AN: If anyone knows what is going on with this site, please let me know. For some reason no view counts are updating and I usually use those to determine which fanfics to update fastest. (as when I used to do it based on number of reviews on the latest chapter people got upset). Anyway, I felt inspired to write so I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Two – Cacti in the River

2.1

It was amazing for Mirabel to watch her grandparents finally catch up despite one of them being dead and having vanished for over fifty years. It was great to see her abuela smile as she talked about herself and her life but after about ten minutes or so, Mirabel could see her grandfather getting a little exhausted and he had a pained expression that he quickly tried to cover up. Could spirits feel pain?

"My love," Alma said as Pedro finally collapsed onto his hands and knees, she sunk down. "I wish I could touch you and make sure you're all right. What is? What's wrong?"

"Just…a lack of energy," Pedro replied. "I've never taken human form before," he said as Mirabel heard the sound of the walls creak around the house and the sound of glass shaking. She turned to her abuela.

"Maybe we should be leaving. Again, it was amazing to meet you," she said and Alma placed her hands where his shoulders were and kissed the area where his forehead was.

"I leave you now only so you can get better," she said as she saw him smile to her. "I love you. I will be back to see you as soon as you are better," she promised him and he nodded with a smile.

"Always,"

Mirabel saw her grandmother keep looking back until Pedro seemed to fade into nothing and they reached the hallway. Turning back, Mirabel saw the door disappear and once again heartache in her abuela's eyes but she could hear the house steadying and then could see the light on the wall getting brighter and dimmer like a heartbeat.

"Abuela," she whispered as she took her hand and placed her palm on the wall where they could feel the vibrations like a heartbeat of the house. She saw Alma move towards it, resting against the wall.

"Thank you, my Pedro," she whispered to the wall and felt a warmth as a few candles hopped over beside her. She laughed as she looked at the table where the items were. "I promise that I will be okay. I promise that I will wait to join you," she said as she looked around. She hadn't known how close he had always been to her before today. She wasn't going to take that for granted again.

As Alma walked to where Pedro's portrait was she smiled softly before hearing something like the sound of wood breaking. She turned to the side where she could look at the outside of the casita and saw there to be a broken beam from the house next to Isabella where there were vines around her. She had tried to encourage her family to use their special gifts but seeing the broken wood broke her heart.

Alma closed her eyes as she saw the ghostly but human form of Pedro getting hurt again and she started to see him how he was when they…when… "Isabella!" she snapped as she came outside of the casita and looked at her granddaughter, struggling with her anger. "You are breaking this house with all of these….useless vines…"

"I am expressing myself, abuela," Isabella said as she pushed her long hair back and Alma stared at her with tears in her eyes. Isabella took a few steps back. "I'm sorry. I'll fix it. I'll fix it," she said as she went to touch the wood but Alma stood over it.

"I'll fix it just…go…go somewhere else and express yourself. I'm sorry, I need you to not break my precious house," she whispered as she leaned down to take the broken wood in her hands. Isabella felt the tears in her eyes but she nodded and walked off. Mirabel rushed down as she had seen this play out but Isabella was definitely giving a vibe to leave her alone.

"Here, Abuela, I'll take this," Mirabel said as she took hold of the wood but as she touched it, she saw it glow and it repaired itself. "Thank you, Abuelo," she whispered as she saw the house start to shine in a comforting manner.

No, thank you, nieta. I can finally try to be part of my family, mi familia. I hope it doesn't become a burden for you to take care of us.

"Never. You gave your life for this family, Abuelo. I should be thanking you," Mirabel said but saw her grandmother staring at her.

"The two of you are….are talking?" she asked as she looked around the house. She turned to Mirabel, "Can you tell him that I love him and that I want to take care of him and -"

I know this. I know the love and dedication she brings and despite being a spirit, I want to love and cherish and protect those important to me. I want to show her that my magic comes from the love I have for all of you but especially her.

"He knows. He knows how much you care," Mirabel said before seeing a rainbow in the sky and she had the feeling it wasn't Pepa who was doing this this time. She smiled as she saw the butterflies fly through the sky and Alma closed her eyes. He was doing this for all of them. She only wanted for the day to come when she would be with him again.

2.2

Isabella frowned as she walked through the town and started putting flowers and plants in empty spaces. She wanted to go down to the river and just…just scream. She hadn't meant to break the house but it was her grandmother knowing that she wasn't some perfect princess that made her frustrated. She wanted to know what her powers could do but - why couldn't things just go smoothly. She either had to pretend to be perfect or she wasn't good enough.

As she got to the water, she kicked her shoes off, looked around for anybody who could be there and after seeing nobody, screamed loudly and started kicking the water. "What do they want from me!?" she asked before looking away and stuck her hand out, making cacti appear at the water's edge. She screamed again and as she looked up saw a young man staring at her.

Isabella looked at the man sharply, "What?" she asked before fixing her face as she had taught herself to do. "I'm sorry, what are you doing here? What are you looking at? Would you, umm, would you mind leaving me alone?"

"Rude," the man commented before sitting down with a jug of water in front of him. "And no. I'm new here and I was told that I was allowed to use this water and it would be a lot easier getting to it if there weren't all of these cacti. Let me guess, you're the plant Madrigal."

Isabella stared at him, "the plant Madrigal? I just so happen to be Isabella, the eldest of the Madrigal grandchildren who has the ability to grow nature. I make all the flowers bloom. I do a service to my community."

"You also give a great speech," the man said as he looked her over. "So, queen, you ready to get off your stage now. I'd prefer to get back to my work. I'm using the river here."

"For what? Surely you know that there are much cleaner places to get your drinking water. Don't you have a house to live in? Why can't you use running water from your house? Or…I'm sorry, do you have a house?" she said as her expression softened. She needed to start thinking of others, people who were not part of the wealthier class of people. She had been called a spoiled princess and before she felt as if she had been told to leave the home until things cooled down she wanted to change her ways. This man in front of her was just annoying her.

"Yes. I have a house. Do you have a throne?" he asked and Isabella shook her head. "Not quite as popular and pretentious as I thought." The man sighed before looking at her, "My name is Carlos Rodriguez and no…not that Carlos Rodriguez," he said and Isabella stared at him wondering what he was talking about. She sat down on the bank of the river and watched him.

"What do you mean not that Carlos Rodriguez?" she asked and he laughed.

"It's a common name is all. Everyone that I've come across has seemed to know a Carlos Rodriguez and hey, I'm another one." Carlos looked at Isabella who was just staring at him silently. He sighed before getting some of the water into a bowl that was nearby. Isabella knelt so she could have a better view of what he was doing.

"I'm a potter," he told her and she looked at him curiously. "I just came here after…somehow making it through those mountains. Some spirit or ghost or something doesn't want people to get here, must be the magic that I hear so much about. I like to make ceramic pots and I needed somewhere to escape to."

"You make pots?" Isabella asked before smiling. "I grow -"

"You grow cacti which make it impossible for me to reach the water in the river, so thank you for your oh so magical gift," he said and Isabella looked away and to the cacti. Maybe she should have thought about this more, maybe she shouldn't have lost her temper. It wasn't like she was at the casita where things just seemed to work out for her. Even during the short period of time when she was homeless, things had worked out for her.

"I'm sorry," Isabella admitted as she looked down. "I'd like to see your pots. I'll give you some plants to grow in them," she said before lifting her hand up. "What would you like?"

"Something that is natural and grown without a command," Carlos told her and Isabella sighed. Carlos looked away. "Why don't we get something to eat and then maybe I'll show you to my studio. You can make up for your ugly cacti by showing me around, your family knows everybody, right?"

"Yes, they do. I think my abuela told me stories that she kind of started the community with everyone living here and when I was a child she made me believe that it was my grandfather who was protecting us. Somehow she made me think that he was in the trees and the land and our home but I think that a little girl just wants to know why they've never met their grandfather."

Carlos watched her before his expression softened. "I don't think stories about your grandparents are stupid," he said before looking into the sky at the rainbow. "I mean, who is to say that that isn't a gift from your grandfather."

"Hey, stop teasing me," Isabella said as she quickly got her shoes back on. "I thought you were going to show me your pots and then I'll have to decide what to tell everybody else about you after you've done so."

Carlos chuckled softly and walked ahead of Isabella, "Okay. Follow me, princess."

End of Chapter Two

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