Showtime, Chamaco!

"All of this came from my amazing fans in the Land of the Living!" he had crowed as he showed off more towers of food, instruments and other offerings piled in a grand sitting room, a roaring fireplace casting a beautiful golden glow on the polished marble columns and shiny clean tiles. His four chihuahuas scattered about their feet as they fought for one lone drumstick, despite the fact that there were dozens of bowls of meat for them to choose from. "Well, most of it anyway. A lot goes to places in need, like Shantytown and such."

"Yes, I saw that." Héctor said. "That was very kind of you. I could tell they were very grateful for it all."

"Ohh, you went to Shantytown, eh?" Ernesto grinned, but Héctor could tell there was a hint of nervousness in his voice. "So, uh… What did you do there? Just mingle with everyone? Leti has a lot of friends there, I'm sure she wanted to introduce you."

"I met my mother."

"Ah, gracias de Dios!" Ernesto heaved a relieved sigh, laughing a little. "I didn't know if you did or not, so I didn't know if I should say anything. That must have been quite a shock to you."

"Sí…" Héctor admitted quietly. "I wondered for years what she might have been like, or if she even cared about me. I don't think I ever really considered she was just a poor kid who was treated so badly by people she trusted. And I certainly didn't expect Domingo Cavellero to be my father, or whatever I should call him. She said to call him a cabrón, and I'd have to agree with-"

"WHAT?!"

Héctor turned to see that Ernesto was no longer walking next to him, but had frozen a few feet back. His jaw hung so low it looked like it was about to fall off at the hinges, and he stared at Héctor in shock. Héctor smirked at that. "That was my reaction too. You didn't know?"

"Pfft, NO!" Ernesto pouted and caught up to Héctor with a few bounds. "Granted I'd only spoken to Nieve a few times and she was never the talkative kind. And I guess it's a sore subject matter… But still, the Cavalleros! To think you could have been a part of prestigious family with a silver spoon in your mouth if your papá wasn't such an ass."

"I think if I was a part of that family you and I never would have been friends, let alone have met."

Ernesto pondered that with a small hum, his face softening as his expression turned wistful. "You're right. And in the end you and your family became much more prestigious than any of them, and I'm talking about more than fame and fortune.…" They continued to walk in a much more comfortable silence, smiling softly as they thought back on happier times for at least a brief moment, until with a start Ernesto looked up with a grin. "Ah, speaking of your family, look here. This is where I keep my most treasured of offerings."

Leading them off to the side Ernesto brought Héctor before a long glass case, lifting open the cover to let him see. Inside were piles of offerings, each little mound marked with a year in front of them from 1943 to the current 1951. There was nothing remarkable about them, mostly cakes and pan dulce, cups of frothy hot champurrado and bottles of tequila. What was really amazing was how they all still looked as fresh as the moment they were made, and Héctor could swear he could still see steam rising from the chocolatey mugs.

Aside from the food Héctor also took into account all of the trinkets and tokens as well, a few pieces of artwork catching his eye. They were drawings of Ernesto, though he had to really look hard at some of them. They looked like the artwork of a small child, but every year Héctor could see the improvement to the point where he began to notice the familiar style.

"Are these… Miguel's?" He asked as he held up the newest one from this year, a vast difference between the childish scrawl of when he was four. He certainly got Ernesto's smug grin down pat.

Ernesto nodded, beaming. "Sí! Héctor, all of these are offerings from your ofrenda. The ones that Imelda and the kids leave out for me. Couldn't bear to eat them, they mean too much."

Héctor noticed the way his name was left out of the group who gave the offerings, as well as the way Ernesto's smile seemed to dim a bit, but before Héctor could start to feel an inkling of guilt Ernesto reached into the case he pulled an item out. "I care for all of the offerings your family gives me, but this? Hoo hoo, this is my absolute favorite!"

Ernesto let the item fall out of his hand, a boney finger catching it on the long chain. Héctor recognized it instantly with a small gasp. It was a pocket watch: still as mangled and tarnished as it was the last time he had seen it, with the bullet still embedded in it. "Matty's watch?!"

"Isn't it marvelous?" Ernesto said. "Best thousand pesos I ever spent!"

"How is that possible?" Héctor asked as he took the watch to examine every inch of it. It certainly felt cold, heavy and real. "I know for a fact that Matty keeps this in his office desk in Houston!"

"He left it on his ofrenda." Ernesto explained. "When an offering is laid out you can just take a copy of it. Well, maybe not a physical copy, per se, more like… you take the emotion and memories of the object, and it becomes part of you and your memory."

Héctor pondered that, vaguely remembering seeing the other spirits in the cemetery collecting ghostly objects from their own ofrendas during his frenzied panic. "I see…"

"And it is a great conversation piece!" Ernesto said, taking it back to place back into the case. "That the very watch that I bought him as a boy was taken to the other side of the world and protected him from a bullet that nearly pierced his heart!"

"Actually he was struck on the right side, the heart is located on the le-"

"His heart that drove him to fight bravely for the Mexican Armed Forces!"

"He was in the American Army-"

"And saved him from dying on German soil-"

"Italian."

"-so far from home!"

As Ernesto finished in a grand flourish Héctor couldn't help but snort in amusement. "Okay, whatever you say." Watching as Ernesto put the destroyed timepiece back in the case, Héctor's smile faded and worry started to worm it's way through his chest. "So… You come to our family gatherings? You, uh… see our ofrendas?"

Héctor couldn't bring himself to ask anything else, though several other questions were obviously implied and hung in the air like a thick, uncomfortable fog.

You see how I never really celebrate the dead, focusing solely on Miguel's birthday?

How I never talk about Leti even when I should?

How I can't even bear to speak your name even on any other day?

Did you witness what I did and said to my family tonight?

Closing the glass lid to his treasures, Ernesto grimaced and looked down. "Ah, no, I… I usually have couriers come and retrieve my offerings. With so many, and in so many different locations, I would be running myself ragged trying to collect them all on my own. I mean I did use to come to your ofrenda, of course, but… I-I kind of got the feeling that I was… unwelcome."

While part of Héctor was relieved that Ernesto was not there to witness Héctor's public meltdown, his other fears were confirmed and he sighed. "Look, Ernesto… I-"

"Neto! There you are, you disappeared from your own party! And is that- Oh, it is! Amor look, it's Teto!"

Immediately Héctor seized up in utter annoyance and anger.

Teto? No way…

Turning around Héctor could see a couple of extravagantly dressed skeletons coming up to the two of them with wide, fake smiles on their skulls. A man and a woman, Héctor was able to see past the gaudy bright colors and gold highlighting their bone structures and recognize them immediately.

Andres and Florencia Dominguez. A married couple. Business associates, Ernesto's producers for his various movies and his close… friends.

But they were no real friends at all. Not only had they enabled most if not all of Ernesto's horrible lifestyle habits, but that had not even bothered to come to Ernesto's funeral when their cash-cow had perished, sending only a half-assed telegram the day of to send their condolences. But by the time Ernesto's body was laid in his mausoleum and Héctor was barely recovered enough from his stay in the hospital, they had pounced on him during his delicate mental and physical state.

With Ernesto's assets being distributed throughout the company, Andres and Florencia had laid claim to an extremely large chunk of his wealth, saying it was their right to do so since Ernesto's demise had deprived them of surely a lucrative motion picture that had been in the making at the time as well as many future endeavors. Héctor had been grateful that Chente had taken the reins of the company quickly and beautifully upon his promotion, making sure that Dominguez's claims were so wrapped up in legal red tape that there was no way for them to unwrap them in the courts.

So when the legal roads were closed off to them, that was when the threats began.

Héctor knew that they and Ernesto had been close, but he had been horrified to realize just how close. They spoke of tales of how Ernesto's turbulent lifestyle had caused such problems for them and the company, the massive amount of drugs and alcohol consumed by him and his groupies on and off the road. The parade of women and men that rotated through his bedroom at an alarming rate, the hush money that had to be paid them to keep their silence. Ernesto's reputation as a family-friendly idol was held together by the thinnest of strings by the time of his death, and unless they were given enough hush money themselves then the Dominguez's were prepared to go into an all-out war.

Chente had been prepared as well to fight back, Héctor still too emotionally and physically weak to take much part in it, when fate had struck. Because it was not just Ernesto who lived the hard lifestyle of a celebrity, as Héctor was soon to find out. Just before the news was going to break Andres and Florencia had decided to celebrate their soon to be victory in the only way they knew how. And when they didn't show up to work the next day the police found the both of them in their bedroom, needles still stuck in the arms, covered in all sorts of bodily grime, and completely, unmistakably dead.

The public relations nightmare was over before it could begin, and life went on.

Yet here they now were, all decked to the nines in the Land of the Dead, at Ernesto's party, giving Héctor cloying smiles on their skulls like nothing had ever happened.

Héctor despised showbiz.

"Ah, Andres. Flor. How lovely to see you." Ernesto smiled at them, all traces of vulnerability gone from his expression as Héctor watched him go back into "proper host" mode. He welcomed them with open arms and delicately kissed Florencia on her pointed cheekbones. As he shook Andres' hand heartily, Héctor saw how Ernesto's grin was so charming and so fake at the same time. "I'm so glad you both could make it this evening, what with your tight schedules."

"Oh, we were just admiring your impressive haul this year, Neto" she said, gesturing to all of the offerings with a greedy glint in her eyes. "I swear it gets bigger every year! But then we saw you and then saw our dear maestro in the flesh!"

"I thought that was you, amigo!" Andres said, clapping Héctor so hard on the shoulder that his own bones rattled. "There were whispers of a living man in the city, but I never would have guessed it was you! Por Dios, but you got old! And still stick thin to boot, you really blend in with the rest of us skeletons!"

"But it is so good to see you again, Teto!" Florencia cooed sickeningly, and as she drew closer Héctor could see how gaudy and overwhelmingly bright her facial markings were. When he realized that she was closing in to place a kiss on his cheek Héctor recoiled lightning quick away from her, both in disgust of her character and not really wanting to feel skeletal lips on his skin. Florencia blinked in surprise at his movement, a quick flash of anger at the rejection fading away into amusement. "Ohh, come now Héctor. Don't tell me you're still mad about that business back in the Land of the Living?"

"You mean how you tried to fleece from the company and destroy a dead man's reputation?" Héctor growled. "You've got some nerve coming into his house."

"Water under the bridge, dear boy, all water under the bridge!" Andres said, literally waving off Héctor's ire and then clasping a hand on Ernesto's shoulder. "We were just looking out for our affairs in the Land of the Living, there were no hard feelings! But now our affairs are all sorted out in the Land of the Dead: a simple transition, thanks to Ernesto. Right, amigo?"

"Quite right." Ernesto said, his smile even more fake than before and his eyes simmering with something Héctor could not decipher. A guarded wariness perhaps. Clearing his throat, Ernesto tried to make the move towards Héctor. "Well, I hope you both enjoy the party. But right now I have some important business to do with Héctor. He is in dire need to return home and-"

"Home?!" Florencia whined shrilly. "But you only just got here. At least stay so you can see the Sunrise Spectacular!"

Héctor blinked. "The what now?"

"The Sunrise Spectacular!" Andres said. "Every year when the sun rises Ernesto marks the end of Dia de Muertos with an enormous concert. All of his greatest hit-well, both of your greatest hits- sung to a jam-packed stadium, radio listeners and we're working on getting on those newfangled television sets so that everyone can still watch it in the comfort of their own home. It's a grand send-off and brings souls hope for a prosperous and memorable new year."

"Ah, well…" Héctor cleared his throat. "That does sound very nice. I'm not much into music anymore though, and I really do have to get back before I-"

"Ah I can see how that is." Andres smirked. "What with that last concert that Ernesto had in the living world it's no wonder that music would leave a bad taste in the mouth. But por Dios, what a way to go! One last triumphant belt before all was silenced!"

Ernesto chuckled awkwardly, not failing to see out of the corner of his eye the way Héctor had stiffened entirely. "Ah ha ha, sí. Well let's not dwell on the past, we have a lot to do tonight."

"Oh that's right!" Florencia giggled and pointed at Héctor. "Andres and I weren't at the concert but we heard about it immediately after. You were right on stage when the bell collapsed! Saw the whole thing! I can only imagine! Remeeeember me! BONG!"

Andres laughed along with her. "That's right, you did see it. Better than front row seats! You know, I don't believe we've ever spoken to any soul who was there that night! Tell me Teto, when they lifted the bell did Ernesto come out like an accordion, just like in all those little cartoons?"

At this Florencia burst out into shrill, screeching laughter as she watched her husband bob up and down making accordion noises. Watching the two of them make fools of themselves in front of Héctor was quite enough for Ernesto.

"Okay, I see that both of you have been enjoying the open bar a little too much this evening, but we really must be going." Héctor sternly said, gesturing towards his friend. "Héctor and I-… Héctor? Héctor?!"

Héctor was gone.

"Ah, puta madre! Are you kidding me?!" Ernesto ran his hands through his hair, casting a quick glare over to his two, still giggling, associates as he started heading for the door. "Now you two have done it! I have to find Héctor and give him my blessing as soon as possible."

"Well, do hurry up amigo!" Andres called after composing himself. "The sooner he is gone the better. Héctor has always had a habit of making you put aside what you are supposed to be doing."

Ernesto stopped walking at that, glancing over his shoulder. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come now, old friend." Andres said in a condescending tone. "You are a performer first and foremost. But anytime Héctor had something going on: Weddings, birthdays, funerals, et cetera. Why you just drop everything at short notice to go to him. And then every time you came back home you were a mess that Flor and I had to clean up."

"Exactly." Florencia nodded. "I mean the last few months where he stayed with you, you completely collapsed into your vices. Face it, Neto, Héctor Rivera's presence has always been poisonous to you."

Ernesto glared at them both viciously. "I like to think it's the opposite, actually. And don't pretend that you two are saints. You are on the thinnest of ice after what you two just did to my brother."

Flor snorted. "Please, brothers. You are just two orphans who clung to each other because no one else would."

"And we're not the ones on thin ice, Ernesto." Andres said back. "Get rid of him, however you need to do it, and get back in time to do the Sunrise Spectacular. Or our information about your activities from the Living World and the Land of the Dead starts to trickle through. And you know just how well a trickle can turn into raging river fast."

At that moment Ernesto felt something inside his chest and in his brain something he had not felt in thirty years. A white-hot rage that threatened to overtake his mind and actions into something he wouldn't be able to control. He clenched his jaw until his teeth were creaking together, his fists curled into tight balls until they were about to crack. How dare they threaten him. HIM! Ernesto de la Cruz, the greatest musician of all time.

Ernesto always knew that Andres and Florencia never cared about him. They knew how to have a fun time and were near perfect when it came to deals and business, sure, but even those positive aspects of their lives were toxic. They enabled his most self-destructive tendencies, had their fun with him at his most vulnerable times, and now they were threatening to ruin his reputation over missing a stupid concert.

His eyes scanned the ground rapidly, quickly trying to think of swift retaliation that would end this before it began, and when he looked up, he froze.

Standing before him were not the skeletal remains of Andres and Florencia Dominguez. But a young man in a peachy-orange mariachi suit, guitar case in one hand and a shot glass of tequila in the other. A small, relieved small was gracing his lips as he brought the glass up to them, not noticing the shimmering film on the liquid's surface.

Ernesto gasped and blinked his eyes, and in that moment Héctor was gone and his two business partners were back in front of him, smiling smugly. Ernesto panted in relief that it was just a vision from his past, but then he seized up in horror.

I was going to destroy them. I was trying to end their threat on me as soon as I could.

Just like I did that night.

Nothing has changed.

I'm still a… I'm still a mon-…

His non-existing heart breaking inside of his ribcage, Ernesto slicked back his mussed-up hair, stood tall and proud and chuckled. "Ha ha, yes well… That would be a PR nightmare, wouldn't it? Not to worry though, I'll settle this whole Héctor thing and then he'll be out of our lives once again."

"I'll leave you to it then!" Andres said jovially, leading his wife by the arm as they walked out of the offering room and waving back. "I'll see you then before the first light breaks."

Now alone in his room full of treasures, the flowers not smelling quite as sweet as before and the food's scent rolling his stomach, Ernesto allowed his face to crumple slightly before he turned and ran out of the room.

He needed to save Héctor. He would not be a threat on his life once again.

He would do whatever it takes.

---

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Well that didn't take too long did it?

Ah heh heh....hmmm....

Okay, I'm not going to lie, these last few years have been tough on me. I was in a very dark place, but just know nothing bad happened nor did I do anything to myself. I just... stopped.

I walked away from writing, from social media, from the fandom, everything.

I discovered a multitude of new things I enjoy doing, but at the same time finishing this story was always at the back burner if my mind.

I would write a paragraph or two of this chapter, walk away for about a year, come back and write some more. Rinse and repeat.

I realized long ago that I bit off more than I can chew with this story, but I had also always been adamant that I would finish it.

Does that mean I'll be going back to weekly updates? Hell no.

Just know that it will be finished on my own time, and no one else's. I think that is also something I have been struggling with all my life: performing to someone else's standards. Because when I try to force myself to do something, I freeze up and walk away for three years.

But I want to thank you for all of the reviews I have gotten over the years on FF and AO3, none of them being angry that I wasn't updating but just hoping I would.

She told him about all the children she had befriended in the hospital that had tragically died too young, just like she did soon after. But now they were able to reconnect as friends and Héctor was so glad that those sweet kids now had a somewhat normal existence free from pain and misery.

“…Martha’s in the baking business with her grandparents. She’s always super busy but she always makes time on Saturday to have coffee with me and play cards. Let’s see… Arturo works in the Department of Alebrije Registration, so he gets to see lots of different alebrijes. And Gerardo…” Leti trailed off, and she coyly looked over her shoulder to Héctor. “Gerardo’s special.”

That got Héctor’s attention, and he smirked at her. “What, is he your boyfriend or something?”

If Leti had skin she’d be blushing, but she still placed her hands on her cheekbones as if they actually were burning red. “Ahh! I don’t know! I know that look he’s always giving me means he likes me, but he just won’t say anything.” Leti sighed dramatically and laid back onto Héctor’s chest. “Boys are so immature. Do you think I should make the first move?”

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t make the first move.” Héctor said warmly. “But I’d wait a few more decades if I was you. I’m not quite ready for you to be dating just yet.”

“Papá!”

“Okay, okay, how about just one decade-”

“No Papá, look!” Leti said pointing in the distance. “There’s Tio Nesto’s tower! We’re here!”

Looking to where Leti was pointing, Héctor let out disgusted sigh. “Of course that’s where he lives.”

Ernesto had always been… grandiose in life, to put it mildly. But it seemed that death had released those Earthly restraints and let him go full out to express just how much he loved to announce his presence to the world. Ernesto’s tower shimmered like a golden beacon shooting up tall into the sky, with what looked like moving trams circling it on its sides. On top of this humongous pillar sat an equally impressive mansion with tall palm trees and dozens of party guests scattered around the expansive lawn dressed in their finest garb.

All in all a typical party at Ernesto de la Cruz’s, with the theme of the party being ‘me’.

But Héctor was startled to feel Frangipani begin to descend instead of head towards the top. “Wait, we’re not going to the mansion?”

“Oh…” Leti giggled nervously. “No, we are. We just have to go in through the front entrance. Tio Nesto is still kind of… sore that Frangipani left in the middle of their movie shoot to become my alebrije. So he’s forbidden Frangipani from coming anywhere near his tower.”

“Ah.”

Héctor did remember Ernesto having to scramble around just to finish his big circus movie, and the unfinished scenes with the elephant were replaced with a mixture of Claymation and a huge papier mache head with a hose for the trunk. They were decent effects at the time, but they had upped the cost of production and severely hurt the profit margin. Ernesto had never stopped complaining about it until the day he died, and it seemed he still was after death.

As they settled into a nearby alley, Frangipani once again shrunk to a smaller size to let those on top of her get off with ease and once again left Héctor wincing from sore leg muscles. “Ow, ow… Hopefully this is the last stop, mija.”

“Yep! All we need to do is to get you to Tío Nesto, give him his guitar and he’ll send you home with his blessing. No hay bronca!” Turning to her alebrije, who had shrunk all the way down to her cute little mouse size, she petted her with a coo. “And you get to rest your ears now, Frangipani. Thank you for all you’ve done tonight. Aw, you’re such a good girl.”

As Leti kissed and heaped more praise on her little elephant, Héctor smiled taking in the scene. He had enjoyed his time immensely with his little girl, so grateful for the chance to see and hold her again. To talk to her. Before tonight he never thought he would ever have the chance again.

He had to soak in every last second of it, because it was about to come to an end.

“Hey, woah!” Leti squeaked out as Héctor pulled her into a big bear hug, her shock quickly disappearing as she returned it gladly. Frangipani fluttered over to land on Héctor’s shoulder and wrap her trunk gently around his ear, effectively joining in on the hug. Dante rested his head on Héctor’s knee with a soft whine. Squeezing her father just as hard as he was, it seemed as if she was reading his mind. “You’ll be home in no time.”

“… Without you.”

Leti sighed sadly and closed her eyes. “I wish I could go with you, too. But I can’t. My time is over.”

“It’s not fair, I just got you back!” Héctor whispered harshly, fighting hard against the tears behind his eyes. “My baby…”

Sniffling Leti nodded in agreement before pulling back. “But now you know for sure, right? That I’ve been with you every year for the holiday, and I’ll keep seeing you as long as you put my foto up. And now you know what awaits you when it’s your time to join me again. I’ll be waiting for you Papá.”

Héctor smiled warmly, cupping her cheekbone and brushing a thumb over her golden streaks. “Thank you, Leti. For everything you’ve done tonight. Especially with my m… Nieve.”

Leti shrugged shyly. “Well, she always wondered about you. Sorry if I made you waste too much time, I just wanted to help her while I had the chance.”

“… I think it helped both of us.”

Beaming at the praise she broke from the hug and helped Héctor back up to his feet. Brushing her dress down she also brushed down Héctor’s jacket too. “Gotta look nice when we go to Tío Nesto’s party. It’s black tie, you know.”

Héctor laughed. “When was it never black tie?”

Satisfied by their appearance, Leti gave a short nod. “All right, let’s go to the-.”

“Héctor Rivera!”

A deep voice travelled from down the depths of the alleyway, putting Héctor and Leti on high alert. The tumbling of trashcans and the screeching of teeny alebrijes skittering away showed a dark shadow emerging from behind. The figure held its hands forward in a welcoming manner, and as it drew closer the stench of cheap cigars became apparent. With hoarse, unhinged laughter a skeleton came in full view, staring at Héctor like its life depended on it. Dante was immediately on the offensive, growling deep in his throat and hunching slightly at the new intruder. He had not acted like this to anyone yet.

“Héctor, my dear boy!” the skeleton, a short man dressed in rags and devoid of any markings on his skull, limped closer to them with a sleazy grin. “It has been too long! Oh, but I have heard of your accomplishments, yes. Your movie and music studios, philanthropy, entrepreneurism. Why, you’ve expanded your named far greater than Ernesto could ever dream of. That’s because you’ve always had the bigger heart, the need to care for others.”

Despite the sweet talk Héctor was exceedingly unnerved by this skeleton compared to all the others he had met, and he warily placed himself in front of Leti to shield her. She was dead, yes, but he still felt that he needed to protect her from this stranger. “I’m sorry… Do I know you?”

There seemed to be a crack in the skeleton’s mask of friendliness, a flash of desperation and anger, before that eerie giggling bubbled up again. “Know me?! Wh-why, yes you do! Oh, my apologies, I guess it has been too long, and my good looks have faded away. But Héctor, dear boy, it’s me Fredo! Your manager, remember?!”

Fredo.

Fredo Barrerra.

The name was a slap to the face in the worst possible way. With a strangled gasp Héctor’s wariness turned to twisted panic as he fully blocked Fredo away from his daughter. He remembered this man-this monster- from so long ago. He had practically put he and Ernesto on the rise to stardom, yes, but he was also an unapologetic pervert who preyed on the little girls under his contract and countless others. The last he had heard of him he was rotting away in a cell never to see the outside world again. He had so put him out of his life that Héctor hadn’t even received word about his apparent death. But he must have, with him being here.

Glaring viciously at the little man, Héctor gritted out. “What do you want?”

“Oh please, don’t look at me like that!” Fredo cried out in desperation, holding his hands out pleading. “I just want a moment of your time! After all, it was I who made you a star! I haven’t even gotten close to Ernesto in all my years here! The guards won’t let me! If you could just put a word in, get him to give me just a small portion of his offerings so I wouldn’t be forced to scrounge for a living! I’m owed that much!”

Héctor sneered. “I don’t owe you anything.”

Barely stifling his panicked breaths, Fredo made an attempt to peak around Héctor. “You’re his daughter, yes?! You can convince your papá to help out a poor soul in need! Sweet girl. Pretty little girl!”

A roll of nausea clenched Héctor’s stomach and his teeth ground painfully, his rage stoked to a burning flame. “Don’t you dare talk to her, you disgusting-”

“All right, I’ve heard enough. Frangipani? Puerco.”

With a pink flash Frangipani zipped over to hover above Fredo’s skull and, in the blink of an eye, changed to the size of a robust sow. Fredo barely had time to realize what was happening before the elephant flopped down on top of him, crushing his body and popping off his skull at the same time. With a strangled scream and barely decipherable swears, Fredo’s skull came to rest at Héctor’s feet.

Héctor was stunned as Leti stepped out from behind him, humming a little ditty and wiping her hands together after a job well done. As she bent down to pick up the skull, Héctor panicked once again. “Leti, don’t go near him! He’s dangerous.”

“Was.” Leti corrected, examining the still swearing skull from every angle. “Sí, I know all about him Papá. Fredo Barrera, your manager who was a dirty little old man that Tío Nesto had locked away for good. It’s a really good story, Tío Nesto tells it all the time at his parties. He’s also been trying to sneak into every party or concert for the last nine years, to no avail. This is my first time actually seeing him though. Gotta say, I’m a little disappointed.”

Catching his breath, Fredo gritted out painfully, “Please… let me talk to Ernesto. I deserve that much. He left me to die in that prison. And now I live this pitiful existence… No ofrenda, no loved ones.”

Leti harrumphed at that. “You should have been forgotten long ago, but unfortunately you’ve burned your way into the memories of your victims. Every bit of suffering is from your own doing. And I’ve heard enough of you. Frangipani? Take him to the cenote to cool off until the police come and get him.”

“No no NO!” Fredo’s head zipped back to connect with his body, now coiled in Frangipani’s trunk as she had grown full sized. As the mighty elephant took off in flight the last pitiful screams of Fredo Barrera echoed into the night until all was silent.

Héctor stared at Leti in awe as she kept looking until her alebrije was out of sight, her faced hardened, and for the first time tonight Héctor felt like he was looking at his adult daughter instead of a little girl. She had held her own against a man who could have been a nightmare for her and had trashed him body and soul. With a low calming breath Leti paused to compose herself, and then gave an adorable pout. “Well that spoiled the mood, huh?”

Héctor couldn’t help it. With a laugh he swung his daughter up into another hug, twirling her in a couple of circles as she screamed and giggled with glee. Dante jumped happily and barked alongside them, one of Fredo’s broken off rib bones sticking out of his muzzle as he chewed on it. “I love you, Letica Rivera! You are just so amazing!”

“Of course I am!” Leti said proudly. “I am your daughter, after all!”

-------------------------

Getting to the mansion was relatively easy after that. At the first sight of the Héctor Rivera in the flesh he was quickly escorted to the front of the line past enamored and astonished guests. The security guards clumsily tripped over themselves, some even losing a few bones in the process, to make sure that he and Leti were given good seats in the cable car that would take them to the top. Time being of the essence they had even sent the car up despite only being a quarter full and Héctor was sure that it was going at max speed. When they reached to the top they were greeted by waiting personnel.

“Bienvenidos, Señor Rivera. It is an honor to have you here with us tonight! And you too, Leticia, you’re always a delight at el Señor de la Cruz’s parties!” The tall skeleton bowed deeply with a grand hand gesture. “I am the head of the concierge this evening and I was just informed of your arrival by security. We will try to find el Señor de la Cruz immediately so you may receive your blessing, but it might take a little time. I’m afraid he tends to bop to and fro while entertaining his guests.”

“Right.” Héctor agreed.

“In the meantime please help yourselves to some of our appetizers and refreshments. We will be on the lookout for Señor de la Cruz. Vamos!” With a snap of his fingers the staff behind him quickly dispersed and headed off in different directions, leaving Héctor and Leti to wander the grounds alone.

Now that he was able to properly see the lawn up close he could tell that the tall palm trees were actually just statues lit up with golden light bulbs, and what little grass and bushes he could see were also made of plastic fibers. The stonework, once again, had the same skull and bone motif that seemed to make itself known wherever he went. Leaning down he asked, “Hey, does anyone ever count how many skulls there are in the architecture?”

“Uh huh!” Leti nodded. “There are actually books and fan clubs who go around finding hidden skulls. I wouldn’t want to join them though; those guys are a little odd.”

The inside of the mansion was just as glamourous, with high ceilings and archways, stone staircases and beautiful paintings of Ernesto displayed proudly. Lights of pink, green and gold sent a wash of color throughout ballroom area. A string quartet played soft, beautiful music as guests mingled with each other sipping champaign and eating tiny snacks brought to them by servants and, bizarrely, alebrijes. With a short yip Dante set his sights on the lavish buffet table and hopped over before Héctor could restrain him.

“Dante, stop! Heel!” Héctor shouted but to no avail as Dante quickly helped himself to bite-sized portions of cooked meat.

Grabbing the dog by the hind quarters he tried to drag him off the table, but Dante kept a firm grip on the tablecloth trying to get just a few more bites. As Héctor pulled so did Dante, and with a loud ripping sound the cloth was pulled back carrying everything with it. Pans and plates clattered and smashed to the ground, and with a startled gasp the crowd backed away from the mess.

There sat Héctor, hat askew with a dog in his lap, and the crowd suddenly realized who they were looking at. A living man, and a famous one to boot, was a de la Cruz’s party. People whispered amongst each other and there were a few blinding flashes from cameras. Dante hopped off of Héctor and continued to eat the spilled food, while Leti came over to shield her father from the cameras.

“No pictures! Please, we need to get him to Ernesto de la Cruz!” she pleaded.

“It’s him! Héctor Rivera!” One of the musicians from the string quartet shouted out with glee. “Maestro, you’re our hero! Okay amigos, lets show him what he got! With gusto!”

And with just two taps of their feet, barely enough time to react, the band started to play again.

Playing that song.

Just like last time, like any other time, Héctor’s blood immediately turned to ice and fire all at once. His insides clenched, heart raced, breath stilled until it came back in short, hoarse pants. Being already on the floor he curled in on himself and pressed his hands painfully hard against his ears to block out that retched song.

But it wasn’t enough, he could still hear it, if not from his memories.

Memories of blood and gore. Of heart-wrenching loss and grief. It still hurt so much he couldn’t stand it.

Couldn’t stop it.

I should have stopped it.

Remember me….

I don’t want to remember!

“No no, damn it!” Leti cursed out. “Does nobody here keep up with the times! Don’t play that song! Stop it, all right?! He doesn’t like it!” With a few slaps and shoves Leti managed to knock the instruments out of the musicians’ hands and put a stop to the music. But the damage was done, and as the musicians grumbled about their fallen instruments Leti was quickly back at her father’s side. “It’s okay, Papá. I made them stop. It’s all right.”

“Ernesto…” Héctor ground out, his eyes squeezed shut and his hands still on his ears. “I need Ernesto!”

“He’ll be here soon!” Leti assured, but Héctor was lost to her.

“Por favor… Ernesto.” Héctor whimpered out, trembling, not caring that people were still staring at him, still whispering and pointing. He didn’t care about anything. Just that smear on the ground that used to be his brother, the one constant in his life. Torn from him without warning and left him gaping and bleeding out. No one understanding that his loss was just too great for him to bear.

Ernesto de la Cruz’s biggest shunner was also his biggest mourner.

“Ernesto!” Héctor whispered hoarsely. “I need Ernesto! ERNESTO!”

“Yes?”

The smooth, deep voice broke through every painful memory that was overwhelming Héctor and with a gasp his eyes flew open. The first thing he saw were chihuahuas. Three bright green chihuahuas that were also eating all the spilled food that littered the ground with Dante, one even snatching away a morsel that Dante was about to eat. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Large and heavy, but still comforting and strong.

Just like it had always been.

“Are you all right, señor?” the voice behind him asked sincerely.

Nine years. It had been exactly nine years to the day since he had heard that voice so clearly. Not from the old scratchy recordings that he honestly avoided like the plague. But here. Right here in person. Not realizing he was holding his breath he slowly turned around and glanced up.

And there he was.

Holding another green chihuahua in his arm, Ernesto was dressed relatively modestly for the evening. No tuxedo, no fancy charro suit. Just a pair of comfortable slacks, shirt and tie with suspenders. And Héctor was begrudging to admit that even as a skeleton that Ernesto was still dashingly handsome. His skull markings looked like that had been painted with actual gold that shimmered in the lights. But it was the same thin mustache, same perfectly coifed hair, same chiseled jawline.

And those same golden-brown eyes, staring at Héctor in shock as if he was the ghost.

“Héc-… Héctor?”

Finally releasing his breath Héctor slowly got up from his position on the floor, swaying a little bit still in shock. Ernesto backed away a little to give him some space, and after staring at Héctor for a few more seconds he broke out into a shaky grin.

“My friend!” Ernesto choked out finally. “I… I can’t believe it! I mean there were rumors floating around about a living person in the Land of the Dead tonight, but no one told me it was you! Por Dios, I’m going to have a talk with some people responsible about this, I should have been the first one to know. Well, second I guess, after dear Leti. I see you’re with her, that must have been a joy for you. Have you been visiting with her all this time. Well you should, as her father. But I mean… This is so surprising, I’m shocked! How the hell are you?”

As Ernesto rambled on and on Héctor was filled with mixed emotions at seeing his older brother, after trying not to think about him for nine years. Intense sadness and horror as he relived the last time he saw his dead body underneath that bell. Anger for how he recalled their last talk, how he wouldn’t listen to him when he was only trying to help him. Helplessness. Hopelessness.

And as his confusion and turmoil brewed and bubbled up to unbearable levels, finally one emotion came to him like a soothing balm: Relief. Ernesto was not a crumbled, ruined body decaying in a cold mausoleum all alone. He was here, tall and proud as ever, hosting parties and singing in concerts like always. His older brother was back!

The chihuahua in Ernesto’s arm squealed in surprise and then hopped away in disgruntlement as Héctor had slammed his body against Ernesto. Ernesto grunted and his slick white bones jostled for a bit until Héctor crushed them back into place with a tight, desperate hug. He stood alarmed for a moment until returned the hug in an equal amount of force, neither of them caring if bruises were formed or bones were dislocated.

“Ernesto.” Héctor whispered. “I’ve missed you so much!”

Ernesto sighed and patted Héctor’s back comfortingly. “I’ve missed you too, hermanito.”

The crowd gathered closely as the two men hugged each other, some giving soft awws and some even sniffling a little bit at the display of affection. Leti stood quietly next to her father and godfather, smiling a little wobbly herself. Dante just continued eating.

Pulling back from the hug, Ernesto grinned good-naturedly at Héctor and placed a hand on his cheek. Thumb smoothing out a cheek wrinkle, Ernesto laughed. “You’ve gotten old, Héctor.”

Héctor scoffed and batted Ernesto’s hand away. “I knew you’d say something like that. First time you’ve seen me in nine years and you’re still commenting on my looks!”

Ernesto squinted as he looked his indignant brother over. “I think your ears got bigger. Or more saggy, at least. I hear that’s what happens when you age. Your nose looks bigger, too.”

“You wanna experience your Final Death tonight, amigo?”

“I’m glad though.” Ernesto said somberly, his smile faltering a little. “I’m glad you got to grow old…”

His ire abated at that, and once again Héctor felt glad that Ernesto was really here: Ribbing him just like he always did. He smiled a little at that. Some things never changed. Leaning forward he whispered softly. “I need your help, Ernesto. There’s a lot I need to tell you.”

“I’m sure you do.” Ernesto acknowledged, then turned a bright smile towards his awaiting audience. “But this is a big deal! A living man comes to the Land of the Dead, and it’s Héctor Rivera! It’s actually not as surprising once you think about it, he was always getting himself into scraps like this!”

The crowd laughed at that, Ernesto soaking in all the attention with grace. “Let’s make this little mishap a joyous occasion. Héctor Rivera and Ernesto de la Cruz together again! Let’s get this party started!”

As the crowd cheered and the band started back up, Héctor pulled onto Ernesto sharply. “Ernesto, this is urgent! I need to get your blessing to go home, now!”

“Amigo, you just got here!” Ernesto implored. “I’ve missed you, Héctor! I want to spend some time with you before you leave!”

“Ernesto…”

“Thirty minutes.” Ernesto pleaded. “Thirty minutes and then I’ll do what ever you ask. Just please, let’s talk for a bit, okay? Please.”

Héctor glared hard at Ernesto for a moment, trying to stay strong and ignore the skeleton’s sad puppy-dog eyes. But his will was always so weak when it came to Ernesto. With a groan and an eye roll he conceded. “Ugh, fine! Thirty minutes starting now. But I don’t want to spend it out here cavorting with your party guests. I want to talk to you, alone and in private. Deal?”

Héctor couldn’t help but notice the way Ernesto’s smile twitched a little, or the bobbing of his spine where his throat would have been. But Ernesto, ever the gentleman, bowed his head in agreement.