Hey everyone, I'm back here's another chapter of the power of Forgiveness, this time it will focus on their Elena and Victors broken friendship. This is the start of Elena trusting Victor again after all the pain he's brought to her family and her kingdom. I'm labeling this chapter a WORK IN PROGRESS because I feel like something's missing, but I'm gonna put my best work here. I hope you get the gist of this chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it.

In the grand council chamber, Elena was working on some royal documents to help the kingdom when caught a whiff of a delicious smell.

"What's that smell?" Elena smiled in as she followed the smell all the way to the door.

Elena opened the door from inside the council chamber and was surprised to see who was there."Victor?"

"I knew this would get you out of that chair." Victor grinned as he was holding a plate of tostones.

"I suppose I wouldn't mind a little snack." Elena sheepishly admitted.

As she took one and savored every bite, she noticed a familiar taste. "It just like the ones we used to make when we were kids."

"You mean the ones from from this cookbook?" Victor held out a cookbook in his hands that was familiar to Elena.

Elena couldn't believe her eyes "Mami's family Cookbook I thought that was gone forever, how did you..."

"When Shuriki was around she wanted to replace the traditional Avaloran dishes with new ones of her own. Luckily, before she kicked me and my family out, I was able to snag this out before Shuriki could even burn them. I've been cooking these recipes with Carla ever since." said Victor.

Elena was speechless."Victor, I...Thank you."

"I was hoping we could revisit some these recipes like we used to when we were kids." Victor suggested. "I was thinking Pastalon and Sopaipillas"

Elena knew what he was trying to do, she was still crossed with him about his villainous actions and his former alliance with Shuriki but she also sees that he's trying his best to make up for he's done so she goes along with it. "you know I can't cook right?"

"Well it's not too obvious." Victor joked. But that is what I'm here for."

...

Elena and Victor made their way into the kitchen and they both made some recipes from Elena's mother's and grandmother's cookbook together, Victor was doing excellent while Elena was struggling. Victor helped her in some of those struggle areas but overall they succeeded in cooking their favorite childhood homemade recipes

As soon as they were finished they set the pastalon and the sopaipillas the kitchen counter, they were tired from the work they put into making these dishes.

"I still can't believe you remembered all these recipes we made together." Elena said to Victor.

"How could I not, these recipes were part of our greatest childhood memories." said Victor.

"Mami and Abuela would always walk us through these recipes and made sure we did them right, they were so proud of us for doing our best. I also remember you over-peppering the meals, I see that hasn't changed." Elena and Victor both laughed.

"Just like old times." Victor happily sighed. You, me and Esteban cooking together after we'd played hide and seek, and now I get to pass on that tradition to my daughter."

"I'm glad you gave Carla that honor." said Elena.

"I want to thank you for making Carla those cheese empanadas and everything else you did for her while she was in her cell, it really means a lot knowing that my daughter is treated well." said Victor.

Elena became honest with Victor as she spoke her mind. "Well, I didn't want to help her at first, but then I realized she's hurting just as I was when I lost my parents, and having you in stone while she suffers behind bars, I couldn't put the same burden on her. So I decided to make her stay in prison a little more comfortable and we helped each other work out through our traumas, and I'm glad we did."

Victor understood Elena's feelings. "I understand if you didn't want to help, we both got what we deserved,I just feel bad that I got her involved into all this."

Elena started to feel bad for Victor doubting his abilities as a parent, so she decided to comfort him. "You're a great dad, Carla knows that, she told me what you did. She about to fall off a cliff, and you were doing everything you could to save her. Ash beat you to it eventually, and she decided that the magic of Takaina was more important to her than her own daughter's safety, you stood up to her and protected Carla yourself. If you ask me, that is what a real father would do."

Victor still felt guilty for how he was raising his daughter. "But I'm the one who let it get to that point, I pointed Carla in the wrong direction, and she almost died and got emotionally hurt in the process because of me."

Elena decided to tell him something that she told Esteban. "You can't change what you did before but you can change what you can do next, all that matters now is that you're here, Carla has you, and you're going to be there for her no matter what.

Victor felt better hearing that. "Thank you Elena, you really are a true friend, ...or at least we used to be."

Elena was still unsure about rekindling their friendship, she wanted to take this slowly. "Victor, I want us to back the way things were but I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet."

Victor was understanding. "I know Elena, you can take all the time you need to think this over, I would understand if we could never be friends again."

"Well, the only reason I freed you from being stoned, was because of Carla, it took a while before I could trust her, she had to earn her way in having you back, it was hard, but she came through, she saved my life, now she's kind and willing to help anyone in Avalor, she even offered to help us catch Ash and Esteban. If Carla and I were able to become friends, then maybe there's still hope for us. We could start rebuilding our relationship one step at a time." said Elena

"That sounds like a good start" Victor agreed.

Suddenly Fransisco and Luisa entered into the kitchen and saw Elena and Victor together along with the food they made that was on the kitchen counter.

"Something smells delicious in here." Francisco said as he was licking his lips.

"Is that Pastalon and Sopaipillas?" Luisa asked.

"It sure is, just like a how we made it it from this cookbook" Victor said as he held the book up high .

Luisa recognized that book anywhere, she couldn't believe her eyes. "it can't be... is that the cookbook with all the family recipes?

"Yes Abuela, Victor kept them safe for us," Elena answered

"I've kept those recipes away from Shuriki when was queen, and I've shared them with my daughter, she's just a good cook as I am, I hope that's okay with you." said Victor.

"It's okay Victor." said Luisa. I'm happy that you and Carla are able to keep the legacy alive for us."

Tears of joy fell from Luisa's eyes held the cookbook close she thought she'd never see it again. "This book makes me close to my daughter, these recipes the only thing what's left of her. Thank you Victor." she said.

Victor owed an apology to Luisa for what happened in the past. "Seniorita Flores, there's not a day that goes by when I don't think about what happened to King Raul and Queen Lucia, they were really kind to me when I was a boy. Even I never thought that Shuriki would kill them when Esteban and I helped her, I know you'll never forgive me for taking part in her invasion and I deserve that, I just want you to know that I am truly sorry, and I hope you'll be able heal someday."

Although Luisa appreciated his heartfelt apology, she still felt disappointed about Victor's involvement with Shuriki. She lost her daughter and son in law a loss that is way too difficult to fix. So she decided to be honest with him. "Victor, you were always a good boy growing up, we've shown the same love to you just as we've shown to Esteban, but after you and your daughter have shown your true colors to us, we were disappointed. I never thought, out of all people, you and Esteban would help Shuriki take over our kingdom and have tried to hurt our familia countless times.

Luisa's tone was lessened a bit to a comforting one. "But I do understand you want to make things right for the sake of your daughter even though it won't change what happened in the past. I'm not sure if I can forgive you, but I am grateful for you returning our family recipes to us."

"I understand, Seniorita Flores" said Victor

"If only your father can see you now." said Francisco as he put his hand his shoulder. "He would be proud of the man you've become."

"I won't let you down this time." Victor promised.

Elena smiled as she she saw the amazing change in Victor.

"I believe you" said Francisco. "Now what are we standing around for? My stomach is crying right now!"

Everyone laughed at Fransisco as they proceeded to eat the food that Elena and Victor made.

Elena sees that Victor isn't the man who he used to be and she's never felt so relieved, it's like the friend she knew was lost is now found, unlike her cousin, but the wounds of Victor's evil schemes are still fresh in her mind, she can't forgive him yet, but she knows that one day she will.

I hope you liked this chapter, I know it's not the best. But the next one will be better. Because there's going to be a four part chapter on this story focusing on Carla and Esteban!

Let me know what you think of this chapter in the reviews.