AUTHOR'S NOTES: So work seems to be where I get some of my best ideas and the other day, this little nugget popped into my head! Just a little drabble about Bruno's reunion with the family.

STORY SUMMARY: Even with everything Bruno Madrigal has been through, he still needs a reminder that sometimes things take time.


ENCANTO: Baby Steps


Cautiously entering her brother's 'den' within the walls of La Casita Madrigal, Julieta let out a relieved sigh when she saw that Bruno was sleeping in his armchair which was positioned against one wall.

At least, she hoped he was sleeping. The man's lanky frame was contorted in a position that was partly curled up and partly sprawled. But taking a few steps closer, Julieta could tell that Bruno's breathing was calm and even and despite his body being twisted in a seemingly uncomfortable position, he still seemed relaxed.

"Bruno?" Julieta whispered, gently, reaching out a hand to touch her brother's shoulder, withdrawing it quickly when she was stopped by one of the rats squeaking at her in an annoyed manner.

"Don't touch our friend! You don't wake him up that way!" the small rodent seemed to say.

"It's time for dinner," Julieta said, keeping her voice low, knowing her brother was sometimes easily startled.

The rat nodded its understanding and quickly scurried up Bruno's back, across his shoulder, and under his chin, causing Bruno to stir, unwinding his lean body until he was properly sitting up, stretching to undo the knots. "What time is it?" he asked, looking up at Julieta.

"6:30," Julieta replied as her brother stood, grabbing his ruana from the table nearby and pulled it over his head. "You're still too thin," she fussed, giving Bruno a look.

Bruno looked away, trying to avoid talking about his eating habits since his reunion with his family. "Just, uh... J-J-Just not that hungry these days," he lied, quickly. His stomach gave him away as it gave a loud grumble.

Frowning slightly, Julieta took a deep breath before she asked, "Did you want me to put something aside for you? You don't have to join us tonight if you don't want to."

"N-No, that's-that's... I'm coming," Bruno stammered, hunting for his sandals. Once he'd found them, he looked up to see Julieta examining the small room. The den was cleaner and more organized than it had been in the old casita, but it still had a detached feel to it. "I-I-I know it seems like... I-I-I just..."

Julieta's face was a shroud of remorse as she studied her brother. "I should have done more to help you," she said at last. "I should have focused on being a better sister instead of helping everyone in town. I let you down, Bruno, and I'm sorry."

"No, it's my fault," Bruno insisted, sinking down into his armchair. "I started cutting myself off from the family even before I saw Mirabel in that vision. My Gift was... I-I-I just didn't have anything to offer so I just..."

Pulling another chair over, Julieta sat down as well, her brow crinkled with concern. "Brunito, no one is forcing you to..." Giving a soft huff of frustration as she revised her phrasing, she corrected, "If you need time, that's alright. We're all here for you when you want to join us. But we're all worried about you. You're not sleeping regularly-if at all-you're barely eating... Please, just tell me how we can help you."

As much as he knew his sister had the best of intentions, he looked away as he replied, "You can't help." After a few moments, he turned back to Julieta as he explained. "You can't undo 10 years of loneliness... of-of being an outcast in your own house. You can't take back all the times someone didn't want to say my name or..." When several of the rats scurried up his leg to perch on his knee, Bruno gave each one a fond look as he concluded, "You can't make up for not being there when I needed you."

"You're right," Julieta agreed as more of the rats came over to comfort their pal. "We started pushing you away long before you disappeared. And nothing we do now can bring back the ten years we lost. But I just got my little brother back," she said, putting a hand on Bruno's knee. "-and right now I'm afraid that he feels like letting go and pulling away is easier than holding on. I don't want to lose you again, Bruno. Once was more than enough."

When Bruno said nothing in response, Julieta tried to hide her disappointment and put on a comforting air as she offered, "I'll have Antonio bring you something later, okay?" When her brother just nodded, she left the room and headed back to the kitchen, feeling like the worst sister in the world.

"Amor?" Agustin said, watching his wife as she silently helped put dinner out. "Bruno's not coming?"

Shaking her head, Julieta tried to hide her face so the rest of the family wouldn't see her silent tears. But when she nearly dropped a platter of corn fritters, Agustin stepped in quickly, rescuing the platter before pulling his wife close. "It's okay, Juli..."

"No, it's not okay," Julieta muttered, crying on her husband's shoulder. "My food is supposed to heal but I can't-I can't..."

Pulling away slightly and lifting Julieta's chin so she was looking him in the eye, Agustin gave her a reassuring look. "You trust me, right?"

Julieta nodded, wiping her eyes as she sniffled, "Agustin..."

"You sit and eat," Agustin instructed his wife, giving Abuela Alma a knowing look. "Let other people take care of you for once, alright? I'll be back in a little bit."

Leaving the kitchen, Agustin headed into the wall space and towards Bruno's den, knocking lightly on the door before entering.

"I'd always wondered what could possibly make you disappear from the family for so long," Agustin began as he approached Bruno who was still sitting in his armchair. "When Mirabel told us about why you'd left... Bruno, believe it or not... I do understand."

"No offense, but I seriously doubt that you really get it," Bruno scoffed as his brother-in-law sat down.

But Agustin was not a man to be deterred when he had a point to make and he pressed on. "When I saw Mirabel looking at the vision and she told me what was going on, do you know what my first instinctive reaction was?"

"Telling Julieta and the rest of the family?" Bruno guessed.

"Grabbing Mirabel and disappearing," Agustin confessed, giving Bruno a pointed look.

Bruno raised an eyebrow in surprise and straightened up a bit. "Wait... So you...?"

"I would have done exactly the same thing you did," Agustin confirmed, nodding. "Bruno, what you did to protect Mirabel... That was more than just self-sacrifice. Without any hesitation, you chose to put my daughter before anything else. And as a father, the fact that I wouldn't have done anything less..."

Picking at the arm rest of his chair, Bruno considered his words before he spoke. "If it had just been the house... I would have stayed. I'd have told Abuela what I'd seen and... But seeing Mirabel-not just as my little sobrina-but grown up? I couldn't... I-I-I couldn't put her in that position. Between her not getting her door and me seeing the house breaking and the magic in danger... And even if I had stayed, I couldn't risk someone finding the vision."

Looking at Agustin, Bruno let out a sigh as he remembered long ago when his youngest niece had been born. "You named me Mirabel's godfather. And I promised to look out for her no matter what."

"Is that why you stayed?" Agustin guessed, flicking a glance at the wall that separated the den from the kitchen. "To look out for my daughter?"

With a sad smile and a slight nod, Bruno replied, "I knew someday she'd find the truth. Or someone else would find their way into my vision cave and recover the pieces. But also... I couldn't leave my family. Even if you all never knew I was here..." After a few moments of silence, he added, "I just don't know how to... I don't know how to... to find my place in the family."

Standing up and offering a hand to Bruno, Agustin gave him a warm smile. "Let's start simple, okay? Maybe with finding a place at the kitchen table?"

Taking Agustin's hand, Bruno allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and the two men headed out of the wall space and back towards the kitchen.