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Chapter Six

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Kat downed the rest of her orange juice and then sat her glass down on the long dining table. Sunday dinner outside was always like gambling on how her morning would go. Sometimes, she'd watch Alma plan the day in detail and other times, she'd get into an argument with one of the family members. Did that woman just hate everyone who caused her the slightest inconvenience?

Today seemed like a good day on account of the lack of yelling. Usually, Alma would comment something like Katerina's poor posture or the mess Isabela was making, only to have one of her kids retaliate with anger. All in all, it was a bizarre but calm morning. When everyone had finished eating, the Madrigal family figurehead stood up with a bright smile on her face.

"Everyone, we have some exciting news!" The older woman clapped her hands together joyously. She nodded towards Pepa and Fèlix, who stood up with eager smiles. Kat's jaw instantly dropped when she noticed the way her sister-in-law put her hand on her stomach. Her hands flew up over her agape mouth.

"No way!" She jumped to her feet and rushed to the other side of the table to hug her sister and brother.

"What's going on?" Bruno asked with furrowed brows. Fèlix shared a look with Pepa, who nodded her consent.

"We're gonna have a baby!"

Bruno choked on his orange juice, spitting it all over Augustín. He hastily apologized and offered his brother a napkin to clean his glasses. Julieta and Kat squealed as they gingerly hugged Pepa and began to ramble on about motherly things. Despite only two of them having kids, all three were beyond ecstatic.

"Hey, Brunito," Fèlix elbowed Bruno in the side and wiggled his eyebrows, "You know what this means?"

"Um...no?" he cringed, suddenly getting the nervous sweats. He had no clue what the hell his hermano was implying but knowing Fèlix, it wasn't any good.

"Katerina's going to be next," Augustín explained with a raised brow. Bruno's jaw hung open as his eyes drifted towards his wife. He stared at the curly-haired brunette dancing around with four-month-old Isabela in her arms.

"You...You think so?" he swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Fèlix roared with laughter while patting the sweating fortune-teller on the back.

"You have nothing to worry about. She'd be awesome with kids," the shorter man smiled, watching the ladies giggle and chat. His words eased Bruno somewhat but he couldn't help explore the idea of having little Katerina-Bruno hybrids running around. Would that even be a good idea?

He had thought about kids many times before but it never occurred that the next big step in their life might be coming sooner than expected. Katerina was great with kids so there was no doubt she'd be a good mother, however, they never really took to Bruno. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of raising a little bean that looked like the love of his life. He'd love the child just as much as their mother.

So, after breakfast, he not-so-subtly brought up the conversation he had with Fèlix and Augustín.

"What do you mean 'I'm next?'" Katerina raised a brow as she folded the laundry. Her hazel-eyed husband nervously stumbled around his words for a few minutes.

"The guys and I were talking and since Julieta and Pepa are both mothers..." Katerina's sigh cut him off. She shook her head with closed eyes before placing the shirt she had been folding on a windowsill. Casita whisked it off to Pepa's room.

"Bruno, that's not a process of elimination kinda thing. Besides, it's not like I'm going to get pregnant just because of Julieta and Pepa," the brunette explained while unconsciously frowning. Bruno's face fell as her words sat in. His hands began to fidget under his poncho and he swore an invisible fist had just punched him in the gut.

"You're right…I'm sorry," he mumbled, head ducked down in shame. Katerina looked through her peripherals and noticed how genuinely hurt he looked.

I hurt him again, didn't I? Damn it, Katerina, pay attention! After taking a deep breath, she sat down the dress she was about to put on a hanger and turned around. Bruno was on the verge of tears, making her gnaw on her lip from shame. As if she didn't feel bad enough as it is.

"Bruno, if you want to have a kid, just say so," she said softly while taking his sweaty hands in her own. He opened and closed his mouth, unable to form the proper words. Katerina shook her head with an amused smile and cupped his head in her hands, scrunching up his face.

"We don't have to right now. We have time, it's just...something to think about," he mumbled, fears melting away at the sound of her light-hearted giggles. There she went, once again shining her radiant sun on even the darkest parts of his soul.

"Do you know what querencia means?" the brunette rested her hands on his shoulders. She couldn't help but notice how cute his slightly confused head tilt was.

"It's...a bull-fighting term, right?" he asked with furrowed brows.

"Well, yes," Kat scoffed amusedly, "but its true meaning is home – a place where you can be yourself and feel at peace." A light breeze tangled itself in her hair and brushed the dark tresses out of her face.

"You are my querencia, Bruno. You and any little ankle-biter we make in the future."

For a silent minute, Bruno took in all the fine details he could: the aged lines, new freckles, hints of pale-green flakes in her sapphire eyes that appeared to have gotten darker since their childhood. Maybe it was because of everything she had been through, but she looked older than him for once.

"You are so beautiful, you know that?" he sighed before pulling his wife close wrapping his arms around her.

"Don't butter me up, Rat Man." She stared up at him challengingly, placing a chaste peck on his lips.

"We're gonna have the cutest kid ever," he admitted with a soft smirk. Kat didn't have time to respond before her laughter was muffled by her husband going in for a longer kiss. The two of them were so wrapped up in the moment that they didn't notice the blue-eyed figure watching them from around the corner.

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That evening, Alma took a deep breath and knocked on the large wooden door before her. There was a whistling breeze that blew by as she waited for the occupant of the home to open up.

"Who could be knocking on my door at this hour?" quipped the raspy voice behind the cracked opening.

"Just let me in, Ruiz," Alma furrowed her dark brows, frown lines apparent. The door closed for a moment, a lock clicked, and then she was allowed inside the house.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Alma? Stripping me of my job and good name wasn't enough for you?" came Martín's taunting inquiry. Alma scoffed and took a seat at his dinner table. It made her feel a bit better knowing that he was the only one using it now; alone, just as he should be.

"You know I loathe what you've done. You murdered my best friend and threatened my son, yet I can't seem to figure out what to do with you," she snapped, eyes narrowed judgingly. Martín leaned back in his chair.

"The only reason you'd show up at my door is that you realize I'm right about the girl," he crossed his arms over his chest and smirked wickedly. "Tell me, Alma…have you seen the darkness?"

The head of the Madrigal family hesitated in answering. She understood that her son loves Katerina but some little critter in the back of her mind kept reminding her of how many of Encanto's people still thought she was a murderer. Numerous people had complained about her getting too close to the children or acting suspiciously while getting groceries…No one was there, however. None of them had seen what happened that day and it was her decision that laid out the path ahead. She had to save her family.

"She's not the problem here. We had an agreement and you broke it," Alma hissed, anger beginning to fester inside her. Martín shrugged as he popped the cap off a beer bottle.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," he looked directly into her golden-brown irises. There was a lengthy pause, during which he took a big swig of his booze.

"Pepa saw you leaving la Casa de Madrigal. I'm not comfortable with you being near my home and my family," Alma's frown deepened as she furrowed her brows.

"There was a marriage, wasn't there? Between the witch and the devil?" Her silence gave the drunkard all the information he needed. "If I'm not mistaken, we're family now...aren't we, Alma?"

That was the last straw for the Madrigal figurehead. She rose to her feet, the chair scooting back to accommodate the sudden movement with a loud screech. Her hand lashed out and tightly grasped Martín's arm when he tried to take another sip. Her nails dug into him like the talons of a falcon into its prey.

"You killed the only family you had, so don't come weaselling your way into mine, cabrón." Burning eyes of ember bore into his soul. Martín's cocky smile faded at the mention of his family. There was a tense silence that filled the air as he lowered his ensnared arm.

"You're not as clueless as I thought," he grumbled, oily hair falling in front of his eyes almost menacingly, "I'll give it to you, ya' old bat, I thought you'd have her killed for what she did. Then again, a man can only win so many times before he loses it all."

"I'm done cutting deals with you. I want you out. Out of Encanto, out of my life, out of Katerina's life," Alma ordered, releasing her hold on the man. Martín shook his head and laughed in that low tone that made her blood boil.

"You know better than that," the malicious glint in his eyes made the aged woman freeze, "I will never leave. It is my job to cleanse this world of the evil within that witch. The angels themselves have told me!"

"You're sick, Ruiz. It's not my job to fix you but I will not let you ruin what I've built," Alma declared in a low, threatening voice before turning to leave the house. She opened the door and nodded in the direction of the two men who were waiting outside. They went into the building and came out with a knocked out Martín.

"Lock him in the barn. He'll work until his hands and feet rot," she directed without even looking at the man. When the shuffling of the attendants' feet grew quieter, she allowed herself to relax. A cold shiver raked through her ageing body. "Aye, Pedro, mi amor, please tell me what to do."

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Katerina wasn't sure what woke her up but the moment she opened her eyes, she felt something was wrong. It wouldn't have bothered her as much if she had opened her eyes and seen Bruno beside her. Instead, she was alone. What on Earth is he doing up at this hour?

She threw the covers off her body and peeked out their bedroom door. Looking up towards the top of the tower, she could see a faint green light coming from Bruno's fortune-telling cave. An annoyed groan involuntarily left her throat as she slipped on some shoes and began to ascend the stairs. God, why were there so many?!

When she made it to the cave, she found the vault-like door had only opened a crack. It didn't take a genius to see that her husband was hiding something.

"Unbelievable," Kat hissed under her breath. They had promised there'd be no more secrets! Just as she opened the door, all the sand around Bruno and his very late night client dropped to the ground.

"What are you doing up so late?" she called. No one said a word. Frustrated that she had been ignored, Katerina stormed over to Bruno and turned him around by his shoulders. Her hands shot up to cover her agape mouth and her eyes widened.

There, on Bruno's left side, was a large bloodstain. The same bloodstain she had seen on her mother…

"Bruno! Are you okay?! What happened?!" Kat cried, tears stinging her eyes. Her shaky hands took the wrapped cloth from his hands.

"Kat," Bruno's voice echoed through the room's void as if it were coming from everywhere around her, "I don't think it's working out."

"W – What?!" Katerina whimpered as the light began to fade from his eyes. She caught him when he fell, resting his head in her lap.

"I...don't love you, anymore. How could I after you did this to me?" he shivered as she ran her slender fingers through his dark locks. Her heart nearly stopped. She hiccuped and glanced over the cloth bundle again. It looked a lot like a...baby...blanket —

It was then that Kat noticed the other figure in the room. The demonio that ruined her life sat on the ground with a child in his arms. Its face was unrecognizable and it almost appeared to be a blur but it still scared the shit out of Kat.

"Come now, Witch. You didn't honestly think I'd let you pass down that wicked blood of yours? The evil agenda must end here," cackled Martín's garbled voice.

"Wait! Come back here, damn it!" Kat shrieked, reaching out for the man as he slowly backed away and faded into the darkness with her child. A pained sob escaped her throat before she looked back down at Bruno.

"K – Kat, where's our baby?" he breathed out shakily. Kat bit her lip to keep herself from crying anymore. She could feel the tremor that raked through his body when she didn't answer.

"I'm so sorry…" Her tears dripped onto his cheek as he slowly closed his eyes.

"You never should have been part of this family," he spoke so softly, though his words felt like knives. Katerina screamed in anguish as he laid her head on her husband's chest and listened to his fading heartbeat.

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Bruno was terrified. She was screaming and he couldn't wake her up, no matter how hard he had tried. The nightmares weren't new but this seemed worse than normal. He wanted to call Julieta but the thought of leaving Kat alone scared him even more.

"Mi amor, wake up. Please," he gently kissed her forehead despite the sweat. There was a beat of worry-filled silence that was interrupted by Kat jolting awake. Her eyes darted around the room as her chest rose and fell with her frantic breaths.

"You…You're okay," she breathed out as she fell into him. Her hands seemed to travel over every inch of him, searching for something she was relieved to not find.

"Yeah, of course, I'm okay. What happened? You were screaming for like ten minutes," Bruno brushed her sweat-drenched hair out of her face. Katerina sobbed and hiccuped while burying herself in his warm embrace.

"You were hurt? Yeah, you were hurt. Bad. Like Mamà was," she explained through her tears. Her eyes wouldn't dare open, fearful that she'd be pulled back into that hellscape. "Martín was there and he took our baby. He took them, Bruno! Just fucking walked away!"

"Shh, I know, I know. It wasn't real, mi vida," Bruno caressed her head in hopes of calming her down. Although, he couldn't help feeling a bit responsible for this god-awful nightmare of hers. If he hadn't brought up having kids, maybe she would still be sound asleep right now.

"I can't go back to sleep," the trembling woman sniffled. Bruno gently pulled her back into the mattress and kept his arms around her smaller frame.

"Then let's sit here. You can sing me something or we can just talk," he offered her a kind smile she very much needed. After a few seconds of thought, Kat opened her eyes a fraction. With a deep breath and a tight grasp on her husband she was afraid would simply disintegrate in her arms, she began to sing a new song.

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"Sometimes when I look in the mirror,

I still see your face resting on my shoulder.

And my heart beats so fast

That I start to feel alive again

And the rain, it washes away all the pain

'Cause it feels like the sound of your voice

And I'm comforted by the sweet smells of dew

Because the sunrise reminds me of you.

And I'll always find you again and again

And I'll love every version of you

And you're never truly gone

As long as a part of you in me lives on

'Cause I'll always find you again and again.

And I'll lose you every time.

But my love, I will hold you close to me,

'Til you fade from my arms peacefully."

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"That's a new one," Bruno quipped when her voice faded. Finally, Katerina allowed herself to smile.

"Do you like it? I could sing something else," she snuggled closer to her favourite person, breathing in his scent. Again, how does he still smell like vanilla?!

"It's all beautiful when it comes from you," he buried his face in her hair as she chastised him for being a suck up.

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Kat was exhausted the next morning. It took her forever to fall asleep, so when Julieta reminded her that she was going to babysit Isabela and Dolores for a little bit, she withheld the urge to groan.

"I've got to go for a little bit. Some errands need running," she said with a sigh while slipping on her shoes.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Bruno asked when she walked by the bed. She shook her head and bent over slightly so she could plant a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I'll be back later," she squeezed his hand briefly then made her way down the tower. It was getting easier to traverse the steps every day.

After leaving the tower, she stopped by the kitchen for a quick snack instead of breakfast. A small smile tugged on her lips as she watched Dolores and Isabela fawning over a flower that had grown in front of Casita. When the kids caught sight of her, they rushed to the entrance of the house.

"Are you ready?" Kat raised a dark brow. Her sobrinas took her hands and she allowed them to pull her towards town, silently answering her question. She chuckled at the young girls' enthusiasm.

"Why haven't you told Mamá or Tío Bruno?" Dolores asked once they reached the town. Kat led the children to a half-painted mural on the side of a building in the town square.

"It's supposed to be a surprise, Sweetheart," Katerina smiled softly as she opened a fresh can of paint. Her young accomplices picked up a paintbrush and helped her paint portraits of their magical family onto the wall. She painted the people and they added flowers, butterflies, etc.

"What about when we get older? Will you paint us, too?" Isabela looked up at her tía with sparkles in her eyes. Kat couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course, mi amor," she nodded, then turned towards her painting again. Pepa's colour palette is so ironically calming, she thought.

"I get my gift soon," Isabel said with a giddy tone, making Kat raise a brow.

"Yeah, four months. Are you nervous?" she asked. There was a moment of silence, during which the young girl shook her head. Meanwhile, Dolores's expression turned to one of worry.

"I am. I get my gift after you. What if I'm cursed like Tío Bruno?" she squeaked quietly, chocolate-coloured eyes growing wide. Katerina knew the girl didn't mean to hurt her feelings but her words made the organ behind her ribs ache. Something in her understood that Bruno's bad reputation was affecting how his family saw him and she hated it.

The brunette sat down her brushes and took both her nieces' small hands in her own, "Listen to me, you two. No matter what anyone says, Bruno's gift is not a curse. It's just sometimes…" She paused to think of a nice way she could rephrase her words, "Sometimes things don't go the way we want. When someone else tells us that our dreams and desires won't come true, we blame them and not fate."

"But what about the rats? Son aterradores," Isabela scrunched up her face in disgust. Kat sighed, placing her hands on either side of the girl's head and tilting it downwards. She then placed a quick kiss atop her head then did the same to Dolores.

"They're like pets, Sweetie. Your Tío Bruno's a little awkward, yeah, but he's the sweetest, most caring man alive." Her words came from the heart. When both of her nieces nodded in understanding, she resumed her work with an exasperated sigh. Damn, she was too tired for this.

"What do you think my gift will be?" asked Isabela as she climbed atop a nearby crate and sat there like a princess on her throne. Kat huffed amusedly. Oh, she'll definitely be a prima donna.

"Something just as beautiful as you are," Katerina suggested with a hopeful smile. Dolores's eyes lit up like a flame sparking to life.

"I want to be able to hear people's thoughts," she admitted, watching her aunt attempt to continue painting. Attempt being the keyword. "I want to know what people really think about each other."

"Alright, Miss Nosy, you go practice your power with your friends," Kat smirked, noticing the children rushing up to Dolores and Isabela.

Their friends stopped by to whisk the girls away for a play date, leaving Kat to finish up both Pepa and Bruno's portraits on her own. She was glad she knew which days her family were and were not in the square so that her surprise could be kept a surprise. Trying to paint a family mural in secret when the family is literally everywhere is less than ideal.

Eventually, Katerina had been painting for so long that she lost track of time. Once she noticed it was getting dark, she covered up her painting with a tarp and then scurried over to the church. Behind the House of God was the cemetery in which Lupita Ruiz was buried.

Kat visited her mother nearly every day for the first few months after her death. After a couple of years passed, it became once a week then maybe two or three times a month. She still loved and missed her Mamá, but things were changing. Her life still went on and enough time had passed for her to accept that. It would never stop hurting, though.

"Hey, Mamà, it's me," she sighed, placing a flower in front of her. "It's been a while and I'm sorry."

"So... there are some things I want to share with you and I pray you're listening," Kat listened to the rustling leaves for a moment.

"Go on. I'm listening," she could imagine her mother holding her hand and squeezing it gently. A smile spread across her candlelit face.

"Bruno wants to have kids and I...I don't think I'm ready," she ran a hand through her dark curls. With a frustrated grunt, she fell onto her back and stared at the night sky. "I'm just scared that I'll end up like him, ya know?"

"Mija, you're so much more than some bastard's daughter. You're good and you'd be a great mother, God as my witness," Imaginary Lupita said with a cheery grin. Kat frowned, lifting her head to stare at the gravestone.

"How would you know? You're a figment of my imagination," the young woman huffed.

Her "mother" snorted with laughter, "I might just be part of your subconscious, but doesn't that mean you know all of this already? You're better than him, mi oruguita."

"I hate it when you're right," Kat grumbled under her breath. Her bones popped and protested as she propped herself up on her elbows. Was she really getting older? Then again, Bruno was starting to grow some stubble on that cute little face of his. Maybe the years were catching up to them faster than they wanted to believe.

Taking advantage of her silence, her mother spoke up again; "Something else is on your mind. You're upset that Alma's done nothing about your situation."

"I wouldn't want to bring a child into this world if he's living down the hill from us," Katerina furrowed her brows in annoyance. She thought about her words until an idea popped into her tired mind. Getting up and dusting off her dress, the woman spun around on her heels. "Anyway, I'm going to drink my cares away before making some dumb decisions."

"Sounds about right. Have a good night, my love."

"Thanks, imaginary mom."