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Okay, so I know this is Disney but like…let me have this dramatic chapter and I'll get bac to the fluff, alright? T-T

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Chapter Four

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Katerina and Bruno hadn't said a word to their families about their relationship although they weren't trying very hard to hide it. During their first week together, they spent most of their time in the tower, doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted.

One day, Bruno snuck into the kitchen for a snack, only for Julieta to notice bite marks on his neck and scratches on his arms. She raised a brow knowingly and silently handed him an arepa. His cheeks flushed a bit as he nodded a silent thanks. He cleared his throat awkwardly and nibbled the cold dough.

"Godspeed, hermanito," she sighed and shooed him away.

After a few months passed, the couple noticed the looks they'd get around town. The townsfolk figured it out before Mamá Alma did. Lupita, who had moved into a newly constructed house built especially for her, never questioned why her daughter didn't move in with her. She understood but implored her to visit when she wasn't busy.

The town welcomed Katerina with open arms after her true identity was revealed. A little too welcoming for Bruno's liking, but she always put his fears to rest. It didn't stop him from glaring at every man she came in contact with, though.

"Hey," Bruno turned to Kat one early morning while they were lying in bed, "I have to get up sometime today."

"No, no I don't think you do," she knit her brows together and traced the marks she made on his back the night before. A small, prideful smirk tugged at her lips as she felt the raised skin.

"I know, mi amor, but – ah, you know – people are wanting their, uh, futures read," Bruno stuttered as her touch sent a chill down his spine. Kat giggled and snuggled up to his chest, wrapping her arms around him like a clingy child.

"But what about what I want?" she purred in his ear, earning a low hum of approval from the man next to her. He planted a kiss on her forehead before slipping out of the bed and giving her a pointed look.

"You always get what you want," he noted with heavy sarcasm. When she rolled over, her untamed hair sat around her like a dark halo.

"And yet here we are, two worlds apart," she held a hand out to him dramatically. He grabbed it and gave it a princely kiss before laughing and throwing on some clothes.

"I'm going to the market in a little bit. Do you need anything?" Kat asked, eventually pushing herself to get up and throw on one of Bruno's old ponchos. It was the little things that always brought a smile to his face.

"Just you," he chuckled, earning an eye roll in response.

As he retreated into his cave higher up in the tower, Katerina slipped on her shoes, tied her hair up into a messy bun, and then traipsed out the door. The moment the sun hit her skin, she knew it was going to be a good day. A smile spread across her beaming face as she made her way to the market.

When she arrived at the town square, she felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sight of decorations for el Festival de Luces.

Had another four years passed already?

The last time the festival came around, she was too afraid of seeing her father to even step foot out of the tower. Of course, Bruno being Bruno wanted to stay and keep her company.

The return of the festival made her rethink the evolution of their relationship over the years. In the beginning, Kat just wanted to see if Bruno was really the creep the townspeople thought he was. She'd never dreamed that he was the sweetest man she'd ever met.

Kat had also gotten closer to Pepa and Julieta since that fateful day. Before knowing the sisters, she thought Pepa to be a hothead who only cared about what she wanted. As for Julieta, a younger Katerina would have called her a pompous and self-centred prima donna. Then again, she figured that all the Madrigals thought themselves to be higher beings. The truth was that the entire family stressed themselves out while trying to please others.

Another thing all three of the triplets shared was their short temper. Julieta and Bruno had it more under control but any of the siblings could snap at any moment. Kat would sometimes play mediator between them and whoever they argued with but she still knew when to pick and choose her battles.

Despite her faults and theirs, Katerina Ruiz felt like another sibling to Julieta and Pepa while occasionally feeling like a third daughter to Alma. In just the span of a few years, the outcast child no one knew of felt as if she had been welcomed into a new, magical home.

"Enjoying the view?"

Katerina came crashing back down to Earth in a matter of seconds. The familiar voice that suddenly appeared next to her sent a chill down her spine but she would not allow herself to look afraid in front of him. Not again. Not ever.

"You're supposed to be staying away from me," she stated indifferently, not bothering to even glance in his direction. Martín snaked his arms around her shoulders, smiling when she tensed at his touch.

"I'm not here to argue, wench. I just came to tell you that your mother was looking for you. I think she went to that forest clearing you mentioned once," he said with a deceitfully warm smile. Anyone passing by would assume they were having a nice conversation.

"What did you do to her?" Kat snapped, brows furrowing with concern. Martín's grip on her tightened.

"Careful now, brat," he hissed into her ear. "Say something I don't like and I might just beat the Madrigal boy to the brink of death."

"Lay a finger on him and I'll tear your fingernails off one by one. Red would suit you," Katerina snarled in a voice so low that only he could hear.

"You know I don't take insults lightly," the monster next to her chuckled in a deep voice. She froze. She gnawed on her bottom lip as worry grew in her chest.

"Where is my mother?" she bit out. Martín removed himself from her side and gave her head a little pat. It angered her to no end that he didn't answer her question. Instead, that demonio simply walked away, laughing like he heard a funny joke. When he left her line of sight, she dropped her basket full of items from the market and ran like hell back to Casita.

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Bruno ran a hand through his curls as another unhappy customer left his premonition cave. No one would ever stop blaming him for showing them the truth. He warns them, yet they still come flocking to his tower as if he'll magically fix their problems. It's not his fault that fish have short lifespans!

It takes everything in him not to yelp when Kat storms into the large room with tear stains on his face. She's never been up there before but that's not what he's focused on. There's a look of fear in her eyes that leaves her body trembling. Quickly, Bruno wraps his arms around her and lets her weep into his chest for a moment.

"Kat? What happened? Why are you crying, cariño?" He takes her sobbing face in his hands as she clings to fistfuls of his poncho.

"I - I need you," she pauses to gasp for air, "I need you to show me where my mother is."

"Lupita? Didn't Mamá just see her yesterday?" Bruno asked quietly while stroking her hair that had come undone during her panic.

"Just do it!" Kat ordered with such a vicious shout that she made her partner flinch. She didn't care but at that moment he was much too afraid of her to argue back.

Without touching her, Bruno led Kat to the middle of the room and had her sit down. Hesitantly, he took her hands and closed his eyes. The circle of sand fluttered up and into the air around them in a dome shape. Kat withheld a gasp as the grains began to glow emerald green along with Bruno's slowly opening eyes. He pulled her onto her feet when an image appeared behind her.

"The forest…?" she mumbled confusedly, eyebrows knit together. As the image got bigger, she could make out the figure of her mother lying under the low-growing tree that was often used as a bench. The moment she saw the dark stain on Lupita's side, she clenched her fists at her side and stepped out of the circle.

"K-Kat, wait!" Bruno called, eyes returning to their normal colour when the circle of sand was broken. Katerina paid him no mind as she started running down the tower's steps. He only caught up to her when she trudged through the sandpit on the bottom floor.

"She's hurt, Bruno!" she cried, dramatically gesturing with her hands and arms. "My dad hurt her and I'm not going to sit by and wait!"

"I know, I know! All I'm saying is you don't have to go alone," Bruno spun her around after he managed to grab ahold of her left shoulder. The wild look in her eyes made him stop in his tracks. There was a moment of tense silence that only ended when she nodded curtly.

"Go get Julieta and meet me in the forest," she instructed. After humming in conformation, Bruno rushed over to his sister's room and banged on the door.

"Bruno, what do you want?" grumbled Julieta, a poorly hidden and half-dressed Augustín standing awkwardly behind her. Bruno cleared his throat nervously and pointed towards Katerina as she ran out of the front doors.

"Lupita's in trouble. I think Martín got to her," he explained hurriedly. Julieta let out a small gasp of worry and rushed out of her room with her boyfriend behind her, hastily trying to put his shirt back on.

Katerina made it to the clearing first. She cried out Lupita's name when she saw her in the exact same position she had been in during Bruno's vision. Dark crimson stained the grass and dirt beneath her barely breathing body. There was a stab wound in her side that her daughter tried to fill with a torn-off piece of her clothing. The faded green fabric simply soaked up all the blood it could before becoming useless.

"K-Katerina…" Lupita gasped raggedly, only to be shushed by Katerina.

"I'm here Mamá. Tú hija está aquí," the young woman brought her mother's hand to her cheeks which were glossy from falling tears.

"He did this…He's trying to hurt us," Lupita explained through shaky breaths. Kat furrowed her brows, knowing exactly who she was talking about.

"There she is!"

She didn't turn when she heard Martín shout because she didn't want her mother to see her murder him. She shut her eyes and held Lupita closer, praying to whoever was listening that Julieta would arrive soon.

"Did she really do this?" an unfamiliar voice asked, prompting her to look back over her shoulder. That bastard had brought half the town and tried to convince them that she had done this to her mother. Her own mother!

"Quit staring and help me!" she cried viciously. No one moved as she tore off more of her poncho to fill the stab wound.

"I saw her…She – She stabbed her and tossed the knife into the river," Martín said with the most heartbroken look he could muster. He was a pathological liar, couldn't they see that? No. No, they couldn't. The town hadn't seen Martín Ruiz's true nature and believed he was one of the nicest men alive.

One of the onlookers carefully stepped by Kat's shaking form and looked into the water. There, somewhat submerged under the mud, was a large kitchen knife. Horrified gasp and murmurs filled the small crowd as they turned their attention back to Kat and Lupita.

"Mamá, what do I do…?" she whimpered, burying her face in her mother's blood-stained hair.

"I love you, mi oruguita," Lupita smiled. She used the rest of her strength to wipe the tears from the sobbing girl's face.

Just as the man revealed the weapon, Bruno, Julieta, Augustìn and Fèlix, (who they had picked up while running through the eerily quiet town) burst through the bush. They were all shocked to different extents as they took in the scene.

Julieta rushed to Katerina's side and pulled an arepa out of her handbag. Kat opened Lupita's mouth and helped her chew it, desperation filling her trembling body.

"It's not working! Why isn't it working?!" she sobbed. Julieta covered her mouth with her hand as her own eyes began to overflow with tears. Augustìn wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her back caringly.

"She's gone…" Kat whispered unconsciously. This was not happening. She checked for a pulse, only to find nothing. Her mother had died in her arms and it was her fault. A million thoughts began to run through her head.

She'd still be here if I never left. I could have said nothing and taken it...She'd still be here if I just let him.

"You probably helped her, didn't you?" Martín glared daggers at Bruno, snapping Kat out of her paralysis. In a fraction of a second, she was up on her feet and running toward her father.

"HIJO DE PUTA, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" She landed a blow to his jaw and then began clawing at him with all her might.

When Bruno tried to pull her back, she shoved him off of her with such force that he hit the ground. Two men from town grabbed her arms and hoisted her up so she was a foot off the ground. That didn't stop her from shouting and trying to attack anything in her way.

"Control your bitch," Martín scoffed in Bruno's direction, blood gushing from his broken nose.

"She's dangerous, Martín. What do we do with her?" asked one of the men restraining Kat. The Madrigal family froze.

"What is wrong with you people?! Kat wouldn't do this, just think about what you're saying!" Fèlix snapped, gesturing wildly. If Pepa were here, she'd have caused a whole hurricane by now. Luckily, she was in the house and not feeling well.

"People can have hidden sides. Why do you think I kept her secret all those years? She's a menace, but she's my daughter," Martín hung his head. That little spiel got him looks of sympathy from the townspeople but just angered the magical family in front of them.

"No!" Kat shrieked, "You don't get to play the helpless victim! You killed my mother, you bastard!"

"We could lock her up somewhere and let the rats deal with her," one woman suggested.

"Or burn her like the witch she is!"

No one's listening.

"I say we hang her."

Why aren't they listening…?

"We could tie her to some stones and drown her."

"LISTEN TO YOURSELVES!"

The angered crowd stopped their plotting when Alma stepped into the clearing. She scowled at the men holding Kat, who had stopped fighting and just hung there while she cried. They dropped her, leaving the grieving woman to fall to her knees. No one dared to move.

"You're going to murder this poor woman who did nothing wrong?! Shame on you!" Alma shouted, crouching down so she was next to Katerina. She placed a hand on her shaking shoulder and brought her into a warm embrace. She cried into her dress for what felt like hours.

"Alma, the girl's — "

"Katerina is a bright and loving woman. She wouldn't be stupid enough to kill her own mother," Alma interrupted Martín instantly. "You, on the other hand, are dumb enough to murder your wife after abusing them for years."

All the witnesses stared at the group with confusion and fright. Martín scoffed and let his fearful parent façade fall. His eyes briefly lingered on his daughter for a moment, only to have Bruno stand in his way.

"You're a waste of flesh." He turned to Katerina and gingerly took her from his mother's arms. Her cries were just ugly hiccups and whimpers at this point.

"Take her back to Casita. I'll settle this," Alma said calmly despite the irate look in her eyes. Bruno nodded and picked Kat up off the floor. She was too tired to argue but her chest ached when she glanced at her mother one last time: lying heartbreakingly still in Julieta's lap.

That was the last time she saw either of her parents.

A few days after Lupita's death, Alma had arranged a beautiful funeral for her old friend and Katerina didn't even bother to wake up on time for it. The people in town didn't want her there, anyway, so she only visited when no one else was present. They thought she murdered her own mother, fucking idiots.

Bruno hadn't spoken to her, thinking all she needed was space, but as she lay in his cold bed, she wished someone – anyone – would show up and comfort her. Fèlix and Julieta had tried, as well as a sickly looking Pepa. Kat could only offer them a sad smile before regaining that dull, lifeless look in her eyes.

Lupita wasn't the only soul that was lost that night.

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"You come down here, right now!"

"Or what?! You're gonna drag me out of the tower? I'd like to see you try!"

"Damn it, Katerina!"

Life with Katerina during the months after her mother's passing was rough. She'd fight anyone who tried to take her out of Bruno's tower — Bruno included. It was a wonder that he put up with it, but he still loved her.

She's just going through a rough time, he told himself every time she tried to kick, claw, or scratch at him. He was right but did she have to act like such a brat all the time? She had even fought him to the point of driving him out of their shared bed at night. The couch had been his best friend for three weeks. Alma refused to talk to the girl and no one else could get through to her...

"I'm not going to that dumb festival just so people can harass me!" the brunette pouted like a child who wasn't gifted the newest toy for Christmas. Bruno rubbed his aching temples with his fingers as he paced in front of his door.

"Mamá said we all have to go. You're a part of this family, too," he snapped, making Kat pause. Her eyes danced around the floor as if she was trying to look for something, facial features conveying a myriad of emotions.

"You know as well as I do that that's not true…" she mumbled under her breath. Bruno furrowed his brows in annoyance before grabbing her balled-up fist.

"Kat, you might not be born a Madrigal but you're still mi familia. Same as Fèlix and Augustìn," he said lovingly, a gentle look in his big doe eyes. Kat couldn't take it anymore. It was only when she slammed her fists into his unsuspecting chest that she finally allowed her true colours to show.

"Christ, Bruno, has it ever occurred to your small brain that I might not want to be a part of this family?!" she screamed in a blind rage. They both knew wasn't strong enough to cause any damage, but the fact that he simply stood there and took it pissed her off to no end.

Why isn't he fighting back? Why hasn't he yelled back? Why…why is he just standing there?! SAY SOMETHING!

Bruno kept his grasp on her wrists as she tried to put distance between them. He winced when she accidentally scratched his arms, but it hurt no more than the words she had just said. She was raised in a way that made her believe that this was the only way to cope and he understood that.

"I'm sick of everyone in this family thinking they know what's best for me! Alma can't decide that I'll just move on and forgive that killer for the sake of Encanto! Those idiots in town can't expect me to confess to a crime I didn't commit and you — " her primal, ragged breathing left her looking like some wild animal on a rampage. "You can't just decide that I'm okay!"

There was only silence for the longest time. Some of her scratches had cut through Bruno's skin and there was a rip in his favourite poncho, yet he didn't get upset.

"You don't mean that," he stated matter–of–factly. Katerina's shoulders began to tremble as she chuckled, finally being driven over the edge.

"I meant every goddamn word," she scoffed, pulling her hand away from his so she could take her leave of the sandy room. She was pissed off and didn't need anyone else to tell her to calm down.

"Will you please just come to town for at least half an hour?" Bruno pleaded with kind eyes while Katerina allowed hers to close. If she looked into those begging orbs of his again, she'd crumble.

"I'm not going but you should. I think I need to be by myself for a bit." When she pushed past him, her hand briefly touched his. For a fraction of a second, he thought of pulling her back and telling her to quit acting like a child.

He knew better, though. He'd dealt with Pepa enough times to understand when an angry woman needed space. Katerina was distant and cold once again — farther away from anyone than she had been in years...and yet, Bruno still loved her.

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Katerina had gone straight to the kitchen so she could stress eat. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the hot tears streaming down her face. After Lupita, she believed she had run out. It wasn't until Julieta walked into the kitchen that she whipped them away and dried her cheeks.

"Kat, I heard yelling. Is everything okay?" She turned her head so that she could glare at Julieta through her peripherals. Instead of barking at her to leave, she focused on her round belly.

"You're about to pop, aren't you?" Kat's tired eyes simply turned back towards the cold empanada she was holding. Julieta nodded as she placed a hand on her stomach.

"Little bean hasn't been causing too much trouble but do I feel like hell" she chuckled. Kat's brows furrowed, unbeknownst to her sister behind her. She stiffened when she mentally corrected herself; She's not my sister. I'm not a part of this family. Never have been and never will be.

Julieta's smile turned sad as she took the hands of the girl who felt like her hermana, "Seriously, Katerina, what's wrong?" It took Kat a concerning amount of time to think of an answer.

She wanted to say that nothing was the matter — that worrying about her would somehow be bad for the baby. Instead, her own body betrayed her and instantly broke down.

"I – I messed up, Julieta!" she crumbled into a pathetic ball on the floor, startling the redhead behind her. For the first time since her mother died, Katerina Ruiz would let herself feel something other than guilt: anger, sadness, the overwhelming fear of being alone…It all came in one rushing tsunami wave.

"We all mess up, honey," Julieta smiled somberly as she pulled her sister over to the kitchen table.

"I yelled at Bruno," Kat hiccuped in between her silent sobs. No one else needed to come in and see her breaking down. She had cried a lot over the past few months, but never in public.

"We've all yelled at Bruno."

"I scratched him, too."

"I mean…Yeah, okay, I've done that, too."

"And I told him I didn't want to be a part of this family…"

"YOU WHAT?!" Kat flinched and buried her face in her knees at the uncharacteristically loud shout that came from the woman.

"I was never part of this family, anyway. Everyone in town hates me so it would just be best if you all kicked me out or burned me at the stake or whatever!" She couldn't see it but Julieta was staring at her with the most heartbroken expression she could muster.

"Katerina Ruiz, I'm so disappointed in you!" her chestnut-coloured eyes burned with the flame of the infamous Madrigal fury. "You have always — and I mean always — been a part of this family. Whether you're blood or not, you're my hermana. Hell, you'll be my Little Dumpling's aunt even if you don't want to."

"But I've only caused trouble for your family since I met you guys. E – Even Mamá Alma is on the fence about whether or not I should be here," Kat whipped the snot from her face as she looked up through thick eyelashes. Julieta took one of her shivering hands and enclosed it in her own.

"Mamá can be dealt with. Pepa and I love you so much and Brunito's always happiest when you're around. He never stops talking about you sometimes," she rolled her eyes but smiled playfully, catching the attention of the weeping woman at her feet.

"He does…?" Katerina sniffled as her sister cupped her face. She pulled her up a bit so that their foreheads connect. It was almost as if Julieta was trying to share her memories through some physical link.

"Sweetie, you've made him smile more than any of us ever could. Tú eres su luz en la oscuridad. He might be a little scared to say it himself but he loves you more than anything," she said quietly when they separated. Kat's eyes narrowed as she glared at her hands clenched into fists in her lap.

"I hurt him and...and I don't know how to fix it…" she unknowingly whispered aloud. Julieta helped her to her feet and then pulled the slowly stabilizing woman into a tight embrace.

"Start with an apology and maybe a hug. Bruno likes to hug you so he can smell you," she explained with a warm smile.

"How do you—" "Sometimes he overshares. Point is, you have to let him in. He will always love you, no matter what."

Those few minutes in the kitchen were proof enough that even on the darkest days this strange family could rid herself of the shadow that wrapped around her mind. They welcomed her with open arms and despite her sharp thorns that caused their skin to bleed, she still nestled herself in the safety of their arms.

Her moment of weakness in the kitchen also gave Kat an idea of how to make up with Bruno. Until the time came for the festival, Kat was helping Julieta with whatever she needed. Even though she didn't have a gift and the Kitchen Goddess could take care of herself, she wanted to feel like she was helping. Besides, Augustín would thank her later when his wife would return to their room without an attitude.