AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story has been in my head for months now and I finally decided to just go ahead and get it out since it's mostly fully formed.

Now, since this does take place in a modernized Encanto, the Madrigals have actual jobs in addition to using their Gifts. Julieta is an emergency room physician, Felix writes children's adventure stories - more on that later - and Isabela is in landscaping, BY HAND, fyi.

This also changes the events of the movie as far as Bruno, but that will come into play later in the story.

Any other questions or comments, please feel free to review!


ENCANTO: You're More Than Just Your Gift

(Modern AU)

Waking up as the window curtains slid open, Mirabel Madrigal sat up and moved her legs over the side of the bed, smiling as the wooden chair holding her leggings and leg braces shuffled over to her. "Thanks, Casita," she said as she started getting ready for the day.

Once dressed in her favorite skirt - with embroidery she'd done herself - and the blouse her mother had made her for her last birthday, Mira grabbed the pair of forearm crutches stationed by the bed and headed out, making sure to grab her shoulder bag as she went.

In the kitchen, she started the coffee brewing before going to set the table. As she pulled various ingredients out of the refrigerator, she looked out the open dining room window when she heard someone calling her name.

"Mira, you promised to tell us about everyone in your family and about the Gifts!" Cecelia Pomerantz reminded her as she was joined by several of her friends.

Letting out a laugh, Mirabel shook her head. "After breakfast, okay? I'll meet you all by the family mural and you ask me whatever you want. Deal?"

"Will you tell us what your Gift is?" Jauncho Muñoz asked, talking a gulp of coffee from the insulated mug he always had with him.

"Maybe," Mirabel wheedled. "But only if you ditch the coffee." After the kids headed off - no doubt to wait by the Madrigal Family mural downtown - she resumed her breakfast preparations, making her mother's favorite baked egg casserole and a mountain of roasted potatoes and arepas con queso.

She was in the middle of preparing the dough for bunuelos when her mother, Julieta, came in, tying on her favorite apron before looking at what still needed to be cooked or prepped. "You don't have to help me make breakfast every morning, mi vida."

"I'm just trying to do my part like everyone else," Mira replied, casually. But as she headed towards the oven to check on the bacon cooking, she suddenly had to grab the counter as her left knee buckled.

Frowning as Casita scooted a chair over for Mirabel to sit on, Julieta kissed the top of her daughter's head as she said, "Mira, you're one of the toughest people I know. But," she cautioned, waiting for Mira to look up at her. "- even tough young women need to rest sometimes."

"I'm just trying to prove that I'm not just... you know, the Broken Madrigal," Mirabel groused before Casita moved her chair over to the table where there was a pile of fruit waiting to be prepped. Getting to work, she gave her mother a look as she murmured, "You know Abuela still thinks that that's why I didn't get my door..."

"You didn't get a magical Gift," Julieta pointed out. "But you are a better musician than anyone else in this family. Your sewing and embroidery are the best in town. And yes, I do know about that little side business you've got going," she added, smiling. "Senora Rodriguez told me everything when I inquired about the fabric, thread, and other supplies you had delivered last month."

"Senora Guzman said that I should advertise my skills after I made that stuffed owl for Senor Umberto's grandson," Mirabel explained. But after a moment, she shrugged and looked at her crutches, scowling slightly. "But sewing, playing the accordion, or singing can't help me to walk better, can it? And you know Abuela is going to want me to stay away from the house today so 'I don't get hurt' while everyone else is getting things ready for Antonio's Gift ceremony."

"Then come with me to the hospital after your meeting with your fan club," Julieta suggested, brightly. "I'll be working the Urgent Care for a few hours, and no one is better at triage than you. Plus, if there's any kids needing my food, you can help them while I'm tending to the adults."

It sounded like a good idea and Mirabel perked up at the idea of helping her mother at the hospital. 'And maybe if there's time,' Mira thought to herself as her left knee gave an angry throb. '- I can talk to Mama about what could be done to help my knee.'

Once the family had gathered and breakfast was underway, Mirabel's oldest sister, Isabela, whispered as she reached for the salt grinder, "You should use your wheelchair if you're going into town today. Abuela has Luisa doing extra chores this morning and you know Lu's not going to be willing to come get you if your legs give out."

Nodding in agreement, Mirabel once again lamented that her relationship with her middle sister had become so strained in the past few years. There had been a time when Luisa had delighted in helping Mira get around town or with her physical therapy. But something had happened - Isabela suspected it had something to do with their grandmother - and now Luisa viewed helping her little sister as an imposition and an annoyance.

Ironically, while Mira's bond with Luisa had weakened, her relationship with Isabela had strengthened considerably. In fact, it had been during Mira's quinceanera that Isa had confessed that she was only dating Mariano Guzman because Abuela had pushed her into it.

Matchmaking being another of Mirabel's nonmagical talents, she had corralled her cousin, Camilo, and the two managed to nudge Mariano away from Isabela and towards Camilo's sister, Dolores, who had been delighted that 'the man of her dreams' was interested in her.

After breakfast, Mira started baking cinnamon cookies from the dough her mother had made and frozen earlier in the week. The cookies were easy to pass around and some time in the freezer had no negative affect on the healing magic they possessed.

"Julieta, are you sure you're going to have time to make the food for Antonio's party tonight if you're going to work?" Abuela asked as she eyed her daughter who was taking cookies out of the oven.

"Mama, I'm only going in for a few hours," Julieta replied as Mirabel pulled the second tray of cookies out and set it on the counter to cool. "And I did plenty of prep for the party yesterday. It's all in the walk-in cooler."

Turning her attention to Mirabel, Abuela eyed her granddaughter's crutches as she added, "Mirabel, the house is going to be very busy today. It would be a good idea for you to stay away until this evening so the you don't - So you don't accidentally get hurt," she finished, catching Julieta's scathing look.

"Mirabel is going to the library," Julieta stated, a slight snap in her voice. "Some of the younger children want to know about the family before the Gift ceremony tonight. Then Mira's going to meet me at the hospital."

Mira stiffened as she saw her grandmother about to say something, but Abuela held her tongue on that subject before leaving the kitchen.

"That was kind of awesome, Mami," Mirabel murmured, as she grabbed a couple boxes for the nearly cooled cookies.

"After more than 2 decades of dealing with emergency room situations and doctors with egos as big as their cars," Julieta replied, smirking. " - handling your abuela is a piece of my tres leche cake."


The mural of La Familia Madrigal was a splash of color on the side of the Encanto Public Library and was surrounded by benches and chairs which were currently seating half a dozen children as Mirabel wheeled over.

"How come you use crutches sometimes and a wheelchair other times?" Inez Flores wanted to know.

While the residents of the town knew about Mirabel's disabilities, and even that her mobility fluctuated day to day, Abuela was always tight-lipped about the cause which had always led to rumors circulating about the exact capabilities of Julieta's Gift.

Realizing that this was the perfect chance to explain her side of things, Mirabel smiled as she lifted her skirt a bit, exposing the braces on her legs. "Well, when I was born," she began before making her voice low and creepy. " - my legs were horribly twisted and deformed. I had to have countless surgeries to fix them since my mother Gift of healing doesn't always work on birth defects. Sort of like how she can't cure cancer or diabetes. Mama's food can help with symptoms, but it can't eliminate the disease."

"Like how Doctor Juli can't completely fix my abuelo's arthritis?" a young boy prompted.

"Exactly," Mirabel confirmed. "And that's why my mother became a doctor in the first place. She wanted to be able to help people even without magic."

"So what's your Gift?" Alejandra Cruz chimed, eagerly.

Remembering her mother's pep-talk before breakfast, Mirabel popped a brief wheelie before she straightened up. "Well, my Gift is really special because it's not just one talent. Plus... my Gift isn't magical."

"How can you have a Gift but no magic?" Juancho asked, trying to figure out the logic.

Having expected the line of questioning, Mirabel was ready with a response. "Because the things that I'm good at aren't magical. I'm a musician, a storyteller, a seamstress... I can cook almost as well as my mom... but I didn't become good at those things because of the magic. I learned about them and practiced until I became talented."

Cecelia looked up at Mirabel, a faintly sad expression on her face as she asked, "So, you don't have a real Gift like the rest of your family?"

"Not exactly," Mirabel confessed, determined to keep her mood up. Moving so she could see the mural, she indicated her father and uncle as she elaborated. " - but my dad, Agustin, and my Tio Felix don't have any magic either. And you all know how good a piano player my papa is. And Tio Felix wrote the - "

"Your tio wrote the 'Adventures of Hernando and Jorge' series?!" Alejandra exclaimed, her jaw dropping as she recognized the man from the back of the dustjackets. "Those are my favorite books in the whole world! My mami reads those to me every night!"

"I've never heard of those," Juancho said, looking curious. "Are they any good?"

"Jorge and Hernando work for a mysterious figure known only as 'The Seer'," Alejandra explained. "We don't know who he is or what he looks like. But he has these visions and Hernando and Jorge have to stop them from coming true."

"Tio Felix says that the stories were inspired by my Tio Bruno," Mirabel went on, pointing to her other uncle. "But talking about Bruno is a taboo subject with the family, so... Lips sealed, got it?" After everyone promised not to talk about Bruno, she continued. "And while my Tia Pepa can control the weather, she also runs the Ray of Sunshine Cafe and Coffeehouse."

"So, does everyone have a nonmagical job?" Cecelia prompted, curiously.

Mirabel nodded as she pointed to her eldest cousin, Dolores. "Pretty much. Dolores works at the Emergency Call Center. She handles the phones and sends out the police, fire department, or paramedics if she hears someone in trouble." Indicating her other two cousins, she added, "Camilo works at the community theater and I know that you've seen him do the story hours here at the library. Antonio's getting his Gift tonight, and I think it's going to have something to do with animals, given how much he loves helping at the animal rescue center."

"How come your sister works in landscaping if she can just grow things?" Inez wanted to know, looking at the image of Isabela.

Mirabel couldn't help chuckling as she did another wheelie and after a moment, she explained. "That, my little friend, was Isabela's act of rebellion when Abuela said that Isa needed to find a job that didn't have her actively using her powers. Abuela thought Isa would go with wedding planning or working at the town florist shop. Instead, my sister spends more than half her week digging around in the dirt planting flowers, trees, and shrubs by hand."

"The only one who doesn't have a specific job is Luisa," Mira finished, nodding at the image of her middle sister. "She just does odd jobs around town. Sometimes she's doing construction, other times she's helping the fire department. She even works over at the automotive shop on the other side of town a few days a week. Basically, she just helps out wherever she's needed." Giving her audience a grin, she concluded, "But that's who we are in La Familia Madrigal. So... Any other questions?"

x

Heading to the Pedro Madrigal Memorial Hospital an hour later, Mirabel kept looking about the town as she wheeled down the sidewalk. There were familiar faces, of course, and she waved to those she knew well, even smiling as a few people wished Antonio good luck that evening.

But as she paused by a traffic light, Mirabel caught sight of a pair of women whispering and 'subtly' pointing to her. Looking away, she could feel their eyes on her and wondered what they were gossiping about this time.

The stares and whispers were common with newcomers, especially in regards to Mirabel's physical disabilities. But the women staring at her were part of her Abuela's sewing group and knew all about her.

Pushing the thought out of her mind as she reached the Urgent Care entrance to the hospital, Mirabel quickly found her mother giving a cookie to Belinda Alveraz whose arm was in a sling.

"I think you need to find a safer hobby than rollerblading," Julieta advised, kindly. "You're lucky it was just a broken arm this time." Catching sight of Mirabel, she was about to wave a greeting when paramedics came in with a man in his 40's, his head and chest covered with blood. The man wasn't moving and didn't seem to be conscious.

"Everyone, back up!" Mirabel instructed to the people still waiting on her mother's food. Taking Julieta's place, she watched as her mother snatched up a pair of gloves and tugged them on, asking for a report as she followed the patient to the emergency room.

"How does Dr. Madrigal heal someone if they're unconscious?" asked a man with an icepack held to his eye.

"Mama has these quick-dissolve tablets for super serious cases," Mirabel explained. "One of the doctors can just slip one under a patient's tongue and it starts to work within moments."

In between handing out the cookies, Mirabel chatted with everyone about the family and other various subjects, even giving a grateful look as some of the folks praised her for her own contributions to the community.

Once all of the noncritical cases had been tended to, Mirabel headed for the elevators to go up to the pediatric floor where she found Dr. Amita Ruiz making a note on a patient's chart.

"Hola, Mirabel," Dr. Ruiz greeted her, straightening up. "Are you here with Julieta?"

Nodding, Mirabel replied, "Mama was handing out food at the Urgent Care and then she got pulled into an ER case. Um..." she paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and added, "My left knee gave out this morning. Even with the braces, it's... it's getting harder to walk for too long."

"Well, I've got some time, so let's take some quick x-rays," Amita offered, leading her patient to the radiology wing.

Once Mira was lying on the table - her skirt, leggings, shoes, and braces sitting on the chair nearby - she waited for the radiology tech to get the images of her legs before taking a long, slow breath.

There was a very good chance that Dr. Ruiz would tell her that there was nothing that could be done, or that she might require yet more surgery. In either case, Mirabel knew that she couldn't say anything to anyone except her mother since Abuela would think she was trying to sabotage Antonio's big night.

"Here you are," Julieta sighed as she found Mirabel in an empty hospital room. Her street clothes were in a plastic bag and she was dressed in scrubs while her hair was starting to come out of its usual knot. "Is everything okay, mi vida?"

There was a moment's pause while Mirabel considered telling her mother what was going on and eventually, she shook her head. "Dr. Ruiz took x-rays of my legs. I-I'm just waiting to see what she says."

There was a very small part of Julieta that wished that Mirabel could just be satisfied with her current state of mobility. Not because she didn't want her daughter to get better, but because every new operation seemed to cause Mira just as much pain as it brought about relief. Plus, Abuela had even stated that continued surgical intervention was a waste of time. Pepa had even had to hold Julieta back when their mother had slipped and called Mirabel a cripple.

"Mira, no matter what your abuela has said to you - or anyone, for that matter," Julieta said as she sat down on the empty bed. " - your disabilities have nothing to do with you not getting a Gift. And even if you never get better, that's not going to diminish your kindness, creativity, or your love for our family."

"It's not... Mama, me wanting to not need the wheelchair is... It's not about my not having a Gift," Mirabel tried to explain. Thinking about how best to phrase it, she finally just shrugged. "Mama, even if I did have some amazing Gift and my own magic, I still wouldn't be like the rest of the family. I mean... If it was just needing the crutches... I'd still be different. If I just needed the braces, I'd be different. Not being able to walk like everyone else... "

Julieta nodded slowly as she started to understand how her daughter felt. "It's hard not being able to really connect with everyone because even with your father and Tio Felix, they don't really understand how you feel."

"Pretty much," Mirabel murmured.


Once Mirabel and Julieta returned home, Julieta made a beeline for the bathroom after grabbing a change of clothes from her bedroom.

Mirabel, on the other hand, had been about to see if she could help out anywhere when her Tia Pepa called her over to the stairs that went up to where Antonio's door had appeared.

"I can't find Tonito anywhere," Pepa fretted, stroking her braid, nervously.

Not wanting to betray her primo's favorite hiding spot, Mirabel just smiled reassuringly as she chirped, "I'm on it. Don't worry. I'll find him." Heading for the elevator that Casita had developed for her after she'd been born, Mira paused as she saw that the house had stationed her crutches inside.

Although it would be easier to stay in the wheelchair, Mirabel could just imagine Abuela making some comment about looking for sympathy to upstage Antonio.

"You'll keep the wheels handy in case I need them, right, Casita?" Mirabel asked as the door closed and she was taken up to the second level of the house.

The floor display gave an image of a thumbs-up as Mirabel stood, slipping her arms through the cuffs of the crutches and gripping the handles.

Stepping out of the elevator, Mira headed for the nursery - also known as her bedroom - and once inside, she sat down on the bed before pulling a small present out of a drawer, smiling as she played with the yarn holding it closed. "Everyone's looking for you," she trilled, listening for any sort of response.

"What if it doesn't work?" a soft voice whispered from under the bed.

"We won't know until you try," Mirabel replied, sagely. "But you know what? Even if you don't get a Gift, that doesn't take away from who you are. It won't take away from your kindness and curiosity... You can still be an amazing person even if you don't have magic powers."

After Antonio crawled out from under the bed, he joined Mirabel on her bed, picking up the present and toying with it before giving his prima a sad look. "But if I get my Gift and my own room, then you'll be in here all alone."

"You know what?" Mirabel murmured, putting an arm around Antonio. "You don't have to worry about me. Because even though you'll be in your own room, I'll still have Casita to keep me company. And," she added, cheerfully, giving him a squeeze. " - you and I can have sleepovers whenever you want, okay?"

Antonio nodded, giving her a small smile but Mirabel could tell that he was just trying to put on a positive face for her. But when he finally opened his present, he beamed as he pulled out a small stuffed jaguar. "I love it. Thank you, Mira," he said as he hugged her. Thinking for a moment, he set the jaguar down and hopped off the bed to go digging in one of the drawers of his old dresser, finally pulling something out. Handing the stuffed dog to Mirabel, he explained, "Now we both have something to snuggle with if we get lonely."

Tears welled up in Mirabel's eyes as she hugged Antonio, not sure what she ever did to deserve such an amazing primo.

X