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2022-02-23
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2023-09-01
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Cocooned

Summary:

When Casita falls, all 6 of the Madrigal grandkids are dragged back into the house and are end up caught in the collapse. The remaining Madrigals are devastated with their deaths.

During the build of Casita, the adults are trying to cope with their children, their sobrinas and sobrinos, her nietos deaths.

But after the build of Casita, the magical house gives back something the elder Madrigals lost.

NOT BETA READ

Completed! :)

Notes:

Original AU idea by @raefever on tumblr! Check them out!

I got permission to post this from them, please don't steal :))

Chapter 1: Casita Falls.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Cracks shot through Casita. On the ceiling, through the floor, the walls. Everywhere.

Everyone was shocked, but soon frantically were trying to leave. Mirabel went for the candle. A dresser was about to hit a very scared and confused Antonio, but luckily, Felíx barely caught him.

"We gotta get out here!" He yelled.

Isabela and Camilo shot after Mirabel, only for their powers to fizzle out. They fell to the ground. As Mirabel was about to grab the candle, she looked to see her tío Bruno in the grass by the trees.

"Good, he's out." She thought.

She grabbed the candle.

Dolores shoved Alma out of the way of falling debris, Casita rippling its tiles to push the matriarch out the collapsing threshold of the front door, Dolores left behind.

Julieta and Agustín were screaming for Mirabel to leave the candle, to get out. Casita rolled the floor, making them fly out the door after failed attempts to get back in and grab their children.

Pepa was already out, but called for Dolores and Camilo.

"Camilo? Dolores? Come out, hurry!" She screamed, cloud no longer above her as the magic faded out.

Felíx was about to run out the door when Casita tripped him, causing the 5 year old to tumble to the side, throwing Felíx out.

"Antonio!" He shouted, reaching for his youngest, only to be pushed back again.

All 6 of the Madrigal children were in the courtyard, Mirabel cradling the melted, almost blown out candle and an absolutely terrified Antonio. Dolores and Isabela clung to each other, Camilo huddled close as well. Luisa stood over them, in a protective stance.

"Casita, get them out!" Alma shouted, trying to get up and go back to the house. But her old age betrayed her. Her legs buckled at her sudden movement. She fell to her knees.

Casita started using the last of its power to throw the children back to their rooms. It rumbled its tiles and the floor, using arbitrary furniture to raise them to the upper level and push them into their rooms, the kids trying to claw their way out.

The children screamed in fear, what was Casita doing?

"Mamí!" Isabela, Antonio, and Dolores screamed at the top of their lungs.

Antonio was now bawling at this point, not being able to clutch onto the broken support beam anymore.

Isabela looked absolutely scared out of her mind, genuinely terrified.

Dolores was sobbing loudly, pleading for her parents, her tía and tíos, her abuela, to help her, anyone.

"Papí!" Camilo, Mirabel and Luisa yelled like their life depended on it --because it did-- as they tried their best to get out.

Camilo, no matter how hard he tried to stop it, to get out, kept getting dragged towards his room.

Mirabel hung onto the railing, but it was brittle and quickly falling apart.

Their screams resonated throughout the now falling house, it could be heard by all of the elder Madrigals.

Casita finally succeeded in dragging the children to their rooms, their cries for their parents being the last thing heard from them. 6 slams from doors rang, the house finally collapsing in on itself.

Casita was gone. The magic was gone.

But there was something worse. Far worse, something the adults couldn't have ever imagined would happen.

The kids.

The children.

Their children.

Their sobrinas and sobrinos.

Her nietas and nietos.

Isabela.

Dolores.

Luisa.

Camilo.

Mirabel.

Antonio.

Isabela. Dolores. Luisa. Camilo. Mirabel. Antonio.

IsabelaDoloresLuisaCamiloMirabelAntonio.

łSΛБΞŁΛÐФŁФЯΞSŁUłSΛϾΛMłŁФMłЯΛБΞŁΛЛТФЛłФ.

They were gone.

They. Were. Gone.

Silence. Something the Madrigal residence had not experienced in a long time.

The silence stayed.

Until two guttural, shrieking, inhumane screams ripped throughout the entire town. Screams that came from the soul, the sound was heart-breaking, distressing, saddening, unfortunate, tragic.

That day, the Madrigal elders lost something far more valuable than the miracle.

Notes:

New cocoon au! It might seem confusing at first, but I swear it'll make sense later!

By the way, "Fixing the Past" is continuing, so don't worry; New Felix, Agustin and Bruno chapter later tonight.

Chapter 2: The Search.

Summary:

The Madrigal elders search and search for the 2nd generation.

Chapter Text

The house was gone. The miracle was gone. But worst of all?

The entirety of the 3rd generation of the Madrigal household was gone.

The dust had settled, and there was nothing but ruins and debris where Casita used to be. No sound, nothing.

Absolute and total silence.

Until two guttural, shrieking, inhumane screams ripped throughout the entire town. Screams that came from the soul, the sound was heart-breaking, distressing, saddening, unfortunate, tragic.

Those two screams came from the mothers of the children that could no longer be heard: Pepa and Julieta Madrigal.

Big, heaving, ugly sobs came from the two. They had just lost their kids, their children. They watched as their children were dragged away from them as they tried to claw their way back into the collapsing Casita. They heard them scream for them, and they didn’t make it in time.

Pepa was absolutely devastated. Her children were gone in a blink, her babies weren’t there. Dolores, Camilo, Antonio, she couldn’t hear or see them. Her sobs were big and heavy. The sun shone high in the sky in place of what would have been the worst storm the encanto would have faced, it was a lie to her. A sick, disgusting lie. Her emotions were finally being let loose. 45 years of pent up emotion were now pouring out of her. She had wished for a way to get all her emotions out, but not like this. Never like this.

Julieta clutched the ground below her, her loud wails racking her body, causing her to shake violently. The tears spilled and spilled, but she couldn’t care less about how pathetic and weak she looked at that moment. She was more worried about where her children were. Isabela, Luisa, Mirabel. Why aren’t her ninas with her, next to her? Where were they? She asked this question over and over, her cries still coming out, never seeming to end. She feared the worst.

Felíx and Agustín ran into the wreckage. They began to dig and dig, not caring about their clothes getting dirty, or their hair getting messy. They pushed aside debris, knocking over broken furniture. Where were the kids? Why weren’t they there? The husbands soon began to cry themselves, wondering where their kids were. Had they gotten buried in the wreckage?

Pepa and Julieta joined their husbands, the 4 adults screaming the names of the 6 missing children. They dug and clawed at the ruined house, leaving them with bloody fingertips and ruined nails, their blood smearing onto the broken walls. But that was the least of their worries. They need to find their ninos.

Alma also called for the children, but instead of digging, she went around the surrounding area, what would have been the back and front yard. The elderly woman clutched her shawl together tightly, more than ever before. Big tears came from her eyes, but that did not stop her from going around and calling out their names, her already raspy voice cracking. She needed to find her nietas and nitetos. She had to, for the sake of her and her children. She didn’t know what she would do if she lost any more family members far earlier than needed.

Bruno rushed from the trees and into the ruins. He may have been terrified of what his family would think of him coming back, but his love for his sobrinas and sobrinos overrode that feeling entirely. He may have been shorter than his sisters and a tad thin, but in the walls, he had to parkour across large holes and swing along support beams to evade dangerous situations. The man may have been gangly and skinny, but he did have some strength and stamina on his side, which he was happy for as he could move the debris at a much faster and efficient pace.

The other 5 noticed the estranged and lost man, but only faltered for a second to register his presence before turning back to screaming the names of the children.

Pretty soon, the town of Encanto made their way up the large hill to see the family searching. What had they been searching for, they didn’t know. But whatever it was must have been of the utmost importance as they noticed that the family was doing it frantically and were crying. And…was that Bruno?

But the more the town looked, they slowly came to a realization: Only the parents and adults were looking. Where were the children?

“Hey, where are the kids? I don’t see them,” a villager asked.

“Good question, me neither,” another answered.

“¡Oh dios mio!” A elder villager woman exclaimed.

“Senora Alina? What’s the matter?” the blacksmith, Senor Andres asked.

“Th-The children! They aren’t here!” Alina put a shaky hand over her mouth.

“Wait, you mean…Isabela, Luisa, Camilo…uh, Dolores, Mirabel and…Antonio?” Andres looked towards the Madrigals again. Alina was right, they weren’t there!

“Did they get caught in the wreckage?” A villager from the back asked.

“They must have, because not one of them is there!” one said.

“We must go help them!” Mariano ran the rest of the way, climbing the large block of wood and helping Felíx push a rather large piece of debris.

The rest of the village followed, following Mariano in looking through the broken down house. It was mostly the men helping move away large pieces while shouting the kids names, while the women (and some of the older kids) helped Alma in looking around the rest of the encanto.

The little kids and their grandparents searched the town, up and down, left and right, their little voices calling out the various names, being carried with the wind.

This continued for hours, and had yet to end. When the Madrigals had finished scouring the ruins of Casita, they met up with some of the villagers. Pepa broke down again, sobbing into her husband's chest.

“They weren’t there! Th-They weren't there! Why?!” she sobbed loudly, the villagers looking in sadness.

“No, no! W-We just have to look harder, they have to be somewhere in this place!” Julieta frantically looked around, Agustín holding her tightly.

“We’ll search the forest. Everyone split up into groups of 5 or 6. We…We must find them. We have to. Grab your lanterns and some supplies to bring along with you. If you find one of them, call out loudly.” Alma stepped forward. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were red and swollen, bloodshot from her crying helplessly for her grandchildren.

The villagers nodded. While the ones who were much too old to go search stayed back with the smaller children, the other villagers gathered their things. Candles and lanterns were lit while first aid kits, blankets, water and food were packed away in baskets.

The town and the remaining family headed towards the surrounding forest, splitting into groups and going in different directions.

They searched for hours.

From dusk to dawn and then well into the morning. They only headed back to either gather more food and supplies or check in on their children. Then it was back to the forest. They had combed through the vast greenery thrice, but never found anything.

It was dusk, 2 days after the collapse of Casita. They had been searching tirelessly for 48 hours and more, but never found anything. They had even gone through the broken down Casita, but it was no use. None of them were ever found. No bodies, none of their clothes, nothing. They had looked for even traces of them, but were met with cold nothing.

Isabela’s flowers and plants were never found. Not a trace of Dolores was there, not even her signature red bow. Despite how big and tall she was, it had seemed like Luisa was never there. Camilo’s ruana wasn’t found either. Mirabel’s glasses were nowhere to be found, despite them clearly almost slipping off of her face in the crash. And little Antonio’s red scarf he always had tied around his shoulders, had disappeared from the face of the planet.

The villagers had all gone home, saddened that they couldn’t find the 6 missing children. It had pained everyone, but they knew that the remaining Madrigals had been hit the hardest, distraught at the revelation they had unfortunately come to. They had to assume the absolute worst.

Isabela, Dolores, Luisa, Camilo, Mirabel, and Antonio Madrigal, had passed away in the collapse of La Casa Madrigal, Casita. Their bodies were never found, nor had anything linking to them before the collapse was found either.

The Madrigals were devastated. Pepa and Julieta cried like never before, their husbands Felíx and Agustín trying their best to keep themselves composed, but it was more than obviously not working. Alma had a blank look on her face, devoid of almost all emotion except for the slight dread and sadness present in her empty eyes. Bruno cried silently, tears coming from his eyes. He would open his mouth, but no sound would come out.

The family had taken refuge in one of the larger houses that was vacant, as the previous owner had moved in with another member and it was now empty. They had tried to eat, but each of them had only really managed to eat a little, not being able to finish a full plate of food. Bidding each other a quiet good night, they each went off to their rooms.

The moment Julieta had laid down onto the bed, she clutched her husband's shirt tightly, sobbing into his chest. He could only hold her back, crying into her now messy and disheveled hair.

“My babies…my poor sweet babies…”Julieta sobbed harder, shaking once again. Agustín could only whimper in response, not being able to work up any words to comfort his grieving wife. He only held on, both of them tightly in each other's grasp, not being able to let go of each other throughout the night in fear that what had happened to their children would happen to the other.

Pepa was being cradled by Felíx, who was rocking his wife back and forth while crying tears of absolute despair. Pepa was overwhelmed. For the first time in almost 5 decades, she cried her eyes out. Her sobs and calls to her absent child broke Felíx’s heart.
“Dolores…Camilo…Antonio…my ninos, where are you?” Pepa dug her face into her husband's side. “Come back…please…”

Bruno sat in the dark room, not bothering to even light a candle. He stared out the window, looking at the bright moon. He couldn’t think straight, too much was going on. He looked into his hands. Tears began to pour and pour and never stopped. Putting his head in his hands, he began to sob uncontrollably. The only time he would stop was to take in a deep breath, only to let it out in another big heavy and deep sob.

“Mi sobrinas y sobrinos…” he whispered between sobs. He had just met them, he had just gotten back. And now it’s all over.

Alma walked to sit in the chair in the corner of the room. She slumped into the chair, uncaring of her appearance now. She sunk into it, weeping silently. The woman looked at the single candle sitting on the desk in the corner. The candle. She was so caught up in keeping face, that she lost sight of what was so important to her to begin with: her familia. The woman had basically used her descendants, not caring of how they felt. Worst of all, she didn’t listen. And what did it lead to? The death of 6 precious family members. Family members that had so much to live for.

The situation was all but too familiar to Alma. “Pedro,” she finally let out a loud wail, crying into the arm of the chair. “What have I done…What have I done?!” she yelled into her arms. Because of her actions, or rather, lack thereof, she had once again lost family. Not one, not two or even three, but six. Six of her precious grandbabies. And it all added up, she had lost a total of 7 family members far too early in their lives, leaving her with only 5 others. 7 lives that were, and still are so precious to her.

Gone.

Chapter 3: It's so quiet...

Summary:

Isabela, Dolores, Luisa, Camilo, Mirabel and Antonio are in for a ride.

Chapter Text

The last thing any of the Madrigal grandkids remember was being dragged into their rooms. It was too fresh, too vivid in their minds.

They screamed and yelled, crying, trying to get Casita to stop. They yelled for their parents. But no one came back to get them. They could feel Casita’s last life pushing them into their rooms. Next thing they know, they were back in their collapsing rooms.

They barely had any time to process what was happening. The children banged on their doors, jiggling the doorknobs in a futile attempt to open the door. At the last moments of the house collapsing, they felt tired. Too tired to continue banging on the door. Too tired to shout for the parents. Too tired to do…anything. Each of the children in their own rooms respectively, fell to the floor, slumping into a small pile, while crying.

Isabela tried to use her powers, but it was no use. She looked at her room, it was falling in on itself. The flowers were wilting and her furniture was breaking. They scooted back against the door. “Is this how it ends? Is this how my life ends? I never even got to say goodbye!” her eyes welled up with tears, she started to cry. She felt sleepy. Involuntarily yawning, her cries went down to hiccups.

Why had it gone quiet? Her room was further apart. It was so loud a second ago. She laid down on the soft flowers next to her door. “So this is my last moment…” She looked around her one last time. Her room was dying, the flowers wilting. She couldn’t feel the flowers anymore. Or smell them. Her eyes closed, Isabela finally falling into a deep sleep.

Dolores gave up on opening her door and instead was hiding in her wardrobe. She shivered among the clothes, crying heavily. She could hear the things in her room breaking and falling. She clenched her eyes shut, pulling her knees to her chest as she slumped to the floor. “It’s so loud! Make it stop! I don’t wanna go!” she whimpered.

And her wish was granted. She was met with silence. But she also could not feel the warmth of the clothes or the cold of the wood she was leaning on. She couldn’t open her eyes. “It’s so quiet…mamí…papí…I’m sorry I never got to say goodbye…” she thought. Her mind shut down, and she went to sleep.

Luisa kept ramming into the door. She had to get out, she had to save the others! But she had no strength. For the first time in 15 years, she felt weak. Luisa began to cry as she rammed into the door once more. Her shoulder hurt so much. “I’m so tired…” she whispered. Her room was falling apart, the gray of the room somehow feeling so much more dark. So hard. She stumbled back, barely avoiding being hit by a vase falling from the top shelf. She sat down against the wall, finally giving up. Her arm hurt so much. Her eyes closed.

“I’ll just go to sleep. Mom, Dad, Abuela, familia…I’m sorry…I’m just so tired…” she leaned her head back, completely ignoring the debris from her room surrounding her. Once her eyes closed, it seemed as if all her other senses shut down. She couldn’t feel the pain in her arm anymore, the noises died down, and she finally felt relaxed. “Maybe this isn’t so bad…” she thought, finally relaxing, going limp.

Camilo couldn’t believe Casita would do this. As he desperately jiggled the door knob, he could hear his room breaking. The glass from his mirrors breaking, the wood from his mini stage breaking down, his furniture falling over. “I need to get out, let me out!” He continued to scream until voice was hoarse. Suddenly a large plank from the ceiling fell in front of him, followed by more, much larger ones, blocking him from the door.

He backed away, his throat was dry and eyes were watering. “I don’t wanna go! Let me go, please! I promise I’ll be good, I won’t pull any more pranks, I won’t take seconds anymore, p-please!” he fell to his knees, shaking. He whimpered some more, before finally laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. The dust falling from the crumpling supports made him close his eyes. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” he apologized over and over, before finally giving in and falling unconscious.

Mirabel was feeling around the nursery, trying to find a way out. Obviously the door was blocked. She had to get out, she had to! She held the candle, it was going out, flickering. One of the supports fell through, knocking it out of her hand and onto the ground. MIrabel jumped after it. While she did catch it, she found herself caught under some rather large debris. “No, no! I have to get out, I have to save mi familia!”

She tried to push it out of the way, but failed. She hugged the candle, trying her best to keep it lit. She could see the candle flicker before finally going out. At that moment she could hear the nursery and the rest of the Casita collapse. She also felt extremely tired. She closed her eyes, the last thing she saw was the candle.

Antonio cried, running under the broken tree in his room. He held his jaguar plushie he had picked up off the ground when it fell out of Bruno’s ruana. He held on tight, crying as he evaded the falling branches. The lights in his room were failing and he was soon left in the dark. “Mamí…Papí…Mirabel…Where are you?” he sobbed, scrunching up into a ball, as the last of his room was falling.

He had just gotten his room and gift and now it was gone! He felt so tired…”Maybe this is a really bad dream. If I go to sleep, I’ll wake up and be with mi familia!” he thought. So, holding his jaguar, he hummed a lullaby he had heard Mirabel sing to him. The room went silent all of the sudden and he couldn’t open his eyes. He fell asleep, thinking he would wake up and be with his beloved family.

The house fell. The kids were gone.

And now, they found themselves unable to see, hear or touch. Actually, all 5 of their senses seemed to have vanished. Were they asleep? Or worse, did they die? None of them could tell. Where were they?

The Madrigal grandkids' minds were somewhat active now, but they hadn’t woken up. They started to freak out, but they couldn’t find their voices nor their own body to move.

As the kids freaked out, they searched for their parents. Or maybe their Abuela? Or their tia’s and tio’s.

Parents.

Parents?

Wait…who were their parents? Did they have any? An image flashed in each of their dark visions, their parents. Was it their parents? They couldn’t remember. There was an elderly woman standing next to them. Who was that? She looks so familiar. And then man in the green. Who was that?

They could not place it. Who were these people? They were strangers.

It was so cold. It felt so cold. Where were they? Who were they?

“What is my name? Do I have one?” The kids collectively thought.

The cold, it wasn’t on their body, it was from the inside. They did not like it. They felt so small. They didn’t even know where they were. It’s like they were everywhere and nowhere. What time was it? Did time even exist?

So many questions and no answers. Maybe they didn’t need them though. Their memory was failing them, they were fading away. People’s faces were now replaced with blank nothing . Names were a miss, they couldn’t even remember their own. They could only see letters. I, D, L, C, M, A. Were those important? Did they need to know those?

Wait…letters? What is that? What is anything? Everything was…forgotten? Ugh, It’s so lonely.

It’s also very cold. Can it end? The babies didn’t like this feeling. And they couldn’t tell if they were covered in clothes or shivering. It's so uncomfortable. There was a phantom feeling where they would have felt the cold at their tiny fingertips.

The feeling of being cold.

It’s horrible.

But suddenly the children felt…warmer. But not in the sense of being in warm winter clothing, or sitting in front of a fire. More like, being wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket after being exposed to the harsh cold air.

They could hear. They could hear the strange noises. They feel the blanket that they sensed earlier. It’s nice. This feeling. It made them happy. But it was still so lonely. They wanted to be held. Loved. But not just by anyone, they wanted someone close, someone they knew.

But they couldn’t find the people. They couldn’t even see.

Open your eyes.

What?

Abre tus ojos. Open them.

Eyes? They opened their eyes. They were met with a bright light. It was very bright. When they had adjusted, they searched the area. Where are they? It felt vaguely familiar.

I want to be held. How? How do I achieve that feeling? I want to be embraced. How?

Speak.

And so they did. One of the babies emitted a sound. They weren’t entirely sure where it came from. It just happened.

With their new found senses, they could hear something coming towards them. It sounded like someone dropping something several times. It stopped. It was quiet for about 2 seconds, then they heard a creak. In came 6 people. They felt familiar. What was that stuff coming out of their…what were they called? Eyes. The babies wonder. The people touched them. Were they looking for something? They were picked up by 2 women.

D, C, and A were held by the lady with red hair and dressed in yellow. There was water coming from her head and eyes. Despite that, D, C, and A felt very warm in her embrace. The 3 being held by her liked her the best.

I, L, and M were held by the lady with soft hands and dressed in blue. She smelt like food. She gently held them close, crying while they were squashed into her chest. Despite this, they liked how warm she was. They liked her a lot.

The infants were passed to the other adults, and they took in their most dawning quirks, as they did for the women.

There was a man with black and gray curly hair, and he was dressed in yellow as well. He was very close with the lady in yellow.

There was a very tall guy with glasses and was dressed in dark blue. He liked touching the babies' faces. He hugged the warm lady in blue a lot.

The man in green had very tired eyes, but he looked so happy. He looked similar to the lady in blue and the lady in yellow.

And lastly, there was the old lady in maroon. She did not have anything coming from her eyes, but her face had a bittersweet look. She held each of the babies with a gentleness only a mother would have. She looked like the ladies in yellow and blue and the man in green.

The babies couldn’t really comprehend what was happening, but they were very happy with the fact that they had finally been held and loved.

Chapter 4: When I see you again.

Summary:

Casita is rebuilt. There are no extra doors, Only Alma's, Julieta's, Pepa's and Bruno's.

But what was that sound coming from the nursery?

Notes:

What up, chapter 3!! We finally got some answers, hopefully this clears up some confusion! I'm not gonna spoil anything, but this chapter is def gonna be a bit flufy towards the end. This is a particularly long chapter, so be ready to read!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The villagers had given the family some time to calm down, at least a little so that they could hold a conversation without breaking down into tears. After about a week, a couple villagers had come to the family. Though, only Abuela had come into the front room to speak with them.

The woman was a mess, to put it plain. She looked sleep deprived, and moved much slower than she usually did. Her eyes were empty and her face held virtually no emotion. Her hair was slightly undone, revealing her hair to be shoulder blade length. Her dress was wrinkled, and her voice always had this…edge to it. Like she was always about to break down, whether that was true or not was beyond the villagers, Alma had always been emotionally closed off to those who weren’t her family.

“Hola, Señora Alma.” one of the villagers said. Alma only nodded her head, giving a small, sad smile in acknowledgement.

“We’ve been talking with the construction crew and a couple other villagers. We’d like to rebuild Casita for you and your…familia.” He continued. Alma said nothing. “While we’re happy to let you all stay in this house, we feel like we should do something to help, in return for all that you have done for us.”

Alma closed her eyes, seeming to be in thought. When she opened them again, she showed the first emotion on her face since the fall of Casita. She had a small, barely present voice, which was drastically different from her usually commanding, leader-like voice. It was raspy, not only from her old age, but also from her countless nights crying. “That would be wonderful. We deeply appreciate the gesture, and will…try to join you in any way we can. Though, I cannot guarantee we’ll be there all the time.” She spoke.

“Of course! But, you and your family do not have to help if you feel you can’t. We…we just don’t want you all to push yourselves too much.” the villager explained. Alma only nodded again. The villager grimaced at her silent answer. “Well. We’ll be off now. Buenas noches señora. And…our deepest condolences.” He nodded, putting his hat back on and walked out, the other villagers in tow.

Alma stood up and walked back to her room, but not before listening in on her children's doors to check on them. She could hear Julieta speaking softly with Agustín, though she couldn’t make out about what. Pepa and Félix were singing a lullaby quietly; they had been doing that recently, singing old lullabies they used to sing to their own children. And last, she heard Bruno shuffling around, sniffles emitting from the man. He wouldn’t really talk to anyone, and when he did, he stuttered and they were short one sentence answers.

She walked back to her own room, sitting down in the rocking chair in the corner. She hummed the lullaby she used to hum to Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno. She also used to sing it to her grandchildren. Her precious grandbabies. She missed them. So much. So much that she could barely handle it some nights.

While the whole town had stopped mass searching, there would be the occasional search party sent out. Almost every time one of these search parties went out, one of the (remaining) Madrigals would be with them. They hadn’t found any bodies, so there was still hope, even if it was just a sliver, that the children were still alive, and they were just hiding away. Just maybe. Recently they had been trying to go out into town more often, but it wasn’t for more than about 2 hours, 10 minutes for Bruno.

She hated being like this. But more so, she hated what she did to her grandchildren. She had used and abused them, and never thought of how they felt. She had pushed Isabela into a life she never wanted. She used Dolores as a gossip machine. Luisa was overworked. Camilo shifted so much so often that he came home super tired and always hungry, it was no wonder he always got seconds or even thirds. Antonio was on the road for that life, not even a day after he got his gift, she was going to assign him to help Luisa with the donkeys. And Mirabel. Dios mio, her Mirabel. She had pushed her away, locked up her heart and threw away the key. All because she didn’t have a gift. But then again, Alma didn’t have a gift. She had a room, but no gift.

“Oh…Mirabel…” Alma was going to cry. Again. Mirabel and her shared something in common; they both don’t have a gift. Mirabel could have been the next candle holder if only she had seen it. She was so unique, she didn’t even need a gift, she was helpful regardless. Now it’s all over. Alma began to cry again, quiet weeps that filled the room. The last thing she did was yell and argue with her youngest granddaughter. She didn’t even hear her out when Mirabel stood up for the others. She was a horrible grandmother. A horrible mother.

Dawn of the next day came, and the family was finally out of their rooms again. They sat in the dining room, eating, or rather picking at the food in front of them. Senora Guzman had been cooking them food, knowing full well that Julieta was in no mood nor shape to cook, and Alma, being the only other one who could cook for a large family, wasn’t either.

“I have something to tell you all,” Alma spoke up, looking at her remaining family. They all looked at her. They looked so tired. So sad. Julieta was a mess and Agustin was virtually no different. Pepa always looked like she was on the verge of tears and panic now; Felix must have been taking it hard because the usually jovial man was now stone faced, no emotion coming through. Bruno, her Brunito, looked even more tired than usual, she knew he stayed up late, but now he was up late crying, making his eyes red and puffy. “The villagers have offered to rebuild Cas–” Alma paused. She couldn’t bring herself to name the house, it hurt too much. “The house. I will be up there occasionally helping when I can, so do not worry if I am gone for short periods of time.”

The other adults only nodded, a couple murmuring thanks to the absent townsfolk. Breakfast continued, but no one ate much of anything or spoke. Once again, there were leftovers.

Most of the rest of the family stayed indoors, meandering around, sometimes stopping to do mundane tasks such as cleaning, before walking around aimlessly or staring into nothing again, sad or empty. Alma went outside, letting out a quiet goodbye to her family, though it fell on deaf ears. She walked down the road, occasionally greeted the townspeople that waved hello or good morning. She tried her best to ignore the looks of pity. Reluctantly, she headed up the hill to see the ruins of…the house.

As she walked up, she could see people walking back and forth with wheelbarrows full of rubble like plaster, clay and bricks. Those were most likely going to be broken down to make more plaster or spackle. She noticed many carpenters and wood working men taking some broken furniture, most likely to salvage and repair what they could. It looked like they had already started construction, starting with clearing away the debris. She did not go all the way up the hill, stopping just at the base.

A villager, who she assumed was directing them along, spotted her and jogged over. “Ah, buenas noches Señora Alma. How are you doing?” He asked rather gently. From what she could remember, his voice usually was gruff and worn, a bit loud as well. But Alma could tell he had taken it down a notch, most likely not to overwhelm the already fragile old woman.

“I’ve been…better, but thank you for asking,” she smiled, but it looked faux. Empty. The man in front of her shivered ever so slightly, it was barely noticeable. Alma grabbed his hands. The man looked at her, her hands were so cold; not dead cold, but they didn’t have that motherly warmth they usually had after years of taking care of so many children. “I want to formally thank you for this kind gesture, me and my family truly appreciate this from you all.” And with that, the Madrigal matriarch left, the man only tipped his hat, heading back to the construction site behind him.

Alma was already tired, She had barely been out and she had already run out of energy. As she made her way back to her temporary house, she watched the other villagers. The adults were back to their daily lives, buying and selling items, weaving, hammering away at wood with an ax, excetra excetra. Her eyes drifted towards the group of children playing. They were no older than 7, maybe 8. They laughed happily, playing what looked to be a freeze tag match. Alma faltered.

She remembers when her grandchildren would play like that. When Dolores and Luisa would chase after Camilo and Mirabel, Isabela occasionally joined in with a baby Antonio crawling around in the grass with them. She could hear the echo of their laughter in her head. Quickly picking up her feet and walking again, she walked to the house in a moment's notice, swinging the door open and briskly walking down the hallway to her room. When she finally closed the door, she plopped down onto her bed, and put her face in her hands.

She would not cry. She would not cry. She would not–

Needless to say, she cried. Sure, not as hard as before, but she still cried, reminiscing about her now lost grandchildren.

When would they come home? They would come home right? Sure, the family hadn’t found their bodies, but that means they may still be alive! Alma saw her husband, Pedro, leave this world. She would not be able to live with herself if she watched it happen to 6 more of her precious family’ all at once no less. And if they were truly gone, they had been robbed of giving them a proper funeral. No bodies to bury, it felt so wrong.

Over the next few weeks, the villagers rebuilt the house. They had done it in a surprisingly fast amount of time as well. Occasionally, a family member would come out to help, mostly guiding to where things used to be, painting, and other general things. But they never really stuck around for long. The search parties had dwindled down to only 1 or 2 every other week at this point, but the family still went looking every other day.

When the villagers had guided the family to the newly rebuilt house, the now smaller group paused. Flinched even.

Casita. It's the house’s fault. It was it’s fault that it collapsed on their children. That it shoved the adults out and purposefully prevented them from reaching their little ones. That it purposefully pulled them into their rooms, their screams echoing in the brains of the adults. Why hadn’t it protected them like it had the adults? It was obviously capable. It would take their kids, but not them. Why? Why?
The family pushed on, ignoring that underlying feeling of dread. Each of the adults slowly put their hands on the door. With the construction crew and company watching, they pushed the double green doors open.

The house lit up and glowed gold. Just like it did 50 years ago. The magic ran throughout the house and through the village, repairing any and all cracks as if they had never been there. The ones behind them clapped. After a couple congratulations, the other villagers left, they knew it was not the best time for a party of any kind.

When the adults finally walked in, the large green doors closed automatically, signaling the sentience of Casita. They could see the candle in the window sill above Alma’s door. It burns brightly and proudly. Casita, the ever cheerful house, gave a wave with it’s shutters and tiles.

They did not react at first. But, Bruno and Felix waved back, while the others gave reluctant nods or half-waves. They looked at the second level, hoping, praying that there would be 9 or maybe even 10 glowing doors, with 6 children waiting at the top for their beloved family.

But they knew it was too good to be true.

Of course, there were only 4 glowing doors. Alma 's, Julieta' s, Pepa 's and Bruno' s. They had looked at the grandmother's door, and saw that it no longer said “Abuela”, but now just said “Alma”. That truly was what tipped the iceberg. Why would Casita and the candle do something as cruel as that? Give them false hope? Hope that their children were alive, and just lost somewhere in the thick jungle of the forest in the encanto? The parent should never outlive the child, yet Casita's caused that to happen.

The adults stood in the center of the house, holding onto each other tightly. They hadn’t come back. It was now confirmed that they were never coming back. It hit them like a boulder.

Alma held her son, who had hunched down to her height and put his face on her shoulder. She ignored the slight shaking and how her dress had started to become damp. She was too far deep in her emotions to notice. Julieta gripped Agustin’s arm like he was her lifeline, trying hard not to wail out in pain, her husband only clutching his heart tightly. Pepa already had a rain cloud drenching her and her husband. Her face scrunched up, she didn’t cry, but her cloud did. Felix could not comfort his wife, he had been trying for almost a month now. Bruno was just quietly weeping into his mothers shoulder.

They stood there for a while. Eventually everyone calmed down (although Pepa’s cloud was still raining down hard). They either stared at each other, the second floor, or the candle. Suddenly, Casita started flipping it’s tiles. The family ignored it at first. But the action started to become more rapid, desperate even. Casita tried to push the family towards the stairs, as if trying to guide them to something.

“Casita…” Julieta began, voice hoarse from crying and not being used very often. “What are you doing?” She asked, a bit of anger in her voice. Casita stopped all movements, as if it was hesitating somehow.

A sound. Small. Almost unheard. But they heard it. And all of them could recognize that sound from a mile away.

It was a baby’s cry.

Everyone’s head snapped towards the nursery.

“No way…” Bruno whispered.

Turning their heads back to Alma’s door, it glowed brightly before settling down. Now, it said “Abuela”, just like it did when Julieta first found out she was with child.

In a flash, the adults were clambering up the stairs, practically tripping over themselves and each other to get to the nursery. When they finally got to the door, they just stood in front of it. No one went to make a move. This continued for a minute, until finally, Julieta went to the door. She took in a deep breath, and put her hand on the doorknob. With bated breath, the family watched the door open. At first they saw nothing. But looking down, they saw 6 bundles of blankets. And in those blankets, were babies.

Julieta, Agustin, Pepa and Felix were the first ones in the room, skidding on the carpet and stopping right in front of them. They look at the infants, whose eyes are wide open with wonder and maybe even glee? Julieta and Pepa got closer, touching who they presumed to be their children.

Pepa touched the baby in the yellow blanket's hair. Coiled, just like Felix’s. Moving on to the one in the orange blanket, she could see his dark copper brown hair and his freckles. She started to tear up, but not from sadness, from joy. She finally looked towards the one in the red blanket, she had slightly out turned ears and wide eyes. Pepa cried, picking up the three and holding them close to her chest. Her clouds were raining but there was also a rainbow hidden behind those clouds. Felix dropped down next to her, hugging all four of them tightly.

Meanwhile, Julieta was looking at her babies. The one in the purple blanket had straight hair, like Agustin’s, and also had his flat nose. The baby in the indigo blanket had wavy hair and her face was squared ever so slightly. And last but not least, the baby in the teal blanket had curly hair that framed her face, and her cheeks were chubby, she looked almost exactly like Julieta did when she was a baby. She leaned down and held them closed, the babies only blinking in return as the woman sobbed into their blankets.

“They’re back…They’re here!” Julieta hiccuped, never taking her eyes off of her 3 daughters.

Alma, Agustin and Bruno joined them on the floor, forming a circle. They stared at the babies in awe. It really was them. ¡Dios Mio! They were back! After about 5 minutes of crying and hugging, Julieta and Pepa passed the babies onto their other members.

Felix smiled widely at his children. He could finally be happy again. Truly happy. Dolores, Camilo, Antonio; All three of them were here! He hugged them tightly, kissing them many times, earning giggles in return. When he looked at his sobrinas, he was just as happy. He was nuzzling into their faces, he never wanted to let go.

Agustin adjusted his glasses, staring at his daughters. They had really come back. For the first time in almost a month and a half, he smiled, laughed even. “Ay, mi pequeños…” he touched their faces, taking in their features. It had been years, decades since he last saw his little ones as babies. Taking Dolores, Camilo and Antonio, he bounced them happily, squishing their cheeks with fondness.

Bruno sat in front of them in utter disbelief. He held them two at a time, and each time he got a little more happy. He visibly relaxed for once, breathing out a deep sigh while laughing and crying lightly. The babies stared at him in curiosity rather than wariness or fear. He only stared back with absolute and utter joy, smiling like a maniac.

When Alma came to hold them, she held them all at once’ she had been caring for babies for almost 60 years, so this feat was not out of the ordinary for her. Her arms holding their heads up as they looked up at her. She held them to her chest, tightly gripping their blankets and rocking them with her body. When she finally set them back down onto the rug, the family still continued to coo at the infants.

They were back, They finally came. Sure, they were babies, but that made it all the better! They could start over, raise them right! They lived in the present, but they were gifted with the knowledge of their past mistakes. This time they would not mess up. They would make sure that these precious babies were raised right and loved their entire lives.

“So…They came back, thank God, but…” Bruno scratched his head, throwing salt and sugar over his shoulder. “They’re babies. I’ve never had any kids of my own and none of us have cared for 6 babies at once.”

It was silent as everyone took in what Bruno said. Then chaos. Wind blowing violently. Everyone was panicking. No one knew how to care for 6 children at once, let alone babies! There was so much that could go wrong, they could get hurt! What if they ran off again, oh dios mio, none of the adults would be able to handle an event like that.

Alma spoke up, her voice bringing attention to her from the others. “Wait! We need to calm down and think this through,” she said, she grabbed Pepa’s hand and squeezed it, her daughter taking in deep slow breaths to calm down and get rid of the wind before something flew and it was one of their precious babies. Everyone else follows, calming themselves and turning their attention to Alma.

“Mama, what do we do? None of us have done this before! We’ve all had kids individually, which was fine, because by the time their siblings were born, we could have them play with one of their older kids. But now, they’re all the same age,” Julieta spoke, gesturing to the babies still laying in the middle.

“Well, I had 3 babies and I managed to raise you all myself. There are 6 of them, and 6 of us. We can do this. It may take a while to adjust, but we can do this.” Alma explained gently, her statement relieving the adults slightly.

She was right. They were all 6 grown folks who had experience in childcare, so of course they could care for 6 babies. But it wasn’t going to be easy, they knew that. Starting over was not something a person could do often, and when they did, it usually wasn’t easy. But they could do this, they were the Madrigals. And as long as they had their precious babies, they were happy to do this a thousand more times.

Notes:

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! This one is long, that's why it took me a bit longer to get it out. But it's worth it, I love seeing the love you guys give and I'm so glad you love this story! Don't forget to check out the original creator. See you next time with another chapter.

Chapter 5: The Plan.

Summary:

The Madrigals get their things together and prepare to raise the babies right this time!

Notes:

What up, chapter 4!! I got chapter 4, finally! Sorry it took me so long, this week was the week before spring break started, so I was trying to get my missing assignments and last of my school works done. So, for you all, I got another 3000+ word chapter ;)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“So first off, they don’t look older than 2, maybe 3 months old? So, we won’t have to worry about them moving much anytime soon, they can probably barely even hold their own heads up.” Fèlix said, poking Antonio’s cheek.

“Wait…” Pepa unraveled Dolores from her blanket. She wasn’t wearing clothes. Only a diaper. The other adults followed, examining the children. All of them only had diapers. “We need to get them clothes! They’ll get too cold this way, this isn’t safe!”

“All of their clothes were destroyed when their rooms went down, and any that were in storage were unsalvageable,” Alma sighed. “But, we might be able to buy some from the town, and I could sew and knit them some clothes,” she clapped her hands together. She remembers when she used to knit them little socks and hats, dressing them up in cute little clothes that sometimes matched their parents.

“I can go out and get some baby supplies, what do we need?” Fèlix said, quickly grabbing a pencil and some spare paper that was sitting on the dresser; he’d have to thank the villagers for that later.

“Well obviously clothes. Just some one pieces’, maybe 2 or 3 for each of them? Oh, and diapers too!” Pepa started.

“I can go with you, we need to pick up some cribs since the others we used to have were destroyed. We can worry about high chairs when they're older. I’ll grab some bottles and pick up some milk as well.” Agustín said, Fèlix jotting down everything.

“Can you pick up some baby soaps and lotions too? They’ve all had pretty sensitive skin when they were babies, especially Antonio and Luisa. I don’t want any of them to break out when we bathe them.” Julieta said, sighing at the memory of each of the babies breaking out at least once in infancy due to the rough bars of soap.

“Is that all?” Fèlix stood up, Agustín following

“Yes. Make sure you take the wagon that’s on the side of Casita, I don’t want you both overworking yourselves by carrying all that stuff.” Alma said, pointing a finger at the two. Bruno smiled at this, he was happy his mother was actively trying to change her ways. “We’ll stay here with the little ones and maybe try to figure out more about this situation. Please be back by nightfall, I don’t want the little ones away from their fathers for too long,” Alma continued, caressing Mirabel’s cheek.

The two men gave a thumbs up and a smile before heading out. After attaching the wagon to a donkey (that had been roaming around, again.) They headed towards town. As they walked, Agustín spoke up. “So…what do you think caused all this to happen?” he said, guiding the donkey down the hill.

Fèlix looked up at the sky, deep in thought. “Honestly? I don’t know. But what I do know is, I’m happy. That they’re back. I don’t know what I would’ve done if this didn’t happen.”

Agustín nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I know I was just so…out of it. I couldn’t focus, I could eat, I barely slept.”

“Same here. I felt so bad because I just couldn’t think straight, and Pepa cried for days. And I couldn’t do anything.” Fèlix and Agustín, stayed silent for a moment, thinking back to how just a few days ago they couldn’t do anything. Fèlix quickly waved it off, not wanting to sour the mood already. “But anyway! We got them back now, and I couldn’t be more happy! Now, let’s go get some baby things!” He said, pointing off to the town, Agustín laughing and following behind him.

Alma watched as her daughters held their children, smiling and cooing at them just like they did so long ago.

“Oh my little Doll, you're just as cute as I remember. And little Camilo and Antonio, my pequeños hijos,” Pepa said, laying on her stomach while patting her babies.

“Ah, Mirabel, look at your cute little curls, and Isabela’s eyes, and Luisa’s little nose,” Julieta cooed, snuggling them tightly.

Bruno smiled, he loved seeing her sisters so happy, and he loved seeing sobrinas and sobrinos just as much. Julieta looked up at Bruno, smiling. “Do you want to hold one of them?” she asked her brother, who quickly snapped out of his cuteness trance at her question.

“R-Really?” He said, pointing at himself. Julieta nodded, and at this point, Pepa was picking up Camilo while Julieta picked up Luisa. The two women handed the babies to Bruno, who carefully held them and caressed their heads gently.

Bruno smiled down at the babies, who stared at him in wonder. “It’s been a while, huh?” he rubbed his stubble ridden cheeks on each of their soft, to which Luisa sneezed and Camilo scrunched up his nose.

“Here, Mama, you hold Mirabel,” Julieta handed the elder her youngest, while Pepa handed her Dolores.

Alma held them in each of her arms, a warm look on her face. She had missed this. Holding her baby grandchildren, them looking up at her with so much fascination. She rocked the two in her hold, closing her eyes. Pepa and Julieta had switched babies, so Pepa had Isabela and Julieta had Antonio. Both were squealing softly in delight at how cute the two were. Bruno was bouncing Camilo and Luisa lightly, muttering about how much he loved them and the others.

Eventually the 4, although reluctantly, set the babies down to give them some space to breathe. Pepa leaned on her hand, laying her side next to her three children, while Julieta sat cross legged in front of hers, Bruno and Alma were sitting across from them.

“So…How do you think all of this happened?” Bruno said, idly playing with Isabela’s blanket.

The other 3 thought for a moment, trying to think of possible answers. “Maybe it has something to do with the magic? Maybe it brought them back, like it did Casita,” Julieta reasoned. At the mention of its name, Casita fluttered it’s shutters.

“So it does have something to do with the magic coming back?” Alma asked. Casita paused before flipping 2 tiles, an old way of saying yes. Alma thought deeply, that narrowed it down. “Did…Did you bring them back?” She asked the house. Casita paused once more, then flipped 1 tile, which meant no.

“Was it the candle?” Pepa asked. 2 tiles. “Is there a reason?” She continued. Several tiles clattered, indicating the house didn’t know.

Bruno sighed. “Well, we know they were brought back, but we don’t know why.” he said, running a hand through his tangled curls.

“We’ll figure it out soon Brunito, we just have to be patient. Why don’t we just enjoy our time with the little ones, hm?” Alma said, smiling at her son. Bruno nodded, and the 4 adults soon began to coo and fuss over the 6 babies again, happy that they were back.

Agustín and Fèlix had finally gotten a hold of 6 cribs. They had to go to 3 different carpenters, and had to stop by a special shop so they could get small enough mattresses for the beds. It had been quite the hassle, but they knew it was worth it for their little ones. Agustín loaded the last one into the cart. “Alright, what’s the last thing? I know you went to get the lotions and soaps when I went to get the milk so that leaves…?” he said, dusting his hands off.

Fèlix pulled out the list from his pocket and examined it for a second. “We need…some baby clothes! Pepa had suggested we get some onesies, so we’ll stop by Señora Valeria, I know she has some in her shop!” he said, folding the paper up and shoving it in his pocket. Agustín gave a thumbs up, guiding the donkey and cart into town with Fèlix right behind.

They had failed to notice the few townsfolk who watched them leave, worry and sadness present on their faces.

“Why do you think they bought those cribs?” one asked. “They don’t have any babies staying there…do they?” She asked hesitantly.

“No, it was just the adults. I think they may be in shock from the event and are panic buying baby things to cope…” Another sighed.
The two men finally made it to the seamstresses shop. After tying up the donkey, They headed inside, and were greeted by the owner herself, Valeria.

“Hola, welcome to Valeria’s, were we meet your–” she stopped abruptly to see Fèlix and Agustín. “Fèlix ? Agustín you’re—Ah, I mean, w-welcome! What can I do for you fine gentleman today?” She asked, leaning over the counter.

“We’re looking to buy some baby clothes.” Fèlix said, looking around the shop.

Valeria flinched slightly, but nonetheless, stood and walked towards the shelfs housing the baby clothes. “Are you buying some for someone in the village?” She asked, pulling out a couple pieces of clothing. Fèlix and Agustín exchanged looks, looking a bit uncomfortable. Agustín shifted while Fèlix shook his head no.

“We…Were buying baby stuff and…” he paused. “We don’t want to talk about it, sorry. Can we just buy some onesies? 12 please,” he said, turning his head slightly.

Valeria looked at the two worried before turning back to the shelf and shuffling through the onesies. “What size? Oh, and any specific colors?” she said.

“12 please, 2 in blue, 2 in dark purple, 2 in indigo, 2 in red, 2 in orange and 2 in yellow. All sizes should be for 2 or 3 months, por favor,” Augustin said. Valeria only nodded, grabbing the onesies in the colors and sizes she asked for. Folding them neatly and putting them in 2 bags.

“650 pesos, por favor,” she said, closing the bags tightly. Agustín handed the women the money, grabbing the bags and waving her goodbye, Fèlix doing the same. Valeria waved them goodbye, smiling brightly. When she was sure they had left her shop, she wandered towards the back, sitting down in the chair where she was working on another commission. She was a kind, understanding woman, just like her husband. And that had never changed, especially after what happened to the elder Madrigals. She had been there along with Ms. Guzman, helping them get it together. But now she was worried; why had the two Madrigal men bought baby clothes? And from what she saw outside on the cart, cribs and other baby things. And from what she knew no one had a baby recently.

Valeria thought back to how depressed they had been after Casita fell and they lost their children. Gasping softly, she put a hand over her mouth. Had they been impulse buying baby things to cope with the fact that they had lost their children?

__

Agustín and Fèlix walked back to Casita, happy that they could finish their list before sundown. Fèlix took the donkey back to its pen while Agustín went inside with some of the bags, and to the nursery. He saw the other 4 playing with the babies, and he smiled at the sight. Julieta noticed her husband enter and stood up to greet him, giving him a kiss. "Hola amor, did you finish the list?" She asked, taking the bags.

"Yup! There are a couple bags out, but I think Fèlix is bringing them inside. I came up here to ask if you all could take the babies downstairs while me and Fèlix bring the cribs up here." Agustín said, gesturing to the door.

"Oh, of course!" Julieta smiled, kissing her husband again. Pepa and Alma grabbed Dolores Antonio, Luisa and Mirabel while Julieta grabbed Camilo and Isabela and they headed downstairs. Bruno followed Agustín to the courtyard where Fèlix was waiting with a cart full of cribs and baby mattress. As they carried the first two up, Bruno piped up.

"So how did you guys find 6 cribs on such short notice?" He asked, pushed the object through the nursery door and put it in place.

"Ah, it took us a while and it wasn't easy. We had to go to 3 different carpenters and the special shop up the road to the mattresses." Fèlix explained.

"Really? I assumed you might have had trouble finding some, but I didn't think it'd be that bad." Bruno pushed another crib into the room. "B-But I saw you guys got the other stuff. Did…Did anyone ask questions?"

Fèlix sighed. "Sí, Señora Valeria did. You remember her, right?"

"Ah, the seamstress we used to hang out with when we were younger? Yeah, yeah, her husbands a blacksmith or something like that," Bruno grabbed two of the mattresses and walked up the stairs. "What did she ask?"

"She asked who we were buying the baby's clothes for. We didn't tell her.em for. We hadn’t told her who, and she didn’t push, thankfully.” Agustín leaned against the dresser, looking up. “We should talk to Abuela about this, because I don’t want to constantly be under pressure from the villagers.”

“We’ll ask mama, let's head downstairs. We’ll set up the beds later. For now, we need to get some other stuff situated.” Bruno sighed. The 3 walked out of the nursery and downstairs to the dining room where the women were holding the now dressed, sleeping babies and talking quietly.

“Did you guys finish bringing the cribs in?” Alma smiled.

“Ah yes, we did. We planned on setting up the beds later, but if you want, we can set them up now.” Agustín sat down, the other 2 following close behind.

“No, it's ok,” Pepa rocked Dolores and Camilo, smiling. “Me and Julieta decided that we should have them sleep in our rooms for a while before we move them to the nursery.”

“We actually wanted to talk about something,” Fèlix leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.” While me and Agustín were out buying the clothes, Señora Valeria asked us who we were buying the clothes for. I brushed it off and we left pretty quickly, but I’m sorta worried. What do we do if the others start asking why we’re buying so much baby stuff, and all at once no less?”

The adults hadn’t thought of that. It must have looked suspicious when the 2 Madrigal men were out buying baby supplies while looking all giddy and happy. And it was only a matter of time before they had to go back out to buy more.

Alma finally spoke up after a couple seconds. “I think it’s best we keep this a secret for a while. We’ll limit going out so that not only can we watch over the little ones and adjust to all this, but we’ll also have to try our best not to mention them. I think it’ll be best if Me, Bruno, Agustín or Fèlix go out to buy the things. Pepa and Julieta may draw more attention.”

“But we’ll have to tell the townsfolk eventually, I mean we can’t keep them inside forever…”. Pepa had a cloud forming slowly, to which Fèlix swatted them away.

“Yes, I’m aware,” Alma sighed. “We’ll keep them away from the villagers for now though. Maybe when they start crawling around and such we can introduce them again.”

Julieta nodded. “I think that’ll be for the best. But…about the gifts…what’ll we tell the little ones?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t even mention the gifts until they’re about 3, when they’ll be able to understand the concept of it better.” Bruno said. “We weren’t able to salvage their ceremony photos, or really any photos. Really only mine, Pepa’s, and Julieta’s, but…maybe that’s a good thing. We’ll put any photos that contain their older selves away, and start over with those as well.”

“That’ll work. I mean we’ll cross that line when we get there, but for now, we’ll try not to focus on that. We have a chance to start over and we’re going to do it right. And that goes for the rest of you as well. Julieta, I won’t have you cooking for the entire village everyday. Only 4 or 5 days, but you must take at least 2 days off in between that. Pepa, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always here. Let out your emotions whenever you feel like it. All I ask is that if you know it may cause an intense storm, let me know in advance or go to your room, I don’t want any harm to come to you all, especially the little ones.” She said,

Julieta and Pepa smiled. “Gracias, mamá,” Julieta whispered.

Alma nodded and smiled back. “Agustín, Fèlix, you both will not be working dawn to dusk either, you take breaks as well. And Bruno, you don’t have to give visions to certain people if you don’t want to, you can say no. If they pressure you, tell them to come to me.” Bruno looked surprised at first, but happily accepted.

“I should have done this so long ago,” Alma looked around them, a sorrowful look on her face. She glanced at each of the babies. “I hope you all can come to forgive me, even if it takes a century. I’m always open to each of you, don’t be afraid to ask me for anything.” She handed Agustín and Fèlix their respective children. “Ms. Guzman came by while you two were away and left some food. We’ll eat and then I want you all in bed. It’s been a long day and I have a feeling it’s going to be an even longer one tomorrow.” She chuckled.

Alma came back into the room with the dinner Ms. Guzman prepared, helping everyone with their plates. Dinner passed by rather quickly, and this time, there were very little leftovers. As they were about to head off to their rooms, she kissed the foreheads of her grandchildren and bid her children goodnight.

Bruno walked into his room, expected sand everywhere as usual. But when he walked in, he saw the room had changed slightly. It was a bit smaller and there was a lot less sand and stairs. He could see off in the corner he had a separate area for his bed that had been shielded from the sand. He cheered internally at that, he already had enough trouble sleeping, but it was worse when he couldn’t get the seemingly infinite sand out of his bed. As he laid down, he finally fell asleep for the first time in a month, thinking of his sobrinas and sobrinos.

Julieta and Agustín got dressed for bed and laid down in bed together, their 3 kids in between them, snoring away without a care in the world. The two parents hold them close, their babies warm in their hold.

Pepa and Fèlix settled into bed, carefully setting their sleeping children in between them. The couple smiled at each other, the first smile they had seen from each other in a while. Holding the small hands of their babies, they fell asleep with the same smiles on their faces.

Alma laid in her bed, holding her locket of Pedro to her chest. “Pedro…We can start over. I’m going to fix my mistakes while I can, I promise you. I wish you were here to meet them…” She kissed the locket and finally closed her eyes, awaiting tomorrow where she’ll finally raise her 6 grandchildren right, and fix her past mistakes.

That night, the candle burned a little brighter and Casita felt a little more alive.

Notes:

Hope y'all like this chapter! Ending is kinda cheesy, but shhhhh, I really didn't know how else to end it. Next chapter we'll get the adults spending time with the babies <3

Chapter 6: And then there was 6.

Summary:

Alma, Julieta and Pepa spend some time with the babies while Felix, Bruno and Agustin set up the nursery. At lunch, they have some family time together.

Notes:

What up, we got chapter 5, lets goooooo!! This one is more of a fluff chapter and the 3 madrigal men setting up the nursery. I wanted to get Mirabel smiling at Alma (kinda like she's forgiving her??? ohhh lore). I hope y'all like this little chapter, sorry it took so long to get out! Next chapter we'll get Abuela going to the market and starting on her sewing project. This will be on AO3 in about 5 minutes, so keep an eye out there!

By the way, here are the translations:

“Hola mi vida, ¿cómo estás?”- "Hello my love, how are you?"

“¡Niños, el desayuno está listo!” - "Kids/Children, breakfast is ready!"

"...¿Cómo?" - "...Why?/How come?"

“Mi pequeños nubes,” - "My little clouds,"

"...¿Qué significa eso?" - "...What does that mean?"

"...mi pequena mariposa!" - "...my little butterfly!"

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Julieta stirred, eyes cracking open to see her room ceiling. She adjusted her position, turning to see her husband, the man snoring peacefully. She was about to touch his hair when she looked down and saw 3 babies in between them, sleepy just as peacefully. A wide smile grew on her face as she stretched her reach across them, her arm resting on their blankets. After sitting and just enjoying their company, she quietly called her husband's name.

“Agustín…” she whispered. The man was a relatively light sleeper, so he cracked his eyes open and saw the blur that was his wife. He smiled, happy to see her.

“Hola mi vida, ¿cómo estás?” he said quietly.

“Soy, buena,” she said back. Agustín turned to his bedside and put on his glasses. When he saw the babies next to him, he broke into the same smile Julieta was wearing. He put his arm over them, so it overlapped with Julieta’s.

“It wasn’t a dream,” he said, voice cracking a bit. “They’re really back,” he pulled himself closer, the 3 babies squashed between their parents, still sleeping.

“Yes, it’s real,” Julieta looked down at hija’s, her face softening. “And we’ll be able to love them even more than before. Both me, you, and the others.” With her free hand, she grabbed Agustín’s, looking at her daughters and husband lovingly. She would get ready in a minute. One more minute.


Pepa was sleeping peacefully, next to her husband, snoring quietly. She turned in her sleep, but when she settled down again, she was met with something weighing down in front of her and some kind of warmth. But it was a rather small weight, and it felt nothing like her husband. Opening her eyes slowly she looked across the bed and saw her husband. But when she looked down slightly, she was the 3 babies that had caused her to stir.

Pepa gasped in shock before scooting closer in delight as she touched each of her childrens’ blankets. “Mi pequeños nubes,” she said, staring at her babies in happiness. She shifted so that she was laying on her side, her head resting on a pillow. She looked up at her husband, who was still sound asleep. She reached over and poked his shoulder, to which he moved slightly. Chuckling, she kept poking his shoulder until he finally woke up.

“Mmmmm? Pepi, is that you?” he said in a tired voice, eyes still closed.

“Yes, it is,” Pepa giggled.

“What’s up?” he said, lying on his back, eyes still shut.

“Your ninos want to say hi,” That had gotten his attention. His eyes snapped open as she flipped to face his wife and children. Seeing his babies washed away all of his fatigue. He watched them sleep, their small chubby faces causing Fèlix to coo at them.

“Ay, I’m so relieved,” he sighed, looking at the babies, then his wife. “I will admit, I am a bit scared but…I’m more than willing to do this again.”

Pepa nodded in agreement. “Same here. Our little ones…I can’t believe they went so long feeling the way they did. But now we can start again. Y’know. Make them feel happy."

The two bring themselves closer so that their babies are pressed together cheek to cheek, Pepa grinning wildly at their cuteness while Fèlix laughs.


Eventually, the 2 couples got up, although reluctantly, to get dressed. With each of the parents picking up their children, they left their rooms, meeting in the hallway near the stairs.

“Awwww, look at my adorable little sobrinas,” Fèlix said, cooing while holding Camilo and Antonio. Julieta smiled, nodding in happiness.

“But look at Dolores, Camilo and Antonio, they’re so chubby and cute,” Agustín happily replied. Both fathers spent at least 5 minutes complementing each other's children, making it a competition. Pepa and Julieta just laughed and giggled with each other. Bruno came out of his room a bit after, confused at the two men complimenting the children. He walked up and stood next to his sisters, taking Mirabel from Julita while she held Isabela.

“What’s going on?” he said, chuckling at how silly the two men looked, the babies in their arms looking at their fathers in confusion.

“Well, Fèlix had started complimenting Isabela, Luisa and Mirabel, and Agustín started complimenting Dolores, Camilo and Antonio, and then it escalated from there.” Pepa giggled. “They’ve been going on for a while now.”

After a minute more of watching the 2 men, they heard a voice from down stairs, silencing them and catching everyone’s attention.

“¡Niños, el desayuno está listo!” Alma yelled from down in the dining room.

“Mama cooked breakfast? But she hasn’t done that in…” Pepa trailed off. When was the last time mama had cooked for them?

“Did she just call us niños…?” Fèlix muttered.

Did she?

No one said anything or moved before Alma called them again.

“¿Niños?” She said again. The adults snapped out of their trance, making their way down the stairs.

“Coming!” Bruno called, jogging down the stairs along with the others. They came into the dining room, seeing alma set their plates out.

“There you all are, I was worried you weren’t up yet. I heard some talking in the hallway, what were you going on about?” Alma said, grabbing her plate.

“Ah, Fèlix and Agustín were trying to see who could throw out the most compliments,” Julieta chuckled. Alma smiled, happy that her son-in-laws were so happy. She quickly made herself a plate, setting it down and grabbing Camilo so Fèlix could make his plate easier. Everyone had eventually made their plates, settling down to eat, one baby resting in each of the adults arms.

“So, what do you think we should do today?” Bruno asked, shifting his hold on Mirabel so she was more comfortable.

“Well me and Agustín were thinking of setting up the rest of the nursery and maybe doing some repainting,” Fèlix said, biting into some eggs. “Wow, Abuela, these are good.” He said.

“Gracias,” Alma said smiling. “And I think that’s a wonderful idea. Me, Pepa and Julieta can watch over the children while you both work. Bruno, do you wanna join us?” she asked, looking at Bruno.

Bruno thought for a second. “I think I’ll join Agustín and Fèlix with the nursery,” Bruno took another bite of food. I was thinking we could take the babies to the backyard to eat lunch. It’s facing away from the village, so no one will see us. And I doubt we’ll get any visitors.”

“Ah, that sounds good, then.” Alma said. “Now, let’s finish up breakfast, hm?”

Everyone continued to eat when a couple of the babies started squirming and whining.

“Hm, what’s the matter Isabela?” Julieta worriedly said, shifting it so she was facing the small infant.

Alma held the whining Camilo, standing up and walking into the kitchen. The adults watched the door as they heard her rustling around the kitchen. She came out with a basket full of something, baby still in arm. The others turned their heads in confusion.

“Mama, what are you…?” Pepa mumbled, rocking Dolores in an attempt to calm her down.

Alma passed 6 bottles around to the adults. Upon further inspection, the bottles each had a name etched into the glass. The names of the children. The bottles were full of milk, presumably goats or oat milk, since they were too young for cow’s milk.

“Is this…milk?” Agustín picks up the bottle. A second later it hit him. “Oh, we forgot to feed them! No wonder they’re so fussy!” He exclaimed. The others nodded in understanding, taking the bottles and beginning to feed the children.

“I can’t believe I forgot,” Pepa sighed, putting the bottle in Dolores’ mouth.

“It’s quite alright,” Alma chuckled. She shifted Camilo to the side, still holding the bottle to his mouth. She smiled softly, looking between the adultes. “It’s been years since any of you have cared for children, there’s no need to be ashamed.”

Pepa and Julieta nodded, setting the bottles down. They were happy to see their mother so forgiving. If they were to be honest, they were afraid they would be apprehended. Before, she was always so…uptight. She might have been kind for the most part (in her own way,) she could be a bit abrasive with her words, whether it be intentional or not.

“Si, mama. I understand.” Pepa said softly. Everyone eventually finished up feeding the children, them happily looking around the room and at their parents whenever they spoke.

Agustín and Fèlix handed Antonio and Luisa to their mothers while Bruno passed Mirabel to Alma.

“Welp, we better get started on the nursery if we want to finish before lunch. We’ll be upstairs in there if you need any of us.” Agustín said, leaning down to kiss Julieta. Fèlix kissed Pepa goodbye and left with Bruno and Agustín, the 3 waving to their other family later.

As the 3 men made their way to the nursery in comfortable silence. Bruno opened the nursery door, the other 2 following him in as they stepped into the room. It was pretty empty. There were the 6 cribs that Fèlix and Agustín had brought in before, and the mattresses in them. Aside from that, the only other furniture was the dresser vanity, a rocking chair, and a closet. The village had donated some sheets and blankets, but they could work on that later.

“Hey look, Casita put some paint and paint brushes in here,” Fèlix pointed out, grabbing the paint can settled on the floor. It was green paint, similar to what was used before. Taking a look at the walls, he found that they were blankets. Before they had letters and small designs on them, but now they were blank green walls.

“I guess we can start on the painting then,” Agustín chuckled. The Madrigal man placed some old cloth around the floor, rolled up their sleeves and began to paint the design from before onto the wall.

“So, what are we gonna do about the other stuff?” Bruno said, dipped his paintbrush into paint before carefully placing lines on the wall. “I-I mean it’s not a problem now, but I know that they were all pretty interested in toys as babies. A-And we don’t have a toy box…or toys.”

“We can always buy another toybox, and Me, you or Fèlix could go buy some toys. We’ll start off small. I think maybe once we introduce them to the village again, we’ll be able to buy more toys,” Agustín said.

“That makes sense…but I’m also worried about clothes.” Bruno said, wiping paint off of his hands.

“We can always buy more,” Fèlix replied.

“Yeah, but as they get older we’ll have to buy them more clothes a-and we might run out of room,” Bruno was interrupted when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

“Bruno, hermano, chill. We got this. We'll cross that line when we get there.” Fèlix pointed his paintbrush at the wall. “For now, why don’t we just worry about finishing the nursery before lunch?” he chuckled. Bruno nodded, and went back to painting the wall, not before tossing some salt and sugar over his shoulder. He felt like he was in for a long (enjoyable) ride.


Alma, Julieta and Pepa took the 6 babies into the living area, where blankets had already been set out. They set the babies down, situating them so they were in a small little cluster.

“Awww, look at them, they’re so cute,” Pepa said, putting her face in her hands as she swayed.

“Indeed,” Alma said. She watched as her mothers giggled with each other as they played with the babies.

“Mama, look, Mirabel is looking at you!” Julieta called out. Alma leaned forward a bit, looking at Mirabel. Just like her daughter had said, little Mirabel was looking at her grandmother. Alma stared back, a smile gracing her face.

“Hola nieta, how are you?” Alma said, picking her up. Mirabel only stared back.

Then her face had a smile. Mirabel smiled. At her Abuela. Alma sat shocked, cradling the infant.

“Awww, hold on, let me get the camera!” Pepa ran off and about 20 seconds later she was back with a camera. “Say cheese!”

Alma looked at Mirabel before smiling as well. Pepa snapped a picture, squealing about how cute it was going to look. Julieta joined in on her squealing, although a bit less excited. Alma loved seeing her daughters be so excited over things like this, she hadn’t seen them so happy together in a while. Looking back at Mirabel, the baby had stopped smiling (much to her dismay), she still gleefully looked at her abuela.

Setting the infant back down, she looked over the other children. They were each looking at their mothers or tias, depending on who was talking. Taking a closer look, she saw their clothes. Their diapers had been changed and they were now wearing the simple one pieces that Agustín and Fèlix had bought the day before. Each of the onesies were the children's old respective colors: A deep purple for Isabela, Indigo for Luisa, Teal for Mirabel, Red for Dolores, Orange for Camilo, and Yellow for Antonio.

Abuela looked up at her daughters. She remembered when she used to make them little outfits when they were infants, sewing for hours. She loved making them little dresses and giving Bruno nice outfits ranging in different styles.

“Casita, I have a question,” Alma asked. A tile from the floor next to her clicked, indicating it was listening. “How old are they? Do you know?” Alma asked. She watched the house pause for a moment. A couple seconds later, 3 tiles flipped.

Alma cocked her head curiously. “3 tiles? ¿Qué significa eso?” she asked.

“I think that’s 3 months,” Julieta pointed out, raising her head. Casita flipped its tiles, meaning she was right.

“Oh, what’s today?” Pepa asked.

“August 13,” Alma said. “Why, does that mean something?”

“Yup,” Pepa thought for a second. “They’re all 3 months old. They were brought back yesterday, August 12th. So, if they’re 3 months old, and it was August 12th yesterday, then that means that their birthday should fall on…” Pepa leaned towards her mother.

“May 12th,” Alma smiled. Their birthday was May 12th. “Casita, is that correct?” The house cluttered it's tiles in glee, meaning Pepa was correct.

“Casita, do they all share the same birthday?” Pepa asked. Casita flipped 2 tiles. “That’s gonna be a lot of cake,” Pepa laughed, nudging her sister. Julieta playfully slapped her arm, earning a laugh from the woman. The sun was shining brightly and there was a rainbow.

Alma grabbed the camera, the two laughing women not noticing. She took a picture of the two laughing, the rainbow above their heads as their children looked at them with happiness. When the photo developed, Alma looked at it. She was definitely framing this one.

Fèlix , Agustín and Bruno were standing in the doorway, drinking water. They had finally finished painting, and were waiting for the paint to finish. Casita opened a window so it could air out.

“The paints almost finished drying,” Fèlix said, drinking the rest of his water. “Where should we put the cribs? We’ve never had 6 in here at one time, usually there was only 1 or 2.”

“I-I was thinking we could place 3 on each side of the room. Isabela, Luisa and Mirabel can go to the right side, while Dolores, Camilo and Antonio can go on the left.” Bruno pointed to the large empty spaces in the room. “That way, if we ever need to care for one of them should they start crying, it’ll be easier to tell who’s, uh, crying.”

“That could work,” Fèlix said, nodding his head.

“Oh, and we could put the dresser on the other side of the wardrobe, next to the rocking chair,” Agustín pointed towards the blank wall. “We might be able to fit a toy box next to the dresser. And we’ll put shelves up if we need to.”

Both Fèlix and Bruno gave a thumbs up. Casita waved its shutters, calling them into the nursery. Making their way inside, Fèlix touched the wall, examining his hand. No paint. Taking his hand across the wall, it was dry. “Paints dry, let’s get that furniture in here!” Fèlix said, ushering the other two out.

They slowly took the bigger furniture in first, that being the wardrobe and dresser. With the help of Casita, they got them into place.

“So, 3 cribs will go here,” Bruno gestured to the remaining space. “And the other 3 will go…here.” He gestured across the room to the other area.

“Ah, can we put them close together? They don’t have to be touching, but I do want them to be close.” Agustín asked.

“Sure, but how come?” Fèlix said, bringing in the first crib while Bruno had the second.

Agustín grabbed the third from the hallway. “Well, I had noticed that as babies, the kids never really liked sleeping alone. I remember having to move Isabela and Dolores’ cribs closer so they could see each other and fall asleep easier. Luisa always had to have someone in the rocking chair when she fully went to sleep.” He pushed the crib in place, close to the other 2, before making his way out to the hallway to get the others.

“Oh yeah—and weren’t Camilo and Mirabel’s cribs originally on seperate sides of the room? And then we had to move them to the same side because they would cry and scream if we didn’t? Antonio always wanted Mirabel next to him when he was asleep.” Fèlix said, finally understanding.

“Yup,” Agustín said, pushing the last 3 cribs close together.

“I-I can understand. Me, Julieta and Pepa were the same way,” Bruno said absently, grabbing 2 of the mattresses.

Fèlix placed a mattress into a crib before doing the same for another. “Really?” He put his hands on his hips, a smirk on his face. “Pepa never told me that…” Fèlix was getting another idea.

“Oh yeah. According to mama, we would cry until she moved our cribs closer.” Bruno leaned on the edge of the dresser. “And I remember after I got a room and a gift, we would always have sleepovers in each of our rooms….” Bruno had a solemn look on his face, reminiscing about their childhood.

Agustín and Fèlix shared a look. It must have been a while ago, he looked a bit sad. Agustín dropped the last mattress into the crib, snapping Bruno out of his thoughts. He got a look of his surroundings before shaking his head. “A-At least when we were little. We don’t…we don’t do that anymore.”

“Well, we put the furniture in. Let’s go grab those sheets so we can make the beds.” Agustín said, the 3 of them making their way into the hallway closet. Pulling out the sheets, they say how big they were.

“They’re a bit big…” Bruno said, holding one of them up. It looked like it could go on one of the previous beds, before the house collapsed. “And they’re just plain white. Usually we’d have them in different colors.”

“We’ll just tuck the excess under the crib for now. We’ll buy them in the proper sizes and colors another day, let’s just worry about finishing up the nursery.'' Agustín said, grabbing the rest of the sheets. Bruno shrugged, seemingly content with that answer.

Back in the nursery, they finally got all the beds made, tucking the sheets under the cribs until they could get the proper ones. Agustín had taken to putting the infant’s clothes into the drawers, each child getting their own draw. Although it was empty now, he was sure it was going to fill up over time. Fèlix placed a few of the baby items such as diapers onto the vanity for easy access, and Bruno had left a little before to put the bucket of the special soaps and lotions into the bathroom. Adjusting the last of the things given to them by the villagers, they looked over the room.

It wasn’t anything over the top. Just the simple furniture that the village carpenters had repaired and donated to them. The cribs that had been dressed in plain white, and the baby things sitting in a corner, waiting to be used. The walls had been painted (to Casita’s pleasure), the alphabet dancing across the room. But otherwise, it was just…a nursery. Waiting to be brought to life.

“It’s a bit plain but…We’ll change that in the upcoming future!” Fèlix said happily. The other 2 agreed, smiling and cheering that their hard work was finally finished. Coincidently, Casita brought over an alarm, it ringing, indicating it was 12 p.m.

“Oh, we gotta go for lunch!” Agustín exclaimed. The 3 men made their way down the stairs, thanking Casita for the reminder. Once they were in the kitchen, they heard Pepa from the backyard.

“We’re out here!” She called. Looking over, they could see her sitting on a blanket in the grass from the backyard, Alma and Julieta with them, babies laid across the ground. The 3 men went outside, joining their other family members.

Fèlix instantly rushed towards his children, poking their cheeks. “Did you miss me niños? Did you miss your papa?” he said, watching his children turn their heads at the sound of his voice.

Agustín just swayed back and forth as he complimented his daughters. The girls did nothing but stare, curious as to what he was saying.

Bruno grabbed an arepa from the plate, biting into it. “So, did we miss anything?” He looked at the babies, noting their apparent curiosity at everything around them.

“Oh, Mirabel had smiled for the first time!” Julieta said. Agustín snapped his head up, smiling.

“She did?!” He asked happily. “Did you get a picture?!” Julieta nodded and pulled out the now fully developed photo from earlier. Taking it into his hands, he saw Mirabel smiling at her Abuela, her small cheeks seeming so much chubbier when she was happy. “Ay—look at mi pequena mariposa!” he said, looking at the photo with absolute happiness.

Julieta chuckled at her husband's glee. Turning to Bruno, she took a pandebono from another plate. “So, how did the nursery go? Did you guys finish?” She said, putting the jam filled bread in her mouth.

“Si, we did,” Bruno said. “We arranged the furniture, so there’s 3 cribs on each side. Isabela, Luisa and Mirabel are on the right, and Dolores, Camilo and Antonio are on the right.”

“Did you put their cribs close together? You know how they are when they sleep alone,” Pepa said, taking some arepas and passing one to Fèlix .

“Yes, we did,” Bruno chuckled. “We also put some sheets on their mattresses, but they are plain white, so we haven’t really designated which crib goes to who. And they are a bit too big.”

Alma quietly bit into a bread roll, thinking. “I could go to the market and pick up some sheets in the right sizes and colors,” She said, looking up.

“Really? Are you sure you don’t want me, Fèlix or Bruno to go?” Agustín asked, empanada in hand.

“Oh, it’s fine. I want to stop by Valeria’s to pick up some fabrics and maybe some yarns,” Alma said smiling.

“Fabrics and yarn…¿Cómo?” Fèlix looked up.

“You know how I used to make them little outfits and clothes?” Alma asked.

“Si,” Fèlix said, taking a bite of food.

“Well, I want to make them some more clothes. They only have those onesies, and I want them to have more variety.” Alma explained.

“Oh, that makes sense, I got it,” Fèlix said, nodding.

“Oh, we also figured out their birthday and how old they were!” Pepa clapped her hands. “They’re all 3 months old, and their birthday is May 12th.”

“That helps clear up a lot. I was worried about that because we still hadn’t known when it was. So…do they all share the same birthday?” Bruno asked.

“Casita said yes. That means when their 1st birthday comes, it’ll be all 6 of them turning one,” Pepa said.

“Imagine all the cake we’ll have to make,” Agustín said, laughing.

“That’s what I said!” Pepa laughed with him, the others joining in.

Everyone was laughing happily when Casita rolled it’s tiles. A camera was on its stand. The adults took notice, and with each picking up a baby, they held them up with a smiling face, the babies looked at the camera with wide eyes. Casita flipped a small rock so it hit the button, and with a flash, a new family photo was taken. After the photo was printed, Alma took it from the camera slot, thanking Casita.

Sitting down, she let the photo develop while she and the others ate lunch, laughing at the jokes that were told or cooing at the babies and their cuteness. While they were feeding the babies, Alma picked up the now developed picture, holding Mirabel in her other arm. Alma smiled warmly at the photo. All of them were smiling, the babies with wide, yet happy eyes.

Another wonderful family photo to frame.

Notes:

We finally got a birthday and age for these little babies! May 12th :))) I did set them up to be 3 moths old at this point, for the sake of plot.

Hope y'all liked this wholesome little chapter! See you next chapter!

Chapter 7: Alma's Little Project

Summary:

Alma buys somethings to work on a project for her grandchildren!

Notes:

Chapter 6, Alma based!! We stan a good grandmother. I actually like Alma, she's very caring, but she's just a bit abrasive in the movie. ANYWAY, we got a chapter in Abuela's pov, and we get to see some of the villagers start to suspect some things ;)) Hopefully y'all like this!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

After lunch had finished, the adults cleaned up and headed back into Casita. It was past high noon now, only 2 o clock. Alma saw the others having fun playing with the children, and smiled. Once she saw one of the babies yawn, she realized this was an opportunity to head into town.

“Ninos?” She said, walking up to them. They all turned around, each holding a child, Bruno holding Mirabel and Antonio.

“Si mama?” Julieta said softly.

“I see that the little ones are getting tired. Why don’t you all put them down for a nap and take a break,” Alma chuckled. “I know you all love spending time with them, as do I, but I must admit, you all look a bit tired, children included.”

The other adults sighed or laughed softly, agreeing with her. While they were always happy to be with their children and play, they couldn’t deny the facts: This whole “children coming back” situation had taken a lot of energy out of them. Even after resting all night and eating a first full plate of food in weeks, they were all still a bit drained. And 6 babies to look after was no easy task. The babies themselves were looking awfully tired, and each of the adults could go for a nap themselves.

“We’ll do that mama,” Julieta spoke up, nodding. “But what about you? Are you going to sleep?”

Alma shook her head, gesturing to the front doors. “I’m not particularly tired. I was going to head into town to pick up some more sewing supplies and fabrics. I may even grab some yarn and needles.”

“I could go with you, I–” Bruno was cut off by Alma gently raising her hand, effectively silencing him.

“Brunito, as much as I want you to come, you need some rest. I don’t want you going back to staying up late and getting no sleep, it worries me. Especially after such a long day? No. I want you to rest as well,” Alma said sternly, yet softly.

Bruno puffed his chest out a bit and opened his mouth to speak, but after looking at the two babies in his arms and seeing them yawn, he had to admit, a nap did sound nice. “S-Si mama. I’ll try to get some rest,”

Alma nodded in understanding. Casita rumbled its tiles, bringing a woven basket to Alma’s feet. Picking it up, she made her way towards the front door. The others went upstairs, children in arms. “I’ll see you all later. Make sure you get some rest!” Alma said, waving them goodbye. The 5 adults waved her goodbye, saying see you later and nodding.

After making sure they all went to the nursery, she left Casita, giving the house its own little adios. Walking down the path to town, she overlooked the hill. She could see the village was bustling as usual. It was the middle of the week, so she wasn’t surprised to see how busy it was.

She walked down into the town, looking around before walking over to the stalls.

“O-Oh! Senora Alma, it’s nice to see you so soon. How are you today?” The stall owner said.

“I’m doing quite alright these days, thank you. These little trinkets, are they for sale?” Alma said, pointing to what was on display.

“Of course! Buy 3, and the next 3 you buy are half off,” the stall owner said. “Take your time picking.”

Alma looked through the little small decorations. They came in several shapes and sizes, and many colors. But she was looking for specific ones. She wants to put some decorations around the baby's cribs, not only so it’ll differentiate who’s crib is who’s. but it’ll look cute as well. Alma finally picked out the six she wanted. A deep blue may lily, an indigo dumbbell with a heart in the center, a teal butterfly, a treble clef, an orange chameleon, and a yellow jaguar. She picked them out and examined them, smiling.

“Senor? I’ve finished,” Alma said.

The stall owner came over and looked at her selection. “Oh, nice choices. You know, I actually made those specific ones for–” He seemed to hesitate, his smile faltering slightly and his brow furrowed.

“Senor?” Alma asked. “You made them for who?” Alma knew perfectly well what he was going to say, but she knew that the topic was still fresh for the villagers, considering they still didn’t know of the situation at Casita.

“I made them for…just because! Just for fun, just like the others,” He shook his head and took the trinkets from Alma’s hands, putting them into a small bag and handing it to Alma. “150 pesos por favor!” Alma paid the fee and took the bag, putting it into her basket and moving on further into the town. She hadn’t seen the stall owner visibly relax, he had become tense when he almost let the real reason why he created those specific trinkets slip.

Alma walked into the square, greeting people and talking to those who checked on her. The town found it quite peculiar at how she seemed to have recovered from the traumatic event, even just a little bit. The elderly woman came to the store she had set out to come to: Valeria’s.

Valeria was a close family friend, she was friends with Julieta, Pepa and Bruno when they were kids. Valeria was slightly younger than them, but it never seemed to make their friendship falter. Her husband was very kind, if not a bit quiet. Alma had been there for her wedding, and the opening of her store.

She walked into the shop, the bell jingling, alerting the owner of her entrance. She heard the sewing machine stop and saw Valeria walk up to the counter.

“Welcome to Valeria’s, where we cater to your sewing needs!” She said, smiling. At the sight of Alma, she brightened slightly. “Senora Alma! How are you?”

“I’m doing quite alright, thank you,” Alma said, setting her basket on the counter.

“So, what are you shopping for?” Valeria said, gesturing to the wide variety her store offered.

“I’ve come to buy some fabrics and yarns. I’m working on a little project, some new clothes,” Alma pointed at various colors of yarn on the shelves behind Valeria. “I would like to buy the yarn in those colors please. 2 of each color, and 3 in white.”

Valeria nodded and turned to grab the requested yarn. “Feel free to browse the fabrics! I just got some new ones this last week, so feel free to browse!” Valeria said, pulling a ladder and climbing to get the yarn.

Alma nodded and walked over to the sections of fabrics. She looked around, grabbing some soft white fabric. She looked around at the many fabrics that came in various shades. Already thinking of the infants waiting back at Casita, she picked up the colors she had wanted. Alma thought back to when she used to sew and knit them clothes, and dress them up. She had loved to do that, but after Antonio turned 3, she had stopped because Mirabel started sewing his clothes.

Even if she hadn’t sewn or knitted in years, she knows that she’ll still be able to. She still occasionally knitted, and sewing was something she had done since she was quite young. So she knew she could make them some clothes. It was something she enjoyed doing in her free time. She had actually taught her family how to sew. Pepa was particularly good at it, and Agustín apparently was pretty good at it as well. All of her grandchildren had a pretty basic understanding and could make basic repairs, sans Antonio (he knew the basics but he was much too little to pick up a needle and sew.). She also remembered that Mirabel was the most intrigued and would repeatedly ask her to teach her new techniques.

Alma walked over with the fabrics she wanted and set them on the counter. Valeria was patiently waiting by the counter with the yarn.

“Alright, will this be all?” Valeria said, packing the fabric and yarn tightly into the basket.

“Yes, that’s all,” Alma said, taking out some money. She paid the pesos, and Valeria handed her several spools of thread, needles of various sizes, and a new set of knitting needles. “Oh, I can’t take this, I–”

Valeria held her hand up. “I insist. You’ve been such a long time patron, it’s only natural.” Alma smiled softly and took the materials, settling them into the basket. She grabbed her basket and made her to the door, waving Valeria goodbye. “See you soon Senora!”

As Alma walked out, Valeria’s husband, Felipe, walked in, gloves in hand. “Alma?” he said simply. He was always a quiet man, very few words, but Valeria loved him all the same.

“Si,” She came in asking for fabrics and yarn.” She turned towards her husband, leaning into his arms. “She bought them in a lot of colors. Actually, the colors kind of reminded me of…” Valeria grimaced at the thought, squeezing her husband's arm.

“The kids?” he said, looking down. He wrapped an arm around his wife, effectively calming her. “There have been rumors,” he said. Valeria looked up at him, face full of worry.

“Rumors? What rumors? Who are they about?” Valeria turned to look up at him. Felipe looked over her face. Then his face twisted slightly. He almost never showed emotion, so this was a surprise, and it worried Valeria further. “Felipe. What. Rumors.” she said, much more stern, but her voice wavered.

Felipe sighed, closing his eyes. “Rumors about the Madrigals. Apparently they’ve been buying baby things,” he looked at his wife, who had tears in her eyes. He pulled her into a hug. He knew that she knew exactly what he was implying.

“Felipe…you don’t think…” Valeria’s voice cracked. She was rarely this vulnerable, but this topped the cake. “Oh dios mio…” She didn’t want it to be true. She had actually heard around town that Fèlix and Agustín had bought various baby things, aside from the baby onesies they had bought a couple days before.. But she didn’t want to believe it. She didn’t want to believe that the Madrigals had been so devastated that they couldn’t come to accept the sad, sad truth. She didn’t want to believe that they were trying to cope by buying baby things to try and replace that empty hole that will probably never be filled.

_________

Alma walked up the hill to Casita, a smile on her face. She was already thinking up ideas for the little ones. She was going to start on the knitting first, the sewing she would do in private. She could surprise the adults.

For now, she would knit them some hats and socks. They were simple and enough and would keep the babies warm. She knew from decades of experience that even in warm weather, babies were susceptible to getting cold fairly easily, since they couldn’t quite regulate their own temperature.

As she walked into Casita, she noticed the house was much quieter. The house had also given a much quieter greeting, waving the window shutters softly. Alma smiled. That usually meant that several family members were asleep. She waved at the house, walking up the stairs slowly.

First she stopped at Bruno’s room. Looking at it, she could see the door was still in its tower, but it was closer to the house and there were less stairs. Alma was happy her son was integrating back into the family, and happy that she was fixing her mistakes. She opened the door slowly, stepping in. She looked around the room, seeing how his room was overall much more warming rather than ominous and scary. His vision cave was much closer to the ground and there was a lot less sand. She saw a separate area and walked towards it, stopping at the threshold. There, she could see her hijo laying curled into his now much bigger and probably more comfortable bed. He was snoring quietly; Alma sighed in relief that he was finally getting some good sleep.

After leaving Bruno’s room, she opened Julieta’s door and peeked her head in. She could feel the warmth radiating off the walls, the faint smell of food in the room. On the bed, she saw her daughter cuddled close to Agustín, both smiling in their sleep. Alma softly closed the door, shuffling away from the door.

Once she opened Pepa’s door, she could feel the soft clouded room. The atmosphere was calm and wave-like. There was a small fog coating the ground. Looking at the bed, she could see Fèlix and Pepa sleeping peacefully. Since Pepa was relaxed and sleepy, her room had adjusted and it was truly calm, not the forced, stiff atmosphere it used to have.

The last room the grandmother went to was the nursery, and looked into it for the first time. She was amazed at the room, it was beautiful.

The walls were green like before, with the letters dancing along the walls. The only difference was that the green was a much more vibrant color, and looked just like it did 50 years ago. The wardrobe and dresser were repaired and refurbished, the wood shining in the sunlight that streamed into the room. There was a colorful rug on the floor, of various colors. On each side of the room were 3 cribs. Walking over, she looked into them.

The first three she looked into were Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio. They were sleeping peacefully, blissfully dreaming of whatever it was babies dreamed of. Alma chuckled at the sight of them. Camilo was in the center, facing upwards, and Dolores and Antonio were faced inwards. They really couldn’t sleep without being able to see one another.

Crossing the room, she saw Isabela, Luisa, Mirabel. Like the other 3, Luisa was in the center, with Isabela and Mirabel facing inwards. Alma chuckled again, thinking of how similar all 6 of them were. She saw the peaceful look on their faces, one crossing her own face.

Alma walked to the corner where the rocking chair was, placing her basket down. She picked up the white yarn and her needles, beginning to thread the yarn on. She would start with the hats for now, making them white, and the color designated for each child. As she began knitting, she rocked back and forth in the chair, knitting without a care in the world.

After about 45 minutes and on her third hat, she could hear the faint mewling of the babies. From the distance she was at, she could not tell who was crying. But she knew at least 3 were whining.

As if on instinct, Alma began to sing a lullaby. One she sang to Julieta, Pepa and Bruno when they couldn’t sleep or when she just couldn’t come to bring herself to grab them all and calm them down. Though she was in her 70’s her voice was still soothing. The babies quickly quieted down and went back to sleep. Despite no longer hearing the small cries of the babies, she still continued to sing.

Her voice carried throughout Casita, the melody seeming to calm even the usual jovial house down. She continued to rock back and forth, knitting her 4th hat. She felt relaxed. She felt like a mother, a grandmother. She wasn’t “Senora Alma” or “Mrs. Madrigal”. For now, she was just Mama. Abuela.

_______________

Abuela had finished her little project after 3 hours. She was a particularly fast knitter, and she had amazing technique. Standing up, and walking to the cribs, she put a knit hat on each of the children, gently cradling their heads as she slipped them onto their heads. It was a perfect fit.

Alma took one last look into the nursery and left the babies to sleep a bit longer. As she made her way down the stairs, she heard a knock at the front door. She walked up to the double doors, opening one to see who was at the door.

“Si, who is it?” She said opening the door. She was met with Ms. Guzman and her son, Mariano.

“Hola Alma, I’ve brought you some food. Some sancocho,” her good friend help out the container storing the draw. Alma took and smiled warmly at the duo.

“Gracias. I’m glad you’ve brought this older, I didn’t know if I would be able to cook dinner today,” Alma chuckled, holding the bowl close.

Mariano stepped forward, holding his hands together. “We also wanted to ask how you and your family have been holding out?” he said, softness in his voice.

His mother perked up, smiling. “Oh yes, we saw you in town earlier today!”

Alma nodded. “Yes, I was out buying some yarns and fabrics,” Alma nodded towards the doors. “I was just doing some knitting.”

Ms. Guzman smiled and nodded. “Well, we’ll be on our way then. We’ll see you again soon!” and with that, she and her son left, waving the matriarch goodbye.

Turning back into the house, she saw her children and her son-in-laws climbing down the stairs.

“Gracias mama,” Pepa said, yawning.

“Gracias Pepa,” she held up the sancocho. “Sancocho?”

_______

The adults sat down at the table and were eating the stew, conversing about miscellaneous.

“Ah, mama, did you buy the things you were looking for?” Bruno said, putting a spoonful of stew in his mouth.

“Yes, and I even finished part of my project,” Alma gestured towards the general direction of the nursery. “I’ve actually put them onto the babies,”

“Oh, what is it?” Pepa asked excitedly.

“You’ll see,” Alma said. “Finish up your food and you’ll see it when we go to feed them.

The adults quickly finished up their food, looking like children trying to finish their dinner so they can get dessert afterwards. After grabbing the bottles, they went up to the nursery and each of the adults looked into the cribs.

The babies were wearing the little hats that Alma made. They picked up the children and began feeding them, cooing at their hats.

“These look amazing Abuela!” Agustín said, rocking Mirabel.

“Gracias Agustín ,” Alma chuckled.

They continued to compliment the woman, to which she happily thanked them.

Yes. This was perfect. This was Alma’s family. Not the town view of what they should be, this was her perfect view of her family. She wasn’t just the grandmother of the children and the mother of 3 triplets that bossed them around. She was Abuela and Mama.

She really felt like an abuela now.

Notes:

I hope y'all enjoyed this! I worked hard on this chapter, Abuela is a but hard to write for, but I had fun. See y'all next time!

Chapter 8: Suspicions

Summary:

La Familia Madrigal reintroduces the kids to the town!

Notes:

CHAPTER 8 LETS GOOOO!!! What up guys, I'm back with chapter 8. I am SO sorry this took so long to get out, I just had some stuff going on. But, lucky for you all, this is my longest chapter yet at 6000+! It's very description heavy, so get ready for that! This chapter is the town's reaction! I won't spoil anything, so happy reading!

Here are the translations!:

"Mis pequeños milagros..." - "My little miracles..."

"¿Tú ok hermano?"- "You ok bro/brother?"

"¡Oh, dios mio!" - "Oh my goodness!"

“¡Oye! ¡Aléjate de ellos, AHORA!” - "Hey! Get away from them, NOW!"

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The days quickly passed and soon, those days turned into weeks, then, into months. 4 months had passed rather fast, and the adults were having troubles.

It wasn’t anything bad, but it certainly was quite the trouble trying to keep the town at bay. Over the course of the 4 months that had passed, the family had recovered from the traumatic and energy draining events, and were frequently going into town. Occasionally, Pepa would go out once or twice to water the crops, or Julieta would take some food out to the town square. Bruno would give a (good or neutral) vision once in a blue moon even. Alma had them only working every so often, as she wanted them to be around their children much more often.

The babies themselves were definitely going as well.

Now at 7 months old, they were capable of a lot more. For instance, they were now sitting up on their own and no longer required the adults to hold them up. Once that had happened, Fèlix went out to the carpenter and woodshop and bought them new high chairs for the dining room.. With that addition, the little ones were capable of eating mashed up and soft foods such as boiled potatoes and bananas.

Another thing was they had finally found their voices. On days where the family would just sit in the backyard and relax, the babies would be babbling away. Talking to their parents, their tias and tios, Abuela, even to each other at times. It was apparent that they were quite talkative. Along with that, they could be loud when they wanted to be. Usually, they were generally chill, and only talked when they were near someone. But If they want something or something is wrong, they will make their voices known.

The adults also came to notice that they were also much more active. They would bounce in place, throw toys, swing their bodies back and forth. At one point Camilo had even got on his hands and knees and began to move back and forth. The others followed suit and soon all of them were attempting to move forward. None of them had been successful yet, but it was only a matter of time before they started to move.


The day had started and the family was in the dining room eating breakfast. The babies were in their high chairs, drinking from their bottles and babbling away about whatever.

“Hey Mamá?” Juleita said, turning from Luisa’s high chair.

“Hmm?” Alma hummed, guiding a spoonful of mashed mango into Antonio’s mouth.

“So…As you noticed, the children are starting to try and crawl more often. And it’s already been 4 months, and me and Pepa were thinking…Well…” Julieta paused. Alma looked up at her. Usually, she would apprehend her for beating around the bush, something that she hated, and still does; but Alma was learning to be much more patient.

“You were thinking of…?” Alma said, looking at her eldest.

“Well, we were thinking maybe it’s about time we take them into town. I mean we can’t keep them inside forever, and some of them have been getting more suspicious over time. Especially Senora Guzman and Senora Valeria.” Julieta said.

Alma gave Antonio his bottle and turned towards the rest of the table. They waited anxiously for her answer. Alma thought for a moment. Julieta was right; the children were much more mobile, and were actively trying to move around. Just the other day, she had seen Luisa attempt to crawl forward.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea. It’s about time they see outside of Casita’s yard,” Alma smiled. She saw Casita sag slightly, shifting a few pieces of furniture in protest. “Not that it isn’t just as fun to play here,” Alma chuckled. Casita playfully rumbled its tiles, happy with its answer.

“So, what time are we gonna leave? It’s only 9:00 a.m.” Fèlix said, handing Dolores a piece of banana.

“Well me and Julieta think we should go this afternoon,” Pepa said, fiddling with her braid. “It might be a good idea for all of us to go out. You know, reintroduce them all at once? And maybe we could spend some time in the square.”

Alma nodded, happy with the idea. “I think that’s a great idea. We’ll finish up breakfast, and get them ready. Pepa, Julieta, you two will bathe them. I’ve got them some clothes I just finished sewing up. Bruno, Fèlix, Agustín, you three will gather some supplies into a bag, diapers, bottles, some toys, you know. We’ll try to leave before…let’s say 2 this afternoon?” Alma looked around.

The adults all agreed, nodding and giving thumbs up at the idea. Today was the day Isabela, Dolores, Luisa, Camilo, Mirabel and Antonio were going to be introduced to the town once again.

Julieta and Pepa were now in the bathroom, running the bathwater. The babies were sitting on the floor, waiting patiently for their mothers to settle them into the bathtub.

“So…we’re finally doing it. Are you…scared?” Pepa asked, turning off the faucet to the bathtub. A small gray cloud settled over her head. She picked up Dolores and Antonio, setting them into the tub.

Julieta picked up Camilo and Luisa, putting them in as well. “A little bit. I’m a bit nervous. The town adapted well to us reducing the use of our Gifts, but I don’t know how they’ll react to this. But…that’s ok; we’ve got this.” Julieta smiled at her younger sister, grabbing her youngest daughter while Pepa grabbed Isabela.

Pep set the last baby into the tub. She took in a deep breath, calming herself down. Her cloud dispersed, and she had a small smile on her face. Pep had taken to taking deep breaths and occasionally counting rather than chanting “Clear skies,” over and over. Bruno had pointed out that she was basically tricking herself into thinking she was calm, rather than actually being calm.

“Yeah…we-we’ve got this. We are responsible, good parents. We are responsible…” Pepa stopped, and started hiccuping and sniffling, pulling her face up to her hand. Her cloud was back, and it started raining over the woman. Julieta rushed to her side, dropping the bottles of soaps she was previously holding.

“Pepa? What’s wrong?” Julieta asked, not even sparing a glance to the clouds raining her, much to Pepa’s brief relief.

“I feel like such a horrible mother!” Pepa cried out. She sniffled more, aggressively rubbing her eyes, tears still spilling. “I-I ignored my kids for years, a-and then only realized what I did wrong after they….they…” Pepa burst into tears. Julieta hugged her close, rubbing her back as her sister cried into her shoulders.

Julieta pulled Pepa away so she was at arm’s length, holding her sister’s hands in her own. “Pepa,” Julieta said softly, glancing into the bathtub temporarily to ensure the babies were still occupied with the bubbles she provided.

Pepa looked up at her eldest sister. Julieta saw that her eyes were already red and starting to puff up. “I’m not fit to be a mother…” Pepa said, tears welling up in her eyes again.

Julieta held Pepa’s face in her hands. Pepa relaxed a bit at the warm touch of her sister. “Pepa,” Julieta said again. “You aren’t a horrible mother. You are very fit to be a mother. Nothing will change that. We’ve been given another chance, and we must use it to full advantage,” Julieta explained. Pepa nodded.

“I guess you are right…” Pepa said. Her cloud stopped raining and was now just gray. Julieta smiled at her sister.

“Now, repeat after me,” Julieta said sternly. Pepa nodded, ready to repeat her sister. “I am a good mother.”

“I…I am a good mother,” Pepa repeated.

“And I will take good care of my kids and love them forever,” Julieta said.

“And I will take good care of my kids and love them forever,” Pepa said, smiling a bit. Her cloud was small, and Julieta was happy with her results.

“Now,” Julieta bent down and faced the bathtub. “Let’s get these little ones clean, hm?” Pepa nodded and bent down next to her, reaching in to squeeze Camilo’s cheeks. She smiled as her eldest son smiled and giggled happily at his mothers touch. She was a good mother, and she would love them forever. She could handle this, one step at a time.

Alma walked into her room, making her way over to her desk where she had several sewing supplies laid upon. Moving aside the fabrics, she picked up a small pile of folded clothes, and some knitted socks and hats. She walked over to her bed, sitting down and unfolding the small clothes, laying them out on her bed.

Looking over the clothes, she was happy with her results.

The clothes she had made were for this day specifically. Lately, Alma had been sewing and knitting a lot more. Sure, the family had gone out to town and bought the babies some clothes, but she wanted to make them some. She had spent hours on these, and now she was finally able to put them onto her precious nietos.

“Mis pequeños milagros are going to look so cute in these,” Alma said, holding up one of the dresses.

The grandmother had specifically designed these clothes for them. Each outfit corresponded to each child and called back to their…previous outfits. The clothes were made with white, and whatever color they had worn before.

Isabela had a double layered dress; It was made with a bright purple, and the bottom layer was white. The socks and hat were purple as well, albeit a bit softer due to being made of yarn.

Dolores’ outfit was a red and white dress. The top was red and had a white skirt. Her sock and hats were the same deep red, which would match perfectly.

Luisa had a dress similar to Dolores, but a bit more frilly. The indigo-violet color was bright and colorful, but not too busy. Her socks were the same color, though the hat was a tab but lighter.

Camilo had a white button onesie that had a short little orange poncho attached to it. The shorts, socks, and hat were the same orange, and Alma knew he would enjoy it.

Mirabel’s dress was like her last one, but with almost no embroidery, and her dress top was blue while her skirt was white, Her socks and hat were a much more gentle blue, that was easy on the eyes.

Antonio had a long sleeve, yellow onesie that was paired with white shorts. His socks and hat were pastel colored, as to not call too much attention away from the baby himself.

All of the clothes were different, but similar enough so that it was easy to tell who was who. There was one thing they all had in common: In the place where the heart was, Alma had embroidered a little white symbol for each infant. A flower for Isabela, a music note for Dolores, a dumbbell for Luisa, a chameleon for Camilo, a butterfly for Mirabel, and a tiger for Antonio.

Alma traced her finger over each symbol, smiling a bit more each time her eyes laid upon them.

“Oh Pedro…if only you were here. You would have loved to meet your grandchildren. They’re so sweet,” Alma whispered. She picked up her locket that was hooked to her pocket watch. Opening it, she saw a smiling picture of Pedro. She smiled back, happy to see her husband again.

Closing it and putting it back in its place, she moved back over to her desk of sewing projects. She opened a drawer and pulled out 6 long pieces of fabric. At one look, it might just look like leftover pieces of fabric, left to be repurposed. But upon closer inspection, its true intention was revealed: They were baby wraps.

Alma had indeed used the leftover fabric, reusing it to make new baby wraps. Over the course of the last 4 months, the babies had not only gotten more active, but they’ve gotten bigger as well. They were healthy, yes, but they were also heavier. And they could only hold them for so long. She knew her sons and daughters wouldn’t complain about it, so she took action into her own hands. One could say that they were presents for Julieta, Pepa, Fèlix and Agustín.

They were a tad too big, but that was ok, they would grow into it. Each baby wrap was made of the same fabric as the clothes, thus making them the same colors. Alma embroidered the same symbols onto them, while also adding other miscellaneous symbols as well. She would add more as time went on.

Walking back over to her bed, she hid the baby wrap under her pillow, planning to surprise them when the time came to leave. Looking at her clock, she saw it was 1:00 p.m. As if on cue, Pepa and Julieta knocked and Alma rushed to open the door. Julieta was holding her daughters that were wrapped in tiles while Pepa was holding Dolores and her sons in wrapped towels.

“Oh, you’re finished! Come in, I’ve got their clothes laid out and I keep some diapers in here for them.” Alma ushered the two and their children into her room, excited to see what her nietos would look like in their new outfits.

Bruno held up the large bag he found hidden under one of the cribs. “Guys! I found it, I got the bag!” He said, putting it on the dresser. Fèlix walked over, several diapers in arms.

“Great job hermano! You found it way faster then I would have,” Fèlix chuckled, packing the diapers in. Agustín walked over with 6 bottles now filled with milk.

“Same here. I wouldn’t have found it in such a short amount of time,” Agustín set the bottles in the nag and reached to the side to grab some toys while Bruno grabbed a large blanket. “I would have been in here for hours, only to find out it was sitting right under the crib.”

“Gracias! I like to think I’m pretty good at finding lost things, I’m glad you think so too,” Bruno laughed, folding the blanket and packing it into the bag.

Agustín picked up a stuffed bear and looked at it. He’d never thought he would see his little ones playing with one of them again. He was excited, but scared. Call him a coward, but had never done this before. Then again; it probably was normal for your kids to disappear and then come back months later in baby form. But, it didn’t matter to him. Any chance to spend more time with his daughters, he would take it anyday. He’d help Isabela in gardening, he’d let Luisa help in lifting big toys and he'd play with his pequena mariposa Mirabel again. Even if they didn't have a Gift come time for their 5th birthday, he wouldn’t love them any less.

Fèlix walked over and settled a hand onto Agustín’s shoulder, snapping him out of his trance. “¿Tú ok hermano?” He asks, looking at Agustín with a faint worry on his face. Agustín looked at Fèlix for a moment before nodding, turning his head back to the teddy bear in his hands.

“Si, si, I’m just…I’m just scared, you know? None of us have ever done this before, and it’s all just so new and scary. What if something goes wrong?” Agustín said, clenching the bear a bit harder. Fèlix let out a sigh and gently took the bear from Agustín.

“Agustín, It’ll be ok bro, we’ve got this.” Fèlix shrugged, looking at both Agustín and Bruno. “Even if we’ve never done this before, there’s a first time for everything.” Bruno agreed, and eventually all 3 went back to gathering supplies.

Fèlix might have been optimistic as heck and could lift the sour mood out of the room, but truth be told? He was just as scared. He feared the worst would happen again. Fearing that this was all some dream and he would wake up and he would be alone again. He wouldn’t be able to comfort his wife, and he would slowly spiral until he went crazy. It almost happened before, he couldn’t think straight and he often found himself in a daze, absently following Pepa around knowing he couldn’t calm her down but still wanting to be by her side, to have some kind of warmth to fill the giant hold that was in his heart.So Fèlix was scared, but he didn’t want to show it. He’d just have to hope for the best.

Agustín, Bruno and Fèlix were conversing downstairs, waiting for the other 3 to finish up changing their children so they could leave. A couple minutes later, Pepa and Julieta walked out of Alma’s room with 6 children in arms. As they came to the end of the stairs, Fèlix and Agustín rushed over and took a child in their arms, gushing about how cute they looked.

“Look at Luisa and her little socks and hat!” Agustín said, rubbing cheeks with his second oldest.

“Look at Camilo’s ruana, it makes him look so handsome! Just like his papá,” Fèlix laughed.

The 2 fathers continued to compliment the children as the triplets laughed at their antics. Alma finally emerged from her room, with what looked to be a bundle of various fabrics in several colors in her arms.

“Mamá? What are those?” Bruno asked, moving to stand next to his mother. He set the bag he was holding down, gesturing to the fabrics.

“I made them for you all,” Alma draped the wraps over her shoulder, still holding the orange one. She took Camilo from Pepa’s arms and gently held him out to Bruno. The infant squealed happily at the sight of his tio.

Hesitantly, the man took his sobrino into his arms. Alma moved forward and adjusted Camilo so he was facing away from Bruno and against his chest. She took the orange wrap and started to wrap it around Bruno. Camilo happily waited for his grandmother to finish. When she was done, Bruno was still holding the baby in place.

“Go ahead and put your hands down,” Alma said, gesturing to Bruno’s hands. Bruno slowly moved his hands away from the babe and he stayed in place.

“Oh! It’s a baby wrap!” Bruno exclaimed. “Oh, this is great! It’ll be so much easier to move and carry them around, thanks mamá!”

“Of course Brunito,” Alma nodded. “Now, let's get the rest of you situated, and then we’ll head out.”

Over the next 15 minutes, Alma wrapped a baby into an adult. Isabela was with Julieta, Dolores was with Pepa, Luisa was with Agustín, Camilo with Bruno, Alma herself had Mirabel and Fèlix had Antonio.

“We’ve got a buddy system here,” Fèlix laughed, earning more laughs from the others.

“Yes, I guess you could say that,” Alma chuckled. “Now that everyone is ready, we can head out. I know a shortcut to Valeria’s where she, Felipe, Senora Guzman and Mariano will meet us.”

“W-Wait…Do they…know?” Bruno said nervously.

“No, but I thought that maybe they should know first. The shortcut is away from the town, so know one else will see us until we go to the square,” Alma explained. The other adults let out a breath, relieved they wouldn;t have to immediately reveal the children. “Now, let’s head out.”

The adults walked to the front of Casita and walked out. Casita waved its shutters, waving the family goodbye. The family waved back, and they were off to the seamstress’s store. On the way there, they were almost caught by several villagers. But, thankfully the shortcut was behind some houses and through the alley closest to the store.

“Come on, in, in, in!” Alma ushered the adults in quickly, each one ducking into the back door of the store.

“That was way too close,” Fèlix huffed, holding Antonio closely.

“Well, this will be the last time we have to sneak around. Let’s head to the main store,” Alma sighed. Walking to the front they saw it was empty. Usually the store was busy, but Valeria must have closed it when Alma told her she was coming with the entire family.

“Valeria? Are you here?” Alma called out.

“Coming!” Valeria called from the back room. Some shuffling was heard and several pairs of footsteps were heard. Soon, Valeria, and her husband Felipe came into the main room. A couple seconds later, Senora Guzman and her son Mariano followed.

“Senora Alma, how–” Valeria stopped dead in her tracks, as did the other 3. They all stared as the other 5 Madrigal’s came into view with 5 other babies. Valeria’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

“A-Alma…” Guzman stepped forward, reaching out to touch Mirabel. The baby giggled at the woman’s touch, reaching out to grab her hand. “Is this…? Are they all…?”

Alma nodded, a warm smile on her face. “Do you want to hold her?” Ms.Guzman nodded, and Alma unwrapped Mirabel, setting the wrap on the counter. She held Mirabel out and Ms. Guzman carefully grabbed Mirabel, pulling her close and squeezing her. Mirabel simply smiled.

“¡Oh, dios mio!” they heard Valeria exclaim as she held Dolores, cuddling her close. She had tears polling in her eyes, and she looked as if she didn’t believe what she was seeing. “She’s real! They’re real! I didn’t think…Oh!” Valeria continued to hug Dolores, whispering quietly as she held her.

Agustín handed Luisa to Felipe. The tall burly carefully took the infant, gently cradling her. Because of his size, he was always a little bit scared to hold babies. But seeing Luisa again? His favorite Madrigal? He was willing to overcome that fear anday. Being a man of few words, he said nothing as he held her, only closing his eyes and sighing deeply, listening to the babbling of Luisa. It soothed his heart somehow.

Mariano took Isabela. Looking at her, he had a solemn look on his face. This was the girl he wanted to give all of his love to. And when she…passed, it was worse. He was sad for weeks. And the fact that all the others were gone as well made it worse. He loved Isabela. But he couldn;t stay sad for long. Even if she was a baby now, he could be the best older brother for her and all of the others.

“B-But how? When?” Valeria asked, passing Dolores to Felipe as she took Camilo and looked him up and down. “I mean don’t get me wrong! I’m so happy that they’re back, but…I just…” Valeria sighed, holding her face in one hand and Camilo in the other.

Alma nodded and looked at all of them. “I know this might be confusing. But, to put it short, we were given a second chance! When Casita came back, they came back as well, we can start over. Raise them to be happy!" Alma happily explained.

The other 4 stood in shock, looking down at the 6 babies that sat within their arms.

"Well…I'll support you. Both me and Mariano." Ms. Guzman said, nodded with determination. Mariano agreed, nodding along with his mother.

"Me and Valeria will too," Everyone stared at Felipe in shock. It was the first time he spoke in days. He hadn't spoken because he was far too busy worrying about the Madrigals, and he just was a very quiet person in general. But then they saw his face. He wasn’t really looking at the adults when he spoke; he was looking at Luisa. His body had finally relaxed and he had a fondness to his face and tone that he didn’t usually have.

Valeria shook her head eventually, agreeing with her husband. “Y-Yes. We will. I’m just so glad the rumors aren’t true…”

“R-Rumors? There were rumors about us?” Julieta said, stepping forward.

Valeria nodded as she held Camilo and now Antonio in her arms. “There…There were rumors that you guys had been buying so many baby things over the last 4 months because…Well…” She trailed off, not making eye contact with any of the adults in the room.

“They thought that you might have been having delusions,” Marniano continued. He sighed deeply, adjusting his hold on Luisa, who he had switched with Isabela when Felipe asked. “That you all might have been hallucinating and were buying baby things for…no one.”

Pepa had a cloud that grew and thunderded. But nobody told her to calm down. They couldn’t blame her; this is what the town thought? The Madrigals were surprised to say the least, but they couldn’t be mad. It was an entirely plausible thing to think.

“B-But we can debunk those rumors now! Since they’ve come back, you can clear that up,” Valeria frantically explained. The others slowly nodded, agreeing with that. “Speaking of, it's a busy day today in the square; you all can reveal them at the fountain center. That way everyone will see them, and it’ll clear up all of the confusion.”

Pepa took in some deep breaths and conted down under breath. Taking Dolores back, she smiled a bit at her daughter's excitement. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Valeria walked over and helped each adult strap their buddy to themselves.

Just as she was about to help Alma with Mirabel, she stopped her. “I’m actually going to announce our arrival, then have them come in. Mariano, could you take Mirabel for me?” Mariano nodded excitedly, taking Mirabel from Valeria’s arms.

“¡Hola mariposita! You get to ride with me, you new hermano mayor, Mariano,” Alma laughed at his antics, helping him wrap Mirabel up. She had to admit, she did like the sound of that. The kids could use an older sibling, and Mariano was the perfect fit.

“Alright, is everyone situated? Everyone has a buddy?” Alma asked. With everyone nodding, they were off to the square. Now out in the open, they were a bit nervous, but marched on with determination. The fountain came into view, and while the others stayed back, Alma walked forward.

“Can I have everyone’s attention please!” She called out. Her voice was loud and demanding, a voice she hadn’t used in months. The villagers stopped talking and all walked over to the fountain. She could hear the whispers, most wondering what she had to say.

“As you all know,” She started. “Me and my familia have been taking a break. After the…unfortunate…events that had occurred 5 months ago, we had taken to staying in longer. But, we have been coming out more and more. We have also heard about the rumors, and we’ll be addressing those now. So, we would like to introduce…or rather re-introduce some family members to you!” Alma smiled happily.

The villagers cause a commotion. Most of them were wondering what she meant.

“Re-introduce? What do you think Senora Madrigal is talking about?” A villager asked.

“I don’t know. You don’t think…” Once said, trailing off.

“Shh, be quiet! We’ll never find out if you keep talking!” One hushed a group who was gossiping.

They watched as Alma ushered her family members and friends over. Valeria, Felipe, and Senora Guzman stood next to Alma. The other 6 came into view, and what the village saw sent the entire Encanto into silence. It was dead silent as the town gawked at the view in front of them.

In front of the entire town, in the middle of the square, were 6 babies. But not just any six babies. 6 Madrigal babies. Babies that they didn’t think they’d see again. There, strapped to Isabela, Dolores, Luisa, Camilo, Mirabel and Antonio. It was quiet for another 3 minutes, until Alma spoke up again.

“Please say hola to my little nietos! Thankfully, after such a tragic event, we–” Alma was cut off when the crowd rushed forward, bombarding them with questions.

“How? How did they come back to you all Senora?”

“When did this happen? How did we not notice?!”

“So the rumors aren’t true! You all have had a reason for buying baby things!”

“Do you need any help? Do you want us to get you anything?”

The Madrigals were getting overwhelmed, the questions and constant touching was getting annoying quickly. A large cloud formed over the group and the babies began to cry, but it didn’t seem to stop them. Alma and Valeria were seen trying to calm them down while Mariano’s mother was trying to keep the crowd away from the babies.

Now Felipe was a quiet man. He didn’t speak unless spoken to or if the situation called for it. And he almost never raised his voice, opting for his quiet yet stern and hard voice. But this was getting out of hand. He decided to step in.

“¡Oye! ¡Aléjate de ellos, AHORA!” Felipe shouted, his voice booming across the square. It was loud, deep and gruff, and it commanded attention. Add to the fact that he was over 6 feet tall, heavily built and played around with fire and metals as his job, it certainly startled everyone around. Almost immediately, the crowd dispersed and backed away, a couple apologizing. Even Valeria, his wife, jumped a bit, as she hadn’t heard him shout out like that in years.

Alma regained her composure, walking back up the front to begin her explanation. “Gracias Felipe,” the man simply nodded, backing away as he stood tall. “As I was saying, please, say hola to my little nietos. Thankfully, after such a tragic event, we were given a second chance. The reason we have been inside so often and buying baby things on whim was not for no reason.”

Alma moved over to Mariano and unwrapped Mirabel, cradling her as she turned to face the town once again. Mirabel looked up at her grandmother and grabbed at her dress, before turning to face the crowd. She smiled, and some people in the crowd aww’ed at her.

“Senora Madrigal, is that…Mirabel?” A villager at the front asked.

Alma nodded, holding Mirabel up slightly up so the crowd could get a good view of her. She gestured the other 5 family members over, and they all held the babies out. The crowd gawked at the babies. They were back. Like, back back. In the flesh.

“They’re so cute!”

“Aww, look at little Dolores, their outfits are so cute!”

“How adorable, look at their little hats.”

The town continued to gush over the babies, and each Madrigal adult was showing off a baby to different sections of the crowd.

Bruno was happy it went well. He was worried that something would go wrong, or they wouldn’t take it well. He didn’t tell any of his family, but he used his Gift to look into the future the night before. Julieta and Pepa had told him beforehand, so he wouldn’t be caught off guard. Before he went to bed, he had a vision, and saw that the introduction went well. The town was going to take a while to adjust, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle.

At the moment, Bruno was surrounded by several people, who were all coddling and cooing at Camilo, who was currently happily giggling in Bruno’s arms. Surprisingly, the villagers weren’t wary of Bruno. They actively asked him questions in a reasonable manner, and made small talk when they weren’t wooing over Camilo. He was happily speaking about his sobrino and the others with a villager when he overheard a conversation between two villagers not far from him.

“Ugh, I’m glad that the babies are back. It’s been hard without their Gifts. When their 5th birthday rolls around, everything will be back to normal.” One said.

“I know right? And that Bruno. Why did he come back? He’s so creepy, and he’s always stumbling over himself and ruining things.” Another said under his breath.

“I bet he was the one who caused the fall of their home, killing the kids. The family should’ve kicked him out when they had the chance. I know I would,” The opposite shuddered. “He’s so weird…”

“We–” The other stopped when he heard a voice behind him.

“Might I ask why you’re saying such rude things about mi hermano?” Julieta asks angrily. She held Isabela, who looked up at her mother and attempted to copy her angry face, but it really only came out as a mad pout. The villagers stuttered and mumbled, attempting to make excuses.

“We-We weren’t trying to–” He was cut off by a crack of thunder.

“Don’t try to make excuses. We heard you. And we won’t stand for it.” pepa said darkly, holding a pouty Antonio. Fèlix walked over to and stood next to his wife, nodding in agreement.

“Bruno didn’t do anything. He’s never done anything. You guys just deny having bad futures because you don’t care for ourselves properly and blame it on Bruno.” Fèlix shifted his hold on Mirabel. “He has done nothing but be kind and helpful to everyone around him. You both have no right to talk about that man, my brother, like that.” The villagers squirmed under the gaze of the Madrigals that were defending Bruno.

“W-Well…he deserves it! He’s weird and…a-and…!” The two villagers quickly stopped their rants, speeding off at what was standing behind the Madrigals. Sure, they were already scared out of their minds because they were cornered by 3, or rather 6 Madrigals, but Felipe had also inserted himself into the argument. He caught the tail end of the argument and decided to end it before it escalated. With Luisa still in his large arms, the tall man stomped through the crowd and stared down at the villagers, effectively menacing them. Pair that with an angry family? They were out of there in an instant.

Pepa huffed and her cloud dispersed. “Yeah, and you better stay away!” she yelled after them. After making sure the other 2 were gone, the 4 adults made their way over to Bruno, who stood shocked, Camilo still in his arms.

“Bruno, are you ok man? They didn’t do anything to you did they?” Fèlix frantically asked, looking the man over. Bruno shook his head, still shocked into silence. No one had stood up to him like that in…years. “Good. You know, they’re wrong. You don’t make bad things happen, and none of this is your fault. I don’t want to see you blaming yourself for what happened, you hear?” Fèlix puffed out his chest.

Once again Bruno nodded. He smiled at his family. He was glad he was finally getting close to them again and feeling more comfortable around them. He was happy that his childhood friend, Felipe, stood up for him as well. He nodded his head, and the brawny man nodded back in acknowledgement.

“Gracias familia. Really, it means a lot,” Bruno said.

“Anytime hermano. You know we’d do anything for you.” Julieta grinned. “Now, let’s get back over there with mamá, him?” The group made their way back to the fountain where the townsfolk continued to gush over the children.


The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. Most of it was spent with the Madrigals, only breaking to buy food and eat lunch in the square and feed the babies. As the sun went down, the large crowd slowly dwindled down, and everyone was heading home for dinner. Eventually, it was only the Madrigals, Valeria and Feplie, and the Guzmans. The babies were now back with their buddies and everything was packed away.

“Well, now that we’ve got everything together, we’ll be heading back now,” Agustín said, picking up the bag of supplies.

“Alright then, we’ll see you tomorrow then. You guys have a wonderful rest of the night. And we’ll see the little ones tomorrow as well,” Ms. Guzman said, walking away with her son. The duo waved their goodbyes and left for their home.

“We’ll be off too. You all get some good food and rest and we’ll see you again next time,” Valeria walked with her husband, and they waved as they walked off. Bruno called out to Feplie just as he and his family were leaving.

“Hey, Feplie!” He called the man. Feplie turned around, looking at Bruno in acknowledgement.

“Thank you. For earlier.” Bruno said. Feplie smiled and nodded, before turning and walking off with his wife. Bruno jogged and caught up with his family, and the group made their way back to Casita.

One might ask, was it a good day? The Madrigals were able to successfully introduce the babies. Mariano got to be a big brother. Bruno finally got the justice he deserved.

So yes. It was a good day. And hopefully, there will be more to come.

Notes:

Phew that took a WHILE. But! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next we'll be getting some more fluff, so stay tuned!

Chapter 9: The Sextuplets 1st Birthday!

Summary:

Today is the birthday of the sextuplets! Let's find out what its was liking leading up to it and the day of!

Notes:

Hello hello! I am just. SO SORRY. That this took so long to get out. School was wrapping up and there were finals, and I have babysitting, and there was just so much to do, BUT! I got it out before the month ended (my time, anyway.) So, here's the next, long awaited chapter of Cocooned! Enjoy some soft Abuela for your troubles <3

Translations!:

“¡Preparados…listos…ya!” - "Ready...Set...Go!"

"...mis pequeños milagros..." "...my little miracles..."

"...es el cumpleaños de mis sobrinas y sobrinos." - "it's my nieces and nephew's birthday."

"¿Son estas las niños de cumpleaños?" - "Are these the birthday kids?"

"...mi pequeño camaleón?" - "...my little chameleon?"

"¡Tío, mira mira!" - "Tio, look look!"'

"¡Ven aquí niños!" - "Come here kids!"

"¡Hoy es el cumpleaños de los seis Madrigals!" - "Today is the birthday of the six Madrigals!"

"¡Sorpresa! ¡Feliz cumpleaños!" - "Surprise! Happy Birthday!"

"Hola mi pequeño milagros," - "Hello my little miracles,"

"¡Mal sueño!" - "Bad dream!"

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The baby's first birthday was coming up in just 2 months, and with it, were a lot more ‘first things’.

For instance, the babies had been crawling around a lot. They were on the move, and had to have a constant adult around, because they had discovered that grabbing stuff is fun! With the help of Casita, they would yank at objects on the counter, sneak into the other rooms and take things; Alma had found she was missing more than a few of her trinkets…

But it was good! Bruno, Fèlix and Agustín would have races, lining them up and seeing who could get to the finish line first. This was one of racing occasions, it was the family’s off day; It was a regular, weekly thing. Every Saturday, the family would take a break from working and spend time with each other.

They were all in the front room, surrounding the children. Agustín, Fèlix and Bruno held the babies in place as Julieta and Pepa sat near the finish line, camera in Julieta’s hands. Alma carefully bent down (taking note of how much easier it was to do so—lately she had felt much more energized.)

“Are all the contestants ready?” Alma chuckled, clapping her hands together. The babies all turned towards their Abuelita’s voice, smiling. They giggled and babbled in delight as they watched her raise a flag. “¡Preparados…listos…ya!” Alma waved the flag down and the 3 men previously holding them back let them go. The adults were cheering them on as the 6 raced towards Alma.

Camilo was in the lead, and Luisa was in last. Luisa didn’t seem to like this—but rather than crying, she stopped and lifted her knees. Her grunts gathered the attention of the adults—and the other babies. The adults watched in awe as Luisa pushed herself up off the ground, grunting as she did. Finally she stood up and took a few steps forward towards Antonio and Isabela. The family erupted in cheers. The adults were a mix of crying, squealing, and laughing, with Julieta taking several pictures. All of the babies crawled towards her and surrounded her, clapping and giggling.

“Ayyyy! Look at my hijas go, they’re getting so big!” Agustín said, scooting closer to the group of children.

“Right? It seems like just yesterday we got them back…And now they’re almost a year old.” Pepa smiled.

It was quite obvious to everyone: these babies were smart. Incredibly so. They seemed to always be in sync with each other and sometimes it seemed as if they were able to talk among themselves. And Luisa was no exception. She noticed how both siblings and all of her primos were attempting to stand themselves. Camilo succeeded and walked towards Dolores—Julieta took more photos and squealed in delight.

“Look at them go, they’re helping each other!” Julieta snapped another photo.

“Luisa has always been so helpful, even as an infant,” Alma cooed.

While the adults were gushing over the photos, Luisa took it upon herself to help her siblings and primos—just like before, always the strong and helpful one. She bent down and grabbed Antonio’s hands, holding in turn wobbled upwards. He himself took a few steps and smiled as he did. Camilo helped Dolores up. She fell down again, but after a few attempts was able to keep her balance. Mirabel was able to do it on her own, and in turn helped Isabela, who had managed to stand, but not walk.

All 6 were standing now, and the adults finally took notice of their efforts. They had been able to stand before; but only for a couple seconds. Now, they were standing up just fine and were even taking their first steps. While Julieta took at least 20 pictures with Bruno and Alma, Agustín, Pepa, Fèlix cheered them on as they watched the babies take their first steps around Casita’s floor. The house had even used its tiles to help the babies keep balance, bouncing them back up when they fell down.

“Rápido, take a photo while they’re all standing!” Bruno pointed. The adults all called out to the babies, who at this point, were all standing. They each looked at Julieta holding the camera up. The babies watched in happiness and curiosity as Julieta snapped a photo of their first steps, capturing the moment forever. While the adults pecked kisses and squeezed the babies and congratulated them, Alma grabbed the developed photo. She smiled at her nietos first steps. She hadn’t been able to see all of them before, so she was absolutely ecstatic that she did this time. She knew now she was doing it right.

Julieta and Pepa squeezed their children, their husbands doing the same, Bruno in tow as well. The 5 were so happy. It had been years since they were all together and this happy.


It was only 1 more month till May 12th, the now dubbed sextuplets’ birthday. The family was planning the party. It would be small, and though usually they held grand parties where the whole of Encanto was invited, this year, they decided to just have this one as a family.

Alma wanted to hand make the babies some blankets for their birthdays. So far, she had sewn and knitted them some outfits a couple times, but had stopped as of late to look after them. Right now her own children were out. Bruno was delivering a vision to a couple who was expecting (she had noticed how wherever Bruno spent more time with his family or was generally happy, his vision seemed more neutral, or even happy.) Julieta had her day off and Pepa was scheduled to help with the fields this week. She had heard Agustín and Fèlix went around to gather things for the party, so that was that.

Right now, she has children. She had just re-entered the nursery with several rolls of soft, plush yarns, all in various colors. She laid them out on the ground and carefully placed the almost-1-year olds onto the rug.

“Alright mis pequeños milagros, which one do you like?” she said gently, gathering their attention. The children looked starry-eyed at the colored yarns in front of them. They each seem to evaluate the colors before finally walking over to one.

Isabela went straight to the deep blue one. It actually surprised Alma a bit. All these years, she had thought Isabela’s favorite color was purple and pink…but now, looking back, she finally realized: that was what Alma wanted her to like...But no more. She promised. And if Isabela liked the blue yarn, then Alma was more than happy to knit her a beautiful blue blanket.

Dolores went straight to the red one. Alma smiled and the child gleefully hugged the soft yarn. Red had always fit Dolores. Alma loved how it looked on her granddaughter, and Dolores always had a fondness for all things red. From flowers, to toys to clothes, it was her favorite.

Luisa went for the indigo one. Alma was caught a bit off guard, but not disappointed. She was glad Luisa picked the color. It complimented her. Luisa always likes frilly girly things, but her Gift and her chores didn’t allow her to wear them often.

“Red and Blue,” Alma chuckled, caressing the two girls’ cheeks. “How fitting.” She looked towards the other and observed what they chose.

Camilo grabbed the orange one. It fit his personality. So cheerful and happy, but still having enough chill. And it complimented his dark brownish-copper colored hair. Camilo would definitely love the blanket. Alma would knit patterns into it—to make it more him.

Mirabel looked at the teal yarn with starry eyes. Alma wasn’t surprised. Mirabel had always loved the shade of blue–it stuck to her family’s color scheme but she could also say it was her own.And the beautiful embroidery she always put onto her dresses…Alma wondered why she never noticed it that much before.

Antonio practically teleported next to the yellow one. It sort of surprised Alma. She knew he liked yellow, but not this much. Then again, she hadn’t really been present in his life. She hated how selfish she was before. She had barely been present in Antonio’s life, and didn’t even see him grow up. And after he had passed the first time—

Alma’s eyes teared up and her throat got dry at the memory. Those 4 months of absolute helplessness she felt, when they weren’t there…It hurt her, even just to remember. She sometimes would remember and occasionally cry, she was still recovering. But not now. Right now she was the Abuela to her grandkids and she would see them grown up. She would be in their lives, Gift or no Gift.

She hadn’t realized it, but tears ran down her face as she blankly stared at the yarn and children. The babies became concerned. They had seen their parents and Tio Bruno cry before. A lot of the time they looked happy. But their Abuela looked really sad. They didn’t like it when she was sad.

Dropping the yarn, they immediately surrounded her, clutching her dress and holding her hand. Mirabel climbed into her lap, latching onto her. She raised her tiny hand up to her grandmother's face and began wiping her tears, just like how her mama or tia would do whenever she or her other 5 siblings cried.

“Tita?” Mirabel said, eyes wide with worry. That snapped Alma out of her saddened trance. Did Mirabel just say her first words…to her? Alma Madrigal stared in shock before positioning herself so he was sitting cross legged and Mirabel was in her lap. The other grandchildren watched as Alma looked at Mirabel in disbelief.

“What did you say mija?” She whispered quietly in a slightly cracked voice. Mirabel just blinked for a moment before speaking again.

“Tita?” She asked again, holding her abuelita's hand. Alma laughed a bit in dubiety. She did! Mirabel Madrigal’s first words, ‘Tita’, were to her, Alma Madrigal! Suddenly Alma laughed out loud in joy as she squeezed Mirabel into a tight hug. Mirabel laughed with her, small arms wrapping around her neck.

Alma remembers when she was told when the others said their first words. Antonio and Luisa’s first words were “Papa”, and shortly after, “Mama.” Fèlix and Agustín bragged for weeks, going on about how much their children loved them and how they were the favorites. Dolores, Isabela, and Camilo had said “Mama” first, then “Papa.” That day, the day was brighter and the food tasted sweeter. Camilo at one point had even said “Tio” to Bruno, and the man was practically bouncing off the walls in happiness; his visions that day had all been relatively good and his headache was minor.

The only one who had yet to say a word was Mirabel. She had been excitedly babbling all the time but hadn’t spoken. It worried Alma, but the others assured her that she would say something when it was time. And now she has!

“Ay, mi mariposita…” Alma said, hugging Mirabel tightly. She was so happy. After giving each of her other grandchildren hugs, she released them to go back to play while she looked at the yarn, planning out the new blankets she would knit.


Today was May 13th. The sextuplets birthday! The Madrigals had been working hard for the past 2 months for this, and now it was happening.

Julieta was the first one up. She woke up extra early. She didn’t do this unless it was a special occasion—which it was! Her mama had her going to sleep before 12 a.m, and waking up at 8, which Julieta agreed too. It took a while to get used to, but she was getting there.

She was in the kitchen at 6 a.m. She was going to cook them something sweet–arepa de choclo. After throwing some sausages onto the hot griddle, she moved to start making the arepas. As she was kneading the dough and preparing to roll it out, she heard the clinking of a metal kettle resting on the stove. Turning around, she saw Bruno setting out the things to make coffee.

“Bruno? What are you doing so early?” she said, rolling out some arepas. Bruno walked over, holding a basket of eggs.

“You really thought I was going to let you cook a birthday breakfast alone?” he sarcastically replied, setting the eggs onto a counter next to the griddle. “And besides—es el cumpleaños de mis sobrinas y sobrinos. I do something special as well.” he chuckled, Julieta sighed and smiled, letting her hermanito help.

For the next hour, Julieta and Bruno toiled away at breakfast, only stopping to take a minor coffee break.

“The food is all done, so we can take it out,” Julieta said, drying her hands while Bruno grabbed 2 of the platters.

“Alright, I take these out—Oh! By the way, Fèlix and Agustín set up the backyard, so we’ll be eating there.” Bruno called before carefully making his way outside.

Julieta nodded as she took in two other platters. As she made her way to the backyard, she progressively saw more and more streamers and balloons lining the hallway. “They must have set this up for them so they can walk down the hallway,” she cooed. Walking outside, she finally saw that it was decked out in decoration.

The table had streamers in various colors lining the edges. She could also see that there were balloons everywhere—a special sparkly one attached to the children’s high chairs. She set down the plates of food, and said that Agustín had brung back to the last 2 out.

“Did you guys do all this?” Julieta asked, turning to her husband. He gave a kiss, holding her. “Yup! Me and Fèlix got up at about 7:30 to set all this up. Did it all by ourselves,” he said smiling. Casita flipped its tiles, some of the streamers lining the house shingles sagging. “Oh, Casita helped us as well—someone had to get those streamers up.”

Pepa walked in with Fèlix carrying some cups. “Me and Fèlix got new cups for them! I think they should be using sippy’s rather than bottles, hm?” She said, showing them off. They were decorated with all the babies favorite colors and things. “A little morning birthday present if you will!”

Bruno nodded admiring the handiwork. “These are great Pepa! I’m sure they’ll love them. Speaking of—after breakfast, I need to get my gift for them ready!” He thought out loud.

“Alright, everyone’s ready right?,” Pepa asked, walking over to the group. “Are we all ready for today?” She asked, excitement present in her voice.

“We sure are! Julieta and Bruno got breakfast ready, me, Agustín and Casita got the backyard ready, and You’ve got their first gift of the day,” Fèlix exclaimed, gesturing to the now set up breakfast table.

“Now all we need is the niños and Mama…” Julieta explained. As if on cue, Alma walked into the backyard, smiling brightly and holding a camera.

“Buenas Dias! I have a little surprise for you all,” Alma beamed., turning to something out view in the kitchen near the doors threshold. “Come on niños! Come show them!” She said softly, ushering someone to the door.

The other 5 adults felt their hearts melt as the 6 babies toddled into the room. Alma had dressed them up; presumably while everyone else was downstairs setting everything up. The girls were wearing laced party dresses, in blue, indigo, teal and red respectively, with brand new shoes in the same colors. The boys were wearing dress clothes, Camilo and Antonio were wearing some particularly nice dress clothes. Camilo had on new sandals and Antonio had on new shoes as well.

At the sight of their parents, they dashed over, the 4 swooping them up in joy.

“Awww! Look at mi hijos!” Pepa said, squeezing Camilo and Antonio as they giggled. “They looked so handsome! Feliz cumpleaños mijos!!”

Fèlix gently adjusted Dolores’ bow, pinching her cheeks. “Look at mi nube, so pretty, just like her mama,” Dolores cuddled close to her father. “¡Feliz cumpleaños Dolores!” he laughed, nuzzling her cheek.

Julieta picked up Luisa and Mirabel and hugged them tightly. “¡Feliz cumpleaños ninas!” She examined their outfits as the toddlers hugged their mama. “I see your abuela dressed you up all pretty for today,”

Agustín held Isabela, spinning her around. “Look at mi florecita! So pretty, all dressed up in blue like her papa, feliz cumpleaños!” Isabela grabbed his cheeks and laughed as they spun around.

“They look amazing mama! Did you do those yourself?” Bruno asked, setting up the high chairs while watching his mama take various photos.

“Yes! I had actually been working on them for a while—and I’d say it’s my best work yet!” Alma said, gathering the plates and setting them out while the others seated the babies. Once the birthday babies were accommodated, the adults worked on their plates.

Plates were set out and the adults cooed at how thrilled the babies got when they saw the syrupy arepas Julieta made. Pepa filled the new cups she had for them with juice and set them in front of the babies.

“¡Feliz cumpleaños mis nubes preciosas!” she shouted, watching as the babies grabbed the cups and admired them with a child-like innocence only they could have.

“Mami yay!” Camilo exclaimed, sipping from his cup. Pepa produced a rainbow in joy and kissed his cheek, then moving to sit down. After she sat down, Alma stood up at the head of the table.

“As you all know, it’s the little ones’ birthday today. Everyone’s schedule is cleared, today is all about them—we’ll each take shifts and take them out to do activities and come back tonight for the party. Who’s going first?”

Before anyone could react, Julieta shot her hand up with a speed and energy that only a young person could have (they had noticed that lately they seemed younger and more energized. And their gray hairs had disappeared completely; even Alma’s hair had more brown than white to it as of late…but that’s normal, right?)

“Me and Agustín will take them! We’ll take them out to the town square and buy them some new toys,” Juli nodded.

“Yup! We’ve got it planned out,” Agustín spoke matter-of-factly. “First me and Julieta will take them for the morning, then Bruno will take them for lunch; then Pepa and Fèlix will take them until sundown and we’ll have the party, then you can have them for the rest of the night.”

Alma’s face showed surprise—she wasn’t fond of being left out of planning. It made her feel…helpless, out of control. But she was learning patience, and she wasn’t some controlling dictator. And besides, it was her nietos first birthday! She would have tired herself out trying to draft out the whole day, so it’s good that they helped her. “W-Well then…I guess that’s settled!” she clapped her hands. “Let’s eat then,”

The family ate away at breakfast. (with a few close calls on the toddlers getting their new outfits dirty, but thank God they had bibs.) Julieta was happy that the children enjoyed the sweetened arepas, sausage and papayas. The adults planned out the day, Alma deciding a nice little surprise for them at the end of the day.

Once everyone was done, Bruno insisted on taking the dishes, pushing Julieta and Agustín off to have fun with the babies while the others prepared for the party that would take place later come nighttime.

“Are you all ready to go to the toy store?” Agustín said, bending down while Julieta went to get what they liked to call “The Line Leader Rope”. The kids all cheered, happy that they were getting new toys.

“Papa, Papa!” Luisa said, hopping up and down. Agustín happily ruffled her hair, brushing off her pretty dress.

“What is it mija?” he asked, beaming at the girl.

“Toy? Go play?” Luisa asked happily, his siblings and cousins following close behind.

Agustín laughed out loud, hugging them all simultaneously. “Si hija,” he pulled back and kissed her forehead. “We’re going to get new toys and then go play.” ONce again, the children cheered, causing Agustín to cheer with them. Once Julieta came into the room, they all rushed over, bombarding her with questions and clapping.

“Alright alright, calm down niños,” she chuckled, calming them down and gathering their attention. “Now, we’re going to go into town today, and go to the toy store! But we need to follow the leader, ok?”

The children nodded and grabbed the rope like they had been taught before. Agustín was the “Line Leader”, the kids were in between, and Julieta was on the back. “Is everyone ready?” Agustín asked, looking behind him.

“Si!” The children all called out enthusiastically. With that, Agustín was off. He started singing a song about marching with Julieta. The kids tried to follow along, but it was obvious they weren’t familiar with the words.

As they made their way to the town square, the other villagers cooed at how they toddled along the brick path. Up ahead, Senora Guzman and Mariano emerged from their house, stopping the line.

“Ah, hola Senora Guzman, Mariano,” Agustín said, smiling at the other two.

“Buenas Dias Agustín, Julieta” She said, looking behind them to the little ones behind them. “¿Son estas las niños de cumpleaños?”

“Tia!” the toddlers yelled, dropping the rope they were holding. Immediately they hugged her legs. She bent down and hugged them, giving them kisses as they called her name.

“Hola niños, ¡feliz cumpleaños!” she shouted with glee. Reaching into her pockets, the tots watched how she magically pulled candy out of her dress, handing each of them a piece. “I got you all some candy!”

“Candy!” They shouted in unison. Each child quickly scarfed down the sweets, then moved to hug the older woman again.

“Oi, where’s my hug?” Mariano asks in mock offense. The sextuplets quickly ran over and tackled his legs, yelling and jumping while he laughed.

“Up! Up!” Dolores and Mirabel shouted, to which Mariano bent down and picked the two up. The girls hugged him tightly. Agustín and Julieta walked over laughing, watching as the other 4 attempted to climb Mariano’s leg.

“So, what are guys doing for the niños’ birthday?” Senora Guzman asked, brushing off her dress. “Anything special planned for them?”

“Well Agustín and I are taking them to the toy store.” she cooed at Camilo who reached for her from Mariano’s shoulders. “And then Bruno’s going to take them for lunch. Pepa and Fèlix will have them for the afternoon and then we’ll have a small party at Casita.”

“That sounds fun! Well, we’ll leave you to it; tell Alma I said hi!” Ms. Guzman said, waving. Mariano let them down, handing them another piece of candy from his pockets.

“¡Feliz cumpleaños!” Mariano shouted, watching the children grab the rope and march off with Julieta and Agustín again.

Once they marched a little ways farther down the road, they made it to the toy store. Once Agustín opened the door, the kids rushed in, toddling their way around the store. Julieta, Agustín, and the store owner cooed as they watched the kids run around, jaws dropping at the toys.

Isabela picked up a balero that was adorned with the blues her family wore. She immediately sat down and began throwing it up and down, trying her best to imitate her father, who had played with one in front of her a couple of times.

Dolores picked up a yo-yo—a simple toy, but Dolores enjoyed simple things. She let it roll, and chased it around, not quite understanding how it worked yet, but never-the-less still enjoying the spinning toy, the pattern gathering her attention quickly.

Luisa picked a hand sewn doll. The dress was similar to hers, an indigo-purple shade. Luisa babbled about how pretty it was and was soon having a full conversation with it, and even dancing around in joy.

Camilo immediately grabbed a small drum. His hands beat up and down on it furiously. He had no rhythm, but he would get there eventually, especially with his father being so musically inclined.

Mirabel somehow managed to climb a shelf and get her hands on one of the balls that were settled on the shelf—it was almost bigger than her, but she didn’t care. She bounced it up and down, giggling as she chased it around the store.

Antonio pulled a trompo off of a nearby rack. He squatted down with a grunt and began spinning it. Or, at least attempting to. His small pudgy hands continuously picked the toy up and pulled the string, spinning only for a mere millisecond, though it didn’t seem to deter the boy.

Agustín walked up to the cashier while Julieta gathered the children and their toys. Pulling out his wallet, he greeted the man standing behind the counter. “Hola senor! How many pesos will these 6 toys be?”

The cashier grinned, cooing at the children. “Since it’s the little one’s birthday, I’ll give you half off,” Agustín stuttered a bit but ultimately paid, waving the cashier goodbye as he and the children walked off with Julieta. The children skipped as they played with their new toys, laughing as they did.

For most of the morning, they had played in the open field with their new toys, with Julieta and Agustín showing them how. The kids loved their new toys, playing with them happily—And their Abuela had taught them to always say “thank you” when someone gave them something, so Julieta and Agustín’s hearts melted when they kept thanking them over and over.

About 2 hours later, Camilo walked up to Agustín and pulled his pants leg. “Tio Gus?” Agustín bends down and picks the boy, who still had his drum in hand.

“What's up mi pequeño camaleón?” Agustín asked, adjusting the boy's dress shirt.

“Go eat por favor?” Camilo replied. Agustín checked his watch—it was already 1p.m, which was lunch time! They needed to take them to Bruno so they could eat!

“Julieta!” Augustin's wife turned at the sound of her voice, hands still helping Isabela with her toy. “It’s lunch time, we gotta take the niños to Bruno!” Julieta nodded and quickly gathered the children, helping them grab the rope and the two adults and six children were off, back to Casita.

Bruno was in the backyard setting up his picnic he made for the little ones. He had worked for 2 hours (with the help of his mama,) to make beef stuff arepas. He knew the children loved to eat them for lunch in the past, and even reincarnated, they loved to eat them.

Just as he finished filling up their new cups with jugo de tamarindo and setting them down on the blanket, he found himself being tackled by 6 small bodies. He yelped in surprise as his rats left his ruana. He was confused until he heard the giggling of toddlers.

He managed to turn himself and saw all of his sobrinas and sobrinos on top of him, brand spankin’ new toys in hand. “niños!” Bruno beamed, hugging and kissing all of them as they giggled at their ever-loving tio.

“¡Tío, mira mira!” Dolores yipped, holding up her red yo-yo. Bruno chuckled as she attempted to use it. “New toy!”

“It looks awesome! Do you mind if I play with it?” Dolores nodded and handed him the yo-yo. Bruno saw his sister and brother in law waving, to which he waved them goodbye as he heard Julieta shout one last thing.

“We’ve already changed their diapers, so they should be good for now!” Julieta said before her and her husband made their ebay to the front of Casita. Bruno nodded before putting the yo-yo on his finger. “Watch this!” He rolled the yo-yo down, and much to the children’s shock, it rolled back up into his hands.

“Woah!!” the children exclaimed, surrounding his legs as he stood and even did a couple tricks before handing it back to Dolores. The girl tried several more times to copy her tio, trying her best to keep it in her hand.

Isabela handed Bruno her toy and ushered him to show her if he could play. “Alright alright, one more!” He took the balero and proceeded to spin the ball and do various tricks before landing it back into the resting position and handing it back to Isabela.

“Tio’s cool!” Isabela giggled, sitting down on the blanket and taking notice of the food next to her, with Bruno settling all the kids down and putting bibs on them, she pointed to the stuffed arepas as Bruno put hers on. “¿Hora comer?

“Yup! Me and Abuela made you all some food!” Bruno sat down and pulled the plate onto his lap, showcasing it to the kids.

“Arepas!” Camilo shouted, already reaching for one. Bruno handed each of the one and watched as they happily munched on the food their tio happily prepared. “¡Comida rica!”

“I’m glad mi pequeno sobrino loves my food so much,” Bruno pinched Camilo’s cheeks, causing the one year old to giggle. “And, after you're done, I’ve got a little present for you all~” At that, the children were even more giddy.

The children have to realize that they like this “birthday’ thing. Their parents had told them that it came once every year, and that’s when they knew they were older. Tio Bruno said that when someone has a birthday, everyone celebrates it just for you—or rather, the six of them. They knew that it was their very first birthday, so they were 1 year old. But their Abuela said something special might happen on their 5th birthday!

An hour later, after the children finished scarfing down their food and Bruno cleaned their faces, they all sat in front of him as he rummaged in his ruana for the new gifts he had gotten them. “You guys ready?” Bruno said, to which the children all declared their readiness very loudly.

The toddlers inched closer to their uncle, who pulled out 2 blue hair ties that were decorated with May flowers. Isabela gasped as she reached out to touch them. “For you mi florecita,” Bruno tied them to Isabela braids, and she squealed and thanked him for the gift. She spun around as she shouted ‘Flower!’, waving her hands around.

He turned to Camilo and held something behind his back. “Close your eyes, hijo…” Bruno said. Camilo clapped his chubby little hands over his eyes, giggling as he felt something pass over his head and rest on his shoulders. “Ok…open them!” Bruno yelled out happily. Camilo gasped as he looked down and saw the brand-spankin-new orange poncho that rested on his shoulders. He jumped up and down in delight as he flapped it up and down, joy in his eyes.

“Me, me!” Mirabel shouted, jumping up and down. Bruno chuckled as he pulled out a white ribbon, which Mirabel very much liked. Bruno tied it into her hair ruffling her curls once it was in place. “Pretty!” she beamed, joining Isabela and Camilo who were now dancing.

“Luisa! I’ve got you something as well!” Bruno called the girl over, her wavy hair surrounding her face. Bruno pulled out another ribbon–although this one was thinner and was purple instead of white. He gently pulled her hair into a small bun, Luisa laughing as she looked up at her hair and touched the ribbon.

“Antonio, look!” Antonio’s attention went from his siblings to his tio as the man pulled out an ascot. He tied it around the little boys’ neck loosely, and Antonio squealed in delight as he admired the gift. He picked up one of the rats and showed it off, before joining the other 5 in their circle.

“And this ones for you Lolo,” Bruno gently played 2 bows on her 2 pigtails and she gasped softly before hugging him tightly. Soon, she was showing off her bows to her fellow birthday buddies. All of the children were spinning in a circle and dancing, a couple of rats resting on Isabela and Antonio’s heads as they did. Bruno chuckled as he cleaned up the backyard, watching them sing and dance.

He liked this. He’d missed this, really. 10 years—he missed 10 years the first time, but he wasn’t going to let it happen again. He ran away last time, and…it resulted in their deaths. He couldn't let it happen again. All he wants is for his sorbinas and sobrinos to be happy.

Bruno found himself being tackled again as he let Casita take the plate and blanket back into the kitchen. “Ay!” he slipped and fell into the grass, the 6 piling onto his back. He struggled under the weight of the 6—they weren’t very heavy alone, but all together? That’s a solid 120 lbs with them all being around 20 lbs. Bruno struggled as the children giggled and laughed, him laying on the ground in defeat.

He heard a chuckle and looked up to see Pepa and Fèlix standing in front of him. “Bruno?” Pepa snorted at his situation. “You okay there hermanito?”

Bruno lifted his hands up and the children finally took notice of the couple. “¡Ayúdame!” Bruno half-heartedly exclaimed. “They’ve captured me—I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

“¡Ven aquí niños!” Fèlix said, reaching his arms out to them 6 saddled on Bruno’s back. They all shouted ‘Papa!’ and ‘Tio!’ as they jumped into his arms. “Hola mi nubes,” he said, pulling them into his hold. “Did your tio Bruno make you some food for your birthday?” While Fèlix talked with the children, Pepa helped Bruno up.

“I can’t believe you let a bunch of 1 year olds tackle you,” Pepa covered her laugh with her mouth, to which Bruno playfully smacked her arm.

“Hey! I was attacked. Ambushed even!” Bruno fell into Pepa’s hands in a mock faint. “I was set up! Casita helped them!” Pepa rolled her eyes and dropped him, to which Casita bounced him up as he yelp.

“Yes, well, we’ll be taking the little ambush squad here,” she nuzzled in Mirabel and Antonio’s cheeks. “But before we leave, Mama asked if you could help her set up for the you-know-what later,” Pepa gestured to Casita.

“Alright, alright, I’m going, I’m going...Make sure you have them back by 8! You know how Mama is about punctuation,” Bruno said, walking into Casita, waving them goodbye. “I’ll see you all later! ¡Feliz cumpleaños little ones!”

Pepa and Fèlix waved as they gathered up the children, putting their toys and cups of juice into a bag. As soon as they were ready, they were off to the town square, the children hanging onto Pepa and Fèlix’s back.

Fèlix watched his wife play with her sobrinas. Luisa was riding on her shoulder, babbling about something Bruno did while Isabela and Mirabel were playing pattycake in her arms. Fèlix loved how strong she was—physically and mentally. She was the middle ground, and he loved that about her.

Pepa looked at her husband who was holding their children. The man was laughing about a story Camilo was trying to tell, the boy kept stumbling over his words; the children were smart, and could definitely talk, but sometimes the words didn’t form quite right. Antonio and Dolores clinging to his back, giggling every time Fèlix jumped when they poked him. The sight made Pepa smile. She had missed being like this. A familia.

The couple along with their 6 children walked into the town square where the band was playing jovial music. As soon as the children were spotted, several villagers started shouting happy birthday to them, much to their delight. The children were released from Fèlix and Pepa’s hold, and they all ran over to the band members, who had wished them a very happy birthday.

“Alright everyone!” The guitarist stopped the music, standing up and facing the crowd. The toddlers turned towards them, smiling when they spotted Pepa and Fèlix in the front. “¡Hoy es el cumpleaños de los seis Madrigals! Let us celebrate this with a village wide dance, with the little ones in the center!” he announced.

The crowd cheered, and soon gathered around the fountain, where the 6 littlest ones were standing next to Pepa and Fèlix. The music began,and the villagers soon started dancing in a large circle, singing to the cubima music.

Fèlix was quick to swoop in and guide Isabela, Dolores, Luisa and Mirabel in the dance, spinning them around and throwing them upwards. Pepa grabbed onto the small pudgy hands of her sons Camilo and Antonio and quickly flew into dance with them, right beside Fèlix.

The eight of them danced as the village danced with them, singing in a joyous manner, the tots giggling in delight as Pepa and Fèlix danced with them. Pepa and Fèlix smiled as the children gathered in their own little circle, dancing just like the couple would.

It wasn’t often that the warm duo got to dance like this with the townsfolk, at least not before…the incident. It pained them to think about it. It wasn’t such a pleasant memory after all. The whole ordeal left them scarred for life—it wasn’t like someone could simply forget.

Fèlix swooped Pepa back into the dance, watching as the 4 girls spun in their decorative party dresses like Pepa and the 2 boys attempting to copy Fèlix’s moves in their sharp dress clothes. The villagers continued to laugh and sing as the toddlers danced about, happy about their birthday celebration.

The dances and songs continued until the sun began to set, indicating the Madrigal’s cue to leave. Most of the other villagers had gone home, and the remaining ones sent the Madrigal’s on their way.

The tots were in the hold of Pepa and Fèlix, chugging down the juice they had from the lunch they had with Bruno. Once Casita was in view, they were set down and their clothes (which were surprisingly still clean,) readjusted so they were back to their dress up state. Pepa adjusted the boys' clothes while Fèlix retired Mirabel and Dolores' bows.

"Alright," Pepa bent down to face them, all of them patiently waiting at Casita's door. "We have a surprise for you. Casita is going to open the doors, and then you can walk in. OK?"

The children nodded, and with that, Pepa and Fèlix moved to stand behind them. Casita's doors gently opened, and the toddlers gasped at the sight before them.

The courtyard was decorated with streamers windmills, the several lights from candles lighting up the room. Julieta and Agustín were standing on one side, holding each other and smiling warmly at the children. Bruno was standing next to Alma, both with welcoming expressions on their faces. Pepa and Fèlix moved to their other side, opposite Julieta and Agustín.

"¡Sorpresa! ¡Feliz cumpleaños!" They all shouted. The children ran in, Casita bouncing them up and down, seemingly wishing them a happy birthday as well.

"Come mi nietos," Abuela ushered them to her. Casita tossed the gleeful children towards As, to which they rushed towards her open arms.

"Abuela!" Isabela and Camilo, the others in hot pursuit. Alma chuckled as they all hugged her and kissed her on the cheek, just like she would to them.

"Hola mi pequeño milagros," Alma said. She gave them each a kiss on the head. "Are you all ready for some cake?" They all yelled yes, with Camilo and Luisa being particularly happy about it. Alma laughed again as she guided them over to the table that had been moved to the courtyard. While Bruno and Alma put them into their high chairs, the other adults bring out the various small sized cakes Julieta baked.

Isabela got a torta negra colombiana; her favorite. She clapped as Julieta tied a bib around her and her siblings' necks. Dolores was given a torta de tres leches; she had always favored the sweetened milk used in it. Luisa torta de manzana; she was fond of apples, but put it in a cake? The girl was in love. Camilo cheered when a large rolled slice brazo de reina was placed in front of him, the only thing stopping him was Fèlix, who had told him to wait just a second more. Mirabel was given her all time favorite—dulce de leche. Even in the last, she favored it, and it still hadn't changed. Antonio gasped as his mama placed a torta de dulce de coco in front of him; coconut, the best flavor if you asked him!

The adults gathered and began singing.

"Cumpleaños feliz
te deseamos a ti
cumpleaños Isabela, Dolores, Luisa y Camilo, Mirabel y Antonio~" they all chuckled to themselves as they sang the 6 names at once. "Cumpleaños feliz.
Que los cumpla feliz,
que los vuelva a cumplir,
que los siga cumpliendo,
Hasta el año 3000!" They all exclaimed.

The adults clapped as the children began to eat their cake. Bruno laughed at how puffed their cheeks looked when they ate the cake, but thought it was adorable nonetheless.

Julieta and Pepa pulled their mother aside as the men helped the children eat.

"Mama, we really want to thank you for helping us in all this." Julieta said, pulling her mother into a hug, which she returned. After pulling away, Pepa continued.

"Lo siento...we…We didn't let you in on the planning beforehand. I mean, we did but—!" Pepa was cut off when her mother placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Pepa saw that Alma's eyes didn't drift to her cloud, but stayed on Pepa.

"It's OK, mija, I don't mind. I would've tired myself out " Alma said, rubbing her daughters back. Pepa took some deep breaths and dispersed her cloud. "Besides…I'll be planning the next one," Alma chuckled as she went back over to the others.

By this point, the children had finished eating and were being cleaned up while Agustín took the plates back and cleared the table. Alma sat down on one of the dining room chairs, where the children gathered at her feet, sitting on the floor of Casita.

"Niños. Today is your first birthday, the day you were given to us. And I want to know that I, your parents, and tio love you so much, no matter what happens." Alma smiled at them, their faces full of curiosity. She loved how interested they looked whenever she would tell stories. "When it was Julieta, Pepa and Bruno's first birthday, I did this for them, and now I will do it for you."

Bruno handed some colorful material to Alma, which quickly gathered the sextuplets' attention.She handed each of them a bundle. The newly 1 year olds unraveled the bundles and took in what they were. They were hand knitted blankets; each one in the color of the yarn the child had chosen just months before. Each blanket also had white embroidery, the little symbols representing each child: Dolores had music notes, Camilo had chameleons, Antonio had various animals, Mirabel had butterflies, Luisa had dumbbells with hearts and Isabela had different types of flowers.

"Blankie?" Mirabel asked, as she pulled the blanket over her head.

"Yes mariposita, it's a blanket. I made it for you all." Alma watched as they pulled the blankets around themselves. They obviously liked them, and immediately went off to show off to the other members.

The children ran around Casita's courtyard with their new blankets, stubby legs carrying them around as they did.

Fèlix and Agustín took this as an opportunity to gather some instruments, playing jovial music as the little ones started dancing again, this time with their Abuela.

The party continued into the night, until the babies started showing signs of fatigue.

"Alright, I think it's night-night time," Julieta picked Mirabel and Luisa, carrying them up while Pepa and Bruno picked up the other four. The 3 went into the nursery while Agustín helped Fèlix and Casita clean up. Alma was quietly wrapping up the leftover food and putting it into the ice box.

The children were being changed out of their party clothes by the triplets.

“No night night…” Dolores mumbled, rubbing her eyes and yawning as her mother pulled her nightgown over her head.

“I know mija, but you have to. You can play tomorrow,” Pepa lifted Dolores and placed her into her crib giving a kiss on her cheek before moving to put Luisa into hers and kissing her head as well. “Good night niños,” Pepa whispered, Fèlix and Agustín walking in to their children goodnight.

“Buenos noches niños,” Julieta whispered one last time as the children drifted into sleep.


Alma was in her room, getting ready for bed. She removed the pins from her hair, letting her hair cascade down her back as she brushed it out. She began thinking back to the past year and even before that.

Before they came back, she couldn’t deny—she was a mess. She couldn’t think straight, her mind wouldn’t focus. Her emotions, she couldn’t handle the sadness.

But then they did come back. And that brought her a joy she never thought she’d see again. One that she never even knew she had. It was like she was given a new light in her life, one that she had been missing since her dearest Pedro passed.

Alma set down her brush and climbed into her bed, the only light in the room coming from the candle that had given her the room. She looked at her locket that had a picture of Pedro on it and kissed it gently. “Buenos noches mi amor.”

She laid her head down, ready to sleep when—

A small knock emitted from her door. Alma sat up and looked for a moment at her door. Who could be up at this hour? It was already, she looked at her clock, 11 pm! She waited for a second before she heard another small knock.

Alma slipped out of bed and shuffled over to the door, opening it gently. She looked around, not seeing anyone, but her attention was caught when her nightgown was pulled at. She looked down and saw all six of her nietos standing at her door, tears in their eyes and new blankets in hand.

“Tita?” Isabela’s eyes watered as she pulled on her Abuela’s dress again.

“Nietos, what…?” Alma immediately bent down and picked up Isabela, soon carrying Camilo as well while the others followed behind, sniffles filling the room as Alma’s door closed. After helping each child onto her bed, she wiped the tears from their eyes, cupping their faces as she did. “niños, what happened? ¿Por qué estás llorando?” she asked softly.

She was met with more tears as the child threw themselves into her hold, basking in her warm motherly aura.

“¡Mal sueño!” Several of them shouted at once, to which Alma did her best to calm them. She spent 5 minutes rubbing their heads gently, calming them down so she could at least figure out what happened.

“You had a bad dream?” Alma asked them, to which they all nodded. Her face went into confusion before switching back to a gentle look. It was strange, but…not out of the ordinary. The triplets used to have the same nightmare sometimes, so it was a possibility with these six. “Can you tell Abuela what happened?” Alma asked quietly, cupping Luisa’s face.

“Casita…Casita fall!” Luisa hiccuped, curling further into her grandmother's hold. Alma froze. There was no way they remember…did they?

“Did…Casita fall on…you all?” Alma gently questioned.

Mirabel nodded solemnly. Her eyes showed a fear no one year old should have, fear that even Alma could barely handle. “Casita fall, go boom! No find Abuela or Mami…”

“Tio bye bye forever…” Dolores rubbed her eyes as he hiccuped again.

“You mean…Tio Bruno wasn’t there? And you couldn’t find anyone?” Alma frowned a bit. She watched as the child cried more, scooping them up into her arms.

“Mami…Papi…Abuela…Tío…Tía…all gone!” Camilo wailed.

“Casita hurt us! Casita hurt!” Isabela buried her face into Alma’s shoulder.

Alma could do nothing but hold the children in her arms, and comfort them the best she could. She didn’t think this would happen—it shouldn’t have happened! They started anew, they were supposed to be happy!

But nothing comes for free. Them coming back was a miracle in and of itself…and the price was that they may have nightmares.

Alma rocked her 6 nietos, holding all six of them in her lap. She began to sing a lullaby she had heard Pedro sing to her triplets several times. Once they finally all calmed down (after about 10 minutes of Alma just continuously humming. The sextuplets seemed to really like it when she sang to them…) Alma pulled them away from her, much to their dismay.

“You all should go to bed now,” Alma gently explained. “It’s a bit late now.”

Mirabel clutched Alma’s nightgown so Alma wouldn’t move from the bed. “Sleep with Tita?” Alma was shocked at the request. Surely, they wouldn’t want to go to their parents?

“You don’t want Mama or Papa?” Alma gestured to her door.

“Tita.” Mirabel said simply, grabbing onto her nightgown sleeve again. The other children seemed to agree, and who was Alma to deny them?

Alma nodded her head, and moved to get them all comfortable. Dolores and Isabela laid on the ends with Camilo and Luisa next to them. Antonio and Mirabel laid closest, clinging to Alma’s arm. As she lay her head down, she watched as they all cuddled a little bit closer, Antonio and Mirabel resting their heads on her arm.

Various ‘night-night Abuela’s emitted from the children as they closed their eyes.

The elderly woman smiled as she closed her eyes. “Buenos noches mi pequeño milagros.”

Abuela and her nietos

Notes:

WOWWWW. That was long, 8000+ words. But I hope you liked it regardless! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I'm glad I could get it out during May. I really like the end as well, and I hope you do too! See y'all in the next chapter :)

I hope you liked my drawing as well! Art by me, watermarked, don't steal please :)

Chapter 10: Wishes

Summary:

The children are 3 years old now! Let's see what they're up to ;)

Notes:

I'M SORRY FOR BEING GONE FOR ALMOST 2 MONTHS AHHHHHHH

So much stuff was happening at home, and then ain't got writers block, and then when I was ready to write again school started and then it was chaos. BUT IM HERE NOW!! Hopefully I'm here to stay, enjoy <3

5k+ words!!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

3 years old. They were already three years old. They were so cute too, toddling around behind the adults. They would play in pairs, or as a whole group of six. When it came to pairs, it seemed like they still stuck together, just like they had before. It wasn’t uncommon for them to talk to each other in Casita, mostly about the games they would play (or how they were going to go bother their favorite hermano mayor, Mariano.)

One thing the adults had noticed was that every year, without fail. On their birthday, they would have a nightmare. It broke their hearts when they learned that. The nightmares were usually about the same thing: Casita falling on them, and no one being there afterward. They would always try to cheer them up somehow, but it was obviously inevitable.

One day, Julieta had noticed something while talking with Alma: the kids had memories of their past gifts; or at least, had an idea.

Isabela would flex her small fingers, repeating the word ‘flower’. Of course, nothing would come out, and she would pout before either trying again, or going to go play. She had also taken a liking to gardening. Everyday, she would go out to the side of Casita water each of her small plants. Dolores would just listen to people, quietly. She had no purpose to do it, and half the time she didn’t even understand half the stuff she heard. But regardless, she would still (poorly attempt), to eavesdrop on people. Luisa would literally go around trying to pick up and carry objects bigger than herself. It was adorable, but the adults had to keep a close eye on her and make sure that she didn’t hurt herself in her attempts to do so.

Camilo loved to dress up as other people and pretend to be them; more specifically Bruno. Bruno, on more than one occasion, found his ruana missing; not that he minded, he always found Camilo rather quickly. The boy was usually acting as him and the others would simply play along. Antonio would always chase small animals, and would beg whoever was watching him to take him to the farm and see the animals. He would always be so gentle with them too, it was something that he took pride in, despite only being 3 years old. And though Mirabel didn’t have a gift before, it was clear that she was still always trying to help; most of the time, if she wasn’t chasing butterflies, she was trying to fix something. Broken objects strewn about, and she’d be close behind with some kind of adhesive; Julieta had to pull her away from broken vases and the like so she wouldn’t cut herself.

All of this behavior leads to Alma, Julieta and Pepa sitting them down, and explaining something to them.

“So…you all understand your mami’s and your tio have gifts…right?” Alma asked, gesturing to her daughters. All of the children nodded in understanding.

“Mami can make clouds or make a rainbow!” Dolores smiled as she pointed to her mother.

“Tia can make people feel better with food!” Camilo pointed to Julieta.

“And tio Bruno can see the future,” Isabela wiggled her fingers as she held a serious face, causing the other children to giggle along with her.

“Yes, yes, they can,” Alma chuckled. “But…you know I don’t have a gift, right?”

“But you have a door?” Mirabel tilted her head. Her Abuela had a door…and it had the candle…so she must be the most powerful one here, right?

“Yes but…I don’t have a gift. I watch the candle, and help Julieta, Pepa and Bruno in the town, along with your fathers.” The children all gave out an ‘ooooh’.

“Your Abuela doesn’t have a gift, but you all still love her, right?” Julieta asked.

“Lots and lots!” Luisa beamed as she threw her hands up, the other toddlers agreeing.

“Yes, lots and lots. We still love her, even though she doesn’t have a gift. And that’s why we sat you guys down.” Pepa smiled gently.

“Nietos…when your gift ceremony comes, when you're 5, your door will be blank. Now, we know that your mami, tia and tia have a gift. But…I don’t have a gift. So, there is a chance you won’t get a gift.”

“No gift?” Camilo asked.

“Yes. But, that doesn’t mean we won’t love you any less. We will love you just the same,” Alma said, a serious look on her face. “And if you get a gift, but your sibling or cousin doesn’t, that doesn’t mean you should love them any less. You should love your family regardless. Do you understand?”

“Yes Abuela,” the kids all said, nodding and smiling.

“Good. Now, come give your Abuela hug,” Alma held her arms out, a smile on her face. The toddlers all jumped up, running to hug their Abuela who was sitting in the rocking chair.

Pepa and Julieta smiled at the scene, thoughts about their ceremonies leaving their mind momentarily. It was moments like this, seeing their children and mother so happy, that made them glad that the little ones came back. It was so adorable, they loved it.

Alma smothered her grandchildren in kisses, hugging them tightly. With the knowledge that a child could not get a gift, she made a vow; whether or not any of them got a gift or not didn’t matter. They could all be giftless, and she wouldn’t care. They were her grandchildren, and she would love them all with the same love she had before. No matter what.

She wasn’t going to let some gifts get in the way of her loving her family. Like she had stated before, she had no gift, and yet her family still loved her. Her son in law didn’t have any gifts and she still loved them like they were her own sons. And even though he wasn’t there, she was sure that Pedro would love his entire family, no matter what.

The Madrigal was seated outside, just starting breakfast. The little 3 year olds were all seated between their parents, while Alma sat at the head and Bruno sat on the end. The adults were either talking to each other or their children, just a normal breakfast.

“Mami?” Luisa asked, putting a bite of eggs into her mouth as she looked at her mother, Julieta.

“Si mija?” Julieta asked, wiping her youngest daughter's mouth.

“How come…how come you don’t have any white or gray hair like Abuela?” Luisa asked, kicking her feet.

Julieta chuckled as she looked at Luisa. “What do you mean? I do have gray hair, I have for a while.”

“Nu-uh,” Luisa pointed to her hair. “¡Mira, marrón oscura!”

Julieta was a little nervous now. She’s 50, she has gray hair. Right? She looked at her husband, who was talking to Bruno. Before she could speak, she looked directly at his hair. Not a gray hair in sight. Which should have been impossible, seeing as they were 50, and they haven’t had fully brown hair since they were in their 30’s…

Her eyes drifted to her brother, who was still talking to Agustin. Not a gray hair in sight. His hair was all brown, just like it had been when they were younger. She looked at Felix. His hair was fully black; same with Pepa; no longer was her hair a mix of light gray and red, it was just the same fiery red, and only that color.

Luisa was right. None of them had gray hair. Julieta eyed her mother for a moment. The elderly woman's hair was made up of more brown, and now there wasn't as much white, if any at all, as there was gray. Julieta thought herself to be going crazy, because her mother most definitely used to have white hair.

After breakfast had ended, the children were off with Mariano, who had come to pick them up and take them to a bakery.

Before Pepa was off to water the fields for that week, Julieta pulled her aside.

“Pepa,” Julieta said seriously, holding her sister's shoulders. “I-I have a question for you.”

“Well what is it?” Pepa asked, confused at her hermana mayor's behavior.

“Have you noticed anything…different? Mainly about me, Agustin, you, Bruno and Felix?” Julieta asked.

Pepa raised an eyebrow. “Nooooo…why do you ask? DId something happen?” Pepa gently removed her sister's hands, holding them. “We can talk about it. If it has something to do with the little ones, I pro-”

“No, no, it's not that just…Ugh…Pepa, what color is my hair?” Julieta interrupted, looking up at her sister.

Pepa tensed, looking at Julieta as if she was crazy. “Brown…” Pepa glanced at Julieta;s hair for a couple seconds before looking back at her again. “Dark brown, your hair is dark brown.”

“And what color is Felix’s hair?” Julieta asked.

“Black…well…more like a mix of really dark brown and black, but I digress—Look, what has gotten into you?” Pepa asked worriedly.

“Pepa. My hair hasn’t been completely brown in almost 20 years. We’ve all had gray hairs! And now they’re gone!” Julieta pulled her hair out of its usual bun, much to Pepa’s shock. “Mira, mira!” Julieta combed through her hair, Pepa looking on in curiosity.

It was indeed brown, with not a single gray hair in sight. Matter of fact, when she was braiding her hair that morning, she duly noted that there wasn’t any gray hair. She hadn’t really put much thought into it because her adorable little clouds had come running in before she could investigate further. And then there was Felix. Pepa looked at him everyday, and she had definitely noticed that his hair was much darker than usual.

“Oh my Lord,” Pepa pulled her braid from behind her and looked closely. Julieta was right—it was all red now! “Wh…How?!”

“I don’t know! I didn’t even notice until Luisa had pointed it out at breakfast! And get this—” I was looking in the mirror, and all of my wrinkles and lines on my face are gone, and yours are too!”

Pepa looked at her sister's face, and once again, she was correct. “I-I don’t understand…did we get younger? But I thought…” Pepa had a cloud over head as she processed the information.

“Pepa…I think when the kids came back...we got affected too,” Julieta said, a light bulb going off in her head.

“Explain,” Pepa placed her hands on her sister's shoulder.

“Think about it! I mean, the kids came back, but as babies. They had all gotten younger, regressed a whole lifetime. The magic must have affected the Madrigal Family as a whole, so we got younger too. It even happened to mama—haven’t you noticed that she’s been able to move around a lot easier now?”

“You're right!” Pepa exclaimed.

How did they not see it before? It was so obvious! The magic must have also sent them back a few years; it would be a real shame if Alma hadn’t lived to see their birthdays after they turned 10. She was already in her 70s, and the adults were in their 50s. And seeing how the candle did whatever it did to their children, it was really a given that it happened to them.

But they wouldn’t really complain. This simply meant that they would all spend more time with the kids!

Alma had just finished reading the kids a bedtime story, and was now tucking them in. After giving Dolores a kiss, she was about to leave the room when she heard a small voice.

"Abuela?" She turned and saw that Luisa was sitting up in her bed.

"Si nieta?" Alma said, smiling gently.

"Um…we can ask you anything right?" Luisa fidgeted with her fingernails, looking down. Alma walked over and sat on the end of her bed, caressing her face.

"Of course you can," Alma kissed her head. "What do you want to ask me?"

"Can you tell us more about Abuelo?" Alma froze for a moment before her face softened. She nodded, and ushered the others to come towards her.

Carefully opening the locket she always kept on her, she showed her grandchildren their beloved Abuelo.

"This is your Abuelo Pedro," Alma said softly. "He's one of the best people you'll ever meet."

"Is he funny?" Mirabel asked.

"Yes, he was very funny. He told me many jokes, and they always made me laugh," Alma chuckled, thinking back to the times Pedro would joke.

"Funnier than me?" Camilo said, making a face.

"Well, maybe not as funny as you," Alma ruffled his hair as he giggled. "But still. He was a great man. I just wish he was here with us all."

"When will he come home?" Dolores asked, staring at the photo.

Alma squeezed her eyes, keeping her tears at bay. "Abuelo…Abuelo can't come home." She said, sniffling.

"Why?" Dolores asked.

"Because…he's lost." Alma didn't want to explain death to them, a bunch of 3 year olds. Her sweet nietos, she couldn't do that to them. Maybe when they were older. Alma usually waited until they were 5 to explain in more detail about what happened to her amir, Pedro.

"Lost? Does he need help?" Luisa said worriedly.

"No no…he's just…not…" She didn't know how to explain it. "He's still here in Encanto, but…not here at home with us."

"In the Encanto? So can we look for him?" Mirabel pulled herself closer to her abuela.

She would go with that. Sure. "Well…I don't think you will find him, but if you want to—after your 4th birthday, you can go look for him. But you must all go. I don't want you to get hurt or lose yourself. Am I clear?"

"Yes Abuela!" The children all nodded.

"Oh, when we find him, can he come home?" Isabela asked.

"If you can find him, then yes, he may come back home." Alma chuckled.

"Oh, maybe we can ask him what his favorite food is, and cook it for him when he gets back!" Mirabel clapped her hands.

"Yeah, and then we can show him around Casita," Luisa smiled.

"And then, and then, we'll throw him a giant welcome back party!" Camilo exclaimed.

Alma watched wistfully as the children planned a whole party for her Pedro. They were so innocent. And she didn't have the heart to tell them the truth. At least for now, she would let them have their fun.

"Alright niños, back to bed," Alma shooed them away from Luisa's bed, all of them scampering back to their own.

After giving each of them another kiss, she wished them a goodnight and left the room. Once the children knew Alma was gone, they all left the bed and ran up to the window at the opposite end of the room.

"Look for a shooting star!" Antonio whispered.

The children scanned the night sky, Casita's rumbling its tiles occasionally.

"Look, there! Make a wish!" Mirabel pointed to the sky. The children quickly clasped their hands together, closing their eyes.

"I wish everyone in the family stays happy forever." Isabela whispered.

"I wish that my family stays healthy," Dolores said.

"I wish that Casita stays up and happy too," Luisa smiled.

"I wish that the family won't ever ever fight," Camilo whispered.

"I wish that we find Abuelo and he comes home," Mirabel said.

"I wish that me, my hermana, hermano, and primas all get super duper cool gifts," Antonio whispered last.

The children all rushed back to bed, settling in and closing their eyes as Casita gently swung the window flaps. The little ones all fell asleep, dreaming of their wishes coming true.

That night, the candle shined a little bit brighter as the shoot star passed over the clear Encanto sky.

Notes:

I hope you guys like this chapter! It was definitely fun to write, kudos to the children to being so considerate, and kudos to Alma for being the best Abuela.

Chapter 11: Will you come home?

Summary:

The Madrigal grandchildren are defending Mirabel when they see a man, who helps them! But hey, doesn't he look like the man in the painting on the stairs...

Notes:

HEY Y'ALL...did you miss me? No? Yeah understandable 😭😭

BUT I DIDN'T ABANDON Y'ALL. I SWEAR. School in August was literally beating me up and I had writing blocks WHEN SUDDENLY!!! I FINALLY GOT WHAT I WANTED WRITTEN DOWN!!!

So. Please. I ask for your forgiveness as I deeply apologize for missing last months update. In the meantime, please enjoy this 6k word chapter <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Alma kept true to her word. Once the kids had turned 4, they had a lot more freedom to roam around. Usually they hung around one of their parents, Mariano, Valeria or even Felipe, but there was the occasional expedition down to the lake or out to the fields to play.

The little ones also went searching for their Abuelo. For weeks, they would venture out to the woods or the town, searching. They would ask around, showing off their clumsy attempts at drawing their beloved grandfather, seeing that they couldn't bring the one picture of him that sat in Casita's wall. Many of the pictures Alma ended up keeping; she thought of them to be adorable, and very much enjoyed the ones where both her and Pedro were present. Luisa had even redrawn their wedding photo, and Alma almost cried when she saw the attempts.

Alma never had the heart to tell them what really happened. She couldn't. They were far too young, and besides, they usually told them what happened at their ceremony. But for now, she would just let them look, though she knew they would never find him.

The kids liked to play in groups. It wasn't like them to be alone, at least not individually. Usually they had a sibling or cousins or two, if they weren't in their entire group of six.

This wasn't for no reason either. The kids were smart; despite only being four, they were well aware of how small they were compared to other kids. Though they didn't know why, it wasn't uncommon for bigger, relatively older kids to pick on them; especially Mirabel. Their Abuela always said that they should stand up for each other and to fight back if the situation called for it.

And this was one of those situations.

This was one of those times that they were in their little group of six. Today was Thursday, meaning all of the adults were on their work day, right before their break day. The kids understood that they would have to let their parents work and then play later, after lunch. The little ones were playing a ways away from Julieta's stand; still in her sights, but not too close so they weren't bothering her.

They had been tossing Mirabel's ball around, just playing catch. Luisa had attempted to throw it to Antonio, but put too much force behind it, causing it to fly past them.

"I'll get it!" Mirabel quickly ran off, chasing after the ball, the round toy rolling off towards the fruit stands.

She had just picked it up from behind a cart, and was about to walk back when she was dogged by a tall figure. Looking up, she saw a tall guy, he looked like he was 17 or 18.

"¡Oh, lo siento!" Mirabel said politely, moving to walk around the man. The man stepped in front of her. "Uh–"

"So what's it like being useless, Giftless?" The man said in a condescending manner.

Mirabel furrowed her brows. Useless? Giftless? She didn't think she was useless. She trued her best to help everyone. "I'm…not useless…And my ceremony isn't until next year." Mirabel frowned deeply. Why did that hurt her feelings so much? She wasn't useless…right?

"Yes you are. You aren't a real Madrigal. You won't get a gift. I already know." The man smiled as he watched Mirabel's eyes water.

"I'm…I'm not useless! You're just mean!" Mirabel shouted, trying her best to hide her tears and cracking voice.

"Stop crying, crybaby!" The man pushed Mirabel down, and landed on the ground with a thump, glasses flying off her face. "If you were a real Madrigal, you wouldn't cry, no wonder your family hates you!" He laughed.

Mirabel looked down at the ground, trying her best to hold in her tears. She was a real Madrigal! Her family loved her! She bit her lip, refusing to look up and prove the man right.

"You---Ow!" Mirabel looked up to see what had caused the man pain. She saw her hermana, Luisa standing in front of her.

"Stop that you…you weirdo! Stop making fun of Mirabel!" Luisa stomped her foot, fists balling up as she stared hard at the man.

"What the--you little–" the man moved to push Luisa as well but was stopped when he say the other 4 siblings suddenly surrounding him. Luisa turned and helped Mirabel stand up, putting her glass on after cleaning them off.

"Are you okay? Should we go to mamí?" Luisa asked Mirabel, who shook her head.

"I'm fine I just…got a little dirt on me," Luisa hugged Mirabel tightly, letting the girl know that the man was wrong, and that they didn't hate her.

"Why were you saying those mean things?!" Dolores demanded, pushing the mans leg, not doing much.

"Because I'm right," The man shooed Dolores, pushing her back with leg.

"Hey! You're not supposed to hit girls!" Camilo yelled. The four year old ran up to him, catching the man off guard. Before the man could react, Camilo raised his fist, punching him right in the family jewels.

The man dropped to the floor, writing in pain. "Holy Sh-"

"¡Estupido! Everything you say is stupid!" Camilo cut him off, and began kicking him in the legs, preventing the man from moving as he laid on the ground in pain. The others joined in, with Isabela and Mirabel taking off their shoes to beat him with it.

"She's not useless, you are!" Dolores huffed as she kicked him in the back.

The villagers that witnessed the event did nothing. They might not have the full story, but they also didn't want to be the ones on the ground getting beat up. It would be embarrassing to walk up to Julieta and explain you got ganged up on by a bunch of four years olds.

The Madrigal children went at them until a man walked up to them. He was old; around their Abuela's age, maybe a little older. He wore all white, save for an ascot that was the same maroon Alma wore. The man also wore a hat, and he had a guitar hitched on his back with a book in his one hand. He had a gentle face, one of understanding. He looked…familiar.

"Hey, hey," the man said, walking up to the kids. The littles all looked at him, scowls on their faces. It was quite cute, although it seemed much scarier since they were surrounding a busted up, slightly bloodied man. "What's going on here?"

The one that was on the ground suddenly shot up, wincing slightly as he wobbled. "These little monsters started beating me up! For no reason!" If he could just get this man to believe his story, maybe he could get away with it.

"Oh, is that so?" The elder one said, an amused look on his face.

"Si! I was only trying to help little Mirabel here and—" the younger stopped when he noticed the look on the olders face. "And…I…"

"Really? Are you sure? Because from what I saw, you intimidated her and then pushed her." The older looked at Mirabel, who was still sniffling as she held her sister's hand. "And her siblings simply came in self defense. So…you wanna fix your story?"

The younger stumbled on his words for a moment before scoffing. He stood up straight, and limped away, mumbling obscenities under his breath. The older man turned towards the kids, who were all surrounding Mirabel and comforting her.

"Are you niños alright?" He asked, walking over and bending down. He reached into his pocket and pulled an arepa out of his pocket. "I got this for you."

Antonio moved forward and took the arepa, cautiously looking it over before giving it to Mirabel, who eats it, allowing it to heal her wounds.

"Um…thank you for helping us," Mirabel said, shoving the rest of the arepa in her mouth.

"Oh it's no problem," Pedro said smiling. "If it's not too much trouble, what are your names?" The old man asked, smiling warmly.

The kids usually weren't supposed to talk to strangers but…this man didn't seem like a stranger. They felt like they knew him. He could be trusted.

"I'm Isabela, this is Luisa and Mirabel," Isabela pointed to her sisters, who waved and smiled. "And those are my primos, Dolores, Camilo and Antonio. But we all are also siblings." The warm siblings waved as well.

"What's your name?" Dolores asked, stepping forward a bit.

"Me? My name is Pedro. Pedro Madrigal," He said, pointing to himself.

Madrigal? That's the same last name as them! Was this man their relative? Did they find him?

"Oh, you have the same last name as us. We're Madrigals too!" Luisa said proudly.

"Is that so? And who are your mama and papa?" Pedro asked. He wanted to see something. He had been sent here. He just needs to confirm his suspicions.

"Oh! My mamí's name is Julieta, and my papa's name is Agustin," Mirabel smiled, pointing to the woman, who was handing out food while Agustin kissed her and went off to do something else.

"My mamá's name is Pepa, and my papa's name is Felix!" Antonio pointed over to the fields, where Pepa and Felix were dancing around.

"And then we also have a tio Bruno! But he's back at Casita with Abuela making lunch." Camilo smiled up at Pedro.

So he was right. His children were…still alive. And from what it sounds like, Alma lived as well! That means he really did get a second chance! He could be with his family again, he wasn't alone anymore!

Pedro laughed quietly as he watched the children walk up to him. Honestly, he could see his children, Alma and even himself, in them. They really were his grandkids…

"Are you our Abuelo?" Mirabel asked, looking up at him in curiosity.

Pedro smiled and nodded. "It looks like I am. Julieta, Pepa and Bruno are my children. I assume your Abuela's name is…Alma?" He said, standing up to his full height.

"Yeah! Er…how did you know?" Camilo asked and the other kids giggled at his obliviousness.

"He's married to Abuela! Just like how Mama and Papa are married," Dolored laughed, as Camilo let out a long 'oh'.

"Wait, we found him! We have to get a party ready, and make your favorite food," Dolores said, running up to Pedro and grabbing his hand. Suddenly Pedro found himself surrounded by little four year olds, who were rambling on about a welcome back party and food.

"Oh, oh! Before we go to Casita for lunch, we should take him to the bakery to get a cake!" Camilo suggested. "I brought my pocket money!" He dug in his pocket for a moment, and pulled out a small bag that rattled with pesos.

"Oh, I got mine too!" Isabela beamed as she pulled out her pouch. The kids all pulled out their little bags and punches of money. They were taught to always have some kind of currency on them, which is why they always carried their pocket money with them whenever they went to town.

"Come on Abuelo---Oh yeah!" Antonio turned, gathering Pedro's attention. "What's your favorite kind of cake?"

"Ponqué," Pedro chuckled as the children all nodded and dragged him off to the bakery, still going on about a party.

Who knew having grandchildren could be so fun?

The youngest Madrigals walked into Casita, beaming as they dragged Pedro in. Alma and Bruno had almost caught them; luckily they hadn't, and the mother son duo left to gather the others for lunch. Pedro mumbled something about the two, but the kids couldn't make it out.

Casita was ecstatic. This was unexpected, what an exciting surprise! Tiles rattled in excitement as Casta took the decorations basket (courtesy of Señor Osvaldo, who had so graciously gifted it to the little ones once he found out they were having a party.) and moved the newly bought cake to the dining room table, which was being moved into the main room, along with the other food that had been placed there by Alma and Bruno. Casita began to decorate, setting up streamers and setting out sparkles for them to light later. Sure, might have been a bit much, but this was something to go all out for—Pedro was back!

"Come on, come on!" Isabela said, pulling Pedro up the stairs, Casita ushering them all quickly into the nursery.

"This is our room!" Camilo swept his hands out, showing off their room. Pedro saw how six beds lined the walls, and there was a slightly overfilled toy box and some other small items. He looked around, smiling whenever Casita happily bumped under his feet.

"This is amazing—is…is your house alive?" He asked, to which Casita spun him around for a moment.

"Yup! Casita can do a lot of stuff, she's been here a super long time," Luisa explained, smiling.

"Come on, we have to get you ready for the party!" Dolores pushed Pedro to sit down at the vanity.

"P-Party?" Pedro laughed as the Cami lo removed his hat and Antonio gently placed his guitar onto his bed.

"Yeah, your welcome back party!" Isabela smiled as she used a small stool to reach his hair. "We have to have a party now that you're back. Abuela will be super happy!" She continued as she gently brushed his hair. Pedro didn't have the heart to tell the sweet flower-clad girl that she didn't need to put in the effort to brush it.

"A party? For me? But I'm not that special, I don't deserve that," Pedro said as he waved his hand. "I only--huh?" Pedro looked back and saw a slightly upset Isabela, cheeks puffed out in anger.

She had hit him on the head with her small hairbrush as she had an upset look on her face. “You can’t say that!”

"But I-" Pedro was cut off again when the other kids suddenly came up to him, seemingly trying to comfort him. “Um…did I say something wrong?”

“Abuela always says that all Madrigals are special, and that we shouldn’t think otherwise," Mirabel said, holding his hand. “She said that she’ll always love us, even if we don't get a gift.”

Gift. That was a recurring thing that they talked about. Even earlier when they had been coming back from the bakery, they had mentioned it more than once. He had also come to learn that they were 4 years old, all of them being triplets; could have fooled Pedro though, because they all called each other hermana and hermano and referred to themselves as siblings rather than primos or primas. He also learned that they all shared the same birthday, which was a strange, but fascinating coincidence.

From what he heard, mostly from the kids but also from a couple of the townsfolk, they would get their gifts on their 5th birthday, which coincidentally was in around 7 months. They seemed to be some sort of power that they could receive. He learned that his children had one—Julieta could heal anything with her food, Pepa could control the weather with her emotions, and Bruno could see the future.

He was going to ask more, but he suddenly had an arepa shoved into his mouth. Unexpected, but delicious.

“You have a cut,” Camilo said, pointing to the long scar that ran across his chest. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned, revealing part of it. Pedro looked down and touched it. “Does it hurt?” Camilo asked, as the other children gathered to look at it.

Pedro’s face fell for a moment. That was the only thing he could remember right before he died. He kissed his beloved wife and children and went to stop the soldiers; only to be slashed fatally in the chest. He stared down at his chest, memories flashing through his head as he seemed to forget his surroundings and only focus on what happened. He wanted to forget, but he couldn’t. When he first came a week ago, he roamed around like a ghost, sickly looking and limping as his scar slowly (perhaps magically,) healed, unaware of the healer that was in town.

“Abuelo!” Dolores shouted, something not common for the usually quiet little girl. Pedro snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at…his grandchildren. They were all looking at him with worry, with Isabela holding one of her stuffed cactus toys, trying to place it in his hand.

“What…?” Pedro blinked once. Then twice. His grandchildren, what's right. He was getting ready for…a party.

"Are you okay? You didn't answer, and I got scared," Camilo pouted, fiddling with his fingernails.

"Oh I'm alright niño," Pedro gently patted his head, giving him a soft smile. "I was just…remembering something. Don't worry."

With that Camilo nodded and left, but not before handing him yet another arepa. Pedro ate it and felt the scar on his chest fully heal; before it had been relatively fresh, and it hurt to move at times. Looking down here now saw that it was nothing more than a large dark mark across his chest, similar to that of a birthmark.

Casita suddenly bumped Pedro out of his chair, sending the man towards the door. Mirabel peeked out the nursery door and smiled as she hopped.

"They're back!" She ran over and the children were frantic to get Pedro ready; which mostly consisted of them straightening out his clothes and making sure his hair wasn't frizzy.

"Here, you should give this to Abuela!" Isabela handed Pedro a rose, one that she had picked from the side of Casita. "It's her favorite flower. I think she'll be super happy if you give it to her." Pedro nodded, staring down at the flower. It seemed that Alma hadn't changed.

Downstairs, the adults were confused. What was all of this party stuff doing out? The only birthday for that month was for Felix, and it had just passed a little over a week ago—so why was all this stuff out?

"Casita? What's going on?" Bruno asked, looking around. The tiles rattled happily as what seemed to be the final decoration was pulled into place. A banner that hung across the staircase. In what was obviously a child's handwriting, written across the banner was "Welcome Back Abuelo!". Various symbols representing each family member were scattered amongst the tons of glitter and handmade confetti that stuck to it.

Alma sucked in a breath while the other family winced slightly. That's right. Alma had told them that if they found her beloved Pedro, they could bring him home and they would throw him a welcome back party. Seeing all this stuff, it made sense.

Alma sighed. Maybe she should have explained to them that Pedro couldn't come back. That he was gone. For all she knew, they found some random villager that happened to look like her husband and brought him to Casita. But, if that was the case…

Why did Casita let it happen? And why was she so excited anyway?

"Wait, where are the kids?" Agustin asked, looking around. The rest of them looked around as well. Usually they would be here by now there's no way they'd miss lunch, especially after running around all day.

"Hi papa!" Isabela waved at Agustin from the top of the stairs near the nursery.

"Isabela? W-What's going on? What's with all the party stuff?" Agustin asked, gesturing to everything surrounding them.

"Silly tio," Dolores giggled as she walked out of the nursery with her 'prima-hermana' Luisa. "It's for Abuelo's party!"

"Yeah, we found him in the village earlier today! Did you know his favorite cake is ponqué?" Luisa asked. Alma's breath hitched again.

That was his favorite cake. It's what made up the wedding cake they had. There's no way they could have known that, it's purely a coincidence.

"Hija, what are you talking about?" Julieta questioned. Before her question was answered, she saw her sobrino, Camilo run out of the room.

"Come on, come on! They're here!" He excitedly gestured to the adults before waving at them as well.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," a voice from the nursery chuckled. The adults could see Antonio and Mirabel holding someone's hand.

Alma stopped for a moment. That voice. There was no way. No. Way. He was gone, he's been gone for the past 54 years.

The owner of the voice walked out. Suddenly all the air in the room seemed to be sucked out. The adults froze in their place, eyes wide at the man. There he stood, very much alive, just older.

Pedro Madrigal.

Casita was dead quiet, save for the little ones who were giggling as they clutched their abuelo. Felix and Agustin just stared, gobsmacked at the man. Julieta and Pepa were close to tears and Bruno just couldn't seem to fully comprehend the situation. Alma was probably the most surprised. Her face kept switching between shock, awe, disbelief, fear and maybe even joy. Her husband...was here. They hadn’t been lying; she didn't even know why she doubted her nietos to begin with; they almost never lied, and when they did it was fairly easy to tell. And they were known for keeping their promises, and they had promised Alma that they would bring their Abuelo Pedro home.

Pedro simply stood and smiled waving. No one said anything as they looked at each other. Before anyone could get a word out, Casita suddenly flipped sometimes and pushed Pedro and the kids down the stairs, careful not to hurt them. In only a split second, Pedro was now standing in front of Alma while the kids ran to their parents and to greet them and hug them.

Alma opened her mouth, but not a word came out. She didn't even know what to say. Was he even real? Was he here? He looked the same, just in slightly different clothes and older, probably around Alma's age (not that she really knew how old she was at this point, but she presumed in her mid 50's).

The Madrigal matriarch slowly lifted a hand up, pausing just before he fingers moved to touch his face. Pedro chuckled softly and moved his hand so that hers was finally touching his face, gently resting on top. They were still strong and gentle, just like they were over 50 years ago.

"Hola mi amor," Pedro said quietly. Now having confirmation that he really was here, alive and breathing, Alma started to cry. She lowered her head and began to sob, tears falling to the ground. Pedro didn’t know what to do, he continued to hold Alma’s hand, flustered as he looked at her. “A-Alma? Did you miss me that much?”

“Yes!” Alma shouted abruptly, looking up at Pedro. She looked angry, but she wasn’t angry at Pedro, she was angry at his words. How could she not miss him, does he know how crushed she was?! “50 years! 50...years…” Alma broke down again, clutching Pedro’s shirt. The man said nothing as he hugged her close.

“Mama?” Mirabel tugged on her mothers dress. Julieta looked at Mirabel. Doubling back to look at Pedro, her apparently now living, father in disbelief, then back to her daughter.

“Uh…si mija?” Julieta said in a shaky voice. She was crying now, but was trying her best not to as she spoke to her daughter.

“Why are you, tia, tio and Abuela crying? Did we do something wrong, were we not supposed to bring Abuelo home?” Mirabel asked. She herself was on the verge of tears, as were her hermanas and primos. The children had a habit of chain reacting, and if one started crying, whoever was nearby was bound to follow, whether they knew what was happening or not. And seeing that even their older family members were crying, they had come to the conclusion that they had done something wrong.

Julieta smiled softly as she picked up her four year old daughter. “No mija, you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. Neither have your siblings; we’re just…a little surprised, that’s all. We are very happy that you brought papa home,” Julieta explained softly, wiping Mirabel’s tears.

“Can we still have our party for Abuelo? I don’t want Casita to be sad that we put up decorations for no reason,” Camilo asked, walking up to his tia.

“Of course Camilo,” Julita said, brushing his curls. She set Mirabel down, wiping her own face. “Why don’t you all go wash up ok?” With that the 6 children nodded, dashing up the stairs, leaving the adult alone. As soon as they were sure the little ones were out of view and ear shot, Alma finally managed to calm down enough to speak up.

“When did you…how did you…?” She began and Pedro sighed.

“I…I’m not actually sure. One second I was dead, the next I wasn’t,” He scratched his head, racking for more information. “I’ve actually been here for a little over a week, but…I wasn’t…fit to come here.”

“What do you mean?” Pepa asked, trying her best not to rain on everyone; she noticed how Pedro’s eyes flickered to her cloud, but he didn’t linger like most people. His eyes came back down to meet her own. It sort of warmed Pepa’s heart, because it wasn’t often that people talked to her rather than to her cloud. She was happy that her father was one of the viewers that actually made an effort to talk to her, and not gawk at her cloud the whole time.

“I…do you know how I went?” Pedro asked, and the family nodded, Alma's expression turning grim for a moment. “Well…when I came back…I guess my body hadn’t fully healed? Because, there was a giant scar across my chest and…it only just now healed enough for me to come into town.”

“Scar? Do you mean…” Bruno trailed off as Pedro nodded.

“But I’m fine now! Little Camilo gave me a arepa and it helped over. Although, the scar is still there. Oh! And Julieta?” Pedro walked over to Julieta, who looked at her father as he looked at her. He kissed her on the forehead, smiling. She looked surprised, but not unhappy. “Gracias. Mija. Your food was very delicious, and it helped heal me.” Julieta nodded, and when Pedro turned back to Alma, she buried her face into her husband's chest as she started to cry again. She was seldom thanked for her healing food, save for those in the family and particularly kind small children. Not one person outside of them ever thanked her, and it made her genuinely happy that she heard such a simple compliment from her father.

“And that brings me onto the next thing. The children told me about ‘gifts’? They kept talking about them and mentioned that Julieta, Pepa and Bruno had one. It was healing food, control of weather and future seeing, right?” He asked, turning to his kids.

"Uh, yeah! We got them at a ceremony on our 5th birthday." Bruno explained, pointing to the doors upstairs. "We get doors and rooms that fit our gifts. Mama's the only one with a door with no gift, but that's just because she's the candle holder."

"And the kids…they're four, so their ceremony is on their next birthday? Do you know what their gifts will be?" Pedro asked, looking curious and amazed at the concept. The adults looked at each other for a moment, confusing Pedro. "Is there something I'm missing?"

"Well…we never know what their gift is. All we know is that they might get a gift. But it's not guaranteed." Agustin said. "But…we do have a strong feeling about their gifts if they get one this time, except for Mirabel."

"Why is that?" Pedro asked.

"Um…well," Pepa trailed off, a cloud forming overhead as the other adults all grimaced, not saying anything leaving Pedro clueless. Before he could ask again or press further, the kids came stampeding down Casita's stairs, yelling about the party they were about to have.

"I'll…explain everything. But not now. The children are here and…they…they just shouldn't know. It's not time. But I promise, I will fill you in," Alma whispered to Pedro. He hesitated, but gave in once he saw his wife's face. She was always so caring and understanding, and she never went back on her promises. Beside, now was a time for celebration; he needed to get to know his grandchildren, his own children and his son-in-laws!

It didn't take long for the party to start. The kids were very insistent on showing off their new 'band' they had created to their Abuelo; they had been practicing since they were three, when Felix and Agustin took them down to the music shop to look at instruments. They were hooked, and begged for their fathers to teach them all to play; and of course they said yes! And Alma thought it was a wonderful idea, she had always loved it whenever the triplets would play occasionally in their younger years.

They played their music and it actually wasn't half bad. Pedro was amazed at how smart they were, especially for four years olds. He was amazed by the whole family in fact. How orientated they were, and how much they showed love to each other, he never saw that often. And Casita was just as awesome; the house seemed to adore Pedro, constantly pulling him and Alma into a dance and spinning them around together.

Pedro also found that his children were very fun to be around. Julieta was kind and caring, and always made sure everyone was ok; she also seemed a bit shy to compliments, he would have to do that more. Pepa was a fiery and enthusiastic person. It was clear she loved dancing, taken from the amount of times she danced with her husband and Felix alone, before pulling the little ones into a dance. And then there was Bruno, his youngest. He was quiet, and maybe a little aloof, but he was still very likeable. The man enjoyed small things, and seemed very skilled when it came to playing guitar, seeing how he easily picked it up and played it like he had been doing so for the past 30 years,despite looking no older than 28 or 29. and he already appeared to be quite attached to Pedro, not that he minded.

The party went well into the night. They danced and sang plenty (and thanks to Julieta, they ate as well), with the kids surrounding their Abuelo almost the entire time. They were fascinated with him, because he was such a pleasant man. Everything he did they watched him do in awe, from dancing with Alma, to playing with his son in laws. They asked him probably a million questions as well, though he still answered them with obvious glee. They had even asked him about what gifts he thought they would get, and after being filled in on the specifics by Alma and the triplets, he tried his best to guess, though he wasn't entirely sure.

Pedro was also taken on a 'tour' of Casita, and had seen just about everyone in the room (some more than once, but he didn't care). Had even seen Alma's room, though she had now said it wasn't just hers anymore, it was his as well. It looked almost exactly the same as the one in their previous home, albeit much larger and there was a small staircase that went upstairs; where it led to, he had yet to know.

By the end of the night, the kids had been tuckered out, and were sent to bed. After kissing them goodnight, they reluctantly went to the nursery to go to bed. The adults had begun to clean up, but Bruno had insisted that Pedro and Alma go talk and explain the real story behind all this while he and the others cleaned up.

Pedro and Alma went to their room, and Pedro finally found out where the staircase went. It lead to a smaller upstairs room. The room was relatively empty, save for two chairs and a small table that had a few drawers. He looked and saw the candle; it didn’t melt. The flame was incredibly bright, almost impossibly so. Alma sat down and one chair and Pedro followed, sitting in the other.

“So…what happened?” Pedro asked, not really being specific; there was so much to know, he didn’t know where to start.

Alma sighed, and looked at the candle for a moment. It flickered, almost in confusion. “It really started back when you…left me. After you sacrificed yourself, the candle…just became magical. I don’t know how, and I still don’t know. But after that, the mountains went up, and then Casita. We had the village too.” She paused, looking into her hands. ”And then on the triplet’s 5th birthday, three doors appeared. And when the kids touched them, they suddenly had gifts.”

“So that’s how that works…w-was it the candle? Is that magic?” Pedro asked, pointing to the candle, and Alma nodded.

“All Madrigal children get a ceremony on their 5th birthday. And they all got a gift, except for…”Alma paused again, this looking slightly upset.

“Except…?” Pedro asked softly.

“Mirabel.” Alma said quietly. And that confused Pedro. If they got their gift on their 5th birthday, and the little ones were only 4…how was that possible? As far as he knew, there were only 3 gifted Madrigals, his own kids. And he didn’t have any other kids, and only 6 grandkids.

“But…how is that possible, they’re only four? I thought…huh?” Pedro asked, confusion obviously present.

“That’s what I was going to explain next,” Alma solemnly replied, and she pulled a key from the chain on her dress. Unlocking the first drawer on the table next to them. She pulled out a smaller chest and opened it, revealing a stack of slightly withered and yellowed photos. Shuffling through them, she pulled out 6 specific ones and handed them to Pedro.

The man hesitated before taking them, shuffling through them. He looked through them, and his eyes widened as it dawned on him what Alma meant. The pictures were pictures of his grandchildren; but older. Isabela, Dolores and Luisa were full grown women in the photos, well into their late teens or early twenties. Mirabel and Camilo looked like teenagers, and Antonio was the only one who still looked the same, albeit maybe a little taller and he had a bird on his shoulder.

“These…are these real?” Pedro questioned and Alma nodded again.

“Yes. They’re…old photos. Photos from…the first time.” Alma whispered.

“First time? Alma, what are you talking about?” Pedro said, looking through the other photos that were in the box. There were tons of family photos, some dating back probably 40 years. There were ones of just about everyone, and they were all at various stages of life. He looked up, and saw Alma, crying. She wasn’t looking at Pedro, but rather her dress. Her hands clench the arms of her chair. “Alma?”

“It’s my fault, Pedro. I caused their deaths. But I didn’t mean it, I swear. I only wanted to live up to your legacy, I thought I was doing what was best for the family. I was blind and I—-“ Alma threw her face into her hands, sobbing harder. “I didn’t know what I was doing! I was scared, and I just wanted the family to stay safe, I didn’t want them to suffer the same fate you did! And in my blindness I forgot what was important and they ended up paying the price! For my mistakes! And I wish I had realized it so much earlier on because then they wouldn’t have…wouldn’t have…” Alma felt strong gentle hands grabbing her own, pulling them away from her face.

Pedro pulled Alma into a close hug, and the older woman’s wailing stopped, though her tears continued as she glanced back at her husband. “Alma. I don’t blame you. You didn’t mean it, and I know you didn’t.” Pedro pulled back and looked at Alma, smiling gently. “Did they forgive you? You seemed to have fixed what was broken…but did they forgive you in the aftermath?”

Alma blinked and slowly nodded. She supposed her children did. 4 years later, they didn’t seem mad at her. For the first 2 years it was hard, because she was still adjusting to being more involved in her family's lives, but now she had gotten the hang of it and had mended many broken relationships. And her grandchildren…they don’t know, and they won’t ever know, not until they’re much older. But they love her as much as she loved them.

“And I know I forgive you…But do you forgive yourself?" Pedro asked gently. Alma stared at Pedro. She didn't move.

Did she? Did she ever forgive herself? Alma thought hard. All these years, she had been blaming herself for Pedro's death. And then she blamed herself for the kid's death. And no matter how much reassurance she received, for some reason she just couldn't come to cope. She never knew if she'd come to terms with Pedro, but after her grandchildren? Her precious, adorable sweet little angels sent from God Himself that meant the world to her? She was sure. She knew she had caused it, whether it was directly or indirectly, she never came to care in the time they were gone. She had become depressed, and could barely make it through the day without breaking down; not that it ever stopped her once she got from her room.

She hated herself for it. For everything. It seemed like everything she had done was wrong. All of her mistakes, all of the bad things in life, even the things she had asked forgiveness for. It all came back to her on that day. And it didn't hit her, it hit her kids. They played the physical price, but Alma? She paid the emotional, and the mental price. It broke her down, and she knew it did, but she did nothing to stop it. To stop that feeling of absolute despair. To stop herself from having a meltdown. No, to her upsetting irrefutable conclusion:

No. She hadn't forgiven herself. 54 years of just blaming herself for all the bad things that happened in her family, but never telling anyone of how she felt and never seeking help for it.

"Alma!" Pedro said again, a little louder, breaking Alma out of her catatonic state. The matriarch looked at Pedro. She seemed to have moved her to the floor and her hands were in his own. When did he…how long had she been dwelling on that question?

"Pedro, I…" Alma hugged Pedro tightly, as if he would disappear again if she let go. She held him tight, and began to sob again, but much quieter. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never forgave myself. And I'm sorry…"

Pedro simply hugged her back, choosing to ignore how Alma tensed because she had ultimately relaxed, appearing tired finally being comfortable in his hold. Before she had tense, probably because she still could possibly believe that he had come back.

"Alma, like I said before, I don't blame you. I never did and never will." He whispered, glancing at his wife, who had calmed down a great deal. "But I need you to work with me. You are hurt, and you won't ever heal if you don't let anyone help. That's why I need you to promise me something."

Pedro pulled back and held Alma's hands as they sat on the floor, Alma staring down into her lap. Pedro moved his hand and gently lifted her face, looking straight into her glassy eyes.

"Promise me that you'll let me help. That'll you'll try to open up, and heal." He said.

Alma looked into his eyes, as if searching for something. A lie perhaps. Maybe anger. He didn't know. The woman swallowed thickly and gave a watery smile. "I promise."

Pedro gingerly kissed his wife, and helped her stand. "Come on. We need to head to bed, it's late." Alma simply nodded, and both of them headed down stairs and back to the main bedroom.

After getting ready they laid down, and Pedro pulled Alma close, kissing her forehead and they hugged each other. "Te amo, Alma."

"Te amo Pedro," Alma responded.

It would take Alma a while to heal. That night some old scars reopened but that was OK…some closed that night. She didn't know how long it would take, but she had Pedro and her familia, and in all honesty? She wouldn’t exchange any of them. She wouldn't change anything about them.

She loved them.

Notes:

WOW. That ending was a lot to take in huh???? Hopefully I'm doing good on pacing, I don't want to overwhelm y'all 😭😭 ANYWAY.

I hope y'all liked this chapter, it was very fun to write, especially for Pedro. Next chapter will be....drumroll...

The gift ceremonies!

If you thought THIS chapter was long BOY HAVE I GOT A SURPRISE FOR YOU.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Kudos and Comments are very much appreciated :))

Chapter 12: Gifted

Summary:

Its time for the ceremony! What gifts will the six Madrigal grandchildren receive?

Notes:

HEY GUYSSSSSSS IM BACK WITH ANOTHER CHAPTERRRR

I know a lot of you guys were excited for this one, so I present: The Gift Ceremony chapter! This ones long, 6000+ words, so I hope you enjoy because. My fingers are in pain rn. Anyway, lots of fluff, some self-soubt, but there's comfort :)))

Hope you guys enjoy! ✺◟(∗❛ัᴗ❛ั∗)◞✺

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Pedro was quick to adjust to the family, and it was the same thing for the others. The day after at breakfast, the adults were pleasantly surprised to see that Pedro was alive, and indeed not a figment of their imagination. Alma was especially cheerful. 54 long years of only seeing her husband in memories, dreams and photos. She didn’t think it was possible for him to come back, but then again—she didn’t think it was possible for her grandchildren to come back either. But she wouldn't change it for the world, because now she finally had her whole family together again; no one was hiding, no one had passed on far sooner than they should have and everyone was happy. This was Alma’s idea of a perfect family, nothing of what she had in mind before.

Pedro had come to stay with Alma frequently, but he would also go around town and help one of his three children. It took him a while but he eventually got used to their gifts. He found it amazing how his eldest could heal people with one arepa, how Pepa could create a beautiful rainbow with her emotions or how Bruno could see into the future. And Pedro very much approve of Agustin and Felix; they were amazing to his daughters, and that's honestly all he ever wanted out of them.

And then there were his grandchildren. While they said they did have an idea of what their gift might be, it wasn't guaranteed that they would get one. Alma for the most part had filled Pedro in on their lives before the incident. From when Casita first formed, to their lives in between, and to the fall of Casita. Pedro had a lot of mixed emotions but…it was obvious they were doing much better as a family. And Alma was putting in genuine effort; and it was obviously paying off.

As for gift ceremonies, the kids were excited. Very excited. For the weeks leading up to their 5th birthday, they rambled on and on about what their gifts might be. Countless questions were asked, and most were answered. It was obvious that the kids still had a pretty good idea on what their gifts were before—save for Mirabel. It wasn’t clear what she was implying what her gift might be. For someone who was only four years old, she could be surprisingly cryptic.

Not that it matters. Alma promised the kids that she, Pedro, their parents and tio would still love them all the same. Gift or not. But, even with that reassurance, there were still doubts. Fears. And the kids decided to consult their Abuela for advice, she gave them the best she had.

It was the night before their 5th birthday; after a lot of chasing, the kids had finally gotten into bed. It was clear they were excited; not only for their birthday but also for their ceremony. Like before, their doors had appeared the night before their birthdays. Six doors, lining the previously blank walls. Three doors on the left, next to Pepa and Felix’s room—Dolores, Camilo and Antonio’s rooms. And three doors on the right, next to Julieta and Agustin’s room—Isabela, Luisa and Mirabel. It was different then before. Usually it was oldest to youngest. But seeing that they were all the same exact age, born at the same time, there wasn’t that order. Now it seems to be organized by siblings.

The kids had gawked at the glowing blank doors almost all day. And come bedtime, they didn’t want to leave, but ultimately had to go back to bed. They had finally been laid down, and Alma and Pedro were giving them their goodnight kisses. Alma had gotten to Mirabel and had noticed the nervous look on her face.

“Mirabel? What's the matter?” Alma asked, sitting next to Mirbel on bed. Mirabel fiddled with her fingers, not saying anything until Alma gently lifted her chin. “It's okay. You can tell me.”

“I…I had a bad dream last night.” Mirabel hesitated, and Alma frowned. She had expected that. Every year, without fail, either on or a day or two before their birthday, the kids had these vivid nightmares. Nightmares that they would describe in great detail and they would clue into the fact that they had some memory of their past life.

“What happened?” Alma pulled Mirabel into her lap and Mirabel grimaced a bit.

“I…went up to my door. And I touched the candle and stuff. But when I touched my door knob…my door went away.” Mirabel whispered, and Alma paused. No. No, she couldn’t, wouldn’t have a repeat of last time. Alma hugged Mirabel close. “And…after that happened…everyone started being mean to me. They were calling me mean names and saying that I wasn’t a real Madrigal. That I was useless.”

“Oh Mirabel,” Alma gently kissed Mirabel's head, rubbing her back in order to calm the now teary-eyed girl. “Don’t you ever think that. Don’t let anyone tell you that either. You are a Madrigal, and you aren’t useless. You are one of the most helpful people I know. Besides, even if you didn’t get a gift, I would still love you. And so would your abuelo, and hermanas and all of your other family.”

Mirabel wiped her eyes as she looked up at her abuela. “Really? You wouldn’t stop loving me if I don't get a gift?" Mirabel asked.

"Of course not," Alma said softly as she moved to tuck Mirabel back in. Pedro had walked over, coming to give Mirabel a kiss as well.

The elder couple left the room, wishing their grandchildren a goodnight. Once the children knew that their grandparents had gone to their room, they quickly got up, giggling as they all huddled on the rug that lay in the play area of their room.

“What gifts do you think we’ll get?” Luisa asked, looking at her siblings.

“Um..well, I think you’re gonna get a gift that makes you able to lift big things!” Isabela beamed. “I want a plant gift. I wanna grow lots of flowers in different colors,” Isabela smiled as she thought of all the flowers she would be able to make if she had a gift that involved plants.

“Oh! I want my gift to be like…costumes! Like when Tio Bruno does his telenovelas and does all the different people.” Camilo said, and he pointed to Dolores. “I think you’re gonna have a gift that’s for secrets and stuff. But like, good secrets.”

The others were going on and on about their possible gifts, when Isabela noticed how sad Mirabel looked. “Mirabel? What’s wrong, aren’t you excited?” she asked, scooting closer to her sister.

Mirabel fiddled with her fingers, adjusting her glasses. “Well yeah! But…I’m just scared…what if it doesn't work? What if I don’t get a gift or room”?” Mirabel asked quietly and the others were immediately all over her.

“That won’t happen! You’ll get a super cool gift and room,” Antonio said, holding Mirabel’s hand. “And even if you don’t…well then we can share a room! We can all have sleepovers.”

“Yeah, we can stay up late and play games in our room, and we can share!” Dolores smiled. Mirabel smiled. They were right. Even if she didn’t get a gift, she would still be a Madrigal, and her family would still love her.

“Oh! Abuela doesn't have a gift, but she has a door…so maybe you’ll be like Abuela!” Isabela said and the others nodded. Mirabel Thought for a moment. They were right. Their Abuela didn’t have a gift, but she was still super helpful and was still very much a part of the family.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s right,” Mirabel said, much more confident. “Maybe my gift will be like…fixing stuff?” Mirabel suggested.

“Oh yeah! You’re really good at fixing stuff! Like when you glued that flower put together, or when you sewed the hole in my shirt!” Antonio smiled. “Lots of the villagers break stuff, so maybe you’ll be able to fix things. Oh, and maybe I’ll get an animal gift!” Antonio exclaimed and the others agreed, that would make the most sense.

For another hour, the kids would go on and on about the possibilities, until Casita ushered them back into their beds. The kids happily snuggled into their beds, excited for their big day that would occur, with Mirabel no longer having doubts about her worth.


May 12th.

Today was the big day. The kids were sound asleep when Pepa and Fèlix suddenly burst into the room, with big smiles, a rainbow already forming with the sun high in the sky. The children all were startled awake, but quickly recovered once the warm couple had given them a joyous happy birthday. They jumped out of their beds, running up to the couple, happily shouting their titles.

“¡Feliz cumpleaños!” Pepa and Felix shouted, bending down to hug their children and nieces. The littles had excitedly started rambling on about how much fun they were going to have that day.

"Alright calm down niños," Pepa laughed, quieting the kids down. "First you all need to get dressed and then we can get breakfast. Julieta made your favorite."

With that the kids rushed off to get dressed. They all rummaged through their drawers and closet, pulling out their clothes and getting dressed, with Pepa and Felix helping them with their hair. Dolores held her ceremony dress, which had been neatly pressed.

"Mama? When do we get to wear our ceremony clothes?" Dolores asked, walking up to her mama, who was just finishing up Isabela's hair.

"Well, you'll wear it later. Your abuela and abuelo will tell you when," Pepa smiled, smiling at her daughter.

"But…why can't we wear them now?" Luisa asked, looking at her tia. She really wanted to wear it now, it was so pretty! She and her five other siblings (yes her primos were her siblings too—they were all born on the same day at the same time, so that made them siblings by default), had gotten them custom made by Senora Valeria, and it had so many pretty designs on it.

“You don’t want to get them dirty do you?” Felix asked and Luisa shook her head. The others agreed. They didn’t want to get their super special clothes dirty when they went out to town today.

“Alright ninos time to go to breakfast, you all head downstairs! We’ll be down there soon,” Pepa smiled and the kids stampeded off.

Casita was happy to see them, throwing them up into the air with tiles, and using various objects to construct a short yet sweet happy birthday song. The children laughed as they were practically carried to the dining room, where their abuela, abuelo and tio Bruno were waiting.

Before anyone could say anything, Bruno had been practically tackled as she was overrun by kidding crawling all over him, laughing as the man was thrown into confusion. He soon began laughing as he also wished them a happy birthday. It had become clear that they had planned to tackle him every year—ever since their first birthday, they had taken to attacking him with hugs and kisses.

“Tio, tio! Did you see the doors? There’s six of them!” Antonio exclaimed and Bruno nodded as he stood.

“I did! Are you all excited?” He asked and was bombarded by ‘yes!’.

“I can’t wait to get my room!” Mirabel cheered and her siblings agreed, failing to notice how Bruno!s expression faltered slightly before he went back to his cheering attitude. The children then remembered their grandparents were in the room and quickly went to hug their legs, smiling up at them.

“¡Hola nietos!” Pedro exclaimed, pulling Isabela into his lap as he kissed Mirabel and Camilo’s head while his wife handled the other 3. “Happy birthday ninos,” he said, an he handed them each a piece of candy, as did Alma.

“Papa!” Julieta scolded, setting down the last plates of food on the table and Pedro shrugged.

“What? I'm supposed to spoil them, I’m their abuelo, and besides—its their birthday,” Pedro said and Julieta sighed, hugging her three daughters while her sobrinos and sobrina went to their own parents.

“Anyway,” Julieta said, eyeing her papa. “I made you all some buñuelos to eat with your breakfast, so hurry up and come eat before they get cold.”

The children quickly scrambled into their seats, with the rest of the family sitting down and beginning as well. Breakfast went by rather quickly, as the children wanted to go play. Most of the time, when they were putting food in their mouths, they were rambling on about their rooms and gifts, smiling as their parents, uncle and grandparents indulged in their visions and what not.

As breakfast finished up, the children were all lined up, ready to go play outside while the adults stayed back and cleaned, saying that they'd join them when they were done. Just before they left Pedro gave them each another piece of candy (much to Julieta’s dismay), and they were off.

Before they went to decorate, Bruno pulled his mama and papa over, pulled a vision from his ruana. “I had this vision last night,” he said, smiling softly. “I’ve already shown Julieta and Pepa.”

Alma took the vision with slight worry but curiosity on her face. Both her and Pedro smiled warmly once they took a good look at it, though.

The emerald tablet had a warm scene. When tilted to the left, it showed the warm triplets, smiling as they seemed to be posed for a group photo in front of their doors; it seemed their gifts stayed the same. When tilted to the right, it shows the cool triplets, all smiling just as brightly in front of their doors. Isabela and Luisa’s doors were the same, but Mirabel’s door was different—it was there, but there was no picture on it, much to their confusion.

“I’m not too sure about Mirabel’s door,” Bruno said, pointing to the blank door. “But I’ve got a strong feeling it won’t be the same as last time,” he whispered, and his parents nodded.

Maybe it won’t be the same.


The six children exited outside Casita's side door, running as they chewed on the sweet candy their Abuelo had given to them. As they ran, they spotted their trio of friends talking amongst themselves.

“Alejandra! Juancho! Cecelia!” Mirabel called out, and the three looked over smiling as they ran over.

“¡Hola!” Alejandra smiled, the ten year old said, ruffling their childrens’ hair one by one. “Are you guys excited for your gift ceremony today?”

“Yeah! We’re all gonna get super cool gifts today!” Camilo said in excitement, jumping up and down.

"Oh yeah?" Juancho said, chugging his coffee.

“Yeah!” They all agreed. With that they all quickly started a game of tag in the large yard next to Casita. The children happily chased their older friends around, seemingly blissfully unaware of how it used to be the other way around just a little over 5 years ago.

The trio of friends were not unaware of the situation. They knew the full story, as they were there the day Casita fell. And rightfully, they were devastated to find out that the Madrigal grandchildren were gone, especially their babysitter Mirabel and their dear friend Antonio. But when they came to learn that they were back they were ecstatic! Now, the roles had been switched, and it was either Alejandro, Juancho or Cecelia watching over the little ones.

And they loved it! The children were very energetic and loved them, though it was sad how they didn’t remember the times from before; but that was ok, because now they could create new memories. The older three loved to play with the two sets of triplets, it really was a joy for them.

As they played they slowly began playing closer to town, seeing that the adults had entered and were more than likely gathering last minute gifts and decorations. Once they were closer to the kids, the trio could vaguely hear the children singing a song. It seemed familiar? All of them. took turns singing different lines. The words sounded like…

“Welcome to the family Madrigal!” Mirabel sang happily and the older three froze for a moment. Did she remember that song? She had made it up and had sung it on the day of Antonio’s first ceremony, detailing her family. Did she…did she really remember?

“The home of the family Madrigal!” Antonio continued and the children all ran into the town, the trio following behind.

“Where all the members are fantastical and magical,” Isabela smiled at her siblings.

“We’re part of the family Madrigal!” They all shouted and ran off in different directions, Mirabel handing the band a small amount of pesos and that oh-so familiar and nostalgic tune played.

The children went throughout town and the trio followed them, one by one. They each described the adults, gifted and not gifted. Only difference was the lines were changed slightly, and they were in a slightly more positive light. Even Bruno had his own little verse describing the goodness in his gift.

It wasn’t just the trio that had noticed either, the older townsfolk, the ones who were old enough to remember the fall, watched as the children ran around singing the one song they didn't think they'd hear again. Even some of the Madrigal adults faltered, but ultimately smiled as they sang so positively about their family.

All day, they sang and played, getting good wishes from villagers and friends alike. Many of the villagers had given them gifts, which Felix, Bruno and Agustin had to use a cart to wheel them back to Casita. Even Mariano and his fiancee had given the little ones new clothes to wear.

Soon, they started to head back, and they could see the other members of their family decorating their beloved house. Some villagers had come to help, but weren't going to stay. Their mama's had said that the villagers wouldn't be coming to their ceremony; they said it was a 'special family tradition', so unlike their mothers and uncle, it was going to a private family event. Not that they minded! That meant more time with their family to practice their gifts, they could always show the townsfolk later.

The song was coming to an end, with the kids singing, "Our family's amazing," while some kids followed them back to Casita.

"And we're in our family—" the ones following them chanted their names, and the kids giggled as they ran, being chased. Running up the hill, they all saw their abuela.

"Niños!" Abuela called out and they paused, looking at her. "What are you doing?" She laughed, smiling.

"Oh! We were singing about our awesome family!" Dolores said smiling.

"Well, it's about time for you all to get ready. Your ceremony clothes are already laid out, so go get dressed," Pepa said, carrying a box of streamers as a rainbow appeared over her head. "Oh, a rainbow!"

"OK!" The children rushed into Casita, wishing their friends goodbye. Casita varied them up the stairs, throwing them playfully into the nursery. From what they could see, they could tell that their parents had begun packing their things. Their dressers were stripped and their clothes were in separate crates with their clothes in them. Their beds stripped, sheets and blankets folded and ready to go to their yet to be rooms, and some of their favorite toys were in smaller boxes.

The children were quick to get dressed, Camilo and Antonio quickly running back to the nursery after getting dressed in the other room. Soon, their tio Bruno and mama's and papa's had come in to help them do their hair and help them with their last finishing touches. It took them almost 2 full hours for all six children to get ready, but once they were, the adults in the room couldn't help but smile warmly at them, as they were quite adorable in their ceremonial clothing.

Once they left, the child waited patiently in a circle on the rug for the abuela and abuelo to enter the room, idly talking. Once their grandparents entered the room, they all gathered around them. Closing their eyes (no peeking, their abuelo said), they could hear some minor shuffling.

"Abre tus ojos," they heard their Abuela say gently and they opened their eyes. Before them was their abuela and abuelo sitting before them, holding close to each other as their hands resting on either side of the candle.

Alma began the story. She obviously had to change it to fit the circumstances—after all Pedro did make his sacrifice, but he ended up living. Pedro had even added that he was only gonna for a while because he was lost in the Encanto, and that thanks to his nietos, he came back home. The children giggled at the little jokes that were made. Eventually, Casita rattled the alarm clock, and the oldest couple of the family escorted their grandchildren downstairs into the room before the courtyard.

Casita was decked out from roof to tile with decorations. Flowers, streamers and lights made for a beautiful sight. Their parents and uncle had met them beforehand and straightened them out just a little bit more before going to wait with Alma and Pedro.

The children waited and Casita presented the red tiles that split into two directions, leading to two different stairs. Each stairway led to both sides, the warm side and the cool side. The spotlight was shone down on the kids and they looked up to see the adults smiling warmly at them. And while they appreciated how supportive they were, it didn't change how scared they were.

Dolores took Camilo's hand, and in turn Camilo took Antonio's hand and they walked down the red tiles. Isabela did the same as Dolores, grabbing Luisa's hand and Luisa grabbed Mirabel's hand. Eventually they went up to their doors, and stood by them patiently. Alma and Pedro walked over to Dolores first.

Gently, Dolores touched the candle, and went to her door. Touching the door knob, her door glowed, and showed her the same image as before, with her name etched at the top. The adults had taken notice of how Dolores' face wasn't a grimace or one of worry in this one, rather, it was much softer. The small, quiet girl paused for a moment before her face lit up.

"I…I can hear stuff! Like I can hear a lot of stuff from the far side of town!" She smiled and giggled. "I can hear mami's heartbeat!" She exclaimed in happiness. The adults were thankful that Dolores wasn't immediately overwhelmed and that her gift didn't cause her to immediately be in discomfort like last time. Instead, the 5 year old seemed much more content.

Moving to Camilo, he did the same as Dolores, touching the candle and then his door knob. Once his door image appeared, he looked up and saw that he was looking directly into Abuelo's face…and not up at him.

"You're…me?" Pedro asked, but then laughed. "You're me!" He said again and Camilo looked down.

He wasn't wearing the same clothes as before and he was much taller. His hair was darker and more wavy rather than curly as well. Camilo realized that he had turned into his Abuelo. He smiled to himself before thinking for a moment and suddenly he was his papa. Then Luisa. Then Bruno. Then Pedro again. He shifted to just about everyone before going back to his own self, smiling. Pepa and Felix inwardly promised to themselves that Camilo wouldn't be saddled with someone's kids or used as another person to hold something up. He could do whatever he wanted with his gift.

Antonio's face lit up once it was his turn. Once his door manifested, the adults realized that he looked older than before. As a matter of fact, Camilo's look a little older as well, both of their doors depicting them to be around Dolores' doors age. A toucan flew down and Antonio watched in awe as it squawked something to him.

"Uh-huh, I can understand you!" He smiled and the toucan spoke to him. "Yes, of course they can come!" Suddenly a ton of animals ran up Casita's stairs and Antonio smiled as he looked at all of them, answering their questions. Once he was done, he politely asked them to quiet down and stand on the side, stating that 'it was time for his sisters to get their gifts and they had to be quiet." And the animals were kind enough to do so. Alma wasn't going to 'assign' him to anything. Not like before, no.

The elderly couple moved to the left side where the cool triplets were awestruck at their cousins' gifts. They were now even more excited, seeing how cool their powers were and how fitting they were.

Isabela moved to touch her door knob and it glowed. She saw the flowers surrounding her etching on the door and she giddily smiled. Feeling something sprout in her hand and looked down to see a colorful flower in the palm of her hand. She smiled and touched it, and another flower sprouted. Isabela smiled as flowers of various kinds sprouted; and even a little cactus sprouted, which had a small little flower on it.

"Flowers and plants!" Isabela was quick to make deep blue flowers surround the top beam of her door, with ones of different colors dotting it as well. They picked up the small cacti and placed it right next to her door, smiling as she moved to stand next to her door once more. Alma was happy that her granddaughter was happy. She wasn't going to force her to make the flowers she did before…besides—these were much prettier.

Once it was Luisa's turn, she was confused by her door at first. But Mirabel whispered something to her and suddenly it made sense. "I can!?" She said surprised and Mirabel smiled and nodded. Luisa suddenly ran over to Pedro and picked the man up with relative ease, much to his surprise.

Pedro sputtered in confusion as the family laughed at how excited Luisa was to be able to lift the man. "I'm super strong now! That means I can protect you guys!" She said, gently putting Pedro back down and running back to stand next to her door. She had the biggest smile on her face as she waited, and it warmed the adult' heart. They would make sure the town didn't burn her out, now more than ever. She was a kid, not a tool.

Mirabel nervously touched the candle and her abuela smiled, brushing her hair back. She knew the girl had doubts. All day, the family had been reassuring her, but now that she was in the situation, it was normal that she had cold feet. Alma touched her cheek, something that she found the children calmed down to.

"It's OK. I promise, whatever happens, we'll still love you. I'll still love you," She whispered to the girl and Mirabel nodded. Wiping her hands on her dress and taking a deep breath, she touched her door knob. The older family members watch with bated breath. The younger looked on with the same excitement as before, unaware of the possibilities that could happen. But they all knew that no matter what, they would still love her. Mirabel's hand made contact with the door knob and…

Her door glowed with magic; brighter than any other door. Alma hadn't seen a light this bright in a long time, no since the candle and Casita were created. Once the light died down, the family looked early to see what Mirabel's door was. And what was on the door shocked everyone, but more specifically, Alma.

On the door was Mirabel, older, probably in her adulthood. Butterflies surrounded her, and she was front and center with a small smile. It looked fairly similar to Alma's door. But what really topped it off was what was in her hands—the candle. Mirabel was holding the candle. As Mirabel stared at her door, small golden butterflies descended, landing on Mirabel, and she giggled as one tickled her nose. She held them in her hands and felt the magic that resided in them. They settled in her hair and on her shoulders.

Mirabel looked at her door, then at Alma, smiling brighter than ever. "Abuela look! It's like you!" She said, pointing to her door.

Alma looked at Mirabel, and the glowing butterflies that surrounded her. Her smile was bright and she looked genuinely happy. Something Alma hadn't seen on Mirabel, at least not before…

"Well it looks like you'll be taking after your Abuela huh?" She asked and Mirabel nodded, the butterflies in her hair flapping their wings.

"Photo time!" Agustin called as he set up the camera. They all posed, either the children in the front, showing off their new gifts. Alma had even let Mirabel hold the candle. "¡La Familia Madrigal!"

Over the course of the night, more pictures were taken. First, there were the ones where Alma and Pedro stood next to the kids with their doors. Then the kids insisted on having a 'triplet photoshoot' and they posed in front of their doors; it looked exactly like Bruno's vision. Then there were the various group photos, and the photos of them using their new gifts, Mirabel's butterflies present in almost all the photos.

Alma smiled at her precious little nietos, who were dancing with their parents, tio and abuelo, having the time of their lives. She looked down at the family photo they took, chuckled at it. She was definitely going to frame this one.

After the kid's ceremonies, they had all taken the next week off in order to help the kids break their gifts in.

There were a lot of accidents, but it wasn't anything they couldn't fix. And for the most part, the children were happy, and that's all that mattered.

It wasn't long before the children went into town to show off their new gifts. They had to at some point, even if the adults didn't want them too. While most of the villagers were understanding, there was still a small percentage that still felt they were entitled to the family's gifts and their help in general, even from those without gifts.

There were many incidents. Mostly involving townsfolk trying to force the kids into work; though, their older family members shut it down very quickly.

Isabela had been asked countless times for flowers. And she usually didn't mind! But it was when people demanded flowers. And they all asked for the same thing, there was no variety. Whenever Isabela tried to give them different flowers or plants, ones that were genuine and had meaning, she was scolded. But luckily, her mama was there to shut them down; she knew how smart her daughter was when it came to botanics, so she knew that Isabela was only trying her best. Regardless, she refused to let her be put into that perfect mold again. She wanted her child to be happy, and free to do what she wanted with her plants.

Then there was Dolores. Adults, mostly the women from the gossip groups, would constantly come to her and ask her for secrets. Dolores didn't mind if they were harmless, or were small ones that didn't mean much. But then they started to get personal. Dolores could tell when secrets should be kept and when they should be said. She was always told to stand her group and not let anyone tell her what to do (a pushover, her mama called it). She would always deny those requests and it usually worked. When it didn't, her amazing mama would step in like a superhero and help her out, scolding the weird and mean ladies who tried to 'push her over'.

Luisa likes to help people occasionally. She didn't mind lifting up a large cart or carrying a donkey back. But it was when people were making ridiculous requests. See, Luisa was only five, but she knew people would try to use her gift and not consider her feelings. Her papa had told her that people would try to be mean and make her lift heavy stuff; he said she didn't have to. In fact, she wasn't allowed to---she was banned from lifting things more than 5x her size. So when a particularly rude choir member asked her to move the church (because the sun was in her face, she complained), Luisa said no. Agustin was happy that his daughter was standing up for herself, and not overworking herself. If Luisa wanted to do tricks with her gift, if that's what made her happy, the family didn't care what she did.

Camilo liked playing with kids. He liked kids, and he thought babies were cute. He would sometimes hold a baby while he shifted to be the mother, while the real mother bought something from the market. But he wasn't allowed to babysit them. Only hold them. And he wasn't allowed to transform into adults who tried to get him to hold things that were high up. Felix had to step in more than once when it came to those situations. One time, Camilo's papa had yelled at this couple for trying to dump their twins on him because they wanted to go on a date. Rather than hiring a babysitter, they decided to come to a five year old, who was only barely out of his toddler years. He laughed when his papa got mad at them, because he said a lot of funny words.

Antonio's gift to talk to animals was like a dream come true. He immediately went into town and talked to all the farm animals, giggling at the things they said. Antonio sometimes told the animals to do things, politely of course, and they obliged. Farmers realized this and soon started pestering the boy. Asking him if he could 'command' the donkeys and cattle to help plow the fields or move big carts (because his sister Luisa wouldn't do it, the farmers all whined). Antonio frowned at these requests. He was a 'commander' of animals, he just spoke to them. Politeness gets you far in the Animal Kingdom, he learned. While Parce and his cubs did keep them away, occasionally his tio Bruno would have to scare the farmers away. Antonio was happy that his uncle thought fondly of the animals, mostly the rats. So he was even happier when he stood up for him.

Mirabel had the most trouble. The family still didn't know what her gift was, or if she even had one. The villagers knew of her next-in-line candle holder position, but that's all. And no one could fathom why golden glowing butterflies followed her around all day. Everyday, there would be some villagers that said she was giftless, or useless. Alma had quickly shut them down, berating them for their behavior towards her mariposita.

Mirabel never let it get to her though. She was just as special as the rest of her family, she knew that. She was another star in their constellation, just like her other family members. She enjoyed her role. She could be helpful to everyone, just like Abuela. She was the leader of the Encanto and Mirabel loved to copy her and pretend she was the leader.

Deep down, Mirabel knew she wasn't giftless. She knew that the butterflies that followed her everywhere meant something. That's why, when she finally figured out her gift, she wasn't as surprised.

It was like any other day. It was a work day for the family, and all the adults went out to work while the children played, occasionally helping a polite town person.

Alma had been scolding a man; the same man who had pushed Mirabel the day Pedro had come back. He was known for picking on Mirabel. He was around the same age as her before, and was one of her instigators, picking at her. And he still continued, despite being a grown man and her a kindergartener.

"You have absolutely NO right coming for your granddaughter like that! Or any of my grandchildren!" Alma yelled, face full of disgust. "The fact that you have the audacity to demand help from my five year old grandchildren is pathetic in and of itself. But the fact that you still go after Mirabel makes it worse!" Alma continued to rant, the man standing there and taking it, rolling his eyes when he thought Alma wasn't paying attention.

"Abuela!" Mirabel yelled, running up to her grandmother. Alma was quick to turn and face her granddaughter, who had come running up to her, holding a glass vase. "Abuela!" Mirabel said again, tackling her abuela's legs into a hug.

"Mariposita! What brings you to your old Abuela?" Alma said, demeanor immediately goes for angry and disgusted to calm and caring.

"I have something to show you!" She smiled up at her abuela, and the man behind her grandma scoffed.

"As if anything you do is worth watching. No one wants a giftless granddaughter. So get lost, useless," He mumbled, though it was still plenty loud for Alma and Mirabel to hear.

Alma was so close to just manhandling him,but was stopped when Mirabel huffed in a haughty manner.

"WELL. If you must know, I DO have a gift," Mirabel said and she walked up to the man. Taking the vase she was holding, she slammed it onto the ground, breaking it. The man jumped back, surprised at the sudden action. Mirabel bent down, scraping together the broken pieces.

"Oh hija be careful, I don't want you to get hurt," Alma said, walking up behind Mirabel. "You on the other hand," she muttered, eyeing the man. Alma was about to stop Mirabel when she suddenly froze in shock.

Mirabel placed her hands on the broken pieces. Her golden butterflies, one by one, landed on the vase. As they covered the vase, it began to glow the same gold. Alma, the man and the small group that had gathered watched the light burn for a moment before dying down. Once it finally went away, the insects covering it fluttered around for a moment, before settling in Mirabel's hair again (with one fluttering around Alma).

The vase had been fixed. In fact, it seems to be in a better state than before. The paint looked refreshed, and the glass was shiny, as if it had come straight from the kiln. Mirabel picked it up, smiling smugly at the man before turning to her abuela and beaming.

"I can fix stuff with my butterflies!" She said, holding the vase up. Alma held the object for a moment, before laughing out loud, easily scooping Mirabel up into a hug.

"Indeed you can!" She laughed, giving her granddaughter many kisses. She turned to the man, who honestly looked gobsmacked. "As you can see, she is gifted. And she wasn't useless before. She is just as important as the rest of her family."

"I don't think we could say the same for you though," Mirabel giggled and the butterflies in her hair fluttered again, as if laughing with her. Alma nearly snorted, not expecting such a backhanded remark.

The man's jaw dropped and Alma straightened her posture, still holding her granddaughter. "Now. If you'll excuse us. We have to go join our family for lunch. We have good news to tell them. Don't we Mirabel?" Alma asked and Mirabel nodded.

"Yup!" With that the two left, heading out of town and up the hill to Casita. Once back at the house, she watched as her little mariposa put on a show in front of her family, showing off her new found gift. As the scene was happening, Casta bumped a camera into the room, in front of Alma. The Madrigal matriarch took the hint and snapped a photo.

Once the film developed and a picture appeared, she smiled down at it. Mirabel was in the center, showing off her gift while the other family watched on in awe. She chuckled at the scene, smiling at it.

She was going to frame this one as well.

Notes:

WOW. What a way to end huh. We love sassy Mirabel and Alma, I love them.

Anyway, did you like Mirabel's gift? I felt like it fit her a lot, with her fixing the cracks before the fall and all that. I wanted to call back to how she brings people, more specifically her family, closer together. And the family making sure the kids be kids with their gifts, so cool <3333

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! What do you think will happened next chapter? I'd love to hear your predictions!

K PEACE Y'ALLLLLLL ✧⁺⸜(●˙▾˙●)⸝⁺✧

Chapter 13: 57 Birthdays and a Festival

Summary:

Its the triplets birthday, and the day after, the Encanto festival!

Notes:

WHAT UPPPPPP

I know. Its a couple days late and I apologize. But it was wild and I didn't get to work on it. HOPEFULLY. THIS WORKS <333 4k+ words of the Madrigals being my favorites. Not as much dialogue as usual, but its OK <33

Also its another birthday chapter

But its also the obligatory Festival episode. Chapter? Episode? YOU GET IT ((๑ 丷๑)))

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Madrigal grandchildren didn't take very long to get used to their gifts. Now seven years old, they had broken into their gifts and were up and at it in town (which was like before, but with gifts this time). They enjoyed their time in the town, they loved using their gifts to make people happy, which is all they really wanted. Sure, they would help and stuff, but their Abuela and Abuelo often encouraged them to use it how they wanted.

The first year with their gifts was…rough. It was much like the triplets, but much more chaotic. Six kids with new gifts, it was certainly an experience. Sure, they had known about the gifts, sans Mirabel's, but they didn't know how the little ones would use them. The kids were different this time, they didn't have that pressure again. Alma had made a promise and she intended to keep it.

Another part of the pledge was moving the 'Encanto Day' event. See before, it was on October 17th—the triplet's birthday. Alma hadn't really taken into account that it had been the same day as their birthday. Sure, she celebrated it, but for years, especially after their gifts, she seemed more focused on the 2 day festival that celebrated the day the Encanto came to be.

She never really celebrated her triplets' birthday, except for their 15th (thank the Lord, she would've never let herself live it down if she messed up their 15th). But even then she only did it for appearances. She hadn't realized how Bruno had changed his sister' shoes. Or how he individually danced with both of them, seeing that their father wasn't there. How the three took pictures of each other. She was too busy making business deals on the side to notice. And she wished she didn't.

Because that meant that, even with all the people there, they spent their 15th alone.

Many people had been there, including their own mother, and yet none of them had really been there for the three siblings—they had only been there for the sake of keeping up their reputations. The only ones or were there for those three were Agustin, Felix, and their families. Alma had really only learned of it by looking through old pictures and from the stories the other adults told.

Hence why she moved the Encanto Day festival to the day after. A lot of villagers complained, but most of them were generally understanding. Anytime someone tried to complain about 'tradition', Alma or even Pedro would shut them down. They cared more about their kid's celebration than some festival that could take place on another day.

And the triplets loved it! And today was no different—their 57th birthday (though one could argue they were 35 or 36, seeing that they didn't look their age AT ALL, though neither did Alma nor Pedro). Immediately, they were told no work. While on a usual week it would be a work day, Alma had told them they weren't allowed to—Julieta couldn't even cook, Alma and Pedro had taken care of that.

And the kids seemed more excited for the birthday. Apparently they had planned to take them into town for the morning, and then the husbands would take them in the afternoon while the kids helped their grandparents set up for the party that would take place later that night.

The kids made sure they had fun. They were practically running around town the whole morning. They had even taken them all around the town. At one point Luisa had suggested a game of hide and seek, and which they obviously played.

The children went first and they weren't as easily found. Isabela had pulled herself and Mirabel into a small tree next to some cart, which look generally inconspicuous. Dolores and Camilo had gone and lurked in the shadows, keeping themselves hidden, thanks to Dolores' hearing and Camilo's shape shifting. Luisa and Antonio had arguably been the hardest to find, and that was because they were in plain sight. They just kept jumping behind carts and switching sides, so they were never in the same hiding spot for too long.

Next the triplets had to hide. Surprisingly, they were really good at playing hide and seek. Like, REALLY good. Julieta somehow managed to get herself on a roof. How, would remain a mystery only she knows the answer to, because she didn't have a ladder and none of the villagers seemed to be aware she was up there. She was only found because Dolores heard her heartbeat. Pepa was in the cornfields; she had managed to get in there and move quietly enough that she didn't disturb the plants and alert Dolores. Her rainbow was what gave her away to Camilo and Isabela. Bruno climbed a tree, somewhere along the tree line. He had been the last to be found, and even then, Julieta and Pepa had to help find him, seeing that he never openly gave up his hiding spot.

At one point, after lunch the kids reluctantly handed the triplets off and helped their grandparents set up for the party. It had taken hours. By the time the other adults had gotten back they had just finished, but the kid's didn't seem tired from the task. In fact, they were practically bouncing off the walls. As soon as they got back they were pulled into a circle dance by the kids, and they wished many happy birthdays. Alma and Pedro seemed just as ecstatic, especially Pedro. He had missed so many birthdays, and he was just happy to be there. Alma had admitted that she didn't really pay attention in the past, but from then on she would only give them the best. Of course, the triplets tried to turn her down, but Alma didn't let them.

Overall the night went well, although there was one problem that showed up at Casita's door when they were opening presents. See, most villagers had only stopped by to drop off party supplies or even gifts, but there was that one person that just had to try and ruin the mood.

Pepa was in the middle of opening a box given to her by her niños when there was a knock at the front door. Pedro had opened the door, and was met with a rather salty looking towns person. Some guy who was known for taking advantage of the Madrigals, even those without gifts. But he was a well known sponsor for many shops and stands, so the family couldn't do much besides tell him to back off.

It wasn't much of a surprise when he came up to the door, complaining about not having the festival start that night. Despite both Alma AND Pedro announcing to everyone that it would be moved to the 18th-19th rather than the 17th-18th. Sure, some complained but most got over it. And then there were people like this guy, the most entitled ones.

"You need to move the festival back to today. That's what it's been for decades." The man said, rather rudely. He didn't even give Pedro a chance to open his mouth. The Madrigal patriarch made a sour look, but quickly fixed his face once he noticed that his little nietos had trailed behind him and were standing behind him, peeking up at the man.

"We've already established that it'll take place tomorrow. It's been like this for the past 5 years." Pedro said calmly, a stark contrast to the man in front of him.

"But that defeats the purpose! The encanto wasn't created tomorrow, it's today!" He raised his voice, looking at Pedro. He puffed his chest out. Despite being about the same height and possibly weight, he was trying to seem more tough. It almost looked as if he was ready to fight Pedro.

"How would you feel if someone took your birthday and turned it into a community event?" Antonio asked, frowning as he looked up at the man.

"What?!" He exclaimed, scowling down at the boy and his siblings.

"Yeah! Why should my mamí, tia and tio have to give up their birthday so you can be happy? That's not fair!" Isabela hugged, stopping her foot, causing a cactus to sprout dangerously close to the man.

"That's–?!" He stuttered on his words, and Dolores spoke up.

"That's right. And we wanna have fun with them, not mean people like you," She continued, a surprise for Pedro and the other adults; she stood up for family and herself, but for some reason it was always a surprise when she did.

"They aren't wrong. My niños deserve to have their birthday to themselves. You and the other townspeople can wait until tomorrow. Besides, people are already setting up for it," Pedro said, nodding as he carefully petted Luisa's head.

"Well--I'm one the oldest, that's how it's always been! You have to listen!"

"You're really mean you know," Luisa mumbled. "I think mamí, tia and tio should have fun on their birthday every year. The world doesn't revolve around you."

"But it's tradition! Why would we give that up for some stupid birthdays?!" The man ignored Luisa and huffed again, this time jumping at Pedro.

Glancing back at his children, he could see his triplets' faces fall in defeat. Pedro himself was pretty angry and about two seconds from bashing his face in. But Camilo and Mirabel, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, hadn't taken that very well.

"Shut up!" Camilo shouted, kicking the man in the shins, bringing him down. Pedro had to snatch Camilo up and keep the boy from further attacking the man. "Eres tan feo que hiciste llorar a una cebolla!" The boy continued to scream obscenities, until his mama had finally come over and grabbed him, calming him down while also quietly praising him for standing up for his family.

Mirabel walked over to him as he was down the ground holding his shin. "Just cause you're some old bag doesn't mean you're superior. Cry me a river, build a bridge and get over it," Mirabel practically sneered and she slammed the door in the man's face before he could stand up and say anything more.

Turning around she beamed up at her abuelo who looked slightly stunned but simply smiled, letting Mirabel hug his legs. "Gracias nieta, I appreciate the help. And that goes for the rest of you," Pedro smiled at his grandchildren, who in turn grinned at him. "Now, let's go back. Julieta, Pepa and Bruno still need to open the rest of their presents," Pedro ushered the children back, taking Camilo from Pepa as she continued to happily open the rest of her gifts with her siblings.

Their parents had made sure that their birthday was as enjoyable as possible. They never prioritized the community over them, Alma swore she'd never do it again. And she intended to keep that promise, with her husband as well.


October 18th. Encanto Day. The festival was set to start and the town was up bright and early setting up. The Madrigals had gotten up early as well, mainly because the kids had been so excited for the festival and had woken everyone up. This year they were finally able to fully help in the events and decorations.

Sure, in the years past they could help out with a couple things, but the adults had made sure they hadn't done too much, especially after getting their gifts. Mostly the older kids and adults had taken to setting up and the Madrigal adults would help host the main events. But this year? After two years of pleasing each other, they were finally able to be hosts. Well, co-host.

First was decorations. While the bigger stands and other large vendors had been put up the night before, the actual decorations were to be put up the morning of. Immediately after breakfast, the kids practically dragged the others out to town so they could help the villagers.

Isabela handled most of the floral arrangements, and Dolores and Antonoo helped with the putting up the stringed ornaments that hung around the posts. Mirabel had worked with the older kids to light the candles to set up around the stands and event areas, while Camilo and Luisa were tasked with spreading the confetti and handing out sparklers (Felix had to stop Camilo from setting off fireworks).

All morning they had worked. The festival's first event would start at one in the afternoon, so by the time everyone finished setting up by 11 a.m, they could go about the stands and then attend the first event. The first 4 events were hosted on the first day: the first music event, the arts event, and then the village-wide children's parade. The other 3 events were hosted on the second day: the relay race, the second music event—singing performances, and finally the last grand parade, which was usually led by Alma and Pedro.

A month beforehand the kids had been assigned to an adult so they could help co-host each event. Isabela had been paired with Agustin, for the first. Mirabel with Pepa for the second, and Camilo with Felix for the third (though the other children would join and follow behind him during the march). Bruno had both Antonio and Luisa had been doubled up for the relay, because those two were unsurprisingly the fastest, and Antonio wanted to play referee. Julieta had Dolores and both were in charge of the last performances before the second parade.

Isabela was ecstatic. Not only did she get to work with her father, but she got to help with the music events performed by bands! Her papa told her that when someone asked for their spot, they had to write down their name and give them a number, then they would perform. Isabela had done that, but she had also given each band leader a different flower, so it was much easier for her to memorize.

It went well too! All of the bands went up without a hitch, and Isabela was proud. They had all been able to play, and her father was super proud of her as well. The townspeople seemed to have fun too, which was all she wanted. She had worked hard with her papa to set up the stage, and she helped move the instruments to—which were pretty heavy, but she didn't need to ask for her sister's help, thankfully. Isabela smiled as she listened to the last band playing, and she spotted her siblings who were all cheering and smiling at her, which she waved from the side of the stage where she was standing with her father. Event one was complete!

After the lunch rush everyone had moved on to the next event, where Mirabel and Pepa were. Many villagers had offered to help, and gave supplies while helping guide everyone around. Mirabel had helped many of the little kids cut out small papel picado, so they could make a long banner that could be used later in the children's parade. She felt like her Abuela whenever she was leading the encanto. All of the kids listened to her and she made sure she was nice to them. Her Tia didn't even have to help her, she was able to help the little kids all by herself! She helped thread it as well, and it came out looking better than she had expected.

Eventually her Tia Pepa had let her help lead the other villagers to look at the other arts such as paintings and small clay sculptures done by the older kids and adults. A lot of them looked cool, in her opinion. She even got to see the one her tio Bruno did—it took weeks, but after begging him to help finally submitted a painting for the first time in years. Mirabel thought he was pretty good at it too, she hadn't really seen anyone better than him. It was soon over and Mirabel smiled as her tio Felix picked her and her 4 other siblings up so they could go with Camilo and the other kids for the parades. Event two was complete!

All of the kids had finally been gathered up by Felix and they were all getting ready for the children's parade. In truth they had actually been preparing for around two weeks. They had to sing and the older kids got to do cool tricks while Camilo led them through the plaza. His five other siblings would follow behind and Felix would be in the back to make sure nothing happened.

Camilo was excited, he'd get to be at the front! He had to hold the flag and lead while the other kids followed behind him. He felt pretty important and bragged for the two weeks leading up to the day about it. His family seemed equally excited, and the kids all praised him for getting the role. He had been practicing with his papa on the song he had to sing and he knew he had an important job.

Eventually, as the sun was setting, the kids all lined up. Osvaldo had given them sparkles and pinwheels to hold while Camilo held up the bigger flag. Camilo advanced forward, and the kids behind him followed. Once they got close to the plaza they started singing and wavy the sparkles around while the bigger kids hung back and started doing tricks. Camilo's face lit up when he saw the adults cheering, more specifically his parents and other family members. They looked so happy and that's really all Camilo wanted to do in life, was to make other people happy. The third event of the day had been a success and he couldn't be more happy.

By the second day, the kids were happy that they were were successful in co-hosting the events they had been assigned. Luisa and Antonio were incredibly excited for the race and Dolores was already helping enter the bands and units that would be playing at the singing performances. The others would be at the events, but during the intermissions they would help Pedro and Alma and some of the other villagers set up for the grand finale.

Bruno was out on the main field with Luisa and Antonio. Both children were setting up flags, Antonio's animals also helping. Both had been talking about the relay all day. Apparently, it was teams of 5, and anyone was allowed to join. The kids had decided to enter, with Luisa being the anchor. Bruno would stand at the end with Antonio holding the finish line. Antonio play re free and see which team won first, with his animals helping as well in order to keep if fair.

The first ones lined up, and Bruno stood at the start. Each team had a flag and Dolores had been first. As soon as Bruno waved the flag, they were off. Pico and a few other birds flew above the teams following them while Parce kept up with them from the ground. Dolores had handed off the flag to Camilo and he was hot footing it, making it ahead of the two other teams who had previously been in front of them. As soon as Mirabel had taken the flag she was heading off towards Isabela. After a minute, Luisa could see her sister Isabela running up towards her, holding the flag out. She was about 2nd, about to pass first.

Isabela so close to passing when the person in first had purposely started to kick dust up, causing Isabela to be partially blinded for a moment. Luisa was handed off the flag with a quick apology, but Luisa didn't blame her. She blames the team next to them, a team of adults. Her tio Bruno had said that there might be someone who would try to cheat or play dirty and that if they did, Luisa shouldn't let it go. And she didn't—as soon as the flag was in her hand she was off. Luisa was naturally the most athletic of the five children in the Madrigal household and was the tallest as well, standing a few inches taller than Antonio. Her strides were much longer and faster than that of an average seven year old. Pair that with the fact that she was mad over the fact that someone purposely kicked dust into her sister's eyes? Just to win some race?

She had proven to be the fastest anchor by far, beating out even Juancho, one of the fastest in the encanto. Antonio had gotten confirmation from several of his animals that Luisa was the first past the line. Luisa later learned that the team who tried to cheat had ended up coming in 3rd, because Juancho had run past them near the very end. So they ended up behind them anyway, and both Luisa and Antonio laughed at their misfortune, and with that the 4th event had concluded.

By the time the races were over people had been gathered around the main plaza where Julieta and Dolores were helping get the last few things together for the first performances. She had been a little nervous, but her Tia reassured her that she had been doing really well so far. She had begged to be with her Tia, she loved hearing the music from the bands. Luckily, Mirabel was willing to switch, and both of them were happy. Dolores had the piece of paper that had which groups were going in what order. Her brothers had insisted she bring her earmuffs, not only because of the fireworks later but also since Dolores was close to the stage, the constant music playing might be a little loud.

The first band to start playing was amazing! Dolores watched in awe at how they played, and made a mental note to later ask if her siblings and primas wanted to start a band together. They had been learning different instruments since they were little, but they hadn't really done anything with it yet. Julieta had been on the side of the stage and announcing each band---but Dolores got to announce the last three! She was nervous at first, as she wasn't used to being the direct center of attention, but she got used to it quickly and found herself having a lot more fun with it. Many of the units had done generally well, and nothing seemed to go wrong. Dolores was glad she got to help co-host with her Tia, she liked doing things like this; it was relaxing to her, to hear the music playing (it was a bit muffled from her earmuffs, but that was fine, she could still hear it fine.) The last performance ended and Julieta praised Dolores for being so helpful, and the fifth event had come to a close.

Once the second music had come to a close, everyone had moved on either to the stands to do small games or buy things. The lids were given free reign to roam as long as they stayed together, and the adults had gone to help Alma and Pedro along with some other villagers to go prepare for the final parade and fireworks.

They had visited Mariano and his wife, Carina and they had taken them out to look around and help them among other things. While they were with them, the children kept rambling about Mariano's new baby that was due at any time, and they kept asking him what they were gonna name it. He said he and Carina hadn't decided and that had led into them rattling off baby names (Camilo and Isabela had suggested he name the baby some pretty goofy names, but it was all in good fun.)

As the sun was setting on the horizon, all of the villagers had gathered in the plaza once more for the grand parade.

"We want to welcome all of you to the 57th annual Encanto Day parade! 57 years ago we were given a miracle and we're so happy that we could celebrate it with you all," Alma smiled as she held the candle with one hand, her husband's hand holding the other side.

"We also want to thank you all for coming out and helping up with the events over the last two days," Pedro beamed at his grandchildren. "And a big thanks to mi nietos for helping to co-host them. We hope you all enjoyed them this year."

"With everyone here, let the parade begin!" Alma said and both her and her husband began walking through the plaza. The other adults followed with the kids in tow, who were excitedly running around with sparklers. Other villagers joined in and the march continued on. Singing and dancing was done while others performed grand tricks throughout the walk. Eventually the parade went up the hill where the fireworks were waiting.

The grandchildren watched as they burst into the air, creating what looked like flowers made of color. Pedro had managed to get a photo of them all and smiled once it developed.

"Another successful year," Pedro said as his wife walked up and looked at the photo.

"Indeed," Alma said, smiling as she watched her other family members.

Notes:

YAYYYYY❗❗❗ I hope we liked it, I did <33 they're so cash money, they as the family ever

Fun fact this was originally gonna be a wedding chapter, with Mariano and his wife, but I decided against it; I ended up making it that Mariano had married before this.

Anyway. Name I would love to hear name suggestions for Mariano's and Carina's baby <33 not sure if its a boy or girl yet but. Yeah, if you guys have any, lemme know٩(•̀▽ •́)ง……

I'LL SEE Y'ALL LATERRRRR ψ(`∇´)ψ

Chapter 14: Nightmares

Summary:

Alma has a bad dream.

TW for Survivors Guilt and a little bit of Dissociation.

Notes:

YO YO YO WHAT IS HAPPENING MY HOMIES <33

So. Last chapter of the year, how we feeling 👁👁 Me, I'm excited! I'm actually pretty proud of this year, I'm not gonna lie! Not only did I get to finish 'Fixing the Past', but I also got pretty far with 'Cocooned', and I even started a co-story! I'm so glad all of you, new and old have stuck around.

OK MORE SAPPY STUFF LATER, LETS GET ON WITH THE ANGST!! This chapter is a little shorter, but I hope you guys enjoy anyway <33

AGAIN❗❗ TW for Survivors Guilt and a little bit of Dissociation

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Alma blinked, looking up at her bedroom ceiling. She turned to greet her husband as usual but found the bed empty.

"He must've gotten up early," Alma mumbled, shrugging off the strange, but not unusual thing. After she had gotten ready for the day she stepped outside her room, and stopped short. It was still dark outside. But the window in her room had shown daytime…Cautiously, she stepped forward. Casita hadn't even moved. Looking down, her breath hitched at the sight below.

The family was frozen in time. That horrible day. Before Casita fell. Before they left her. They were all frozen in place. Pedro wasn't there, and Alma herself wasn't either. Looking around, Alma could see the cracks within Casita, the ones she refused to acknowledge. She still hated herself for that.

Rushing down, she moved to each family member, looking at their scared or worried faces. They looked miserable. Turning, she faced Mirabel. She looked like she was about to cry, she was in the middle of yelling. Alma moved a bit closer, and suddenly everything resumed. Pepa's thunder cracked while the Casita continued to break.

"You're the one who doesn't care!" Mirabel screamed and Alma looked at her like she had been betrayed.

"No…no, I-I," Alma couldn't find her words when suddenly everything started falling again. It was happening again. Had everything been a lie, had it all been a dream? Had her Pedro never come back? Was she delusional?

She felt Luisa grab her and go running out the door, just. Like. Last time. Alma hit the ground, rolling slightly. She kept her eyes closed, whispering prayers that this wasn't happening. Her hands shook as she crossed herself and prayed to God that this wasn't real.

Once she opened her eyes, she realized she wasn't in the same place as before. There wasn't debris everywhere, no broken pieces of Casita. She didn't hear screaming and crying, no desperate attempts at trying to pull apart the rubble to look for her grandchildren.

Standing up, she looked around. A flower field. Full of daffodils, chrysanthemums and…roses. Red roses.

"What…" She touched them, they felt real. But…there were no flower fields like this in the Encanto. Isabela didn't even make flowers like this. And Alma, she would never fall asleep out here. And she swore she was on the ground, outside of a falling Casita.

Walking forward, she looked around more. No people, no houses, nothing. Just flowers for miles. She called, but got no answer. Alma walked for a moment more, becoming worried.

"Abuela," Alma turned at the voice, that was Luisa! Finally someone she know, now maybe she could get some an—

Alma stopped. It was Luisa but…something was wrong. For one, she wasn't 9 anymore, she was 19, like before. Secondly, she looked…off. Not uncanny or disfigured, just a little dirty.

"Lu…Luisa?" Alma asked carefully, deciding to not call her 'Lulu' like before. She stepped forward a single step. Luisa frowned deeply. It was unsettling to Alma. Sure she had seen the girl frown, but for some reason it felt…weird this time. Like Alma had committed the worst crime and Luisa was expressing disappointment.

"Why didn't you believe her?" Luisa asked simply, stepping forward towards Alma. The elderly woman's eyes widened.

"What?" Alma whispered. Luisa's form suddenly shifted for a moment and now it was Dolores.

"About the cracks. I know you saw them," Dolores said, stepping forward again.

"I…I don't know," Alma mumbled, stepping away from…whoever that was. "Camilo th-this isn't funny."

The form shifted to Camilo at his name. "I don't know isn't an answer, remember? So I'll ask again—why didn't you believe her?"

Alma remembers saying that. She hated it whenever someone said that they didn't know. So she said 'I don't know isn't an answer'. She had long since stopped now, but she flinched when 'Camilo' said it.

"It was an accident! I know it was wrong, I'm sorry!" Alma said, trying desperately to keep those things away from her. This wasn't Camilo, no this wasn't anybody. She didn't know what that thing was.

Next it was Isabela. She looked sad. Not even upset. In fact, none of them looked mad or anything, just…sad, really sad. "You know they say accidents happen, but this…this doesn't feel like an accident."

The fear seemed to overtake her and she froze in place. The thing had gotten closer to her, almost touching her. Alma had taken notice of how the figure limped rather than walked, like it was physically hurt despite not being real.

It turned into Antonio, and he looked up at the old woman, who was still frozen in place. "You were ignoring us on purpose weren't you?" He looked like he was on the verge of tears. Something about seeing 5 year old Antonio again made Alma's heart hurt.

"No I—!" Alma stopped again when the form finally shifted to Mirabel.

Up close she could see what she really looked like. She was disheveled looking. Her dress was wrinkled and dirty, with a few small tears and here and there. Her skin had some cuts and scrapes, from when Casita must've fallen on her, Alma knew that. She might not have seen their bodies, but she could unfortunately imagine what they looked like. Her glasses were cracked and face still looked sad.

Hurt.

"Since you love it so much," Mirabel lifted Alma's hands, placing something familiar in it. The matriarch fearfully looked down, hoping she wasn't holding what she thought she was holding.

Unfortunately she was. The melted miracle. She didn't even care that it was melting. It was a horrible reminder. A horrible reminder of the things she said and did. Her mind whirled as she struggled to breathe. She was hyperventilating when suddenly Mirabel collapsed.

Alma automatically reacted, dropping down to holding Mirabel up. "No! No, no! You came back! You're supposed to be ok!" Alma exclaimed. She shoved the melted and dying miracle into Mirabel's hands, maybe it could save her. Maybe it could use the last of its magic to save even just one of her grandchildren. It wasn't working and yet Alma still desperately tried her best.

All of the flowers surrounding them started to wilt, and suddenly the air started to become foggy. The sky got dark and suddenly there was a crack of lightning. Alma looked up, and saw that she was back at the scene of Casita's fall. The weight in her hands left and she had come to realize that Mirabel's limp and dying body was no longer there—only the now blown out candle.

The elder stood up and walked towards the wreckage. There she could see Julieta, Agustin, Pepa and Felix crying over something, while Bruno was scrambling over while being on the verge of tears himself. Alma moved closer slowly, still shaking horribly.

"Niños?" Alma said faintly, moving closer. By the time she had come up to them she could see Bruno had gotten closer and was weeping silently as he held his face in his hands. Agustín was holding Julieta and Felíx was trying to comfort Pepa, but clearly he was struggling to keep from breaking down too. "I…I…"

Pepa whipped her head around, she looked angry. She stood up, tears pouring down her face. Alma looked at, unsure of what to say. She watched her middle child stomp over, face full of rage. The only thing missing was the hurricane that would have destroyed the encanto as a whole.

"You! This is all your fault!" Pepa screaming, voice hoarse from crying. "You just had to make everything worse didn't you? You couldn't think of your own family for once in your life could you?!"

"Pepa please, I didn't mean for this to happen, I-I sorry-" Alma flinched when Pepa stepped closer

"Can you s-shut up?!" Pepa yelled once more, stuttering as she tried to breath, tears still raining down. "If you had j-just…just listened for once, maybe they would still be here! I would still have my kids, Julie would still have hers!"

Alma looked towards the others but they didn't make eye contact. They either couldn't, or wouldn't. She had no one to defend her. To help her. And she couldn't explain herself either. She couldn't stop any of this from happening.

But then again…she didn't deserve pity. No comfort, none of it. Why couldn't she be the one to go? To be in the crash? To stand up to those soldiers? She would give anything to take the place of her grandchildren, or of her husband. She would've done anything to fix her mistakes, anything to bring them back.

"Pepa, I didn't want this to happen, honest! I would, no, will, do anything to bring them back!" Alma said, starting to tear up. "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry won't bring them back!" Julieta finally screamed, soon after breaking down again. Pepa stared down at Alma, green eyes seeming to pierce her very soul.

"You're a horrible mother and an even worse grandmother. You caused this. It's all your fault," She said deceptively calmly, proceeding to shove her down. It happened fast, too fast. The was falling for a moment, and right before she hit the ground—

She woke up.

In a rude manner too. She shot up, looking around frantically, shaking. Her lungs were heaving, trying to get air into her body. Her hands were clasped as she searched her dark room. She hadn't really realized it, but she was crying…a lot.

Looking down next to her, she saw Pedro…her husband. So he was alive. He was sleeping peacefully. Looking down she could see the giant scar on his chest, an indication that he had indeed died, but by some miracle from God came back. He wasn't gone and she wasn't at that scene again.

Catching her breath, she slid out of bed slowly, careful not to wake Pedro up. She slowly shuffled out of her room, looking up and down Casita's halls. All the doors were still there, faintly glowing. Mirabel's door was there, she had a gift, a room. Casita's tile rattled, then a couple flipped, and Alma blinked.

"I-I'm fine…just another…bad dream," Alma said, finally wiping the tears from her eyes, but they still fell even after. "I-I need to check on the others." Alma said quietly. She knew it was late, nobody was up. It was at least 3, maybe 4 in the morning? Hopefully she wouldn't wake them up.

First she checked on Bruno. He was still in his room sleeping, thankfully. Next she checked on Pepa and Felix---again they were both still asleep, and Pepa wasn't screaming at her…Julieta and Agustin were OK as well, both cuddling each other in their bed, not crying.

She went to check on the kids, opening each of their doors. All six 9 year olds were sleeping in their beds. She made sure to go up to each of them and give them a kiss. Just to make sure they knew they were safe, even if they were asleep.

As soon as she was sure that everyone was safe and in the house, she went downstairs. She wasn't really sure if she could go back to sleep. Heck, she didn't even know if she could sleep.

Walking into the dining room, she sat down at the table. Putting her head in her hands, she took a deep breath. That was so…surreal. Everything was happening so fast, she barely had time to process anything. It was like she relieved all of the worst tragedies of her life in what was likely only a couple hours. Her babies, her children; they looked so miserable. So hurt.

And it had been her fault.

She wondered. What would it be like if they hadn't come back? She would have never recovered. She barely handled her husband dying, and but her grandchildren? All six of them no less? She couldn't even comprehend it.

In the year they were gone, she was a husk. She couldn't do anything. Her mind was clouded and everything seemed to be a chore. She barely ate, when she could bring herself to leave the room she was staying in. And then there were her own kids and son-in-laws.

They weren't any better—in fact they were worse. They had lost all of their children in the span of only a couple hours. A couple minutes. It happened so fast that none of them could even process it. Only when Bruno showed up had they seemed to snap out of it; no one could even celebrate him coming back because six of them had left. Alma might not have been able to survive the heartbreak.

As she thought, she failed to realize the tears running down her face. Or the three family members that entered the room.

"Mamá?" Alma looked up, and saw her middle daughter looking at her with what she could only say was worry.

"P-Pepi? What are you doing? It's far too early," Alma asked, looking up at her daughter through bleary eyes. Pepa looked at her, she looked lost. She sighed sadly. Alma was leaving.

"Mamá…it's 6 a.m," Julieta said, pointing outside. Alma looked out the window and saw that the sun was already halfway up in the sky. Her children were in the regular day clothes, Julieta had probably come down to cook while the other two helped. Just how long had she been sitting there? "And you're still in your night clothes," the older woman looked down. And so she was.

"Are you okay? You look really tired, and um…you were…well you were crying," Bruno said, mumbling the last part a bit.

Before she spoke, Alma stopped, looking up at her children. They all looked worried. More worried than what she wanted them to be. She didn't want them to see her like this. It was her own fault, they shouldn't have to take her problems, that was her job.

"Lo siento," Alma sobbed into her hands. "Yo lo siento mi hijos, debí haber escuchado."

As soon as she uttered those words, the triplets were all over her. They already understood what she was saying, this wasn't the first time this happened. Alma, like the kids, often suffered from nightmares. Only thing was, from the way she described it, they were way worse. They were way more intense, and often she would just wake up crying. They were unpredictable too. While the kids usually had theirs on certain occasions, like birthdays or big events, Alma's was more infrequent. They could never tell when it would happen, it just did.

And she never told anyone, except maybe Pedro. But even then, the triplets were even sure if their father had been able to get her to let up. Alma always brushed it off, saying she would deal with it. The triplets try their best, they really do.

"Mama, you know we never blamed you. If anything we're all at fault," Julieta whispered as she hugged her weeping mother, now realizing she had left.

"Yeah, and besides, you're doing better now! A-And I don't need a vision to tell you that," Beuno said, trying his best to lighten the mood, even just a little bit.

"I'm not a terrible grandmother? A terrible mother?" Alma asked, teasing still streaming down her face. She looked hurt, betrayed and maybe even desperate. You could hear each of her children's hearts breaking. They never wanted her to ask that question, ever.

"No, mama. You aren't," Pepa said softly, hugging her mother, the other two joining. "We still love you. And we'll never stop loving you…OK?"

"...OK," Alma said wearily. The triplets slowly helped Alma stand up. She was usually so tired from crying and stressing over everything she sometimes could barely move. She couldn't stand by herself, let alone walk.

"Let's take you back to bed, OK?" Alma just nodded, gripping the sleeves of Pepa and Bruno while Julieta held her hand as they walked back up the stairs. By the time they had climbed the stairs, Casita had alerted Pedro and he opened the door as they were reaching the last step.

As soon as he laid eyes on his wife, his tense and worried demeanor softened. Alma was staring at the ground, and the triplets had to get her to look up at him. They had to physically remind her that he was still there.

"Oh Alma," Pedro said sadly, taking his wife into his arms. Pedro held her hand for a moment and she stared at it for a minute, unblinking. He squeezed her hand and she seemed startled for a split second, but then she squeezed it back, looking up.

"P…Pedro? You're here…alive?" Alma asked and Pedro nodded.

"Right here. I'm still here," Pedro reassured her, guiding her back into their shared room, but not before shooting the triplets a thankful look as he closed the door. Sitting her down on the bed, he sat down next to her, still holding her hand.

Nothing was said. They simply sat there. Pedro would wait, even if it took all day. He wouldn't leave her, he wouldn't let her suffer like this. Not alone. Not again. Silence. The room was quiet. Pedro looked down at Alma, who had leaned onto his shoulder. Her face looked calmer now, she was coming back.

There was another stretch of silence before Pedro heard a hum. He looked down, and saw that his esposa was now holding his left hand with both of her own. Another hum, but a different note. It was coming from her. She continued, each humming becoming closer and closer until she was quietly humming a song. A lullaby?

Pedro recognized it and joined, noticing that Alma hadn't jumped or flinched. She had finally come back. Both simply kept humming, not moving from their spot.

Pedro was glad he was here with her. He was glad he could help her this time. And Alma was happy as well. Happy that it was all a dream.

Notes:

POOR ALMA <333

Can we. Just take a moment and give a around of applause for Pedro and the og triplets. Troopers. They always there for Alma, I love them all so much <333

ANYWAY. Last chapter, as I said. Again, I wanna thank you all SO MUCH for all the support. You guys have been nothing but kind and, and it warms my heart. This goes out to anyone here from tumblr as well, I really wanna thank y'all for sticking around! You guys always deal with my rants and shenanigans, and I'm glad <33

Hope you all have a good rest of the year <33
✧⁺⸜(●˙▾˙●)⸝⁺✧

Chapter 15: Papá Will Protect You.

Summary:

Agustín, Félix and Pedro have something to say to a particular bully.

Notes:

HEY GUYSSSSS
I AM. SORRY. For being so late. Its just school started up again and there was progress reports. I might not like going to school but frankly I wanna graduate on time /33 ALSO. My birthday is literally next Wednesday and I have to get stuff planned for that.

THANKFULLY I GOT THIS OUT❗❗ 4.6k words, just for you guys <33 You remember that guy that picked on Mirabel? He has a name now, Manuel Delgado! He gets dealt with this chapter <3 🥸

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The husbands knew they were doing good. That their family was healing. It took a while but they were finally a happy family

They weren’t oblivious and they weren’t stupid. They had seen the thighs Alma said and did before the fall. Before the kids' deaths. There was no way to sugarcoat how they felt either. In all honesty, they didn't exactly appreciate how their mother-in-law treated their wives and brother-in-law. Frankly, she wasn't the best, and she didn't improve once the kids were born.

And then after Mirabel's first failed ceremony? She was even worse. It had lessened throughout the years, but it didn't change the fact that she still ignored and pushed Mirabel to the side. That she treated the gifted ones like tools and essentially ignored anyone that didn't have a gift. Bruno had it bad too, even when they were younger, before they even got married, they noticed how outcasted Bruno was.

But she's changed and for the better! Luckily she didn't go back to her old ways. After the fall something changed in her…neither man could quite pinpoint what it was, it was strange. During that period in which they had been without the children, she wasn't the same. None of them were, really, but Alma? By far she had changed the most.

Both husbands noticed that she was much more gentle when it came to explaining things. She was less easy to irritate and she was much more reasonable, especially when it came to chores. And after the kids were born, she had become even more lenient, insisting that they only work 2 days a week, and even then they could only work up until lunch or maybe a little after... But they weren't complaining!

Agustín was happy with the new change. Before he had to practically fight for his life to defend his kids. To defend Mirabel. His wife. Even his sobrinos sometimes. He never liked to argue with the woman, it was like arguing with a brick wall. And after the fall? He wasn't even sure if he could even consider her family. After he barely considered Mirabel family. For all he knew, she didn't even consider him or Félix family, or maybe she did. She gave off mixed signals and often didn't try to interact with him or his brother-in-law unless it was about their kids and their gifts (or lack thereof).

He wasn't sure about a lot of things. He worried often, but since the kids came back, he had calmed down a bit. Alma had been putting in the effort to change. She wasn't doing it for appearances, she was doing it for family. And Agustín admired her for that. It took a lot to change, he knew that he was glad she took the time and effort to do so. Glad that she was acting like an actual grandmother and mother. And he knew that his father-in-law, Pedro, was doing his best as well. Sure, the man might be confused sometimes, but he always had the spirit and put in 110% percent.

Félix was more than happy about Alma's change in behavior. He hated how she treated his wife and kids. And he hated how she treated his other family too—it made his blood boil at times with how rude she was. She rarely asked nicely, it was more like she demanded or assigned and excepted it to get done. More than once Félix pulled his children and even sobrinas from their chores. And then Mirabel. He felt like she had it the worst out of the grandkids. She was constantly left out, and he did his best to include her, it wasn't easy. And then there was his poor brother, Bruno, who went through Hell and back unfortunately.

It honestly broke his heart to see his family so broken, and he hated seeing them fight. And then when the house fell? And they were just…gone? He contemplated just grabbing whatever family he had left and leaving. But he couldn't, because he knew deep down, he knew his wife still loved her mother, and it would be a lie if he said that he still didn't care for her during that time. But he was glad he stuck around. Glad that he was able to get his kids back and get a second chance at raising.


Pedro smiled as he kissed each of his grandkids after his wife, sending them off to their rooms to go to sleep. They had been working hard all day---there was a really bad thunderstorm (not by Pepa, thankfully), and the houses on the far side of town near the forest line had gotten caught up and some of the roofs had to be repaired and replaced.

The whole family went out to help the other villagers. Many were very thankful and gave them small gifts as thank you. While others demanded that they do it correctly, even though it wasn't their house and they were doing it correctly. One of them even dared to ask why they didn't just send Luisa and Mirabel, seeing that one was the strongest and the other could repair anything. Pedro decked the man in the face…he had lost all his patience that day honestly.

Dealing with all of those people trying to force his family to do stuff, made him mad. Thankfully they finished that day, and everyone was safe and in one piece. By the time they had gotten back, it was late, and they just settled for leftovers for dinner before going to bed.

Pedro walked upstairs and into his room after bidding his kids and son-in-law goodnight. As he entered the room, he noticed it was empty. On the dresser were some of the family's clothes, mostly the clothes. Unfortunately, they had gotten ripped when they were cleaning up, so Alma had insisted on repairing them so that they wouldn't have to worry about it.

Walking up the stairs to the candle room, he saw his wife holding a book, a photo book. Walking closer, he stood next to her chair, looking down into the book. Alma looked up, ushering him over.

"Come look mí amor," she said quietly, flipping the page. He smiled at the sight, his heart melting at the sight.

They were pictures of his family, mostly his grandchildren. He had missed the first 4 or so years of their lives, so he was glad his esposa had taken so many photos.

"These were their first steps," Alma laughed. "We were actually in the middle of a race when they started walking. Luisa was the first and then all just followed."

Flipping through a few more pages, Pedro pointed at the various photos of small babies dressed up nicely. "Was this their birthday?" He asked and Alma nodded.

"Sí," She said, running her hand over the photo. "They had gone out all day and came back to Casita for a party."

At one point they had gotten to the page full of pictures from Pedro's welcome home party. That day he was so happy. Happier than he had been since the birth of his children or his wedding day. He met his family, the family he swore he would never have the fortune of meeting again. But he was blessed and given a second chance, and he was forever grateful for that.

There were pictures with their parents and tío, and many with their Abuela. At one point Alma had gotten to the section of his daughters' weddings.

Pedro gave a sad smile. He missed their weddings, unfortunately. All he could do is look at photos. It made him sad that he wasn't there though. He wished he was able to give them away, but he hadn't. It wasn't his fault, he knew that, but that didn't mean it still didn't hurt.

Alma looked up, noticing the sad look on her husband's face. She knew he was upset about the weddings. He had expressed that he wished he had been there to give their daughters away.

"You know, Bruno gave them away on your behalf," Alma said and Pedro's eyes widened.

"Really?" He asked, astonished. He didn't expect that. Bruno, in all the pictures, had been in the line with other groomsmen.

"Yes. For Julieta and Pepa," Alma said, sighing. "There was a hurricane because of a misunderstanding between him and Pepa on hers and Félix's…and while she was upset about it, she still let him walk her."

"Huh," Pedro chuckled, smiling. He was already super proud of his son, but now he had yet another reason.

Eventually, the two had gone back down to their room, getting ready for bed. Pedro thought back to his daughters and their husbands. He wasn't going to live, he didn't know what to expect from them. He had known next to nothing about them, and he wasn't exactly able to just time travel to go back and meet them.

But after being around them for the past 5 years? He had nothing but good things to say about them. Sure, they had their flaws, but they knew that and acknowledged that. And Pedro didn't care how they were, so long as they treated his daughters right---and they did! Pedro couldn't think of any better men for his beloved Julieta and Pepa to marry.

Agustín was clumsy, but he had always meant well. He always tried his best to include everyone, and make sure everyone was known. He was also very defensive of his family, more specifically his daughters. On more than one occasion had Pedro seen Agustín straight up fist fight people for the sake of his daughters.

And he wasn't afraid to stand his ground when need be. Sure, he liked to keep things passive and civil, but he was fully willing to argue with someone if he had to. And he was so helpful—if he was helping his wife or one of the kids, he was out chopping wood. The poor man was always attacked by bees (no one knew why, because 9 times out of 10 Agustín wasn't even bothering them). But he never let that stop him from working. He just ate an arepa and kept going. And Pedro respected him for that.

And then there was Félix. Such a happy man, who better than him for Pepa to marry? Pedro knew his daughter was a bit of a worry wart, and she often caused storms because of it. But Félix? Never got mad at her for it. He simply sat down with her and calmed her down or he would swoop her into a dance to take her mind off of things. And he was an even better father, always looking out for his kids. Pedro had seen him just walk by one of them, and if they were in a tough situation? He would run past, snatch them up and throw them over his shoulder before bolting off while yelling something at the offender. It was funny, and Pedro honestly wasn't surprised whenever he saw it happen.

And he was very much a family man. He was very laid back, and never really let things get to him. But one thing that would get his attention was any of his family, but especially his niños or sobrinas in trouble. He let a lot of things slide, he never took things to heart unless he had to. But he never, EVER let anyone disrespect his family. Anytime he heard someone talking bad behind one of the family members' backs, he would immediately tear them a new one. And the fact that he would do that no matter the situation? Pedro liked that about him, it was one of his best qualities.

So yes, the patriarch had only good things to say about his son-in-laws. And he hoped it stayed that way. He loved his family, all of his family—that included his son-in-laws, who were simply sons to him. He never viewed them as outsiders, they were just…family.

Laying down, he blew out the lamp and kissed his wife. He was just happy to be here. He didn't need anything else. If he had to, he was willing to fight for his family. He would argue and defend them. Willing to get hurt for them. He was willing to die for them again—he would rather risk his life defending his familia than let them get hurt.

It was an odd day. At first, it was rather uneventful. The Madrigal family had woken up, eaten breakfast, and gone out for the day. Today was a day where everyone was working, so everyone was out of Casita for the day and in town.

Julieta was at her stand with Agustín, who was helping her along with running a few errands on the other side of the plaza. Pepa was watering the fields, Félix helping her manage them safely. Bruno was delivering a couple of visions on the other side of town. Alma was with Bruno, seeing that she needed to discuss some things with some of the construction workers over there anyway.

Pedro was switching between helping the kids. Isabela was helping with wedding arrangements that were happening in a month. Dolores and Camilo were helping at the church with some of the other choir members. Luisa was helping Mirabel and some other herders repair the gate (again) while Antonio tended to the donkeys and horses.

So it was a normal work day. Everything had started fine, everyone was working, doing their own thing. No one had run into any problems either. So what had changed?

Well, it started at lunch. Pedro had made sure the kids had sat down at the fountain to eat and made sure his triplets were taking a break for a while. It wasn't anything unusual. The Madrigals were on their break, same old, same old.

But then there was the same guy that game to pick on Mirabel. Manuel Delgado. He was 24 years of age and still picking on the poor girl. The family never let him near her, or any of the kids. The man was honestly a menace, and they weren't entirely sure why he still had a good reputation with the town; more than likely it was because of his family, who ran one of the largest farms within the Encanto.

The fact that he was still taunting and harassing a 9-year-old was baffling. Why no one stopped was even worse. But he was known to blackmail. He wasn't the most trustworthy either, and he could lie to get people on his side. It was a miracle that he was still in the Encanto, in Pedro's honest opinion, he should have been kicked out years ago.

Mirabel was strong though. She never let him get to her and she always stood up for herself. She was quick to spit back the same venom he did, and her family praised her for it. She had embarrassed him on multiple occasions, and yet he still hadn't learned his lesson.

He had spotted the kids sitting on the ledge of the fountain, eating the lunch that Julieta had prepared for them. They were chatting amongst themselves and Manuel took it upon himself to fix the 'problem'.

He paraded over, not even seeming all that suspicious. He had yet to be noticed. Once he got close enough, he snatch the yet-to-be-eaten empanada out of Mirabel's hand, along with the small cloth that held her other food. The kids didn't even really react at first, but by the time they had noticed, he was standing a little ways away. The bully had already managed to eat 2 of the 4 she had, and was already eating the third.

"The heck was that for?" Camilo asked angrily, staring at him in shock and anger.

"She can go without a little food," Manuel said, shoving the rest of the empanada he was eating in his mouth. "It's not like she needs it anyway." He said a mouthful and the children turned their noses up at him.

Luisa was about to stand up, but Mirabel quickly pushed her back down, face unamused. "I didn't know you were struggling to eat food," she said, making a fake pouty face. "Are you eating enough at home?"

The man's face burned for a moment and he felt his anger rising. But he wouldn't react. He knew that if he did she would get her way.

"I'm eating fine, I just think you should be eating less," he quipped, pointing a finger in her direction.

"You can't be talking," Dolores said, the 9-year hold crossing her arms as she looked him up and down.

"Shut up snitch," he hissed at Dolores, who simply rolled her eyes. He turned towards Mirabel holding the two last pieces of food out, smiling slyly. "Would you like it back?"

"You might as well take the rest, I'm not eating after you," Mirabel scoffed, looking mildly offended. "And after all, sharing is caring. Something you have no experience in."

"Good," he said, ignoring the last comment and shoving another in his mouth. "Because I wasn't gonna give it back. You don't deserve your mom's food anyway. You aren't special, you're just there—no wonder nobody likes you."

"Shut up!" Isabela said, cactus sprouting as she stood up, stomping her feet. "She is special, you're just jealous!"

Manuel laughed, crossing his arms. "Why would I be jealous of the most useless, pathetic, and unworthy Madrigal?" That seemed to anger the other children because they stood up as well, but the man stood his ground. "I mean what kind of gift is that? Butterflies? Oh, I'm so amazed!"

"Stop it!" Antonio shouted, balking his fists up. It was taking a lot of effort not to just sick his animals on this guy.

Mirabel scrunched her face up, eyebrows furrowing. She wasn't about to cry or anything, but she wouldn't lie, that did hurt. She could take a lot of insults, but for someone odd reason, it hurt whenever someone said she wasn't a real Madrigal. Like some blurred memory in the back of her mind.

She hated it.

"I don't know why I have to keep telling you, but maybe I need to say it again to get it through your thick head," Mirabel said. The man bit his tongue, looking down at the girl. Now she was getting on his nerves.

"And what might that be Señorita Inutíl?" He asked, and Mirabel gave him a rather bored look, which only enraged him more. He wasn't getting the reaction he wanted.

"I don't need the support of some low-life who can't get a girl," she said, and Delgado was only getting angrier. "As far as I'm concerned, you are the LAST person I'd want to get the approval of."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. He exploded, chucking the rest of the food and clothes at Mirabel. It hit her, dirtying her dress, and she looked down in shock. He had never actually physically done anything besides pushing a bit. The other stood in shock, staring at the dirty dress.

"You are the WORST! You are an insufferable abomination who killed her family and destroyed the house!" Manuel screamed, jabbing Mirabel, and pushing her back. The kids couldn't even react.

That statement that he said…what did he mean by that? And why couldn't they move?

"You should've never come back! It's your fault everything changed! It's because of you that the miracle died the first time!" he continued, continuing to push Mirabel harder and harder on the shoulder. "You destroyed the house too! I remember I WAS THERE!"

The kids' eyes widened. They still couldn't move. It's like a million things were flashing through their mind at once, and they couldn't comprehend them. It was hard to breathe.

The miracle? Did it die? Casita had been destroyed too?

"You destroyed the Madrigal family!" He said, finally shoving her back with both hands. Mirabel stumbled, tripping over the side of the fountain.

She fell in, and the water seemed to snap her out of her trance and she struggled to sit up, her butterflies going wild. The other 5 seemed to snap out of their trance, as they jumped in the water, pulling the soaking-wet girl. All of them were soaked with water, but that seemed to be the least of their worries.

What Manuel said had stuck. What did he mean? What was he talking about? The looked up at him, and he was huffing in anger, chest heaving as he stared down at the children. The plaza was silent, nothing could be heard except for the running water of the fountain and the huffing of Manuel Delgado.

"You're a murderer. You hear me?!" He screamed, pointing an accusatory finger get at Mirabel, who was crying through cracked glasses. "A murde–"

CRACK

Manuel screamed out in pain, holding his jaw as she dropped down to the ground. Looked up, and he saw an infuriated Agustín. His face was red with anger as he stared down at the man. He stared down at him with a look that could kill a person. Manuel held his lower jaw, letting out whines and whimpers of pain. The father of Mirabel said nothing as he huffed, looking as if he ran a marathon. He was still holding an axe, his other hand raw and slightly bruised from the hard punch he had just delivered.

Manuel suddenly saw another figure walk up to him, grabbing him ruffly by the shirt, and pulling him slightly off the ground. He looked to see Félix in his face, face dark with animosity. For a man that was shorter than him, he was surprisingly intimidating and strong.

"What. The hell. Did you say. To my niece," Félix asked, although it sounded much more like a demand. Manuel didn't say anything, not that he could with his now broken jaw. Félix sent his fist into the delinquent's stomach, dropping the younger to the ground as he stood over him, Agustín standing right next to him.

"Pedazo de mierda," Agustín muttered furiously, his grip tightening on his axe. Manuel was doubled over holding his abdomen, but he could very well feel the cold gaze of the two men. "Where do you get off targeting my children? My nine-year-old children no less?" Agustín sneered.

Manuel tried to form words, but it wasn't working. He looked around for help, but he did not receive it. Everyone averted their eyes, and if they did keep eye contact, they had disgusted looks on their faces. He shook his head, no, this wasn't how it was supposed to go! He was supposed to win! He was Manuel Delagdo, he was one of the most influential figures in this place!

Looking back he saw him. Pedro Madrigal. The patriarch of La Familia Madrigal. And he was not happy. He looked disgusted, angry, offended, and whatever else one could think of. Off to the side, he could see the two fathers tending to their children, who were now sobbing as they hugged their fathers. In the distance, he could see Pepa and Julieta rushing over. And based on the whispers from the town, Bruno and Alma weren't very far off either.

"Who do you think you are?" Pedro asked coldly, and Manuel just stared, shaking. "You think you're going to be let off the hook, don't you? That this will just blow over?"

Manuel kept looking at Pedro. His eyes strayed for a moment, and he could see that the rest of the family had gathered behind him, tending to younger members, who were practically clinging to the parents, more specifically their fathers. Clearly what had happened had been explained to them, because they look just as angry. There was a hurricane in the works, and no one was making a move to stop it.

"Well, you aren't. I heard everything you said. All of it," Pedro said and Manuel shook his head, making a sound that sounded something like 'No' over and over. "No? I didn't hear it? Are you calling me a liar?" Manuel stopped opting to just take whatever punishment he was about to get.

Alma walked up next to Pedro, holding his arm as she looked down at Manuel. She looked at her husband, who said nothing as he looked down. He looked at Alma as if waiting for something. She seemed to have read his mind because she nodded, looking down at Manuel again. Thunderstruck closely to where he was as Pepa's hurricane got more intense, snow and hard rain pouring down.

The town was silent, the only noise being crying children from the youngest Madrigals. Pedro lifted his hand and pointed to Manuel, who look terrified.

"Manuel Delgado. You have here and from now on been cast out of the Encanto," Pedro said, and there were gasps from everyone except the Madrigals and a few others. Immediately there were whispers as Manuel stared up at Pedro in disbelief. "You have until the end of this month to leave and never come back. Do not come into town and do not come near my family again. If I catch you, it will not end well."

The eldest child of the Delgado family looked on in disbelief as Pedro and Alma returned to their family. They eventually walked off, leaving the plaza for what would probably be the rest of the day and perhaps even the week. The town looked on as they walked before turning to the defeated member of the Delgado family.

He sat on the ground, soaking wet and still holding his broken jaw (which would probably never be healed by Julieta and never fixed by Mirabel). He shivered, in fear, sadness, and shock. He was one of the top people in the community! He was respected, and admired! He was number one, things were supposed to go his way! He always got his way. But now? It was over.

Kicked out. He had been kicked out. No, not just out of his house or even the town. But out of the Encanto. Never, in the almost 6 decades of the Encanto, had anyone ever been exiled! No one had ever suffered a punishment like that…until now.

The broken man looked through the dispersing crowd, seeing a small group of four standing still and looking straight at him. His family. They had been there. They saw it all and probably heard it all. His mother was crying and his father just look disappointed…his younger sister and brother looked upset, but they didn't move to help him. Now he had to leave by the end of the month. That gave him 2 and a half weeks to pack up and leave the Encanto.

Everyone hated him now. He had no one on his side. Because they saw his true colors. Because he let some 9-year-old brat get to him and hang his dirty laundry out.

He was a disgrace. And he didn't like how a 9-year-old exposed him for it and got him banished.

—-
Agustín and Félix tended to their children. They had finally calmed down, having settled in the main courtyard of Casita. They cuddled their fathers, still sniffling from the earlier incident. Julieta was in the kitchen making some cal do for the kids while Bruno was helping Pepa calm down in her room. Alma and Pedro were in the candle room, talking about something God would only know.

Both men looked at each other. They knew they had to tell them someday but…it was too early. They didn't need to know yet, they were too young to know. They didn't even remember what happened outside the dreams. But that bastard had told them everything…he traumatized them again.

They didn't want this to happen this way. But given the situation…it had to happen at one point. For now, they would sit here and comfort their children. They would deal with that blockhead later. Right now their children needed their protector. Their papá.

Notes:

YAYYYYYY❗❗

BANISHMENT 👹👹👹 Jk jk but seriously. I'm so glad he got dealt with. And I know a lot of you guys are glad too, I heard your calls to take care of him <33 also. The fathers being. The best of course. We need more of Félix and Agustín fighting people for the sake of their kids. (งᵒ̌皿ᵒ̌)ง⁼³₌₃

Also??? One year anniversary for Cocoomed is coming up, what do you guys think I should do??? Should totally leave ideas for me <33

ANYWAYYYY I hope you all enjoyed this! This one took me a while with the writers block, but I'm happy with it! Byeeeee see y'all later (≧∇≦)/

Chapter 16: Second Chances

Summary:

The kids finally get an explanation for the things Manuel had said the day before---and Manuel decides to take things into his own hands.

Notes:

HEY HEY HEY Y'ALLLL ITS THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY COCOONED RAHHHHH 🦅🦅🦅🦅

Hey guys, back again with a new chapter, AND IN THE SAME MONTH??? WOW. Anyway. Here's a chapter that took a super long time, but it was so much fun. 6.5k words, just for you all ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ fun fact, the doc that I use to write Cocooned is so big that my Google Docs app constantly crashes lmao

ALSO. If the pacing is weird towards the end, I apologize :(( I was trying to get this out on time and was up at like 4 a.m this morning finishing it. I may have rushed a bit in the end, but hopefully it isn't TOO bad.

ALRIGHT LETS GOOOOOOO ✍(◔◡◔)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

That night was…rough. The kids barely ate their food. It took them 20 minutes to get the kids to detach from their fathers, and even then they were hesitant. Julieta and Pepa had to beg the kids to eat, which they only ate a little bit of. Once dinner ended, the kids all piled into the nursery. They hadn’t slept in there in years but…it provided some kind of comfort to them. They didn’t want to be alone, they wanted to be near each other.

Each of the adults kissed them Goodnight, and Casita made sure to comfort them and reassure them that nothing was going to happen to the house. Nothing was going to fall on them, or break, or hurt their family. They were safe, and Casita made sure of that. Pedro stayed in the nursery with them for a while, sitting in the corner reading to them quietly to make sure they didn’t have a panic attack like they had a few times earlier that day since the incident at the fountain. They had a bad feeling it was going to be a bad week.

Once Pedro left, Mirabel sat up from her spot in the cuddle pile on the floor. Her butterflies, which had previously been resting in her hair, fluttered for a moment before resting again. The 9-year-old looked around for a moment, then Isabela sat up as well, looking at her while rubbing her eyes. “Bel?” She asked, looking at her sister. She watched Mirabel fiddle with her fingers for a moment.

“Isa…” Mirabel choked out, and Isabela frowned, hugged her sister tightly. Mirabel wrapped her arms around Isabela, squeezing her as she buried her head in her shoulder. The smaller sobbed, body shaking slightly. Isabela rubbed her back, gently petting her curls. She mimicked the way her mama or abuela would calm them down, though she didn’t really know it.

“Don’t listen to him. You didn’t do anything,” Isabela said quietly. They sat there for a minute and Mirabel finally stopped crying, rubbing her eyes and sniffling. Isabela took off her glasses, setting them aside and laying down next to her. She made sure her blanket was pulled up, then pulled her own up. Mirabel calmed down, closing her eyes. Isabela grabbed Mirabel’s hand, moving a little bit closer.

“Gracias Isa,” Mirabel mumbled, yawning. 

“De nada,” Isabela said, finally going to sleep with her sister.

The next day, the family decided to stay home—Alma had decided to let the family stay home for the rest of the week. She stated that she didn’t want any of them out working, after what happened. A short vacation was fine anyway, the town could live without them for a while. Most of them were understanding anyway, completely agreeing with what Alma was saying and even encouraging them to take a few days more. She was grateful that they all were so understanding.

Breakfast was quiet. There wasn’t much going on, not a lot of talking. The kids usually carried the conversations. There was the occasional whisper from the adults, mostly Pedro to Alma. Dolores had squeaked a couple times, but it remained quiet otherwise. Once they were all done eating, Bruno ushered the kids out of the room.

“You niños go to Dolores’ room and play for a while, hm?” Bruno said, and they all exchanged glances before nodding. They didn’t bother asking why, because they already had an idea. The adults were probably going to talk about what happened the day before. Anytime the adults wanted to talk about something important, they would always send the kids to Dolores’ room—it was soundproof, so not even Dolores could hear what was happening unless the door was open. Once the kids were in the room, Bruno walked back into the dining room, sitting down next to Félix. They were quiet, until Alma finally spoke up.

“We have to tell them,” she said, looking up. The others looked at her nervously, or like she was crazy. There were mixed reactions, and Alma continued. “We can’t keep it a secret forever. And after what Manuel pulled the other day…” Alma pulled a face, one of anger. 

“But don’t you think that it would be too much for them?” Pepa asked, a cloud forming above her head. Félix held her hand and she calmed down a bit more. “ I mean it's such a sensitive topic. So much happened, and they’re only 9!” 

Alma paused. That’s right, they weren’t even ten yet (though their birthday was in a couple weeks). But she knew that they had to tell the kids. They would start asking questions, and they couldn't just leave them in the dark, not forever. It was only a matter of time before they realized anyway, what with how people gossip and talk in their community. So how would they tell them? They couldn’t just dump it on them all at once, that would only traumatize them more.

“Why don’t we just tell them part of what happened?” Agustín asked, and the others looked at him. “You know, water it down some? We don't have to tell them everything, but maybe we could just give them some information.” He continued.

“That would work. But what would we tell them?” Alma asked, and Bruno spoke up.

“We can tell them about Casita’s fall and the candle,” he said. “But we’ll wait till they’re older to tell them about, um. Well, you know. That.” He said, looking to the side awkwardly.

“But what about Papá? Do we tell them about his original sacrifice?” Julieta asked, and all eyes were on Pedro and he had a look on his face.

“Maybe? I mean they know about the scar across my chest, they just don’t know how it’s there. Maybe we don’t tell them that I died yet,” he said, absently touching his chest. “But maybe we can tell them that I was struck down and hurt, and that the miracle healed me. I mean it wouldn’t be a lie.” He said, looking up, and the others nodded in agreement.

“Alright then. We’ll tell them a more…kid friendly version of the story. And we’ll go into a bit more detail of Pedro’s sacrifice, but not too much. Agreed?” Alma said and the others nodded. 

“We should tell them after dinner, that way they won’t think about it too much all day, and can sleep on it,” Félix said. 

With that, the adults left the dining room, off to do their small and menial tasks about Casita and to check on the children. Luckily the children hadn’t been curious and stayed in the room. They were clueless when Félix popped his head in to check on them.

The kids stayed at Casita helping around the house or playing in the backyard. They had noticed that the adults were acting a little strange. Whenever they asked a question,they would get rather defensive. And Casita never elaborated, clearly waiting for whatever it was the adults were going to do. While the little ones were curious, they knew better than to keep asking or to keep pushing it. They would just have to wait for them to tell them.

Dinner couldn’t come fast enough. The adults were nervous once it rolled around. Thankfully, though, the kids were back to talking again. Not quite their usual enthusiasm, but talking nonetheless. They also ate all of their food, much to Julieta’s relief. Once the table was clear, the elders held them back, which they were confused about. They never did this unless they were in trouble, or they wanted to talk about something serious. And as far as they knew, they weren’t in trouble, so it had to be the latter.

“Niños…we want to tell you something,” Alma began, pausing. Pedro placed a hand on her lap, and gave her a sympathetic look. “It’s about yesterday. Now this is very serious, and we want you to know that none of it is your fault,” she continued, looking at Mirabel for a moment longer than the others.

“What is it? Did something happen?” Camilo said, scooting closer in his seat.

“Do you know how we got our Miracle?” Julieta asked. The children nodded. 

“Yeah, there were some mean people chasing the town a long time ago and the candle formed from Abuelo and Abuela’s marriage candle to protect us,” Luisa said, the tallest tilting her head.

“That’s not the full story. You know how I have a big scar across my chest that your mamá’s food couldn’t heal?” Pedro asked and the children hesitantly nodded. “We’ll…I tried to stop them. From chasing us. And one of the mean people took a machete and hurt me badly. And I couldn’t go anywhere for a while.”

“Is that why you didn’t come back to Casita until we were 4?” Dolores questioned and Pedro gave a half-hearted shrug.

“Yes…in a way. I had to stay away so that my scar could heal over. Julieta’s food couldn’t fix it in this instance, so it took a very long time.” Pedro explained and the children all nodded in affirmation.

“But…what about what Manuel said?” Antonio asked, and the adults all looked at each other, then at Alma. 

“Yes, about that. Part of what he said is true—Casita did fall, before you were born. Your abuela did a very bad thing. I didn’t do the right thing and I ended up causing Casita to fall,” Alma paused, turning her head for a moment, and she had to blink away the tears. “And something really bad happened. We were left alone for a long time. But it was never any of you kids’ fault. Especially not you Mirabel. You never caused Casita to fall, and you aren’t…a murderer.” The kids looked at the adults, who all looked upset. They were really focusing on Alma, who had turned away from the table, and though they couldn’t see her face, they could tell she was crying. So Manuel was half right, but still correct in a sense. Casita did break down and fall. Did that mean the Miracle died? 

Before any of the kids could ask any questions, memories flooded through their heads. They screamed, Dolores’ covering her ears, though she was screaming as well. They flashed by, so quickly, they couldn’t even process it. It was like Tío Bruno’s visions, but quicker, much quicker. They kept flashing, it was the same scenes over and over. A girl, who looked EXACTLY like Mirabel but older, running towards the candle. Then it switched to them looking around, seeing Casita crack around them, and collapse in on itself. Was this what their abuela was talking about? From their point of view? That was impossible, they hadn’t been born yet. Then it changed to them clawing at the floorboards and clinging to the railings, being dragged towards what they could only guess were their rooms. Then nothing. Darkness. It was terrifying. They didn’t like it, but it wouldn’t stop.

The adults rushed over, holding the kids and bringing them to the floor while trying to figure out what was happening. Casita shook, and Alma looked around panicked, what was happening? Did they see something wrong? Had the magic reacted badly? Did they trigger something, was Casita falling again? So many questions, and yet they couldn’t get any answers. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they stopped screaming. They were breathing heavily, clinging to the arm of whoever was closest. 

Suddenly Mirabel burst into tears, throwing herself into her abuela’s arms. “¡Lo siento, lo siento familia!” She sobbed, and Alma frantically asked what was wrong and what happened. “I saw it! I-I saw Casita fall, and I couldn’t save the candle and I hurt my hermanas and primos! Manuel was right!” She cried. Immediately the kids pulled her into a group hug, assuring her that she didn’t do anything. 

“No, no, that…that wasn’t you! You didn’t hurt us!” Antonio said, hugging her tightly.  

“Y-Yeah, we know that wasn’t you!” Luisa agreed. 

After a couple more minutes of comforting the kids, specifically Mirabel, the adults picked the kids up, one by one, carrying them to bed. Originally they were going to put them in each of their rooms, but their protest led them back to the nursery once again. They all laid in a pile on the floor, holding each other close. They were tired from what had happened, which sent them to bed early that night. The adults all went back to their rooms, still worrying over the kids.

Bruno, just in case, had a vision. He just needed to make sure they were safe, that nothing would happen to them. Once he finished, he looked at the vision, and was left with confusion. The kids were all within frame, standing over a crib. There was a baby—but it didn’t look like any of the family members. Perhaps Mariano and his wife were having another? Regardless, he took the vision as a good thing. Babies were always a positive sign, at least in the Madrigal family.

The cool couple had gone back to check on them, just once. They were asleep, probably exhausted from all the crying they had been doing for the past couple of days. Call them worry warts, but they couldn’t help it. Julieta naturally wanted to make sure they were ok. Agustín was no different, but he was a bit more on the protective side. He was willing to get into a fist fight with any that threatened his daughters, or niece or nephews.

The warm couple started to plan something fun to do for the kids the next day. They wanted to make sure they took their minds off of everything that had been happening. It took a lot of calming down on Pepa’s end; Félix had to hold her back and keep her from hunting down Manuel and striking him down. But he promised that if he saw him, he would personally put his dukes up on her behalf. In the meantime, they planned a picnic for them, and maybe they would go explore in the woods afterward. 

The oldest in the household were in the candle room, finally relaxing. Other than…whatever happened to the kids, they had taken it well. When asked, the kids completely understood. But it still worried Alma. Had they seen memories? They usually didn’t see them unless they were asleep. This was the first instance where they were awake. Pedro comforted her, assuring her that they would get through this. She smiled, she was so happy her esposo was here with her.

It was quiet in Casita, and none of the adults knew of the events about to occur in the  nursery.

——

Manuel wasn’t going to take this. Hewasn’t about to have his life ruined by a little girl. Chugging the rest of his beer bottle, he stormed out of the bar (kicked out really), heading back to the church, where his stuff was at. It was the only place he was allowed to stay at. He was basically kicked out of his home where his parents were. He had no girl, so he couldn’t live in any house. And the temporary inn wouldn’t let him sleep anywhere either.

He rummaged through his rucksack, searching for something. He got angrier as he thought about the past two days. In just one argument, his life was ruined. He was only 24, and his life was already over. Because of that stupid Madrigal girl.

“Whatever happened to respect,” he angrily muttered, finally pulling out what he was looking for. He left the church, heading toward the Madrigal home. It was late, really late, probably 2 a.m. He knew that everyone in the house would be asleep, and even Casita would be somewhat dormant. So he was taking his chance. It couldn’t be any worse. “I was number one. My family was on top,” he uttered.

He thought about his family. His mother and father worked hard to keep up their family legacy. They ran one of the most successful fruit orchids in the Encanto. He was the oldest of his siblings, his brother being 16, and his youngest sister 14. He realized that he wouldn’t be there for them anymore. He would miss his brother getting married, his sisters’ quinceañera, all of it. All because of Mirabel Madrigal. Why did she get a second chance? So he snapped and spilled some information, so what? She wouldn't die from it, it’s not like she remembered anyway. Those other Madrigals overreacted.

Manuel climbed the hill, finally seeing Casita on the top. He had been inside there plenty of times, he knew how to get in and out. He could go through the back door—it was relatively easy, even though he knew that. “I’ll show her…I’ll show all of those little brats,” he said, still drunk and angry. He was an angry drinker, he knew that. But he had long since planned to come for the Madrigals even before he got drunk. He just drank because it was the only thing that would distract him enough so that when he got jumped by the men of the household, he would be unconscious quicker. 

Going around the side of Casita, he was quiet as he shoved a piece of metal into the lock, unlocking it. He saw Casita’s tiles flutter, but then calm down. Once he was inside the kitchen. He slowly made his way to the main courtyard and up the stairs. Scanning the room names, he found Mirabel’s door, and opened it. It was empty. The spacious room was dark and empty, and he knew she wasn’t in her bed. He moved to Luisa’s room, empty. Isabela’s was the same. He checked Dolores’ and Camilo’s, empty. Antonio? Also empty. The only room left was the nursery.

He dragged himself to the other side, standing by the door. He could hear them inside, sleeping. Camilo was a loud sleeper. Manuel made sure to check his surroundings. So far he had been good, only having a close call with Casita tripping him up. He was confused on why the house had been so silent, but maybe when the Madrigals went to sleep, the house went into a more docile state. Either way, he didn’t care. It only made his job easier. Opening the door, he carefully slipped in, closing the door. He stood over the sleeping kids. It was truly surprising how they hadn't woken up yet.

“Stupid brat. I’ll show you what happens when you mess with me,” he growled, raising his old, beaten up bat above his head. Before his hands were even brought down, he was unpleasantly surprised when his ankles were knocked inward. They buckled under his weight, and he fell, wincing as held on to his legs. He cursed loudly, looking to see who had done it, he saw Dolores, looking scared, though she still stood tall. Manuel cursed again, she must’ve woken up. He forgot that she had super hearing. Still wobbly from being drunk and having his ankles assaulted, he moved to sit up, reaching for his bat, which he had dropped. It was kicked away, and he looked up, seeing Camilo and Antonio standing on the other side. Luisa had moved next to Dolores, with Isabela helping Mirabel up. He shivered, looking at them. They look mad, really mad. Was he about to get jumped by a bunch of 9-year-olds?

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Camilo said, albeit quietly. Manuel was confused, why hadn’t they alerted the adults? More so, why hadn’t Casita done anything?

“You…you brats don’t get it,” Manuel said, pushing himself up. His words were slurred, and the two sets of triplets could smell the alcohol on him. “You don’t understand because you got a second chance. You always get second chances while the rest of us suffer,” he said, standing up, towering over them.

Second chances. They were always told everyone could be given a second chance. And they had given Delgado more than enough chances. The fact that he was still there was a bit baffling. He hadn’t left the Encanto, though they didn’t even know if he could. But if he wanted a second chance, then it was a second chance he would get. Or rather, his family would get a second chance. Mirabel whispered something to Isabela, who’s eyes widened. 

“Will that work?” the girl asked. 

“We can try,” Mirabel shrugged. Manuel jumped at the girls, angry on his face. “I mean I can repair bones, which sends them to their healthiest or newest state.”

“Don’t ignore me!” He stopped, seeing a jaguar present in front of him, standing protectively in front of the girls. He stuttered, stumbling back. He suddenly found himself being held down by Luisa and Camilo. Antonio pet the head of his jaguar, staring down at Delgado. He looked at Mirabel who summoned more butterflies.

“Dolores told us. Are you sure it’ll work?” He asked, and Mirabel gave him the same answer.

“We can try,” she said again, and the butterflies landed on Delgado. He started to struggle, but he wasn’t able to get up with the kids holding him down, along with Isabela’s vines preventing him from moving. In his drunken confusion, he panicked. 

“What are you doing? Let me go!” he yelled, and Dolores hushed him. 

“You said you wanted a second chance. Well we are a magic family,” Dolores whispered to him. “So we’ll help you get a second second chance.”

The butterflies landed on him, multiplying. They kept doing so until his whole body was covered. The whole time Manuel was shouting and struggling, but to no avail. After first he was throwing obscenities, then apologies. He began to cry. The children felt bad for him, he was rambling about how he just wanted to be accepted by the community and his family. How he never hated Mirabel or the Madrigals, and was young and stupid and made bad decisions. He just wanted a second chance like they did. The kids didn’t entirely understand that last part, but they would help him get a second chance. Eventually he went limp, and stopped making noise all together.

In the candle room, the candle grew brighter, and Casita’s floorboards and shingles rattled again. The kids backed away, and watched how the candle in the corner of the room lit up and grew brighter. They covered their eyes when the light engulfed the room. Once it died down, the kids looked down to where Delgado was previously. The butterflies dispersed, most of them disappearing while the others settled on Mirabel. There were piles of clothes, with a small lump where the shirt was. The kids stared for a moment, then jumped when the lump moved. There was a cooing sound, then whimpering. Camilo decided to be the brave one, moving in on the shirt. He moved the shirt, and he gasped at the sight.

It was a baby. But not just any baby—This was Manuel Delgado. He still had the same features, just smaller and chubbier. He couldn’t have been older than a couple months. He had nothing but a diaper on, which Luisa acted quickly on—-she grabbed one of the folded blankets off of the shelf, placing it on the floor. Wrapping the small baby up, she gently picked him up, backing sure to tone back her super strength in order not to hurt him. She was always a little scared of holding babies, especially when she first got her gift, but now she was much more confident.

“It worked…a little too well,” Dolores said, squeaking. “What now?” 

“Um…I don’t know…it’s too late to go to his Mamá and Papá’s house. Should we go get Abuela or Abuelo?” Mirabel shrugged. She hadn’t really thought this far, she didn’t think it would work.

“No, we should let them sleep. Besides, Manuel looks tired too. We should put him in a crib,” Luisa said, looking down at the small infant who yawned and cuddled closer to the strong one.

The kids talked for a bit more, then finally agreed on what to do. They would have a ‘sleepover’ in the nursery, and take care of Manuel. Then in the morning, they would take him to the adults and they could go over to his family’s house and give him back…hopefully they wouldn’t mind reraising their son. Dolores and Antonio dressed the bed while Mirabel and Camilo rummaged through the storage room to look for something to put in him; after all, they couldn't leave him in only a diaper. Luckily they found one of Camilo’ old onesies, and after a bit of struggling, they were able to get him dressed and put into the crib. 

The kids all looked and stood over the bassinet. Manuel was now sleeping peacefully, cuddling with one of the stuffed animals Isabela found in the toy box. Thankfully they knew what all to do from all the times they spent the night at their Hermano mayor Mariano’s house, and had to take care of their baby (or their ‘honorary nephew’, they liked to say). Camilo poked his cheeks, laughing.

“His cheeks are chubby. I’m going to call him Chubby Manny,” he laughed again, and Dolores swatted his hand away, though the boy kept giggling as he transformed into the older Manuel, making faces. He quickly changed back though when Dolores kept nagging him.

“Manny…” Mirabel said absently. That was a cute name, he was a cute baby. She wondered, what went wrong? He seemed so peaceful now. Whatever it was, he didn’t have to worry anymore. He was given a second chance, and by God we're going to help him be happy growing up. “Come on, let’s go to bed. We can check on him in the morning.” 

The kids all went back to their spot on the floor, sleeping a bit closer to the crib. Tomorrow would be a long day, so they were going to sleep as long as they could.

Casita’s floorboards rattled, and the kids were woken up by the soft crying of a baby and an alarm clock going off. Immediately they remembered the events of the night before, and they all scrambled over to the crib. Mirabel pulled Manuel out of the crib, bouncing him and patting back. He eventually calmed down, and settled down on her shoulder. 

“We should go get dressed and go down for breakfast,” Dolores said, tilting her head. Tía is calling us and the others are waiting too. 

“I’ll take him,” Camilo said, taking Manuel from Mirabel’s arms. “My room is closer, so I’ll just take him to my room. We can meet at the staircase and bring him down.”

“Why can’t I take him?” Luisa pouted. She might not have liked older Manuel, but she thought little Manny was adorable.

“Because I’m a boy AND I can keep him from crying with my gift,” Camilo said, transforming into the head of Delgado family, Manuel’s father. The baby cooed, reaching for Camilo’ face. The boy changed back, and Luisa pouted at his points. He wasn’t wrong about that. Her room was probably too cold anyway. While there were blankets and stuffed animals everywhere and it was rather colorful, the floor and walls were stone, so it didn’t hold heat as well. 

The children all went to the rooms, getting ready for the day. Downstairs, the grownups were setting up the table, waiting for the kids to come down. Bruno remembered the vision he had last night, and pulled it from his ruana, gathering the others' attention.

“What’s that?” Julieta asked, setting a platter down.

“Well…I had a vision last night, just to make sure the kids were safe,” Bruno set the vision on the table, and the adults gathered to look at it. “And this is what I saw. B-But I don’t know what it means.” He shrugged.

“I don’t think Mariano and his wife are having another baby…are they?” Pepa asked and Bruno looked just as confused.

“I mean that was my original thought, but you know, it could mean something else,” Bruno guessed. The adults talked about it, stopping when they heard the kids walking into the backyard. There was Mirabel and Antonio, and they both exchanged looks before looking back at the adults. They didn’t like that look. What did that mean? Why did they look so…worried?

“Niños? Is something wrong?” Pedro asked, turning to his two grandchildren. Mirabel took a deep breath, and looked at them seriously.

“We’re gonna show you something but…you might want to sit down,” the 9-year-old said, and the adults cautiously sat down in their usual seats. “Ok so…something happened last night, but we took care of it? Sort of.”

“Manuel came to Casita last night and tried to attack Mirabel, BUT!“ Antonio stuck his hand out, making the adults pause from getting up in their seats. Pepa was already making a storm, and the others looked just as upset and angry. When did that even happen? Why didn’t they tell them? “We took care of him. Er, well the miracle did.”

“Antonio. What happened?” Fèlix asked sternly, and Antonio turned to Mirabel, who looked to the kitchen back door. The other kids walked out, looking unsure. Finally, Camilo walked out with a bundle in his arms. A baby, they saw. The elders jumped up, rushing towards the boy. Was that the baby in Bruno’s vision? Is this what that meant? 

“Hey, back up! You’ll make him cry!” Camilo said, turning away from them, and they stopped where they were standing. Camilo walked up slowly, and tilted his arms so they could look at the bundle. “This is Manuel Delgado. But we call him Manny,” Camilo beamed, showing off his missing tooth. The grown ups were silent, and so were the kids as they waited for a reaction.

Then chaos erupted. Alma, Pedro and the cool couple were immediately asking questions while Bruno kept looking from his vision to the baby. Pepa was storming and doing her best to avoid getting the now BABY Manuel Delgado wet, and Fèlix was trying to calm her, but he was just as confused. Agustín just stared gobsmacked, unable to process what he was looking at. A nickname, they already gave him a nickname!

Dolores covered her ears, and Isabela walked up to them, using her vines to sit them back down in her seats. “Can you calm down and let us explain?!” She yelled, then quickly apologizing for her outburst. The adults calmed down, and Isabela retracted her vines, Casita toppling the cacti she accidentally sprouted out towards the garden to be replanted later.

“Lo siento niños, just…how?” Alma sighed heavily, looking at the kids and the baby in Camilo’s arms.

“Ok. So Manuel—Manny, came to the nursery last night. I had heard him come in, and we planned to kick him down and then come get you guys. But then Mirabel had an idea,” Dolores started rambling, something she did whenever she was finally revealing a secret. “So, she wanted to try and use her gift to make him go back to being a little bit younger, but only a little bit! And then Casita started shaking and then there was a bright flash and then when it went away he was a baby!” She finished, taking a deep breath, Antonio rubbing her back and making sure she was ok. The adults took a moment to process what the girl said, then Agustín spoke. 

“Why didn’t you come get one of us when it happened?” He asked, looking concerned and confused.

“Well we we’re, but he was so tired, and we were too, and we didn’t want to wake you guys up,” Mirabel explained. “So we put him in the old crib and slept in there with him. 

“Is that one of Camilo’s old onesies?” Pepa asked out of the blue, noticing how the baby had on orange.

“Yup! We took care of him all night by ourselves,” Camilo said. Casita’s beams dropped a bit. “Oh! Casita helped too of course,” he corrected himself, and Casita gave a little jingle.

“So…what now?” Alma asked the kids. 

“Well we were hoping to take him back to Señor and Señora Delgado after breakfast,” Mirabel said. 

The adults looked at each other before Alma sighed. “That’s the best thing. Me and your Abuelo will take you, alright?” The kids nodded, and moved to sit down to eat. Alma held onto Manuel while they ate, feeding him some fruit. She had figured out he was probably around 8 or 9 months. He could sit up and eat, but he didn’t move as much as she had expected. 

Breakfast went by rather quickly. As soon as they were done the youngest members gathered their things to leave. Their mama’s and Tio helped them put some of their old baby stuff into a bag, saying that the Delagdos probably didn’t have the stuff for a baby, which made sense to them. Alma put Manuel into a basket, making sure a blanket covered him up so that when they walked through town no one would get suspicious. It was a long walk to their home after all. 

“Are you guys ready to go?” Pedro asked, picking up the basket that had the now sleeping baby and the baby bag. The kids all gave thumbs up, and with that they bid the ones remaining at the house and Casita goodbye. 

Once they got down to town, they were able to walk through without suspension. They had stopped at the Guzmán’s house, and while they did ask, they didn’t press when they were given a vague answer. Thankfully by the time they had crossed the bridge, it wasn’t busy. The farmers land in the encanto never really was, but the Delgado’s would get busy in the afternoon because of the kids who would go running around the fruit trees and whatnot, among other things. The kids were all too happy to get to the farm, but refrained from running off to go play. They had to be responsible this time. 

Eventually they had finally gotten to the Delgado household. Alma knocked on the door, and a couple seconds later Señor Esteban Delgado opened it, looking upset. His expression quickly changed when he saw the Madrigals at his door.

“¡U-Uh Doña Madrigal!” He was obviously surprised, and his eyes saw that Pedro and the kids were there. “What brings you here?” He asked, and inside they could see his wife, Maria, and other two children look towards the door from the back.

“It’s about Manuel,” Alma said, glancing at Pedro. “May we come in?” She asked. Esteban’s expression shifted. He nodded, letting them inside and closing the door. 

All of them were seated in the main room, with Pedro having the basket by his feet. The other two children, Mateo and Sofia, had joined their parents in the room as well. They kept glancing at the basket, wondering what was in it. Pedro and Alma could tell the family was going through a lot, considering one of their family members had literally been banished out of the Encanto. They hadn’t been very active in town, simply sending out shipments of fruits for other vendors to sell in the square. 

“So what is it about Manuel that happened?” Esteban asked, looking unsure.

“Well…he broke into Casita last night, and tried to attack the kids,” Alma said, getting straight to the point, and Maria gasped, grabbing her husband's arm. He stared in shock, mouth agape. Their other two children were just as surprised, unsure of how to react. “Something happened as well, he…how did I put this,” Alma mumbled, trying to find the words.

“Wait, did he?” Maria didn’t finish her sentence, and Alma immediately refuted.

“No, no, dear Lord no!” Alma said, and the couple looked relieved, though still upset. “It’s just a miracle um…”

“He got turned into a baby by the candle. Hm!” Dolores said from her spot on the floor where she was playing with her 5 other siblings. The younger couple looked at the girl, then back at the Madrigals in confusion.

“¿Què?” Maria asked, looking at Alma and Pedro.

“That’s one way to put it,” Alma said, internally thanking her granddaughter. She really wasn’t sure how to say it. “The kids say he asked for a second chance and then the miracle just…you know, I think it’s better if you just see it for yourself,” Alma said, turning to Pedro.

The patriarch, who had been silent the whole time aside from a laugh under his breath at Dolores’ comment, pushed the basket over to the parents. They both looked at the basket, then to the Madrigals, then back at the basket. Esteban carefully removed the blanket, then jumped back when he saw the baby within the basket. Maria picked the baby, holding him close while tears welled up in her eyes. Both Mateo and Sofia gather behind them looking down at Manuel. He yawned, eyes cracking open and looking at his family. He stared at them with big, innocent brown eyes.

“Dios mio,” Maria whispered, hugging him tightly when he raised a small chubby hand and touched her face. She looked up at Pedro and Alma, still crying. “G-Gracias! We promise, we’ll raise him right, it won’t be like last time!” She cried, hugging her now youngest son while her husband held the two.

“Does this mean Manuel can stay?” Sofia asked, and Maria nodded. 

“Yes, yes it does,” she said, giving a watery laugh at the out of blue question.

Eventually the Madrigals had to leave. Making sure to leave the baby bag with them (Pedro having to insist that they keep the whole thing). Esteban and Maria both thanked the Madrigals profusely until they were gone. As they were on their way back to Casita, the kids were smiling as they praised themselves and each other for their success at delivering Manny to his parents. Sure, they had beef with his older self, and sure they didn’t really like him then—but it was different now. Now they got to watch him grow up and now they could actually be friends with him. He likely didn’t remember anything from before, so now they don't have to worry about going out everyday and have to be tormented by someone 15 years older than them. Mirabel was particularly happy; her plan may have worked a little too well, but that was ok. The outcome was good, and now her and her siblings could rest easy knowing that they had inadvertently gotten someone banished (because while yes, they did believe Manuel deserved it, they still felt terrible about it).

It had been a rough past couple of days, but thankfully they had all been given a second chance, so it was all ok. Maybe that week wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Notes:

BABY MANUEL MY BELOVED <333 There's some art on my tumblr (same name) if you wanna see it <33 it's the Delgado family and baby Manuel ;) I was gonna post it with the story, but I for the life of me can't post photos 3

You already know he's bout to be best friends with the grandkids. They no longer have beef, it is what it is. HOPEFULLY> You all enjoyed this chpater. And. i just wanna say thank you SO MUCH to all of you readers who have stuck around this far. I remember when I frist started this, and look how far we've gotten. Amazing. ANYWAY. Cocooned is probably about 75%-80% done. And with that ending, I will be posting the Mamabel rewrite once Cocooned ends ≧◉◡◉≦

IN THE MEANTIME. How would you all feel about me posting the runaway Mama Isa fic I have? I only have 5 chapters so far but. It's something I'e been working on the side when I take break from long stories like this one and the werewolf AU. If i do post it, it's post schedule will be a bit inconsistent, but I'll post nonetheless. It's called "No Alarms (And No Surprises)". You guys should totally listen to 'No Surprises' by Radiohead, it heavily relates to the story <33

ANYWAY. Thank you all SO MUCH for reading my story. Can't wait to do more (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥

Chapter 17: A day with Mariano

Summary:

The kids go out with Mariano for a day and secrets around town bring up questions.

Notes:

I’M HERE‼️‼️‼️ I MISSED THE MARCH UPDATE BUT I WILL N O T MISS APRIL. I’M TOO OG FOR THAT⁉️⁉️

Anyway I am. So sorry for leaving. School is ending and there’s finals, so I have been writing but I’M BACK🗣 this chapters a bit short but. I do have another update on “Just Like you, Just like Me” if you wanna read that!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Today the kids were going to be spending time with their tío Mariano and his two kids. His wife had to go do a delivery across town, so Mariano had the kids for the day. The man walked up to Casita, waving at the house, his two little ones following close after. He soon entered the house, and was greeted by his younger honorary family members. Yes, he was their big brother. And yes, his two kids were their niece and nephew.

“I’m here!” Mariano called out, and the six kids immediately ran from different parts of the house running up to Mariano and hugging his legs, Luisa easily picked up his oldest, Catalina, tossing her into the air, the 4 year old giggling wildly.

“You took your sweet time getting here!” Camilo huffed and Mariano chuckled, shrugging.

“My bad,” he said. “Cat wouldn't put her shoes on, she was so excited to come here that she kept running around,” he explained and Camilo shifted into the aforementioned child.

“I can’t believe a four year old out ran you,” he laughed, before shifting back into himself, taking Catalina from Luisa’s hood. “But we’re glad you're here too!”

“Milo!” Catalina exclaimed, clinging to Camilo, practically hanging from his ruana.

“Did you bring Matias?” Mirabel jumped, her butterflies fluttering around in an excited frenzy. Mariano nodded, laughing again as he held his arms down, revealing the small baby. Mathias looked up at the children who had gathered to look at him. His small fingers reach up to grope at the air, him babbling as he does.

“You’re so cute,” Isabela cooed, dangling a honeysuckle in front of him. The baby giggled, grabbing the flower. “I remember when you were this small too,” she continued, handing Catalina a honeysuckle as well.

“And I remember when you were this tiny,” Mariano said. “All of you actually. It was…definitely a surprise,” he said,his face faltering before he bounced back. “Anyway, are you all ready to go out?” He asked. The kids nodded before Mirabel suddenly stopped, sprinting up the stairs and to her room. She came out a moment later with her bag around her shoulder smiling.

“Ok. Now I’m ready,” she smiled, the other kids laughing at her forgetfulness.

“Alright then!” He said, walking out of Casita. “¡Vamanos!” The kids all followed behind him in a line, singing a song as they marched behind the man.

It didn’t take long for them to get to the town square. They had passed by the other adults, giving them a quick wave as they passed by them doing work. After learning that they had yet to eat lunch, Mariano decided to buy them all some food from one of the stands. Sitting down at the benches, Antonio offered to feed Matias while Mariano helped Catalina eat her food.

“Ahhhh,” Mariano said and Catalina copied him, biting down on the soft, meat filled pastry.

“Hey Yano?” Luisa asked, biting into her empanada. Mariano hummed, guiding Catalina’s mouth to the food he had gotten for her. “What was it like? Before we were born?” Mariano paused, swallowing his own food as he looked at Luisa, seeing the other kids’ faces, all having the same curiosity.

“W-Well, uh. It was different. A lot of the things about the Encanto, they were…how do I say this…I don’t know. I can only really say it was different,” Mariano shrugged and the kids seemed to take that answer, going back to chattering and eating.

Mariano sighed deeply, his heartbeat slowing down. He hadn’t even realized it had picked up. “Papá?” Mariano looked down, smiling at Catalina. “Are you ok?” She asked, her wide brown eyes looking up at him.

“Papá’s fine mija, just a little nervous,” he replied, and the small girl pouted, then shoved a pastry into his mouth, rather unceremoniously. Mariano choked for a moment before barely swallowing the food. He knew his daughter only meant well, and he loved her for that.


“You know me and mí hermanas named you,” Luisa said, holding Catalina up with one hand, the girl looking down at her ‘tia’.

“Really?” Catalina asked with wonder in her eyes.

“Yup!” Mirabel said beaming. Isabela walked over, sprouted small flowers in the toddlers' hair. “Your mamá and papá let us name you. Tío Bruno had a vision that you were gonna be a girl, and they let us name you.”

“Did you name Matias?” Catalina asked and Dolores suddenly popped up, spooking the others.

“Nope! That was me, Camilo and Antonio,” she hummed, and her brothers walked over, Matias in Camilo’s arms. “Since they got to name you, we got to name Matias.”

“I personally still think his name should've been Camilo,” Camilo said and Antonio snorted.

“Why, so he could end up like you?” He joked, Parce huffing in response. Camilo just stuck his tongue out.

“I wonder how your family named all of you,” Catalina said, sitting down on the grass. “I mean…there’s six of you! And you guys have the same birthday, so…it must’ve been hard.”

Dolores shrugged. “Maybe.”

“It wasn’t, actually,” Mariano said, sitting down next to the 8 kids. “They already had names for you. Long before you were born.”

“Wait seriously?” Luisa asked, looking at Mariano and he nodded.

“Sí,” Mariano looked at the sky. “I think…well, I know. Sure they didn’t except the six of you. Especially not all at once. It was…definitely a surprise when we learned that you all had been…born.”

The kids noticed Mariano’s expression. It seemed distant, sad. Something flashed behind his eyes and they swore they could see tears in his eyes. The man quickly shook his head, smiling. The kids knew better than to press on the matter, and decided to simply let it go. Mariano wasn’t by any means secretive, nor was he ever really closed off with his emotions (the exact opposite of Alma). But even they knew that some things were best left alone. They didn’t want to upset him, not when the day was going so well.

The kids continued to play with Mariano’s little ones, running around the large field while Mariano kept an eye on them. But even with all the laughter and smiling, the kids failed to notice the change in Mariano’s demeanor. Though it wasn’t obvious to the kids, anyone older could tell that something was racking his mind. The way his eyes would glance at Casita spin the distance and then back to the kids, and then pulled a strange face.

It was weird, but the kids were oblivious to it.

——
Mariano smiled as he watched the kids play. Though, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Luisa asked him. He wished he could answer more truthfully, he really did…but it wasn’t his place to do so. He knew the older Madrigal elders had their kids’ best interests in mind, and he knew they would tell them when they were ready.

Mariano eventually had to gather the kids up and then back home so they could join their other family for dinner.

“Thank you for watching today Mariano, it really means a lot,” Pepa smiled at her as he waved her off. “I know they can be a handful.”

“Oh no problem. I love spending time with mi hermanitos. And Catalina and Matias love them as well,” Mariano said and Pepa cooed at his two younger children. “Anyway I gotta head back. I’ll tell the family you said hi!” With that, Mariano headed home, his two children in tow.

As they walked back to their home, Catalina looked up at her father, squeezing his hand. “Papá?” Catalina asked. Mariano looked down at his daughter, smiling.

“What is it mija?” He asked and the girl hesitated before looking up at him again.

“Did…did Casita really fall on Isa, Lulu, Mira, Lola, Milo and…and Tonio?” Catalina asked and Mariano froze. He stared at his daughter, his eyes growing wide. Squatting down, he readjusted his hold on Matias, placing a hand firmly on his daughter's shoulders.

“Catalina. Where did you hear that? Who told you that?” Mariano asked, a serious look on his face and Catalina fidgeted with her fingers. “Catalina Lucía Guzmán. Don’t lie to me.” He pressed and Catalina relented.

“A couple days ago, when I was with Mamí in the market. There were a bunch of ladies and I heard them talking. They said that Casita fell on the Madrigals,” Catalina’s eyes welled up with tears. “They said that it…it would happen again and that they wouldn’t be lucky. Are they gonna go away papá?” The small girl cried and Mariano quickly pulled her into a hug, feeling her tiny body shake with sobs.

“No, no mija, that…that won’t happen,” Mariano said, his voice cracking, but he pushed through. He had to hold it together.

“I-I don’t want them to die papá!” The girl pushed herself further into Mariano’s shirt.

“They…they won’t. Come on,” Mariano lifted the girl up, holding her in his arm, Matias in his other arm. “Shhhh, come on mija, let’s go home. I promise, the Madrigals are ok. It’s ok.”

Dolores was walking to dinner along with her brothers and primas when she stopped, humming, her eyes wide. Her siblings immediately noticed, and turned to her.

“Lola?” Camilo asked, looking at his sister, noticing her look. “Are you okay?”

Dolores looked up, her eyes glassy. “I…I didn’t think it was true. Not when I heard it but…so many people, they keep talking…”

“Lola, what’s wrong?” Mirabel asked, her butterflies fluttering around, the other kids becoming more frantic.

“Do you need your ear covers?” Antonio asked, and one of his birds brought them down, the boy holding them out to his sister. Dolores stuttered, tears falling and the other kids began to cry, unable to keep themselves from crying, upset that they couldn't help her.

“Lola!” Luisa caught Dolores as she broke down sobbing. The kids gathered around her. “Lola, please tell us what’s wrong,” Luisa said, rubbing her own tears away.

“That dream we had…th-the one where we saw Casita fall,” Dolores managed to get. “And we saw those people that looked like us?”

The other kids nodded, they knew what she was talking about. “What about it?” Camilo asked and Dolores shook her head.

“I-It’s real! It was us! They saw it, the town, they know! And…and they keep talking, there’s so much t-talking,” Dolores sobbed again and Antonio quickly put her covers on, muffling the sound for her as she cried. The kids looked at each other and their eyes widened as they finally processed what she said. That dream real? Was it real?

They quickly broke from their trance when their Abuelo came rushing down the stairs, his face full of concern. “Niños, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” He asked, kneeling down to tend to them, holding Dolores close as she was crying the hardest.

“Dolores she…she heard something,” Isabela muttered, her hand shaking as she pointed to her prima. “T-The town they’re um. Talking, and they said that Casita fell and…” Isabela couldn’t finish her sentence, suddenly growing quiet as flowers sprouted around her, wilting slightly.

Pedro was confused, but decided to not press, focusing on his grandchildren. He was able to calm them down, wiping their tears and comforting them. After coaxing them (and a few pieces of candy), he was able to get them to dinner. It took a moment, but after seeing their parents, Tio and abuela, they were back to their happy selves.

Pedro smiled as he watched his grandkids. He knew they had been through so much, his whole family had. And he would have to talk to Alma about the town and their…”secrets.” His poor little Dolores, hearing things that she shouldn’t have to hear. I and his other nietos, subjected to having people whisper behind their backs. It made him sick. So many times he had asked them to be mindful of Dolores, and yet they still continued to ignore him, and his nieta suffered because of it. And he was getting tired of it.

But for now? He would watch over his family.

Notes:

NOOOOOO POOR DOLORES <\\\333 but yeah. The towns people actually frequently talk about what happened that day and. Everyone forgets that Dolores can hear them. And at first she doesn’t believe them but after hearing Mariano not deny it, she now KNOWS and tells the other kids because she always shares secrets with them.

OK I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT BYEEEEEE 🫧🫧🫧🫧🗿🗿🗿

Chapter 18: Sickness Reveals The Truth

Summary:

A strange and sudden sickness falls upon the Madrigal children.

Notes:

GUYS. GUYS I’M SO SORRY. FOR MISSING THE MAY UPDATE. But at the time, school was ending, tans I had a ton of finals to do, among other things. And a lot of June was me just taking a break from writing major stuff. BUT I’M BACK‼️‼️

Now. This is a sick fic, but not your typical one, no. These guys are sick and they get more angst. No fluff, not yet <\\\333

I HOPE YOU GUYS TAKE THIS AS AN APOLOGY. RAHHHHHHH 🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The kids had gotten sick. Really sick. All six newly turned thirteen-year-olds had gotten sick. Really sick. And only two weeks after their birthday. It had started with Mirabel, who, even with her own gift and her mother’s, had always been a little more prone to sickness than her siblings or cousins. She had felt dizzy after lunch one day, and soon Julieta had pretty much confirmed she had gotten sick. But they didn’t really know what it was.

It didn’t take long for the other five to follow behind. Likely they had picked up the same thing Mirabel had. But not just that, they had been visiting her, despite their parents and family’s warnings. Now they are bedridden. It didn’t seem like they were in an intense pain, but it was very clear that they weren’t exactly in the right state of mind. They were always mumbling, and their gifts kept acting up, hence why the older madrigals did their best to keep them confined within their rooms.

It didn’t seem to stop them from leaving the rooms though. Every so often, one of the adults, mostly Alma or Pedro, would find one of them wandering around. Alma had found Isabela in the garden wrapped in her own vines, and then Dolores had been found asleep in a storage closet with her ear covers on. Camilo was shifted as Felix and was just staring at the stove in the kitchen, and Luisa was moving furniture around Casita, made clear by the trail of miscellaneous strewn about. It took an hour to find Antonio, and thankfully his animals helped; he was sitting by the piano, and Mirabel was just in the nursery, mumbling about something while looking out the window.

It worried the adults, to be entirely honest. The kids had never been like this, not before or after their gifts. And Julieta, she felt like she wasn’t of any help. Her gift wasn't much help, and though she did give them medicine, they just didn’t seem to be taking it at all. They were still sick, even after the strongest of medicine were taken. And Pepa wasn’t any better. She had been storming almost the entire time, worried sick for her kids and sobrinas. She constantly checked on them; the moment she finished her work days, she went straight to the kids’ rooms.

Alma was probably the most worried. Something kept telling her that the candle had something to do with it. Her nightmares became more frequent, and a particularly vivid and brutal one left her paranoid. Pedro had told the others to keep an eye out for her, because she wasn’t getting much sleep at night and she kept darting her eyes around. She frequently checked on the kids, more than Pepa. She pretty much holed herself up in Casita, not wanting to leave for a minute. But the thing is, she wouldn’t tell even Pedro about the dream she had. And it worried him. Just when he thought she had recovered, they had come back, even stronger than before.

——-
Pedro was in Dolores’ room, checking on the girl. He had been doing rounds through the kids’ room, checking on them, and she was the last one. She was muttering and mumbling about something, and at one point she shot up, tears in her eyes.

Pedro pushed her back down gently, worry etched on his face. “¿Dolores, equivocado?” Dolores shook her head, crying as she looked at her abuelo.

“They keep talking abuelo. They won’t stop talking about…about Casita. They keep saying Casita fell and killed us!” Dolores said frantically, gripping Pedro’s arm tightly. The man’s eyes widened, and he gently petted Dolores’ curly hair, calming her down. He stayed there, his mind racing. Finally, Dolores passed out from exhaustion, her breath shallow as she fell into a difficult sleep.

Pedro stumbled from the room, still thinking about what his granddaughter had said. Pedro himself had not been there when Casita fell, but Alma could recall the entire event in such vivid detail that he felt like he had been there himself. And for the past almost decade, neither him nor any of the other family had told the kids the full truth. They were still waiting to tell them that, waiting until they were at least 15. So how in the world did Dolores know that? Did the others know?

As Pedro entered the kitchen, he saw Felix and Agustin speaking with Bruno. He walked over, and they immediately noticed the worried look on his face.

“Papa? Is something wrong?” Bruno asked, turning to his father. Pedro looked at the three for a moment before glancing back.

“I… I was checking on the kids, and I was with Dolores. She kept mumbling about something. And then she freaked out, saying that ‘they’ kept talking about how Casita fell on her, and I guess the other kids, and it…killed them,” Pedro explained, his voice barely above a whisper. The other three men looked at him with shock and horror.

“Wait what? How? Did you tell them?” Agustin asked frantically and Pedro shook his head.

“No! That’s the thing, none of us told them anything! But it wasn’t even just Dolores, Antonio said some of his animals had told him something similar,” Pedro said.

“You know what, I was talking with Pepa and she said that Camilo had said something like that. And when I checked Mirabel, she kept saying something about her…not being able to save the candle…” Felíx trailed off, his eyes growing wide.

“Luisa was crying about not being strong enough to save the house a-and Isabela…she kept saying she wasn’t perfect enough,” Agustín said, frowning.

“You don’t think…they remember. Do they?” Bruno said and Pedro just shrugged, his face a mix of worry and defeat.

“I have no idea. I’ll ask Alma about it. You all just keep an eye on the kids, and make sure Julieta and Pepa know as well,” Pedro said before walking off. He quickly rushed up the stairs, opening the door to his and his wife’s shared room. She could hear Alma walking around in the candle room and he went up, seeing her looking over old photos like she sometimes did. “Alma?”

The matriarch looked up, then smiled as Pedro approached, sitting down. “What is it mi amor?” She asked, setting the photos aside.

“We need to talk. About the kids, and about…that,” Pedro said and Alma's face fell. She already knew what he was talking about. Why he wanted to talk about it worried her. She had no idea why he would suddenly bring up the topic, it wasn’t something they talked about often.

"What about it?" Alma asked, her voice solemn.

"Well the kids, they've been having more and more nightmares since they got sick. And they keep mentioning what happened. I'm starting to think that maybe…maybe they remember," Pedro revealed.

Alma's eyes widened, and she looked at the candle, then at the pictures in her hand. "Th-That shouldn't be possible. They shouldn't remember, they can't. They aren't ready!" Alma said, her voice a mix of panic and worry. "We've been doing everything right, haven't we?" Alma asked, and Pedro reached over, placing his hand over hers to calm her down.

"Yes, we have Alma. The children are fine, they're happy. Nothing's wrong but…I do think we should keep an eye on them. This isn't for no reason," Pedro said, looking out of the window for a moment before turning back to Alma. "I'm also going to see about these people in town. Dolores mentioned that people keep talking, and I don't want any of them to be exposed to that. Not yet."

Alma looked at him for a moment before nodding slowly. Pedro looked at her, his gaze lingering. He could see the look in her eyes, the look she made when she was hiding something. And while he knew what she was hiding, he didn’t press. She would tell him when she was ready. She always did. With one last kiss, he left the room, leaving Alma in the candle room while he went out to town. He needed to have a “talk” with the townspeople. As he walked out of Casita, he saw Julieta and Pepa worriedly whispering to each other in the next room over, and his frown deepened. He knew they were taking this particularly hard, and he hoped the kids would get better for not only their own sake and his, but his daughters’ as well.

——
Julieta nervously kneaded the dough in front of her. She hadn’t really been in it. She was really only kneading because if she wasn’t, she would only tire and distress herself out more by pacing. As she absentmindedly kneaded the dough, she didn’t notice Pepa enter the room. Not until she heard water running and a thunder crash. She jumped, turning to look at her sister, who was shakily holding a glass.

“Pepa?” Julieta asked, looking up at her sister. Pepa looked at her, and Julieta could see the red in her eyes.

She had been crying. Again.

Julieta quickly cleaned her hands, rushing over to Pepa and sitting her down in the chair near the island. “Pepa, please,” Julieta pleaded and Pepa shook her head.

“They keep talking about what happened Juli. They’re too young, they aren’t ready,” Pepa said, and she looked up at Julieta, who was ignoring the drizzle coming from her cloud. Julieta could see the tears threatening to spill from Pepa’s eyes. “I’m not ready, Julieta. I-I can’t.”

Julieta’s features softened as she sat next to Pepa, holding her hand. “I know, Pepa. I’m not either. And they shouldn’t know yet either but…we can’t help what they hear and see. We can only protect them,” Julieta said softly and Pepa looked down, her eyes lingering on her shoes.

“It’s getting to be too much Julieta. The kids are sick, Mamá’s getting sick, Papá’s been overworking again, and the villagers—“ Pepa cut herself off when she heard what sounded like a choked sob. She looked up and through bleary eyes and rain, she saw Julieta. She finally broke down.

“I know, Pepa, I know,” Julieta sobbed softly. “I keep giving them food, and it won’t work. Papá keeps working behind us to help, and Mamá won’t talk. And I…I just don’t know what to do either. I’m sorry.”

Pepa stared at Julieta before pulling her closer. She felt Julieta tense but her older sister quickly held her as well, burying her face into the familiar yellow dress. Both sobbed into each other’s shoulders, becoming soaked in the rain pouring from Pepa’s cloud. Hopefully they’d get through this.

——
Isabela swung lazily from her vines, which were in all honesty barely holding her above her head. Petals and leaves fell from her hands, then silting quickly as they piled on her bed. She thought about what Dolores told her. It bothered her a lot. But she was far too tired to do anything about it. She’d do it later.

Dolores held her ear covers over her ear, desperately trying to drown out the talking and whispers ringing in her ears and causing her already pounding head to hurt more. It was never this bad. Ever. Especially not while she was literally in her room. She didn’t seem to know that the voices were only echos, and the sickness was only amplifying the memory of them, it made them seem so real. She didn’t want to hear about Casita falling, not again.

Luisa laid on her bed, her eyes closed. She wasn’t asleep, not really. She could go to sleep, but her thoughts and high fever kept her awake. And her usually cool, wall to wall stone room felt hot. The thought of not being able to protect her family, left her feeling helpless. Super strength was useless if her family was not there. It just didn’t sit right with her. But she knew better than to ask.

Camilo looked in the mirror before shifting into the people he saw in his nightmare. It wasn’t even a dream, that was a straight up nightmare. He shifted once, then again, then again. He got to a certain person and stared long and hard. So disheveled. So hurt. So…empty. He shuddered, shifting back to himself and throwing his ruana into a nearby chair before falling onto his bed, his eyes closing. Sleep was the best thing for him. A dreamless sleep, hopefully.

Mirabel stared at the ceiling of her room, her vision blurry, not just from her lack of glasses, but also the sickness she had. She could hear the butterflies whispering to her, telling her about what happened. About the “incident” they called it. They didn’t go very far in detail but still…what did happen? Why was everyone, especially the older ones, so freaked about it? She hated seeing them that way, she wanted it to stop.

Antonio listened quietly as Parce talked about “the fall”. He spoke very vaguely, saying that the elder Madrigals didn’t want him to know too much. Whatever that meant. Antonio’s eyes were heavy and Parce growl of a voice faded into the background. He began to drift off to sleep, his animal companions' words lingering in his head.

——

Alma stood at the window sill, the candle gently glowing as it sat on the worn wood. She looked at the candle for a long, long time. Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes looked down at the courtyard, where she saw her husband balancing six bowls of caldo in his arms as he made his way up the stairs slowly, Casita helping him keep balance.

Alma smiled softly, the first real smile in what felt like forever. She loved her husband so much. Pedro tries so hard and does everything in his power to ensure his family’s happiness and well-being. And she admired him, truly for that. He helped her keep her head up, even in times like this.

Her eyes drifted back to the candle and her smile fell as she sighed, her hands falling to her side as she pulled an unreadable face. Softly, her voice shaking slightly with emotion, she spoke to the candle, something she didn’t do as often anymore. But she needed to know that the candle needed to hear her, inanimate or not.

“Please. Leave them alone. Let them be happy, they aren’t ready. It’s not time yet,” she said, her voice resigned with defeat. “Not yet.”

Notes:

WOW. THAT WAS INTENSE. And they weren’t even healed or cured. They’re just stuck being sick. Sobbing. Will I let them be happy again? Yes. But they’re older so I just subject them to angst TO MOVE THE STORY ALONG.

AND SOMEONE SHUT THE VILLAGERS UP. THE MADRIGALS HAVE ENOUGH ON THEIR PLATE, CUT THEM SOME SLACK 😭 ANYWAYYYY

I guess how’s a good time to mention that Cocooned will be ending in just two chapters. I never thought so many people would read, let alone enjoy my fic. I TRULY am SO appreciative of the kudos, and comments and kind words you guys leave me on here and tumblr. Makes my day seeing you guys talk about the things that happen <33

Also shameless plug, my Mama Isa story “No Alarms and No Surprises” will be updating very soon, the next chapter literally on needs an ending. You guys that are reading it might even get two chapters, with a Bruno appearance 🫡

OK BYEEE SEE Y’ALL NEXT CHAPTER (OR IN THE COMMENTS <33)

Chapter 19: Party (Planning) of the Century

Summary:

Quince party planning starts…now!

Notes:

YO YO. 2 days late but. It’s the 19th chapter AND school has started. Which has slowly been killing me 😆

But anyway. Quince party. Planning. Did a bit of reasearch but next chapter will be way better. I’m also going to redraw and redesign their quince outfits, which will appear here (hopefully), but I might post a wip on tumblr.

ANYWAYYYYY ONTO THE STORYYYY 4.6k WORDS BABYYYY

RAHHHH 🦅

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"We want a giant quince party. Together. We want it to be for all of us," Mirabel said to the adults sitting at the table, her other 14 year old primos around and next to her and her sisters. The adults blinked, looked at the kids. Not what they expected when the younger ones asked when they wanted to talk to them after lunch, but they weren’t complaining. It could’ve been worse.

“Uh…are…you sure?” Alma asked, leaning forward in her chair a bit.

“Yeah! We’ve actually been talking about it for a while. I know we joked about it when we were younger but…we’re serious,” Mirabel explained, the other 5 nodding.

“Yeah. We wanna all feel special. We do share a birthday after all!” Isabela beamed. "We've always had big birthday parties together in the past so, why not again this year?"

The adults all looked at each other. There wasn't any reason they couldn't have a big party. It's just that they expected them to want different parties on different days; but this just made it easier to plan for the party. They always planned a year ahead, there was always so much to do. And now that their 15th was coming up? There was going to be a lot to do.

"Well," Alma shrugged. "I mean I don't see why not. We'll start planning soon so you all can talk and come to us for whatever, and…we'll go from there. Sounds good?"

The matriarch was met with affirmation. With that, the family dispersed. The kids went to go to town, seeing they had things to do and help out with. Julieta and Pepa pulled their mamá aside. "Mamá, um…these party. It's probably going to be really hi. I mean it is one of their most important birthdays, especially for the girls," Julieta started.

"I know," Alma said, picking up the plates and taking them to the kitchen. Julieta and Pepa followed clothes behind without dishes.

"And well there's just so much to do," Julieta continued. Alma nodded. "Well…we'll be able to do it," Julieta paused, making eye contact with Pepa. "Right?"

Alma turned around, a calming smile on her face. "Of course. We've done this before, and we'll do it again. It'll be more special. And we'll take it one step at a time. We've got a whole year to plan and get things ready, and we've got each other and even the town. We got this, ok?" Alma said, her hands holding the ones of her daughter. They both nodded. Yeah. They had this.

Agustín scribbled a written memo in his journal, shoving his pen in his pocket. It had been around a month since they started planning the quinceanera. He was tasked with a simple thing, something that even with his clumsiness, he could do, hopefully, without incident. And that was to get the order in for the jewelry for the girls, and the hat measurements for the boys. Simple enough.

He walked into the jewelry shop, looking around for stuff. But he wasn't browsing, he was ordering. He still had to go to get the hats so there was that.

"Welcome in," a voice rang from the back, and it was a kind looking old man. "Can I help you this fine afternoon," he asked, his eyes squinting as he scanned Agustín.

"¡Hola! I have an order to make, here I have right here," Agustín pulled a few pieces of paper out of his pocket. The man took it, adjusting his glasses as he examined what was on the papers for a moment. "So…do you think you could do it before the party?"

The man nodded, pinning the designs onto his board. "Of course I can. In fact, these designs look similar to the last ones I did…for…" the old man slowed down, stopping as he saw Agustín. He was frantically waving his hands, shaking his head, in a 'no' fashion.

"Don't say it. Not yet," Agustín mouthed. The old man's eyes widened before he nodded. Agustín let out a deep breath as the man began to write something down on a ticket like piece of paper.

"Well anyway, I've got it covered. Anything for the Madrigals," the man handed him several tickets, each with one of the girls' names on it. "Keep these, and I'll have them done around a month or two before the party. Just be sure to give the ticket and I'll have those for the girls."

"¡Gracias!" Agustín waved at the man as he left the door. He made his way to the hat shop to get Camilo and Antonio's things ordered and tailored as well. So far so good.

Pepa looked through the drawings Mirabel had given to her. Apparently for the past two months since they started planning, she had been talking with her siblings and primos. They wanted Mirabel to design their dresses for them. And honestly it made Pepa's heart melt. She was glad they were so close.

"These are amazing!" Pepa exclaimed, looking them over again and again. They really were good; Mirabel really did have a talent for clothing. And the fact that she took the time to design not only her own dress but her sisters and primas dress, AND her primos suits, was even more amazing. "A-And these are the ones you all settled on?"

"Yup! Been working on them for a while now, and these are the ones we chose," Mirabel became, and Pepa immediately produced a rainbow as she looked at her sobrina.

"Well you go off to find your siblings and I'll take this to the shop, and get it ordered, ok?" Pepa asked and Mirabel nodded. Mirabel happily nodded and practically skipped off, a smile on her face. Pepa watched her until she couldn’t see her anymore. She then looked back down at the designs, smiling at them gently. They were so similar to the ones from before, before the incident. The colors had changed a bit, and obviously they had a lot more creative freedom. And of course Mirabel added her own touches to them. They were amazing to be honest.

Pepa couldn’t believe that it had been almost 15 years. Time seemed to fly by so fast. It was a little unbelievable to be honest. Pepa quickly noticed the sprinkle surrounding her, huffing as she waved away the cloud above her. She didn't want to ruin the designs! She wouldn’t forgive herself if that happened.

Pepa suddenly had a great idea—Julieta would love to see the designs! Rushing to the kitchen, Pepa looked around, and saw Julieta looking down at a paper, a pencil in her hand. She looked like she was really concentrating as she stared down at the paper, so much that she didn’t even notice Pepa come in.

“Julie! Julie, Julie, Julie!” Pepa smiled, running over to the counter. Julieta yelped, the pencil flying out of her hand, which she barely caught. She looked bewildered as she looked at Pepa, who was wearing a bright smile and a rainbow.

"Pepa? What's wrong?" Julieta asked, a bewildered look on her face. She saw hee hermama shake her head, still beaming.

"Oh, nothing! I just want to show you the designs for the triplets. Mirabel talked with the others and they all came up with designs," Pepa explained, spreading out the stack of papers Miracles had sketched, drawn and written on. Julieta looked over them, picking them up and looking at them. The more she looked over them, the wider her smile grew.

“Oh these are wonderful…” Julieta said softly, looking at the designs once more before handing them back to Pepa?

“Right?” Pepa giddily bounced in her spot. “I can’t wait to see them,” She sighed. “Anyway—what are you up to?”

Julieta sighed deeply, falling back into her chair. “I’ve been trying to get a head start on the cake. Obviously I’m going to make them small, more personal cakes, with their favorite flavors,” Julieta handed Pepa the piece of paper with something of a larger, scribbled out cake. “But I have no idea what to do.”

Pepa looked over the drawing. It looked pretty good in her opinion; but she knew her sister was going to keep beating herself up over it if someone didn’t help her. “Well, I think, and I’m not saying this because I’m your sister, but I think it looks fine.”

Julieta took it back, staring at it. Her leg bounced as she bit her lip. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Pepa smiled.

“It’s just…I just want it to be perfect. It’s such a big milestone Pepa,” Julieta set it down gently. “I just don’t want to mess up.”

Pepa knelt down next to Julieta, placing her hand on her sister’s. “Julieta. It’s fine. You’re stressing too much. Just breathe, and maybe work on something else. I promise, you’ll come back to it, and love it.”

Julieta glanced at Pepa, a warm smile at Pepa. “Thank you Pepi.”

“Anytime Julie.”

Bruno shifted through the various visions. He wasn’t tasked with this but…he couldn't help it. He didn’t want anything to go wrong. And then there was what they had to tell the two triplet sets—the truth. But that wasn’t until after. Right now, he needed to make sure nothing would go wrong. Even if it meant looking into the future 6 months in advance.

He was muttering a bit as he sat down on his bed, staring at one particular vision. It was so vague. There’s nothing bad per se, but there was nothing good. In fact he couldn’t tell what it was at all. Really. He could see the family, but then after that, he just didn’t know.

Bruno sighed, holding the vision in his hands as he stared at the high ceiling. “I wish I could tell,” he rubbed his eyes, looking at it again. “Maybe I should have one more.”

Just before Bruno stood up, he heard his door open, and he frantically shoved the vision underneath his bed. “Tio?” Bruno turned around and saw his nieces and nephews. Luisa was the one who spoke up. “Are you okay?”

Bruno shut up, walking over to them. They were all dressed in their night clothes, probably about to sleep. “Yeah! What uh, what’s up?” The kids looked at each other before looking back at him. There was definitely something wrong. He could tell. “What’s wrong?”

“We know you’ve been having visions, Tio. About our birthday,” Antonio said, his siblings and primas nodding.

Bruno’s eyes widened and his breath hitched. They knew? Did they see them? He did his best to hide the even remotely negative ones, not that there were many. Wait. what if they saw him with the latest version. That was the one he really didn’t want them to see?

“What——?” Bruno gave a wobbly smile, something. , one he did when he was trying to hide something or play something off.

“Tio. We know. And we want to ask you a question,” Isabela said, her face serious. Bruno pursed his lips, waiting for the inevitable question. He needed to come up with an excuse. Fast.

“Tio Bruno,” Luisa got close, placing her large hands on his shoulder. Bruno didn’t blink as he stared into her eyes. He had no excuse. “Do you have any visions about our presents?”

Wait.

Presents? That’s it?

Bruno burst out laughing. Luisa pouted as she watched Bruno laugh, barely able to catch his breath. “W-Wait? Present? That’s what you wanted to ask about?”

“Well. Yeah. What else?” Antonio said, crossing his arms.

“N-Nothing…but presents? Presents? Ha!” Bruno shook his head as the kids pouted more.

“Come on Tio, you gotta know something,” Camilo whined.

“I’m not gonna tell you,” Bruno crossed his arms, finally catching his breath. “That would ruin the surprise,” he shrugged.

The triplets all whined and complained, begging him to tell them. Just a peak. Or maybe he could convince one of the others to spill. After all, not even Dolores could listen in. She was in the dark, so all of them were in the dark (because Dolores could keep a secret, but not from her siblings and primas).

“Come on Tio, pleaseeee?”

“Tío Bruno come on. You have to! We’re your favorites!”

“Please Tio, we’re begging!”

“I’ll sneak more food for the rats, please tell us!”

But Bruno wouldn’t budge. He wasn’t going to ruin the surprise after all. “Nope. I can’t. I won’t,” Bruno shrugged. He ushered them out of his room, contesting their complaints and pleas.

“Come on. Just one,” Mirabel asked.

Bruno laughed again. “Buenas noches niños,” he said, pushing them out. The kids sighed, now understanding they wouldn’t get anything out of Bruno. Bidding him Goodnight, they headed back to their rooms. Bruno sighed, closing his door and flopping back onto his bed. “Guess I had nothing to worry about,” he murmured, closing his eyes.

Bruno’s mind was now off the visions and now on other things. He had nothing to worry abou. Whatever was on the vision wasn’t important. He needed to worry about the present. If something happened, then he would cross that line. But for now, he was here. In the present.

“Alright, who’s gonna be your Courte de Honor?” Felíx asked. Their birthday was only 4 months away. It was about time they would have their choices already.

“We wanna…we wanna be our own court. You know, for each other,” Isabela said quietly and Felíx blinked, processing it. It wasn’t a bad idea, and he couldn’t find a reason why not…besides, when they asked for a giant party, he should have expected this.

“Um…I mean yeah!” Felíx smiled and the kids beamed.

“Really? It’s not weird? O-Or dumb?” Antonio asked and Felíx snorted, shaking his head.

“Pfft, no! I’ve seen tons of courts made up of family members,” He shrugged. “Can’t see why you guys can’t be your own court. Your clothes won’t be entirely matching, a little off, but who cares? As long as you all have fun and are happy, I’m ok with it.”

The kids immediately perked up, happy that they’re able to do so. It took them a while to come up with the courage, the idea had been planted in their head a long time ago. They were immediately talking, planning how they would enter and what they would do, how they would shock everyone. Felíx watched them happily. They were so happy. And that only made him happier.

“Papá, Tío Agustín called you. He’s in the courtyard,” Dolores said and Felíx nodded, standing up.

Felíx made his way towards the courtyard, where Agustín was, along with Julieta and Pepa as well. “What’s up?” Felíx asked and Agustín ushered him over.

“I got the sets back, you know, for the girls?” Agustín showed him what was in the box. It was a neat box, and in it were the jewelry sets for Isabela, Dolores, Luisa and Dolores. And they were beautiful. Felíx ran his fingers over the small jewels, which sparkled in the light.

"I thought they wouldn't be ready for like another two months?" Felíx asked, quirking his eyebrows. Agustín shrugged.

"That's what I thought! But apparently Senor Jorge had finished way earlier. Something about not having any other orders coming in and having a lot of free time," Augustín explained. "Not complaining though."

"He made these for the boys too," Pepa said, handing over another, smaller box. Felíx looked into it, and there were two small pocket watches, similar to the one Pedro and Alma carried around. In the casino were carefully watched designs, hinting at the boy's and their personalities and gifts. Felix whistled as he eyed the watches. They certainly were nice. "Jorge had worked with the watchmaker and had these made. An early birthday present."

"These are awesome!...But why did you call me?" Felíx looked between the other three.

"Well, we want you to keep them safe. I honestly just don't trust myself enough, I'm scared I'll lose them," Agustín said, scratching his head.

"I don't want my storms ruining them, or blowing it away," Pepa said.

"I'm just going to be too busy with the food, and I don't wanna forget about them. And Bruno can't do it because he has the other…you know," Julieta said and Felix nodded.

"What about Mama Alma and Papa Pedro?" Felix asked. "I mean I have no problem doing it but…?" Felix questioned.

"Oh, they're going to be around the kids more. They've just got a lot to plan with them and…there's that thing," Agustín awkwardly shrugged.

"Oh," Felíx said. "Welp, I got you guys. I'll keep them safe until then," Felix took the boxes, placing them back into the plain bag. He'd have to hide them. No problem.

The four dispersed, going their separate ways. Felíx, peeking in on the kids, who were still happily chatting away, he went back to the courtyard. Casita's tiles rumbled and he chuckled at the houses' excitement. Casita was always aware of what went on within its walls, and was always very expressive in houw it reacted. But Felíx liked that. It was funny.

Felíx entered the room upstairs, a small space. He usually stored his smaller instruments, the more frequent ones. Not that he was a forgetful person, but at least this way he could regularly make sure the stuff was still there. And any instruments the kids owned, they kept in their rooms. So he wouldn't have a problem with them trying to sneak a peek at the sets early. They knew about them (thanks to Dolores of course), but they didn't know what they looked like.

One Felíx secured the sets behind his guitar, he gently closed the door, making sure that if Dolores heard, she wouldn't get suspicious. Felíx could help but feel excited. They were so happy. It was so close. Sure there was done stuff to be a little worried about but he wouldn't bear himself up about it. There was too much to be happy about. He hummed as he went back downstairs with the kids.

"One, two, three, one two," Alma said softly, guiding Camilo across the courtyard. Camilo was deep in concentration. Usually, he joked around, cracking jokes. But right now, even he was more serious as he practiced his dance he would have with his mamá, come his birthday.

Meanwhile, Pedro held Luisa's hands as she moved back and forth. She was a little nervous, but Pedro was thankfully able to convince her to practice with him. "See? You're doing great!" The older man smiled and Luisa flashed a toothy grin as she continued to move.

Isabela, Dolores, Mirabel and Antonio were taking a break, and practicing the steps they had learned, in the time they had been practicing.

Pedro and Alma were helping the kids with their dances. On their birthday, they would dance. The sisters with their father, Agustín of course. And Dolores, with Felíx. Isabela was the one who suggested Camilo and Antonio dance with Pepa.

They had practiced for a while too. There was only 3 months left. And yeah, the kids knew how to dance, but this dance was special. They would each individually dance together with their papá after getting their shoes changed. Or, with their mamá and after getting their hats in the case of Antonio and Camilo. And Pedro and Alma were more than happy with helping them dance. This wasn't something they got to do everyday (actually it was, but that's besides the point).

"I'm so excited," Dolores said, swaying back and forth as she thought of the future party.

"I know! I don't even know if I can wait 3 months," Antonio laughed, his hand gently petting Parce, who purred underneath his touch.

"It's gonna be the best party," Mirabel said and the others nodded in agreement. "It's even better because our family's working so hard to make sure everything goes right."

"I couldn't be more grateful," Isabella commented.

As their conversation came to an end, Juliet called them to lunch, and the kids rushed off to wash up so they could eat. Pedro and Alma watched them with wide smiles. They were so excited, and rightfully so; it was one of their biggest milestone.

Alma sat down, Pedro sat down next to her, sighing. "Only three more months," he said. "Well, closer to two but y'know." He waited for Alma, but when she didn't answer he became worried. Looking towards her, he could see her eyes avoiding contact, her hands wringing. "Alma? What's wrong?"

"It's…I'm just nervous. I want everything to be perfect Pedro," Alma confessed, looking up at her husband. "I don't want to mess up. Not again," she sighed deeply. Pedro's face softened and he pulled Alma's hand into his own.

"Alma. You aren't going to mess up. You're doing great. Everything's going great—and even if it wasn't, we always find a solution," Pedro squeezed her hands, leaning down and looking at her. She smiled softly and nodded.

"Yeah. We always do," Alma said. "Because we're the Madrigals."

"Exactly!" Pedro smiled brightly, which made Alma feel so much better. She honestly loved seeing her husband smile like that. At her like no less. "Now. We're going to go eat lunch, and then we'll go back to helping them. Right?"

Alma nodded. "Right."

With that, Pedro stood, taking Alma's hand in her own walking to the dining room. Alma had nothing right be afraid of. Everything was going great.

The kids were giddy as they walked with their family to Valeria's shop. She had gotten their quince outfits ready a whole month before the party, which was far earlier than they even thought. But she said that she had paused orders just so she could fix up the clothes for her favorite honorary nieces and nephews. They were going to see them for the first time.

They last time they had even been to the shop was when they went to get properly measured, and they haven't been since. Even now, it was a miracle they were able to go. Their schedules had been so busy, with their birthday being so close. There was so much to do still, even with almost all of the planning done; there was still a matter of setting up and what not. But of course, they had the help of their family.

"I can't wait to see them," Isabela beamed, small flowers left in her wake as she walked.

"Yeah, Mirabel's designs were great," Antonio said, bumped shoulders with Mirabel who was looked down, shrugging off the compliments, her butterflies fluttering around her face.

"It was nothing," she mumbled, though her smile was obvious.

"You should be proud mija," Agustín countered, holding his daughter close. "You designed those, and they're gonna look great."

"Yeah, I mean you did work really hard on them," Luisa smiled.

"Oh I only drew them, you guys are the ones that helped the most. I never could've done all of that myself," Mirabel shurgged.

"Nah, I don't believe it," Camilo said, slapping a hand on her shoulder playfully. "I know I couldn't, not like you can."

They had gotten to the shop by the time at least one family member had counter Mirabel every five minutes. She was way too modest in their opinion. And though by no means was she a particularly shy or introverted person, she sometimes didn't take as much credit as she should.

The family had entered the shop when they heard a familiar voice. "Is that who i think it is?" Valeria entered from the back work room, and her face lit up at the Madrigals. "You're here!" She immediately went up greeting them all. "I am so glad you guys are here, I just know you're gonna love the dresses and suits. But first, you gotta close your eyes," Valeria said and the kids shut their eyes tightly, snoring and giggling as Valeria pulled Mirabel's hand, the other kids following her, guided by the other smiling family members behind them.

The kids were pulled into the room, and each one was guided to standing in front of something. Valerie chuckled under her breath as she made the last few adjustments. "Can we see it yet?" Luis asked impatiently.

"One more second cariña," Valerie laughed. There was a little bit more shuffling before Valeria was finally done. "Ok. You can open them."

The kids' peeked open their eyes and gasped at the sights before them. In front of the girls were four beautiful dresses, and the boys were mariachi-esque suits, tailored to their size and sewn with care and love. Everything was there, every minute detail, even pattern, every stitch was perfect. The kids couldn't even have dreamed it would be like this. It was far better than they had imagined.

"Oh…these are beautiful!" Isabella exclaimed softly, her hand running over the carefully stitched flowers along the sleeves.

"These look amazing!" Antonio felt the soft velvet of the coat, smiling. "Wow!"

The kids continued to compliment Valerie, examining their birthday outfits with awe. Valerie wore a smile brighter than the sun, happy that they were so happy with what she had done. "Well I'm happy you do. I'm honored that you all wanted me to make something so special again, just like I did 10 years ago."

The kids immediately threw themselves onto her. The only reason she didn't gallwas because Luisa had picked her up, holding her in a tight hug while the others gathered around her.

"We're more than happy. You never cease to amaze us," Isabela said. Once she was placed down, Valeria noticed the small flowers that had sprouted in her hair, but decided to keep them in. She viewed it as a thanks.

"You captured them perfectly," Dolores whispered, her eyes full of pure joy.

Valeria looked pleased as she watched the kids go back to inspecting the garments. "Well then you're in for another surprise," the kids looked at her confused. They suddenly heard someone speak up behind them, and whipped around to see Felipe standing there. His usual stone-cold expression was replaced with a very visible smile. He had several boxes in his arms.

"I made these," he said, handing the girls their boxes. "And I helped with these," he spoke, handing Camilo and Antonio some larger boxes. Once again, a man of few words. But the kids knew that his actions spoke for him.

Carefully the kids opened the boxes, and their eyes lit up as they looked inside the boxes. Intricate, delicately made tiaras for the girls to wear. Small jewels that were carved carefully, and were set into the silver metal. The boys looked at the sombreros. There were small charms on the ends of the strings, handmade by Felipe himself.

“You made these…for…us?” Camilo said, holding the charm in his hands. Felipe nodded. Indeed he did. By his own hand. Just for them.

Felipe watched with curiosity as the kids gently set their individual boxes on a table nearby. He soon found himself engulfed in six simultaneous hugs. There were no words exchanged as the kids hugged him, just as they did to his wife. His arms wrapped around them. The others watched on in awe as they watched them.

Eventually the kids had to break away. After gawking at their clothes and accessories for a bit longer, the family had to go. The kids thanked the couple over and over, and finally, albeit reluctantly, exited the shop.

The kids weren’t damped by having to leave though. Their birthday was only a month away. They couldn’t be more excited. They would finally, in the community’s eyes, be adults. The Madrigal elders were just as excited. The last 15 years had led up to this point. They had done their very best, loving and raising the kids with all of their hearts. This event would mark another year of their success in their happy family.

And they couldn’t wait for it to come.

Notes:

So. What do we think 👁️👁️ I really do hope you guys liked it. With the last chapter being next, I just want y’all to know I am. SO thankful for all the support. Really. The comments, the kudos, the questions, you guys just reading. It’s kept me writing this

Before I go, I wanna say the Mama Isa AU and the Werewolf Alma + Mirabel story have both updated! So if you’re following those, happy reading!

See you guys next time 🚶♀️🫧🫧🫧

Chapter 20: Uncovered Secrets and Quinces

Summary:

The sextuplets' 15th is here!

And with it, the truth.

Thank you, for reading my story <3

Notes:

WOW???? LAST CHAPTER...CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???

No but seriously. I had a lot of fun writing this story. So many emotions. A rollercoaster to be honest. BUT A FUN ONE!!! Honestly, I didn't think anyone would like this story. At least not when I first released it. But I'm so glad so many people ended up enjoying it, both on here, and on tumblr (and wattpad). Really, all the support has helped me SO much.

Anyway. Let's get on with the final chapter. 6k+ words. Jus for y'all <3

(P.S If you wanna see the kids' quince outfits, check my tumblr! I did a redraw, so be sure to keep an eye out there when it gets posted later <33)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A week. Their birthday was a week away. And they were planning a year in advance (and even before that), it didn't make it any less stressful. It was arguably going to be the biggest party the Madrigals had thrown, well…ever. And they wanted only the best for the two sets of triplets. Even more perfect than the first time. It had to be. For once, perfection had to be.

The family was frantic. Or rather, the adults were frantic. Especially Alma. She was the main one pulling everything together. Thank God she had Pedro, because if she didn’t, she would’ve had a stroke, or a stress-induced heart attack. Right now, her biggest priority, besides her family of course, was the party. Everyday she got up for the past two weeks, she was making sure everything was in order. On top of helping the boys with perfecting their dance for their mother, she also put herself in charge of helping with decorations. Granted it wasn’t very hard, but with everything else, she pretty much had her hands full.

Pedro was busy too. He was basically running errands with Bruno, picking up the dresses and suits, the hats and tiaras, among other things. Bruno was a big help, and he somehow managed to keep it together. He basically forbade himself from having visions all that week, not that he really had the time. His father was pulling him along, and then occasionally he helped Julieta. Pedro always made sure no one was stressed as well…including himself, somehow.

Julieta was planning food. Preparing different things in advance, buying more food. Thankfully, she had the cake design ready. She was making all of the food the day before, and then would spend just about the rest of the day on the cake. She had no time for much else, aside from eating, sleeping and checking in on her kids, niece and nephews. She sent out baskets of arepas for the town, but that was just about it. Agustin was the biggest help, doing everything in his power between the planning he was helping Alma with. This was the first time in years where she was in the kitchen for most of the day; of course, she wasn’t pressured into it this time. 

Pepa was excited. Happy. Stressed, but happy. She was pretty much preparing herself for the upcoming event. Along with Felix, she was in charge of the kids. Basically helping them with last minute preparations, getting ready for the actual day. Usually, Pepa would be streaming; and yes, she did storm a few times, but she was keeping it under control. Felix was honestly her rock, and a rock for the kids too. They were just as excited, if not more so, but there was still the stressful thought of things going wrong.

But everything was going great. Only a week away.

The table was full of talk and chatter as the family at dinner that night. The smell of slow-cooking food wafted from the kitchen, evidence of Julieta previously already beginning the food for the next that earlier that night. The kids rambled about what was going to happen in just the next day. Everything was ready, everything was set, and now they just had to wait. Of course, they didn’t want to, but it was just too exciting.

“There’s gonna be so many people!” Isabela beamed, taking a bite of her food. 

“I can’t wait to see Mariano and his family,” Luisa commented, chewing through her roll. “I heard Catalina was super excited, and she wanted to wear a special dress that she had gotten just for the party.”

“Tia, are you going to make all of our favorites?” Camilo asked, leaning to look at Julieta. The woman laughed, nodding at her beloved sobrino.

“Of course Camilo,” she said, waving her fork. She smiled as she looked towards, quirking one of her eyebrows. “Every year you ask, and every year it’s the same answer.”

“And every year I will keep asking and be happy with said answer,” Camilo smirked, stuffing a bite of corn into his mouth.”

“You’re not safe tio,” Dolores whispered, and Bruno’s eyes widened as he looked at his niece. They were still doing that, huh?

“Oh? Well, how do you know that I don’t have a plan this year?” Bruno countered and Dolores playfully rolled her eyes.

“As of. You say that every other year, and every year we always get you,” Dolores smiled and Bruno nodded.

“Touche,” He mumbled. He really didn’t have a plan. He should’ve known Dolores would call his bluff.

Dinner was wrapped up rather quickly, and the family went their separate ways. Julieta had gone back to the kitchen, getting the last of the food ready, before she started on the cake. Bruno had gone with Agustin and Felix to help put up some of the decorations early, at least some of them before they all went to bed (because despite wanting to pull an all-nighter and finish the decorations now, Alma and Pedro simply wouldn’t let them). Pepa had gone to her room, saying she had to get some…things ready, but if anyone needed her they could just call.

Pedro and Alma kissed each of their grandchildren goodnight, sending them off to bed. Of course, just like every year, they protested, whining about wanting to stay up and helping, but they were pushed off to their rooms.

“I know you all want to help, and I appreciate it, but for one, that’s not your job, and two, you need all the sleep you can get,” Alma said, pushinging a pouting Antonio to his room.

“She’s right. You all can run around and be excited tomorrow,” Pedro said, sending Mirabel’s butterfly back to her.

“But–”

“Goodnight,” Alma pressed, cutting off Mirabel. The kids, though saddened, reluctantly went to their beds. Once they were for sure in their beds, Pedro and Alma went to help the others set up for some of the party for the next day. 

The kids woke up, really early. They were just too excited. All of them rushed to put on their day clothes, wanting to get out as soon as possible. They came out of their rooms and rushed down the hallways. Their faces were beaming as they all collectively looked across the hall. Bruno was there, holding a box of streamers. He didn’t seem to notice them until he heard them giggling from across the hallway. He froze, his eyes widening as he slowly turned to look at them. He could see the same mischievous glint in their eyes as they stared at him.

“Tio Brunoooo,” Camilo smiled, a little too innocently. Bruno didn’t even give them a chance as dropped the box where he was standing, rushing towards the stairs. The kids clambered after him, hot on his heels. Bruno was almost to the dining room, almost there, but he missed it. Just barely. One minute he was running, and the next? He was on the ground, being tackled.

“I’m being attacked! This is a crime, I’m being tackled!” Bruno yelled, shouting, flailing his arms dramatically. The kids all laugh, each taking turns and roughing his hair up. He didn’t even get a chance to push any of them off when Luisa picked him up with ease, holding him above her head. He found himself being carried to the dining room where breakfast was set. After yelling about victory, Bruno was placed into his chair, where he looked at the other adults in mock betrayal.

“I was attacked and kidnapped! And none of you came to help me!” He faked sobbed, throwing his head into his hands.

“Now what makes you think we could help you. They have Luisa on their team,” Felíx snorted, taking a bite of an arepa while taking his plate to the table.

“Yeah and besides, you think we want to get tackled? Nope,” Julieta shrugged, wiping her hands on her apron as she sat down.

“Well, I can argue that,” Bruno shrugged.

“¡Feliz Cumpleaños!” Pepa exclaimed, and the other adults followed behind, hugging the kids before reluctantly letting go and letting them get seated.

“Are you guys excited for today?” Pedro asked, smiling brightly. He honestly seemed just as excited, and it wasn’t even his birthday.

“Hell yeah!” Camilo exclaimed and Fèlix elbowed him. “What? I’m 15, that’s basically an adult,” he argued and his father rolled his eyes. It was his birthday, and technically, he wasn’t necessarily wrong.

“There’s gonna be so many people, and it's gonna be such a big party,” Dolores said quietly. Despite the volume she knew the party would be, she didn’t even mind. She was used to loud parties, and most of the time, it wasn’t too bad, not unbearable. “I can’t wait.”

“I can’t wait to wear my dress, it’s so pretty,” Luisa said, her eyes sparkling. 

"I'm more excited for the dance," Antonio said, handing Parce some meat while taking a bite of his own. "We've been practicing for months." 

"Oh, I'm going to start crying," Pepa said, shooing her cloud away. Just the thought of her babies growing up makes her cry. Sure, she had seen it before (thought not with Antonio until now), it didn't get any easier. Felíx held her arm, helping her calm down, dispersing her cloud.

"Well, regardless, we still have a lot to prepare for. Some of the townspeople will be coming in early to help set up," Alma announced.

"What do we do?" Isabela asked, fiddling with a few flowers she sprouted, something she did when she was excited and trying to hide it. 

"Well the Guzmán's want to see you," Pedro gestured out towards the town. "You can go out to town for a bit while we set up here. Just come back by lunch so you all can get ready. It'll probably take a while."

The kids all nodded, confirming that they would visit the Guzmáns. Breakfast was filled with more enthusiasm. The adults listened as their younger family members rambled on and on about the party that was later that night. They talked about their clothes, the food, their friends who were coming, the shoe and hat changes, and the dancing they would do. 

Once breakfast was over, the six kids left the table, heading out to town. Once they were gone, the adults set to work, with townsfolk already waiting by the door with supplies, more decorations and even some gifts. As the other Madrigals busied themselves, Alma was watching for a moment, before she turned around, only to find Pedro right behind her. 

"¡Dios Mio!" She yelped, jumped as she clutched her chest. "Pedro! Don't do that!" 

Pedro laughed before shrugging. He couldn't lie, he did that on purpose, he loved scaring Alma. And they wonder where Camilo got his prankster-like behavior from. "Lo siento mi amor," Pedro said, grabbing her hand, pulling her closer. "I just came over here, I couldn't help but notice you looked upset. Is something wrong?"

Alma smiled, happy to see her husband caring so much about her. He was so kind, and observant too. He always knew when something was bothering her. "I just…I'm worried. About, you know. That," she said, not wanting to alert Dolores of anything. Pedro's features softened and he pulled Alma into a hug. "I just don't know how they'll take it," Alma said softly, so soft that even Dolores might not have heard it. 

"I know you're worried Alma," Pedro said, pulling away and looking Alma in the eye. "But there's nothing to worry about. They're good, understanding kids. I promise, it'll be ok." Alma searched Pedro's eyes for a minute before nodding. 

"Yeah. It'll be fine," she said softly.

"Come on, let's go help set up," Pedro said, guiding Alma downstairs.

The cool and warm triplets stood and walked up to Mariano's house. Before they could even knock, the doorways swung open. There stood Catliana, and her younger siblings Matias, and Andrea. There was also Manny, who was probably over for a playdate.

"You're here!" Matias yelled, running towards the kids. He clung to Mirabel’s legs, with the older girl ruffling his wild hair.

“Happy birthday you guys!” Catalina beamed, giving each of them a tight hug. “We’ve been waiting for you. Papa was actually about to ask where you guys were,” Catalina watched as her two younger siblings and Manny began to climb Luisa’s dress, clinging to her as she lifted them high in the air. “He said he wanted to give you your birthday gifts now.”

“Oh, a birthday gift? And before the party? Win in my book,” Camilo said, entering the house along with everyone else. 

“iNiños!” The kids turned, seeing Mariano’s wife, Carina. She was beaming as she rushed over and was immediately met with more happy birthdays as the other Guzman’s wished them happy birthdays and well wishes. 

“We’re so happy you came,” Senora Guzman smiled.

“Hola Senora! Do you know where Mariano is? We’ve been told he wanted us?” Luisa asked and the elderly woman nodded. 

She gestured to another room. “Oh yes, Mariano was actually looking for you. He’s in there.” After thanking her, the kids went to the room where Mariano was said to be. He was hunched over a desk, writing something in a book of some kind.

“Mariano?” Dolores said softly and the man yelped, jumping?

“Wha–?! Oh! You’re here!” He stood up, trying to cover up the book behind him. “¡Feliz cumpleaños hermanos!” Mariano looked genuinely happy as he turned around, he scribbled something else down and closed the book.

“What are you doing Yano?” Isabela asked, trying to peek around his shoulder. He body blocked her, shooing her back.

“One sec, I’m almost done!” Mariano said. He did a couple more things and finally turned around, with the now obvious book behind him. “Ready for your birthday surprise?”

The kids nodded. At this point they were desperate to know what in the world he was hiding. And he was obviously excited about it. The big, goofy grin on his face told the whole story. 

“Well? Come on, let’s see it,” Camilo said, gesturing for Mariano to just get out with it already.

Mariano whipped out the book. It looked kind of handmade, as if he had put it together himself. It looked like…a scrapbook? There was Mariano’s signature neat handwriting, along with a few other things decorating the front neatly. Symbols that the six often associating themselves with were plastered on the otherwise neat cover. 

“Surprise! I made it myself…well, Carina and mama helped me, but you know, I did a lot of it!” he said, looking genuinely happy. Antonio was the one to take it in his hands, and the others gathered around to look through it. They carefully flipped through the pages. There were photos, poems he had written about and for them, pressed flowers and pieces of fabric, drawings from the little ones (even Manny had a few in there), and small little trinkets collected from over the years.

“You…made this? F-For us?” Luisa asked, and there were already tears in her eyes, unable to hold her emotions any longer, not that anyone blamed her.

“Well yeah! I mean…well actually I wasn’t even sure what to get you all. I pretty much ran out of ideas if I’m being honest. And I already know you’re going to get a ton of gifts anyway,” Mariano scratched the back of his head, shrugging. “Carina suggested I make you something. And I remembered all the stuff from over the past 15 years…so I scrapbooked it. Took me a week to make, but it was all worth it, ha! Do…you guys like it?”

“Like it? We love it!” Isabela exclaimed, and Mariano found himself picked up by Luisa, with the other five gathering around him. Mariano seemed surprised, but soon melted into the hug. He was so glad he liked it. Mariano worried that they would think it was corny, and dumb. But he was so glad he was wrong. 

In the middle of their hug, the four little ones came rushing into the room. Though they had no idea what was going on, they decided to join in on the hug. The other kids happily let them, and Mariano simply stands in the center of it all, smiling widely.

“Come onnnn, let’s go play!” Matias said, tugging on the group hug. The kids laughed, and Camilo shifted into his, and began chasing after them, with the others close behind. Just before they left, Mirabel turned back, smiling at Mariano while still holding the scrapbook close to her chest.

“Gracias hermano,” she said simply before running off to join the others. Mariano stood in the room, his heart warm as remembered the last 15 years.

The kids would be back soon. It was almost lunch, and the kids would be back to eat, and then soon get ready. Julieta had set out some food, nothing fancy, and nothing to fill up on, considering all the food she had already cooked for the party later (she had to keep an eye on that, because Camilo WOULD take the chance to take some food). The other adults had gathered and just as they did the kids had returned. Camilo immediately swiped an empanada, before sitting down by his plate. 

“Did you all have fun at the Guzmans’ house?” Agustin asked, sitting down next to Julieta.

“Oh yeah! We played with the kids,” Camilo took a bite of his food. “We even saw Manny.”

“I swear, every time I see them, they’re taller,” Luisa said, leaning forward. “Not that they’ll be taller than me but. You know.”

“Well, now that you’re back, you’ll be going to get ready. Your outfits are already laid out in your rooms. Pepa and Julieta will help the girls, and Felix and Agustin will help the boys. Once you’re all done, you can meet in the nursery,” Pedro said, gesturing to the aforementioned adults. “Alma, Bruno, and I will be getting the last of the things set out for the party and we’ll also be letting the guests in in a couple of hours. Sounds good?”

The kids all gave thumbs up or nods, and they quickly started to eat their food. Their excitement was palpable as they scarfed down their food. In between bites, they conversed, still rambling on, just like they had at breakfast. There was a certain kind of energy surrounding them, one that was above the table as they ate. The adults were buzzing with just as much excitement, though especially Pepa by how she was producing a constant rainbow.

Lunch was wrapped up, and the kids followed who they were to be helped by. Pedro, Alma and Bruno went downstairs, gathering the rest of the things and setting them out. It was almost time. Sundown was almost here.

The girls had all collectively decided to meet in Isabela’s room. Julieta was helping Luisa tie her dress up, and Pepa was brushing out Dolores’ hair, tying it up and pinning it back. Pepa was trying not to cause a storm, constantly shooing her cloud away. 

“Mama, why are you crying? The party hasn’t even started yet!” Dolores laughed as Pepa oh-so-gently placed the tiara Felipe had made onto her head.

“I can't help it!” Pepa argued, shooing the cloud away as she sniffed, wiping her eyes. Even the second time, she couldn’t help but cry at her mija growing up.

 “15 years,” Julieta said, placing Luisa tiara onto her head, carefully nestling it into place as she picked up Isabela’s. It just doesn’t seem…real.” She placed Isabela’s crown as well, pinning her hair up and placing the flowers carefully into her hair. Isabela had insisted Julieta do it herself rather than Isabela just grow them there herself. Julieta didn’t seem to mind though.

Luisa spun around as Julieta moved to Mirabel. “I’m so glad we have our family here,” she said softly, pausing to look in the nearby mirror. She touched her hair, feeling the softness beneath her fingertips. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”  

“Trust us, we wouldn’t want it any different either,” Julieta commented, pressing a kiss onto Mirabel’s forehead. She backed away, and the four girls stood together. They were pretty much ready now. “You look like princesses,” Julieta said, wiping the tears from her eyes. She couldn’t really help it anyway. Pepa had a small sprinkle, but the rainbow showed how she truly felt.

“You’re growing up too fast,” Pepa let out a watery laugh. “But I’m glad…we hope we’ve given you the best childhood,” she said, her face growing solemn for a moment.

“Mama, please stop crying,” Dolores said and Pepa nodded.

“Right, right,” she laughed again.

“Come on. We still have to meet the others in the nursery,” Julieta ushered them towards the door.

“Hold still Tonito,” Agustin said, helping Antonio with his tie. 

“Come on tio, I’m 15,” Antonio grinned playfully and Agustin shook his head. His eyes were full of happiness as he straightened out Antonio’s suit. 

“You might be 15, but I'm 64-er, 43,” Agustin quickly corrected himself. Thankfully Antonio didn’t notice. He was busy putting on his shoes. Agustin spared a glance at Felix, who looked at him with wide eyes before going back to helping Camilo.

“I’m going to be the best dressed there,” Camilo said as his father brushed part of his hair to the side and out of his face. He made sure to part it so Pepa could put his sombrero on when the time came later on.

“Pfft, you wish,” Antonio said, putting his jacket on. Camilo shifted into Antonio for a moment, mocking him before shifting back after his brother shot him a jokingly stern glance.

“Both of you look amazing,” Felix said, separating his two sons, sighing. Even two decades later, they were still contesting with each other. Though it never got old to be honest. Just the fact that his sons were here was a miracle from God Himself. He’d take that over nothing any day, even if it meant doing it all again.

“This is going to be the best party ever,” Antonio smiled, elbowing Camilo gently as they took one last look at themselves in the mirror.

“Oh yeah”, Camilo said, making a goofy face, causing the two to burst into laughter.

“We’re proud of you two,” Felix said, patting Antonio’s back. “All these years have lead up to this and I couldn’t be more happy.”

Camilo and Antonio smiled at their father, and tio, nodding. “Gracias papa,” Camilo said, his usually mischievous demeanor softening.

“Come on, let’s head to the nursery,” Agustin said, opening the door leading out of Camilo’s room, where they had been. “I’m sure the others are waiting for us in the nursery.” With that, the four were off to the nursery.

While the kids and their parents were waiting in the nursery, downstairs, Pedro, Alma and Bruno were greeting the guests and letting them in. Casita was lively, happily flipping its tiles as the townspeople interacted with it and meandered around. The conversations were full of excitement as they waited for the main guests to appear.

“I heard Valeria and her husband collaborated with Jorge to help with their outfits!”

“Oh, do you think they’ll have a court?”

“I wonder what they look like, no one’s seen them since around noon.”

“I saw the kids trying to go upstairs, they must be waiting somewhere up there, I mean Casita wouldn’t let them go.”

“I can’t wait to see them!”

“Where’s their parents? You think they’re with the kids?”

Pedro and Alma watched from the top of the stairs, just outside their room. The people were excited talking, wondering where their grandkids were,

“Only 10 more minutes,” Pedro said, his arm around Alma’s shoulder as he held her close. Alma hummed, leaning on Pedro. Only 10 minutes until the fifteen year mark of when Alma had gotten to start over.

Everything was perfect. Everyone was excited, Casita buzzing with anticipation. Julieta, Pepa, Felix, Agustin and Bruno had joined Pedro and Alma, flanking them as they stood at the bottom of stairs, which had been moved to it was directed towards the nursery, where the special birthday guests were excitedly waiting. There were whispers and mumbles, until Alma called for their attention.

“Everyone. I am so happy all of you could attend this grand party for mi nietos. These past fifteen years have been nothing for joy for all of us within the Madrigal family,” Alma said, looking at Pedro, who continued.

“We are proud to say that this grand event can begin, with of course, the main guests,” Pedro announced, and both him and Alma stepped back. Casita dimmed the light, concentrating it on the nursery door, which had been decorated just for the party. The curtains that lay in front were drawn back and the door opened. And out walked the sextuplets.

They walked out, lining up at the top of the stairs. Casita was hushed into silence as everyone watched as they all stood, the spotlight on them. They were honestly stunning. Anyone who was there could tell you it was most definitely a sight to see. And anyone old enough to remember the first ones over 20 to 30 odd years ago, this put that to shame. The kids were smiling, genuine smiles too, none formed by pressure or obligation. Genuine, happy smiles.

As they made their way down the stairs, the adults watched them. Tears welled up in their eyes, but they did their best to stay as composed as they could. It really hadn’t gotten easier. And seeing them all together like this? It was like a dream. One that they never wanted to wake up from.

It was just after the 15 candle ceremony. Of course, they didn’t have 90 candles lined up. There were still 15 candles. Each sibling lit three candles, of course mentioning their person, and they all collectively lit the same candle at the same time, having the same idea in mind.

Now the shoe is changing for the girls and the hat is changing for the boys. Or rather, just putting it on, considering Camilo and Antonio weren’t wearing hats. But that was fine. The girls sat down, and the boys stood on either end of them. They would do a dance with their father, or mother, individually, one by one. That way it could still be special for each of them, and they could spend time with their respective parents of course.

Agustin couldn’t help the tears in his eyes as he pulled each of his daughters into a dance. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done this before, like he hadn’t seen it. But their faces again, all grown up…it basically wrecked his heart. Each dance was graceful, and Agustin couldn’t help but compliment his triplet daughters as they danced with him one by one. Isabela was still graceful as always, the flowers flowing gently as she swayed with her father. Luisa, though taller than him, seemed so much smaller even when he spun her around, her bright smile bringing him pure joy. And Mirabel looked so happy, and perhaps relieved as they danced, and though she was a woman now, she was still his little girl.

Felix swept Dolores into a gentle dance. It was a stark contrast to the usual boisterous and energetic dances he did on a regular basis. But this was special. This was his only daughter's quince. And he could see the sparkle in her eyes as she held his hands, spinning around gently. It seemed like only a few days ago she was only a few years old, her small feet on top of his as he taught her how to dance. His features softened to one of gentle pride as she danced with her. 

Pepa couldn’t help the cloud above her just before she danced with her boys. The way they were so much more mature now. Sure, Camilo was still a prankster, and sure, Antonio was still a little quiet but…there was still that child that Pepa always saw in them. In all of them. Camilo looked so happy as he danced with his mother, his eyes twinkling. Antonio was gentle was he guided Pepa around the courtyard, his features mirroring his fathers in so many ways as he did. 

Once the changing and dances were done, the main party began. The two sets of triplets were the center of attention, and happily interacting with everyone who had come. They used their gifts, and in a way, there was a parallel from now, and ten years ago when they first got their gifts. It was endearing in a way. And the Madrigal elders were more than happy to see them like this. 

After all, they still have the hardest part of this particular birthday to get through.

The whole night was a major success. It was definitely one of, if not the biggest party the Madrigals threw that year (not counting Encanto Day, but that was technically a festival).

The party had ended, well into the night. Some of the townspeople were kind enough to stay behind for a bit longer and help with the clean up, which was much appreciated. Once everyone had gone home, and Casita was cleaned up, at least for the most part, the older Madrigals gathered in the dining room.

Now was the hardest part. The truth. Finally, a 15 year secret could be revealed. They were old enough to know, and they needed to learn it, now or never. After a hushed conversation, they were finally ready. They knew what they were going to say, and they were fully prepared for whatever reaction the kids would have.

“Dolores, gather your siblings and bring them downstairs to the dining room,” Alma said out loud. After a few minutes, the kids had shuffled into the dining room. They had changed out of their party clothes, and now they were wearing their bed clothes, having been getting ready for bed when they were called down.

“Dolores said you called us?” Isabela asked, sitting down, the other five following behind and sitting down. They could immediately tell that whatever they were about to be told was serious, and that they needed to give their full attention.

The adults exchanged glances before looking back at the kids. “Ninos, we want you to know that we love you, no matter what has, or will happen. Ok?” Julieta said softly, and the kids nodded cautiously, their room growing uneasy.

“Is…is something wrong?” Camilo asked, his usually goofy and playful attitude changed to one of worry. 

“We have something to tell you. Something that we’ve kept from you for years,” Pedro began, looking between the kids.

“But we understand that you're older now, and we feel like you’re ready now,” Pepa said, her cloud growing a bit dark. 

The kids looked between each other before looking back at their older friendly members. “What is it?” Luisa asked. 

Alma took a deep breath before letting Pedro grab her hand. “Do you know how we got our miracle? How you all were blessed with your gifts?” She asked and the kids nodded. They had heard the story before.

“Yeah, Abuelo sacrificed himself and took an injury and the encanto and out magic was created,” Antonio said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“That’s…not the full story. It’s not wrong, but it’s not exactly true either,” Alma said quietly.

“...what do you mean?” Dolores asked softly, leaning forward.

“Mi nietos, I wasn’t always here. You know how you found me a little over a decade ago, when you were about four?” Pedro asked and there were nods around the table. “Well, that’s not what happened. What actually happened was I had sacrificed myself but…I didn’t initially survive. I…died.”                                                      

The kids blinked, looking at their abuelo. He…died? 

“He only came back because the magic came back,” Bruno explained. The kids looked towards him, confused.

“Came back? What does that mean?” Mirabel asked, shaking her head. Something wasn’t adding up. “What happened to the magic?”

Suddenly all eyes were on Alma. That was something really one Alma could answer. The only one who had a right to explain. “It was me,” Alma’s voice was small, a contrast to her usual, but in the silent room, it seemed so loud.

“You? What were you?” Isabela said, a small cactus sprouting near her feet.

“I…destroyed the magic, the first time. I had lost sight of what the miracle was given to us for and…I ended up destroying it. And with it…Casita, and…” Alma choked, unable to finish her sentence, and she turned away, with Pedro comforting her. This only worried the kid seven more. They had rarely seen their abuela like this. She never broke down so openly. She was being serious. Not that she would joke about something like this to begin with.

“So…all those nightmares and dreams and things we saw over the years. The things people were saying,” Dolores breathed out. “They were true? They were real?”

“Yes,” Felix said, his voice serious as he looked at the kids. Their eyes were wide as they attempted to process their new information. 

“When did this happen?” Antonio asked, though he knew what the answer was.

“15 years ago,” Agustin admitted, his voice low and solemn. The kids were reeling, trying to make sense of this whole situation. Isabela and Camilo stood up, walking around for a moment before turning back towards the table where Alma had finally composed herself once more.

“It was my fault. I didn’t acknowledge the cracks. I put too much pressure on the family, I was thinking of you all,” Alma said so quietly. “And I paid the price for it. And that price was the magic, Casita and…you.”

There was silence as the kids started to piece things together. “Us? You mean…” Mirabel trailed off as Alma nodded. The tears in the kids’ eyes didn’t really help. But they needed to know the truth. They couldn’t keep hiding it. 

The kids were still sitting at the dining table. They had been told the full story. About their Abuelo Pedro, the magic and how it died and came back, how their kids had come back, Mirabel’s original failed ceremony. All of it. Everything was told. Alma had brought down her box of photos. And it was all true.

“How…how old are you? Your real ages,” Luisa asked and the adults paused.

“Pedro is 92, and I’m 91,” the kids stared at Alma as she answered. The two of them were bordering 100, but could easily pass for being in their late 60s at best.

“Pepa, Bruno and I are 65,” Julieta said, holding her hands together.

“66,” Felix shrugged.

“I’m 64,” Agustin sighed.

The sets of triplets paused, staring at each other. This was all so much. So new. So…jarring.

But?

They were glad. 

Sure. They had made mistakes. Really BIG mistakes. But they were so obviously trying hard to fix those mistakes. And clearly something was working. Because look at them now. They are more happy now then they had been in, well, decades. It was a traumatic event for the six of them that had been unfortunate enough to witness it, and dying was the same in Pedro’s case.

But the fact that they pushed through all these years? That they kept going, all for the sake of them? It was…well it was amazing. And the kids wouldn’t want it any other way.

The adults soon found themselves being hugged by Isabela, Dolores, Luisa, Camilo, Mirabel and Antonio. The kids were sobbing as they buried their faces into their family member’s chest. They were just so thankful, so grateful. They had gone through all of that. And just for them.

Alma smiled at the scene, wiping her own tears away. Before she could react though, she found all six of her grandkids overwhelming her with what might have been the tightest group hug. They clung to her as they sank to the ground, clinging to her almost as if she was going to disappear if they let go. Though she couldn’t really make out what they were saying among the sobs and cries, she could feel their love radiating from them.

The other Madrigals exchanged glances before joining in on the group hug. The Amazing  Madrigals were all on the dining room floor of Casita, hugging each other in a giant group hug. And Alma was in the center.

“I’m so grateful for all of you,” she managed to choke out, and she was met with more love and affirmations from her family. 

And as Alma was hugged, she heard two words. She didn’t know who said it. Maybe she didn’t hear it at all, maybe it was her imagination. But whoever it was, or whatever it was, just made her cling to her family that night in the La Casa Madrigal within their home, the encanto.

“Thank you.”

----

Notes:

WHAT AN ENDING...I hope it wasn't too tacky. I didn't know I was writing the end, I didn't plan that far but. Hey, I hope you all liked it anyway. It was such a fun story to write, and I'm am so appreciative of the support you guys have given me. I can't thank you guys enough. Thank you for reading my story!

If you wanna read something else, just go to my page! Two currently running ones are a mama Isabela au called "No Alarms (And no Surprises), and a werewolf Alma + Mirabel story, "Just Like You, Just Like Me".

I hope you all enjoyed this story, and I'll see y'all in another story!