Willow stared at the floor as Clay finished picking the mirror shards from her hand. Ablaze and John Dory had left to clean the broken mirror from her bathroom and sweep the shards of glass off the floor. Clay gave his little sister a gentle smile as he started wrapping her hand, faltering slightly when she didn't return it. He sighed and patted her shoulder after he finished with the bandage. "How's that feel? Not too tight?"

Willow flinched at Clay's voice before looking at her hand. She moved her fingers before letting her hand drop. "It's fine. Thanks, Clay."

"No problem," Clay smiled and sat down beside her. "I'm happy to help." He furrowed his brows. "But what happened? Why did you punch your mirror?" His concern was evident, but so was his frustration. You just had to get hurt, didn't you? Willow teared up and shook her head. You can't do anything right.

Trickee frowned at Clay and pulled Willow into her lap. "Dude! Don't ask that. We're supposed to keep her calm until everyone gets back." Bruce and Boom were fixing her something to eat while Hype and Floyd went to get Lownote. The group had all agreed Willow was in no condition to go to Vibe Town, so they were bringing the appointment to her, all deeply concerned about her well-being.

Clay grimaced. "Right." He looked at his little sister who was curled up in Trickee's lap. "Sorry, sis." His heart ached at the sight of Willow's distress. He wished he could take away her pain. Willow said nothing and rested her head against Trickee's chest, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

"Alright!" Bruce called as he and Boom left the kitchen. "You ready for some food?" He grinned. "We made egg sandwiches." He faltered at the sight in front of him. "What happened? We were only in the kitchen for twenty minutes."

"Don't worry about it," Boom grabbed the plate of sandwiches and walked to Willow. "Hey, Shorty." He crouched in front of Trickee to get to Willow's eye level. "You gotta eat something. You want to do it yourself, or do you want me or Trickster to help you?" He raised an eyebrow at Willow's groan of discomfort. "Those are your only options. You haven't eaten yet today, and you need to eat. What'll it be?"

Willow frowned and patted Trickee before pushing away from him. There was no way she would embarrass herself further by being fed in front of her brothers. With a determined look, she sat between Trickee and Clay and grabbed one of the sandwiches. "That's more like it," Boom grinned and got up. "Eat up."

"Mirror's cleaned up," John Dory said as he and Ablaze walked out of Willow's room, trash bag in hand. He grinned, satisfied with the work. "You wouldn't even be able to tell something happened."

"Looks like you got Willow something to eat," Ablaze grinned, relieved. "Good." He gently ran his hand through Willow's hair, grimacing. "What do you say we wash your hair when you get done eating?"

Willow nodded after a bite of her sandwich. "Yeah, that sounds good." She tentatively smiled at him and John Dory. "Thank you for taking care of my mirror."

"Any time, baby sister," John Dory's grin became more forced as Willow flinched.

The brothers silently conversed with Kismet while Willow ate. When Floyd and Hype returned to the bunker, Hype ruffled Willow's hair and leaned against the wall while Floyd sat by Bruce and John. "Lownote said he'll be here in a few hours," Floyd said, noting the twitch in Willow's face as he spoke. Her hands tightened around her sandwich. He frowned, concerned. Was it something he said?

Clay's concern was palpable, evident in his furrowed brow and crossed arms. "Okay, are we going to talk about that? Why is she flinching and twitching anytime one of us speaks? And it's just us." He gestured to him and his brothers, his worry deeply felt. They were all deeply concerned about Willow's well-being.

Willow frowned and put down her sandwich, no longer hungry. She had already eaten one, so her brothers wouldn't push her to eat the second one. Trickee nudged her softly. "You mentioned voices," he muttered in her ear. "Am I correct in assuming those voices sound a lot like your brothers?"

Willow sighed and leaned into Trickee. "I can't tell the difference between the voices and my actual brothers anymore," she admitted as Trickee wrapped an arm around her.

"Have you been hearing voices?" Floyd asked, concerned. He moved to sit on the coffee table in front of Willow, and her sandwich moved to the side to make room. "How long has that been happening?"

"More importantly, what have those voices been saying to make you react like this?" Bruce frowned. He sighed when Willow shook her head. "Come on, sis. We can't help if you don't talk to us."

"You'll leave if I tell you, though," Willow muttered, curling into Trickee's side.

"We're not going to leave, Willow," Floyd reassured, placing a hand on his little sister's knee. "We're your family, and we're going to be sticking around for you and Branch." His words were filled with warmth and reassurance.

Willow shook her head. "How can I guarantee that? You all left Branch when your concert went wrong. What's to stop you from leaving if I can't even be a proper Troll?" She closed her eyes as tears began to fall. "I still can't sing or dance properly, and I can't walk very far. Floyd can do that again, so why would you stick around for someone who can't?"

Clay frowned and placed a hand on Willow's shoulder. "Little sister, you are a proper Troll. It doesn't matter if you can't sing or dance. And we're not going to leave you because of that."

"We're not leaving you, period," Bruce added, crossing his arms. "I may have to go back home eventually, and the same with Clay, but we'll always be around."

"Is this what you've been hearing?" John Dory demanded. He frowned when she looked up at him with tear-stained eyes. "You have to know we'd never leave you guys again. We've been away from you for too long already. We are not letting you and Branch out of our lives again." He furrowed his brows. "When did you start hearing voices, anyway?"

Instead of answering, Willow turned her head to Floyd. "When we were rescued, did you ever have nightmares about our time captured?"

Floyd looked at his little sister, startled at the subject change. "Sure," he admitted. "For the first couple weeks, I had difficulty sleeping." He chuckled sheepishly. "The only reason I got any sleep was knowing Branch and the others were around. Branch spent a lot of time checking up on me and assuring me we were safe." He frowned. "Have you been having nightmares?"

Willow nodded. "It didn't start until after Barb and Trollex left. It was like they kept the nightmares away when they were here." She turned away from her brothers. "I haven't been able to sleep lately."

Clay nodded thoughtfully. "Lack of sleep could lead to auditory and visual hallucinations." He frowned, concerned. "Why didn't you tell us you were having nightmares? We could have helped you."

Willow shrugged and hugged her shoulders. "I didn't want to bother you. I was sure you would all leave if I told you something else was wrong."

"Well, now you know we're not going to leave," John Dory encouraged his youngest sibling. Why don't you tell us what you were dreaming of?" At her unconvinced look, he shrugged off his vest and placed it around her shoulders. He smiled at her confused look. "You're still convinced I'm going to run away, right? Well, I don't go anywhere without this jacket. Hold onto it for me, alright?"

Boom laughed as Willow pulled the vest tightly to her and nodded. "I hope you know you're never getting that back."

John nodded. "That's alright. I was planning on moving here anyway." He grinned. "Already talked it out with Hickory. We're deciding between living down here with Willow, Branch, and Floyd, moving into a pod, or living in Rhonda."

"You're really planning on staying?" Willow asked, her eyes widening with hope. "You're not just saying that?"

Floyd nodded. "We're really staying," he assured with a gentle smile. "Now, why don't you tell us about your dreams?"

Willow frowned thoughtfully before glaring at John Dory. "You're still not getting this back." John Dory smiled and nodded. She sighed and curled up into Trickee as she told her brothers about her nightmares. It started simply: Willow was still trapped in her diamond prison, Velvet tossing her around like a baseball. But it constantly bled into the rest of her brothers being captured, too. Floyd always asked why she couldn't get them out, and the others blamed her for getting trapped. And then, one by one, they crystalized in front of her. Branch was always the first to go, and John Dory was always the last, with him letting her know the whole thing was her fault.

If it wasn't that, her dreams were about her inability to move or do anything alone. She couldn't walk or sing, and she forgot about dancing. It never helped that her brothers were always there to make sure she didn't do anything, to make sure she knew just how incapable she was. While it wasn't as scary as the other, it never failed to wake her up.

Willow's brothers listened without interrupting her, though they were saddened to know they were a part of what kept her up at night. When she stopped talking, Clay put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry we've been making you feel like that. As bad as you've felt, we should have never treated you like you were incapable."

"Yeah," Bruce winced, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "That probably didn't help much with the healing process." He sighed. "I'm sorry too, little sis. We'll do better."

Willow smiled at her big brother. "Thanks." She frowned and looked back to the floor. "But what if the dreams are right? What if I never get back to full strength? I'll never leave the bunker on my own again!"

Floyd placed a hand on his sister's knee and another on her chin to make her look at him. "Hey," he said with a gentle smile. "Lownote is going to be here in a couple of hours. He'll be able to tell us how your recovery is and what we can do to help. You will get your strength back. We just have to be a little more patient."

"Being patient has never been one of my strong suits," Willow admitted sheepishly. She sighed. "I guess I'll have to figure it out then."

"Until then," John Dory smiled at his little sister. "What do you say we get that hair washed?"

Willow grimaced and grabbed some of her hair. It was up, like most Trolls, but it felt grimy. "Yeah, I would appreciate some help getting my hair washed." She looked up at John Dory, hopeful. "And maybe get my hair braided again?" Since she had been home, her hair had been out of her usual braids to let her hair heal. And while it wasn't as strong as it needed to be, she felt wrong without her braids.

John Dory hissed and looked at the brothers, who shook their heads. That was not a good idea. "I don't know, sis. Maybe we should wait on your braids until Lownote can get a better look at your hair." At Willow's disappointed face, he continued. "Maybe we can style it a different way," he suggested. "Something that keeps your hair standing like a Troll's hair is naturally designed to do."

Willow looked doubtful. "Like what?"

Bruce smiled. "Leave that to me." He looked at the group in the living room. "I'm probably the most experienced with hair," he gestured to the amount of hair he had. "And we should probably limit how many are in the kitchen while we wash her hair. I'd suggest only one other person come with us."

The Kismet group looked at each other. "It should be one of you guys," Trickee said, looking at the rest of BroZone with a grin. "Think of it like 'family bonding.'"

"Clay, you and John Dory decide which of you should go help Bruce," Floyd stood up. "I'm going to get Willow's crutches. Of all of us, you two need to get to know our little sister the most." He gestured to him and Bruce. "Bruce and I know her best out of the four of us."

Clay frowned and looked at John Dory as Floyd walked to Willow's room. "How are we going to decide that?" It wasn't like they had spent much time with Willow, and they both wanted to get to know their little sister more.

"We could let Willow decide," John Dory suggested. He looked at his little sister. "It's your hair, little sis. You should have a say about who's in the room with you when it's getting washed."

Willow looked between the two brothers, uncertain, before glancing at the vest she was wearing. "Clay is supposed to be leaving soon, right? He's going back to the Putt Putt Trolls." Clay had talked to her about moving back to the Putt Putts. They had discussed him being their ambassador once their home became a more established Tribe. She looked back to her brothers. "I will have plenty of time to get to know you, Dory. Especially if you're moving to TrollsTopia with Hickory." She smiled at Clay. "I'd like it if Clay came and helped out."

Clay and John Dory gave their little sister an understanding smile. "I'd be happy to help you out," Clay said. "Floyd's getting your crutches, so am I correct in assuming you want to walk on your own?"

Willow nodded. "Then it's a good thing I found your crutches," Floyd smiled as he handed his little sister her crutches. Willow smiled in thanks, grabbed her crutches, and followed Clay and Bruce into the kitchen.

Bruce and Clay spent a good hour washing Willow's hair. They gently lathered her hair with shampoo, rinsed it, and added conditioner. Willow had to admit that getting pampered by her brothers was nice. She wasn't used to getting that kind of treatment from anyone but Branch. And that only happened when one of them was sick.

When they were done washing her hair, Clay set her up at the kitchen table while Bruce grabbed one of his hair dryers and combs. "So you really want braids?" Bruce asked, grimacing. When Willow nodded, he sighed. "I know you're a fan of having your hair down, but if you're okay with it, I can do something to keep it up." He smiled. "That way, your hair can heal, and it'll still look really nice."

Willow sighed. "Alright." She gestured to him in acceptance. "Do what you think you need to."

Bruce's smile widened. "Thanks for the trust, little sis." Letting someone do your hair was one of the biggest shows of trust a Troll could give another. Their hair was everything for them, and it meant so much to be trusted to do whatever with it. "I won't let you down." He gestured for Clay to join him. "How good are you with braids?" He whispered, looking over to Willow. "I know Viva used to braid your hair a lot." He gestured to his brother's wild hair.

Clay smiled at his older brother. "Who do you think braided Viva's hair all the time?" The duo worked together to put loose braids in her hair. Because they weren't forcing her hair to go down like Willow was used to with her hair, it stayed standing like other Trolls. When they finished, Clay handed her a mirror and asked her what she thought. Willow smiled at the braids. "They're not what I'm used to," She admitted, turning her head. "But they look nice." She lowered the mirror and looked at her brothers. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Bruce grinned, wrapping an arm around his younger brother. He motioned to the living room. "Why don't we go to the living room and wait for Lownote?"

Willow nodded and grabbed her crutches before joining the rest of her brothers. She sat on the couch beside Trickee and John Dory, who had taken Clay's place when he walked into the kitchen. As the brothers talked, she yawned and leaned against John Dory, closing her eyes. John looked down as Willow rested her head against his chest and smiled.

Clay looked at her as she drifted to sleep. "Good, she's finally getting some rest," he muttered, relieved. John nodded and wrapped his arm around his little sister, ensuring she wouldn't fall.

"We'll have to wake her up when Lownote gets here," Bruce pointed out, concerned.

"Yeah," Boom nodded, crossing his arms. He smiled at the sight of their sleeping sister. "But she deserves to sleep for a little while longer. Poor thing's exhausted. I'm surprised she's stayed up this long." The others nodded in agreement and continued their previous conversation, content to let the youngest nap.

When Lownote entered the bunker, the brothers woke Willow up and she and Lownote went to her room for privacy for her appointment. "So talk to me, baby," Lownote smiled as he set up his equipment. "Your brothers mentioned you were having trouble sleeping." He looked at her. "And I noticed you've been using those crutches. Your legs giving you trouble?"

Willow shrugged. "Nightmares have been keeping me up. Clay seems to think it's causing me to hallucinate. As for my legs," she gestured to her legs. "They're always giving me trouble. I can't walk very far without some assistance."

Lownote nodded thoughtfully and started up his machines. "And your memory is improving, right?" He smiled when Willow nodded. "That's Good to hear." He gestured to the machines. Now sit still so the machines can do their job." Willow nodded and sat still so the machines could scan her.

When the machines were done, Lownote pulled out the readings and stared at them. He smiled and looked at the Pop ambassador. "Good news. Your concussion is healed, and so are your ribs. I want to keep an eye on your memory for a little longer, but I think you'll make a full recovery." Willow smiled at the news. "I know you're gray right now, but I see the roots of your hair are black instead of white. That usually means there was some color in your hair beforehand, right?" He grinned at her confirmation. "That means your essence is finally building up like it needs to. Have you tried anything musical lately?"

Willow shook her head. "Other than counting beats when the others sing, no." She looked confused. "I thought it would be months before I could start singing."

Lownote nodded. "It'll still be a while before you can start singing and dancing like you used to, but I think you should be able to handle little bits of music right now." He gave her an encouraging grin. "Give it a shot, baby."

Willow nodded and took a deep breath. "Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

Oh, it feels so good to be alive." She smiled, her colors brightening considerably. "I'm okay? I'm gonna be alright, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are, baby," Lownote grinned. "You're gonna be alright." He gestured to her bedroom door. "I've got some things I need to tell you and your brothers together. You wanna tell them the good news, too?"

"Not yet," Willow shook her head. "I want to surprise them later if that's alright."

Lownote shrugged. "It's your news. You tell them when you feel like it." They left Willow's bedroom and went to the living room, where her brothers were waiting.

Floyd was the first to notice when they got to the living room. He jumped up and smiled. "How'd it go?" His smile quickly turned to a frown of concern. "You're crying. What happened?"

Surprised, Willow wiped her eyes to find she had been crying. She smiled at her brother. "They're happy tears, Floyd. I'm alright."

Floyd sighed in relief, leading her to the seat between John Dory and Trickee. "That's good. I was worried for a minute there."

"So what's the story, doc?' John Dory looked at Lownote. "She gonna be okay?"

Lownote nodded. "She's gonna be alright." He walked over to the couch and looked at the group. "Before y'all start celebrating, there are a few issues. Her legs are getting weaker, not stronger. And part of that is because of these crutches." He took the crutches from where they rested by Willow. "Crutches are great if there's a broken bone or you have to stay off your legs for them to heal, but they won't do anything to help strengthen those muscles. I'd suggest switching to a walker and a cane. That way, you can work on building your leg muscles."

Lownote raised an eyebrow at Willow. "You'll get tired more often, but it'll be worth it. Just take more frequent breaks so you don't overexert yourself." He handed her a list of stretches. "Doing these will help too." Willow nodded and handed Trickee the paper when he held his hand out. She didn't want to look at them yet.

"And her sleeping problems?" Clay asked, concerned. "She said nightmares keep her up at night, and she can't sleep."

Lownote nodded. "Yeah, she mentioned that," he sighed. "Unfortunately, there's not much I can do about nightmares. Aside from suggesting you find a therapist so she can work through the causes of her nightmares."

Floyd smiled and looked at his sister. "Until we can do that, you can come to us anytime you wake up from a nightmare. We'll happily help you through whatever your dreams make you feel."

Lownote grinned as the brothers nodded in agreement. "Then I'll be taking my leave." He headed towards the elevator. "I'll get a walker and cane and make sure Branch brings them home."

Willow smiled at Lownote. "Thank you, Lownote. You've been a big help."

"Anytime, baby," Lownote chuckled. "Just remember, you need to use your legs for them to get stronger." He looked at her sternly as he got on the elevator. "If I catch you using those crutches, they're going into a lava pit at Rock Hollow." He grinned and pulled the lever. "Later!"

Willow looked at her brothers. "So what's the plan now?" She gestured to the crutches Lownote set against the far wall. "Since Lownote banned me from using my crutches, I'm pretty much stuck here until Branch comes back with a walker or cane."

Bruce shrugged. "The guys and I were talking about what will happen when I have to go back home." He smiled sheepishly. "I've been away from my kids for longer than we planned. I've talked to Brandy about it, and she understands, but thirteen kids and a restaurant are a lot for one person."

"I see," Willow nodded, a little disappointed. "So you'll be leaving soon then?"

"Yeah," Bruce nodded. "But we were talking, and we think it'd be a good idea if you all came to Vacay Island with me." He gestured to his brothers. "These guys already volunteered to help in the restaurant since Brandy will be leaving for a month-long yoga retreat. And Vacay Island is all about relaxation and healing." He smiled at Willow. "It could do you some good to rest and heal on the beach. What do you say?"

"Well," Willow looked down in thought. "I would like to see the kids again." She smiled. "Especially since I just learned I'm their aunt. Alright," she crossed her arms. "I would love to go to Vacay Island with you guys." She smiled sheepishly. "Even if I won't be able to help much."

"You just worry about healing and getting stronger, little sister," John Dory wrapped an arm around Willow's shoulders.

Bruce nodded in agreement. "And hey, if you can help entertain the kids, you'll be helping a lot." He grinned. "I bet they'll be excited to help their aunt with her exercises." He chuckled when Willow tried to stifle a yawn. "In the meantime, why don't you get some more sleep? You've got a lot of sleep to catch up on."

"Yeah," John Dory pulled her close so she was resting against him. "We got you, little sis. We'll keep you safe from any nightmares."

Willow nodded and leaned against her brother. "Alright," she yawned and stretched out, her legs resting on Trickee's lap. "Some sleep sounds good right now."

When Branch got home with Willow's cane and walker, his brothers and bandmates were talking in the living room. "Hey guys," he grinned. "Thanks for suggesting I go out. It was nice. Poppy says 'hi,' by the way." He paused at the sight before him. John Dory was shirtless, and Willow was sound asleep with their oldest brother's vest wrapped around him. "Did I miss something?"

You missed a fair amount, Branch. And no, John Dory's not getting his vest back. He's gonna have to figure something else out if he wants to wear a shirt. I have one more chapter for this story, everyone! And then I have one more version of Band Together I want to do if anyone's interested. It'll be a story about what would happen if Branch was the one captured instead of Willow. I'm so excited to start it. Thanks for reading, everyone!