DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).

LISTEN TO NOT ABOUT ANGELS BY BIRDY IF YOU WANT THE FEELS TO HIT YOU HARDER

Chapter 8
The Stars Will Catch You

I cradled her IV wrapped hand. It was near impossible to find a part of her hand that wasn't taped but I managed to hold her fist and stroke her little fingers as she slowly awoken from her drugged state.

"Hey Bug," I whisper, rubbing my hand over her hair and moving my head close to hers. She moans in discomfort but I shush her. "Shh, it's okay. You don't need to speak. It's just mommy, you're okay." I promise her, kissing her little ear and rubbing my thumb over the crown of her head.

"Hurts." She mumbles unintelligibly. I press the nurse call button and continue to soothe my daughter.

"Hello Willow, I'm glad to see you're awake." Nurse Paula chimmed, entering the room with some medicine prepared.

"She said it hurts." I say, we both sympathetically look to her.

"Well what hurts dear?" Paula asks, going to her open side and watching Willow's eyes.

"Tummy." Willow managed to croak out, her tears starting fall as she chewed her bottom lip.

"Here, drink this medicine and the pain should go away." Paula offered, I help Willow sit up despite her painful groans and cries.

"Thank you." I say, taking the small cup and placing it on Willow's lips. I tilt the contents into her mouth and she disgruntledly swallows, licking at her bright pink tinged lips.

"Good girl, call me if she needs anything else."

"Thanks." I say, easing Willow back down and readjusting her knit blanket over her shoulders. "Hey Baby, I missed you." I say, sitting close to her bed again and resting my head next to her's. "But I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is just a little pothole in our road of happiness, right?" She nods and rubs her eyes lightly with her wire free fist.

"Carry me, please." She says, her voice whimpering near the end. I don't hesitate to rise from the seat and scope her into my arms. Holding her like she was a small infant, I begin to walk around the bed, back and forth while bouncing slightly. The IV and heart monitor gave us only so much freedom but I embraced my daughter and managed to soothe away her pained whimpers until she was finally asleep again.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket just as I loop around the bed again and finally rest back in my chair, nuzzling Willow close to me as I answer my phone.

"Hello?" I say into the receiver, forgetting to look at the caller ID.

"Elena, hey how is she?" Caroline's voice chirps, another voice asking for news in the background.

"Fine, she woke up a little while ago but fell asleep again." I say in a whisper, laughing when Bonnie demands for Jeremy to shut up.

"Can we come see our girl?" Bonnie asks.

"Yeah, why don't you all drop by tomorrow? She can't have visitors in her first 24 hours after the surgery but if all looks good you guys can see her tomorrow."

"Great, give her kisses from all of us. We love you guys."

"Love you too." I say, hanging up my cell and placing it on the nightstand. I continue to rock Willow and stroke her forehead that has decreased in its feverish temperature.

"I remember the first time I ever rocked you like this." I whisper to her, admiring her three-year-old stature meant for a four-year-old girl. "You hardly had any hair for me to stroke but I still rubbed your little head and just sat all through the night watching you. And you watched me back. For hours we held each other's eyes and I kept telling you to be ambitious. To shoot for the moon because even if you fall short a star will be there to catch you. Dreams are for those brave enough to think of them, and wishes are for those daring enough to ask for them. You are the bravest, most daring girl I've ever met. Dreaming of the craziest inventions, and wishing for a countless amount of things that you know are near impossible to get. But you still push for them, because I think you remembered our first conversation about being ambitious. I think you always knew about your stars that will catch you and launch you to different moons. I'm one of your stars Will, I'll always launch you and catch you again but for now I'm going to hold you and make sure that you can reach your dreams while being healthy. I love you." I whisper, nuzzling my nose into her hair and slowly drifting into a much-needed sleep.

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-Valentina