Duck, Duck, Goose

by Anonymous

Summary:

Mirabel Madrigal is a pretty ordinary kid.

Her cousin and maybe-best-friend, Camilo, is going through the "icky boy phase" where he becomes annoyingly blunt and does "icky boy things" that will always be unexplainable to her, her favourite teacher is quitting for another job, her mother is unable to get out of the hospital, her uncle could say 3 words (max), and her aunt constantly have a cloud over her head (literally), but all in all, Mirabel should say she is a pretty happy girl.

Then, one day on a quest to find the subject for a school project, she thinks she saw her dead cousin on the other side of the street. Then, she blinks, and Dolores is gone.

Deciding this was a sign from God, Mirabel starts researching family history for the project. However, when walking around the graveyard and questioning family members, she discovers something...odd. Determined to get to the bottom of this, she drags Camilo on an adventure based on nothing but a hunch.

Come on, Mirabel. How do you think it's all gonna work out?

Notes:

Hi, this is very self-indulgent because I kind of need angst after I wrote a couple of comfort fics :( I don't usually write heavy stuff, so do bear with me.

Well-meaning advice are much appreciated, but best be polite or with tone tags, please <3

Chapter 1: Prologue

Bloodstains on the alleyway pavement, never really to be washed away.

It rained for 48 days.

Twin coffins made of polished wood, lowered into the ground.

One family member wasn't there.

Black, grey, white.

Black again.

Beep, beep, beep.

Headlines flashed.

People discussed, mourned, sent their regards.

Then they forgot.

Beep, beep, beep.

The cemetery security guard woke up with a start.

He saw something.

Creeping inside,

he saw only a candle.

A late night mourner.

Not uncommon.

He relaxed, and retreated.

It did not occur to him that although it was raining, but the candle's flame was alight.

Flicker, flicker, flicker.

Chapter 2: Chapter 1

Summary:

Mirabel gets a new school project to work on. She thinks about what she'll do. Frogs? Butterflies? Or one of her countless phases.

Then...something (someone?) catches her eye.

Notes:

heyoo! This chapter is a little short but I hope you enjoy anyway!

"Class is dismissed! Remember, the project is due on the first Friday of next month! ¡El viernes!"

As most of the students bustled outside, Mirabel was still packing her bag, deep in thought. This would be the last teaching term of her favourite teacher, and next month would be the last month she'll ever see her in the school anyways. That means Mirabel has to impress her, right here, right now, with this project.

She has a small, very minor problem, though.

She didn't know what topic to do.

Mirabel has had more than a few 'phases' growing up, so she has a couple of ideas floating around in her mind. But none of them felt right, as in the Kapow! Crikey! Wowzooka! kind of right.

Frogs? She did that for her essay already. Butterflies? Maybe, but Mirabel has a creeping suspicion that Miss Sánchez is a little afraid of insects, or anything with more than six limbs that aren't centaurs.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice her maybe-best-friend-forever and definitely-cousin-forever Camilo walking up to her and giving her a light shove like he always does, and let out a yelp. That made him pause in his hair-combing (he was constantly trying to comb it over an eye, thinking it'd look cool. Mirabel just thinks it's stupid.) and raise an eyebrow at her.

"'Sup? Someone bothering you, cous?" he lowered his voice, trying to look threatening. It caught Mirabel off-guard, and she grinned.

"Number 1, nope. Number 2, if yes, I could deal with them myself, anyways, and number 3, please start talking normally again, Milo" she said, rolling her eyes at his antics. Classic 12-year-icky-boy shenanigans, she supposed.

"Anyways," she changed the subject, after noticing the dark look Camilo sent her way after that comment, "I was just thinking of a topic for my project. I really wanna make a lasting impression on Miss Sánchez before she leaves."

"I think," Camilo started before dramatically pausing, "that you should do one on wolves. Who doesn't like wolves?"

Not wanting to hurt his feelings, Mirabel nodded along. "Great idea. But I don't know much about wolves. Maybe we could think of a couple more before I settle on that."

Hearing that definitely made the boy perk up, his spirits returning. "Okay. How about chameleons?"

"...No."

~~~

Halfway through their conversation and the walk home, Camilo's mom, or Mirabel's aunt, phoned him, and so she tuned them out and instead started listen to music, humming to herself. She could have stared down at her feet for the rest of the journey like she would usually, looking at the rhythm, counting the tiles, but for some reason, today, she glanced up and across the street.

She saw a girl, looking a little older than her, with her hair tied up with a red ribbon. She was staring directly at Mirabel, through the racing cars and the chattering people. Mirabel froze, captivated. Something felt...familiar about the girl, even though Mirabel couldn't see her very clearly, but she couldn't place her finger on it. Then, she blinked, and a taxi sped in-between the two of them, and the next moment, the girl was gone.

"Mirabel?! Mira!" Camilo was shouting. "Are you alright? What happened? Did you see something? Mami was asking for you..."

Mirabel was silent, her mind still on the girl. Who was she?

Then it hit her. The photos, the rain, the faded, vague recollections from the adults.

That was her cousin. Or at least it felt like it. Much more grown-up, maybe, but definitely her. Mirabel was sure of it.

But once again, there was one, teeny, tiny, small, very minor problem.

Her prima was dead.

"Mirabel!!" Camilo hissed at her, snapping out of daze. "Dios! What was that?"

Mirabel shook her head, opening her mouth to say something, her brain whirring. I saw your dead sister, but then she poof-ed away. Yeah, no.

"Nothing. Is tía still there?"

~~~

"Are you okay, Miraboo? Camilo told me about how you didn't seem like yourself today," Mirabel was sitting with her papá, him gently combing through her hair. Mirabel relaxed and leaned into Augustín, always liking the quiet, peaceful moments with her father.

"Nah, I'm fine. I guess...I was just thinking about the project. But I think I know what I'm gonna do now," she smiled, feeling safe and loved as Augustín leaned down to kiss her forehead.

Her dad hummed softly through his nose, and they sat there in silence, basking in the moment.

Mirabel thought about Dolores, and Miss Sánchez, and her family that she loved so much.

Yeah, she thinks she knows.

Chapter 3: Chapter 2

Summary:

Mirabel starts off her plan by getting on Abuela's good side and acquiring the photo albums that are sealed away, and, according to pretty much everyone, absolutely cannot end up in Pepa's hands, otherwise it'll rain for an entire week.

Notes:

I know I said 'Abuela bashing' and all, but she does love and care for her family! Quite a lot, actually. But you will, uh, soon (?) know why the tag exists.

Hope you enjoy! :)

"Heyyyy," Mirabel said, dragging out her voice and injecting even more optimism into her voice as she slides into Abuela's study, hopefully in a way that'd seem cool to old people, "whoooo's the cooooolest Abuela in the woorrllld?"

"Yes! That's you!" she made a great leap and landed directly in front of Abuela's unimpressed face.

"Alright, Mirabel, what do you want?" came the flat response.

Gasping extra loudly, Mirabel summoned an incredulous expression onto her face. "What? Can't a girl just be eager to spend time with her FAVOURITE abuela of ALL time??"

Abuela sighed, but Mirabel could see the corners of her lips tilt up. She tended to have that effect on Abuela. It's very useful, most of the time. "I'm your only abuela."

"Um, so, now that we have gotten over the small talk part..." Mirabel flashed a grin. "I was just, like, thinking about my...school project," emphasise on the school project part will never do harm, "and, I'd like to make the topic family history! Talking about people like Abuelo really makes me appreciate my family more and more..."

That seem to have done the trick. Abuelo, appreciating the family, school? A deadly combination.

Abuela sighed again, but this one a lighter one. "Alright, Mirabel. Do you want the photo albums? Let me go and get them for you..."

Mirabel stared. It couldn't be that easy, right?

After a few minutes, Abuela returned from her bedroom (which was just behind her study---Mirabel thinks it's to prevent people from intruding into it. Why else would it be placed there?) with several old-fashioned books and started to place them onto her desk one by one.

"So...this one is from way before your abuelo and I, dating all the way back to my great-great-grandfather...And this one has photos from when I was just a little girl, your age, maybe!" Abuela's eyes were crinkled with fondness. "Now...this one has your Abuelo...our wedding, our life afterwards...and also the triplets from when they were kids...This one is just for Luisa. You wouldn't believe how small she was. And then, see, here's you and Camilo! And finally, this one's not even closed to being finished, but it's for Antonio. Our dear little Toñito."

Mirabel smiled and nodded along, but something was nagging her. "Um...Abuela...wh-do you mind if...um...Isabela and...Dolore..?" her voice almost died out in the end after she looked at Abuela's face. She looked thunderous, cold, and something unimaginable in her eyes.

"Now, Mirabel, why would you ask for that? Let the past be the past..." after seeing how Mirabel seemed to have shrunk into herself at the sudden burst, Abuela's eyes and posture softened and she leaned down, cupping her face with a hand. "I'm sorry, Mirabel...but they are just a...sensitive topic. I'm sure you understand." Mirabel nodded vaguely.

"Lo siento, Abuela. I just," she paused, trying to pick a word to best get on Abuela's good side, "feel like they are a part of the family, y'know...? And they deserve to be in this project as much as everyone else."

Abuela seemed to mull over her words for several moments which felt more like hours, but eventually the woman sighed and went back to retrieve the missing photo album.

As soon as the book has been laid out in front of her, Mirabel could see the difference. It was coated with dust, the cover battered, and the pages looked a little wrinkled, like they had been soaked in water. There was a title on the cover: "Isabela and Dolores", with what looked like faded crayon drawings around it. There are a lot of flowers. Big and small, of all kinds of colours and species. There were roses and sunflowers, lilies and orchids, and even a few creatures that slightly resembled hummingbirds. They are all messily scrawled on by hands of children, but every stroke was definitely made with as much force as the kids could summon.

"Here you go," was all Abuela said, before she stood up, patted Mirabel on the head, and started to go out of the door. "I need to go out for a bit now. Remember, do not let your tía see that, unless you want it to rain for weeks to come. You could always ask me if you want to interview someone, alright? Be good, Mirabel, make our family proud."

Mirabel nodded and offered a smile, but immediately turned back towards the albums the moment Abuela was out of the door.

Okay. She could do this.

~~~

Flipping through the photos of the people she never really got to know gave Mirabel a foreign sense of sadness. She saw Abuelo, saw his brilliant smile and gentle eyes. She saw him sitting in an armchair with a kitten in his arms, both of them dozing off and Abuela sneaking a picture of them. She saw Abuela, her face free of sorrow or anger, her eyes that shone even through the black-and-white photos. She saw...she saw her sister Isabela, tangled together with Dolores, really just kids. She felt a sense of deja vu, thinking about her and Camilo. She saw Isabela tackling Dolores in a big hug, saw them laughing together with vivid flower crowns on their heads. She saw them behind a birthday cake, a paper crown on Isabela's head. The candle says '7'.

There are no more photos about them after that.

She knew what happened, kind of. Not exactly, because no one is willing to talk about it. It made them too sad, made their bodies too heavy. Mirabel, 9-year-old or so, had asked her father about what happened to Isa and Lola, and saw his face darken like nothing before, saw him choke back tears, and it terrified her. Her dad never cried. He was always the one cheering them up, being reliable, and it was at that moment Mirabel felt like even the strongest, coolest person she knew wasn't invincible. And so, she joined in the league of never speaking of Isabela and Dolores again.

Isabela and Dolores made them sad, and the Madrigals cannot afford to be sad.

Mirabel was just about to put down the albums for a break, her heart heavy with doubt if this was a good idea at all, when her door suddenly clicked open and made her jump.

"Mirabel? Dinner's almost ready, an--" tía Pepa's eyes widened, and Mirabel followed her gaze to the book in her hands.

Mierda.

She heard a choking sound before wind started to pick up, and in panic Mirabel shoved the album under her covers. "Tía, tía, it's okay! It's okay--"

Mirabel started to feel rain shower down, and before long hail joined in, too. She frantically turned towards Pepa, fighting against the wind. At some point the gale had slammed her door shut, causing even more of a mess. But the mess was...well, the least of her concerns right about now.

When she finally reached the red-headed woman, she didn't wait a second to envelop her tía into a hug, rubbing her back. It wasn't the first time Pepa had a breakdown like this, but Mirabel started to feel guilty. She caused it. She was too careless, too--

Pepa gasped for air, arms blindly finding their way around Mirabel's back, and hugged back tightly, fingers gripping her shirt. "I'm--" Pepa sobbed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Mirabel, despite everything, was confused. Why was she apologising to her? Then, she saw Pepa's eyes, glazed over before she screwed them shut, and she realised she wasn't talking to her. She was talking to Dolores. Or Isabela. Sometimes, when her mother would stay awake enough to talk, she would tell Mirabel about how close her big sister was with Pepa.

"It's not your fault," Mirabel tried, desperate to help her tía. "It was never your fault."

Pepa inhaled sharply, before starting to sob again, but this time she seemed less hysterical, so Mirabel took the opportunity to half-hoist, half-drag Pepa over to her bed, swiping away a few scattered albums with her spare hand and helping Pepa sit down.

"Tía," she said softly, not wanting to startle her. But by the way Pepa sucked in a breath and snapped her head up, Mirabel guessed she had after all.

"I--" Pepa swallowed, her voice raspy and eyes brimming with tears still, wide and afraid and guilty. "Mirabel?" Her name came out as a whisper.

"Yeah," Mirabel pulled her tía into a hug again. "It's me. You're alright now."

It was still raining, and both of them (and pretty much everything in the room) were drenched to the bone, but Pepa didn't seem to notice, so Mirabel didn't mind.

"I'm so sorry," Pepa's voice cracked. "You shouldn't have seen that."

"It's not your fault," Mirabel said again, firmly. "I was the one who should've been more careful. I love you, tía, and you're the kindest, best, strongest tía in the world."

That made Pepa tear up again, but this time seemingly in a better way. Maybe.

"Thank you," after a while of struggling, Pepa managed weakly. "But it wasn't enough to save them." Mirabel had to strain to hear.

She took a deep breath, not sure how to approach this, but wanting to do something.

"I'm sure, tía," she said eventually, quietly. "That if Isabela and Dolores are watching, they would know you love them very, very, very much."

Pepa started sobbing again, pulling Mirabel into a hug. "I do. I love them so much, still. It hurts, too, so much." Mirabel felt a pang of sorrow. She thought about how she'd sometimes get annoyed at how tía Pepa would call in to check on Camilo almost every 30 minutes or so, but she'd neglected to see just how afraid she was afraid that if she didn't, they'd slip out of her fingers and disappear, too.

"Would you feel better, tía, if we don't talk about them?" Mirabel wanted to know. She wanted to do something nice for her tía. And in that moment, Mirabel was sure if the answer to that question was 'yes', she'd stop doing this topic for the project altogether.

But to her almost-surprise, Pepa was silent for a few moments, before saying, "No. I don't...I don't want their names to be avoided like a curse. I want to...I want to be able to remember them, too. Without...drowning in my emotions."

Mirabel squeezed Pepa's hand, smiling and feeling her heart swell with so much love for her tía. "We'll talk about them, tía. Together."

Outside, a flower fluttered its petals on a tree branch. Magic was in the air.

Chapter 4: Chapter 3

Summary:

Mirabel goes to the hospital with Camilo and Pepa to visit Julieta.

Notes:

I'm not the proudest of this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

The next morning, it was still raining, but Mirabel shot her tía a smile at breakfast, and Pepa gave one back, even though her eyes were red-rimmed and wet.

As everyone bustled away at their food, and Mirabel kicked Camilo's shin, causing him to snap his gaze up to her, eyebrow raised. "What?" he mouthed at her.

Mirabel focused more on her food, but she glanced at Camilo and whispered, "Can you come with me to Mami today? Luisa can't." Mirabel visited her mother in the hospital everyday, minus Thursdays because she'd be busy with the school newspaper. Luisa was very busy, but she'd usually accompany Mirabel. Julieta was their mother, after all, and Mirabel knew how much of a softie her sister really is. The other family members tag along when they wanted to, or had time.

Camilo tilted his head to the side, hazel eyes thoughtful. "Um...I have fútbol practise today, but...Yeah, I think so. It's been a while," he said eventually, giving her a reassuring smile. Mirabel's heart warmed, and she felt happier at the prospect.

Mamá...hmm. If she's strong and in a good mood today, maybe she could ask Julieta some questions, too. Mamá is usually one of the family members who actually likes talking about Isabela and Dolores, even though her voice would go quiet and her eyes faraway.

She noticed Pepa staring at them from across the table, a raincloud thundering anxiously above her head. Abuela glanced up disapprovingly, but said nothing. Félix gathered Pepa in an embrace and pecked her cheek, whispering something in her ear, and almost instantly the raincloud shrank significantly. Mirabel sighed fondly, slightly shaking her head. She hoped that one day, maybe she'd find someone that loves her like her tío does Pepa. Icky-boy-Camilo gagged next to her.

After breakfast, Bruno immediately disappeared to who-knows-where. Abuela sighed after him, stood up, dusted her dress, and left with dignity, like she always does. Pepa approached Mirabel and Camilo (who were getting ready for their trip to the hospital), wringing her hands nervously.

"Um...I'm going with you. To visit Juli, I mean," she said abruptly, but neither Camilo nor Mirabel objected. They liked having another person around, especially when going to a place with such a stifling atmosphere. Quietly, to Mirabel, Pepa said, "I think Juli would be happy to see the album."

~~~

Alma was standing over her. She was still half-conscious, blinking through the heavy drugs, the sounds of the heart monitor filling her ears. But she could see her mother's figure, looming over her.

Beep, beep, beep.

"Julieta..." Alma began with a sigh. Her voice sounded tired and sad, but firm.

She knows. She knows. She knows.

"I trust you wouldn't let whatever they told you leak."

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beepbeepbeepbeep.

"Don't get agitated. It's for the family, Julieta...It's always for the family. If you want to protect the rest of the family...I'm sorry."

Beepbeepbeepbeep.

"You are a strong girl, Julieta. Get some rest now. We will talk later."

As if on command, black spots crowded over her vision once again, and Julieta closed her eyes, the fight in her gone.

The door to her room creaked open, and Julieta opened her eyes expectantly. She saw the brightly embroidered blue overalls and smiled. Then, she noticed the yellow dress sweeping behind Mirabel, just as she felt her blanket get wet with rain. "Pepa?" she asked blearily, her voice cracking. Mierda, she thought it wouldn't. She was doing good today, too. Maybe some water would help?

Reaching for the glass next to her, a pale hand caught it instead, and brought the water to her lips. Julieta smiled gratefully. The silence fell over the room like a comforting blanket as she drank.

"So...Mamá. Camilo's here, and tía Pepa! Quite a crowd today, isn't it?" Mirabel started cheerfully, as always, and Julieta sank back into her pillow comfortably, closing her eyes, ready for the best part of her day. "Luisa's busy today, but she asked me to say hello to you for her. That girl needs a break, seriously. I--Camilo, say something! I'm not letting you stand in the corner awkwardly for the entire visit."

Julieta opened her eyes again, spotting her nephew shuffling his feet and stealing glances at her. Hmph. "Hola, Camilo," she said, feeling better with the company already. "You grew taller. More muscular. Fútbol? Are you the captain yet?" Julieta allowed herself a soft laugh as Camilo blushed at the compliment.

"Um...not yet, tía, but next year for sure," Camilo started shyly, but became more confident towards the end. "That Juancho isn't even that good! I kick as--butt on the field, though." Julieta grinned at the glare Pepa shot at Camilo. Ay...she probably still think he was her baby. They've all grown so big. Luisa was seventeen already--Dios, she felt old.

"Oh yeah!" Mirabel perked up, nudging Pepa. "Tía has a surprise....for you!" She smiled widely.

Pepa's eyes widened and she suddenly looked hesitant, bringing her hands to her braid. After a few moments of Mirabel still maintaining her smile, she nudged Pepa again, and Julieta could see her mouth, "Come on, give her that! She's gonna like it--You said it yourself!"

"Fine. Since tía Pepa is too scared to give this to you, I'll just do it myself...But know that it's tía's idea!" she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a thick book. Julieta's eyes widened at the realisation of what it was, and Pepa's cloud thundered dangerously as rain started to pour down. Camilo moved to hug his mother.

She reached out a hand for the album, and Mirabel gently put it there. Julieta drew her hand back, and a thousand emotions welled up inside her as her fingers caressed the cover and the crayon markings. Hm...Her baby.

"They should be 19 in August, shouldn't they?" she said quietly, but after a while she smiled and closed her eyes. "This is wonderful, Pepi. Thank you."

Pepa struggled to give a smile back, but she tried anyways and it came out more as a grimace. Mirabel placed a hand on Pepa's arm comfortingly. Her baby Mira was already so grown-up...Julieta couldn't help but feel mournful, the lines on her face creasing. She'd been thinking a lot, recently. That happens--when you're stuck in a bland hospital room for too long, your thoughts begin to catch up. You have time to think, to sleep, to feel every sensation. The drip of a liquid, the prick of a needle, an ache in your heart. Sometimes Julieta goes all the way back into her memories, when things were simpler.

Camilo shifted his gaze towards her. "I'm sorry tía, but I think maybe I should take Mami outside for a bit?" he glanced worriedly at the darkening cloud.

Julieta nodded. "Oh, of course, Milo. You're a good boy." As Camilo and Pepa went out, Mirabel gave him thumbs-up.

Now it's just her and her Mira. Julieta opened her eyes again and slowly lifted the cover. She did everything slowly these days.

Her eyes slid across the pages, sometimes pausing to stare at their faces. Them...Julieta hoped she could see them, soon. Not that soon, though. She wanted to be there for her other girls.

"Isabela always liked it when we could go out to the park," she started to say, taking deep, even breaths. Slow. Time is slow now, for her. "Dolores was really good at the piano--we all thought she was a prodigy. She'd sit with her papa in front of the piano for hours on end, and they'd sing."

She could vaguely see Mirabel jotting down notes. "What is it, mi vida?"

Mirabel snapped her gaze up, as if startled. "Oh, you mean the notes! Um, I was just," she blinked. "It's for a school project. I was thinking of doing 'Family' as the topic. And Isabela and Dolores are part of the family. I wanted to know more about them."

Julieta offered a warm smile. "That's wonderful. I could talk about them for hours on end."

"Well, we only have two hours, so fire away, woman," Mirabel joked, flipping the pen idly in her hand.

"Patience, Mira," Julieta hummed fondly. "But that reminds me...Isabela definitely did not have patience. She was the little princesa in the house, and if she wants something, she wants it now. Of course, if she's here now, I'd give her whatever she wants..."

~~~

The rest of the two hours went by in a blur. Mirabel had a lot of fun learning about the relatives she never met, and it wasn't long before she started to long to have known them. At some point Pepa and Camilo came back, and they sat together, listening to Julieta (who was evidently having a good day), thinking about the past.

Before they left, though, Mirabel asked her mother one last question. "Mami, do you know anything about Abuelo? I could ask Abuela, but..." The rest of the sentence hung unspoken in the air--"She'd totally glorify it until it sounds like some kind of fairy tale."

Of course, she never expected Julieta to know that much--Afterall, she never really grew up with Abuelo. However, Mirabel couldn't miss the way Julieta instantly stiffened, and hesitated for too long a moment before answering, in short bursts and stutters, "He--He was a...good man. That's--Well, that's all I really know. Sorry, Mira."

Something was up. Mirabel wasn't going to bother her sick mother any more than she already did, though.

But something was up. She could feel it in her bones. If not--then, well, at least in her mind.

Notes:

Yes, Julieta was severely injured. She's really sad about the whole thing, especially when it comes to Isabela, but she's way more willing to talk about them. She doesn't like the memory, but she doesn't want to forget it either, or even worse, forget them. She likes talking about the happy times...Before everything that's happened--or at least before she's aware of, well, a lot more things about her family.

Luisa always cries without fail whenever she visits Julieta. Someone give that girl a hug, she's so stressed out 😭😭

Also, Camilo definitely think his parents' relationship is cute. He just wants to act "cool". It's fine, it's a 12-year-old phase that'll wear off 😭