#jose carioca/donald duck/panchio pistoles

[s-creations]

I Saw Uncle Under the Mistletoe

During the holiday celebration, José and Panchito arrive to the McDuck manor as a surprise to Donald. During their visit, the kids come across their uncle being more than a little friendly with the other two birds. Now the holidays have become a little more stressful when the triplets believe the person that's cared for them their entire lives is going to leave them behind.  

Fandom: Ducktales (2017), The Three Caballeros.   Rating: General Audience   Relationships/Pairings: José Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles  Other Tags: Secrete Relationship, Misunderstandings, Angest with a Happy Ending, Christmas Themed, Use of Google Translate, Long One Shot.

It was a small request for the holiday season. But there was a hope that this year would be somewhat quiet for the McDuck/Duck family. Sure, there was still the annual ‘Set up the traps to keep Santa away’ day. It was more of the thought of not having to deal with evil plans or ne'er-do-wells that would rain terror down on them. No on breaking down their door. No one trying to steal from the McDuck fortune. No one being kidnapped and held for ransom.

 So, it was a bit worrisome when a large box, wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper with a white bow resting on top suddenly appeared in the foyer. The only person who seemed unconcerned with this was Scrooge. Which, at the moment, no one could really tell if that was a good or a bad thing. It wasn’t going to be a surprise created by some enemy, which was the original worry. But there was a curious thought as to what could be inside and what Scrooge could possibly be planning.

 “Are we...going to approach it?” Louie asked, trying to sound casual as he eyed his great-uncle.

 “It might be best if we look for a tag.” Scrooge helpfully suggested.

 Dewey instantly sprang into action. With a call of “I’m on it!” he was scrambling around the wrapped box. The necessary discovery made at the very top. “It says it’s for Uncle Donald! Oh, and that he needs to open it immediately.”

 Said duck was confused by this. Going over in his head what he could have possibly bought recently to need this kind of fanfare. Or even what else someone could have bought for him. Apparently Dewey wasn’t going to wait for his uncle’s confusion to take up further time. The duckling pulled Donald forward, the older unable to do more than to unwrap the large present.

 There was a collective outcry of surprise when the present bursted open. Two familiar birds jumping out and tackling Donald onto the polished floor.

 “José? Panchito?” Donald voiced in absolute shock.

 “¡Hola amigo!” The red rooster beamed pulling the baffled duck into a tight hug.

 “What- but how?”

 José could only chuckle, placing a hand on Donald’s shoulder, “Blame your uncle. He arranged all of this.”

 “Merely an early Christmas present,” Scrooge quickly intervened, “I know how much you’ve missed them. So, they’re my- ah, your guests until the new year. As long as they stay in line.”

 Neither José or Panchito were worried about the soul crushing glare the multi-millionaire duck was given them. The green parrot even letting out another chuckle as he greeted Scrooge properly. “It is wonderful to see you again  Senhor Scrooge.”

 “You really paid to fly two people to Duckberg? Two people from two different parts of the world.” Louie casually commented to Scrooge as both watched Donald be pulled up from the floor and pulled into a proper group hug.

 “Don’t be daft. I had Launchpad pick them up.” Scrooge scoffed, ruffling the top of the duckling’s head.

 The triplets were not quite sure what they thought of the flashy birds. After all, the last time they were in their lives, they were liars and were talking about taking Donald away. So the ducklings were cautious around José and Panchito. Even with each bird making their personality known and clearly trying to no longer be strangers in the younger’s lives.

 José was the calmest of the two, that was for sure. More than not, you could find him sleeping the day away in different parts of the mansion. Mainly in areas that had the sun beating down. Huey was a little shocked to find the green parrot bundled up one afternoon and resting poolside. José only seemed ‘awake’ in the evening and into the night. Pulling whomever was near into a quick dance, which Dewey happily participated in, until dinner was ready. Then he would happily regale stories of his travels and the numerous people he’d met along the way. Webby taking full advantage of this and asking as many questions as she could.

 Panchito was...loud. And overly energetic. He was up before anyone else and was the last to settle down for the evening. He seemed to sing wherever he went, no matter what activity he was doing. It would be accompanied with some random song that just popped into his head. It was rare to see him sitting still, which didn’t happen until dinner was ready to eat and he seemed to finally relax. The triplets also learned that the rooster was one for physical affection. Louie swears his back had broken and was then put back together after two different morning hugs he’d received from Panchito.

 Both birds seemed okay, but the triplets were still reserved about the entire situation. Even if Webby was chattering about how great they were. But, despite their reserve, it was clear their uncle was thrilled to have his friends there. Constantly smiling, constantly laughing, tossing stories around as easily as the other two.

 Seeing this caused Huey to worry. Which he voiced one evening before dinner to the small group.

 “Do you think Uncle Donald regrets taking us in?”

 “What?” Dewey sat up quickly. Almost banging his head on the bunk bed above him. His eyes narrowed on Huey, who winced. “Why in the world would you say that?”

 “Because he’s so happy right now.”

 “We’ve seen him happy before.” Louie casually argued back.

 “But not like this. He’s been happy for us. I’ve never seen him happy for himself.”

 “Okay, so, why are you blaming us for this?”

 “Because when he took us in, he pushed everyone away. Even close friends. So maybe...if he hadn’t taken us…”

 “He would be happier?” The duckling dressed in green voiced weakly. Now looking as worried as Huey.

 Dewey let out a snort, however, and waved his hand. “Okay, before we panic too much over this, why don’t we just ask Uncle Donald. Easy solution.”

 “He’s just going to lie,” Huey argued, “He’s going to do everything he can to keep us happy.”

 “Well it’s a better idea than just moping around about it. If you’re both so worried, I’ll go ask.”

 “I’ll come!’ Webby bounced up, “I’ve been meaning to test my ‘lie detecting’ skills.”

 “Perfect. Sit tight you two. We’ll be back with information.” Dewey took Webby’s wrist and they raced from the room.

 They already knew that they should start with the kitchen first. Panchito and Mrs. Beakley had agreed to trade off on evening cooking duty while the rooster was visiting. Panchito saying he wanted to share his family favorites with his growing family. Mrs. Beakley happily passed those nights over, enjoying her evenings off as an early gift to herself.

 This was Panchito’s evening, so there was a chance that Donald was with him. And in fact, he was. Both ducklings paused to peek around the corner. Peering into the kitchen from the hallway doorway.

 Panchito was moving around the kitchen at ease. The stove on full force as he worked on the large meal. Donald was sitting on the nearby countertop, his legs slowly swaying as he watched on. They were talking quietly. Dewey eventually realized they were speaking Spanish.

 “I didn’t know Uncle Donald could speak Spanish… Weird. Oh well, let’s go talk to him.” The duckling in blue was quickly pulled back into place by Webby. Dewey released a choked quack as it happened.

 “Hey-”

 “Shush.”

 “But-”

 “Shush! I’m listening.”

 “You know Spanish?”

 “Yes, now hush.”

 Dewey huffed but kept quiet and watched. He wasn’t sure what Webby was waiting for. They just seemed to be chatting about random things. Like what he and his brothers did when Donald would cook on the boathouse. Except it was just old friends catching up, so nothing that should keep Webby’s interest like this. He was about to complain once more when Panchito turned to face his solo audience. Boldly stating something that caused Donald to turn red and Webby to gasp softly.

 “What happened?” Dewey asked. All he got in response was a pat on his face and another “Shush!”.

 His argument died on his throat when Donald, still flushed, pushed at the rooster’s lower back with a foot. Panchito, in turn, grabbed the extended ankle. Easily pulling at it to bring Donald right to the edge of the counter and stepping between the duck’s legs with a raised brow. Hands resting on Donald’s hips and bending forward. Donald, on his part, took it all with ease. A smirk on his own bill as he draped his arms over the rooster’s shoulders. There was a small mutter of something. Nothing that either duckling was able to catch but could tell it wasn’t malicious. It was almost (Dewey panicked slightly) loving. But, whatever was said, was enough to fluster Donald once more before he pulled Panchito into a kiss.

 Dewey’s mouth dropped in absolute shock. Webby had to clamp her bill shut to keep the squeal of absolute joy from escaping. But she did let out a small noise as she was forcefully pulled away. Dewey leading the way back to the bedroom. Eyes wide and frantic.

 “Whoa, what happened?”

 Dewey jumped at Huey’s voice, not realizing they had arrived back. His mouth opened and loaded a few times. But nothing came out. He was still in too much shock to properly explain what happened.

 “Dude, just spit it out.” Louis huffed.

 “Your uncle and Panchito are secret lovers!” Webby answered, ending with a  small scream of glee.

 “What!” Huey exclaimed, Louie dropping out of his bed and onto the floor in shock.

 “They’re...in the kitchen,” Dewey voiced weakly, “and they just…”

 He created ‘mouths’ with his hands to press them together. Huey and Louie both let out small noises of distress.

 “You can’t be serious.” The duckling clad in red voiced weakly.

 “I just saw it happen! It’s burned into my retinas and my memory. I wouldn’t make this up.”

 “Wait, wait,” Louis recovered, “Was this just a recent development?”

 “I mean, based on everyone’s reactions, I would say no one else knew.”

 “No! I mean, did they just start ‘dating’ or have they always been in a relationship? And if they have been together all this time, why would Uncle Donald hide something like this from us?”

 “We could just ask him?” Webby offered.

 Dewey shook his head. “I’m not going to back down until the food is ready and I can focus on that.”

 “Plus, if this is a secret relationship, calling it out could be damaging. We know Uncle Scrooge isn’t...too wild about them. He might not like Uncle Donald dating. We’ll need to talk to Uncle Donald alone some time.”

 “Which won’t be happening anytime soon,” Louie huffed, “He’s always with those two until he goes to bed.”

 Webby shuffled her foot nervously before she quietly added. “Unless Panchito shares the bed.”

 The outburst of disgust was almost defining.

 ___________________

 As the days passed, the four were still unable to figure out how they were going to approach Donald. It was getting closer to Christmas and there were still a multitude of tasks to accomplish. Baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, setting traps; the kids were too exhausted at the end of the day to worry about anything else. That doesn’t mean the issue ever really left their mind.

 It was in the middle of a decorating day when the next surprise was dropped.

 Huey and Louie were traveling through the one of the last few undecorated hallways. The duckling in red going down a list of the remaining decorations. Discussing, more to himself as Louie was barely paying attention, about what should go where and why. Eventually reaching the dead end, Louie leaned against the wall as he continued to slowly nurse a can of Pep. Lazily watching as Huey wrote down a few more notes.

 “So, that’s the tentative plan,” Huey concluded as he closed the guidebook with a snap, “What do you think?”

 “Yep, sounds good.”

 “...Were you even paying attention.”

 “Oh sure.”

 Huey glared at Louie, who only smiled innocently back. “Well, no matter. We can start setting up when Uncle Donald and José get here.”

 “They are taking their sweet time.” Louie grumbled.

 “Do you think something happened?”

 “Don’t stress, we would have heard something.” As if on cue, there was a loud ‘thump!’. Which was followed by a loud and familiar quack that was undoubtedly their uncle. “There they are.”

 “Let’s go see if they need help.” Huey ignored the small noise of complaint that Louie gave as he rushed by.

 He was about to turn the corner to confront the new arrivals. But faltered hearing an accented voice softly say, “You need to be careful meu amor.”

 That caught his attention.

 Huey instantly pressed himself against the well. Pulling Louie close and covering his bill before he could let out a noise of surprise. His glare didn’t deter Huey, who merely replied with a shake of his head and a pointed look to the corner.

 After an understanding to remain quiet, they peered around cautiously. They found Donald leaning against the wall, holding his no doubt injured foot to check it over for any damage. José was running his thumb over the slowly reddening area. The boxes of decorations laying nearby.

 “I really wish Scrooge would move that Grandfather Clock,” Donald grumbled, “It’s too close to the corner.”

 “Or you could remember that it is there and not hit it.” José offered with a smile.

 “Hush. You’re not the one with the throbbing foot.”

 “Oh, pobrezinho. Would a kiss make it better?”

 Donald merely rolled his eyes, but didn’t resist as he was pulled close. Both duckling’s mouths dropped as the adults shared a kiss. One that went on longer than either Huey or Louie were comfortable with.

 “Wait, wait,” Donald laughed softly as José moved to nip at his neck, “The kids are nearby.”

 “Is your foot feeling better?”

 “If I say yes, will you let me go?”

 José sighed dramatically. “If I must.”

 “You must. Let’s get the boxes delivered before the kids start to worry.”

 Huey began to panic. Knowing he and Louie couldn’t just abandon the hallway without a good reason and they couldn’t flee fast enough. But he really didn’t want to face his uncle after that. He also really wanted to talk to Dewey and Webby about what happened because this was getting crazy!

 Huey turned to whisper frantically to Louie, with a plea for help.

 Only to be sucker punched in the gut by the youngest triplet.

 It wasn’t a hard enough hit for Huey to blackout. But he doubled over in pain, having difficult breathing as Louie gave him support on his weak knees. The duckling in red let out a weak groan of pain just as Donald and José entered the hallway.

 Rightly so, Donald panicked. “Huey? What happened?”

 “Oh gee Uncle Donald, I think Huey has a little stomach ache. I think all this Christmas excitement is a bit overwhelming. I was going to take him back to our room to rest.” Louie laid it on thick, making sure to wrap one of Huey’s arms around his shoulders.

 José frowned, placing his box down quickly. “Do you want some help? I can carry him.”

 “No, no, you two carry on with the merriment. I can get Huey to bed easily. Don’t you worry.” Louie didn’t drop the act until they were a few hallways away. He leaned his brother against the wall, the older triplet glaring at him. Huey holding his stomach in some way of comfort.

 “You...couldn’t...have warned me?”     

 “I panicked. Now hurry up and catch your breath so we can report back to the others.”

 ___________________

 “So, wait, is Uncle Donald dating both?” Dewey asked weakly.

 “Apparently? It’s the only explanation I can think of for why José was so...lovey dovey.” Louie choked out with Huey letting out an agreement groan from his bed. Dewey was not showing the same discomfort. In fact, he looked more frantically worried than anything.

 “Is he...cheating-”

  “Whoa, whoa, let’s take a step back,” Webby instantly took control over the situation. The triplets now held the same level of concern from the single word Dewey almost uttered. “Now, I’m  one to always offer ‘the sneak way’ to find information. But that’s normally used against the enemy. This is your uncle. Why don’t we just go talk to him?”

 Huey and Dewey looked nervous about the possible confrontation. Louie, however, stood up, appearing angry and agitated.

 “You know, I want to talk to those two. We know next to nothing about them. Maybe they’re playing some game with Uncle Donald.”

 Webby frowned. “Do you really think that...low of them?”

 “I don’t know what to think of them because I don’t know them! But we know Uncle Donald and he wouldn’t pull this kind of stunt. Those two however…” Louie didn’t finish that sentence. Instead, he stuffs his hands into his hoodie pocket and stomped his way towards the door.

 The other three had no choice but to quickly follow after. They made their way down to the backyard pool. Knowing the green parrot, he was out by the poolside soaking up some sunlight. Even with snow laying on the ground, the cold didn’t really seem to bother José.

 Louie was first out the back door and marched his way over to where the parrot was currently resting. Only to falter when the boathouse opened and Panchito stepped out. The rooster shivering from the cold, even with a heavy coat on. Louie was quickly pulled into the bushes by Webby. Huey and Dewey already hiding back there.

 “How can you just lay out in the cold? ¡Está helando!” Panchito exclaimed.

 José barely cracked open an eye to regard the shivering bird. “I have been to colder areas. This is actually rather mild.”

 “Pavonearse.”

 “Is Donald still tinkering away at the heater?”

 “Si. I had to get out of the way or else I would have become an unfortunate victim.”

 “No heater and you are standing in such freezing temperatures? Venha aqui, let me warm you up.” José opened his arms and they were quickly filled with a shivering rooster. The parrot merely laughed, gently preening the red feathers he could reach. “If you are so cold, why don’t you just go into the mansion?”

 “Because being in there alone is so unwelcoming.”

 “...Scrooge invited us.”

 “I know.”

 “But years of animosity does not just go away.”

 “...Si.” Panchito let out a small noise as he was moved to sit up. But he didn’t complain when José kissed him softly.

 “It will be fine… We will be fine. And soon we will not have to worry about leaving Donald ever again.” José laughed as Panchito’s mood instantly rose.

 “Do you think the papers will arrive on time?”

 “Oh, I doubt it. But we will just think of it as a late present.”

 Both fell quiet when the boathouse door opened once more, Donald walking out. Wearing an old, plain white shirt that was stained from numerous years of use. Spots of oil could be seen clumping his feathers.

 “It’s fixed,” Donald announced, “It’ll be a bit until the entire boat is warm again. But it’s going to be better than out here.”

 Panchito let out a cheer and raced up the ramp, pulling the duck into a quick kiss. “You know where to find me!”

 And down into the boat the rooster went.

 José quietly strolled up the same ramp, clearly in no hurry to leave the sun. “Have I ever told you I am quite enamored with the working man?”

 “Every time I fix something.” Donald rolled his eyes, but his feathers ruffled in embarrassment.

 “Then you know it is true.”

 “Would you just get in here. I need to shower before my feathers are stained black.”

 “Would you like to save on water?”

 “Just get in!”

 José was not offended by the sudden outburst as Donald’s feathers puffed out further. The parrot claimed his own kiss before he entered the boat, pullin the flustered duck in as well.

 As soon as the area was clear, Louie quickly stood. Heading back into the mansion. Not looking back to see if the rest were following. Huey was up next, not bothered when Dewey quickly reached out and grabbed his hand. Both pressing close as they followed the younger triplet. Webby brought up the rear. Realizing something was weighing heavily over them, but not fully sure for what reason.

 “So...we know no one’s cheating on anyone.” She offered weakly, giving a small smile. Which slipped away when she didn’t receive a reply. “Guys?”

 “He’s still lying to us.” Louie muttered darkly. He’d taken residents on the window seat, hood up and curled in on himself.

 “Why didn’t Uncle Donald tell us?” Dewey asked weakly. He and Huey had claimed the lowest bunk, clinging to each other.

 “Maybe to not hurt us,” Huey offered, “Maybe he had to break it off when he took us in. He couldn’t raise three kids and maintain a long distance relationship.”

 “So it’s our fault.” Louie snapped.

 “Hang on guys. You’re still just jumping to wild conclusions,” Webby interjected, “He loves you guys. He wanted to take you in.”

 “Do we know that? Every story we’ve heard, it was a sudden reaction. He just took us. Maybe it was his way to improperly grieve.” Huey argued back.

 “Maybe he just took us in so he could be close to mom in some way.” added Dewey.

 “You don’t know that. Come on, we’re going back down there to talk to Donald. Let’s go do that.” Webby waved her hand, a gesture for the trio to follow.

 “Are they going to take Uncle Donald away?” Dewey asked.

 Huey swallowed weakly. “That’s what it sounds like.”

 “What a perfect Christmas present,” Louie huffed, “Gets to run off with his lovers while he leaves the troublesome nephews. How romantic.”

 Dewey let out a small whimper, hiding himself away in his older brother. That seemed to snap Louie out of the fog he was in and he rushed over to the bed. Quickly clamoring up and joining in the small huddle. Webby could only watch. Frozen in spot as her mind raced with how she was supposed to help.

 ___________________

 Donald was close to having an episode. Because something was wrong with his boys and he had no idea what it was. He’d been so focused on José and Panchito he hadn’t really given time to his own kids. Now it was a spiraling descent of feeling guilty for his actions, but knowing he had a right to be with his own boyfriends.

  “I know that look.”

 Donald looked up from the well worn table as José and Panchito slid in on either side of him. “What do you mean?”

 “It may have been a few years. But that is a look of forlorn. One you have when you have started berating yourself.” José continued.

 “What’s wrong mi amor?” Panchito asked, cutting right to the chase.

 Donald huffed, ruffling his feathers. “The kids have been acting...strange, and I can’t figure out why. Now I’m worried I haven’t been paying attention to a problem that shouldn’t be one. And the boys won’t talk to me. They just hover nearby and run when I get too close.”

 “José and I could talk to them?”

 The green parrot frowned. “Except they have been avoiding us as well. I am afraid we are not going to be much help.”

 “What about la niña pequeña, Webby? We could ask her?” The rooster offered.

 “I have barely seen her as of late as well.”

 “Uh...Scrooge and Beakley?”   

 “Trust me, if they knew, they would have already ‘talked’ to me about it.” Donald grumbled.

 José pulled the duck closer, smiling softly as he eagerly shuffled closer. “It is Christmas, we are all a little stressed. Let us just get past all of this craziness. Then we will sit down with the kids and talk.”

 Donald really hated that was their best plan. But he also knew there was very little else they could do.

 Christmas day arrived with rather subdued fanfare. The kids were clearly excited to finally open the pile of presents that were under the large pine tree. But Donald was also aware of the numerous, nervous glaces thrown his way. Some rather hard ones given out when José or Panchito was nearby. It was worrisome to think the kids were angry with his lovers. Granted, secret lovers, but the point still remained.

 ...Did they find out and silently didn’t approve? If this was true, why wouldn’t they just talk to him? He could explain, he could talk to them and hopefully ease their worries.

 Donald jumped back to reality feeling a hand placed on his shoulder. He looked up to find Panchito giving him a worried look. He attempted to smile back, but it was clear it wasn’t comforting.

 The pile of presents slowly depleted throughout the morning. Donald’s nerves soothed slightly hearing the triplet’s calls of glee with each new gift they unwrapped. Even seeming content with what José and Panchito had given them.

 He raised a brow when Scrooge walked over to the couch he, José, and Panchito were sitting on. The older duck cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the other two before holding out an envelope for each.

 “Happy Christmas.”

 Donald watched as the two birds took an envelope, opening it cautiously. Panchito was the first to fully open his, pulling out a piece of paper and reading it over quickly. He let out such a yell of absolute joy that Donald was worried it would shatter the nearby windows. The rooster leapt up and pulled Scrooge into a tight hug just as José read over his own paper. The parrot’s beak dropped in surprise, wide eyes traveling to Donald as he passed the paper over.

 Curious, Donald accepted it. As his eyes traveled down, his own excitement grew, a wide smile breaking out. “...You’re both…”

 “We are officially legal!” Panchito cheered, finally releasing Scrooge. Who subtly rubbed his lower back when the rooster turned away. “We are now citizens!”

 “We were not expecting these papers so soon.” José mumbled weakly.

 Scrooge gave a small chuckle, giving a knowing smirk when all eyes were back on him. “You can get things moving fairly quickly when you have enough money.”

 He winced as Panchito pulled him into another quick, but still bone crushing hug. “There is not enough thanks in the world!”

 Donald could only laugh as he and José were pulled off the couch by the rooster. “We can stay, we can finally be close to each other. We can buy a home and-”

 The joyous moment was quickly cut short when a loud ‘thud’ interrupted the event. Louie had stood, the present given to him by the two colorful birds had been tossed to the side. Donald would have berated the duckling, if he wasn’t stunned by the look on the triplet’s face.

 Anger.

 Absolute anger.

 Before anyone could speak, Louie left the room, hood flipped up and hand shoved into his pocket. Shoulders up to make himself small as he stormed away.

 Shockingly, José followed.

 Confused and hoping for some answers, Donald turned to the remaining two. Only for Dewey to rush out next. With hands pressed to his beak and (Donal’s heart jolted) tears threatening to spill out. Panchito followed the duckling close behind. That left Huey with Donald. The duckling, the smallest Donald had ever seen him. No one commented as Donald picked Huey up and carried him out of the room.

 ___________________

 Louie was fast when he wanted to be. José was thankful that the duckling was heavy footed. Because there was no other way he would have found the duckling in this maze of a building. Louie had taken up residents by a large window, far away from everyone else. Hood still up and knees pulled close, glaring at the outside estate. José approached cautiously, clearing his throat to announce his arrival. The duckling didn’t move.

 “May I join you?”

 There was still no reply. José didn’t mind, taking a seat and turning so he could view the outside world as well. “I will admit, I never thought I would be one for snow. I grew up in such warm climates. I believed when I experienced sheer cold, I would hate it. But, when I gave it a chance, I found it to be wondrous. True I do have to bundle up in order to enjoy it. It is still such a thrill to see though.”

 “I’m not accepting you.” Louie replied shortly.

 “But you have not even gotten to know me. It is unfair for you to jump so quickly to such a conclusion.”

 “Well, you never got to know me. You spent all your time with Uncle Donald.”

 José let out a slow sigh and nods. “That is true. And I hope you will understand why. I have not seen your uncle in such a long time. At least in a way that I have had so much time to spend with him. Not just a day or a few hours. It has been wonderful...and I may have gotten a little carried away at keeping your uncle’s attention.”

 “Because you’re dating.” Louie stated, staring the parrot down.

 José blinked in surprise, but did not dispute it. “Yes we...we were.”

 “Were? My brothers and I have seen you and the rooster hanging off of Uncle Donald! You are dating.”

 “Were. We broke it off a short time after you three were hatched. Your uncle wanted to focus on you and we were unable to stay.”

 “And now you can. Now you’re legally able to. Now you can take Uncle Donald away from us.”

 “Ai meu deus, Louie. Where did you get that idea?”

 “Just now! With Panchito saying ‘we’ and how you all were going to buy a house!”

 “I… the ‘we’ was Panchito and I. We would only ask Donald to move in if all four of you would have agreed.”

 That caused Louie’s glare to soften. “...Four?”

 “We, that being Panchito and I, would love to have all of you live with us. I am sorry to make you and your brothers think we would not welcome you properly into our lives. I suppose a proper start would be necessary.”

 José cleared his throat and held out a hand, one that Louie gingerly took. “Hello Louie. I am José Carioca, an old relation to your Uncle Donald. It is wonderful to see you.”

 “...Louie Duck. Nephew of Donald Duck...and CEO of Louie Inc.”

 The parrot laughed jovially at that. “So young and already a businessman. Tell me Louie, have you been to Bahia?”

 “I don’t think so.”

 “Well, if you have time, allow me to regale you a few tales.”

 ___________________

 “Dewey! Dewey, please stop!” Panchito grumbled when the duckling sped up instead. Mentally berating himself knowing that wouldn’t have worked. The rooster picked up his own speed when Dewey darted into the triplet’s bedroom. Just fast enough to stop the door from closing with his foot. He only entered when he heard Dewey settle down on a bed.

 Letting out a slow breath, Panchito walked in. He cautiously stepped over the chaotic mess as he approached the beds. Dewey was lying on the second bed, covered by the blue blanket, small sniffs heard from within. Slowly climbing up the bedside ladder, Panchito leaned over and rested his upper body on the bed proper.

 “You are a speedy little guy. Kind of shocked I was able to keep up.” Panchito laughed softly. He frowned when Dewey didn’t reply.

 “...I know the want to just run away from your troubles. I have a big, big family. Seems like the only way to avoid fights was to run away. Run far and fast. So that is what I did. When I could not just smile any longer, I would run.”

 He fell quiet when Dewey shuffled, the lump under the blanket moving closer to the rooster. Panchito smiled gently as the duckling’s face appeared. Eyes red with the feathers around them damp. “Hola.”

 “...Hi…”

 “Why did you run?”

 Dewey didn’t reply. He instead sat up and asked his own question. “Is that what you did when we hatched and Uncle Donald started to raise us? That we were a problem you didn’t want, so you ran?”

 “What? No, no niño, no. José and I weren’t able to stay. We were young, had no income, no way to get citizenship. We really, truly wanted to stay… But even your Uncle Donald knew how impossible it would be for us.”

 “So you broke up?”

 Panchito coughed weakly, suddenly feeling flustered. “I, well, w-why would you say that?”

 “We’ve seen you, José, and Uncle Donald together.”

 “Ah...suppose we were not that sneaky. But, yes, we did break up. We did not want to...but our options were low or impossible to get.”

 Taking a bit of a risk, Panchito reached out to gently dry off the damp feathers. Dewey didn’t protest. He even smiled weakly, shoulders relaxing.

 “I fell in love with you three the moment you hatched. And I know José feels the same. You had such big eyes and were covered with fluffy, yellow feathers. Oh, dios mío you boys were so adorable. I am sure my heart burst with happiness.”

 “Really?”

 “Of course. I wanted to hold you all and never let go. And you clung to me, you would giggle and I would just melt every time.”

 Dewey laughed weakly at that. He inched closer until he could wrap his arms around Panchito. The rooster instantly pulled the duckling closer, beaming.

 “I am not running away. Not now, not ever.”

 ___________________

 Donald knew when Huey was upset, he needed to let the duckling lead. Don’t question, don’t prod, don’t poke. When Huey wanted to talk, he would talk. So Donald waited, holding the duckling’s hands and gently running his thumbs along the back of them. Huey was staring at the ground. The quiet was broken when a small sniff or hiccup escaped him. Other than that, it was silent between them.

 It remained this way for a few minutes until Huey weakly squeezed Donald’s hands. A non-verbal indication that he had calmed and was ready to talk. Even then, it took awhile for Huey to find his voice.

 “I’m sorry.”

 Donald shook his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I don’t even know what’s wrong.”

 “We know you, José, and Panchito are...together. In a relationship.”

 “Okay. Well, I suppose that’s something I should be apologizing for. I was going to tell you three. Should have done that a lot sooner. But you don’t need to apologize for finding out.”

 Huey shook his head but didn’t say anything. Donald was at a complete loss.

 “Huey...I can’t help you if I don’t know what the issue is.”

 “Do you hate us?”

 He felt as if he had been punched in the gut. It took a few seconds for Donald to compose himself before he could speak again. “No, why would you think that?”

 “You love them, but you never mention them. Never talk about them. You had to give up your life with the people you love because we… Because we were dumped into your lap. You didn’t get a choice and you had to give up so much. Because of us. How could you not hate us?”

 “Huey, Huey, I need you to slow your breathing.” Donald quickly took back control, hand slowly rising and falling for Huey to follow. He waited for the duckling to calm again before asking, “Do you want me to take your hands again?”

 That was answered with a short nod and Donald complied. “Now I want to make something perfectly clear. I am, in no way in any shape of form, angry at you or your brothers. You weren’t dumped into my lap. I willingly took you in and I don’t regret it at all. I loved raising you three and I love you three now.”

 “But...you left them.”

 “Because they couldn’t stay here. And I didn’t want them to feel as if they had to put a pause on their lives for me. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if they had spent years trying to return here to live here. We were wild when we were younger, them more so than I. They would never admit it, but it would have driven them crazy if they had to stay here. I wanted them to experience the world they had always talked about. To experience what I had when I was growing with Uncle Scrooge.”

 “How come you never talked about them?”

 “I’m not sure. If I really think about it, I think I would have broken down. I love them so much...and I didn’t want you three to worry when I began to blubber over people you’d never met.”

 “Are we going to move in with them?”

 “How about we live through this and then we’ll discuss that. All of us.”

 Huey hummed softly and nodded. “Okay.”

 “Feeling better?”

 “...Yeah. Yeah, I am,” Huey looked up with a small smile, “Thanks Uncle Donald.”

 Donald smiled back, he pulled the younger into a tight hug. “I love you and I love your brothers. Never doubt that. Now, how about we go find everyone?”

 Huey nodded once more and didn’t argue when he was picked up again. As they neared the crossroads, they unintentionally came across the missing party members. José holding Louie’s hand as the older was leading the way. Dewey was riding on Panchito’s shoulders, wearing the large sombrero that was slowly slipping down to cover his eyes.

 They all shared quick glances before Donald laughed softly. “I’ll take it, we’ve all talked and are feeling better?”

 All parties nodded, sharing calm smiles. Panchito stepped forward and pulled all into a tight hug. None complained about how crushing it was, the triplets finding it comforting.

[sourgrapelaffytaffy]

This is a question for your 3 caballero musketeer headcanons. Would the scene where Mickey, Donald and Goofy mistake a suit of armour for a bad guy and them attacking Daisy also be the same or slightly different.

It would go a bit different. José wouldn’t mistake the suit of armor for a bad guy. When Panchito says to stay alert for baddies, José would act all suave and say something like “My friend, with us on the job, no one will even bother to harm the princess, we can lean back and relax.” and he’d place one hand on the handle of the armor’s axe. 

Now work with me here, describing cartoon slapstick is not my strong suit. José would push it too far and fall backwards, the axe would then fall and nearly cut Donald. Donald would flip and jump into Panchito’s arms making him stumble back into the armor. That’s when it crashes over onto all of them.

Door opens and Joe and Don are helping Panchio out of the armor and queue reveal and pretty music.

And no, they wouldn’t attack Daisy. She doesn’t deserve that. We would just go to Clarice saying “I feel safer already.”

[s-creations]

Now We’re Six

Donald Duck was honestly not prepared to loose so much in such a short time. He's at the end of his rope when two familiar faces show up on his front door to offer their help.

Fandom: DuckTales 2017 / The Three Caballeros     Rating: General Audience     Relationships/Pairings: José  Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles Additional Tags: Dalla Duck mentioned, Scrooge McDuck mentioned, Gyro Gearloose mentioned, Gladstone mentioned, Fethry mentioned, angst, hurt and comfort, happy ending, start of a new family, the triplets are eggs still

Start of a Series Called: We’re the Three- Sorry, Six Caballeros!

How was it possible that he could lose everything in only three days? Scrooge didn’t want to take responsibility, even though he was the one who started this whole train of destruction. It wasn’t just enough to stay on the ground. Oh no, space was the next adventure, they just  had to go. Gyro actually had the audacity to look apologetic when faced with the angry duck. As if he truly felt sorry. Never mind the fact that it was his own creation that cost them so much. Did neither bird think it would be pertinent to heighten security? They were both so lax about the whole thing and now Della-

 Donald let out a shaky breath, tightening the grip on his arms. Trying to keep himself grounded. 

 Della was gone. There was no getting around it. She was lost to the stars because it was killing her to remain on the ground. Even though she’s just laid eggs, even after Donald gave every argument he could to make her see sense, she still went. Nothing was going to stop Della Duck. 

 Except a cosmic storm apparently. 

 So, here sat Donald. Losing his twin sister, his great uncle, his stable life. Self-barricaded away in his boathouse he’d only recently bought after scrounging up everything from his savings to get. Scrunched up in the padded booth of the dinner table with eggs covered in every blanket he owned and resting on the flat surface. A constant reminder of what had happened. What was happening. 

 Another shaky exhale as Donald attempted to relax. His body protested for being in a clenched position for so long, bones creaking and muscles sore. The clock over the stove read midnight in a blaring red color. Numbers that were burned into his eyes and seen from behind closed eyelids. A heavy sigh sounded as he reached out to fidget with the towel-created nest.

 He honestly had no idea what he was doing. Were they cold, to warm maybe? He supposed since the color wasn’t dulling, he was doing something right. Was he supposed to take them to a doctor before they hatched? They were only a few weeks away from hatching but that doesn’t mean something wasn’t wrong. Doesn't mean he’d be able to afford an office visit, no insurance. God, he needed to find a stable job quickly. He had four mouths to feed now and no income. Not a great way to start off the rest of his life. But since when has anything been remotely easy for him?

 Donald was broken from his thoughts when his phone chimed. The beaten up piece of technology was resting on the table as well. But had been pushed as far away as possible, teetering on the edge. He’d been receiving numerous phone calls and messages since the incident. Duckworth asking for Donald and the eggs to return to the mansion to talk this out properly, please. Fethry asking what was happening, was Donald okay, where was he? Gladstone actually sounded furious that Donald would just leave with the eggs in tow and no explanation.

 Donald was just tired of it all. So he left the phone alone, turning back to the eggs. 

 Only for the front door to be knocked on.

 Now he was starting to become angry. What idiot goes to a boathouse in the middle of the night? What idiot goes to any random place in the middle of the night?  Was it really so hard to just ask for a moment's peace? Just a few minutes where the environment and his mind would just shut up. The phone started to chime again just as another knock sounded. He was going to lose it.

 “Deal with the joker at the door first, then worry about the phone.” Donald grumbled, trying to keep his anger in check. An outburst could lead to one of the eggs being damaged. Which would not help the situation. 

 He opened the door, ready to tear whoever was on the other side apart. Only to swallow the words back down when he found a familiar parrot and rooster before him.

 It had been so long, years even. Yet José and Panchito looked as they did the day Donald left them. Minus the outfits, which were wildly different. 

 No three-piece for José. Merely a clean pressed, cream colored, short sleeved button up with the familiar straw hat perched atop his head. Black umbrella resting at the crook of his arm. Even in the dark of night, his feathers were a bright green that made Donald think of the jungles the parrot loved to explore. 

 Panchito was honestly the biggest change. No more overly large sombrero or bright, red outfit. The rooster looked like he’d be more at home on a farm wearing his faded jeans and short sleeved plaid shirt. He’d seem to have gotten taller as well, his comb grown out. Hand still in mid-air as he’d no doubt planned on knocking once again. His feathers were a warm red, seeming to have dulled a little since the years had passed, but still a comforting color. 

 All seemed to be frozen as they looked the other over. José still holding his phone up to his ear, Donald seeing his name on the screen display. Absolutely shocked, the duck’s bill opened and closed, mind still trying to confirm what he was seeing. He wasn’t even sure what he should say. 

 What are you doing here?

 How did you get here? 

 I’m sorry I left so suddenly and broke my promise that I would be back then never returning or even providing an explanation.

 He wanted to say it all. But Donald’s mind settled on uttering one world. “...Hi.”

 “Hola.” Panchito easily replied while José pocketed his phone.

 Donald merely stood aside and gestured for the two to enter, too tired to really question what was happening. As soon as he saw the eggs, Panchito let out a coo of excitement and rushed over. Carefully plucking at the fabric nest to cover said eggs better while speaking softly to them. José kept his attention to Donald, who closed the door with a sharp snap before facing the parrot.

 “You look like death, meu amor.” José spoke gently. A hand reaching out to preen a few feathers back into place.  Between the pet name, the gentle tone, the soft touches, Donald couldn’t help a shiver that traveled through him.

 “Really? Thought I was looking pretty good.” The parrot laughed softly, Donald forgetting how much he missed that sound. Was he close to crying or was he just extremely tired? “What are you two doing here?”

 “We heard about Della.”

 José had said it so simply. But it felt like a punch to his stomach, Donald wrapping his arms around himself. “How...who told you.”

 “Fethry and I are friends on Beakbook.” Panchito replied.

 “We came as soon as we could,” José continued, “Had to cash in all my mileage points and vacation time to get this to work. The company was a little upset that this was so sudden, but it was worth it.”

 “Cancelled a few birthdays on my end.” The rooster laughs softly.

 “We just wanted to be here. How are you feeling?”

 Donald let out a snort, rubbing his eyes as he walked back over to the table. He more or less collapsed back into the padded seats. “I’m not feeling anything. I used up all my shock, anger, and disgust on Scrooge the day Della disappeared. Now I’m caring for three eggs when I can barely keep my life together and I’ve ostracized myself from my family. Because they either did nothing to stop Della or just couldn’t understand why in the world I would be so angry.”

 A less than sane laugh escaped from the fragile duck. “And Della just left! Can you believe it? She had eggs. She just delivered her eggs and decided the next best thing was going on the big adventure! How...How absolutely messed up is that? How am I supposed to tell these kids their mother left because motherhood was less important to her than adventuring. The thing she’s done for years but could get enough of!”

 Donald pulled at his feathers, breathing becoming shallow and harsh. This was it, he was finally breaking. Just as he’d received a break in the clouds he feels himself falling apart. He was just so tired…

 Very little resistance was put up as his hands were gently pulled away from his sore head. Instead of self-inflicted pain, he was now clutching onto a shirt. His view became obscured by green feathers that felt like silk and were cool against his heated skin. A familiar tune of a lullaby started to be hummed that calmed his nerves further. Shoulders slumped as he felt himself slip away from consciousness. After three days of unrest, Donald fell into a relatively easy sleep with José holding him close.

 _____________________

 “I would just need to change addresses. It will not be that hard for me.”

 “Won’t you have anything to move?”

 “No, at least not a lot. I can just sell what I do not need. You?”

 “I have a lot of family heirlooms that I would like to bring. If possible.”

 “We will figure something out.”

 “Do you think Donald will be okay with moving?”

 “He is charmingly stubborn. But if we sell it properly, I am sure he will understand where we are coming from.”

 Donald squirmed as he slowly started to wake. Pressed against something warm and soft as he was rocked by the hammock. Fingers gently brushed through the feathers on the back of his head. It would have lulled him back to sleep if he wasn’t determined to figure out what was happening.

 It took a few blinks to clear his blurred vision to understand where he was. Laying against José, both resting in the duck’s hammock hanging in the supposed to be storage room. The only proper bedroom being set up for being the nursery. Panchito was resting on the floor nearby. The eggs and fabric nest had been moved from the table as well, laying next to the rooster who was running a hand over the shells carefully. From the soft light drifting from the window, Donald reasoned it was the following evening. 

 ...How long had he been asleep?

 “I’m sorry meu amor, did we wake you?” José’s voice was soft.

 “No...I was kind of waking up. How are the eggs?”

 “Pequeños Ángeles. So quiet and well-behaved.” Panchito teased.

 “The eggs are fine. We are more worried about you right now,” continued José, “Donald, you have not had a breakdown like that since college.”

 “Possibly even worse than that.”

 “Have more adult problems.” Donald responded weakly. He was still so exhausted.

 “This is not a normal situation,” Panchito argued, “You look so close to death when we arrived yesterday.”

 “Haven’t been able to clear my thoughts for the past few days. It’s all just been a...mess…”

 “We understand where you are coming from Donald. But this is such a sudden change, and to do it on your own…” José was not one to be at a loss for words. But this was a situation that seemed to be weighing heavily on all their shoulders with no clear answer.

 “I’m not going back to Scrooge.” The duck responded sharply.

 “That is not what we are suggesting.”

 “Then what are you suggesting? Because I’m too exhausted to figure it out.”

 “We’re going to help.” Panchito answered easily.

 It took Donald a few seconds to properly understand what was just said. “How? I mean, wait, no, that was rude. You guys already have enough in your own lives to deal with. I couldn’t just...ask you two to help.”

 “We are offering to help.” José corrected.

 “But-”

 “We want to help.”

 Donald sucked in his breath, eyes darting between the two other birds. José calm. Panchito eager. “...I’m not in a good place. Mentally, emotionally, financially.”

 “We were roommates in college, we know what you’re like. You’re going through something...heavy, so anyone facing this wouldn’t be doing okay. We understand. José and I have jobs to help with pay. Easy.” Panchito answered.

 “You can’t just...leave your jobs, your homes.”

 “I am a flight attendant. I just need to transfer to a hub positioned here. Panchito is a freelance performer, he can easily find work. And we do not have much tied to our current apartments. Moving will not be an issue.”

 “The boathouse will be cramped. It was already an issue with me and the eggs, once they hatched.” 

 “This may not be your most favorite of suggesting,” José started cautiously, “But, we would  need to sell the boathouse and find an apartment.”

 “I- We don’t have the financial support or a reliable credit! Mine’s terrible, you two aren’t proper citizens-”

 Panchito coughed weakly at that. “We actually received our citizenship a few months ago.”

 Donald’s mouth dropped at that, looking to José for confirmation. The parrot nodded. “We were going to tell you properly when we saw you again.”

 “Right..the original plan. Only going to be gone for a year,” the duck chuckled weakly, “My luck just had to ruin everything for everyone, didn’t it?”

 “No, no mi amor, esto no es tu culpa.” Panchito inched closer to grab Donald’s hand, José taking the other one. “You should know how unpredictable life truly is. We just have to greet each day the best we can.”

 Donald let out a small sigh, knowing he was slowly losing this battle. “...You didn’t ask… You shouldn’t… This is my family, my mess to deal with. This nothing you two should worry about. I’m not bringing you into this, you shouldn’t have to worry about it.”

 “Come now, are we not the Three Caballeros? We are together, to support each other, no matter what kind of storm we face. You need us now more than ever and how terrible would we be if we just abandoned you? Patinho bobo.” José gently teased.

 Donald was unprepared, but not unhappy, when a kiss was placed on both his cheeks. All but melting into the touch. A smile forming as he leaned back into José and gently squeezing each hand he still had a hold of. 

 “Are you really prepared to raise triplets?”

 “I’m used to a big family.” Panchito replied with a smile.

 “Never raised children, but I am a fast learner. We will be fine.”

 Donald gave a small nod, letting out a slow breath as his worries faded away. He didn’t argue when Panchito collected the eggs and all piled into the hammock. It creaked, but gave no further protest as they all settled down. Perhaps it was because he was so exhausted so he couldn’t truly argue anymore. Or because José and Panchito gave good reasoning. But at this moment, sandwiched between two people he loved and the eggs resting on his lap, Donald realized he was feeling content after so many days of unrest. 

 How could he ever doubt these two?

[s-creations]

Hatching Day

José wished he could say he was prepared to raise children. But his past life and self-doubt leads him to think he's not as ready as he promised he would be.

Fandom: DuckTales 2017 / The Three Caballeros       Rating: General Audience       Relationships/Pairings:  José  Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles Additional Tags: Self-Doubt, Depsression, These are minor but still talked about, Hatching, The babies are arriving!

Part of a Series Called: We’re the Three- Sorry, Six Caballeros!

Hello there! I will say, as a bit of a warning, maybe(?), that I'm unaware of José's or Panchito's cannon family members or relationships with their family. There's a lot of creative liberties being used in this AU to match what I want to write. This is just a heads up.

Edit on 02/20/2021: I changed a few words and fixed a few sentences. Nothing major.

José was not much of a ‘family’ person. His own was small and very close minded. It was the father’s way, the man of the house ran the show. You kept your mouth shut or you would be on the receiving end of some punishment. José had left as soon as he could, at the age of 16. No matter how much his mother begged or his father threatened. He left them behind and was honestly better for it. At least, that’s what he told himself. 

 That didn’t mean any relation after this meant much of anything either. They never lasted long. José knew his looks attracted a lot of attention. Parrots were not uncommon. Even more so where he grew up and lived. But his plumage was eye catching and he knew it. Vibrant green was adored and sought after by many. So, while his appearance could draw anyone’s attention in, whatever relationship that could happen fell apart quickly.

 Apparently José’s personality wasn’t too pleasing. Once the charisma fell away, people weren’t thrilled with the parrot’s worries or morose outlook on life. They were expecting to have a carefree parrot with vibrant feathers and an equally blinding personality to cling to their arm. Not a burden. Which was something José had heard numerous times. He quickly learned to play the part of the charmer and leave as quickly as possible the next day. 

 That was how he lived for years. 

 Until he met Panchito. 

 The rooster had been drawn in by the bright plumage, just as others before. José, however, was truthfully curious about the overly friendly and energetic bird. One that seemed to have the parrot stay with him while Panchito soaked in the culture. Curiosity turned to a dangerous attachment that José wasn’t prepared for. One he thought was going to eventually fall away when the rooster realized he didn’t want the parrot around. Only to be taken by the hand, allowing Panchito to take him away from Bahia, back to Mexico where the rooster lived. 

 It was the first time the parrot had experienced someone truly caring for him. Panchito more than patient when José couldn’t carry the suave personality any longer. When he just wanted to hide away and not face the world. Panchito made it clear that he didn’t love the parrot for the facade. He just wanted José. And it was something the parrot struggled with understanding for a while. 

 Just as he was getting comfortable in their relationship and happily traveled around Mexico with Panchito, they attended a local bar that was playing host to the American Navy. Where they met a duck with an interesting accent, a short fuse, and feathers so white it was blinding in the proper light. The relationship with Donald did start as a friendship. But was something that changed to admiration when he showed how fiercely loyal he was. When, on a night out, a stranger had gotten a little too ‘friendly’ with José. It was an amazing show that only lasted a few seconds. The duck knocked the other down with one hit and was making sure José was okay before anyone could even blink. 

 It all turned to painful longing when Donald had to leave. As they watched the ship leave shore, José felt his heart breaking. Turning to the rooster to find a similar look of longing on Panchito’s face as well. It was a silent agreement between the two that, if they ever found Donald again, they wouldn’t let him go. 

 It was a few years later, in a small village in the middle of the jungle, when they found the duck again. Donald seemed to be there with his Great Uncle Scrooge McDuck (the heck!?) and his twin sister Della Duck. The three were there to hunt down some treasure that José doesn’t remember the name of. It didn’t matter as Donald was just as thrilled upon seeing the other two as they were to see him. 

 That evening was spent hidden in a hotel room. Avoiding the heavy rain and scrutinizing eye of Scrooge as they hung around his nephew. The water falling heavily outside hid the already quiet confessions. Tentative kisses were exchanged before they huddled together on the small bed, falling asleep with smiles on their faces. 

 José was shocked but extremely happy when Donald told Scrooge the next morning that he was staying with the parrot and rooster. The older duck was not happy with the idea of leaving his nephew with birds he’d had never met before. It could have turned into an all out fight if  Della hadn’t saved the day by saying it would be best for Donald to take a break from their normal, adventuring routine. Giving the duck a chance to explore the world in his own way. Let him live his life for once.

 If the glare from Scrooge held any indication, he was somehow aware of the budding relationship between the three birds. And was no doubt less than pleased that his nephew was running off with these strangers. But José couldn’t honestly care less. He was with the two people he loved the most in his life and who understood him. The following year and a half was spent traveling the world. Barely a penny to their names, doing performances at hole-in-the-wall bars to make sure they had food and shelter for the night.

  It was a time the parrot liked to reflect on when Donald had to leave them. 

 Their travels came to a halt when Scrooge contacted his nephew. Saying there was one final adventure he needed the duck’s help on. In turn, Donald bargained that he was only going to give up one year to help with this new journey. José still felt a worrying sickness when he and Panchito saw the duck off. Even with the number of times the duck promised he would be back soon. The parrot felt as if there was a dark cloud over the horizon.

 One year turned to two. Donald kept in contact as best he could. Saying the final adventure had a number of unforeseen hurdles. Two became three. Now there was talk of Della carrying. Frustration coming from Donald because his sister was still determined to finish this one final adventure.

 It was halfway through year three that José felt that storm finally hit. He and Panchito began to worry when Donald hadn’t checked in during his normal time. Which only grew when their calls went unanswered. Leaving message after message with someone named Duckworth in hopes that Donald would get back to them soon. It all came to a worrying conclusion when they found the reason for the sudden silence when they reached out to Fethry in a final, desperate act. Only to be hit in the gut when the scatterbrained duck explained what had been happening. 

 The spaceship that took years to build and perfect. Della’s sudden pregnancy, which caused an uproar among the Duck/McDuck family as she wouldn’t tell who the father was. While they’d been aware of Della’s determination of this final adventure, José and Panchito felt sick when they learned that she wanted to fly the spaceship. Even when carrying and finally delivering the eggs, it was all she talked about doing. Then she stole the spaceship the adventuring family had been working on for so long in the middle of the night and left. 

 Just left. No note. No message. Nothing.

 José felt a sickening furry slowly build up within. What kind of person just leaves their own unhatched children? This new adventure wasn’t worth it! The parrot was ready to tell Fethry to let them talk to Della, so he could give her a piece of his mind, wondering why she thought a late night cruise among the stars was okay, when they were told she was gone. An unforeseen obstacle bringing her untimely end. Scrooge and Donald were no longer speaking with each other and the younger duck taking over caring for Della’s unhatched eggs.

 José and Panchito were on the first flight to American they could get. In less than three months afterwards, they were all married, living in a comfortable apartment, holding well paying jobs, and raising three eggs. 

 And José was honestly terrified. 

 He didn’t regret moving, or marrying, or finally settling down. But raising kids? Was he stable enough for that? Donal and Panchito were comforting and supporting when the parrot wasn’t in his best form. But they were aware of what was happening, they were adults. José didn’t have to say anything and they understood. Children were too young to understand why one of their caretakers might be smiling one day and closed off the next. 

 Would José have the same anger issues like his own father? 

 He shivered weakly at the thought, his buzzing mind finding relief when Panchito shifted in his sleep. The parrot tensing as he waited for the other to settle back down before relaxing himself. Donald, who was clinging onto the parrot’s back, mumbled weakly as he nuzzled against the green feathered neck. Despite the comfort and warmth, José still could not fall asleep. Eyes wandering back over to the crib where the eggs were resting.

 They’d been warned by the doctor that the eggs would be hatching soon. Any day in fact. Donald went on full alert to duckling proof the apartment and having the nursery properly prepped. Panchito had been hit with sudden inspiration, pulling up numerous lullabies and stories he wanted to share when the eggs hatched. And José...started to silently panic.

 He shivers again feeling a beak gently preen over the top of his head. Which quieted the spinning thoughts. 

 “I can hear your busy mind.” Panchito whispered, José hearing the exhaustion in his voice.

 “Desculpe querido.”

 “What’s wrong?”

 José pressed closer. Hands slowly brushing through the red feathers. “...What if they hate me?”

 “Who, the eggs? Why would you think that?”

 “With my job, I am going to be gone for so many days at a time. Will they forget about me every time? Will I just be the stranger that lives with them? And you know that I am…” He swallowed, burying himself into the crook of Panchito’s neck. “...What if I do not love them? What if it is just a neutral relationship? What am I going to do?”

 “Shhh, cálmate mi amor. The fact you’re so worried about this shows me how much you care. You can’t judge on something that hasn’t happened yet. And do you truly think we wouldn’t talk about you when you’re away? They will know so much about you it will be like you never left.” 

 José sighed softly. “You make it sound so easy.”

 “Because it is. Now, calm your head and get some sleep.”

 “...Chito? Can you…”

 “Of course, get comfortable.”

 The parrot did as requested. Moving his head back down to rest properly on Panchito’s chest, Donald settled back down as well. José smiled softly when the beak returned to the top of his head. Smoothing through the feathers as José felt himself finally drift off to sleep.

 __________________________

 It was two days later when the eggs hatched.

 José was watching over them in the living room. Resting on the sofa while the eggs were in a cloth nest on the floor nearby. Donald and Panchito working on cleaning the kitchen after dinner. It was calm. The definition of domestic bliss. Until the parrot heard the first crack. 

 His eyes instantly snapped over to the bundle of fabric. Scanning over each egg, briefly wondering if he had just imagined the sound. Only to find a small crack forming along the top of an egg. That grew further pronounced as the seconds ticked by.

 “Hatching…” José was able to weakly force out, barely above a whisper. 

 “What’s wrong?” Panchito turned away from the soapy water. 

 “The eggs are hatching.”

 There was the sound of shattering porcelain. Donald had allowed the plate he was supposed to be putting away in the cupboard to slip from his hands. The duck’s eyes wide with shock. “What...did you say?”

 José was spared repeating his answer when another crack sounded. Louder this time and followed by small peeps. 

 “Oh, okay!” Donal turned only to falter over figuring out what he needed to grab first. “Oh Selene, it’s actually happening. Um-”

 “¡Cuidadoso! The plate! You don’t want to cut yourself.” Panchito advised, offering a hand to keep Donald balanced as he stepped over the pieces. 

 “Right, you’re right. Um, we just...we need… What do we need?”

 José faltered slightly when the egg cracked again, the frantic sounds coming from the kitchen were not helping his nerves. 

 “¡Acalme-se!” The two others froze in their spot, eyes traveling over to the parrot. Who was letting out a slow breath. “Alright, pay attention. Donald, get the broom and dusting pan. Clean up the dish then come out here. Panchito, I need clean towels and warm water. Warm. Not hot. If it is so much for you, it will be too much for them. We will need them in order to get them clean and dried. We also need towels to wrap them in once they are cleaned. Once you have that come out here.”

 Both nodded before breaking away to complete their given tasks. Still trying to calm his nerves, José sat back down, placing a hand on part of the unbroken shell while he picked away pieces. 

 “Hey little one, you are doing great. Just keep pushing. You are almost out.” The parrot let out a small noise of glee when a yellow face suddenly broke free from the egg. Feathers slick and matted down, sticking to the pink skin underneath. A small beak ‘peeped’ softly sounding before the duckling started chipping away again. “There you are… They are breaking out, I can see one!”

 “We’re here, we’re here.” Donald panted weakly as he set a bowl filled with warm water down with an arm full of clean towels. Panchito sliding into the other side of José, letting out small coos and words of encouragement as they watched. 

 That's how all three sat. Pressed together as they gave gentle words, the duckling continuously pushing its way out. There was a collective gasp as the egg finally gave way. The duckling falling out and landing on his stomach. Squirming in the blanket nest as they attempted to right themselves. Donald reacted first. Carefully holding the small form up as his free hand dampened a cloth. Wiping gently over the new feathers and clearing the gunk away from the duckling’s eyes.

 Once cleared away, the eyes opened to reveal a deep amber color. Looking almost brown in a different light. 

 There was no time to rest as the next egg began to break free. As it was closer to Panchito, the rooster grabbed his own cloth to prep. It took less time for this duckling to arrive. While the first seemed to be methodical with its freedom, searching for the best way out, this duckling was more determined to break out as fast as possible. In it’s excitement, the duckling flopped out onto his back. Arms and legs moving frantically as it tried to sit back up. 

 “Aguanta pequeño. You took a bit of a tumble.” Panchito laughed as he cradled the small form close. He cleaned the eyes, both opening to reveal bright blue. The duckling gave a small giggle as they grabbed their feet. “Awww! They’re so eager!”

 José laughed softly at the scene before his attention shifted to the final egg. As the seconds passed, worry started to grow. The parrot’s legs eventually started to bounce as they waited. “The color is still good… How long do we wait? Do we even have a small enough tool to help and not hurt them?”

 Panchito gave a smile and gently preened José’s neck. “It’s only. We just need to be patient. Let them figure it out.”

 That didn’t calm José in the slightest. It was a few more tense moments before the first crack formed. Even then, all three were on edge and it took longer for the first section shell to break away. With a break in the egg, the duckling still seemed to be struggling. Being cautious, the parrot reached forward to help break more away.

 “José…” Donald’s tone held worry and a warning.

 “I think they need help. If a duckling is unable to break free on their own, parents or guardians are allowed to help.” The parrot argued back, continuing his work. A small form flopped into the parrot’s open hand soon, giving a small peep of confusion as they clung onto the parrot’s feathers. Grabbing his own cloth, José continued to speak calmly as he could while cleaning the residue off. 

 Eyes of forest green were soon looking up at José. Head tilting as the duckling seemed to be determining what exactly the parrot was. “Someone appears to be the curious type.”

 The parrot flinched slightly when a cream colored blanket entered his field of vision. Donald gave a smile before shaking the blanket again. Giving a nod of thanks, José took it and easily swaddled the duckling.

 “That was skillfully handled.” The duck casually commented. 

 “I have watched a lot of videos about this. Covered as much information I possibly could. Even asked some of the mother flight attendance for advice. I...I just didn’t know what to expect.” José flushed softly when a kiss was placed on his cheek. Turning to look at Donald, who smiled back.

 “I knew you were ready for this. You were worried for nothing.” 

 The parrot huffed as his cheeks darkened. Feathers ruffled when he stared down a sheepish looking Panchito. “Did you tell Donald.”

 “If it keeps you up at night, then it’s an issue we all need to be aware of!”

 José’s retort was cut short when a disgruntled peeping sound was heard. The duckling in his arms had their face screwed up, legs kicking as best they could in the swaddle. “Oh, they...they are hungry.”

 “I’ll get the bottles.” Donald easily passed his duckling over to the parrot before standing and heading to the kitchen.

 Own duckling finally calming down, Panchito carefully closer to the parrot. He and José leaned against each other as they admired the small bundles they held. The first was in a state of just about to fall asleep. The middle was still wiggling around, but was thankfully staying in the swaddle. The third was still, eyes cautiously looking around as if trying to assess the situation. José marveled at how young they were and how their personalities were already coming through. 

 His heart swelled with absolutely adoration with every second that passed. Bending down to carefully move his beak through the fluffy yellow feathers. The green eyed triplet chirped, giving a wobbly smile as José pulled away. The parrot felt himself just melt. He was so unbelievably happy at that moment.

 “We need names.” Panchito suddenly said.

 ...Aw phooey. 

[s-creations]

Two Steps Forward

Panchito has a heavy question on his mind. Something that he's worried that could make or break this relationship with the two people he loves the most. But he has to ask.

Fandom: DuckTales 2017 / The Three Caballeros       Rating: General Audience       Relationships/Pairings:  José  Carioca/Donald Duck/Panchito Pistoles Additional Tags: Discussion of Marriage, MArriage, Struggling New Life, Living Together, Minor Discussion of Racism, And I Mean Minor, Nervous Discussion, Happy Ending.

Part of a Series Called: We’re the Three- Sorry, Six Caballeros!

Heads up for everyone! Please note in the tagging section, I have made mention of racism being present in this story. It's nothing super impactful overall, but more of a show of frustration and to act as a sort of barrier. It's nothing that should make anyone feel uncomfortable, but I still wanted to make mention of is at it's still there.

With that being said, please enjoy!

Panchito knew what he brought to their relationship. He was the more chipper out of the three. Always with a smile, the positive outlook on the situation, to offer a good laugh to lighten the mood. Most would assume he was a bit ‘simple minded’. That the attitude came from not knowing what was happening. 

 But if he wasn’t paying attention, how would he know when to cheer people up?

 It was a subtle skill he held. One he’d developed and perfected over the years with having to deal with a large family. Taking in what was happening and finding a good resolution. Understanding what the best outcome would be to spare everyone emotionally. Something he was having difficulty figuring out for this current situation. 

 Even with him and José having full citizenship, there were still a number of obstacles they couldn’t figure out how to get over. 

 The parrot was the only one out of the three that held a proper job. It was easy to transfer his position from one airport to another. He still had steady hours and proper insurance. A good income that helped supply the household. But that’s pretty much where the ease stopped. 

 It seemed realtors and landlords were overly cautious about renting to anyone recently immigrated. Even if said person had a secured job. Even then, there weren’t that many options available to them that made the trio thrilled enough to move. It was expensive to live in the city. Or anywhere near it. Every place they were shown was just as cramped as the boathouse and in a worse state of upkeep. One place being more duct tape than actual building materials. It honestly wasn’t worth the move. All decided it would be better to do so when the other two found stable jobs to help with their income. Which Panchito hoped would be soon because the boathouse was very cramped now with the extra boxes. 

 But even getting a job was becoming a struggle for both him and Donald. The duck had the unfortunate issue of having a bit of a criminal record. His temper caused him to be tossed from a number of businesses and blacklisted as being someone who was unreliable. Which aggravated the other two to no end because they knew of Donald’s work ethic. The duck was more than reliable if given a proper chance. Which a lot of businesses didn’t feel the need to do. 

 For Panchito, he had the trouble of finding a performance company that didn’t treat his heritage like a novelty. He was a serious performer, not a trinket for people to patronize! He wasn’t meant to play for families who used his heritage as a theme. Playing songs from his childhood dressed in an overly offensive outfit while privileged families broke apart dollar store bought pinatas. He should be playing at cumpleaños and quinceañeras. To people who would actually respect his work. He was not a trinket! 

 After a month of searching, it was starting to become a trudge to find a job. 

 Another concern was the health coverage for the triplets. Even if hatching was a natural process, there were still a number of worries. Donald had the cheapest version of healthcare his non-income could provide. Which still left a lot of out of pocket expenses. José offered to help, to take the full burden. Only to have that shot down when the parrot was told he’s not a legal guardian to the eggs. 

 “But, we are helping care for the triplets and I am making the offer. How is that not enough?” José argued in disbelief. 

 Donald just shrugged and shook his head. “You’re not related to them, so it won’t be allowed. That’s just the bottom line. We’d have to get married before we could do anything about it.”

 That caused Panchito to perk up at that. His mind rolling the idea of possible marriage around in his head. 

 He knew what the risk could be. Truthfully, the three hadn’t properly dated for a long time. Maybe only close to a year. Donald had left and returned to his family after a short while of them being together. A promise from him that he’d return after another year and they could continue to explore the world together. After a year, however, it became clear Donald wouldn’t be able to keep that promise. Even if the duck kept contact as best he could, it wasn’t the same. 

 They never truly ‘broke up’. But Panchito really questioned if they had started dating all those years ago. They loved each other. That was never a question. Confessions were shared and an understanding was created, but they never said they were in a relationship. It was sort of just a silent understanding between the three of them. What worried the rooster was the fact he was thinking of an offer that could scare the other two away. And that scared him to think he could lose Donald and José just as soon as they were together once again. 

 Donald was a wreck at the moment. No matter what the duck said to convince otherwise. He’d just lost his family, either to the stars or because he cut them out, and had taken in three eggs without questioning how hard it was going to be to raise them. Even with José and Panchito back in his life to help, there were still a number of things that Donald had to worry about. A suggestion of marriage, of another huge life event after losing so much, might cause the duck to shut down and turn away from them. 

 José, while having a very forward and suave personality in public, was actually reserved when only around Donald and Panchito. They were aware of the parrot’s past ‘relationships’. Which were honestly nothing more than numerous one night stands. He never talked about his family. Panchito could only conclude on his own that any relation the parrot could have with his parents was a negative one. The rooster was worried he and Donald were the first people to give José an actual loving relationship. Something as extreme and rather permanent as marriage might cause the parrot to run. 

 Even with the possible threat of losing two people he cared so much about, marrying was a thought that hadn’t left Panchito’s mind as days passed. A want that grew stronger with each night that passed with them pressed close in the hammock. The rooster resting in the middle. Donald tucked right under his chin with José using the red feathered chest as a pillow. Arms and legs tangled together and all covered by a well-worn quilt. 

 As he lays awake, eyes watching the night sky as it passes, Panchito knows he wants this. He wanted it, wanted them, and he never wanted to let go. 

 He was going to make sure it happened. 

 Panchito was an early riser. Skillful at slipping out between the other two and standing on the cold floor without making a noise. He waited a few moments to make sure the others remained asleep. Looking back to watch as Donald and José shuffled closer together to reclaim the warmth that had left. The duck wrapped every limp around the parrot, José muttering as he nuzzled under Donald’s chin. Panchito gave a small smile before collecting the eggs, wrapping them up with an overly fluffy blanket and moving them to the kitchen. 

 Once the eggs were settled and still on the kitchen table, Panchito flipped on the radio to let music chase the quiet away. Loud enough to be heard, but not enough to wake the others. With that set, he turned his attention to making breakfast. The small buffet of different dishes was near completion when Donald and José shuffled out from the bedroom. The duck looked more awake than the parrot. Both took a seat at the table to wait for the still cooking food. Donald talked gently to the eggs while José leaned against his hand, eyes closing again. 

 Panchito soon joined them. A plate put before each to let them take their needed fill of food. A quiet mumble of ‘Thanks.’ sounded before all started eating. His heart was hammering as he started to eat as well, knowing he needed the others to be a little more awake before broaching the subject. 

 Absolutely not stalling because he was terrified with where this could lead. 

 “Panchito? Are you okay? You are quiet this morning.”

 The rooster was a little embarrassed at how far he jumped. Eyes darting up to José before flickering between him and Donald. “Uh, yes. I’m fine. Just...I have something on my mind?”

 “Do you want to talk about it?” The duck asked this time. 

 Unsure of what to say, Panchito stalled for time by plucking at the small feathers on his fingers and wrist. Only for Donald to reach over and halt him. 

 “I want to get married.” Well, there goes all that subtly and structured argument he’d been trying to build up. Panchito felt his feathers ruffle in embarrassment, eyes darting down as the other’s exchanged looks of surprise.

 “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ask like that.” The rooster groaned. 

 “What...brought this on?” Donald asked. 

 “I...just… We’ve been talking a lot about what we need to do to care for the eggs. And how it seems that we can’t move forward because our credit, or our finances, or that just being together doesn’t count as being ‘stable’. And you made a casual comment about being married would really benefit us. Which got me thinking about marrying you two and how much I really wanted to and I…”

 Panchito exhaled slowly, leg bouncing as he squeezed Donald’s hands. “I don’t want to lose you two and I...I really like the idea of us marrying and I… I love you two, so much. I love the eggs and I want to give them the best. I don’t need or even want fanfare about it all. I just...I want...to marry...you two…”

 With that, it fell quiet. Shoulders slumped as he leaned back into the padded seat. His eyes remained on the table, not wanting to see the other’s looks of possible disgust or rejection. It was such a poor argument (it wasn’t even an argument, he wasn’t sure what that rambling counted for) and he was already worried the other two weren’t ready for this. If they had been on the fence about this then Panchito did not win them over. 

 What was he thinking?

 He couldn’t have been better prepared for this?

Make a list. Pros and cons to make his case. Why did he just dive head first into this? He’s such an idiot. No sane person just asks something so heavy and so suddenly. They were going to leave him because they’re going to realize how much of an idiot he was. He was going to lose them.

 He felt so sick, he wanted to cry-

 “I was honestly thinking the same thing.” Panchito’s head shot up so quickly José actually flinched. The parrot recovered quickly, giving a small smile before continuing. “I know it is a large step forward, but...I don’t want to lose you two. I want to spend the rest of my life with the both of you.”

 José reached over to take a hand from both Panchito and Donald. “I wish to marry you two.”

 Heart beating furiously, Panchito beamed and gave a gentle squeeze to the parrot’s hand. Both turned to face Donald who still looked stunned. 

 “Is this moving too fast?” the rooster asked worriedly, “I-I really didn’t want to push you-”

 “No, no, you’re fine.  It’s just…” Donald laughed softly, “People normally get on one knee to propose.”

 “Oh, well, by all means. If we need to do this properly.” 

 “No, I was joking!” Donald laughed as Panchito slid from the booth. Making a large show of getting on his knee, flipping his crown back and setting his face as serious as he could. It didn’t help that Donald was laughing still, clearly flustered. “Donald Duck. José Carioca. Will you do me the great honor of allowing me to take your hands in marriage?”

 “So salacious,” José smiled, “Did you even ask my father if he approved of this?”

 “...I’d rather not. He scares me.”

 Donald doubled over in laughter at that. The parrot playfully rolled his eyes as he sighed dramatically. “Well, I suppose that does not truly need to happen… Very well, I accept.” 

 “This is the strangest proposal that I’ve ever seen.” Donald wheezed.

 Panchito pouted. “This is supposed to be serious and heartfelt.”

 “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, hold on.” Taking a few deep breaths, the duck collected himself  the best he could. Feathers still ruffled as he said, “I happily accept as well.” 

 Being mindful of the eggs resting nearby, Panchito clambered onto the table. Close enough to pull the other birds into a deep kiss. He wished he had enough room to dance and jump without the worry of breaking something important. Or that he could yell with joyful abandonment without disturbing the neighbors. But he was more than content with being squished between his fiancées as the sun fully rose into the sky. 

 They were married two weeks later. No fanfare, no family members physically present (Panchito’s family watched and cheered from a computer screen), they didn’t even bother with rings. All deciding it would be better to save up for a larger place to live. 

 The rooster didn’t want to say the written paper that officially announced their marriage was any sort of a good luck charm. But it seemed after said event, things started to look up. Panchito was able to get a ‘non-themed’ position with an entertaining business. A small company that catered to the minority families located in Duckberg and the surrounding towns. Donald eventually decided he would just be a stay at home parent. Knowing someone would need to keep an eye on the triplets once they hatched. 

 “We’ll save on babysitters this way.” The duck concluded with a shrug. 

 They were able to find a comfortable apartment next. Three bedrooms, two baths, and positioned perfectly in the suburbs near Duckberg. There was a bit of a commute, but one they were more than willing to put up with for the price of the place. There was a bittersweet moment when the boathouse was finally sold. José and Panchito recognized how hard Donald had worked to get a place of his own after the fall out. But it was forgiven and forgotten rather quickly when the money was spent on a large bed and three cribs. 

 “We’ll get a hammock when we buy a house.” José promised.

 Donald laughed softly. “I’ll be fine with an actual bed for awhile. Shockingly, back support sounds more appealing.”

 It took a few weeks to properly settle in. The big pieces of furniture were placed first, allowing for some semblance of a layout. José would be called away for a few days at a time, so Panchito and Donald focused on putting the smaller items in place when the parrot wasn’t there. The rooster was more than thrilled when he had an entire set of shelves for his heirlooms. While one of the rooms was specifically made up to be the nursery, Donald wanted the eggs to be nearby for the time being. One of the cribs having been set up in their large bedroom close to the bed. 

 “It’s just until they’ve hatched.” Donald concluded.

 Panchito laughed softly. “Or until you feel okay with leaving them alone. Which will probably be never.”

 “Shut up.”

 They eventually fell into a comfortable routine. José was gone for most days but slipped into the others arms easily every time he returned home. Panchito and Donald kept all as orderly as they could at the homestead. The rooster content with his new career. Even if it wasn’t the record label he had always dreamed about as a child. He had a home, a job, and happily married to the two people he cared so much about.

 When he woke early, before the sun had even started to crest over the horizon. Pressed against a clinging duck and parrot that were resting on either side of him. Eggs resting in the nearby crib being illuminated by a nightlight. Panchito would realize, with a watery smile and warmth in his chest, he wouldn’t change this for anything. 

 This was his new dream and he was happily living it.