✅The Other Family ✅ (Completed) *#Watty's2020*

Chapter 16: Entering ShantyTown

Hola, mí amigos!

Disclaimer: (I think we all know the jist of it! Coco main characters belong to Disney, Pixar. Not me. Story Plot, Camila and her family all belong to me!)

Enjoy the chapter!

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Héctor's POV:

'I just had to turn my back for a few moments and all of Mis sobrinas, sobrinos y nieto are gone!'

"¿¡Chamacos, dónde fuiste?!" I called out to them, trying not to be too loud and bother the many artists I dodged, but also needing any of the kids to hear me.

"¡Tío! ¡Estamos por aquí!" A voice said, I turned my head to the direction where I heard and I saw Camila waving one of her almost mano esquelética at me with a nervous smile. She was there, along with the others with Frida Kahlo. I sighed in relief, feeling the tension from my bones leave. "Kids!" I called out to them, zipping over to their sides. "You can't run off on me like that okay?" I tried to push them off to the side in my small distraction. "C'mon, stop pestering the celebrities."

Miguel, Camila and the others, along with the Alebrijes, followed me a bit off towards the window wall, but then Miguel quickly turned around to face me.

"You said De la Cruz would be here." Miguel said softly, disappointment prominent on his face, and the others followed pursuit and nodded in agreement. I felt my chest clench ever so slightly. "Señorita Frida said that he's halfway across town, throwing some big party." Camila added and pointed at the window next to us.

I turned to look out the window and at the big ivory tower that I knew all too well as my Great Great Grandniece gestured to it. "That bum!" I muttered softly, then questioned out loud: "Who doesn't come to their own rehearsal?"

"Papá Héctor?"
"Tío Héctor?"

The two living children called my name and I looked at them. "Why didn't De la Cruz invite you to his party?" They asked, their eyes narrowing with concern and Carlos and Mariana and their eyes narrowing with the slightest hint of suspicion.

'A number of reasons.' I thought with slight betrayal and hurt in my voice of thought. 'The fact that we haven't talked once since he arrived in the Land of the Dead, even though he was on my reunion list, the fact that the nearly forgotten don't spend much of their time up with the rest of the Land of the Dead, the fact that even if I had been invited to the party I wouldn't have gone.'

I kneeled in front of the kids and cleared my throat gently. "Well, Dia de Muertos is about spending time with your family." I answered easily, because it was true, and he was always busy on Dia de Muertos either trying or now actually getting to cross the bridge and spend time with his family. "Not running off to some party."

Miguel looked to the side, huffing a bit as if he had heard something similar before. 'He's probably still angry at his family for what happened earlier.'

"I'm sorry he's not here, but... I should probably get you two back to the Land of the Living now." I said as I got closer to Miguel and Camila as I reached up for the flower that's on my hat. But soon, Miguel turned back to face me again and looked pleadingly at me. "Are you sure there's no way for us to get to De la Cruz?" He smiled nervously, showing his adorable dimple and giving me that same look that made my resolve crumble so quickly. "We still have time, right Camila?"