Chapter Text
It was to no surprise to see almost all of the townspeople ready; no children thankfully aside from Antonio who stood by his father’s leg surrounded by Parce but it wasn’t just that Jaguar but three others; much bigger than Antonio’s friend but clearly Parce’s friends, or perhaps from the same litter.
Abuela didn’t care but it was clear they were ready to go on Antonio’s order now they had the run down on what they were supposed to do. In her hands, she held the single blade that they’d have and the water skin of water; no need to waste anything reusable like a metal canteen on them.
Two toucans waited though they bounced towards her as she stopped.
“They suggested they take the bad guy's stuff and follow after them until they’re far enough away.” Antonio spoke, “That way they can’t hurt Parce or his friends with it before they get past the border.”
“A very good idea,” Abuela praised, allowing Felix to knot up the water skin’s rope into a smaller hoop before Pico opened his beak and took that, the second one with a much darker orange to his beak hopped over next but Felix shifted to make sure it had a firm hold of the knife’s handle before letting go.
The way looked to be prepped but there were also a few armed men, ready it seemed to help as motivation. Adrian Lopez was nowhere in sight and that was somewhat of a relief as she eyed the crowd to the edge of the tree line.
“Why this spot?” Abuela asked.
“This way is the quickest route to the Encanto’s border up the mountain side; it’s the shallowest height. Parce and his friends will stop at that and return once the men have carried on.” Felix spoke, “Acceptable?”
“Yes.” The quickest way out was what they needed. The magic would still protect them. Jandro’s exit; she’d probably request a companion for him to return safety too in the event that the men were in that region. It didn’t look like the way that Bruno and his family had come back in so she had to hope.
The shift in the atmosphere was quick, a hush falling over the crowd before jeers and insults were thrown as the surviving assailants were lead, wrist-bound through to the edge.
All still looking rough but it looked like they had some treatment to their injuries; a secured nose, wrapped burn, bandages under one of their shirts. Doctor Lopez no doubt but Abuela didn’t care on that; he was still a father tending to his children but that didn’t mean much in the long run.
Abuela stepped up, eyeing the men again as they stood in line, though the row of armed men around seemed to be the incentive they needed to stay in place.
“You four were part of the assault on my family; Kidnap, physical assault, arson, attempted murder of myself and my family. Encanto does not have a prison. We don’t intend to build one either… but for the safety of my family and for the safety of the Encanto, your herby are banished from the sanctuary of our home for your crimes for life.” Abuela spoke.
Carlos Lopez, the youngest of the men, with the set nose seemed to break down into tears.
“The only mercy I will give is a satchel of water and a blade… which will be dropped off to you outside out borders. If you want to survive, use your brain. You will not be able to return. The magic will prevent that so don’t even try.” She gave a nod to the men guarding to cut the rope before guns rose.
“Please, I don’t want to go!” Carlos cried, “They…they made me help!”
“Shut up!” Bernardo growled, looking well ready to thump the man in the face if it wasn’t for the guns.
“You have thirty seconds to make a head start.” Abuela drew their attention back. “then we release the jaguars.”
The four cats in question let out angry hisses and slinked around Abuela’s legs and for the first time the men seemed to notice they were there. Even Barnardo looked nervous.
“Starting….Now.”
Two of the men took off without a look back, the third slower but it took a cocking gun for Barnardo to flinch back and start moving, hurrying into the treeline.
At twenty seven seconds, Abuela turned to Antonio and gave him a nod to give the order.
“Go.” The 5 year old said, “Have fun.”
And with that, the pack darted off into the trees.
Abuela waited for a few moments then nodded. “Everyone, let’s go. I’m sure we’ve got a lot of work to do now.”
Agustín stroked along Julieta’s hand, watching her chest rise and fall and grateful for each one. He was glad to know there was an improvement; she was keeping water down now. A small thing but… he felt relief; a sign that Julieta was truly on the mend, no matter how slow it would be.
She had woken up a few times with soft complaints but he made sure to keep her comfortable and adjust what she needed. She was still far from lucid but every time she woke, she was… more responsive. She didn’t seem to like waking up alone so he made sure to stay close or to have Isabela keep her company when he couldn’t.
“Mami!” Fuega seemed to waddle out of nowhere before pressing a kiss straight onto Julieta’s cheek.
Julieta grunted a little, her eyes fluttering hazily open.
“Fuega…” Agustín sat up, sharply, worried for a moment that Julieta might get upset from the wake up… but Julieta’s hazy gaze was on Fuega’s face that was inches away; their daughter smiling at her before she kissed her forehead again.
“Hola, Mami.”
Julieta licked her dry lips, her eyebrows pulling in in a confused manner before her hand twitched up, coming to cup her cheek. “you…came back?”
Fuega’s eyes widened but nodded vigorously, “Of course!”
Julieta’s face remained confused though her eyes welled into tears.
“No, Mami don’t cry!” Fuega pushed his hands aside to wiggle up onto the bed, biting on to her lip as she hissed in pain from her hip but hugged herself into her mother’s chest. “I’m sorry!”
Julieta’s hand came to her back, rubbing very weakly. “You…came back.” She let out a half-sob that almost pained him to hear cradling each other that struck a chord…
Fuega buried her head into her mother’s neck, little fingers gripping the white fabric of her nightgown
“Please get better, Mami!”
“I’mma fine, Mija… I’m always fine.”
Agustín swallowed the welt of emotion thickly. Even now, she was still trying to be the assuring one. He lent forwards, his hand coming to rub both of their backs though Julieta seemed oblivious about him as she wrapped her arms around Fuega like she was the most precious thing in the world.
Fuega cuddled happily. “are you cold, Mami?”
A soft chuckle left Julieta’s lips, “not with you here…” Julieta’s let out a shaky breath, closing her eyes again though didn’t relinquish her grip on their daughter.
Though Fuega hissed after a second, coming to shift her legs from her injured hip. Julieta’s eyes opened before her hand shakily snaked down to Fuega’s side.
“You…you hurt?”
“It’s fine!” Fuega hurriedly pulled her hand up to her back. “it’s nothing.”
Julieta's brow furrowed in confusion. “you…you’re hurt Mija…” Sh licked her lips, though her head turned from their daughter to around, her confusion growing though Agustín moved to draw her attention.
“Juli, we’re fine.” He spoke soothingly, taking her hand and stroking the back of it assuringly.
Of course, he hoped she’s nod and go back to sleep like she had done but her frown stayed, instead her hand rose and cupped his cheek, her hand’s lingering warmth was mostly from their daughter though he sighed out as he felt her trace one of the glass scratches that he had across his face
“No…” Julieta shook her head. “No…i…I need to cook…heal you up” If she was trying to rise, Fuega didn’t let her up which saved Agustín the effort to do so, but he rested his hand on her shoulder nonetheless. “Fuega…”
“No, you’re too hurt, Mami. You need to nap and drink water and…and do what Papi says to make sure you get better!”
“What’s going on?” Abuela’s voice pulled the attention of the little closed-off space though Julieta burst into sobs as she saw her mother’s sling. “Juli?” She dropped to her daughter’s side.
“Wh…why…” Julieta reached blindly, her hand catching Abuela’s sling, making Abuela wince a little though she redirected her daughter’s hand to simply hold it in her uninjured one “w…why is there so...much hurt? What…what happened?”
“Juli, take a breath. Every one of the family is okay. There was a…accident but we’re healing and we need you to do the same because you took the worst of it, Okay?” Abuela gave her daughter a stern look, though it was soft.
Julieta stared at her mother for a long moment, her lip quivering. “Okay, mami.” She weakly tugged Abuela close, wanting her affection.
Agustín gently tugged the resisting Fuega off her mother but left Abuela with Julieta this time, Fuega’s arms crossed unhappily but Agustín didn’t let her down before he found Felix with Camilo in their area. Camilo though was asleep and tucked into his side. Felix gave him a sad look though nodding him to take a seat.
“it…nice to hear her awake,” Felix said as he sat Fuega down before himself, letting his child crawl into his lap. “More lucid…that’s better.”
“Not all the way but… yeah. It’s an improvement.” Agustín agreed. “She’s…putting things together much quicker… I’m just…worried.”
“About her remembering the…incident?”
“No, she knows fragments but that’s something I can comfort her with.” He could help her through that without question; her behaviour right now meant she had no filter on how she saw the world; it made it easy to know what she wanted. “Its…the arguments we’ve been having that I’m worried about.”
“Yeah… she’s gonna be really upset about that,” Fuega commented.
“Adult conversation, amor.” Agustín sighed,
“Mami’s acting like a baby.” Fuega wiggled off his lap this time though wavered as she got to her feet, “I’m gonna find Elena!”
Agustín decided not to stop her, watching as she slipped through the curtains and away. Agustín let out a heavy sigh but… Fuega wasn’t wrong. Julieta’s reactions to when she remembered… was going to be obvious. She was going to feel bad, withdraw and most likely…think she was unworthy of getting better. Sure, he hadn’t wanted her to forget but… her remembering when she needed to rely on him and the others to heal… she's make things all the harder for him.
“I’ve been thinking, Agustín.” Felix interrupted his mulling, “because… we all know she needs us all… but you know Julieta; she self-sacrificial and more so when in the wrong.”
Agustín’s head rose. “I… I don’t want her to kill herself over her regrets.” The thought alone terrified him. In a way, it felt like she had been trying… or part of her did; was that why she didn’t heal?
“Then… I think you need to forgive her. Entirely”
Agustín looked to his brother-in-law sharply. “Entirely?”
“She did wrong, she knows that, regrets that with all her soul. She wants to make things right but how can she? She doesn’t know how and… frankly neither so I. I know…you’ve lost so much with her and Mirabel… but she lost her too. Do you really think she’s not be affected by her choices?”
“What are you saying?” Agustín could feel his mouth go a little dryer as well.
“She lost the ability to heal herself… after giving Mirabel up to her brother. It may not have been a conscious decision or hers at all; the magic could have easily tweaked herself out of her gift’s usage. But… that was something Julieta’s been enduring secretly and alone because she felt she had to; I suspect it’s…probably to repent in her own way because she couldn’t tell you why to start with.” Felix rubbed Camilo’s arm, the teen shifting a little in his sleep but didn’t wake.
Agustín wrinkled his nose but he hated how much that made sense. But… he could forgive but…entirely? It was a process but… how could he just move on? He had lost ten years from his daughter’s life; she gave her away without consulting him.
“I..I don’t know if I can.”
“Why not?”
“Would you, if Pepa did that with Camilo?”
Felix spared a look down. “and if that Ended with Pepa on that bed, almost dying… Yes.”
“Why?”
“We’re broken…. But Mirabel… she’s done so much in the last few days that we should have done the last few decades. We’ve missed a lot… but no one’s ever really healed from her absence. Stagnated.”
The curtains pulled aside though Agustín was surprised to see Bruno on his feet, unstable but was heavily supported by Jandro. Agustín moved, pulling a chair into place before Bruno was lowered into it with a heavy wince, his breath holding.
“You shouldn’t have gotten out of bed.” Felix reprimanded, “You’re still hurt.”
Bruno swallowed, “Hurt yes but… I’m fine.” He argued. “Your conversation isn’t private either but…I have my own part to say, Agustín.”
Agustín’s glowered a little.
“I am sorry that I took Mirabel. I did rob you of a wonderful daughter and her, wonderful parents. Julieta only agreed because I showed her the vision. Her actions are of my mistakes and I will take the blame. I’m not here to beg for forgiveness because… perhaps I don’t deserve that and you deserve to feel betrayed by me. I can’t give you back the time you missed… I’m so sorry about that as well”
Agustín swallowed thickly, his heart thudding a little though he hadn’t…expected Bruno to apologise… and he didn’t know who to feel about it either. He was right; in the mess of all of it, he didn’t feel ready.
“But,” Bruno carried on, “Julieta is a reflection; she couldn’t heal from her own actions which is reflected by her inability to heal from her injuries. She’s always healed everyone else. She’s never learned to forgive herself… and to do that, she needs someone to show her that.”
“That’s deep.” Felix breathed, “but logical.”
“Everyone in the family has issues. Pepa’s was obvious given it’s over her head on display but… Julieta’s always covered it up to carry on with life. Pretend it’s all fine and it won’t hurt her or anyone.” Bruno winced, his hand coming to his chest. “Her healing starts with you, Agustín. You don’t have to excuse her actions…. You don’t have to forget, you don't have to trust her. But…you need to forgive for your wife for there to have any chance of survival when she remembers” He patted Jandro’s leg to help him up against, “I’m not talking about your marriage”