EDIT: REWRITTEN 7-12-2022
UPDATE! If you read chapter 1 before June-5-2022, please reread it, it has been rewritten.
After posting the first version of chapter 1, I was really unhappy with it and redid some of it and added more background stuff and some detail. I also made it shorter because apparently long chapters give me stress and make me not want to write…sorry. Chapter 2 is the second half of the original chapter 1, but with more details and a slightly different feel. Sorry. Chapter 3 will be up soon and will be a "new" chapter.
Anyways, I'm finally giving this story the attention it needs and I actually LIKE it now, too, so that's a plus. Updates will not be as often as it was with ATC, but there will be updates semi-regularly. Just gotta make sure everything makes sense. Currently working on chapter 5!
Anyways, enjoy!
~Star
Pepa couldn't stop the rain, and no one asked her to.
Almost an hour had passed since Dolores and Isabela had left, and still they had heard nothing. During that time, there had been a lot of activity Pepa wasn't aware of. Alma had left and returned from informing the council of the possible situation. Gabriela, Gloria, and Mariano had arrived and decided to stay when they discovered what was going on. Bruno had gone up to his vision cave at one point, Marlena and Mirabel accompanying him, only to rejoin the family in disappointment—the vision had been as vague and unhelpful as Mirabel's; the full moon, a few odd flowers, and the head of a canine they had never seen before howling. Antonio had managed to identify the animal as a wolf, and the flowers likely belonged to the plant behind all of this, but that was it. Agustín had left with Luisa fifteen minutes ago to inform the parents of Juanse and Alejo that something had happened with their sons, and possibly bring them back to Casita.
Félix kept an eye on Antonio. It was unspoken that they could send one of his animal friends to look for them, but no one wanted to expose the eight-year-old to anything if there was a chance things were less than ideal. It was that fear that made the rain fall.
Through all of this, Pepa had remained at Casita's entrance with an umbrella.
"Here, Señora." Mariano gently said from beside Pepa, offering her a chair to sit in.
Pepa gave him a grateful smile. "Gracias querido, pero I don't think I can sit right now."
"Then I will join you." Mariano simply said and sat down in the chair.
No words were said for a few moments, the rain filling in the silence.
"They will be okay, Señora." Mariano eventually said. His gaze was straight ahead when she glanced at him. "Isabela is a capable young woman sure in her abilities, and Dolores….Mi amor is just as capable and she loves her family, so I know she will—she will—"
Pepa couldn't help but smile at the sweet man fighting back tears as he tried to comfort her. 'He's so worried about Lolo, and yet…' She shook her head in fond exasperation and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. She opened her mouth to reassure the young man, when movement caught her eye near the edge of the jungle behind Casita. She gasped, and Mariano's head snapped up to look at her, only to turn in the direction she was staring at.
The five missing people were slowly making their way out of the jungle. Isabela was supporting Juanse with his arm over her shoulder, and Alejandro was being supported by Dolores. Camilo walked on his own, but seemed to weigh heavily against the vines supporting him around his waist and under his arms. They were soaked from the rain, but they were alive. Mariano was relieved to see them all, but he only had eyes on one person.
"Dolores!"
Mariano's shout had the rest of the family running out of Casita.
"Wait!" Isabela shouted, holding a hand out with her palm facing outward. "Don't come any closer!"
"What—?"
"I have to get these plants to my room." Isabela panted. "I don't want you exposed to this stuff."
"Mi vida, what about you?" Julieta questioned, unsettled. She reached a hand out to her eldest, only to fist it and bring it back to her chest.
Isabela gave her mamá her best smile. "Don't worry, Mamí, a plant could never hurt me." She then grew some more vines to hold Juanse up before releasing her hold on him. Vines came down from her window and gracefully lifted the eldest Madrigal grandchild from the yard up and onto her windowsill. From her perch she called to the rest of her family. "I'm going to secure these plants and then come down." The shutters were then closed.
"He refused help." Dolores uttered softly to her padre when Félix gave her a questioning look as he made his way to Camilo.
Félix shook his head fondly, "C'mon, mijo," he said as he took hold of Camilo while Bruno helped Juanse. His son leaned heavily against him. "Let's get you inside."
"I'm sorry we could get home sooner." Dolores softly apologized to her mamá. "Moving too fast didn't…help."
"Mija, are you alright?" Pepa asked Dolores as Mariano gently took Alejo from her, he being better suited to support the taller teen. Pepa took note of her sickly pallor.
Dolores nodded as she swallowed, remembering the hunger. She shuddered. "I'm fine, Mamá. Milo, he destroyed most of the plants by burning them, pero the fumes…," she shook her head slowly, and leaned into Pepa when her madre wrapped her arms around her. "The fumes affected me a little bit, but Isa helped." She paused. "I can't…they had no one, Mamí." Dolores teared up. "He was so scared. They all are."
Pepa hugged Dolores tightly and pressed a kiss to her temple. Her cloud began to snow as an icy grip pulled her stomach downward, but Pepa comforted her daughter the best she could as she led her to one of the lounge chairs in the inner courtyard. When Mariano joined them after settling Alejo down in a chair next to the sofa Juanse was situated in, Pepa left Dolores in Mariano's care after giving her another kiss to the forehead. She smiled when Antonio crawled into Dolores' lap.
'They'll be fine without me for a bit.'
Pepa then quickly joined Félix and their eldest son, pulling Camilo into a hug. She trembled when he tried to return the hug. She managed to just barely keep from drizzling, and smiled gratefully when Félix opened an umbrella over them. "Oh mijo, mi problema chico, I was so worried!"
"Lo siento, Mamá." Camilo mumbled into the crook of her shoulder, fingers weakly gripping the fabric of her sleeve. "Didn't mean to."
"I know, mi vida." Pepa reassured as she ran her fingers through his damp curls, hugging him closer. "Lo sé."
"What happened?" Félix asked from Camilo's other side, umbrella firmly in hand. "Dolores wasn't able to tell us much before she ran to find you."
"It's Juanse's fault." Alejandro murmured grumpily from his spot on the other sofa, his voice almost guttural. "Pendejo's the one who found that stupid plant."
Dolores quickly covered Antonio's ears and scowled. "Language, chicos." She was ignored.
Camilo frowned.
"How was I supposed to know?!" Juanse growled back, and everyone shared a look. The three bickered all the time, but never like this. "Fucking plant pulled me in l-like a—like magic!"
"Chicos." Félix warned, but was also ignored.
Camilo frowned further and struggled to keep himself from snapping at his friends. They were being rude, but it did not justify the sudden and intense anger that heated his skin and made his nostrils flare. He shook his head once, ignored the brief dizziness it caused, and did his best to push it away. However, the longer Juanse and Alejandro fought, the stronger it grew. Their coordination was off and their limbs still lacked the strength to move properly, but their voices were rising and becoming more aggressive and agitated. When one of them snapped at Pepa for stepping in, Camilo snapped.
"¡Cállate!" Camilo snarled with teeth bared. Everyone startled at that—including himself. Eyes wide, he swallowed thickly and ducked his head, cheeks burning with shame. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't…."
"It's okay, mijo." Alma assured, even as worry gripped her heart. She dutifully ignored the trickle of fear down her spine. 'This is Camilo, mi nieto. This isn't normal for him, pero there is nothing to fear.' She took a silent breath. 'Let's try something else,' she thought and moved to stand before Camilo. Casita shuffled a chair over to her and she murmured her thanks before sitting. Taking his hand into hers, she patted it gently with the other one. "How are you feeling?"
"Weak. Shaky." Camilo let out a slow breath, gripping Alma's hand as tightly as he could. "M-my emotions feel all over the place."
"And you t-two?" Bruno asked gently, concerned, but not wanting to set them off again. Marlena stood by him, her hand in his.
"Angry. Frustrated." Alejandro muttered, face red with shame as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know why, pero I'm so angry right now." Juanse nodded jerkily, also upset at how he acted in front of the Madrigals. Alejandro glanced at Camilo. "You don't feel angry?"
Camilo's face scrunched up a bit in thought. "Not really? I don't feel angry right now." He clarified at their raised eyebrows. "Seconds ago? Yes. Now? Not so much. Just very…emotional?" His eyes filled with tears as if to prove his point and he sniffled. 'What the fuck is wrong with us?!'
"Are you hungry?" Pepa asked to distract them, and smiled when all three of their stomachs growled loudly, causing them to blush. 'Maybe some food would soothe their erratic tempers.'
"I'll go get some food." Julieta said, and beckoned Mirabel and Antonio to help her. The youngest Madrigal did so after a bit of cajoling.
Marlena gave Bruno's hand a squeeze before letting it go. She then headed over to her daughters, who had been watching everything with uncertainty. They were identical twins, with skin a few shades darker than Marlena, light brown eyes like their father, and curly light brown hair that seemed to be a mix between their parents. Identical they may be, it was easy to tell who was who. Gloria Fernandez, the eldest of the two, wore her curls short, the locks just brushing her shoulders; while Gabriela Jimenez had her hair long, reaching her middle back. "Why don't you two head home? I'm sure your esposos are wondering where you are."
"Let them wonder." Gabriela waved off her concern. "Mario knows where to find me if he needs me."
"Raul should be here soon." Gloria smiled, rubbing her slightly rounded stomach. "I'll wait for him, Mamá." She glanced behind her at the rest of the Madrigals. "Can we help with anything?"
"We could help Juli in the kitchen." Marlena smiled. "I'm sure she'd appreciate it." The three headed to the kitchen, Marlena casting one last worried look towards her sobrino before leaving the inner courtyard.
This proved to be fortunate, as in the time it took for them to prepare a few large plates, an argument had broken out between Juanse and Alejandro yet again. Dolores observed from Mariano's side as she covered her ears as their volume fluctuated, that Alejo and Juanse would quiet whenever Camilo would glare or snap at them to tone it down. Meanwhile, her hermanito remained otherwise calm amidst their senseless argument (it had quickly devolved into petty things they were taking way too seriously, and she was struggling not to laugh).
It was…weird.
Marlena popped her head out a few times when the argument got a little heated, but Bruno always waved her away with a repressed smile.
It all came to a head just as Isabela descended the stairs, rejoining them to get something to eat. Bruno hadn't been able to hold in his giggle at something ridiculous Juanse had almost shouted, and both of the teens had turned to growl at the man. Growl. It was worse than Camilo's snarl—it hadn't sounded human. This caused them all to jolt in shock, but Bruno—the skittish man that he was—had shrunk back in fear. Camilo had not reacted well to that, and immediately lunged at Juanse and Alejo. Félix managed to keep a hold of him around the waist, the umbrella clattering to the floor as he did so, and yelped in surprise at how much stronger his son was. Instantly, all three were restrained with vines.
"C-Camilo! It's fine! I'm fine!" Bruno tried to sooth, hands up and palms facing outward. "I was just startled!"
Everyone in the kitchen rushed to see what the commotion was, but Marlena took hold of Antonio's hand before he could leave. "You don't need to see this, Toñito."
Antonio looked up at her, upset. "But Milo—"
"Don't touch my tío!" They heard Camilo growl, and Marlena gasped with wide eyes as he head snapped towards the open entryway.
"I got him, Mamá." Gabriela said as she took Antonio's hand, then she shooed her mother away. "Go, go!"
Marlena nodded and gently pushed her way to the front just in time to see Bruno sputtering in embarrassment. She relaxed, but flinched at how desperate Camilo seemed to hurt his friends. 'What—?!'
The other two reacted differently to Camilo's aggression. Juanse shrunk in on himself, looking apologetic; while Alejandro calmed a bit but still tried to get free so he could fight Camilo.
"¡Tómalo con calma, Alejo!" Mariano called as he left Dolores' side and held Alejo back. Neither he nor Juanse paid him any mind.
"Enough!" Alma shouted, concern, fear and frustration clear in her eyes and tone. 'Something is definitely wrong! Camilo never acts like this—none of them do!'
Camilo reacted to Alma's voice better than anything the others tried, calming down and no longer pulling at the vines or hands keeping him in place. However, his eyes were locked on Alejandro—who had averted his gaze—in a fierce glare, teeth bared. Being the nearest to him that wasn't focused on keeping him restrained, Bruno gasped when he got a proper look at his sobrino's face.
Camilo's teeth were sharp, and his hazel eyes were nearly glowing a light amber color.
The sound drew Camilo's attention, who instantly looked his tío over. He calmed down once he found Bruno unharmed, only to tense up at the look on the older man's face. "Tío, are you okay?"
Bruno opened his mouth to speak, but paused as he watched the amber leave Camilo's hazel eyes. His teeth, however, remained sharp. "Uh." He replied eloquently, pointing to his own teeth.
Camilo tilted his head in confusion, but ran his tongue over his teeth and froze. His now-sharp teeth. With a gasp, his hands flew to cover his mouth, eyes wide as he and his tío stared at each other.
"I-it's gonna be okay, kid." Bruno managed, venturing closer to reach out and lay a hand on his shoulder when Camilo's eyes started to fill with tears.
"What is it? ¿Qué ocurre?" Pepa questioned in quiet alarm, looking between Camilo and Bruno as she turned her hijo towards her. "Camilo, show me." She demanded gently when he started trembling, the tears spilling from his eyes. Her tone was firm but her eyes were soft as she took in his panicked expression. Her cloud began to snow once more.
Camilo's jaw was clenched as he stared at his mamá, but he slowly lowered his shaking hands. He let out a shuddering breath when his mamá took them into hers, giving them a gentle squeeze as he sniffled. After a few seconds, he opened his mouth and Félix leaned over to see, too.
They had enough time to watch in disbelief as Camilo's sharp inhuman teeth smoothed out into even human teeth. Pepa gasped and Félix cursed under his breath.
A sudden suffocating and uncomfortable feeling overwhelmed him and Camilo shot to his feet, only to be pulled back into his papá's arms. Even if Félix hadn't, the vines would have kept Camilo in place. However, the fact it was Félix's arms around him soothed Camilo in a way he couldn't explain.
"Hey, shh, it's okay." Félix said in a firm undertone as he held Camilo tightly to his chest.
Julieta decided the situation had calmed enough and ushered everyone back into the kitchen so they could finish making all the plates. With so many helping hands, they were making plates for the whole family. Mirabel was the last to leave, brow furrowed with worry until Julieta pulled her by the wrist.
"Mamá!" Mirabel protested in a loud whisper.
"You can find out what happened later, chica." Julieta said firmly, and handed her a plate. "This is another way of helping."
With a reluctant sigh, Mirabel nodded and worked on making a plate of food.
"What happened?" Alejandro asked no one in general, anger forgotten as worry set in. Juanse let out a whine that reminded them distinctly of a dog.
Pepa moved without thinking, taking Juanse's hand into hers. "It's okay, cariño. It's, well, his teeth, they were sharp. His Gift doesn't work like that, and it was surprising, is all. Have you—did you feel your teeth change?" She bit her lip when they shook their heads, then forced a smile. "That's okay. We'll—we'll figure this out."
Félix kept his focus on his hijo, murmuring reassurances. A muffled choking sound came from Félix's chest, then more sniffling as Camilo's shoulders shook. "Papí, wha…what's wrong with me?" Came the muffled sob, his fingers digging into the front of his father's shirt.
For a second, Félix didn't say anything and just held Camilo tighter. "It's going to be alright, Milo. I got you, mijo, I got you." Over the curls of Camilo's head, Félix caught sight of Bruno and Isabela doing their best to reassure Alejo and Juanse. In the absence of their anger, the two boys were looked as terrified as Camilo.
It was at this point that Julieta poked her head around the kitchen entrance to assess the situation. Once she saw the state of everyone, she motioned for the others to follow her. The six came out with plates of food for everyone. Juliet and Mirabel gave their plates to Juanse and Alejandro, while Antonio made a B-line for his brother.
"Milo?"
Antonio watched with large eyes as Camilo turned slightly to look at him, just barely catching sight of his half-lidded red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. His own eyes burned, but he blinked them away and held out the plate in his hands and gave Camilo his best smile. "I brought you food." He relaxed a little when Camilo returned his smile with a small and fragile one of his own.
"Gracias, Toñito." Camilo whispered and pulled from his papá a little bit so he could turn more fully towards his hermanito as he wiped at his face. Félix kept him tucked to his side and Pepa kissed his cheek from his other side, but Camilo didn't complain. Opening his arms, Camilo helped Antonio climb into his lap. He was starting to get a bit too big for such things, but neither of the two minded at that moment.
As Julieta and Mirabel encouraged Juanse and Alejandro to eat, Alma turned to Dolores and Isabela. Her face was serene at first glance, but her lips trembled and her eyes were lost and filled with fear and sorrow and so many questions.
"It's magic—different from ours," Isabela began, finally taking a seat. She smiled in thanks when Gloria gave her some food. She quickly took a bite of an arepa before continuing. "Even before I got it settled in my room, i could feel it try to pull me in. It felt dark and disgusting, but the sweet scent of the flowers and leaves disguise it and make it impossible to resist eating it—I didn't," she quickly stated when the trio stared at her in horror, "it's a plant, it can't make me do anything. Pero, with anyone else…," she shrugged, unable to meet their gazes for a moment, "they wouldn't have been able to resist. It's like its only purpose is to be eaten."
"Do you know what plant it is?" Even as she asked, Alma knew that Isabela didn't—it would have already been mentioned by now. Isabela shook her head. "No, but I will—and I'll find out what it did to the three of you, too." Her brown eyes met her primo's tired ones and then flickered to the other two, her gaze full of conviction. "And I'll fix it. Lo prometo."
"We'll do it together." Mirabel said as she stood behind her sister, leaning down to wrap her arms around Isabela's neck in a hug.
Isabela huffed in annoyance, but smiled nonetheless. "Fine, but you're not allowed in my room. At all."
"Yeah, that's fair."
It is hard to go from writing your own AU version of canon characters to writing post-canon characters and all the their trauma. I am trying to do them justice.
I'm also trying to be more flexible with my use of Spanish and making the dialogue seem more natural. I have issues with blending stuff, like everything is "black" and "white" and "gray" bothers me. Like, if they always say "lo siento" instead kf "I'm sorry", that's how it's gonne be no matter what…but Imma try to change that with this story! I feel like it will be good for me.
Work sucks and has been stressful and maybe that's why it's been easier to write this. I'm trying to escape life.
Until next time, adiós,
~Star
