𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚢 | Isabela x Reader

Taking Accountability

You feel your body stiffen as the older woman walks closer to you, her gaze intimidating and steeling cold. For the first time since arriving, you felt panic cross your features. Everyone else in the family had welcomed you with warmth in their eyes, it was naive of you to assume not a single person would question you.

"Y/n l/n, only daughter of the l/n family. I had escaped my village in search of my own peace and freedom..." You say with full honesty, hoping to stand your ground but show respect at the same time.

She narrows her eyes, grabbing you by the shoulders with a firm grip. "What is your relation to Ferdinand l/n?"

"Abuela please, you could hurt her." Mirabel speaks as she tries to make the older woman let go of you. You shoot her a reassuring smile, not an ounce of pain coming from her grip.

Taking a deep breath, you turn back to their Abuela. You already knew that your family name would ruin your chances of living in the Encanto since it was the reason for the people's past suffering. "He was my grandfather."

"Get out." She says as she shoves you away from her touch, not even able to look you in the eyes as pain reflects in her own.

"What? But-" Isabela tries to speak, coming in between the two of you with confused eyes. She knew Abuela would be skeptical of your sudden appearance, but she never thought she would turn you away. She knew the struggles of living in that old village, hoping she would sympathize at the very least.

"I do not want to see you here. Leave this place and never show your face again. You even dared show up bearing that name." She says as she turns away, not letting anyone speak or try to change her decision.

You get up, swallowing the lump that had formed in your throat as you take a final glance at everyone in the room, letting your gaze linger on Isabela. "I apologize. Thank you once again, for welcoming me here."

"Wait! We can try to change her mind, don't go..." Isabela says as she grabs your wrist before you could walk away, making you face her.

You could tell she didn't understand what exactly just happened, nor did anyone else in the family. They could only stand there in shock at the way the old woman had suddenly reacted.

But seeing the tenderness that remained in their eyes as they looked at you made emotions bubble up, hoping to suppress them until you could get away. Their kindness had given you a sense of solace that you wished you didn't have to turn away from.

"It's alright, really. All of you being the family that had saved those people, and being the only ones blessed with gifts... I couldn't immediately connect the dots and recognize it." You look down, now only feeling the shame sink in as you felt the tension grow. "I should've realized earlier that the man who my grandfather killed from those who escaped that day... was her husband."

You place your hand on Isabela's, making her let go as you look at her in the eyes for probably the last time.

"Coming here meant you've let your family name go, didn't it?" Mirabel intercepts.

You nod as you take a step back, "But that doesn't mean I could free myself from the weight of their sins. I had hoped to liberate myself, but as I've thought, I still need to repent in their stead."

"You didn't commit those sins mija," Julieta says as she looks at you with sympathy. She understood the anger of her mamá, but she could also see the reason why you fled from your village. She could see the guilt eating you up for the things you hadn't done in the first place. And imagining her own child going through what you did, broke her heart. "You don't deserve to be ridiculed for something you aren't guilty of."

Your lips shake as you try to keep your emotions in check, you weren't at all trying to persuade them. But you didn't want to deny that their compassion had given you the comfort that you had longed for all your life. "I don't want to displease anyone with my presence, I'm sorry for being insensitive. Again, thank you for everything you've done for me. I won't ever forget the kindness you've shown me."

Without waiting for anyone else to try and persuade you to stay, you walk out knowing full well that you would've given in to them. You dragged your feet, walking into the forest and away from the small town slowly.

Your name bore a curse that would come biting back at you no matter what. Even if you had wished to be born into a different family in the first place. Even if several people from that village had wished to have it, to have your life filled with privilege.

"Abuela give her a chance. She hasn't harmed a single hair on our heads, she's nice and gets along with us quite well." Mirabel says as the Madrigal family has dinner, breaking the silence with the topic.

She meets her gaze, looking uninterested despite the relentlessness of the girl who had saved their miracle. She had trusted her judgment, but this was the one thing the older woman didn't need to think about. "She's a l/n Mirabel, they're the reason we had to flee our home, the reason why your Abuelo Pedro's no longer with us."

"She isn't the man that did all those things, Abuela..." Isabela speaks up, supporting Mirabel. She wanted to trust the vulnerability in your eyes when the two of you first spoke. Isabela didn't even want to imagine what you must've gone through, and how you would feel if you needed to go back after all the effort of escaping. "I know how much it hurts you Abuela, but all those things that happened led to where we are now... and we're happy."

Luisa nods in agreement as she looks away, still quite nervous to share the same sentiment. "She was badly wounded when we found her, scared and tired. She trusted me enough to let her guard down."

"When I first heard her voice, she was crying. She needed help Abuela, she needs a real place to call home." Dolores says as she tries to persuade her as well, knowing full well that only their Abuela was against it.

Dolores now understood what made you nervous when talking to the adults, and why your voice shook in a way that wasn't too obvious but still conveyed the need to please everyone. Because you were desperate to leave everything from your past behind.

"I'm just trying to protect us, what if they come looking for her?" Abuela says, not holding back to express her unending worries. She didn't want to flee their home for a second time, nor did she want to lose it like it had crumbled the day they lost their miracle.

All of those moments still distressed her, even if she started to feel more reassured with the way the Madrigals lived now.

"Our miracle is stronger than ever! It'll protect us just as always." Antonio speaks up with enthusiasm, lighting up the room with the innocence he has. He walks over to Abuela, holding her arm. "I like her... she's nice."

"And she's funny. We vibe." Camilo inserts with a goofy smile. He had wished to annoy his other family members with the sense of humor the two of you had shared.

Abuela sighs, looking at her children for their thoughts on the situation. Smiles sit on their faces, nodding at her to let her know their stand. "She's a good kid," Bruno says, somehow relating your experiences to his own. They were similar in a way, but still quite different. "We can help her."

"Give me a few days to think it over."

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A/N: I just realized my brows are always furrowed when I write HAHAHA trying to express things properly stresses me out.

I hope y'all liked this chapter.

Please vote <3 it motivates me a lot!