go

We sing and we samba

We shout 'aye caramba!

What means aya caramba?

Oh yes, I don't know

Ahhhh!

Through fair or stormy weather

We stand close together

Like books on the shelf

And pals though we may be

When some Latin baby

Says yes, no, or maybe

Each man is for himself!

Jalisco no te rajes

Me sale del alma

Gritar con color

Abrir todo el pecho

Pa echar este grito

Que linddo es jalisco

Palabra de honor!"

At the end of the song, all three birds bowed, taking off their sombreros. The audience clapped wildly as the caballeros danced off the stage, some of the shorter ones even standing on the tables.

Mickey, Minnie, and Daisy were also clapping. "You looked like you were having fun." Mickey observed.

They didn't answer because they were panting too hard, but they were smiling and silently congratulating each other.

"Caramba, I'm going to like the next week." Panchito wheezed.

Donald, having nothing to do for the rest of the show, walked back to the table and watched the rest of the show with his two best friends.

End

There you go. I realize that the song was a bit wrong, but if I'd put the real word in there, people would take it wrongly.

I LOVE the Three Caballeros!