AN: I'M BAAAAACCCK! THIS STORY WAS ON HIATUS FOR A FEW MONTHS WHILE I WORED ON THIS LITTLE THING CALLED GRADUATING COLLEG-WHICH I DID! I WAS IN A SLUMP FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS BACK BECAUSE I CRASHED HARD CORE, BUT NOW I'M GETTING BACK INTO THINGS. I AM WORKING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO RUN THE FIRST THORUGH CHAPTERS THROUGH GRAMMERLY (WHICH I KNOW SUCKS BUT IT HELPED… MOSTLY) BECAUSE THE TYPOS WERE… AWFUL AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT. SO HERE IS THE REVISED/ UPDATED VERSION OF CHAPTER ONE-AND THEN CHAPTER TWO!

DISCLIAMER-I DO NOT OWN COCO OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THIS FANTASTIC MOVIE.

~Recuérdame~
A Coco fanfiction
By EJM513

~CHAPTER ONE~
THOUGH I HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE
Pt. One

1921

Hector Rivera stood quietly in the stone archway as he watched his wife-his angel of fire Imelda pace incessantly throughout the small kitchen. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tight up due, exposing her high cheekbones and large, dark eyes. At that moment those eyes were narrow in thought and hard in anger. Her hand seemed glued to her chin as she passed, keeping those furry filled eyes turned on the floor and her black boots. Hector did not dare utter a word. He stood as still as a statue as she watched his wife, silently praying her temper would cool. Even his breathing was silent. The only sound that could be heard throughout their small home as the constant clanking of Imelda's voice and her low voice as she muttered to herself.

Hector leaned into the cold stone and crossed his arms over his chest, biting his lip and silently counting the seconds in his head. Without realizing it his fingers began to drum a simple rhythm on his sleeve-whether it was simply to keep track of each passing moment his wife continued to pace he would never know. Before he had a chance to realize what he was doing Imelda suddenly stopped in her tracks. She spun on his heels and stared at him, her gaze turning hard and red at the sight of him tapping his arm.

"HECTOR RIVERA TU CABRON ESTOPIDO!" She screeched. Hector let out a loud yelp as he jumped, his skin crawling with fear. His breath came quickly and deafeningly-as if he had the air startled out of him. He placed his hand on his chest and looked out his shoulder towards a nearby door.

"Idiota! Are you going to" Imelda began, her voice thundering in the small kitchen. Hector dashed to his wife and covered her mouth, his eyes wide with desperation.

"Sush…. you'll wake up Coco mi amor." He whispered, praying that simple reminder would bring Imelda back to Earth. He watched with weary eyes as those brown orbs he fell so hard for began to soften in defeat. He sighed in relief as he watched her tense muscles relax. She raised her small hands and swapped his own hands away from her mouth, letting out a hiss once she was free.

"Don't you dare call me mi amor-cabron!" She sneered, turning away and marching to the table.

"Will you please stop calling me that?" Hector pleased, his face turning sour with frustration. The first time he had called him that was warranted-maybe even a little humorous. By the thirtieth time the word had slipped from her lip, it had lost whatever power it held in the first place. He held that aggravation expression as Imelda snapped her head towards him, her expression hard with furry.

At that moment Hector did not see his wife; he saw a haughty princess. Her posture was impeccable, her dress perfectly smooth and her arms elegantly crossed.

But oh… he loved every little bit of his princess-even if she was being rather impossible at that moment.

Hector mimicked her and crossed his arms over his chest, quietly walking over the table. He sat across from her and for a long, infuriating moment nothing was said. They simply burrowed their hard eyes into each other, waiting for the other to finally break. The longer the stared the thicker the air became, threatening to engulf them both. It was only when Hector began to feel his lip twitch that he knew it was a lost a battle. He let out a loud huff of hair and sank into his chair.

"Imelda… mi Corazon I don't want to fight like this, and deep down I know you don't either. Will you please talk to me, por favor?" Imelda glared at him, unwilling to accept that her idiota of a husband was right. Deep down she knew that screeching at him was not going to solve the issue at hand, would not allow her soul to be at peace.

Especially if her cabron was going to leave, he should not leave with his last memory of her be of a uncrossed her arms and let them fall on the table in a most un-ladylike fashion. She held her hands together and stared at them, her hard expression turning even more lost by the second. Her dark eyes closed and she sucked in a deep, cool breath of air.

"I'm sorry Hector… I know how important this is to you, but I don't want you to leave." She stated, her voice eerily cold and calm. Though she refused to look at him, she could just barely see Hector nod in understanding as he leaned forward, resting his gangly arms on the table.

"Yo se mi amor, pero"

"No pero! You promised you would stop this nonsense with that awful man!" Imelda spat, her dejected turning furious once more as she mentioned her husband's partner, Ernesto de la Cruz.

"Ay dios mios! Imelda, how many times do I have to tell you Ernesto is not a bad man?"

Hector asked, his voice full of exhaustion. How long had he been forced to listen to how horrible he oldest and closest friend was? It broke his heart to see his wife so full of rage at the mention of Ernesto… and it was something he would never entirely understand. At that moment all he could do was watch her roll her eyes in aggravation and clench her fist together, burrowing her nails into her soft skin.

"Amor don't you see he is using you? He doesn't care for you-all he cares about is your music." Imelda claimed, her voice full of desperation-desperation for him to understand what everyone else saw but him.
Hector staid silent, his body perfectly still as he let his wife's angry words settle in his head. Those words sent all kinds of thoughts swirling in his head; first that she was wrong, and that Ernesto would never use him in such a disgusting manner. He was too decent of a person.

However, there was that one glaring little voice taunting him.

What if she's right?

Hector shook those thoughts out of his head and ran his hand through his mop of black hair. He would have fallen back into his thoughts and doubts, had it not been for the sound of quiet sniffling pulling him back to reality. He looked across the table with incredulity, thinking it must be all in his head. To his shock, it wasn't. There was Imelda, crumbling into herself as tears trickled down her beautiful face. The sight took Hector's breath away; his Imelda was many things, but she was not one to cry.

His instincts were swift and powerful. Hector immediately stood from his chair and went to his wife. He knelt before her and took her hands in his, kissing them both and placing them on his cheek.

"Oh, mi corizon." He breathed, leaning his face into her hand.

"I'm just worried about you Hector. I know the gigs and tours Ernesto has you do helps with money and allows you to do what you love, but it's not worth it. You are such a wonderful person mi amor, it pains me to see you used like this. It's not worth it mi Corazon." She whispered, moving her hand away from his face to stroke his soft hair. Hector held tightly to her free hand and rubbed it with his thumb.

"If it keeps a roof over my wife and child's head and keeps food in their stomachs it's worth it." Imelda's tears fell harder at those words. She shook her head and murmured,

"No. Leaving your family, that you claim to care so much about, to chase fame and few dollars with a man like de la Cruz is not worth it." She hissed, her eyes wide wild with incredulity and pain. Her head dropped, and her gaze stayed firmly on her purple dress. The look on her face was enough to break Hector, to make tears spill down his own long face. He did not break through. He reached up and took the hand on top of his head back, and held both of Imelda's hands tight. Though she refused to look aware but her lap, Hector somehow managed to look into her dejected, chocolate orbs.

"First of all, Ernesto cares about fame. I just want to become a better musician, that's all I want. But that's not what matters. I know how hard it is when I am gone for you and Coco. It's so hard to me to-but I promise I will come back." He stated, his voice soft and clear. He kissed every one of Imelda's thin fingers, then allowing them to brush against his face once more.

"I love mi musica, but you and Coco are everything to me. Please don't ever forget that." He pleaded, looking up at his wife with imploring eyes.
Imelda let his words play in his head repeatedly, letting his gentle voice fill her thoughts. She desperately wanted to be angry with him, desperately wanted to plead with him to stay. There a was voice, screaming deep inside to make him stay-she had to keep him home where he what she could he do? It was clear he had his mind made up, and that the moment there was no other way to properly take care of their little girl. Though every fiber of her being was screaming to fight-Imelda did the exact opposite. She slid on the cold floor and into Hector's arms. She let him pull her close to him, and she held him just as close in return. She sighed as Hector placed little kisses all over face and neck, murmuring sweet nothings in between each sweet kiss. Imelda simply sighed, relishing in the shower of love from her husband. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and kissed it, whispering one final plea;

"Just come home and never leave again." She could feel Hector nod in agreement-but only allowed herself to truly relax when he kissed her temple.
"Si mi Corazon. I will always come home."

If telling Imelda, he was leaving was a challenge, having to tell his little girl was pure torture. That entire night Hector found no peace. He tossed and turned, his thoughts racing a million miles a minute. He had no inkling how his little Coco would act. When she was a tiny baby he had been away performing far too frequently, but she was far too little remember those days. She was now three years old-an age where she would begin to remember and notice her Papa was gone.
The idea of leaving Imelda was hard enough… how could he leave his beautiful girl?

Hector sighed, staring at the ceiling, resigned that sleep would not come to him. He could see the beginnings of daylight beginning to pour in through the window. Little specks of golden light danced around the ceiling, tormenting Hector with each passing second. Daylight meant he had one more day with his family before he was dragged across the country. Daylight meant he needed to find the right words to tell his daughter he was going to be leaving.

Hector closed his eyes, unable to watch the room slowly grow lighter as the sun crept into the sky. He rolled on to his side and buried his face into Imelda's hair. She always wore it down when she slept, and God as his witness, she never looked more beautiful. A small smile slithered onto his face as he inhaled Imelda's sent. Hector inched close to her and sighed, praying Ernesto would have a change of heart and he could stay like this forever.

If only…

Suddenly Hector heard the door creak open, causing his eyes to shoot open. He could feel his heart begin to warm as the sound of little feet dashing across the floor filled the room.

"Well now's a better time than ever… I guess…" Hector thought as he sat up, ready to get up and snatch his daughter. Before he had a chance to swing his long legs over the bed, Coco lunged herself on the bed, letting out a loud "PAPA!" as she threw her arms around him.

Hector let out a hiss and turned his head over his shoulder. He held his breath as she watched his sleeping wife for any sign that she had been woken up. A low moan escaped her lips, and she tightened her grip on her pillow. Relief flooded through Hector when after a moment she staid perfectly still, her breathing even and slow.

Hector sighed and stood, holding Coco close to his chest.

"Mija you need to be quiet si? Mama needs her sleep-and so do little girls." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. Coco buried her face in the crook of his neck, her little face wet with tears. Her small body violently trembled, and her breathing was fast and heavy. Once again Hector's instincts took over. He held Coco tighter and rubbed little circles on her back. He peppered her head with sweet kisses, resting his head against hers. Her cries continued as they reached her little room, and her quaking refused to cease. Hector could feel his heart breaking into tiny pieces. If there anything the world he hated more than anything else- it was the sound of his little hija in pain.

"Oh mi hermosa Coco, ¿Cuál es el problema?" Hector whispered, sitting down on her little bed. He adjusted Coco's little body, almost cradling her like a little baby. She looked up at up with wide, tear-filled eyes, her lips quivering. It was all too much for Hector. He readjusted her so she was close to him, and slowly rocked back and forth.

"It's okay mija… Papa is here. Papa is here." Hector repeated as if it was his daily prayers. His voice began to crack the longer he repeated that phrase-it didn't seem to help. Nothing seemed to help.

There was only one thing that could calm her.

Hector took in a deep breath and felt his lips curl into a tiny smile as he felt the familiar tune and lyrics tickle his lips.

"Remember me.

Though I have to say goodbye

Remember me.

Don't let it make you cry.

For even though I'm far away I hold you in my heart.

I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart."

He paused, listening to her sobs being to die down. His smile grew bigger as her cries turned into little sniffles and her shaking began to cease. He kissed the top of her head and continued his song;

"Remember me.

Though I have to travel far.

Remember me

Each time you hear a sad guitar.

Know that I'm with you the only way I can be.

Remember Me."

As he held the last, soft note Hector's smile turned into a beam. Coco had ceased to tremble and sniffle altogether. Instead, she was peering up at him with puffy, scarlet eyes and an exhausted smile. He smiled down at her, his heart growing warmer and warmer by the moment. He peppered kisses all over her pretty face, all about bursting with adoration as he heard her giggle.

"Now, tell Papa what's going on." Coco's small smile disappeared, her face clouded with fear. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and began to speak.

"Bad dream Papa… I had bad dream."

"¡Ay no! A bad dream?!" Hector gasped, widening his eyes in horror. He knew if Imelda could see him, he would never hear the end of how overdramatic he was being. However, for whatever reason, it seemed to work. Coco nodded and tried to bury herself closer to her Papa, seemingly unaware of the fact she couldn't physically get any closer than she already was.

"Si Papa… bad dream." She repeated, staring up at him with her wide, weary eyes.

"Do you want to tell Papa about it?" Hector asked, smoothing her thick dark hair. Coco stayed silent, her demeanor suddenly turned solemn. Hector watched with great amusement as her little nose scrunched up, and her eyebrows furrowed together. It seemed every little gear was turning in her head, desperately trying to remember lord only knows what. She crossed her arms and let out a huff. Her serious expression began to melt into one of sadness, far too much sadness for such a little girl.

"Papa left… Papa left and no come home." She whispered, fiddling with her little hands. Hector felt his heart stop and climb into his throat. For a moment all he could do was sit silently and watch Coco fiddle with her hands, his heart slowly breaking into a million pieces. Was it possible she heard he and Imelda arguing? Had his absence when she was a baby had a far greater impact on her than he realized? No matter what the case was, Hector knew it was his fault his Coco was in such a state. Guilt settled heavily on his shoulders as Coco's lips began to tremble-the first sign a new round of tears was approaching.

"Scary Papa! It was scary." Coco cried, fresh tears pouring down her round face. Hector could feel his own eyes begin to sting, feel his own chest burn and his lips began to quiver. He quickly kissed Coco's head, hoping to hide his own tears.

"Yo se mi amor yo se, pero solo fue un sueño. You Will always have your Papa, no matter what happens." Hector said, rubbing her back and swaying side to side. Coco sniffled and gazed up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. Hector could have sown he felt his heart completely break at the sight.

"Oh mija…" He cooed, wiping away a few of her tears.

"Papa stay will Coco always?" Hector sighed in defeat. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. The mechanics inside his head began to churn, not only trying to find to right words to say but to justify his actions. The longer he held her, the more he heard her cries the larger his doubts grew.
How could he leave this? How could he leave his home, his hermonsa chicas? How could Ernesto ask him to do such a thing?

Hector kissed her cheeks and willed a large smile on his face. He pressed his head against her forehead and said,

"Si mi amor. I will always stay with you." He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, watching in delight as a tired smile crept on Coco's face. She suddenly went up to her knees and giggled, reaching out for Hector's face. Her petite hands were soft and warm on his cheeks. The familiar feeling made Hector's heart glow. He leaned into her gentle touch and held on to one of her little wrists, gazing in awe at the little miracle before him.

"Te amo Papa." She claimed her cheerful demeanor back in full force. Hector's eyes soften and beamed at his Coco.

"Te amo tambien mija." He replied, kissing her cheeks in between each word. Coco giggled in delight, gentle patting his cheeks. For lord knows how long, the two Rivera's were lost in their own world. Coco held on to her Papa's face and babbled about all the fun they were going to have-how she was going to learn to play guitar and write songs just like Papa. Hector glowed and listened to each word as if it was gospel-and for him it might as well as be. If his Coco wanted to learn to play the guitar and write music like her Papa, she was going to play guitar and write music.

"Do you think I'll be good like you?" She asked, her eyes bright with hope.

"Do you I think you'll be good?" Hector said, his lips turning into a smirk. Coco's eyes widen as he leaned forward. Hector let out a deep chuckle, placed his hands on her sides and gently placed her on the bed. He began tickling her stomach and kissing her cheeks.

"You will be amazing mija-the best in the world!" Coco roared with laughter the entire time. She pretended to squirm away whenever Hector pecked her cheeks or nose. Hector knew she relished in the love, and he was more than happy to give it to her.

"PAPA PAPA STOP!" Coco cried, gasping for air. Hector laughed and kissed her cheek one last time. He pulled her off the little bed and held her close. He closed his eyes and let out a content sigh, relishing in the warmth of her little body.

In that quiet moment, with the warm morning sun pouring into the room Hector's mind was suddenly clear. If Ernesto wanted to take him away from his family, he'd have to drag him kicking and screaming. He swore to God he would be with daughter and wife through every step of their lives until death tore them apart.

"My my, what are mis amores up to?" An all too familiar voice snickered. Hector turned his head towards the sound of the voice, where Imelda stood with a warm smile on her face. Coco's glowed at the sight of her Mama. She leaped off Hector's lap and dashed her room, holding her arms wide open as she ran. Imelda beamed as she knelt to scoop her daughter off the floor and into her arms. She kissed her cheeks and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

'Were you playing with Papa?"

"¡Si!"

"Was Papa being silly?"

"¡Si! I had bad dream that Papa left and no comeback, but Papa said he stays will Mama and Coco forever!" Coco explained, bouncing in her arms with felt his throat cease and his breath stopped at the sound of Coco's innocent words. Imelda looked over Coco's head with narrow eyes and lips pursed in a hard line. Her eyes burrowed deep into Hector, causing his blood to run ice cold. He swallowed hard and forced his lips into a small, lopsided smile. Imelda bit her lip, rolled her eyes and then smiled once more as she looked at Coco.

"Mija why don't you pick out a dress while Papa and I go talk for a few minutes, okay?" Coco gasped with delight, throwing her hands to her cheek and gazing at her mother in awe.

"Really?! I get to pick dress like a big girl?" She asked, unable to contain her elation. Imelda's smile became strained, immediately regretting her words. Hector threw his hand over his mouth, stuffing his rolling laugh back in his stomach. His efforts were in vain. Imelda could see his eyes twinkling, could see Hector bending over and holding his stomach with his free arm. She shot him a deadly glare and hissed. As usual, Hector seemed utterly oblivious to her irritation, too consumed by his effort not to laugh. The very sight of him made Imelda's blood boil, and without realizing her grip tightened around Coco and her nails began to dig into her soft skin.

"OWW! Mama!" Coco yipped, desperately wriggling her away out of her mother's iron grip. Imelda snapped out of her frustration, glanced at her daughter and loosened her hold. Her sweet smile returned as she stroked Coco's hair and kissed her cheek.

"Lo siento mijita. Si you can pick out your own dress, like a big girl."

"AAAAAYYYYI!" Coco screeched, clapping her little hands together and bouncing in her mother's arms. Imelda chuckled, leaning her head back at the sound of her daughter's sudden grito. She placed Coco on the floor and watched as she toddled towards her dresses. Her heart swelled as she listened to Coco chant "Big girl! Coco is a big girl!" over and over again. Though she tried to avoid even a glance at her husband, it was almost impossible not to see him out of the corner of her eye. It was impossible not to see that warm smile or the love radiating from his eyes as he watched their Coco.

The sight was all too much for Imelda. It filled her with so much love to see how much Hector adored Coco. As quickly as she was filled with love, she began consumed with anguish and furry.

He was leaving-he was leaving and he lied to Coco about it.

"You, ve a la coina ahora!" Imelda hissed, causing Hector to jump. He held his head as high as he could, avoiding his wife's aggravated expression. She threw her hands on her hips and followed him, her heart hammering the whole way.

"Imelda, mir amor" Hector said, his voice soft and slow. She stormed towards him, ripped off her shoe and smacked him across his face.

"OWWWW! Imelda!" Hector hissed, holding his stinging cheek. Imelda threw her shoe to the ground and stood as tall as she good, forcing him to look into her furry filled eyes.

"You are not only leaving us for lord knows how long-knowing full well how much it hurts me
and especially how much it hurts our daughter."

"Si lo se mi amor pero" Hector began, holding his hands up to show mercy. It was not enough for Imelda though, nowhere near enough.

"Then you have to audacity to lie to your daughter's face after she comes crying to you because she had a nightmare about her Papa leaving and never coming back and say you'll never leave her!" Imelda hissed, her blood boiling hotter and hotter with each passing second.

"Imelda I-" Hector stopped, his body running cold with terror as Imelda bent down to pick up her shoe again.

"I woke up not long after she came into the room-I heard that song you wrote for her and I saw you two just staring at each other. I thought, 'Wow, I am lucky. He may have his flaws but he loves that little girl so much I'm lucky I married someone like him' I almost forgot that you're leaving! It was just like a normal morning. And then you…"

"Imelda ple-"

"HUSH! You listen to me! I thought you were better than that Hector. You promised me you would tell Coco when she woke up and what did you do?! ¡Mentiste!"

"Imelda if you-" Hector spoke, his words slow and tinged with frustration.

"Do you have any idea how upset he is when you leave? I know you didn't think she would understand you were gone because she was a baby, but she knew and was always so sad and… and now you" Imelda spoke, her anger becoming so great her words were becoming mumbled. She tightened her grip on the shoe in her hand, raising it to deal Hector another blow to the face as she continued to ramble furiously

"Imelda I'm not leaving!" Hector exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air and letting them fall once more. Imelda froze, staring at him with wild eyes. The grip on her shoe loosened until it fell to the floor with a thud. She staid frozen, gawking at Hector as his words played through her head like a broken record.
He wasn't leaving… he wasn't leaving.

"You… you what?" She breathed, lowering her arm and standing straight. Hector slowly inched towards Imelda, as if he was approaching a wild animal. His lips curled into a small smile. Imelda felt her breath leave her at the sight of that carefree, loving smile. Her heart began to pound for an entirely different reason, making her face flush a light red.

"You hear me amor, I'm not leaving." He repeated, taking dainty hands in his. He stared into her beautiful dark pools, his smiling growing larger as his words began to settle and comprehension set in. Her mouth dropped, and she let out a gasp. She tightened her hands around his, gazing into his warm eyes.

"But, what about becoming a better musician and having the world hear your music? Ay… lo sentio mi Corazon I have been a horrible wife to you. I" before Imelda had a chance to continue her apology, Hector placed his finger on her lips, hushing her as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. Imelda shuddered, leaning into his kiss. She wrapped her arms around her Hector and held him close, burying her face in his chest to hide the flood of tears that were beginning to pour down her face. Hector closed his eyes and rested his head on top of hers, holding her as close as he could.

"No, don't apologize Imelda. You have every right to be angry at me. You have been so supportive of me and my music for so long, and for that, I will forever be grateful. But, as usual, you're right. I can't leave you or our Coco. This is where I need to be." He whispered, slowly swaying back and forth. He felt Imelda shake her head against his chest and heard her sniffle. She looked up at him, tears swimming in her eyes and trickling down her cheeks. The melancholy look on her face broke his heart all over again. She looked so much like Coco had moments ago; tired, confused and above all sad. He raised his hands and whipped away her warm tears. Just like he did with Coco earlier, Imelda reached up and wrapped her hand around his wrist.

"Hector…" Imelda whispered. Hector shook his head and let go of her damp face and held her close once more.

"Don't say a word mi amor. Ernesto is coming over in the afternoon to talk about the tour, and I'm going to tell him I'm not coming." Hector said, his smile growing wider as he spoke. Scenes of what their life could be. He saw himself and Imelda sitting side by side, making the best shoes they possibly could. He saw Coco running around and playing, singing his songs as she went about her merry way. He could see a little a little baby, his little mijo crawling around the floor until Imelda scooped him up in her arms and cuddled him to her chest. Sure he knew his mind was running wild, but it filled him with so much joy he felt he would burst.

As he and Imelda held each other and swayed, Hector vowed he would do his best to make his fantasy a reality.

He just had to talk to Ernesto.