Guess who has an exam this week? ME. Guess who isn't prepared? ME. Guess who's writing fanfiction instead of studying? ME. Lol, please enjoy!

OoOoOo

If Pepa had still possessed her gift, there would have been a constant thunder cloud over her head. The Encanto would have surely been flooded by hurricane after hurricane.

But as it stood, Pepa didn't have her gift. For the first time in the fifty years of her life, she could allow the emotions raging inside her heart to run wild. The past week had been the hardest one she had ever faced, so she gladly allowed herself to scream and cry until she simply couldn't anymore.

She had always been an emotional person. Despite her mother's attempts to reign in her temperament, Pepa was a stark contraction to her sister's calm demeanor and her brother's timid attitude. And of course, that always meant the chance of rain. If her gift hadn't been as useful as it was for crops, she would have surely ended up as shunned as Bruno.

Bruno. Pepa had many regrets; Bruno was the second biggest. Since childhood, they had been the ones at each others' throats. Even before her wedding day, Pepa had been convinced that his visions made bad things happen. Every time he made a prediction, someone got hurt. She had stubbornly kept him away from Camilo and Delores for this reason, much to Julieta's disapproval.

'He's still their tío,' her slightly older sister had stressed. 'He gets along just fine with Luisa and Mirabel.' Mamá hadn't let Bruno around Isabela much. 'Dios mío, Pepa, you act like he's cursed!'

But shamefully, Pepa had thought he might be. Why else did disaster follow her brother everywhere he went? It wasn't a coincidence that he had disappeared the same night Mirabel didn't get her gift.

Which led her to her greatest regret; regarding Mirabel similarly.

Until recently, Pepa hadn't realized she did it. But looking back, it was true. The wariness, the easy frustration she felt around her sobrina. It was all too akin to how she had treated Bruno. Perhaps not to the same extent, but she certainly hadn't been as relaxed around the girl as she used to be.

Thank heavens for Félix. He had filled in whenever she felt short. He had never truly seen Bruno as a curse- only went along with whatever she said to appease her- and never treated Mirabel differently. He was still her fun, caring tío.

If only she had been the same.

Ironic, considering Pepa had been the first to hold Mirabel. For Luisa and Isabela, Mamá had been the first to take them into her arms. But Julieta's pregnancy with Mirabel had been rough. So rough that Mamá hadn't been able to stay, her heart unable to take seeing her eldest in such pain. Agustín, Félix, and especially Bruno had never been allowed in the delivery room for either Madrigal sister.

As such, it had been up to Pepa to take her place.

It had been an unspoken rule that Pepa was not to be in the room if Julieta (or any woman) was giving birth. It went without saying that her powers posed threats to both the infant and mother-to-be. And Pepa had never been opposed. The last thing she wanted was blood on her hands.

But Julieta had needed her. And her sister had been by her side for both Dolores and Camilo (and later Antonio). She could suck it up for a few hours and help deliver her baby.

And Dios had Mirabel been an adorable baby. Pepa had cried tears of joy holding the precious bundle in her arms for the first time. She had even sprinkled slightly. But before Pepa could panic and attempt to stop it, Mirabel had cooed, flailing her tiny arms.

And Pepa fell in love. Who would have thought that just five years later, that love would be tainted by her own irrational fear?

And she would have to live with this guilt for the rest of her life. She had pushed away her brother and niece and she would never see either of them again.

"Tía?"

Or so she thought.

Two adorably large brown eyes peered up at her. Pepa jumped up in shock, jumping back against the headboard of her bed. "Mirabel?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

But something was off. It was as if her mouth had a mind of its own because she certainly wouldn't be so calm speaking to her dead niece who seemed much too young to truly be Mirabel. And yet, the situation was oh so familiar.

Come to think of it, this room was much bigger than it should have been.

"Can I sleep with you?" whispered Mirabel.

Once again, Pepa's lips moved without her permission. Or perhaps the phrase came so naturally to her that she didn't feel the need to stop herself. "Why can't you sleep in the nursery?"

"Camilo's snoring," grumbled the girl. "Please, Tía?"

"Ay, sí, niñita," Pepa finally relented. It wasn't as if she could say no to those eyes. Besides, she knew Camilo took after his papá with the snoring (thankfully, he was comforting Dolores after a particularly bad day for their daughter). She could understand the girl's plight-

Wait, what? This wasn't right. This was-

But Mirabel beamed at her and crawled under the blanket. "Gracias, Tía!" she replied, curling into her aunt's side. Pepa felt her heart flutter at the innocent contact.

"Why aren't you with your mamá and papá?" Pepa asked.

"Mamá is with Luisa and Papá is with Isabela," Mirabel told her. "They're busy."

Pepa accepted that answer. Julieta's oldest girls took up much of the limelight, much like her and Julieta herself back in their day. And just like Mirabel, Bruno had been cast to the side.

"Tía," said Mirabel, bringing the older woman out of her thoughts. Her voice was so innocent, so fragile. "Do you think that I'll have cool gifts like Isa and Luisa?"

Pepa felt her throat constrict, because no she wouldn't. That fateful day on her fifth birthday Mirabel Madrigal would not receive a gift. She would be unable to contribute to the well-being of the Encanto. And for the next ten years, she would be failed by every single member of her family; especially her foolish aunt.

And she would lose her life for a family that never appreciated her for who she was.

But despite these dark thoughts, Pepa grinned, leaning forward to tickler the girl. "Of course, preciosa!" she answered cheerfully as her dear niece giggled. "Your gift will be amazing, I promise!"

And then Pepa woke up.

She gasped, holding a hand to her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. Félix started next to her, but she didn't answer him as he frantically asked her what was wrong.

That hadn't been a normal dream. No wonder everything felt off; it was a memory. Pepa vaguely recalled the summer night. Mirabel had been three, long before the day of her failed gift ceremony. Long before she had allowed her relationship with her to crumble, not unlike their Casita.

Félix embraced her from the side. "Cállate, mi amor," he murmured soothingly. Because Félix always made everything better.

But not tonight. Tonight, Pepa would have to live with her failures. Her failure as both a sister and an aunt.

"Lo siento, Bruno," she murmured once her husband had fallen asleep once more. "Lo siento, Mirabel."

She knew Bruno- wherever he was- would never hear her. She doubted Mirabel would either.

OoOoOo

Ngl, one of my many pet peeves with the Encanto fandom is how quick folks are to solely blame Alma for how Bruno was treated and not Pepa. Yes, Alma didn't talk about him, but the evidence points more towards her resenting him for running away and not for his gift. Her only frustration with Bruno is shown with him leaving (during her argument with Mirabel), not for his predictions. And if she thought he made bad things happen, she wouldn't have asked him to look into the fate of the magic. It was Pepa actively implementing the 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' rule, Pepa who showed the most resentment towards him and his powers, and Pepa's son who viewed him as a scary villain. I feel like people blame Alma as a way to further antagonize her.

And no, I don't hate Pepa. I like every character in this movie (except the donkey guys, MOVE YOUR OWN GODDAMN DONKEYS), and accept that they're all flawed and that makes them human. I just think it's unfair.

ANYWAY, enough of my rant. I wanted to do something a little different for Pepa. It's still Mirabel's spirit influencing the dream, but in a way of Pepa's guilt tearing her apart. I pray that it doesn't come off as odd or anything. I hope you liked it and please review!