AN: Here was have Félix's chapter. He was fun and challenging to write for so I hope I did him justice. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy :)

Disclaimer: Encanto belongs to Disney.


Watching his wife and children leave the house on their daily trek to the village was a normal occurrence for Félix. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Usually, he would be right there with them, walking at their side and helping out in any way he could even without a gift. Today, however, he simply hadn't felt up to it. Instead, he chose to stay at home and clean up a bit. The housework sometimes tended to fall by the wayside when the Madrigals were busy helping out the Encanto. This was something taken in stride as Casita can usually look after itself pretty well. Even so, Félix felt something calming in doing such menial tasks as sweeping and dusting. It helped settle his nerves and brought relief when he was feeling out of place amongst the other, more magical, members of the familia.

He knew better than most that having magic did not mean having happiness. Look at his dear Pepa, ever since before he'd met her she'd been forced to wield her emotions for the sake of others... never free to truly express herself for fear of what that would mean for the community (the aftermath of their wedding is one example). As the years passed by he saw similar burdens settle on the shoulders of the others, including his children. Sometimes he felt a deep-seated resentment for the so-called miracle as well as Alma Madrigal. In his humble opinion, the family's welfare should always come first, the rest of the town can care for itself just fine for a while. People need breaks, they need time for themselves, and the children need to be allowed to have a childhood. Yes, sometimes it was hard to deal with. But in the end, he loved his family, Casita, and Encanto, and wouldn't give up the life he has for anything. He just wished he could relieve some of their burden, help lighten the load. Hopefully, with what he's planning, that will be the result for his dear wife. He'll work on helping the others later.

'Come on, Félix, pull yourself together.' He chastised himself, shaking his head to clear his swirling thoughts. 'No regrets, that's what I always say. I never would have been able to ask out mi querida, Pepa, if I'd been worried about things like that.'

He chuckled a bit, thinking back to when he'd first begun dating Pepa. He liked to think that he'd been suave, a true gentleman, but he'll admit that in all actuality he may have been a nervous wreck. Hey, who wouldn't be when asking out one of the magical Madrigals? He's spoken to Agustin about this at length and they had both agreed, the women in this family can be truly intimidating. True, Bruno had gotten a bad rap in town, something that Félix felt was undeserved (the man had been as meek as a mouse the entire time he'd known him), but his sisters, that was another story. Neither would back down if it was something they wholeheartedly believed in. He'd once seen his firecracker lay out a group of bullies who'd been picking on her hermano with a well placed lightning bolt while her sister hit them with a frying pan. He'll tell you, that was a sight to behold, especially since the bullies had been quite a bit larger than the triplets at the time of the event.

That brings us back to the problem at hand. Their anniversary was swiftly approaching and Félix wanted to do something special for the love of his life. He worried about her reaction, though. It's hard to do something 'special' when you're surrounded by people who possess actual magic! So many ideas had been thought up and discarded while he cleaned... none of them worthy of his querida esposa. Finishing up in the sunroom, Félix decided he would continue his brooding while he cleaned the bathroom. His son had made quite the mess this morning, something his female cousins and sister had complained heartily about, but didn't have time to straighten the mess before leaving.

Upon opening the door, the stout man chuckled good-humouredly. How his hijo had managed this he had no idea. There was water everywhere, towels scattered haphazardly around the room, and the potted plant Isabella had placed as a decoration on the counter was currently on its side... dirt mixing with the water on the ground.

"Ay dios mio, I have half a mind to wait until Camilo comes home and make him clean this himself." He muttered before pushing up his sleeves and entering the room.

It wasn't until he was halfway through that he saw the note. Sitting unobtrusively behind the upturned plant, the man hadn't noticed it until he started clearing the counter. When he did, however, he felt his heart ease slightly.

Don't doubt yourself, let your compassion guide you.

This wasn't the first note he'd received in the years he'd lived in the Madrigal household, though he never got as many as the children. He'd simply assumed it meant he didn't need it, after all, he tried to keep a positive outlook in life. Now, pondering the meaning of the words, Félix chuckled. They were truer than he cared to admit. Doubt was a problem he tended to struggle with, more often as of recent. Every idea he'd come up with to surprise Pepa, he ended up talking himself out of. He simply needed to pick something and stick with it... no more doubts. Thinking back, the first thing he'd thought of was dancing in the rain. It was reminiscent of their wedding and, while not flashy, he figured it was a great place to start.

'Well, the bathroom isn't going to right itself.' The dark-skinned man acknowledged, pushing all other thoughts aside for the time being. 'Once I'm finished here, I'll take some time to figure things out.'

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Days later, Félix and Pepa were heading out on a picnic. His lovely wife was worried about the weather as there was a low-hanging cloud hovering over them. You see, she'd been stressed for a while now and he knew that she wouldn't be able to hold off the rain for long. That's what he planned on. A soft smile made its home on his face as he grabbed a couple umbrellas, hoping this plan turned out well.

"Félix, are you sure you want to do this today?" Pepa asked, wringing her hands as she watched the sky. "I know it's our anniversary but... clear skies, clear skies."

She broke to perform her calming chant as the first raindrop fell. She managed to get it back under control for the time being before continuing.

"It may be better to wait." The redhead proclaimed, eyes flitting nervously to her husband. "We could spend time together inside today and reschedule the picnic for a nicer day. You know, when the sun is shining."

The stocky man gently took his anxious wife's hand in his own larger one. Placing a tender kiss on the back of her knuckles before glancing at her face... her green eyes mesmerizing him for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.

"Nonsense, mi vida." He spoke kindly, drawing her into his warm embrace. "Today will be perfect, you'll see. Now, why don't you wait here while I go grab the picnic basket your lovely sister has prepared for us, hmm?"

She still seemed hesitant, but a small smile had bloomed on her face. Pepa nodded trustingly and Félix gave her a quick kiss before moving towards the kitchen. As soon as he'd approached her with his request, his cuñada had resolved to make all their favorites... stating that it was no problem at all when he'd asked about her workload. He was happy that Julieta had the time to help him. Félix was many things but a talented chef was not one of them. He could do simple things but nothing like the feast Juli had prepared for them.

Upon entering the kitchen, he found it empty save for the basket waiting on the table. Taking a closer look, he was surprised to find a note resting atop said basket and couldn't help but wonder how the escritor misterioso had gotten it there without being spotted. Come to think of it, that tended to be a common theme. The notes appearing seemingly out of nowhere as if left by a ghost. No one, in all the years this has been transpiring, has ever caught sight of the person leaving them. In the beginning, they'd been unsettled, now, it was just a fact of life.

'What words of wisdom do you have for me today, I wonder?' Félix speculated before reading the words written on the note.

You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough.

A blinding smile split his face and the man felt the remainder of his nerves settle as excitement took their place.

'Right you are, mi amigo.' He thought giddily as he tucked the paper into his pants pocket before grabbing the basket.

Returning to his wife, he took her by the hand and led her outside. Making his way to a hill behind Casita that overlooked Encanto, he smiled as his wife gasped in surprise. There was a plush blanket waiting for them under a large canopy and he'd gotten Isabella to surround it with Pepa's favorite flowers. There was also a small box sitting on the blanket which contained a present he'd commissioned especially for his wife. Releasing her hand, Félix moved to place the basket and umbrellas on the blanket before turning back to the love of his life and sinking to one knee before her. The woman's hands flew up to her mouth as tears of happiness gathered in her emerald eyes.

"Pepi, I have loved you since the moment I first laid eyes on you. Through rain or shine, snow or hurricane," That got a small chuckle out of his wife and his smile widened in triumph. "I have and will continue to love you no matter the weather. It was twenty-five years ago that I asked you to marry me. When you said yes, it was the happiest moment in my life."

Reaching behind him, he picked up the small box and opened it, holding it out so that his beloved could see. Inside rested a beautiful necklace in the shape of a storm cloud.

"Now, I will repeat the words I spoke that day. Pepa, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Through the good days and bad, the love and heartache, I want to stay by your side... always." Here he stood, taking her hands in his and looking deeply into her eyes. "I love you, mi amor, and that will never change."

By now, a gentle rain had started falling... matching the tears in Pepa's eyes. She pulled him to her, clinging tightly as a sob tore from her throat. It was not of sadness, instead, it was filled with acceptance and adoration for the man before her. She loved him just as much, if not more than she did when they'd first gotten married. She didn't know it was possible but, even after all these years, he continued to surprise her. The two kissed, slow and soft before she pulled away and placed a warm hand on his cheek.

"I love you." The woman spoke, voice barely more than a whisper as a rainbow bursting to life above her head.

For a moment the two stayed like that, simply enjoying the feeling of being close to one another. Then, she took a step back, smiling fondly as she gestured to the necklace.

"Help me put it on, mi corazón?" His wife asked and Félix felt his heart overflow with love.

He nodded and Pepa turned around to give him better access. He took the necklace from its box and carefully moved his wife's braid before closing the clasp and securing the pendant in place. His hand lingered for a moment, tracing down the back of her neck before moving to rest on her waist as she turned to face him once more.

"It's beautiful. Thank you, mi amor." She said, voice soft as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I love it."

She kissed him passionately and, as the rain continued to fall gently around them (even as the rainbow persisted), he took her in his arms and began to sway. They danced in the rain, uncaring when it soaked through their clothes, reliving the memory of their first dance as a married couple.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

The picnic had gone off without a hitch and Félix was ecstatic. Now, the day after, he had followed the rest of his familia into town in the hopes that he could be of service. He was currently keeping a watchful eye on his son, Camilo. The young teen had a tendency to cause chaos and Félix would rather not deal with that today. Antonio was currently snuggled securely in his arms, also watching his brother and letting out quiet giggles at his hermano's actions. It was hard to believe that his youngest's ceremony was less than a year away. It seemed like only yesterday when Toñito had been born.

Hearing a disturbance, Félix once more found his gaze landing on his middle child, a laugh tearing from his throat as he saw the boy struggling under a mass of writhing village children. Maybe he didn't have to keep as close an eye on him as he'd thought, the youngsters seemed to be doing a good enough job for him. He let Camilo suffer, smothered under the group as they crawled on his son. He didn't move until a cry for help sounded from the middle of the large mound of children.

"Papi! A little help, please?" The shapeshifter called and Félix gently placed Antonio on the ground, a good-natured smile on his face as he moved to rescue the boy.

He failed to notice as his four-year-old wandered off in the opposite direction, something having caught his attention. It wasn't until the kids had dispersed and Camilo was able to stand that he realized something was wrong. Glancing around, his eyes widened in fear when he couldn't find Antonio. Camilo seemed to catch on at the same time and they quickly went in different directions in the hopes of locating the wayward toddler.

"Toñito! Toñito, where are you?" He called, uncaring of the attention he drew.

He searched for what felt like forever, desperate for any news of the child he'd lost. Just as he was giving up hope, Camilo ran into view, his little brother held securely against his chest. As it turns out, the child had wandered off after noticing a stray cat and had been just around the corner the entire time. His elder brother had found him nearly hidden under a bush, fast asleep with the feline curled up on his lap. Letting out a sigh of relief, Félix took his sons home for the day, unwilling to let either of them out of his sight for the time being.

Félix barely slept that night, his brain repeating every wrong choice, every mistake, he'd ever made. By the time morning dawned, he was exhausted. The fear he'd felt for his child was something he never wished to feel again. The man knew he'd do anything in his power to keep his family safe but what if he messed up again like he had the day before? What if, next time, one of them was hurt? Rubbing a weary hand down his face, he moved to rise from the bed, only to catch sight of something resting on the pillow beside him. It was another note. Never before had he been concerned for what would be written, now, he felt himself hesitate. Would they scold him? Be disappointed? There was only one way to know. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the somewhat messy script.

Everyone makes mistakes. It doesn't mean you did something wrong, it means you're human.

Relief filled his heart as Félix softly let out a shaky breath, the fear and frustration he'd kept bottled up inside fading in light of the considerate words. Later today, he would make space for the notes on the inspiration board but for now, he would keep them close where he could read the words over a few more times. Felix knew that what happened was his fault. He also knew that it was going to be okay and that he'd be more careful in the future. After all, he was only human... and humans made mistakes.


AN: Please let me know what you thought, thanks :)