Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I am sending you to spain! The sisters of the perpetual flame of purity will straighten you out!” Maria pulled her best gruff voice trying to impressionate her father
“Was abuelito really like that?” Selena asked giggling, as she adjusted her self in her mothers lap Maria nodded and continued, “he really was, He was just tired of keeping up with the trouble I made, Just like your papa can't keep up with Ana'' She saw her daughters terrified face and immediately added “But your papa wont send her away or any of you” Selena let out a relieved sigh and her face lit up again.
“Okay but tell me about Spain now! Please!” Selena used her puppy eyes showing the same dark brown eyes of Manolo. And showing the same amount of interest of spain just like Manolo ‘so this is what they mean when they say ‘Like Father like Daughter’ she thought to herself, “Alright, it was big”
“How big?”
“Bigger than here”
“Mama!” She groaned burying her face in her hands causing Maria to laugh, “Tell me what it was really like”
“Okay okay, I was about 8 years old when my father sent me away to spain”

20 Years ago
Her friends had been the last thing she’d last seen from San Angel; they had stopped running and they were slowly fading away with the rest of San Angel. Now she was on a train with her mother. But the woman sitting in front of her felt more like a stranger than a mother.

The woman was light skinned, she had dark brown hair and hazel eyes,her lips were red and there was a small little mole on the right side of her mouth that almost looked like a black dimple. She wore a simple blue dress with a black coat on top and white shoes.
They had not said much to each other, or Maria hadn't said much to her.
Maria's mother who introduced herself as Dora had asked about the boys chasing the train,
“Are they your friends?”
“Yes”
“What are their names”
“Manolo and Joaquin”
“Are they your age?”
“No”
“What do they like to do?”
“Play games”
Every question was shortly answered but at least Dora was trying.
Maria had her own questions to ask like ‘where is spain?’ ‘Is it far?’ ‘is spain big’ yet somehow she couldn't seem to bring any of these questions up.(to be honest even if this woman is her mother she seemed more like a stranger) Maria stroked her pig that oinked and Dora couldn't help but reach out to it. (Admittedly Dora found it strange that Maria had a pig with her but it was quite cute)
“Who gave you this pig?” She asked as Chuy gladly accepted the older womans scratch behind its ear
“Manolo”
“Why?”
“So I could always have a piece of San Angel with me. His name is Chuy.” Maria smiled as Chuy slowly drifted off to sleep and that was the first smile that Dora saw from her daughter.
“Manolo seems like a very nice boy” She pulled buck her hand and pulled out her watch “We are almost arriving-”
“To Spain?” Maria asked, and quirked a brow when her mother laughed,
“No my dear spain is far from here”
“How far?”
“We have to travel across the sea to arrive”
“How long is that?”
“About three to six weeks it depends”
A silent ‘oh’ escaped Marias lips and she turned her attention to the window, “Will I ever come back?”
“One day you will” Maria's mother checked her watch again.
—-------------------------
Cut to Muelle de san blas Boat port
—-------------------------

Dora checked her watch again and this time the train stopped at their destination. Maria was asleep on the seat with her head resting on the wall and Chuy right on her lap, she had the most peaceful look on her face, and suddenly she dreaded waking her up.

“Maria time to get up” Dora gently shook her daughter out of her sleep
She made a small ‘Hmpf’ noise and stirred awake, Maria help a sleeping Chuy and they left the train and into the busy morning outside world It was bright and lively, where there was a bunch of people some were white and some looked like her there was shouting and announcements kids running around that were playing together making her homesick she stuck close to her mother and hadn't realized when she reached out for her hand.

Eventually they were at a booth, presumably a ticket booth, “How many?” A gruff voice asked
“Two”
“Any luggage?”
“One bag”
“17 bucks” Dora handed him the money and he counted it before saying,“You can go ahead ma’am”
They left and headed onto a plank that led up to a huge, gigantic, enormous ship.
“It's so big!” Maria was in pure awe; she'd never seen anything as big as this, “Did you come from Spain on this?”
“I did if you think this is huge then wait till you see the inside” Dora led her daughter and a dock worker punched their tickets
Well there was no turning back, ‘goodbye Mexico and goodbye San Angel’ she thought to herself.

Chapter Text

The moment they stepped into the huge ship she knew she had to explore the whole thing. On the inside It was nicely lit with chandeliers spaced out to lighten up the room, the floors were carpeted and there were windows everywhere allowing her to see parts of the ocean and some workers. On the walls there were pictures of captains and mariners, some showing pictures of other huge ships, one read ‘ the Titanic’ that one was the biggest out of all the other pictures.

“Are all ships this big?” Maria looked up to her mother in amazement 

“Well some are smaller than others, but yes most ships are pretty big now come along dear, I need to put these bags down in our room” Dora held her daughters hand and led them away towards a flight of stairs that descended into dimly lit places. 

They ended up in a white hall with white doors on both sides. They looked squished together and this floor wasn't as impressive as the one they had left. Door opened a door and sighed, 

“And This is where we will be staying” Dora grinned and motioned with her hands the ‘grand glory’ of the room.

“Uhhh wow?” Maria was a little disappointed. At first the room was a light gray with two bunks on each side. There were lifesavers, those circle ones and an anchor hanging on both sides of the wall. “Its great?” Maria tried her best smile and set the still sleeping pig on her now claimed bed. 

“It's not as great as I hoped but it'll do” Dora set the suitcases to the side and walked back out the door turning around to grin at her daughter “Now what do you say shall we adventure the rest of the ship? Or stay in this dreaded room?” 

Happily Maria quickly got up from the bunk and followed her mother out.

They made their way all the way up and onto the deck of the ship and to their surprise they were already leaving the dock, people were waving goodbye and their loved ones were at the deck crowding the left side. Maria almost thought they'd tip the ship over, Dora paid no mind to that but she headed up to the very front of the deck, 

“Maria”  she turned to the direction of her mothers voice and she was motioning for her to come to her, she obeyed slowly walking over to her, and softly gasped at the view Dora checked her watch again, it was dawn 

The ocean in front of her reflected the sun in white bright twinkling light, the sky was a soft haze of blue and around the coming sun was light yet bright oranges.

“Its beautiful” Maria spoke so soft that dora almost couldn't make out what she said 

“It is, isn't it?” They stood there for a while basking in the beauty of it all. After awhile dora nudged Maria to follow her elsewhere 

They explored the main level of the ship, the dining room, one of the various main halls and a hall for balls (dancing) and in each room she was always amazed (Well except for the strange janitors closet they had stumbled into) 

They were currently in a greenhouse Dora had stopped to look at some flowers while Maria traveled through the different rows until she ran into a boy 

Literally ran into him 

She ran head first into the boy causing him to stumble back and making Maria fall back on her bum.

“OW! That really hurt mister Hendrick!” The boy had had brown hair and semi tanned skin 

He looked a little shorter than her he was currently rubbing his forehead trying to comfort himself and he peeked an eye open revealing his blue eyes 

“Sorry about that I wasn't watching where I was going” she apologized but the boy looked shocked and relieved that she wasn't ‘Mister Hendrick’

“Phew your not him” He let out a relieved sigh and offered his hand to help her up,

“Sorry running into you” Maria looked down embarrassed and accepted his hand 

“Its alright It was an accident….I hope” He smiled sheepishly and pulled her up, “I'm just glad your not my butler”  

“Austin! Where in the dickens are you boy!” A man hollered presumably Mr. Hendrick as the boy ‘Austin’, eyes went wide 

“Well gotta go ill see ya around right?” Austin said there was a hint of hope in his voice, and all Maria could do was nod, Austin smiled, with a huge bump on his forehead and then ran off towards the exit of the greenhouse leaving his hat behind. 

 “I can see you made a new friend” Dora said, making Maria turn around 

“He left his hat” Maria picked up the hat and smiled “I’ll have to give it back”

“If we see that boy again then you can give it to him so keep it close” 

Just then a door creaked open and a tall white man entered “Excuse me Ma’am, have you seen a young boy run through here? Brown hair blue eyes?” 

“I have he went that way” Dora pointed to the other side where austin had left 

He thanked her and went back out 

“Better for him to be found then be lost on this huge boat” Dora explained, they spent a bit more time in the greenhouse and then left to their bunk, where Chuy was sadly oinking Maria had apologized to the pig and after a while she laid down and drifted off to sleep. Not caring about the red bump in the middle of her forehead. 

—------------------

The next morning 

—-----------------

Dora was up and dressed and a heck ton of emotions flooded her mainly Guilt, happiness and regret. 

Guilt she had left her in Ramiros care and not taken her.

Regret that she had never once written a letter back to Ramiro to ask for a picture of their young girl or write a letter to Maria specifically (well maybe then Ramiro wouldn't have passed on the message) 

And happiness that she finally had her here with her, Dora had missed so much they both did.

Now Maria was here treating her like a stranger, to which maybe she should, she never knew her and Ramiro would have never told Maria about her mother and if he did he’d have done it with a bad mouth. 

She sighed and laid back on her bed. She tried to open up about her life in hopes Maria would say something about her life but she responded in short answers. ‘ Maybe today will be different’ she thought to herself ‘Maybe she’ll open up today’  Dora checked her watch again, 7:33 

Maria woke up at around 9 o’ clock, Dora attempted to strike a conversation but again most answers came short.They went to the dining hall it was semi-empty only a few people scattered around, and Maria had the boys hat. A waiter came up to their table with their drinks and Dora tried to talk again and maybe one of her most important questions, the one Dora really wanted to know.

“Did your papa ever tell you about me?” 

“Kind of” Maria took a sip of her orange juice and looking everywhere but in front of her

“What did he tell you?” Dora picked at her plate of eggs and watched Marias face go from no emotion to confusion, Maria looked up to her mother and locked eyes with her.

“He said you were a bad lady” Maria paused and tilted her head a little, “But you don't seem so mean….Your nothing like what he described, he said you were terrible and mean and that you left because you wanted nothing to do with me or him” Dora picked up on the tightness in her little voice, “but some of the things he said doesn't seem true” Maria picked at her new favorite food called a ‘ flapjack’ “but im not sure about one thing, why did you leave?” Maria tore her eyes off her mother and looked back down at her Flapjack ‘what a funny word’ she thought.

Dora probably could have cried at that last part, she didn't have an answer. What could she say? Why would Ramiro tell her those things? How could she explain her absence?

She didn't leave because she didn't want Maria, she left because she was a stupid homesick teenager who didn't want to be with some Mexican guy. Admittedly at first she didn't want his child, but she kept it because…because?  She wanted a child of her own? Only to leave?

She had no excuse, no Important reason. 

“I didn't want to leave” ‘Liar!’ A voice in the back of head shouted at her, “It's just…Things didn't work out with your papa and I had to leave” 

Once again that inner voice came back, ‘You're willing to lie? To your child? Who for the past few little years of her life wondered where mommy was?’ She cut off her thoughts and continued, “I wanted you but your papa wouldn't let me take you” Well that was half the truth at least “And one day I'll explain it all to you” Dora promised herself that, One day she’d explain it all to her daughter in hopes that she may understand and forgive her, “And know that I want to have you in my life because your important to me okay? And that I love you” 

Maria nodded and looked back up at her mother “Promise me that you'll tell me one day?” Maria asked in her tiny little voice, most likely holding back her real feelings. Dora nodded and smiled “Pinky promise?” Maria held out her hand with her pinky sticking out, Dora had never seen this before and looked confused.

“Um, what do I do?”  Dora asked making Maria giggle 

“Gimme your hand but stick you pinky out” Dora followed her instructions and brought her hand out to Marias and wrapped onto her mothers pinky with hers  “This is a pinky promise And a unbreakable promise” Dora wrapped her pinky around hers and found herself liking this weird form of a promise, “OH I almost forgot your supposed to say, ‘I Pinky promise to tell you everything one day”

Dora chuckled but followed her instructions “ Okay Maria Posada I Pinky promise to tell you everything one day” 

Chapter Text

As Dora looked for activities to do with her daughter, Maria busied herself by looking for her hat pal she hadn't seen in 3 days at first she thought he'd gotten off but then remembered they were out in the middle of nowhere so there was no way he'd be off the ship then she came to the conclusion that this ship was pretty big there was probably no way she’d see the same person twice.

“Ah here we go” Dora tore off a paper from the bulletin and showed Maria the paper 

“Mira, do you like these?” 

Maria turned to face the paper and read it, All it showed was Two Men with white faces doing some sort of prank and a red Man figure in its corner having no clue what it was she looked to her mother, “What is it?” Maria looked back at the paper and Dora gasped 

“You don't know what these are?” Dora scoffed and laughed a little, “It's a Pantomime one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Europe does Mexico not have these?” Dora saw the puzzled look on her face and chuckled a little she reminded her of Ramiro. 

“No, I don't think we do I've never heard of these” Maria shrugged but she was interested in seeing what this was “But I’d like to see one” Dora smiled and checked her watch the poster said it starts at 5’oclock her watch read 3:38

“Great then remind me that the show starts in about 1 hour also take this” Dora handed Maria the poster she had noticed she took an interest in it and was proud she introduced her to something new, “Keep it as a memory”

Maria folded it into a square and put it into her skirt pocket “Thank you”

“Of course” Dora motioned for her daughter to walk ahead they walked back to their room in awkward silence, and for the moment Dora’s thoughts were the loudest thing on the ship.

1 Hour Later

“Mama um it's time to go”  Maria was trying to shake her awake but she was groaning and turned to face the wall.

“It's been 1 hour” Maria shook her harder she would not be missing her very first pantomime show because her sleepy grizzly bear mother did want to wake up, Dora hmpfed and covered her head with her blanket

Oh well she asked for it Maria grabbed her little cup of water that she took from the dining hall walked to her mother's bed uncovered her head and poured it on her

Dora yelped and sat up breathing heavy 

“Sorry about that but it's been an hour and I don't want to miss the show” Maria stood by the door waiting for her mother to get up.

“Wow, you're a lot like me huh?” Dora chuckled and dried her face with a towel 

“What about me is like you?” Maria asked in confusion because so far nothing about them that was similar was the hair color

“Well you are determined and smart you must get that from me because it is certainly not from your father” Dora laughed fixed her hair and walked out with Maria following after 

“But Papa is determined to” Maria looked up at her mother but Dora didn't look at her

“He is but he's more determined in other things” she scoffed and for a second pure anger was on her face until Dora shook her head and shrugged Maria decided she wouldn't ask what he was more determined on mostly because of her reaction.

After a few trunks and staircases, they arrived at a oak door decorated with a face split in half one side with a smile and the other with a frown and a tear.

Dora opened the door letting Maria go in first once inside she gasped it was big in here and there were a bunch of people a stage and various lights shinning and the stage floor glimmering 

“Let's sit here it has a great view” Dora motioned to a row in the middle, all Maria could do was nod there wasn't anything like this in San Angel If Joaquin and Manolo were here they would be in pure amazement to she wished her friends were here too.

As she sat down she heard a vaguely familiar voice 

“Hey, You!”  He shouted happily and quickly made a beeline for her she turned her head and there he was his hair as messy as ever his black button shirt was untucked and his pants sagged a little 

“Austin?” She smiled back and he nodded 

“I've been looking all over for you! I hope I would find you here and here you are!” He grinned “Can I sit next to you?” Maria nodded and he looked happier “So where have you been?” 

“On the ship in my room the dining hall” Maria shrugged “There's not much to do on a boat”

He laughed shaking his head “Is this your first time on a ship?” 

“Yes, it is what about you?”

“Nope, but what you need is a guide”

“A guide?”

“Yup, and I’ll be your guide! There's so much to do on ships”  Austin beamed proudly and  grinned like a maniac “Tell ya what meet me in the dining hall tomorrow morning and I’ll show you around” he stuck out his hand looked into her eyes and smiled “Deal?” 

Maria thought about it and nodded being around Austin would be good for her he was the friend she needed on this long journey.

“Deal” they shook hands, and unbeknownst to Maria Dora smiled proudly.

“We’ll Cats meow! I’ll be showing you every inch of this ship but for now let’s sit back and enjoy this show” 

Austin grinned and turned his attention to the stage where a actor finally showed up. 

The show was strange none of the actors said a single word but somehow that was the greatest comedy show she’d seen.