Worthless :A Encanto (Stranger Things AU)

12- Lo siento

I woke up startled. Where was I? What happened?

My head hurt. Everything hurt, actually. I tried to remember what happened before that.

I remembered being somewhere red. A man... A burned man. I remembered the candle. Papa.

Oh shoot. I'd destroyed the miracle.

The rest of my memories came back all of a sudden.

I opened my eyes slowly. My vision was blurry.

After a few minutes, it cleared. I saw that I was in a white room, lying in a bed. The blanket was also white. I stared at my hand. It  was covered in bandages and had a tube connected to it.

Serum, I supposed. That meant I was at the hospital. More questions burned in my head.

Someone was holding my hand. I looked up.It was Agustín. He had his head down, tears stained his cheeks. He looked really worried. He clutched a letter... My letter.

I remembered now. I'd written those letters to everyone I knew. But that felt ages ago. How long had I slept?

There were more people in the room. I saw a redhead sitting at the foot of the bed. She was reading my letter, too. And she was sobbing loudly. I reconized her as mi hermanita. I felt bad for her. I wanted to hug her, but I couldn't move.

There was a brunette boy pacing around the room. He was reading the letter again and again, his eyes wetter each time. He was mi hermanito, Bruno.

Sitting at a chair against the wall was a woman in a magenta dress. Mama. She seemed really sad. She had a blood stained blue hairbow in her hands. My hairbow.

Again, what happened here? 

A big boy sat next to mama, hit foot tapping the floor, a letter in his hands. Félix.

Wait, I recalled. I'd told them to open them if... If I was...

No, that could not be. I was there.

Suddenly, I remembered something I wish I hadn't. Vecna. A shiver came down my spine. I was very scared.

But I remembered something else. A song. I stared at Agustín.

A mischeveous grin was drawn across my face. I had an idea. How to let them know I was here.

"All of my life, I thought I was right
Looking for something new
Stuck in my ways like old-fashioned days
But all the roads led me to you"

Everyone turned to me, their eyes wide. I chuckled. They thought they were getting rid of me that easily?

"The house that you live in don't make it a home
But feeling lonely don't mean you're alone
People in life, they will come, and they'll leave
But if I had a choice, I know where I would be"

Laugher spreaded, tears of happiness fogged everyone's eyes. I winked to Agustín. He smiled and joined me.

"Through the lows and the highs
I will stay by your side
There's no need for goodbyes
Now, I'm seeing the light
When the sky turns to grey
And there's nothing to say
At the end of the day
I choose you"

The song ended. Everyone smiled and ran to me.

"Guys, guys! I'm drowning...!"

They leaved me some space. Pepa took a step forward.

"Hola, hermana."

"Hola, hermanita." I smiled again.

"Hey, I just wanted to say... Lo siento. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry you ever felt worthless..."

"So am I" Bruno stepped forward "Lo siento muchísimo, hermana."

"Yo también lo siento" 

I opened my eyes widely. Mama was apologizing to me? I must have hit my head with something...

"Mija, you're the light of my world" she stared at Pepa "And you" and at Bruno "And you. I'm sorry you  ever felt you were worthless..."

"An apologize isn't enough" I knew I was being a little hard, but I had been feeling like trash since I was a kid. Saying "I'm sorry" wasn't gonna take away all the trauma "I know you're sorry. But I'll accept your apoligized later on, if I see that things change."

I said it firmly. No one protested. I was a different girl from the one I was before. And they'd have to get used to it.

I turned to Agustín "Thanks for saving my life, by the way. You have a pretty singing voice, you know..."

He turned bright red. 

We all broke into laughter. Real laughter.

We'd done it. We'd saved the world. But most importantly, I'd done it.

I'd saved the family. Perhaps we weren't a "normal family", perhaps we didn't have magic or a miracle anymore, perhaps we were all at the hospital after I got hurt fighting a monster in another world but, hey! We're still a family. My family. And, no matter how rought things get, we'll make it...

...together.