Chapter 11:

Here is another update, and, as I promised, it's based when Hector and Imelda are alive. I'm currently running out of ideas of what to write when it comes to them being together in the Land of the Living, but I've got lots of ideas when it comes to the Land of the Dead. Writing about the struggles of parenthood is lots of fun, but I feel it's starting to get repetitive. If you want more living one shots, I'll be happy to write about things you want me to. But without further a do, Chapter 11!

"Hector!"

Hector shot up in surprise, and he ended up hitting the back of his head on the underside of the table he was currently looking under. He turned to his beautiful but fuming wife whose nostrils were flaring like an angry bull and whose fists were shaking in rage. He gave her his best smile considering the circumstances.

"Yes mi amor?" He asked, and he hated how his voice shook.

"How could you lose her again?!" She cried, and her anger alone was enough to shake the walls of their home.

"I didn't mean to," Hector tried to defend himself, but he knew he would lose, "She slipped out of my sight when I was getting her something to eat! It's not my fault that she hates her baby food!"

"But you know, or you should know, that feeding her is a two person job!" Imelda yelled back at him, "And it usually results with having to scrub food off the walls! How big of an idiota can you be?! You should have waited for me to come home!" She stomped over to the kitchen, and Hector reluctantly followed.

Coco giggled as she poked her head out of her hiding spot. She made sure the coast was clear before lifting the lid of the crate all the way open, and hopping out. She creeped towards the entrance to the kitchen, and peeked around the corner to see her mama slamming her basket of grocery on the counter and her papa flinching at her movements. Coco giggled again.

Hector heard the little noise of laughter, and turned around in a flash. He found nothing at the doorway besides the next room. He turned back around with a suspicious glare, but when he met his wife's own angry glare half an inch away from his face, he jumped back with a shriek. He quickly tried to correct his reaction as Imelda's glare turned into an unamused expression, and then a facepalm. She grumbled before looking at Hector with a look that said I'm-giving-you-pity-because-you're-adorable-but-pathetic.

"lo siento Hector," Imelda sighed, "I'm being unfair. I'm just worried about her."

"There is no need to be sorry, mi amor," Hector said as he hugged her to him. "Being a mama or a papa is a hard job, and I'm happy to be one, but it demands a lot from everyone involved. But that being said… I shouldn't have tried feeding her without you here. She listens to you better than she listens to me anyways."

"That's because I'm the one who enforces the rules, and you're the one she plays with," Imelda sighed, "She knows she can have all kinds of fun with you, but I, on the other hand, mean business. She likes you better anyways."

"That's not true," Hector hugged her tighter, pressed a light kiss to the top of her beautiful, haired head, "She loves us both, and we love her. That's how it is, and that's how it should be," Hector looked outside at the setting sun before continuing, "And Coco should also be fed and in bed in a little under an hour… Are you up for a challenge Melda?" Imelda pushed back enough to gave him a smirk and a suspicious gaze.

"You know I'm always up for a challenge," She said confidently, "What is it?"

"A game," Hector said, "A way to get to a child is through an entertaining game. We finish her little game of Hide-and-Seek in style and get her into bed before we collapse from exhaustion. It also will hopefully be enough to get her tried too."

"And whoever catches her wins," Imelda said slyly. Hector blinked a couple times before responding.

"Sure," Hector said before barring his feet with a competitive spirit, "Are you in, or are you chicken?"

"I accept your challenge," Imelda smiled smugly before getting very close Hector's face, "Let's go catch ourselves a child."

Coco giggled again as she moved away from the door to the kitchen. She hurried on her little, stumpy feet to the coat rack, and hid among the pieces of clothing. She loved hiding in the coat rack because it smelled of her parents and her uncles, and it made for a great hiding spot. The disturbed clothing stilled completely as Imelda and Hector entered the room.

"Ok Coco," Hector called, "Ready or not, here we come!"

Coco covered her mouth to muffle her laughter as her mother began to check all the hiding spots down the hallway that held their bedrooms, and as her father began to check all the little nooks and crannies around the living room. Coco watched as her father got closer and closer to her hiding spot and began to think she would need to run, but Pepita came to her rescue.

The little cat trotted out from behind a chair, and knocked the wood of the piece of furniture with her tail. This was enough to draw Hector's attention away from the rest of the room, so Coco was able to slip out of her hiding spot and bolt into the next room where she found a fun surprise to help her.

"Ah, Pepita," Hector groaned, "You're breaking my concentration." The cat just gave a small "meow" in response before Hector kept looking. Coco didn't notice as Pepita's eyes watched her enter her new hiding spot.

Imelda looked under her and Hector's bed before checking the twins room, and then Coco's room. Each room was empty considering the twins were out finding jobs in town, and apparently Coco wasn't there. Imelda grumbled before tapping her foot in annoyance. A meow alerted her to a new presence in the room.

"Hello Pepita," Imelda said as she bent down to pet the cat, "You don't happen to know where Coco is, do you? It would be very helpful." Pepita began to purr as Imelda scratched behind her ears and under her chin, but pulled away at Imelda's words. She gave another meow as her response before walking towards the door. She looked behind her shoulder as if asking Imelda to follow her, so Imelda did.

Hector was on his hands and knees looking under every piece of furniture, listening to every possible sound, and checking everything that could hold a toddler. He was completely dumbfounded. Where had she gone? He hoped that she hadn't found some way to get outside. Then Imelda would kill him for sure, and Coco could be in danger. But he knew Imelda never forgot to lock the door behind her and he had locked all the doors this morning, so she couldn't possibly have gotten out. Hector scratched his head before deciding to check everywhere again.

While he was doing this, Imelda was tiptoeing past him behind his back. Pepita had trotted into the entrance hall, and Imelda was attempting to follow her without alerting Hector of her attentions. Unfortunately, the floorboards were against her because as she entered the other room Hector heard her and turn to see her go.

Pepita had walked into the room, and had proceeded to just lay down in the middle of the hall with her belly angled toward the ceiling. Imelda sighed in irritation.

"So that's all you're going to give me?" Imelda asked, "I get to do the rest of the work myself?" Pepita just meowed again before walking over to the nearest window, and hoping up on the window sill. Imelda just shrugged before going to look around, but that was before Hector reached out his hands towards her sides from the threshold of the doorway. Imelda gave a shriek in fright and then a laugh as Hector began to tickle her.

"What are you doing sneaking around here?" He laughed as she pushed against him, trying to pull herself free from his attack even as she laughed.

"Looking for… our child!" She cried between laughs, "Which is obviously not… what you're doing!" Hector smiled before finally releasing her. Imelda bent over and clutched her knees as she tried to gain her breath. Hector just looked down at her with a sly smile.

"That was uncalled for," Imelda breathed before straightening her back. Hector just shrugged.

"You looked a little tense," Hector smiled, "I was just helping you loosen up."

"Well you could have done it different—" Imelda shut herself up when she heard a noise coming from the closet door. She and Hector exchanged looks before walking towards the door. Imelda slowly went for the doorknob before carefully opening the door.

"Surprise!" Felipe and Oscar cried as they hugged a laughing Coco in their arms. Imelda and Hector jumped back in clear surprise before tripping over each other and falling to the floor. Hector reached out last minute and caught Imelda in his lap.

The twins and Coco laughed at them before squeezing out of the tiny space. Coco giggled as she ran over to her dumbfounded parents, and snuggled into them.

"I found Uncle Felipe and Uncle Oscar," Coco laughed.

"We can see that," Hector said before using a good amount of his strength to lift up Imelda and Coco at the same time. He held Imelda bridal style with Coco sitting in her mother's lap. Imelda got over her surprise as she was lifted into the air.

"Hector, put me down!" Imelda cried as she rushed to put her hands around his neck to make sure she wouldn't fall. After Hector didn't with a sly smile, she grumbled to herself again before turning to her brothers, "I thought that you were looking for a job."

"And we found one," Felipe said, "We're now employers of Senor Ruiz's material goods store."

"But that only took a couple minutes to do," Oscar also said, "So we came back here right after."

"Well that's good," Hector smiled, "Good job guys."

"But that doesn't mean you have to scare us," Imelda pouted, "Being this emotionally frightened in one day wasn't on my to do list."

"Ah, come on Imelda," Oscar said, "What's life without a little scare?"

"I get too much of that around here," Imelda mumbled before Hector gave her a good squeeze. She smiled at him before leaning her head against his shoulder. Coco gave a yawn before laying down against her mother's chest. She was asleep within minutes.

"Mission accomplished," Hector whispered to his wife, and all Imelda could do was laugh.