TOYLB: Growing Pains - Season 8-8

[at Antonio's side...]

Ricardo: [kept the kids close to him as they walked ard, taking in the sights]

8they were in what looked like a mix of Mexican n Spanish town8

Ricardo: Wow... Kinda reminds me of the Land of the Dead tht humans imagine it to be

Antonio; Sii, really is beautiful

Carlos&Juanita: [hears music in the distance n went ahead]

Ricardo: Slow dwn, kids! [goes aftr them holding Asher close in his arms]

Antonio; 8followed with the rest of the kids8

[they found themselves in the middle of a town square, where music was playing n there was a couple dancing together in the distance near a fountain, rose petals raining dwn on them]

Carlos&Juanita: [ran towards the fountain to try n catch the rose petals, then looked up curiously to see the dancing couple]

8the couple dancing were Spanish Flu that had the same colouring as Antonio, the he-virus wore a simple blue shirt n brown pants with stone coloured boots while the she-virus wore a light red n gold dress with red shoes n Aztec marigolds in her hair. Near them were a she-virus mariachi playing the trumpet who looked a lot like them dressed in a black mariachi outfit while a he-virus in a red mariachi outfit played the guitar. This he-virus was the image of Hector8

Carlos&Juanita: [stared in awe at the way they danced]

Ricardo: There u are, u had us worried... [sees the couple] T-Toni, look...

Antonio; 8smiled8

Ricardo: Do u think those r ur...parents...?

Antonio; 8smiled as he continued watching, old memories coming back8

[the music soon slowed down, n the couple hugged each other happily]

Carlos& Juanita: [clapped happily at them, catching the couple n the mariachi-s attention]

8the all turned to the group8

[the she-virus gasped at seeing Antonio, then runs up to hug him tight]

Magdelina: Oh, my little mijo~

Antonio; Mama 8hugs her, purring8

Magdelina: [turns to her mate] Honey, look! Our mijo is here!

Panchito; Sii mi amour, it has been too long

Magdelina: Juanita! Look! It's ur brother!

Juanita: Toni!! [tosses the trumpet to the male mariachi n runs to Antonio, glomping him]

Ricardo: [smiled at the sight, tho seemed sad that his own parents weren't there; last he saw them, his mother n sister were still alive n well]

Antonio; 8nuzzles them8

Magdelina: [sees the kids] Santa Madre, r those ur little brood?

Carlos&Juanita: [waved sheepishly at them]

Antonio; Sii mama 8points to each child8 Carlos, Juanita, Milagro, Sofia n Asher

Juanita: Aww, u named ur eldest girl after me? I'm so honoured [gives little Juanita butterfly kisses] N look at this little tito~ [picked Milagro up n nuzzled him]

Magdelina: [kissed each kids in the cheek before seeing Ricardo] This is ur mate? A he-cell?

Ricardo: Hi, I'm Ricardo, Ricardo Amino... [smiled sheepishly]

Panchito; 8shook his hand excitedly8 Please to me you muchacho

Ricardo: Uhh, pleasure's all mine [felt a little awkward at his enthusiasm]

Juanita: Oh Papa, dont frighten the poor boy [shooed him aside] Don't mind him, Papa can be a bit too enthusiastic sometimes. N this here is Miguel, he's friend of the family, deceased not too long ago, we found him n took him into our fold n I'm Juanita, Toni's big sister

8the kids waved to them8

Magdelina: Ooh look this sweet little angelito [picks up Asher n cradled him close] Oh, I miss holding a little baby. Feels like yesterday I had my little Juanita n my little Toni in my arms

Juanita: Oh, Mama, dont embarrass me in front of my bro in law~

Ricardo: [chuckled, tho his heart ached at the sight of the happy family; he kept tht feeling hidden tho]

Miguel; 8watched the family interact with a sad smile8

Antonio; Too long mama

Ricardo: [excused himself to sit somewhere away frm them to let them bond, watching them frm afar, just a few inches away frm Miguel]

Miguel; They're great people

Ricardo: Yeah, they sure do... [turned to him] Just u? Where's the missus?

Miguel; Haven't found her yet

Ricardo: Kids? Still ard in the living?

Miguel; Not sure, Coco was pregnant when I died but I'm not sure if the baby was born alive

Ricardo: Wat happened? How did u two die, if u dont mind me asking?

Miguel; 8sighs8 I'm not sure of Coco I was heading home from a concert I was playing but I started to feel a agonising pain in my gut, so bad I collapsed in the street 8pauses8 I woke up dead

Ricardo: Sounds like... u either had food poisoning...or u were poisoned

Miguel; Hard to say

Ricardo: [sighed a little] My dad passed away wen I was pretty young, it was just me, my mom n my sister. Then I was wrongly accused of a crime I didn't commit n my sister made my mom n my whole family think I was a thief, n even after I was proven not guilty, she refused to believe it nor did she let me return to my family. Last I saw them was wen we had to leave the body we were in bcoz he committed suicide. I dunno if they're still alive or already dead, n it's obvious my dad is not on this side of The Plains

Miguel; 8rubbed his chin8

Ricardo: [sighed again] I just hope wherevr he is, he's happy n at peace

Miguel; Who knows muchacho

Milagro: [came tottering to Ricardo] Mama? U OK?

Ricardo: [smiled sadly] Yeah, I'm OK, don't worry, sweetie

Miguel; 8looked at the boy8 He's a fine nino

Ricardo: He's a miracle [carried him n held him close] He was way past extraction n we almost lost him, bt here he is [nuzzled him]

Milagro: [giggled]

Miguel; 8gave a sad smile8

Ricardo: [noticed his sad smile] Oh sorry... I didnt mean to...

Miguel; It's alright 8sighs8 I sometimes wonder what my little one would be like

Ricardo: Wat would u hv named them? Did u n ur wife discuss abt names?

Miguel; 8smiled8 I chose Luisa if it was a girl n  Coco chose Hector if we had a son

Ricardo: Those r quite beautiful names, maybe I could lend an ear out to see if he might be ard in the world of the living, n nxt time we get a chance to come here, I can let u knw

Miguel; 8sighs8 But it maybe false hope, I'm not sure our baby survived

Ricardo: Well, u nvr knw, I'll keep a lookout anyways, how old would they be if they were to survive?

Miguel; They would be currently 10

Ricardo: Alright, got it

Magdelina: Yoohoo~ Wat r u sitting there all alone for? C'mon, we need to meet up with the rest of the group. Toni said u guys got separated or something

Ricardo: Uh, yeah, OK, Magdelina [turns to Miguel] It's nice meeting u

Miguel; And you muchacho

Ricardo: [waved goodbye to him n joins the group, taking Antonio's hand]

Antonio; 8smiled8