Just a couple things here:

First off, thank you for all your comments/follows/favorites.

Secondly, it's rather late and I had a long day at work, but I wanted to get this posted so I'm sorry for any mistakes I might have overlooked.

Lastly, I will be taking a two week or so hiatus. I've had an actual short story idea for Pepa that I want to try and tackle. I don't think it'll properly fit into a oneshot. So, I'll be working on that. Once I'm finished with it I plan on returning with more oneshots!

Moving on to this oneshot. I haven't seen many fics about Pepa and Julieta having a fight. So, here we are.

I also dabbled into my take of Felix's mother and I had a fun time wiring her. I think she's my new favorite OC, tbh.

Enjoy~

Pepa Madrigal made her way through town, bobbing and weaving around the villagers that littered the street. She was happy, and the weather was a testament of that. The sun hung high in the sky warming the entire Encanto.

"How long are you going to stay with Julieta?" At the sound of her sister's name, Pepa stopped. Her emerald eyes fell on Mateo González and another boy, whose name she couldn't remember.

Mateo González was the most recent village boy who had their eye set on her sister. To Pepa, he was a typical young man. His skin was a light tan, his hair an ebony black, and he stood a few inches taller than herself. He'd approached their mother a few weeks earlier about trying for Julieta's affection. Alma allowed it, as long as her daughter truly had interest in him.

Unfortunately, Julieta did.

From the beginning there was something about the boy that Pepa didn't like. She couldn't tell if it was his overconfident attitude or his lack of personality. Either way, Bruno shared her feelings. But the pair decided to keep their opinions to themselves, not wanting to upset the oldest triplet.

The mature voice in the back of her head told her it wasn't polite to listen in on other's conversations. Her nagging curiosity got the better of her, though. So, she moved closer.

"As long as I can." Mateo laughed, clapping his friend on the back. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Now that we're together, I don't have to want for anything. Coffee? Only the best. Food? As much as I want. No one bats an eye. And it's all thanks to the Madrigals."

Thunder rumbled as a dark cloud took shape above her head, the first sign of her anger.

How dare he use her sister. And for what? A better reputation? Didn't he see how much Julieta liked him?

She knew there was something off about Mateo's intentions. She knew. She should have watched closer. It was her job to protect them. And yet, she had stood by and watched him abuse Julieta's good nature. Clenching her fists she spun around, making a beeline for Casita.

It wouldn't happen again.

Mateo's eyes widened as he spotted the retreating cloud. "Shit. Why didn't you tell me she was there?!"

"Hey, wait!" Mateo called out, running after Pepa. The redhead ignored him. "Pepa, I said wait!" She felt his hand wrap around her arm, pulling her to a stop. The cloud above flickered with lightning. His eyes glanced up to the thunderhead above her, then to the people that stopped to watch them. He moved in between two houses, tugging her along, trying to earn some privacy. "Look, it's not what you think. It was all a joke. There's no need to tell your sister about this."

"I'm telling her." Pepa fixed him with a glare.

"We can work something out." Mateo had her cornered her between himself and the wall behind them. He was far too close for comfort. Leaning in, he stopped when their faces were only inches apart. Reaching out, with the hand that didn't have her arm in a vice grip, he caressed her cheek. "I'm sure I could convince you another way."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you want me. This is a win-win solution."

"The only thing I want is for you to get away from me." Pepa tried to push him back with her free arm, but the boy just grabbed it, trapping both her arms between them.

"Don't be like that. We can have some fun and put this whole thing behind us. No one has to know."

"Let me go." Pepa warned as she tried to free herself from his grasp. Mateo ignored her, tightening his hold on her arms, his fingers digging into her skin painfully. Pepa resisted the urge to wince. He was trying to intimidate her, and she refused to give him the satisfaction of even thinking he held the upper hand.

"No girl can say 'no' to Mateo."

Throwing her head forward, she heard the loud crack as her forehead made a forceful contact with the bridge of his nose. Instantly, he released his hold on her. Reaching up he clutched his now bleeding nose. "Ah! You bitch!"

"Next time, it'll be lightning." Pepa sneered. "Stay away from my sister."

To say she was having a bad day would be an understatement. After the fiasco with Mateo, she tried to return home to warn her sister. She didn't make it far into the square before some of the farmers cornered her, asking for her help. She tried to tell them no, but her mother appeared out of nowhere and left her no choice.

After bringing enough rain to fill some of their wells, Pepa finally made her way home. There was a steady dull pounding against her skull that wouldn't go away. Using her head to break the boy's nose wasn't her best idea, but he deserved it. The orange dress she wore clung to her, only adding to her ever growing agitation. Stepping up on the entryway, Casita opened its doors. Offering a quick thanks, she walked into her home.

Bruno perked up from his spot on the couch. Pepa could see the playful gleam in his eyes as he looked over her drenched clothes. He had a comment about her clothes, she was sure. The gleam disappeared as his eyes fell on her arms. "Pep, what happened to your arms?"

"It's nothing." Pepa crossed her arms, trying to hide the dark purple bruises that Mateo's grip left behind.

Bruno raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't look like nothing."

"Look, I really don't want to talk about it right now." The redhead muttered. She needed to find her sister. "I need to find Julieta."

"What did you do?!" Julieta shrieked as she came out of the kitchen's doorway.

"Juli! I need to talk to you."

"Stop." Julieta held her hand up, silencing her. Her gesture eerily similar to their mother's. "Mateo already told me."

Pepa could feel her anxiety building as little flakes of snow floated down from the cloud above. Of course, Mateo would go running to her sister. That was the whole reason she'd wanted to get back home as soon as she could. It would have given her ample time to explain everything that happened. Instead, thanks to the farmers and her mother, Mateo reached Julieta first. "What did he tell you?"

The healer rolled her eyes. "Don't play stupid with me. You punched him! You broke his nose!"

"Actually, I headbutted him." Pepa corrected. Bruno opened his mouth to congratulate her but one fierce look from the oldest stopped him. Clamping his mouth shut, he shrunk down so just the top of his head was visible from behind the couch. "But I swear, I had a reason."

"What possible reason could you have to headbutt my novio?" Julieta wasn't in the mood for her sister's coy games.

"Juli, he's using you."

"What?"

"I'm sorry." Taking a calming breath, she willed the cloud above her away. Locking eyes with her sister, she continued. "I overheard him talking to his friend about it. I wanted to tell you right away but some of the farmers needed my help, and I couldn't get away from them fast enough to find you first."

"I can't believe you." Julieta snapped. "He told me you'd say something like that. He warned me you were jealous."

"Jealous? Of what?"

"Of me!"

"You can't be serious."

Julieta held her gaze. Squaring her shoulders, she spoke. "Look, I know it's hard on you with your gift. Especially now that all you and Mamá do is argue. But that's not a reason for you to try and ruin my happiness! Mateo is a good guy. I won't let you scare him off."

The wind picked up around them along with a small rumble of thunder. The snow disappeared as Pepa's anxiety shifted to anger. Couldn't she see she was trying to protect her? "I'm just looking out for you!"

The healer barked out a harsh laugh, shaking her head. "You're only looking out for yourself. Just like always. You're trying to mess this up for me, because your life is a total mess!"

The redhead narrowed her eyes as another gust of wind blew between them, rustling their dresses. "Yeah, well. We can't all be like the 'Golden Child'."

It was Julieta's turn to narrow her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that all you do is run around with this 'I'm so perfect' façade. Let me tell you, it gets really old after a while." Pepa threw her hands up in the air as rain started to fall.

The oldest took a couple steps closer. "You think it's easy being the only responsible one? To be the only one who seems to care about what happens to us?"

"You aren't the only one who cares about this family."

"Really? That's why you constantly argue with Mamá? Because you 'care'?" Julieta spat. She'd kept quiet about it long enough. She watched as her sister argued with their mother almost every day. It was like she went out of her way to start them. "No, you don't care about anyone but yourself, Pepa. You love to ruin everything! Because if it's ruined, then it just might make you look better for once."

"Please. Like you know what's going on around here? You're too busy trying to please everyone to see what's really going on around you!"

"It's not my fault you're a disappointment!" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Julieta!" Bruno snapped, fixing the blue clad triplet with a glare. If it weren't for her gift, Bruno would have thought the comment had been ignored. Pepa's face held no traces of any sort of emotion, but the increasing downpour gave her true feelings away. The hurt she truly felt.

The damage their sister's words caused.

Bruno knew all too well that Pepa struggled with feelings of inadequacy. There'd been more times than he could count that he'd watched her struggle with it. He'd watched over the years as she tried to numb herself to their mother's comments of her clouds, but he knew they still had an effect on her. Many of the late-night conversations they shared revealed that much.

Closing her eyes, Pepa brushed past her brother.

"Pepa wait!" The seer called out, but it was no use. Pepa continued up the stairs ignoring him leaving a trail of water behind. Turning back to the oldest he crossed his arms. "That wasn't cool, Juli."

"She started it! She's trying to ruin everything!"

"Why would she do that?"

"She's jealous of what Mateo and I have! Or that I don't argue with Mamá like she does."

"First off, that makes no sense. She has Félix, and everyone knows they're in love." The youngest pointed out. His sister and Félix were basically attached at the hip since they were eight. "Do you know why she fights with Mamá so much now?" His tone was serious, yet sad. Julieta shook her head. Though she'd overheard the yelling, she didn't actually bother to listen to what was said. "It's because of us."

"What do you mean?"

"She thinks that Mamá is overworking us. She doesn't think it's fair that I have to do so many visions a day, or that you have to make so much food to heal every little bump or scratch. Since neither of us want to stand up to her, Pepa is." Unlike his sister, he'd listened to plenty of the arguments that happened between their mother and sister. Each one had centered around either Bruno or Julieta and how Pepa felt their mother wasn't being fair to them.

"I-I didn't know."

"There's something else." Bruno said seriously. "I talked to her before you came in. There were bruises on her arms."

"What? I didn't see any."

"You can't miss them, Juli. It looks like someone grabbed her." Julieta stood silently processing everything her brother said.

"Ay. I messed up, didn't I?" Bruno nodded. Julieta looked up to her sister's room, then back to her brother. Normally, she was the one giving advice to her siblings. Not the other way around. "What do I say to her?"

"Start with an apology. That usually works for me." He said with a shrug. He had plenty of experience when it came to reconciling with the redhead. Though, he was certain that the brunette was much better at words than himself. Surely, she could handle a half decent apology.

"You're right. Gracias, Brunito."

Slowly, she climbed the stairs. Coming to a stop, she knocked on the glowing door twice. "Pepa? Can I come in?"

Not receiving an answer, Julieta cracked open the door and popped her head inside. She couldn't see her sister on her bed. Stepping into the room, she walked towards the wide-open grassy field in the room. "Pepa? I-I want to apologize for what I said."

"Pepa?" Reaching the top of the small hill, her heart sunk. There was no trace of the redhead. No sounds, no clouds, no nothing. Her heart sunk. Her sister wasn't in her room. Running back to the door, she threw it open. "Bruno!"

Bruno jumped back at the sudden appearance of the oldest. He wanted to retreat to his own room, and hadn't expected her to be there. He placed his hand over his wildly beating heart, willing it to slow down. "What?"

"Pepa's gone!"

"What?!"

"Pepa?"

Pepa lifted her gaze from the ground. A woman stood in on the step of one of the Encanto's many houses. The sides of her dark, wildly curly hair were slicked back forming a wide afro like mohawk. Just like her son, she wore a wide toothy smile. "Señora Castillo?"

"When someone says Señora Castillo, I'm on the look-out for my mother-in-law. Call me Maria." Maria said with a wink. "Would you like to come in?"

"No thank you. I wouldn't want to get everything wet." Pepa said as she gestured to the pouring cloud above her.

"Nonsense. A little water never hurt anyone. You know, I got all the ingredients for a mean sancocho de pollo." The curly haired woman laughed. She shimmied her shoulders, making the bags that hung from her arms wiggle. "I could use some help since Féli won't be home for another hour or so."

A small smile formed at the older woman's antics. Félix defiantly received his personality from his mother, there was no doubt about it. And apparently, his mother had a similar calming effect on the redhead. The damn cloud still hovered above her, but the rain stopped. "O-okay."

Maria opened the door, ushering the girl inside. She kicked the door shut. She watched as Pepa shifted uncomfortably, adjusting her drenched clothes. "Do you want to change?"

"I didn't bring any extra clothes." Pepa mumbled. In her haste to get away from her sister, she didn't even think to get a dry pair of clothes.

Maria hummed as she put the three bags down on the floor in the entryway. Walking into the living room, she set her sights on the two clothes basket that sat on the table. She dug through the green one, looking for anything that would fit the girl.

"Ah ha!" Maria pulled out a deep purple skirt and sat it on the table. As a seamstress, she could tell that Pepa was close enough to her own size in the waist. But there was still the matter of a shirt. A wide grin spread across her face as she dug into the blue basket beside her own. Pulling out a green button up shirt, she held it out to Pepa. "This should fit."

Pepa raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that Félix's shirt?"

"I doubt it's the first shirt of his you'd own." The cloud faded away completely as pink tinted Pepa's cheeks. Maria nodded to the bathroom, knowing she was right. Pepa took the clothes and disappeared, muttering along the way.

Maria returned to the entryway, grabbing her bags she set out to spread out the ingredients along the countertop. Washing her hands, she dried them off on a towel. Walking over to her spice rack, she let her dark brown eyes graze over her options. Plucking out three vials, she set them on the counter.

Pepa appeared in the doorway a moment later, hair pulled up into wet messy bun. Walking to the sink, she washed her own hands and looked over the supplies. "What do you need me to do?"

They'd been working on their soup for nearly forty-five minutes. Or rather, they stood in the kitchen and talked amongst themselves while they waited for it to cook. Lifting the lid off, she dunked a spoon into the mix. Giving it a gentle blow to cool it, she tried their hard work. A shiver ran through her body as she looked at the soup. "Oh, that's got a kick."

Pepa's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, did I put too much in?"

"No worries. We'll just add some milk. We need to thicken it up some anyway." Maria said with a shrug. It was a little spicier than she usually made, but there was an easy fix for that. Picking up the milk carton, she dumped an unmeasured amount of milk into the pot. Sampling it again, she nodded pleased with her adjustment. Feeling a shift in the air, she turned back to her guest. The cloud that plagued the girl beforehand had returned. "Something tells me that your cloud's not because of the cumin. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Julieta hates me." Pepa mumbled, keeping her gaze on the tiled floor.

Maria leaned back against the counter with her arms crossed. "Why do you think that, pequeña?"

"We had a fight. I heard Mateo telling his friend that he was just using her to earn himself a name. When I found out, I went to tell Juli. But he tried to convince me not to. And when that didn't work, he grabbed me. So, I broke his nose. And when I tried to tell her, he'd already gotten to her. Now she thinks I'm trying to ruin her life. But I'm not! I-I just want her to be happy." A few droplets of rain fell. Maria stayed silent, watching as the girl took a calming breath and muttered her mantra to herself. "Clear skies. Clear skies."

"Ah, I remember fighting with my hermanos." Pepa finally looked at her. Tears were gathered in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. The older woman figured it had something to do with not wanting to unleash full thunderstorm in her home.

"You have brothers?"

"Six of them."

"Did you fight?"

"All the time! Our house was a constant warzone. My Mamá wanted to ring our necks more times than I could count." Maria chuckled at the memories. There had been plenty of times in her childhood that both she, and her bothers, ended up on the receiving end of their mother's well aimed sandal.

"It's not like when Bruno and I fight. I hate fighting with her. Juli... She doesn't say anything she doesn't mean." The redhead sniffled.

"Did she say she hates you?"

"Well, no."

"I'm sure she's just upset. People say things they don't mean, especially when they're upset. I'm sure, once she cools down, she'll realize that you were trying to help."

"And if she doesn't?"

"I'm sure she will, chica." Maria put a reassuring hand on Pepa's shoulder. The younger girl opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of the front door opening stopped her.

"I'm home, but I can't stay long Ma! I'll be back." Félix's voice called out.

The two women shared a look. Taking a couple steps, Maria leaned back looking into the empty hallway. "Where are you going in such a rush?"

"To go find Pepa. There was a thunderstorm earlier. Something might be wrong. She-"

"Is right here." Maria said, cutting off her son's rambling as he walked into the kitchen. She nodded her head towards the redhead.

"Hola Mi Sol." Pepa offered her boyfriend a small wave. The cloud above her head disappeared the instant she laid her eyes on him. "We made soup. Do you want some?"

Maria watched as her son's eyes stared at the dark bruising on Pepa's arms. He shot his mother a look, and she gave one quick shake of her head. If Pepa wanted to tell him, then she could in her own time. After the day she'd had, she deserved something close to a good time.

"Food made by the two most important women in the world? I'd be a fool not to want some." Félix said with a soft smile, sharing his mother's thoughts. Maria watched as her son raised an eyebrow as his eyes traveled over Pepa's impromptu outfit. "Is that my shirt?"

"Sí? Your mother gave it to me." Pepa said as she played with the bottom of the shirt nervously.

Félix pressed a soft kiss to her cheek as he took her hands in his own. "It looks much better on you."

"I'm not sure about this anymore." Pepa muttered as she squeezed Félix's hand. After having dinner with the Castillos Félix offered to walk Pepa home, which she accepted.

"It'll be fine, Pepi."

"And if it's not?"

"Then, we'll figure it out. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come over. Má really enjoys your company." Pulling her close he pressed a small kiss to her forehead. "Te amo, Pepi."

"Te amo." Pepa said back. She watched as Félix walked down the hill, waving at her the whole way. Once he was out of sight, Pepa turned her attention back to the front door of her home. Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob. "Here goes nothing."

There weren't many sounds coming from inside the house. Pepa knew that her mother would be out later than usual, having a meeting with some of the locals about the upcoming fiesta. From the looks of it, she could sneak up into her room without being noticed.

"Pepa! Juli, she's home!"

Apparently not.

Pepa froze as Bruno slid down the stairs. Julieta walked out of the kitchen at the same time. The two came to a stop in front of their sister.

"We were so worried! Where were you?"

"At Félix's?" Pepa said with an unsure smile.

"I told you we should have checked there." Bruno muttered. Julieta gave him an unamused stare. He was certain if she were closer, he would have gotten an elbow to the ribs. Looking between the girls, he could feel the tension. It was time for him to go. Lifting his wrist, he checked the imaginary watch on his arm. "Oh, look at that. It's time to feed Hernado Jr."

The girls watched him retreat up the steps. Taking a deep breath, Julieta stared at her sister. "Pepa, I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean what I said earlier, about you being a disappointment. You're not. I just... I confronted Mateo after you left, and he admitted everything. I'm so sorry I didn't believe you. I should have listened. You're right. I do try to please everyone. I've been so stressed about-"

"Juli, breathe." Pepa interrupted. Her sister took a deep breath. "Okay, now let it out."

Releasing the air, Julieta looked at the redhead. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." Pepa pulled her sister into a tight hug. Her anxiety fading away. Everything was fine. They were fine.

"Oh! Here." Pulling back Julieta reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a polvorosa.

"You made cookies?"

"Your favorite. My way of saying sorry." Julieta nodded. She watched was Pepa ate half the cookie in one go, closing her eyes as she savored the flavor. Julieta kept her eyes on Pepa's arms making sure that the dark purple bruises faded. Though the bruises were gone, it didn't ease her guilt or anger over them. She chuckled as a thought popped into her head. "I also may or may not have broken Mateo's nose, again."

"For what?"

"For giving the bruises on your arm. No one messes with my hermana and gets away with it."