When she woke up, Mirabel didn't wake up slowly. She woke up all at once and she couldn't see and the last thing she remembered was the kids. Her kids. Her little ones were in danger and she couldn't see them where were they?!!
"Mira!" That was Antonio's voice and a small orange and red blur was attaching itself to her leg.
"Tonio that's you right? Are you hurt? Where are the others? Are you okay?" Mirabel was on her knees and her hands were flitting over Antonio as if to search him for injuries. If she found one hair out of place...
Spotting a blurry figure moving towards her Mirabel pushed Antonio behind her and growled low and deep. Was this another enemy? Someone else trying to take the kids? She won't let anyone hurt them.
"You're not taking him. Tonio cover your eyes!" Mirabel snarled and the figure, she couldn't make out anything but a blur of color, stopped a little ways away.
"It's okay Mira. That's Tia Julieta! We're back at Casita. The bad guys are all gone!" Antonio said behind her and Mirabel squinted, vaguely realizing that the blur was a blue color like her mama usually wore.
"Mirabel. Sweetie, it's just me. Just Mami. I've got your spare glasses here." That was definitely her mothers voice and Mirabel slightly relaxed but she kept Antonio behind her protectively even as she held one hand out. Her spare glasses were placed onto her open palm and she immediately slipped them on, blinking as her eyes adjusted.
Looking around Mirabel finally relaxed when she saw that she was in the living room at Casita, having apparently been laying on the couch until she woke up, and her family was spread around the room staring at her.
Immediately she kneeled down and began to visually check over Antonio.
"You're okay right little cub? Those guys didn't hurt you did they?" Mirabel asked as her eyes scanned him for any injuries and he latched onto her, wrapping his small arms around her neck in a hug as he buried his face into her shoulder.
"I'm okay. We all are. You kept us safe but you were hurt really badly." Antonio said and she could hear the tears in his voice and she looked relieved as she hugged him back.
"I'm okay Antonio. Better me than you. Besides it can't have been too bad, Mama fixed me right up didn't she?" Mirabel asked smiling as she gave him a small squeeze.
"But you were bleeding a lot and you had the sword in your stomach and Tia Julieta couldn't heal all of it and you've got scars..." Antonio whimpered as he nuzzled his face further into her shoulder.
"But I'm alive and you and the others are safe. That's what matters. That you and the others are safe. So don't worry Antonio. You're safe as long as I'm around. I'd never let anyone hurt you." Mirabel said kissing the top of his head before looking up at the others just in time for her Tia Pepa, with a light grey cloud over her head, nearly slammed into her with a hug.
That caused a flash of pain however and Mirabel gave a small hiss that had Pepa releasing her looking worried and guilty and fretting. Glancing down at her side Mirabel winced at the sight of her torn shirt that showed a fresh scar that had ripped open a little bit from the near tackle.
"Are you okay Mira? I'm sorry I didn't mean to!" Pepa now looked worried as she fretted slightly, grabbing one of Julieta's arepas and offering it to her Sobrina.
"I'm fine Tia. It just surprised me. Thanks." Mirabel said taking the arepa and tossing it into her mouth, glancing down to see the wound close up again but the scar remained.
"No Mirabel thank you. Antonio and the other kids told us what happened. How those men were going to take the kids...take my Tonio. How you protected them... Thank you." Pepa said and she looked worried and gently this time pulled her sobrina into a hug.
"You don't need to thank me, Tia. There was no way I was letting those men take the kids. How did I get back here anyways? The last thing I remember was my hands being broken and biting something?" Mirabel wondered and Luisa flinched a bit.
"Dolores found Luisa first and sent her on ahead while she gathered the rest of us. You must have put up one hell of a fight prima because you were covered in blood, and I don't think all of it was yours." Camilo said from where he was kind of hovering behind his mother while Felix came over to give Mirabel a tight but gentle hug as well, Antonio refused to let go of her.
"When I got there you and the kids were the only ones left alive and you looked feral," Luisa said and Mirabel tilted her head slightly at that in confusion. What did she mean by feral?
"Luisa said you growled at her as an animal would, it explains the growl I heard. When we got to you, you had already blacked out, had a machete in your stomach, blood on your hand with little bits of flesh on the nails from where you ripped one guy's throat out, blood around your mouth from where you ripped one man's throat out with your teeth, and several cuts over your body not to mention your broken wrists." Dolores said softly as she hovered nearby as well.
"Huh that explains the weird taste in my mouth," Mirabel said and Pepa choked on a laugh. That was what Mirabel focused on?
"Mirabel. Thank you. You protected Tonio. I know things might be rough for you since you killed those men but we're going to be here for you." Felix said putting a hand on her shoulder and he looked incredibly serious while Mirabel looked confused.
"Why would things be rough for me?" Mirabel asked confused and Abuela stepped forward from the armchair she had been sitting in.
"Killing someone is very hard Nieta. It will leave you riddled with guilt and possibly regret as well." Abuela said softly as she stared sadly at Mirabel who looked even more confused.
"Obviously it's not too hard to kill someone. I took out five men on my own and one while I had both hands broken and a machete in my gut. Besides, why would I feel guilty or regret killing them?" Mirabel seemed baffled at the mere thought of regretting what she had done.
"Nieta..." Abuela trailed off while Mirabel tightened her hold on Antonio protectively, kissing the top of his head as she looked around and met everyone's eyes.
"They were going to take the kids and use them as hostages, they were going to take Antonio and do who knows what to him. If I didn't kill them, they would have killed me and taken the kids. If it was to protect Antonio and the kids, then I will never regret killing them. No one touches my Ninos." Mirabel said sand she saw the soft understanding and grateful but guilty look in Tia Pepa's eyes while everyone else winced or looked surprised.
"Mirabel... I can never thank you enough." Pepa said softly as she gently squeezed her Sobrina in another hug.
"I'm sorry you got hurt protecting me," Antonio murmured and Mirabel kissed his curly little head again.
"I'm not. Better me than you Tonio. Now I don't know about you, but I could use a nice warm shower, something to eat, and definitely a new shirt. How about you go pick out a shirt for me?" Mirabel asked as she set Antonio down and he looked hesitant but nodded.
"I'll get your most beautiful shirt!" Antonio said running off to the nursery while Mirabel laughed a bit.
"I owe you more than I can ever repay Sobrina," Pepa whispered as she hugged Mirabel again and then helped the younger woman towards the stairs when she noticed Mirabel stumbling slightly. It was either from the blood loss which would take a little while to replenish or just her natural clumsiness, but Pepa didn't care which it was. She'd help her Sobrina. The scars which remained on Sobrina's body would forever be a reminder of how hard the girl her sweet fifteen-year-old Sobrina had fought to protect the kids.
"You don't owe me anything, Tia! I'd do everything over again and anything else I need to in order to protect Tonio and the kids." Mirabel said and Pepa gave her a grateful but guilty smile. She was grateful her Sobrina adored Antonio and was so protective of him, but she was guilty that her Sobrina Bebe had nearly died protecting him, had killed five men, and wouldn't feel remorse for it. She should have been there to protect them both.
"Blood loss is making you light-headed Sobrina. I'll stay in the bathroom and if you need help with the shower just let me know and I'll help. It'd be no different than when I bathed you as a Nena." Pepa said changing the subject just as Antonio came running over with a very pretty dress.
"Here Mira! You deserve the best outfit, so I got your quince dress!"
