Kidnapped-A Coco fanfic Chapter 5
prompt from @bunny-lou
(Sorry everyone that it took so long to post the next chapter. I got hacked and locked out of my account and could not get back in. Finally back now so hopefully I can post regular updates)
Chapter 5
A few days passed and they still had not found a solution. Even though they had made no progress, they would not give up. Spending time with his family, Miguel got a bit of his spirit back. While he was still sad to not be with his living family, he didn’t feel so confined anymore. It was true he couldn’t leave the Rivera house, but he understood why that was. It wasn’t safe for him to leave because De La Curz was still out there and most likely was looking for him. Miguel never wanted to go back with him.
After a week of being free of De La Cruz, and being with his skeleton family, they had another visitor. Mama Coco joined the land of the dead. Once again Miguel got tears in his eyes as he hugged her tightly.
“Oh! Mama Coco!” Miguel began to sob and Coco held him closely.
“Oh, mijo! We’ve been so worried about you. Our family has never stopped looking for you. They are putting up missing posters everywhere. And on the off chance that the worst has happened to you, as it appears since you are here, they have your picture on the ofrenda table.”
Miguel’s eyes, though tinged with his tears, went wide. “T…They still love me? They…They’re still looking for me? And they put me on the ofrenda? Even after everything I said?”
Mama Coco smiled warmly at Miguel as she stroked his hair. “Of course, mijo. Why wouldn’t they remember you?”
Miguel sighed sadly. “I said such horrible things to them the last time I saw them…I…I told them I didn’t want to be a part of this family…I told them I…I didn’t care if I was on their stupid o…ofrenda…” Again Miguel began to sob and Mama Coco stroked his hair as she held him close.
“Miguel, you are our family. You ran away because you were upset, but…”
Another sob escaped and Miguel looked up at her as another tear fell down his cheek. “B…But Papa Hector left and…and the family forgot him…” At this, Hector looked down in shame.
Coco still held her warm smile. “Miguel, I never forgot Papa…I held him close to my heart always. Even though Mama did not wish to talk about him, she never stopped me from reading his letters he sent me. She never took his photo away from me. Even though she didn’t want to talk about him, she never begrudged me for talking or thinking about him, and I never forgot.”
“B…But you were forgetting…P…Papa Hector was…was fading…” Miguel sniffed.
Mama Coco’s smile turned sad. “Yes, I would guess that is because I never shared his story. I should have. But my mama never wanted to talk about him, so I just got in the habit of mot talking about him. But even though I didn’t talk about him, I never forgot him. I never forgot the love he had for me.” She looked up and saw Hector for the first time and she smiled brightly, her eyes lighting up. “PAPA!”
Hector looked unsure, but Imelda nodded and Hector rushed to her. “Coco! My girl!” He kissed her and wrapped his arms around her and Miguel.
“Papa, have you met my grandson?”
Hector gave a sad smile. “Yes, Coco, though we didn’t meet under the best of circumstances. I wish we had met under better ones.”
Miguel wiped at his eyes. “It’s not your fault Papa Hector. I should have listened to Mama Imelda and accepted her blessing. I was too stubborn to see that nothing is more important than family.” He shook his head. “And now it is too late.”
Before any of them could say anything else, a booming voice from outside greeted them. “I know you have my Grandson! I am here to take him back! Don’t make this harder on yourselves! Send him out so I don’t have to send my security in.”
Miguel’s eyes grew wide with fright. “I…It’s him,” he whispered in fear. “D…Da La Cruz found me…H…He’s going to lock me up again…” Miguel began to shake, but the whole family surrounded him.
“He’s not getting you again!” Hector surprised everyone with his anger. “I left this family and it was my biggest mistake! I will not let De La Cruz take anyone else from this family!”
Miguel looked at Hector with fear and worry. “No! Papa Hector! You can’t! We…I just got you back! I…I wouldn’t be free if it were not for you! Please! Please don’t go to that m…that Monster! I…I can’t stand to see you hurt! I can’t stand for him to lock you away again! What if he takes back the spell! You could disappear forever!”
Hector smiled at him weakly. “You saved me, chamaco, and I am going to do everything I can to protect and save you…I won’t let him hurt you again! He’s not going to break your spirit! I won’t let him!”
“This is your last warning,” De La Cruz yelled.
Hector squared his shoulders and walked out the front door.
“Leave the boy alone! He’s with his family now! You do not get to break him! Not again! Not while I am around to stop it!”
De La Cruz seemed amused at this. “You really think you can stop me, old friend? You couldn’t even save yourself. I had to do it for you. I was always doing everything for you.”
“Yeah, like killing me?”
De La Cruz laughed. “Well, I killed you once. Do you really think I won’t do it again just because we are in the land of the dead?”
“Enough of this! You are done tormenting my family,” Imelda said in an angry tone as she stepped up next to Hector. She whistled and her spirit guide, Papita, came down and growled, guarding the whole house. “Do you really want to try it, De La Cruz?” Dante came out from the house and barked next to Papita and then growled in warning, looking directly at De La Cruz.
De La Cruz looked annoyed. “You can’t hide in that house forever! The kid steps one foot out, and I will take my grandson back!”
Imelda growled. “First you take my husband! You murder him! Then you take my great-great grandson! And you murder him, forcing him to stay here in the land of the dead so the curse would be completed and he was dead too! You are DONE hurting my family! Now leave! Before Papita and Dante find a new chew toy!”
De La Cruz growled in annoyance and anger, but he could see he was fighting a losing battle. “I will be back! You can’t protect him forever! He will eventually fade from this world because no one will remember him in the living world! He was smart and told them to forget him!”
Imelda glared at him as he left. She hurried back inside. Miguel looked so stricken. “Mijo, what’s wrong?”
There were tears in Miguel’s eyes again. “He…He’s right…They will forget! I’m a horrible family member! I told them to forget me!” Miguel’s cries were those of pure anguish.
Hector went to Miguel’s side right away, hating De La Cruz for once again hurting Miguel. “Hey, chamaco, what did I tell you, hum? You’re with your family now, and we love you! And Coco already told you that your family has never stopped looking for you! You will never be forgotten, okay. Trust me! You’re not a dead beat like me…You are loved…”
Miguel attempted to wipe his eyes. “Y…You’re not a d…dead beat…You tried to…to get back to your family…”
Hector smiled weakly. “And you will get back to your family too. We will find a way. Never give up hope, mijo. We’re your family and we love you and we will never stop working to find a way to help you get back to our family.”
The whole skeleton Rivara family made sounds of agreement as they all surrounded Miguel. They all joined in a group hug. Again, Miguel wiped his eyes. “The…They really are looking for me still? They really do still love me,” Miguel asked, looking at Mama Coco.
Mama Coco smiled fondly, caressing her grandson’s cheek in a loving way. “No, mijo, they never stopped looking for you. They love you.” She gently kissed the top of his head and he fell into her embrace.
“Thank you, Mama Coco…Thank you all…I love you all too,” Miguel said, again wiping away his tears.
