A Marriage of Convenience: A Bruno Madrigal Encanto Fanfic

Chapter 15

All that working and stress eventually caught up to Claudia, and so one day she woke up freezing. She was quite out of it, so when she felt something warm next to her she immediately latched on. The thing in question moved to hold her back, and they stayed like that for a while, in one another's arms. That is until Bruno realized what was happening. 

"Um Claudia?" Bruno tried to extract himself, but she just curled closer trying to chase the heat. It was kind of nice, but he had expected her to get embarrassed and move like she had during the stargazing trip. Instead there was nothing except her curling closer.

It was then when he realized something may not be right. He tried talking to her again, but got no response. So he felt her head and knew he was right about everything not being okay.

"Aye dios mio, you're burning up." He got out of the bed causing a whine from Claudia that tore at his heart. He tucked her in gently and she snuggled into the blankets still annoyed with the loss of her heat pack.

"Don't worry little mouse. I'll go get Julieta. She'll know what to do." He said as he gazed down at her with a bit of fear in his eyes. He had to fix this as soon as possible. So he raced out of the room.

When Bruno got downstairs, he noticed that everyone was at the table, except Julieta. He took a quick look in the kitchen and she wasn't there either.

"Where's Julieta?" He asked Pepa and Alma.

"Your sister went to help with Senora Guzman's birth. Why?" Alma looked confused at the question.

"Claudia is burning up. I don't know what to do. I just want to make sure she's ok and-"

Alma grabbed some bread from the table. "I'll handle this."

"Mama, that won't work-" but she had already left.He sighed. She never seemed to hear him.

Claudia was burning up, but she had gained some conciseness. Her eyes were barely open when Alma entered the bedroom. The older woman felt her forehead and sighed. Bruno must have been worried sick. She saw how he looked at the girl. Luckily this was an easy fix.

"Here dear, eat this. It will help."

"It won't work…" Claudia quietly said.

"Of course it will, dear." Alma gave her a patient smile. "Now open up."

Claudia took a small bite, and the last thing she saw before she was out like a light was Alma's confused face when nothing happened.

*****

Julieta's food didn't work. It always worked, but on this one girl it hadn't. Maybe it wasn't Julieta's cooking, but Alma had swore she had seen her daughter make it the night before. It was impossible. The magic always worked, that is unless something was wrong. Claudia coughed and brought her back to the matter at hand. As the others entered the room, she schooled her expression.

"Pepa get her changed. Bruno get blankets. I'll go get a wet rag." Alma ordered before Bruno and she hurried from the room.

"Clear skies. Clear skies," Pepa chanted. It was taking all of her control to have just a cloud and no rain.

She started by changing Claudia's shirt, as she pulled off the sweat soaked one, she immediately had to walk away as the rain started. Bandages covered the girl's back, and she knew she had to stop it. She just knew it had to deal with the Rojas, but she couldn't deal with it now. She had to stay strong, for Claudia. The poor girl deserved that much. There would be plenty of time for questions when the girl felt better. Until that time she would just have to keep her away from the Rojas. When she finally got the rain to go away, she finished her task carefully and as calmly as she could.