(Author's Note: Hello again, my readers, and welcome to the next installment of "Journeys into the Multiverse". You wouldn't believe how many ideas I went over before this one was decided on/

Anyway…hope you guys enjoy:)

Chapter Eighteen: Survival (2)

Concept: In a single moment, one man lived instead of died. This changes everything.

Alma: One Month Later

Alma was powerless to do anything but watch as the man on horseback cut down her husband without hesitation or even the slightest SHRED of pity.

When his body fell, it disappeared in the fog that covered the ground.

Then…the men turned their gazes (which almost seemed to…glow) toward Alma and the triplets. Despite how badly she wanted to run, it was as if her feet were bound to the earth itself.

Then, before Alma could do anything…the man struck. The weight in her arms suddenly disappeared, and Alma's legs suddenly stopped working as she collapsed to the ground. When she picked herself up, Alma was met with a sight that left a wide-eyed expression on her face.

There was a large circle/opening in the fog that covered the ground right by where Alma's head had landed. On the ground rested the blankets that her three children were nestled in.

The babies were missing…but the blankets were coated in blood.

Alma's breathing began increasing in intensity as her eyes widened to the point where they seemed about to pop clean out of her skull. Her entire body began to tremble as the sounds around her seemed to grow muter and muter.

As the man approached Alma and brought his machete down, Alma found her voice again…and screamed in horror.

Alma shot up in bed, only BARELY able to keep herself from screaming her lungs out. Breathing heavily and hair sticking to her skin with sweat, Alma quickly looked over to see Pedro sleeping peacefully (he always was a heavy sleeper). She moved a trembling hand in front of his face…and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his breath against her skin.

Then, she looked over to the corner. As quietly as she could, Alma picked herself up from the bed and walked toward the triplets' crib. Unlike her husband, Alma didn't have to hold her hand over her babies. At this moment, it would seem that they all chose to shift.

Pepa grumbled as she pushed her body closer against Bruno's, who whined in annoyance at the action. Hearing Bruno's whine, Julieta threw her arm over her brother. When all of the triplets had pushed closer to one another, it took only a few moments for them to settle down.

Despite her lingering stress, Alma couldn't help but smile (tears in her eyes) at the sight of her babies.

"Alma?" Alma heard Pedro's voice a second before feeling his arms wrap around her waist, "Are you alright?"

"Of course, mi amor. Why do you ask?" Despite her best attempts to control her breathing, she knew that Pedro was giving her that 'You're So Full Of It' look (which is partially why she didn't turn around).

"We both know that's a lie. As much as I love you, mi amor, you are FAR too stubborn for your own good."

This time, Alma pulled away and turned around, "And what's that supposed to me?"

Instead of feeling at all intimidated by his wife's raised eyebrow (which has been effective in the past), Pedro just laughed, "It means that you always try to handle everything yourself. Even after we got married, you still try to handle things by yourself…even though we're a TEAM." When Alma looked away, Pedro's face took on a serious expression as he gently moved so that she was looking at him, "So…what's wrong? Nightmare?" When his wife nodded, he gently ran a hand through her hair, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Although Alma tried to keep herself "steady," she could feel her defenses crumble at her husband's sweet and understanding words (as they always did). Just then, Alma threw her arms around Pedro's torso and buried her face into his chest.

Before Pedro react…he heard her crying.

"It was…it was that night. You…and the kids. I saw those men…I-I saw-," it didn't seem like Alma could continue, and, truthfully, Pedro didn't want her to. He simply wrapped his arms around her and gently rubbed her back.

For the next few minutes, Pedro simply whispered reassurances into her ear (validating her for opening up). Once her crying had calmed and she had stopped shaking, he pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead.

"Look at me, mi vida," Alma picked her head up, allowing Pedro to wipe her tears away, "Nothing happened. I'm okay. You're okay. Our babies are okay. We're okay."

"B-But, it could have-," Pedro gently placed a finger over her lips.

"We can't keep our minds focused on "What Ifs", Alma. We'll never get to focus on the rest of our lives if we do that. We can prepare for life's chaos in the future, but focusing on the past does us no good."

Despite her tears, Alma slight out a shaky laugh, "How is it you always know what to say to me?"

Pedro chuckled, "I pay attention to the kind of person that the love of my life is. I'd hesitate to call you "unpredictable"…to me, at least." He pressed his forehead against hers, "Anytime you get those thoughts in your head or have a nightmare like that…just remember you've got me, okay? And I'm not. Going. Anywhere." Even after a month since the Encanto's formation, Alma still hasn't gotten over Pedro trying to sacrifice himself against the attackers (and likely never will). Even though he'd be lying if he said that he wouldn't sacrifice his life if it meant that his family would live, Pedro fully understood why his actions terrified and infuriated Alma so much. Ever since then, he's taken every chance he could to remind her that he was here and here to stay.

He swore to her that he wouldn't leave their family again, and that was a vow that he FULLY intended to keep.

Alma placed her hands on her husband's cheeks and pulled him into a passionate kiss. When she pulled away (leaving both of them breathing heavier), she hugged him tightly, "I love you. SO much."

Pedro smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, "I love you too. Now, how about we head back to bed?" At Alma's nod, Pedro promptly took his wife into his arms (causing her to laugh) and carried her back to bed. Alma wrapped her arms and legs around her husband's as tightly as possible as she buried her face into his chest. Pedro simply wrapped his arms around his wife and pressed a kiss to her head.

The couple was asleep within minutes.


Julieta: Five Years Later

"Juli! Come ON already! You've made plenty of food!"

"Pepa's right! Plus, we agreed to play in my room!"

"Not now, you two!" On some level, Pedro couldn't help but be amused by what he was hearing. Pedro was a single child and grew up feeling envious when he saw all the children in his village hanging out with their siblings (playing games, having heartfelt conversations, and even arguing with one another). That was only one reason that Pedro was THRILLED when he found out that Alma was pregnant with multiple children.

On the OTHER hand, however...it could certainly be a handful when the three of them came together to go against him and/or Alma.

Like now.

Peeking into the kitchen, Pedro saw Julieta standing on a chair as she mixed ingredients in a bowl. Her siblings were standing behind her, a cloud over Pepa's head and Bruno nervously rubbing his shirt in between his fingers.

Pepa placed her hands on her hips and stomped her foot (like she always did when she was angry), "Juli-!"

"NO!" Both Julieta's siblings and father flinched at her sudden yell, "I have to do this! Leave me alone!"

Okay, it's time for him to get involved.

All triplets turned at the sound of their father clearing his throat. Pedro, hands on his hips, gave a small smile before motioning his head to the side, "Pepi, Brunito…could you both give me a moment with your sister?" When he saw fear appear on Julieta's face and concern appear on Pepa and Bruno's, he held up a hand, "Don't worry. No one's in trouble. I just would like a word between the two of us." Although the younger triplets shared a concerned glance, they quickly stepped out of the room at their father's glance. Once he was certain that his other two children were out of the room, he turned to his eldest with a hand held out, "Come here, mija." Julieta walked over and grabbed her father's hand, who promptly picked her up. "Now then…let's talk," Pedro walked to the living room and took a seat in "his chair" (that he TOTALLY hadn't called dibs on like a boy a quarter of his age). "You remember the rules your mama and I gave you about cooking?"

"S-Si," Julieta replied as she looked at her hands, seemingly already knowing where this was going.

"And what was the most important rule that we told you?"

"T-That I…t-t-that I couldn't cook without you or Mama present," by this point, tears were beginning to form in the corner of Julieta's eyes.

"Hey now, no crying, mija," Pedro softly spoke as he gently wiped away his daughter's tears, "I told you that you're not in trouble, remember?" At Julieta's nod, Pedro pulled his daughter against his chest, "You're not one to break the rules, so why are you cooking even though your mama is having tea with Señora Guzman and I'm working in the back?"

Julieta sniffled as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, "Because…I-I need to make enough food to help everyone. I don't want anyone to hurt, so I need to make enough so everyone stops hurting." Oh. That makes sense (as much as Pedro may hate to admit it).

The fact that their family had been given a literal "Miracle" was amazing enough; protecting them from the invaders, giving them a home (/new family member), and ensuring that everyone in their newfound village was kept safe from the dangers of the outside world. The Madrigals quite literally couldn't have asked for more.

And yet…they were given it. On the day that the triplets turned five, three glowing doors suddenly materialized upstairs. When the children reached for the doorknobs (having a…feeling about which door was theirs), there was a blinding flash of light…and the children were forever changed as they were given access to genuine magic.

Bruno could see visions of the future, Pepa could influence and manipulate the weather through her emotions, and Julieta could heal injuries through the food she makes. For a while, it had been fun to watch the triplets enjoy their newfound powers. Bruno's favorite "hobby" would be looking into the future and memorizing what people would say and do so that he could weird people (more specifically, his hermanas) out with his "hidden knowledge". Pepa would drag her siblings into the backyard and just spend hours changing the weather in every way she could; the three of them laughing and play fighting for nearly the whole day. And Julieta enjoyed learning all about cooking from her mother (Pedro was such a mess in the kitchen that Alma forbade him from trying to cook ever again), smiling like a star as she learned all the fun intricacies of making food.

But, of course, something as complex as magic didn't come without its…"issues". Whereas Bruno had to deal with an unfortunate vision every once in a while (as well as involuntary visions that he couldn't control, headaches, and more than a few nightmares) and Pepa couldn't always keep the weather from changing with her emotions, Julieta had gotten it into her mind that she always had to have food ready to heal people.

This was made even worse when the Encanto was struck by a severe hurricane last month (one too strong for Pepa to affect in any way), leading to widespread destruction and countless people being injured. Julieta hadn't had a lot of food premade and was practically speeding through the kitchen in trying to make more food that would heal (it got so bad that she would tear each piece apart to be as little as possible while still being big enough to work, tears streaming down her face at the idea that she wouldn't be able to help everyone).

At the end of the day, Julieta WAS able to heal those with the most serious of injuries…but she wasn't able to heal everyone. It took weeks before the scars of that disaster were fully gone, and Pedro knew how much it affected his little ángel.

"Julieta," Pedro lifted his daughter's chin so that she was looking him in the eyes, "Listen to me carefully, mija…it is NOT your responsibility to spend all day, every day, healing everyone in the Encanto."

"B-But…that's my Gift! I heal people and take away their hurts! That's what I'm meant to do!"

Pedro raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean "meant to do"? According to who, exactly?"

"Lots of people," Julieta muttered, seemingly noticing that her words had angered her father. Pedro let out a sigh and pulled his daughter against him.

"Listen to me very carefully, mija…your Gift is a marvel, just like you. It IS incredible that you're able to heal people and take their pain away…but you need to understand that it is NOT all you are. You are NOT responsible for the health and well-being of this entire village. You're a child. You should focus on having fun and learning about the world, not carrying the weight of the entire Encanto on your shoulders. Besides," he moved Julieta's face to look at his own, smiling warmly at her, "Everyone here has gone our entire lives without magical healing food…I REALLY don't think it's a "necessity" right now," he poked Julieta on the nose, enjoying the way she giggled. "Do you understand, mija?"

Julieta wiped her eyes, "I…I-I think so."

"Well…if you're ever not sure, all you have to do is ask me or your mama. And remember that you are more than just your magic. You are an amazing little girl…with a good heart-," he poked her in the chest, "-an incredible brain-," he shook her head wildly, getting her to laugh, "-and the most ADORABLE, squishable cheeks that I have ever seen!" Pedro grabbed her by her face, pressing a kiss against both of them as Julieta squirmed against him.

"Knock it off, Papa!" After a few moments, Pedro gave her a "reprieve"…before picking her up and standing her up on the floor.

"Alright, you two can come out now!" Pedro called with a smirk…just before Pepa and Bruno walked out of the hallway, picking at their clothes and looking guilty.

"It was Pepa's idea!" Bruno suddenly shouted, pointing at his sister.

A dark cloud immediately formed above the redhead's head, "Shut UP, Bruno! Traitor!"

"Alright," Pedro called out while Julieta laughed out loud, seeking to stop a fight before it could start, "That's enough. No one's in trouble, and I know that you two were just concerned about your hermana. But everything's fine now! So…why don't you three run along and go play?"

"Okay, Papa!" Julieta moved to grab her siblings by their wrists before they all ran into the back (their father watching them with a peaceful and loving smile).

"Impressive, mi amor," Pedro heard his wife's voice before feeling her wrap her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek, "And you didn't even need my help on that one."

"Clearly-," Pedro chuckled, "-since you were apparently content to just stand in the shadows this whole time."

"Well, EXCUSE ME for having faith in my husband," Alma "plopped" into Pedro's lap, the back of her hand on her forehead, "I'll do differently in the future."

"You know…you're lucky that you ended up with me. Any other man would have probably run off at how mean you are," Pedro teased. Alma raised an eyebrow before (gently) placing her hand on his chest.

"Really? Well then, since Casita can watch the kids, maybe I should remind you just how…nice I can be?" Alma placed two fingers under her husband's chin as she gave a seductive smile that sent a pleasant shiver through Pedro's bones.

(Needless to say, Casita had to work to keep the triplets away from the second floor for the next hour)


Pepa: Six Years Later

"How are they?" Pedro asked as he watched Alma descend the stairs.

Alma let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair, "A little bit better, but the fever's still there. I gave them some soup and some water when they were able to have it. I told Casita to let us know if they need us." Casita's tiles flipped in agreement underneath their feet.

"That's good," Pedro nodded, crossing his arms. After a moment, he chuckled (causing Alma to raise an eyebrow), "I always knew our triplets would share a lot of things, but I didn't think sickness would be one of them."

Alma rolled her eyes, "Was that supposed to be your attempt at a joke, mi amor?"

"Don't pretend, Alma," Pedro grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her into his body, "We both know that it was my sense of humor that won you over."

Alma looked over her shoulder and shot Pedro a smirk, patting his cheek, "Maybe I only looked twice at you because you're easy on the eyes?"

"While I am DEVILISHLY handsome, you're not a woman shallow enough to only marry me for my looks." Pedro gave a wiggle of his eyebrows, which caused Alma to laugh out loud. She spun around and placed her hands on her husband's cheeks, leaning in for a kiss-

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The adult Madrigals flinched at the sudden noise, staring at the door for a moment before Pedro sighed (muttering "Damn it" under his breath). With a small giggle, Alma poked her husband on the nose before moving to open the doors.

Standing there on the other side were about four of the farmers who worked in the fields (whose names escaped Pedro at the moment).

"Hola, señors. Is there something we can help you with?" Alma asked, one eyebrow raised in confusion (since she specifically asked her friends to spread the word that she and Pedro would be staying close to Casita while their niños were sick).

They all seemed almost…hesitant to speak before the one at the front stepped forward, "Doña Alma, you and your husband NEED to get that girl of yours under control!"

Both Alma and Pedro looked like they'd be less shocked if the man had simply slapped them.

"Excuse me?!" Despite Alma's tone and obvious glare, the man in question wasn't deterred.

"It's been raining all day! We can't get our work done like this! I don't know WHAT her problem is, but you need to FIX IT!" Alma was left there, standing absolutely stunned by the man's audacity.

Just then…there was a chuckle. Every present turned to see Pedro chuckling, looking at the ground with his hands on his hips.

"Is…something funny, Señor?" The man asked, completely confused by what was happening.

"Oh…yes. Your joke was just SO funny!"

"My…joke?"

"! Just now. It WAS a funny joke, wasn't it? Because…there's NO way that you would actually come into our house and tell us how to raise our children? Even trying to demand how our daughter feels, telling us to control her like she's some sort of animal? ESPECIALLY when she's sick?! I mean…SURELY you couldn't be behaving in such a moronic and disrespectful way…right?" Though Pedro's smile was big, his eyes made his rage clear.

The men present looked on with wide eyes and pale faces as if only suddenly being aware of their situation (not unlike how the children would look when they knew they did something wrong, Pedro thought in amusement).

"W-W-We didn't know that she was sick!" One of them said, "W-We couldn't have!"

"Oh, I KNOW that you didn't know…because you didn't ask. And you didn't ask because you didn't care. You only cared about how her magic would affect YOU, as opposed to how it may affect her…correct?" The farmers were left blinking rapidly with mouths that wouldn't close (if Pedro wasn't so angry, he'd actually laugh). "Precisely. Pepa can't dominate the weather with a single thought. Her emotions affect it. She's a seven-year-old child; she can't be expected to have perfect control over her emotions…especially when she's SICK. And, most importantly, she will NOT be expected to have perfect control over her emotions. And if you EVER try to push this idea that my Pepita needs to be this…machine, whose emotions should be turned on and off? I promise you this: suffering the WORST weather she could summon will be NOTHING compared to having to suffer me." Pedro took a few steps forward (causing the men to step back in return), placing a hand on the doorway, "Now then…goodbye." After he spoke his last word, the doors suddenly slammed in front of the group's faces. "Gracias, Casita." Her tiles promptly flipped, seemingly sharing in Pedro's frustration.

"I can't BELIEVE those irritating, disrespectful-," Alma practically snarled through gritted teeth, clenching her hands into fists in front of her (likely wishing that there was a neck in her grasp).

"I know, mi amor," Pedro placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, "But it's dealt with. And, if anyone tries this again…we'll set 'em straight," he teased before noticing something out of the corner of his eye.

Something hiding behind the wall. Something small…and yellow.

"Pedro?" Alma noticed her husband's expression go from silly to somber in a split second, "What's wrong?" He held out a hand before taking a step behind her.

"Come on, mija. I know you're there." After a moment or two, the couple saw their middle child step out from behind the wall upstairs. There was a dark cloud drizzling above her head…and visible tears in her green eyes. Casita pulled away the upstairs railings and used her tiles to create a smooth slide. She pulled up the tiles underneath Pepa's feet, causing the girl to yell out as she slid down this slide before suddenly finding herself in her father's arms. Pedro ran a hand through her hair as he held her close (he'd gladly risk sickness to bring comfort to his children), "You're supposed to be resting, young lady. How long were you standing there?" The cloud above his daughter began to thunder as the rain began coming down more intensely, though Pedro didn't react.

"Everybody HATES ME!" Pepa cried out, throwing her arms around her father's neck. "T-They were mad at the w-w-weather, and they HATE ME!" Pedro and Alma (ignoring the literal downpour that got started) look absolutely horrified by Pepa's admission.

"Pepa!" Alma raced over and cupped her daughter's cheeks, "Don't think that way. Nobody hates you!"

But Pepa wasn't convinced, "They DO, Mama! I KNOW they do! Everyone hates me because I'm too emotional! Because I c-can't control myself!"

"Pepa," said little girl flinched at her father's tone, whose expression quickly softened, "Look at me, mija." When Pepa did, Pedro gently wiped her tears away, "Listen to me closely: emotions are…yes, it's good to know how to control your emotions and not let them control you. But you're a child, mija. You're not expected to have proper control over your emotions, and you won't be "demanded" to."

"But-"

"No buts, Pepi. The Miracle gave you the ability to influence the weather through your emotions. I don't know why your magic is like this…but it is, and we have to adapt. But I don't want you to EVER think that you have to control or suppress your feelings. I want you to experience all that life brings to you without trying to bottle up your emotions."

Pepa sniffled, "B-But…what if people don't like me for it?"

"Then that's their loss," Alma spoke up, brushing her daughter's hair, "Most will understand that you can't just keep your emotions in. And those that don't? Your papa and I will have it taken care of."

"And those who want to act that way are people who don't really care about you…so their opinions don't matter anyway," Pedro "matter-of-factly" stated before rubbing his nose against Pepa's, both adults enjoying how their daughter giggled in response.

"If things get too intense-," Alma continued, flickering her husband on the forehead, "-you can come to your papa and me and we'll sit with you in your room for as long as you want until you feel better." If there was one thing about Pepa's Gift that Pedro and Alma were grateful for, it's that she given a room that could contend even the worst and most destructive weather she could summon.

Pepa nodded before she began rubbing her braid, "D-Do you think that Julieta and Bruno would come too?" Although Pepa tended to be the most confident and outspoken of the triplets, there was a hidden sensitive side to her that usually only came up around her family (especially given the nature of her magic).

Pedro chuckled, "You know what? I, personally, think that your siblings would thoroughly enjoy that." He pressed a kiss against his daughter's forehead, enjoying how the cloud above had all but disappeared, "Now then…it's time to get you back to bed."

"Okay, Papa."


Bruno: Seven Years Later

"No. No! No! No! No! NO! This…this CAN'T be true!" Bruno pressed his face into his father's leg, to which Pedro promptly placed a hand on his son's head (hoping to put him at ease). Despite his silence, Pedro glared at the man before him for scaring his son/making him feel bad. Though…to be fair, Pedro could understand the man's frustration.

After all, it's not exactly a "pleasant" thing to find out that your wife was cheating on you.

"I apologize, Señor."

"But…NO! This can't be true! It CAN'T be true! T-This is…this is all HIS fault!" The man snarled like an animal, pointing an accusing finger at the small boy. Bruno whimpered as he pressed his face further into his father's leg.

Now, Pedro's face took on a glare.

"I understand that you're upset, Señor, but I will ask you to remember that you speak about my SON," he spoke in a warning tone, hands on his hips.

However, the man in question (Victor) either didn't notice the tone or simply didn't care, "I KNOW that he did something! There's no WAY she would cheat on me otherwise!" To be brutally honest, Pedro didn't buy that for one second. Although he wouldn't call him and Victor "friends" (thankfully), he had encountered the man enough to understand the kind of person he was.

Selfish. Entitled. Dishonest. Not someone that Pedro wanted to be around (a desire that's currently being unfulfilled). Although he's a man who does NOT agree with cheating, he'd be lying if he said that he didn't understand why Victor's wife would do something like this (1).

"Let me remind you that Bruno simply sees the future…he does not create it. And even that's assuming that the vision in question is unable to be avoided, which I'm sure you've never considered."

"Mi Amor?" Pedro turned his head slightly to see Alma coming from the other room with Julieta and Pepa walking behind her (the former looking concerned while the latter had a cloud above her head), "Is everything alright?"

Pedro gave a small smile, "Of course, querida. Victor here is just a little…upset about his recent vision. But I've explained how even IF the future were to be set in stone that the events of life are no one's fault…isn't that right, Señor?"

In a fit of rage, Victor threw the tablet against the ground (which only caused Bruno to push himself further into his father's leg, now beginning to cry).

"I WON'T accept this!" Victor snarled like a beast as he stepped closer to Pedro, poking him harshly in the chest, "You better get that DEMENIO you call a son to fix whatever he broke…before I do it myself!"

Pedro's eyes narrowed slightly as he let out a breath. He then held a finger up to Victor's face, "Disculpe por un momento, Señor." Pedro picked his son up and set him down near his mother and sisters (all three females now glaring menacingly at Victor for his words). He then knelt and pulled all of the triplets closer to him, "Nińos…I need you all to do me a favor: the Señor and I have to have an adult conversation, and I'll need you all to cover your ears."

"Why?" Pepa asked, her cloud slightly dimming.

Pedro chuckled a bit (ever since she could speak, Pepa had always been the one who loved to ask "Why?"), "Because this is an adult conversation. Ergo, NOT for the ears of children. I'll give you three thumbs-up as a signal, so you'll know when you can uncover your ears. Okay?" Although still a little confused (Julieta), frustrated (Pepa), and concerned (Bruno), the triplets gave their father a nod before covering their ears. Pedro then placed a hand over his mouth, "Can you hear me?!" When they didn't respond/react, Pedro nodded and stood up before turning around back to Victor (who'd been rolling his eyes with crossed arms the whole time), "Okay…Señor," suddenly, Pedro's face instantly became one of thunder as he grabbed Victor by his shirt, "Now you listen here-."

The triplets looked on in shock and confusion as they watched their father yell at Victor. They couldn't hear anything he said, but the way he threw his free arm around (and Victor's increasing unease) let them know that he was NOT happy.

They had NEVER seen him this angry before.

"-and not even the WORMS will want what's left!" By this point, Pedro was all but snarling like a beast (any trace of his "usual nature" completely gone). Victor, who was so sure of himself only moments earlier, could only look on in shock and fear as he was nearly lifted off of his feet. Pedro pulled the other man in until their noses were nearly touching, "Do I make myself CLEAR?"

Victor gulped, "Y-Yes. P-P-Perfectly clear. I-I'm sorry!"

"Good," Pedro's murderous glare was immediately replaced by a cheerful smile. He gently set Victor down and did his best to carefully patted down and straighten out the man's clothes. "Now then-," putting his hands on Victor's shoulders, Pedro leaned in closer (never once losing his smile), "-get off of my property."

That smile on Pedro's face was perhaps more unnerving than his previous glare.

"Coward," Alma snarled as the family watched Victor run away as fast as his legs could carry him. "SO easy for him to pick on a CHILD, but turns tail and runs when confronted with an actual adult."

"Like you said, mi amor…a coward," Pedro simply replied with a clap; Casita agreed as she shut her door and clicked her tiles. Pedro walked over to his family and knelt in front of the children. "Mijo," Pedro ran his hand through Bruno's hair before moving it to his cheek, "I want you to remember this: don't let ANYONE tell you such horrible things about you or your Gift."

Bruno looked down, rubbing the ends of his ruana, "B-But…what if he's right? What if I do cause bad things to happen? L-Like Señor Victor and his wife?" By this point, tears were becoming visible in Bruno's eyes (he had always been the most sensitive of the triplets).

"Ah, mijo," Pedro pulled Bruno into his arms, who quickly latched onto his father as tightly as possible. "Listen very carefully: I know for a FACT that you don't cause the visions you have."

"H-How do you know?" When Bruno pulled himself from his father's chest, the man was smiling down warmly at him.

"Because you, Bruno Madrigal, are the most compassionate and empathetic soul within the ENTIRE Encanto. If you could truly control the outcomes of your visions and change the future to whatever you desired, I do not doubt that you would have nothing but good visions for everyone who asked for them. The fact that you see both good and bad visions (and everything in between) means that you're simply seeing the future…without having any input."

"I'm honestly grateful that our Brunito isn't able to just…make whatever outcome happen that he wants," Alma knelt and pulled Bruno from his father, with the boy quickly latching onto his mother (Bruno was a DEFINITE mama's boy while Pepa was a daddy's girl and Julieta fell somewhere in-between), "That'd be too much for a child to wield."

"Agreed," Pedro nodded as Julieta and Pepa went to latch onto him.

"I wish I didn't have to see bad things and make people upset," Bruno muttered.

"I know, mijo," Pedro ran a hand through his son's hair, "I wish you didn't have to see these things either. But life…isn't always pleasant. It's not always good, painless, or even fair. That's just an unfortunate fact we have to accept. If I could prevent you from seeing these things, I would. The best we can do is help you. That's why I want you to understand that you are NOT responsible for the visions you have. They come to you without your say or control, and they are NOT your fault. So don't ever let anyone convince you otherwise, okay?" After a few moments, Bruno nodded. Pedro smiled at his son as he ran a hand through his hair, "And never feel like you can't come to your mama or me when you have a nightmare or headache, alright?" These were two unfortunate aspects of Bruno's Gift. Although Bruno is usually able to choose whenever he looks into the future, there are times when the visions come to him involuntarily. When they persist, they leave Bruno with headaches so intense they'd make him cry and render him immobile.

But that was nothing compared to the nightmares. Bruno has had hundreds (if not thousands) of visions since acquiring his magic, and he has seen countless instances of pain and misery. On more than one occasion, he had woken up in a cold sweat with tears pouring from his eyes. The first time it happened, Bruno refused to come out of his room the whole next day. Once his family found out, they refused to leave him alone. Pedro and Alma also made sure that their son understood that he could ALWAYS come to them whenever he had similar nightmares.

(Although both parents found it heartwarming that Julieta and Pepa offered something similar to their brother, Pedro and Alma still preferred to handle matters like these themselves)

"Okay, papa," Bruno nodded, a small smile gracing his face.

"THERE'S the smile worth more than all the world's gold," Pedro took his son into his arms, standing up and shaking him (enjoying the sound of his son's laughter). "Now then, with all of that taken care of…who wants ice cream?!" That brought the glee back to the triplets, each of them holding up their hands and yelling out in joy.

Alma rolled her eyes, "Really, mi amor? We only JUST had lunch."

"And I'd say we're all entitled to some dessert!" Pedro replied in his (usual) cheery tone, "And, besides…you won't deny your favorite people in the world a chance at a deliciously frozen treat, would you?" All of the triplets AND Pedro looked at Alma with pouty lips and big, wide eyes. The young mother rolled her eyes playfully, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

"Alright, FINE." She outright laughed at their cheers, being pulled out of the house by Bruno and Julieta while Pepa dragged their father out (which was more like Pedro had grabbed her wrist before she could speed out on her own).

Ah…her silly, wonderfully frustrating family. How she loved them so.


Felix and Agustin: Sixteen Years Later

"Felix?" Said young man turned at the call of his name, turning to see-

"Agustin? Are you here to see Julieta?"

Agustin shook his head as he joined Felix in front of Casita's doors, "No. Bruno had said that Señor Madrigal wanted to speak with me."

"Wait…REALLY?!" Agustin held his head back at Felix's outburst.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Bruno said the same thing to ME!" Now, Agustin's eyes were the ones that widened.

"Seriously?!" Before the boys could continue, the front door of Casita suddenly opened (causing them both to flinch). The inside was...quiet, and that set them on edge. The only times that the home of the Madrigals was quiet were first thing in the morning and in the dead of night.

Silent now, though? In the middle of the afternoon? It was more than a little creepy.

Felix slapped Agustin on the arm, "Go in."

Agustin looked at his friend like he had two heads before he shoved him, "You go in! You were here first." Before their "argument" could continue, they yelled out when the tiles under their feet suddenly rippled underneath them and pulled them inside (the door slammed shut behind them). When the tiles suddenly stopped, Felix was only BARELY able to keep himself on his feet.

Agustin? He fell flat on his face (because of course he did).

"Boys!" The two young men nearly flinched at the sudden voice of the Madrigal patriarch, who currently sat in his chair in the living room. "I'm glad to see you both! We've been waiting for you for some time," Pedro chuckled as he placed a bookmark in the book he was reading.

Felix raised an eyebrow as Agustin stood himself up, "We? Who's "we"?"

"Why, my Brunito and I, of course!" Both boys jumped at the sudden movement of a figure from behind them. It was Bruno who was silent as he walked to stand behind his father. The hood of Bruno's ruana was up, making his eyes invisible in its shadow. "Please…sit!" Pedro (either unaware or unwilling to acknowledge his son's effect on the two young men) gestured toward the couch, a smile still on his face. Agustin and Felix shared a…cautious look before they sat down in front of the two Madrigals.

Agustin was the one who spoke, "So…why did you call us here, Señor Madrigal? I-If you don't mind my asking."

"Of course not," Pedro waved off as he set his book down, "It's only natural for you boys to be curious." Pedro sat back in his chair, legs crossed and arms spread out, "I won't take up too much of your time: I wish to speak with you both about your blossoming relationships with my daughters." Ah. That made sense.

When Agustin and Felix began dating Julieta and Pepa respectively (at their own pace, of course), it was an unspoken fact that it would only be a matter of time before they would be brought in to "speak" with their parents. As desired as the two Madrigal daughters were throughout the village, none envied the two young men for this "encounter". And that wasn't even factoring Bruno into the equation (who everyone knew was FIERCELY protective of his sisters, despite his quiet nature).

"You know we care for your daughters a great deal, Señor," Felix spoke up, doing an impressive job at keeping the nerves out of his voice, "And that we wouldn't do anything to harm them." Agustin, a little more visibly uncomfortable than Felix, nodded quickly in agreement.

"Oh, I know THAT," Pedro waved off, chuckling, "Don't forget, I've known both of your parents since before you were born. I've watched you both grow into impressive young men, and I don't doubt the quality of your characters. Think of this more like…a "double-check," so to speak. An assurance that we're all on the same page about your relationships moving forward. To ensure that nothing…unpleasant has to happen." Despite the smile that Pedro gave them, both young men felt shivers go down their spines.

This, of course, wasn't helped by Bruno slowly nodding in agreement with his father (looking like an unflappable, eternal watchman).

"O-Of course!" Agustin spoke up before coughing into his fist, "We understand your concern. Though…I-I don't suppose that there's anything we can do to help put you at ease?"

"Well…I'm not sure, to be honest," Pedro placed a hand over his chin, "Truth be told? Probably not. No matter how old they get, Julieta and Pepa will always be my little girls…and I'll always be concerned about them. I'm sure you two can probably imagine how much this "increased" when they reached the dating age." Yeah, that made sense. Felix and Agustin knew (from both friends and their own experiences) that parents always stay protective and concerned about their children.

They could only imagine how this was for Pedro and Alma, with children more outright "desired" than others.

"Soooooo…what really IS the point of this meeting exactly?" Felix spoke up, "I mean…if there's nothing we can really say to alleviate your concerns, what is there really to say?"

Pedro just chuckled, "Like I said...I just want to make sure that we're all on the same page with one another. You obviously know how much I care for my daughters, and I'm positive that you can imagine how upset I'd be if they were hurt in any way. And that, if you were to do so, I'd have to…take the situation into my own hands. I'll admit that I'm not sure what I'd do, but I know it'll certainly be…unpleasant." One might think that Pedro's words wouldn't be particularly effective as a threat. But the smirk on his face, and the look in his eyes…they promised a world of suffering if they screwed up (sending shivers down their spine). "Now then! With that over with…Bruno? Did you have something you wanted to say while the boys are here?" Pedro turned to look at his son, who hadn't moved a muscle this entire time.

For the next few moments…Bruno was silent. Not one sound left him as he simply stared ahead and thumbed his fingers against his arm. Both Agustin and Felix kept their backs straight as they looked back at Bruno, but their unease was obvious (evident by Agustin gulping and Felix's fingers unable to stop scratching his pants). Just when it looked like Bruno had nothing to say-

"Just remember this," he spoke in a low, impassive voice, "If I'm led to believe that you've done anything to hurt mi hermanas, no one…will EVER find your bodies," Bruno finished his sentence by lighting up his eyes (the two glowing green orbs in the darkness of his hood made the young man look like Death itself).

"Well said, mijo!" Pedro stood and patted his son on the shoulder; completely ignoring how utterly petrified the two young guests were left. "Well then," he turned back to Felix and Agustin, "I would like to thank you boys for letting us get this all off of our chests."

"O-Of course, sir," if Agustin's voice was a bit higher than normal, that was his business.

"Ah…of course! Where are my manners? May I offer either of you a drink while you're here? Something to eat? Only if you can stay, of course."

"Um…that's very generous, Señor Madrigal," Felix (nervously) chuckled, "But Agustin and I have…a personal project we need to finish, right bud?" He slapped the taller teen on the shoulder, giving him a pointed look.

"YES!" Agustin called out before coughing into his hand, "I mean…yes. Felix is right. W-We've been putting it off for a while now, and w-we really should get back to it."

Felix had to resist the urge to facepalm at the shaky grin on his friend's face.

"Ah, of course," Pedro nodded, "Well…we definitely don't want to keep you boys from it. Mijo, would you mind walking them to the door?"

"NO!" Both young men called out, freezing when Bruno turned his gaze to them.

"W-What we MEAN is-," Felix spoke up, "-we don't want to take up any more of your time. We…can find the door. It's generous, but…unneeded."

"Oh, alright then! I hope you boys have a fantastic rest of your day!" Giving one last wave to the Madrigal men, Felix and Agustin walked over to the front door.

Well…probably more like "speed walked", but that's neither here nor there.

"Would either of you care to explain why Felix and Agustin just ran past us, looking like Lucifer himself was chasing them?" Alma, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, asked her husband and son.

Ah, dios mio…can't she take her daughters out shopping without her boys causing trouble?

"Ran?" Pedro asked, looking like the pinnacle of innocence (which Alma, for obvious reasons, didn't believe for one second). "Really? That's odd. They walked out of here, and everything was fine when they did."

Julieta's eyes narrowed, "What were they doing here, anyway?"

"No need to look so concerned, mija," Pedro chuckled, "We just talked to them. They're dating my precious daughters, and I felt that it was needed to have a proper "man-to-man" conversation."

"You threatened them, didn't you?" Alma deadpanned.

"I spoke to them like men and simply wanted to ensure that they understood how I expected our daughters to be treated."

"…he threatened them," Alma told the girls as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"PAPA!"

"I wouldn't call it a "threat"," Pedro told his (glaring) daughters, "Simply my expectations for your relationships…and how I would react in certain scenarios. I'd call it a warning if anything," he shrugged.

"Dios, you're so embarrassing!" Pepa cried out, running her hands through her braid as a small cloud thundered above her head. "What if they break up with us our this?! Did you consider that?!"

"Mi pequeño huracán…if those boys are so easily scared away by a simple "man-to-man" talk about how I expect my daughters to be treated, then they're not the ones for you anyway."

That didn't seem to appease Julieta, "This isn't funny, Papa. Couldn't you have, at least, told us that you were doing something like this? Why did you think to do this yourself?!"

"It wasn't my idea," Pedro shrugged before motioning his head to his son, "It was Bruno's."

"PAPA!" Despite his hood still being up, Bruno's blush was still visible.

ALL of the Madrigal women were left surprised by the patriarch's words.

"Really?" Alma asked her husband, an eyebrow raised and a hand on her hip.

"Yep. He was VERY uncertain about his precious hermanas getting hurt in their relationships, so he asked me to help him set those boys straight."

"Stop. TALKING!" Bruno grabbed his father's arm and began shaking him, but Pedro twirled his arm around and pulled Bruno in by his neck. (2)

"Really?" Julieta asked, tilting her head a bit while Pepa's eyes widened.

"Yep," Pedro responded, not even reacting to how Bruno tried (and failed) to pull his father's arm from around his neck, "He said that he had to make sure that their intentions were pure before he could be okay with them dating his lovely hermanas. Right, mijo?" Pedro released his son…who promptly fell on his face.

"Oh my god," Pepa grabbed her sister by the shoulder, "Juli…our weirdo brother really does love us!" Bruno quickly picked himself up from the ground, dusting off his shoulders and REFUSING to look at the large smiles on the girls' faces.

"D-Don't flatter yourselves. I knew Papa was worried about you two, so I decided on this idea to put his mind at ease. I just felt like if something like this wasn't done, he'd be beside him with worry and may have even done something regretful. So…I guess you could say that I was only doing this to keep the family from collapsing."

"No, no, no," Julieta teased, wagging her finger, "You're not going to try to lie your way out of this. You did this for US…because YOU were worried, and YOU love US." If Julieta's words didn't irritate Bruno, then Pepa's cocky grin most certainly did.

Bruno scoffed, "Whatever helps you two sleep at night."

"You know what, Juli?" Pepa turned to her sister, "I think that we should thank our brother for his concern."

"I COMPLETELY agree, Pepita. And I think that the best way to do so would be to give him a big ole hug filled with love."

"I COULDN'T agree more!" Both girls' heads turned to their brother, smiling in a way that Bruno could only describe as "evil".

"Yeah…NO. I don't think so." Julieta and Pepa took a step forward, which prompted Bruno to take a step back, "Hey, back off. I'm serious." They kept moving, and so did Bruno-, "I'm NOT joking. Stop it," -except they didn't, holding out their arms. "I'm telling you right now-." Bruno promptly burst out running upstairs, to which his sisters ran right after him.

"We should probably help him before a fight breaks out," Pedro commented, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"I guess so," Alma shrugged.

"But not now, right?"

"….nah. Let's give them a few minutes."

(Author's Note: Annnnnnnnd scene!

(1): Let me make clear that I am NOT justifying cheating. In a "normal relationship" (that being non-abusive), there's no justifiable excuse for cheating on your partner.

If there's a problem in the relationship, BOTH partners need to work together to fix it. And if it truly can't be fixed (or one party is unwilling to put forth the effort), it's best to end the relationship officially. The MOMENT you cheat on your significant other, you commit a complete betrayal of trust that paints you in a negative light. What they did becomes irrelevant because you betrayed the most IMPORTANT aspect of your relationship. The ONLY excuse that could be justified in cheating on your partner is if they cheated first…but if your partner cheated on you, then you shouldn't be with them anyway.

This also goes without saying, but PLEASE don't make serious decisions in your romantic relationships based on the opinions of a fanfiction writer/

(2): This is something my dad has been doing since, at least, middle school. Even when I became an adult, we still pal around:)

-So yeah…this story's first sequel. YAAAAAAAAAAAAY (yes, that was a Kermit the Frog reference)! I said this in the past, but I'll reiterate here: certain universes will be one-shots, but others will be continuous, short stories spread throughout. This is one of those universes. For this chapter, I wanted to explore how Pedro's presence changes the timeline.

All of Alma's actions stemmed from the trauma of seeing her husband murdered in front of her and her fear of the future. She thought that the Madrigals had to prove themselves "worthy" of their Miracle and if they didn't then Alma would have to lose everything all over again (doesn't excuse her actions, but it does make them understandable).

With Pedro present, however, everything was different. Not only does Alma not have that trauma and fear of loss, but I believe that Pedro would be able to keep her "grounded". Even IF Alma started going down the same route as her canonical counterpart, Pedro would definitely keep her from making those same mistakes. I also headcanon that Canon Alma would have refused to allow her walls to come down and be vulnerable during the Encanto's first fifty years (at least, 95% of the time). With Pedro still alive, though, this would give Alma at least one person whom she could ALWAYS be vulnerable with. And, with Alma down a better path, the triplets' lives would be better too (Julieta would learn that it wasn't her responsibility to care for the injuries of the whole village, Pepa wouldn't have to keep an iron-tight control over her emotions, and Bruno would have constant reassurance that his "negative visions" weren't his fault and that he wasn't some "harbinger of doom").

As for Agustin and Felix? Well…I couldn't see how their lives would MAJORLY change even with Pedro present (probably a little better since I can't imagine they always liked their wives' jobs in canon, but that's about it), so I decided to go the classic route of a "father/boyfriend talk". And I threw Bruno in there because he's obviously super protective of his sisters;)

So yeah. This universe will get at least one more continuation at some point in the future, focusing on the grandchildren. MAYBE something else if an idea comes to me, but we'll see. I'll also mention that parts of this chapter were inspired by the Archive Of Our Own story "Mama Bear" by ArcticVulpix. It's an Encanto AU where Alma put her family above the villagers and even the Miracle itself, and the Madrigals' lives are better for it. I would HIGHLY recommend it if you haven't read it already as it's very good. And it's part of a series, too. The second story has the canonical Madrigals reading "Mama Bear" itself, while the third one involves a "crossover" between the two universes (I haven't read that one yet, so I'm not 100% positive on its plot). It's pretty good overall. (PS: just in case there was any confusion, the "_ Years Later" tags that I used for this chapter are meant to show the years since the Encanto's creation, not each other. So Pepa's section is one year after Julieta's not six, Felix and Agustin's section is nine years after Bruno's not sixteen, etc.)

Constructive criticism ONLY…no flames, please.

Review, Favorite, Follow, and I'll see you guys next time:)