Plot : After a year in past, Mirabel finally sent back to her time... Mirabel comes home heartbroken and needs somebody to listen her out.
Request for : None! It was originally part of my first "Mama Mira" one-shot, but because of it making it too long and not fitting into the regression theme... I decided to cut it for it's own chapter. This thing is basically just about Mirabel breaking down to her mother. It's still not regression, but I still post it here, until I make a normal Encanto one-shots
Warning : Just like in "Mamí's here now', grab some tissues, blanket and comfort item.

#Julietaisthebestmother

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Mirabel breathed deeply, as she walked through the darkness. The path felt familiar, but she didn't get from where. But she was too upset to think.

Through... 'upset' was an understatement. She was crushed. Destroyed. Depressed.

After all... what else could she feel? She... she had given up a most important part of her. Her baby. Her own son. It would result in him being raised by a woman, who's been pressured to make visions of future for their village. Being raised in lies until his 15th birthday, if she keeps the promise.

She'll tell him... Mirabel told herself. Alma... Abuela always keeps her promises...

Mirabel again opened her eyes, when a light came unto her sight. Colorful houses filled the street, a warm feeling, as she looked down the hill. Was it...

Encanto?

She... she was back home!? The same town, she tried to run away from a year ago!? Did she go the same path, that brought her to the past? But why did it bring her back, where she ran from!?

And then it hit her.

She put her hands on her stomach.

She was brought back for a long awaited reunion.

She was brought back to find him.

Mirabel couldn't help the tear run down her face, as a smile came onto her face for the first time for whole night.

Don't worry, mijo... Mamá's coming...

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~

It didn't take Mirabel too long to find her way around in the town. After all... she was raised in here her whole life! The few drunk people around her didn't bother too much about a girl walking past them, she was thankful for. For more security, she was wearing a cape to cover her face, until she got to Casita.

The tiles flipped over, as she came, overjoyed that the favorite Madrigal child has came back

"Shh... Casita, please... I'm not back forever. I'm here just for-"

"Mirabel?"

Busted.

Julieta peaked from the doorway, smiling at her daughter, as she walked to her.

"A little too early for a morning stroll, don't you think?"

Mirabel's eyebrow raised, as she watched her mother talking. Why was she talking so... casually? She was gone for a year, wasn't she? Didn't she miss her? Her own mother didn't miss her, a girl, she dotted and showered with love at any second, she got?

"And why are you wearing a cape? It's not rainy morning. I don't think it'll be raining anytime soon. Not after Antonio's ceremony yesterday..."

And it all became clear.

"Yesterday?" Mirabel asked.

"Huh?" Julieta looked down at her daughter. "Yes, Antonio's ceremony yesterday... Mira, you sure you're feeling okay?" Julieta gently put her hand over girl's forehead.

"Mamá..." The girl whispered. "Oh, Mamí! I have so much to tell you..."

Julieta walked closer to her baby girl, hugging her close.

"I've got all the time in the world, Mira... what is it?"

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~

Julieta lead Mirabel into the kitchen, as she started cooking some aperas for them for a little snack. She could tell that Mirabel had a long day and that she'd want to stay in her room. Not due sickness, but something emotional.

Eventually, Julieta put one plate on table and other on the counter. Mirabel was catching that from time to time, but never questioned. She always thought it was for Camilo, as his Gift was tiring him out quickly and he needed some extra sometimes.

"So, Mirabel..." Julieta started softly. "What did you want to talk about?"

Mirabel sighed, before she started her story. How she traveled to the past, how she managed to meet her young Abuela and Abuelo, how she stayed long enough before her Aburla gave birth. Basically, she told her mother she was not going for a morning walk, she was gone for a year, which for Madrigals now was only one night.

Julieta sat there, listening to every word, her daughter had to say. But she still felt she was hiding something. Something important. More so, Mirabel would constantly look at the family tree, examinating it, like she saw it for the first time.

"Is something bothering you, Corazón?"

"Mamá... I... there's something else in my story, I haven't told yet... but... it concerns not only me, but also T... t... Bruno."

Now that had Julieta interested. Not only that Mirabel wanted to talk about her long-lost Tío, but also that how hardly a word 'Tío' itself was to her, even through in the main story, she would call her sister 'Tía Pepa' with ease, like she always would.

"First... I want to show you something..." Mirabel sighed. "Please... don't freak out..." 

As Mirabel stood up, she took off her cape, to reveal her skirt to her mother. Julieta sat there, terrified. On one side, there was a dark red spot, soaked deep into the fabric, no doubt it was blood. On other, through not very careful, but a very reliable looking stitches of green thread, under which still was clear it had been torn.

And even if it was just that, Julieta would've thought that Mirabel had it stuck and to tear her skirt was only way out, but the stain made it clear for her.

"Mirabel... w... were you..?"

"Yes..." The girl sighed. "But please, I'm over it already. Abuela and Abuelo helped me to recover from it."

Julieta sighed, before nodding. "Alright, mija... but why did you want to show it to me? And... why does Bruno feature in it?"

"Mamá..." Mirabel again looked at the family tree. "May I ask first? How did... how did Abuela treat Bruno whole his life?"

Julieta, confused, but still intrigued, started to think. "Well... I guess she treated him same way she treated your Tía Pepa and I... Pepa used to think he was her favorite, but between you and me, amor... your Abuela always seemed to act more like a caring Tía towards Bruno, instead of a Mamá."

Mirabel put her hand on her chest, sighing out, a small smile on her face. "Good."

"Yes. But why did you ask it?"

"Mamá... do you know what... that can cause, right?" Mirabel pointed to her skirt.

Julieta looked again, but then she gasped, her eyes widened, as she teared up, looking at Mirabel.

"M-Mira... mí bebita... did you..?!"

Mirabel just nodded again.

"Oh, Dios mio..."

Julieta looked at her daughter, her face filled with fear, worry and anger. First to for her daughter, last one for the creep, who dared to... to... oh! She can't even think about that!

But it was a fact... he... he got her pregnant. He got her innocent, sweet little baby girl pregnant! A 15 year old child! And she was a mother! But something still nugged Julieta.

Mirabel was alone. She had no baby on her! And her stomach was flat. It could be just too early in, but the spot looked to be, at least, 5 or 6 months old, so it couldn't be it, as Mirabel's baby bumb would be forming by now and be very noticeable. And with any circumstances, Mirabel wouldn't go for abortion. No, her daughter would not kill a tiny life, that fully depended on her, and yet... nothing.

Mirabel didn't look like she was growing a little human inside of her.

"Mirabel... how far are you in..?"

"He was two months old."

"Was?" Julieta asked. "What do you mean 'was'?"

"He was premature. I had him at 6th month, and saved him with your healing food." Mirabel sighed. "But then... the attack happened. We had to flee the village, but I couldn't go back to the Encanto with Abuela, so I went another way. But first. I had... I had to..." Mirabel looked down, as her face paled, tears started to roll down her face. "I... I didn't know... if it was safe to take mi bebé with me... so... I ended up... giving him up... to Abuela... so I knew, he was safe..."

Julieta put her hand on her chest, as she approached her daughter, holding her close. It didn't take Mirabel even a second to wrap her hands around her mother and start sobbing into her chest.

"It's... it's so unfair, Mamá! My baby was too young! I barely had time to get to know him! I want my baby, but I don't know, where he is! I... My baby... my son... he was so small... and now... he's grown up... he... he might not even... need me now... I don't even know, if he knows, I'm his Mamá..! I want to trust Abuela kept her promise... but I still worry!"

Julieta held Mirabel in her arms, as she pulled her onto her knees, rocking her on a chair. The worries of her daughter were clear to her. Even if she was so young, so... childish... she was still a mother... and it's natural for a mother to worry, when she's away from her child and doesn't know, where they are.

Not to mention that, if Mirabel had given her baby up to Alma, when they flew the village... they... he should be 50 by now. 35, well 34, if a bit matured look of Mirabel meant she was 16 now, years older than she was. But it was all the same.

And still...

"Mira..." Julieta gently strocked her daughter's hair, before the girl looked up at her with small 'hm?' "You should take a nap, and when you're up and running, we can look for your baby, so you two can reunite. How do you feel about it? I sure would love to meet my little nieto"

The girl only sniffled, before her gaze fell down, long side with her hair. "T-thank you, Mamá... but... but it's not possible! There's no way even Dolores knows where he is..! She told she hasn't heard of him for... 10 years..!"

10 years? Why is that? There's not many people in the Encanto, that died or went missing that year... and to die at only 35!? Dear, if it's the case, her poor grandson had a terrible health! But it was not the reason. None of that age died that age.

"10 years? Why 10 years, Mira?"

To that, Mirabel only sniffled again.

"Mamá... I know, you're wondering, why I keep looking at the family tree... why I keep mentioning Bruno... why I can't bring myself to call him... Tío..."

Julieta again looked down at Mirabel, starting to think over two facts, trying to put together, why they were together. But it didn't make much sense... unless...

No. It couldn't be. Or... could it?

"Mirabel... Bruno..?"

Mirabel wiped tear from her eye, before nodding, a small sad smile on her face.

"He... he was never your hermano, Mamá... he's your nieto..."

As little as Julieta wanted to believe it, it... actually made some sense... Mirabel and Bruno would often follow each other, before his leaving... and she only now came to realize, they had same eyes! And... their hair color was same too...

How Mirabel would explain that whenever she missed Bruno was a child, she described it as the most painful thing, like she lost something important, most important part of her...

How Julieta's own Mamá would often look at Mirabel, with a sad, like nostalgic smile, a tear in eye. Every time she would explain that the small girl always reminded her of a best friend of her youth...

And yet, the fact still made Julieta smile at her, kissing her softly on top of her head. Mirabel looked up, confused, as Julieta gently took her by hand, leading her to another room.

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~

The two walked upstairs, quietly, not to wake up anyone, before Julieta stopped by a painting, next to Dolores' room.

"Mamá? Why are we here?"

Julieta only smiled, putting her finger to her lips, as she pulled the painting away, to reveal a secret passageway, to make Mirabel's eyes go wide.

"Mamá..?"

"Come with me, Corazón. This is something, we wanted to share with somebody for awhile now."

Mirabel's eyebrow raised. We?

The girl climbed into the hole after her mother, as they walked through a long corridor. The girl would look through few small creaks, to get few glances on her sleeping family. Mirabel couldn't help a small giggle from time to time at the looks, her family had, while resting. But she noticed her cousin Dolores was missing from her room. Where was she?

Julieta then smirked, as she looked across a big hole, where a couple of planks were laid across it, to make a stable bridge.

"Looks like, we'll have a bigger company!" The older woman said, starting to cross the hole, as Mirabel followed her.

The further they went, the more Mirabel noticed cracks. They were growing, like spider webs, but were patched up, that made it look secure and reliable.

"Wait... you've been going here? Patching these cracks?" Mirabel asked, looking at her mother, only to make her laugh.

"Me? Oh, Dios mio, Mira! I have a Gift for healing, but even my powers aren't enough to heal a house! No, mija. All the patches done by Hernando!" Julieta giggled, closing her mouth.

"Who's Hernando?"

"You might meet him later today. You'll be able to tell who it is, because he's 'scared of nothing'. Maybe you'll get to meet Jorge too! He makes the spackle." Julieta showed at the walls, chuckling.

Mirabel blinked, looking at her mother, not amused, more concerned.

"How often are you being... back here?"

Julieta just ignored the question, before they reached a door on other end. From behind the door, Mirabel could hear some rats squeaking, some baby toys, as well as some giggling and soft voice speaking to the baby, who was inside.

Mirabel, even after a year away from her family, didn't have problems to recognize the soft voice being Dolores. However... the second voice was harder. She knew that she knew the voice, but she couldn't quite put a hand, who it was.

Julieta smiled softly, as she slightly knocked on the door. "Dolores, I hope we don't interrupt anything, amor?" She asked.

"Not any, Tía. And welcome back, Mira! Come in! Somebody's here quite excited to meet you, primita!"

Mirabel smiled at old nickname, as Julieta pushed the door opened, to reveal the room.

It was a mess, to sat the least. Broken furniture, trash, rats everywhere. Not a place, a person should live, but yet, it was an inhabited room. That place was not something, Julieta and Dolores would usually stay, but something held them back. Or rather... somebody...

It was when Mirabel's eyes met his.

A man, dressed into a little child's clothes, probably even babies'. His eyes were brown and hair black, slightly white due age. And to top it all, over it was an oversized green ruana, with embroidered hourglasses.

Mirabel's stomach twisted, as their eyes locked together. She could not look away, as she closed me mouth, visibly shaking.

"B... Brunito..?" The girl chocked at her words, when she finally spoke.

"Mamá?"