20. Pedro and Bruno

Pedro was scared. Hell, he was nearly petrified.

All that kept him moving forward was his hand on Alma's back, their three babies cradled in her arms. Her babies, Pedro's babies. His darling Bruno, Pepa, and Julieta, who were so young... So tiny... So precious...

He longed to pull his little family into his arms and just lie down. Just sleep, there, alone and content. Needing only themselves to stay safe.

Instead there were nearly a hundred people behind them, all following him. Pedro, the singer/poet who had never wanted a leadership role. Pedro, the orphaned boy who had sparked enough courage in the frightened townsfolk to get them to leave their homes. Pedro, the young father who had to take his family away from the only home he had ever known.

Flashes of the men who had attacked their home kept coming back to him. The fires, the destruction, the death. He couldn't risk staying. They had to flee. He couldn't let what he had heard of happening happen to his Alma.

He offered to hold their children, noticing Alma's pace slow as she got more tired. She looked into his eyes, pure love and trust glowing in her eyes. Pedro swore to himself (not for the first time) that he would never do anything to betray that trust.

His son was put in his arms, but Alma held on to Julieta and Pepa. She needed something to hold. Their children kept her grounded, reminded her that she wasn't losing everything. Pedro knew this, and so didn't press for him to hold the others.

His son was quiet. Pepa never was afraid to show her emotions, and Julieta was fussy every now and then, but Bruno was perfectly content. In the two months that he had been in the world Pedro could remember exactly how many times he had cried. For Pepa he had lost track at around fifty.

Bruno's eyes were wide, staring up at Pedro. His eyes kept looking between Pedro's face, and the lantern that was in his hand. Pedro smiled down at his boy. He was sure that his son had a bright future. Pedro couldn't wait to watch him and his sisters grow up.

Alma leaned her head against Pedro's chest, and Pedro cemented that moment in his mind. The four of them, walking along, leading a town but not caring at that moment. They were the Madrigals, and as long as Pedro lived, he would keep them safe.

As long as Bruno lived he would keep his family safe.

He had promised himself years and years before that he would keep his niece safe. But now she was out of his sight. Out of his reach. He had no idea where she was. He knew where she was going, that was obvious, but once she got there she was in danger of creating the bad future he had seen years ago.

Was he scared? Absolutely. But this was more important that his feelings. Everything would be okay. It would be fine. He was fine. Everything was fine. The magic would be okay. If he figured out what wrong, and saved it, and made sure that everyone was okay... Then he would reintroduce her to the family. They would be happy and whole. Even his mother...

His mother. She would never let him properly conduct his investigation. She would never...

The walls. His old hiding spot. He had been friends with Casita, and the house had let him have a spot to hide, far away from the rest of the family. He could just sneak in there and not be found. He would have to talk Dolores into not letting anyone else find out about him.

That would work. He could sneak in there, and maybe even sneak Mirabel in with him. They would live in the walls! Just far enough away so they would be there, but not! It was a brilliant plan!

Bruno needed to sleep more.

He had slept the night before though. And the night before that! That was pretty good for him! No matter how many healthy habits he made, he couldn't shake his insomnia. Why was he so tired?

The sun was setting behind him. He knew that it must look beautiful back home. This was the kind of evening that he should be sitting outside next to Mirabel, talking about... anything, and just existing. He liked just existing.

But instead of doing what he wanted, or should be, he was traveling through the jungle. Luckily the forest seemed to have a path for him. Last time he had crossed the mountains, Mirabel in hand, it was like trying to navigate a tight maze, now it was like the Encanto wanted him back...

And he had just gotten over that place too! He had finally become comfortable with the idea that he might never see his old home again! He had finally started to think of Casa as his real home! He didn't want to live in the Encanto anymore. He just wanted a simple life.

But his family was more important. His family needed to be safe in order for him to be okay with not being with them. He had to keep them all from the terrible future he had seen. If he could change the future with Mirabel... Then he could change the future for everyone else. He had to. He was a son, a brother, a Tio, a Papá. He had to do this.

For Casita, for the family, for Mirabel.

As long as he lived he would let no hard befall any of them.

The town trudged along. It had been late at night when they had left their home, the night before. They hadn't slept, and they had many elders and children, so it made sense that they weren't moving as fast as Pedro would have liked.

But he had hoped that they would have more time.

It was night once more, they were now several miles away from the town, when they heard the distant sound of hooves on the forest floor. Pedro heard them first, his eyes widening in fear.

Shouting for everyone to run Pedro helped Alma dash forward. But Alma was tired, far more tired then Pedro. She stumbled, and Pedro had a sinking feeling inside of him.

The sounds of horses grew louder. It was like a drumming in Pedro's ears as the town splashed into a large river. He put Bruno back in between his sister's inside of Alma's arms and swept his family up into his own. He took care that the candle, the only item they had brought with them, the candle that he had married Alma with, didn't fall.

He rushed across the river, pressing the people on with his words. Alma had her head on his shoulder again, her eyes squeezed shut in terror. The drumming was so close... So... so close. Pedro couldn't... couldn't let them get to his wife and children. He couldn't...

He was on dry land now. He placed his bride down, like he had when she had moved into his house. Their Casita. The people were still pressing on, and he called for them to not stop. They couldn't stop. They had to get to safety.

Alma looked to tired to keep going. Her eyes still held that resilience that he loved in her, that will to keep going on. But she was so tired... She would... She would...

There were tears building up in Pedro's eyes. Alma would never be able to make it. Not unless he did something. He knew that they were never going to escape their enemies. He would have to stall them... keep his family safe.

Alma was staring into his eyes, and the last word he heard from her was a stunned, "Pedro?"

He leaned down, and kissed each of his children's foreheads, repeating 'Pepa', 'Julieta', and 'Bruno', to himself. Then he looked up into his wife's eyes.

There were tears there. She didn't know what was going on. Her arms were tight around their children, their little miracles.

He pulled Alma into a kiss. A kiss that he never wanted to break from. A kiss like their first one, under the trees, sweet and innocent. An example of their love.

After too short of a time he pulled away, and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Te amo mi mariposa. Mi vida."

Alma's eyes were pleading with him. Begging. Begging for him to stay. But there was no way that they all could make it. It was him, or him and his family. He smiled at her, then pushed her gently. He wanted to speak words of affirmation, words of love and longing. Words to get her far away and to safety. But he found that he couldn't.

Instead he turned around, held his arms out and moved towards the men on horses, who caught up with them at that moment. Their horses standing in the water.

He opened his mouth to plead with them. To beg them to leave his small family alone. To take his life instead. But before Pedro Madrigal could speak a sword flashed.

Pedro's eyes never saw the warm glow.

But Pedro had done what he had set out to do.

Pedro Madrigal saved his family.