DISC: I DO NOT own any of the characters from Elena of Avalor. They belong to Craig Gerber. I do however own anyone you don't recognize as well as the idea for this story.
Enjoy!
"The Long Hall"
Chapter 4
Naomi rolled over as her eyes opened. Glancing around, she realized it was dark out. Not seeing Elena there, she figured her girlfriend had gone home. She had a fuzzy memory of Elena waking her up, telling her she was leaving and she loved her and kissing her on the lips before leaving. As Naomi tried to get comfortable, her bedroom door opened.
"Naomi?" a male voice softly said.
"Huh?" Naomi responded as she fully awoke.
"I just came into check on you," her father sat down next to her on the bed. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead. Sighing with relief when she felt cool, he straightened back up. "Are you thirsty, sweetheart?"
"A little," Naomi replied.
Daniel reached over and grabbed the thermos of juice Elena had left. Helping his daughter to sit up, he opened it for her.
Naomi drank greedily, but tried to keep Elena's warning in mind from earlier. Once she had her fill, she laid back down.
"Thanks, Dad," she tried to get comfortable, which was hard due to her stomach pain.
"You don't have to thank me, sweetie. I love you," he kissed her on the cheek.
"I love you too. Aah…I don't know what dug into me," she growled in frustration as more pain came.
"You probably just have a twenty-four hour bug," her father assured her. "Do you think something you ate this afternoon didn't agree with you?"
Naomi shook her head.
"It's impossible. Luisa's tamale's are out of this world and always fresh," she declared.
"Okay. I'm gonna stay until you fall back to sleep," her father decided.
"Uh-huh," Naomi's eyes closed as sleep found her again.
***
Much later that night, Naomi bolted up in bed, swallowing hard in the process. The pain in her stomach was still there, but it wasn't as bad. Swallowing again, she jumped out of bed. Running out of her room, she made it to their bathroom just in time. As she lost the contents of her stomach, the door to the bathroom opened.
"Naomi? Oh sweetheart, it's okay…" her father wrapped an arm around her, steadying her as she vomited again.
"I…I think you're right…" Naomi panted just before heaving again, "something I ate didn't agree with me."
Daniel's heart was breaking for his daughter. She didn't get sick often, but it broke his heart every time it happened. He hated seeing her like this.
"Maybe it was the pasta…pasta salad we got from the…" her sentence was interrupted by more nausea.
"I'm sorry you're sick, sweetie," her father rested a hand on her shoulder. "Do you feel okay to move?"
"Yeah," Naomi caught her breath as she spoke.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yeah," Naomi relaxed as her father lifted her into his arms. He hadn't carried her in ages. As she felt him lie her down, she tried to get comfortable.
"I love you, Naomi. Sweet dreams," her father planted a kiss on her cheek. Sitting next to her, he watched her fall back to sleep. He just prayed she felt better soon. He almost decided to cancel his upcoming trip, but then forced himself to reconsider. He knew Naomi wouldn't go for it. He also remembered the deal they had made. So far, Naomi's fever hadn't come back. As much as he hated leaving her when she was sick, he knew his daughter was right. They needed the money and he had promised a friend he would cover for them. Even though Daniel knew Naomi would be well taken care of by Elena and her grandparents, he couldn't help thinking he should be the one to do it. He had taken care of her ever since she was born whenever she had gotten sick. As this reminder crossed his mind, another one followed. Naomi was growing up. She still needed him, but he had to trust other people to take care of her when he couldn't. Most of all, he needed to trust Naomi. She could handle herself just fine in most situations. He knew if she really needed him, she would ask and he would be there in a second. He also knew Elena well enough to know she would keep her promise. If anything happened, she would let him know so he could be there for his little girl. With that comforting reminder in his head, Daniel stayed with Naomi until he was sure she was resting as comfortably as possible. Making sure she was warm, he kissed her forehead, straightened up and left her room. He had to be up early tomorrow after all.
****
Naomi's azure eyes opened to bright sunlight streaming into her bedroom window the next morning. She remembered her father checking on her a little earlier. After checking her for a fever and discovering she was cool, he went to get ready for his trip to Carisa. Before leaving her room, he had woken her up and asked her if she was sure she didn't want him to cancel, to which Naomi had adamantly said she would be fine. After exchanging hugs and a kiss, Naomi laid back down and was asleep soon afterwards.
Stretching, she sat up. Groaning the minute she was upright, she almost laid back down. The only thing that stopped her was remembering where she had to be in an hour. Smiling despite her persistent stomach pain and fatigue, the thought of seeing Elena brightened her mood instantly. Sometimes Naomi had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She was truly blessed. She had fantastic friends in Mateo and Gabe. Even in Isabel, despite their age difference. And she had the most amazing girlfriend in the world! Getting dressed, Naomi brushed her hair and teeth. As she spit out the toothpaste, she winced when pain shot around her stomach. Frowning, she figured she would feel better after eating. Remembering what had happened the night before, Naomi decided to play it safe and just have toast.
Heading downstairs, she made herself some toast with a little jelly on it. Once it was made, she sat on the front porch, hoping the fresh air would do her well. Stepping outside, she shivered. Going back inside, she threw on a light purple jacket before returning to the front porch. The seven-teen-year-old sat on a chair. Glancing around, she saw their boat was gone. Finishing the toast, she threw away the trash.
Leaving the house, she got to the docks pretty quickly. Ten minutes later, she Boarded the boat that would take her to the docks where she was meeting Gabe. Glancing out at the expanse of cyan water all around her, the teen suddenly swallowed hard. 'Weird," she thought to herself. She had never gotten sea sick before. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to relax. Twenty-minutes later, she disembarked. Spotting Gabe, she waved to him.
"Hey!" she greeted, climbing into the carriage.
"Hey yourself," he grinned. Frowning upon seeing her tired expression, he asked, "Are you still not feeling well? You don't look so good."
Naomi nodded.
"I woke up feeling exhausted for some reason. I ate, so hopefully that'll help."
Gabe nodded. As he directed the carriage towards the castle, he had his doubts. Arriving at their destination, he helped Naomi down.
"Thanks," she said. She made to follow her friend when dizziness suddenly stole over her. Putting a hand to her forehead, she stopped.
Turning back, Gabe's frown deepened. Putting an arm around the blonde, he guided her inside. Leading her over to a chair, he turned towards the hallway that lead to the grand council chambers.
"I'll be right back."
"Whe…where are you going?" Naomi questioned.
"To get Elena," with that, Gabe was gone.
Naomi sighed as the dizziness passed. Straightening up, she winced as more pain stabbed at her stomach. It wasn't long before Elena joined her. Her girlfriend looked worried as she approached.
"Hey," Naomi greeted. She was sincerely happy to see her.
Elena didn't miss a beat.
"Que estas mal? Gabe said you were pretty quiet on the ride over. You still look horrible," she sat next to Naomi as she spoke. Wrapping her arm around her, she pulled her girlfriend in for a hug. Kissing her cheek, she frowned when she felt heat. "You feel really warm. Did your fever come back last night?"
Naomi shook her head.
"My Dad checked me this morning and I felt cool. He left for Carisa," she informed her. "I woke up still tired, like I could sleep for a week. My stomach's still hurting. I threw up a few times last night."
Elena nodded.
"I'm canceling this morning's meeting," she decided.
"Elena, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine. We're just talking about how to handle King Vacious's attempt to capture Isabel. You tasked Esteban with coming up with a plan. He loves to dominate the meetings. I'll hardly have to say anything," she smirked despite how badly she was feeling.
The corners of Elena's lips twitched slightly upward at Naomi's comment. Frowning when her girlfriend winced in pain, she sighed.
"Fine. But promise me you'll say something if you start feeling worse," she locked eyes with the love of her life.
"I promise," Naomi nodded.
"Okay," with that, Elena helped Naomi to stand. She frowned when her girlfriend winced again. Entering the room, she helped Naomi get comfortable in a chair before taking her usual seat. Resting a hand on Naomi's right shoulder, Elena addressed the rest of her council. The meeting was about to begin. Little did Elena know how short it would be…
