AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thinking about Agustin Madrigal and his place in this story, it occurred to me that the man probably had issues with Bruno after finding out about Mirabel living in the walls with her tio.

And while I would HOPE that no one has had certain thoughts about Bruno and Mirabel in this alternate timeline, let me be perfectly clear about this: BRUNO IS MIRABEL'S UNCLE AND WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE WITH HER!

Sorry for the all caps, but if you've ever looked up Encanto fan art featuring these two, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

With that out of the way, please enjoy the following chapter!

Chapter 7

Although he tried his best to hide it, there was a part of Agustin that strongly resented Bruno, and if he was being honest with himself, it was a resentment that had begun brewing shortly after Mirabel was born.

It had always been hard for Agustin to relate to his older daughters, not only because of their magical Gifts, but because both seemed to be blessed with a natural coordination and grace that he sorely lacked. Until she got her glasses when she was 3, Mirabel had also been awkward and clumsy, much like her father.

However, after Bruno had deduced Mirabel's vision problems, the connection between the two seemed to solidify further, leaving Agustin's ties to his daughter to start unraveling. After all, Agustin was boring and clumsy... Bruno was not.

But more than that, Mirabel and Bruno just seemed to have some sort of natural bond right from the start and her favorite Tio had always been the right person to help Mira though illness, nightmares, or just general bad or sad moods.

When Mirabel's door had disappeared and Bruno had 'left', Agustin couldn't help feeling the slightest bit of joy and exhilaration as he realized that this was his chance to fill the hole Bruno had left in his daughter's life.

Yet try as he might, he couldn't make himself fit into that void and Mira began withdrawing more and more... much as Bruno had done before he hid in the walls.

Sitting with Mirabel after the house had partially collapsed allowed Agustin to start reconnecting with his youngest daughter, but the more Mirabel spoke of Bruno helping her through her emotional issues, anxiety attacks, and feeling like she was useless, the more Agustin felt the old resentment start to reawaken. It felt like a sleeping dragon, ready to burn and destroy anything it liked if disturbed.

The urge to pick a fight with his brother-in-law kept gnawing at Agustin and although he tried to ignore it for the sake of his family, he knew it was only a matter of time before he finally snapped.

Julieta had done her best to reassure her husband that Bruno had never tried to replace him as Mirabel's father, saying that the bond between tio and sobrina was due to the two relying on one another for 5 years.

And yet, despite all the reassurances, Agustin still couldn't help the way he felt.

Things finally came to a head between Agustin and Bruno when the Madrigals and Guzmans were awoken early in the morning by Mirabel crying loudly as she was gripped by a nightmare. Letting out a startled scream as she woke, sitting bolt-upright, Mirabel's cries were strangled as she looked at the assembled crowd, her eyes latching onto her mother, Isabela... and Bruno.

As the trio worked to calm Mirabel down, Agustin felt his temper snap and before he knew what he was doing, he pulled Bruno away, fixing him with a glare.

"Agustin," Julieta reprimanded, sharply. "What's with you?"

"I've just gotten fed up with Bruno acting like he's Mirabel's parent," Agustin snapped, irritably. Turning to his brother-in-law, he added, "As Mirabel's father, I think I know how to help my daughter after she's had a bad dream."

Bruno frowned as he stood up from where he'd been perched on the arm of the sofa and faced Agustin, his voice calm, but firm as he replied, "Bad dreams are one thing. Mirabel's nightmares are different. Trust me, you don't want to get into talking about those right now."

"Oh, really?" Agustin scoffed, crossing his arms. "And why is that, exactly?"

Deciding that honesty was the best policy, even though he realized that going that route would probably lead to an actual fight, Bruno finally said, "Because some of your daughter's nightmares involve the family... specifically you and Julieta."

Stiffening as he let his arms drop, Agustin looked outraged as well as shocked. "Why in God's name would I give my little girl nightmares?"

"If the two of you are going to fight," Pepa cut in, catching the stricken look on Mirabel's face. "-Then take it outside." As she saw the two men square off against one another, she grabbed both her brother and brother-in-law by the upper arm and marched them out to the backyard, growling admonishments as she went.

Except for Isabela quietly soothing Mirabel, who was trying not to start having an anxiety attack, no one in the sitting room said a word as they were too busy listening to Agustin and Bruno yelling. The arguments kept getting more and more heated and ugly the longer it went on.

"If you were so concerned about Mirabel, maybe you should have tried to be a better father to her!" Bruno shouted, and Julieta's eyes widened as she heard the genuine anger in her brother's voice.

"At least I didn't abandon my family because nobody liked me anymore!" Agustin retorted. "I didn't hide in the walls like a coward!"

Pepa let out a shrieking yelp as there was the sound of an impact and Julieta darted to the back, her mother following behind.

Standing up, Mirabel shot a look at Isabela who had been about to tell her to stay put. "I'm going out there," she stated, resolved. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"We'll both help you," Dolores replied, standing on Mirabel's right side while Isabela took the left, the two helping Mirabel hobble out to the yard. Luisa was just ahead of them and between her and Pepa, they managed to get Agustin and Bruno separated.

Agustin had a red mark on his jaw from one punch and a split lip from another. Bruno gingerly touched his left eye which was red and just barely starting to look puffy.

Both men turned to Mirabel as she limped forward, leaning on Isabela while Dolores helped Julieta tend to Agustin and Bruno.

Agustin looked like he clearly wanted to go another round, but the fight seemed to have gone out of Bruno. "You, Julieta, Pepa, Abuela... You all kept telling Mirabel that she was special without a Gift," Bruno said to the family at large after shrugging off his sister's attempts to examine his eye. "You told her that she shouldn't feel left out because she didn't have magic. Everyone kept telling Mirabel how she should feel or telling her to not be upset about what she didn't have. But what you should have done was ask her how she felt. Mirabel didn't want reassurances and encouragement. She wanted someone who would listen to her. Someone who would let her express whatever emotions she was having and not tell her to stop crying or don't be upset."

Glancing at Mirabel, whose eyes now shone with tears, Bruno went on. "Giving Mirabel what she needed... keeping her safe, and helping her get through the hardest parts of her life... That's what she should have been getting from you, Agustin. I'm sure you meant well before Mirabel left, but it wasn't enough. I'm sorry you think I took your place in your daughter's life. I wasn't trying to be her father, I just... I didn't want to lose her."

Agustin went limp against Luisa, but he was grateful that his middle daughter was still holding him as the meaning behind Bruno's words sunk in. Really looking at Mirabel, he saw the pain in her eyes that had nothing to do with her healing leg.

"I had no idea you were going through the same problems as me," Pepa told her sobrina, "I know how damaging it can be to hold in your emotions and keep them bottled up. My emotions can cause hurricanes, but your storms became internal. I'm sorry if I added to that."

Alma was hesitant to speak as she was afraid of saying the wrong thing but after a moment, she stepped closer to her granddaughter and said, "I'm sorry I spent so much time telling you to be quiet. If you are ready to talk, I am ready to listen. We all hear you, Mira."

Mirabel froze, clinging tighter to Isabela as she felt her entire family as well as Mariano and Senora Guzman turn their full attention to her. Her heart rate sped up and she felt herself start to hyperventilate. The tears came with harsh, strangled sobs and she turned away, pressing her face against her big sister's shoulder.

"Mira!" Isabela shrieked as her little sister went suddenly limp. Catching her before she fell, Isa lowered Mirabel to the ground while their father motioned everyone back to give Mira some space.

"Mirabel?" Julieta queried as she examined her daughter to see if she was alright and that she hadn't injured her leg again.

"She's passed out," Bruno noted, darting forward and sitting on the ground, resting Mirabel's head in his lap. Looking up at Julieta before turning to the others, he cautioned, "You-You can't crowd her right now. I-I'm okay with it, but Mira's..." Bruno looked away, his face full of sorrowful resentment. Turning back to Julieta and Agustin, he took a deep breath and said, "Mirabel's introversion started morphing into social anxiety while she was in the walls with me. Hiding in the shadows and watching the family from a distance is-is one thing, but... but-but everyone focusing on her all at once...? I-I think she got overwhelmed."

Thinking on how Mirabel seemed to withdraw when there were too many people around her, Agustin began to wonder if his attempts to rebond with his daughter had been contributing to her anxiety. Asserting himself and shooing everyone except for Julieta, Isabela, and Bruno back into the house and back to bed, Agustin knelt down next to Mirabel, taking her hand before looking at Bruno. "How do we help her?"

If he was surprised that he was suddenly being asked for advice and input, Bruno didn't show it. As he got to his feet, scooping Mirabel up in his arms as he did so, he replied, "Let's-Let's get Mira settled back on the sofa and we can talk in the kitchen."

"I'm going to stay up and keep an eye on her," Isabela stated, her tone making it clear that she wouldn't accept any arguments. Once her sister was back on the sofa and covered with a blanket, Isa curled up in a chair nearby, watching Mira's even breaths and hoping she'd feel better when she awoke once more.

x

Waking well after lunch, Mirabel felt groggy and incredibly embarrassed as she remembered her anxiety attack early that morning with her entire family and future in-laws watching. Groaning with humiliation as she pulled her blanket over her head, Mirabel turned as best she could towards the back of the sofa as she heard Isabela's voice.

"Mama left some arepas and grilled pork for you," Isa stated and Mirabel heard a tray being set on the table nearby. "You should eat something."

"I can't even look at anyone right now," Mirabel grumbled. Hearing her sister perch on the armrest by her head, she said nothing else, even as she felt Isabela stroke her hair through the blanket.

"Abuela and Senora Guzman are meeting with the village elders to discuss what to do about the cracks that have appeared in the mountains around the encanto," Isabela murmured, soothingly. "Everyone else is working on repairs to the house, except for Antonio who is taking care of Tio Bruno's rats with some of the other village children. It's just you and me for another 5 hours, at least."

Slowly, Mirabel sat up, putting the blanket away as she faced her sister who had moved to a chair nearby. "I am so, so sorry about what happened. W-With everyone staring at me, I-I just..."

Isabela quickly moved to sit next to Mirabel, hugging her as she spoke. "A few months after I got my Gift, Abuela had me down by the town square for some big display of my powers. Everyone was looking at me and I froze right then and there. All of a sudden, this... cocoon of Japanese honeysuckle, blackberry vines, and ivy wrapped around me, hiding me from view. No one could get near me for hours."

"How did you finally get out?" Mirabel asked, curiously.

Isabela smiled warmly as she replied, "Papa and Tio Bruno kept talking to me until I could make a hole in the cocoon and crawl out. Mama went off on Abuela for putting me on display like that." Leaning close to her sister and whispering in her ear, she added, "But that was nothing compared to the reprimand Abuela got just before lunch when Mama saw that you were still out."

Rubbing her face with both hands and leaning back, Mirabel let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry for being such a complete wreck. I know everyone was probably expecting Tio Bruno and I to be just like we were when we left... or even better, but..."

"I told Mama and Papa that we needed to scale back with you," Isabela told her sister. "Baby steps, you know? I know you're not a baby anymore, but sometimes leaps are a bit too much, aren't they?"

Mirabel nodded, thinking back to when she'd been confronting Abuela before the house had started crumbling. "If I'm focused on one person or even two... I'm-I'm okay. But the whole family waiting on me to say something... And-And I felt like everyone was silently judging me."

"It's going to take time," Isabela mused aloud. "Time for you and Tio Bruno to heal and integrate back into the family... time for the rest of of us to mend what's been broken. But it's time we need to take. We can't rush things right now. And if you're not ready for crowds, Mira, then you're not ready. That's all there is to it."

After hugging her sister, Mirabel gave a sheepish look to Isabela as her stomach growled expectantly. Reaching for the lunch tray, Mira dug in, feeling a sense of relief that her sister was back in her life once again.

While the casita's nursery hadn't been completely demolished, the damage had been significant and as preparations began for reconstructing the second floor and Bruno's tower room, Agustin cornered his brother-in-law to discuss Mirabel's new bedroom.

"She needs a space of her own," Agustin asserted, pointing to the basic plans he'd sketched out with the help of Camilo and Abuela. "Someplace that's uniquely Mirabel. I was hoping you had some thoughts?"

"She needs a proper bed," Bruno replied at once. "You saw the room she and I were sharing when we cleared away all the rubble. The two of us traded off with sleeping on the mattress or in the armchair. But Mirabel needs something much more comfortable."

Making a note on a new sheet of paper, Agustin waited to hear more.

"And a sewing table," Bruno added after a moment to think. "And her own bathroom, if possible," he threw in, remembering how awkward things sometimes got when Mirabel began having her period. Thinking about how much Mirabel liked to sit on the roof when she needed some time alone, he said as much, suggesting an actual balcony and access to the roof.

Wondering if he should divulge the information then or wait until the 'housewarming' celebration, Agustin was quiet for a moment as he studied Bruno and the house plans. After a while, he finally just stated, "Camilo and Felix are working to repair the broken floorboards and your room in the wall space."

Bruno was surprised by that. He'd been afraid that his den would be boarded up or something.

"Julieta, Pepa, and Abuela assigned themselves the task of remodeling and redecorating it," Agustin added with a smile.

Bruno offered a quick 'thanks' and prepared to go back to helping with the bricklaying and masonry work when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning to see Agustin looking serious, Bruno said nothing for a moment before asking, "Something else?"

Agustin nodded, taking a deep breath before replying, "I'm sorry, Bruno. I shouldn't have picked a fight with you. It's just... Sometimes it's hard feeling inadequate in this family... you know?"

Bruno's mouth tweaked in a wry smile as he nodded knowingly. "I've had that feeling more than a few times. And I don't blame you for feeling the way you do. Mirabel has always wanted to help and to make people feel better when they're sad or in a bad mood. I think that's why she gravitated towards me. She knew I needed the most help."

But Agustin wasn't easily dissuaded, and he shook his head briefly. "That's no excuse. We've got enough to deal with as far as repairing the house and hoping the miracle comes back somehow. You're not a coward, Bruno. You left to protect my daughter and I should have thanked you for taking care of her these past 5 years instead of trying to beat you up."

x

A couple hours after lunch, Julieta made up some excuse to hurry back to the Guzman home so she could check on Mirabel.

Seeing her daughter's anxiety attack had been startling enough, but the fact that Mira hadn't woken up for breakfast or lunch was incredibly worrisome.

In a way, Julieta understood her husband's resentment towards Bruno, but at the same time, hers leaned more towards regret at not knowing how to help make the reintegration into the family easier.

"Hey, Mama," Mirabel greeted, giving her mother a smile as she entered the sitting room.

Julieta glanced over at Isabela and, seeing the weariness in her eldest daughter's face, nodded towards the upper story. "Why don't you go get some sleep, Isa? I'll sit with Mirabel for a while."

Waiting until Mirabel gave an approving look, Isabela made her way upstairs to the guest room her parents were using.

"How is your leg feeling, Mira?" Julieta asked, curiously, as she sat on the sofa.

"It's feeling better, Mama," Mirabel replied. "I don't know if the magic is starting to get stronger again or what, but I definitely felt better after I had some of your food earlier."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Julieta smiled and promised to relay the information to the rest of the family.

"How's your hand?" Mirabel wanted to know, thinking of the night of Antonio's Gift ceremony.

Julieta held out her left hand, palm facing up so that Mirabel could see the thick scar. "I think this is going to be the second worst scar I have," she admitted.

Trying to recall the times her mother had hurt herself, Mirabel frowned slightly as she asked, "What's the actual worst scar?"

Placing her right hand over her heart, Julieta's eyes glistened with tears as she replied, "The day you disappeared, mi vida."

With tears streaming down her own face, Mirabel took her mother's hands in hers as she tried to think of the best way to apologize for causing so much pain. "I'm here, Mama. And I'm not going anywhere ever again."

But Julieta's smile was sad as she brushed some of Mirabel's hair from her face. "I know, corazon... And having you back lessens the pain in my heart... but the scar will always be there."

Hugging her mother and smiling as she felt the return embrace, Mirabel confided, "I know how you feel, Mama. There are scars on my heart as well."