girls | hope mikaelson

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Rowan wakes with a soft groan, a short breath escaping her when she tries to sit up and is stopped by a shooting pain in her abdomen. She tries to reach up, hoping the pressure of her palm will help soothe the pain but she's stopped by a heavy hand laying on top of hers. She forces her eyes open, her blue orbs meeting those belonging to Dean Winchester.

"Don't try to move," he instructs softly. "You're hurt pretty badly."

Rowan lifts her head, her eyes taking in all the medical equipment surrounding her. "Where'd we get all this from?" She croaks.

"Alaric got one of your friends to compel a doctor," Sam speaks from the other side of the room, the man having been staring out of her bedroom window. "You're lucky you have so many people that care about you."

The blonde moves to sit up again, grumbling under her breath when Dean coaxes her back down, his worried eyes studying her every move.

"I'm not gonna die if I sit up," she finally snaps. "I'll be fine."

"You weren't fine," Dean fires back, his voice firm. "You weren't okay, Rowan; and if you stopped for half a minute, you could look around and see just how close you were to not waking up!"

"Dean," Sam tries to calm his brother. "She's right, man. She's okay now, she just needs some recovery time." He sends a pointed look to the young girl as he speaks.

There's a soft knock on the door and Hope pokes her head in, her eyes filling with relief when she sees that Rowan's awake. Disregarding Dean's hesitant look, the Mikaelson barrels into the room and pulls Rowan into her arms with a newfound gentleness. "You're okay," she chokes out. "You're alive, you're okay, Ro."

The blonde slowly wraps her arms around her girlfriend, resting her head on the tribid's shoulder. Her eyes lift to meet Sam and Dean's and the younger Winchester nods with a knowing smile, inching out of the room. Dean's a little more reluctant, his eyes not straying from Rowan as Sam forces him out of the blonde's dorm.

"Hey," Rowan pulls back, cradling Hope's face between her palms. She frowns whenever she sees tears gathering in Hope's eyes, tapping the apple of the Mikaelson's cheeks with her thumbs. "What is it, baby?"

"Rowan, you--" The girl cuts herself off, ducking her head as she gets choked up. "You died, Ro."

The Night inhales sharply, shock filling her to her very core. "What?"

"Landon was able to get you out of the forest so we had enough time to save you, but your heart stopped, Rowan. You were laying there in his arms, so--so pale and lifeless and I--"

"We're okay, Hope," the girl says shakily. "I came back, yeah? Just like every other time."

Hope shakes her head, biting the inside of her cheek in an attempt to not stumble over her words. "That's the thing, Rowan. We don't know if your Guardian powers would've brought you back."

"I'm confused," the blonde admits. "What are you trying to say?"

"Dean told us, about Guardian's having a history of dying during sacrifices. But he-- he wouldn't let us wait to see if you'd wake up. He-- Rowan, he punched Dorian for getting in his way."

"Getting in his way of what?" Rowan breathes, her eyes wide.

"Of you," Hope tells her. "He just, he yanked you out of Landon's arms whenever you stopped breathing and he, um--" Her eyes gloss over and she breathes deeply, her chest trembling s she tries to keep it together. "He just collapsed onto the ground with you. Sam tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen, he just kept going."

"What did he do to me?"

"He saved your life, Rowan. He started doing chest compressions and throwing around orders to everyone, like he'd been prepared for the day it was gonna happen."

Rowan sinks back into her bed, lacing her fingers with Hope's whenever the Mikaelson girl lies down next to her. "I think, in a way, he has. He went through this with Cadence," she reminds her girlfriend. "Not the dying part, but, uh, having to be prepared for tragedy."

"He wouldn't let anyone near you," Hope says, her voice tight. "Not even Sam. He just, he kept you in his arms until it came time for the doctor to stitch you up; and even then, he stayed by your side until just now."

"Wow," she clears her throat. "I don't know what to say."

"How do you feel?" Hope wonders, brushing the blonde's hair back from her face.

"Fantastic," Rowan grins.

"Ro, seriously," Hope urges. "I know you're in pain physically, but what's going on in your head?"

"I don't know," Rowan says honestly. "I didn't even know I had died, Hope. I thought I was just asleep."

"You didn't see or hear anything?" Hope asks curiously.

"No," Rowan looks up at the ceiling, her face twisting up as she tries to think. "For a second, I felt really warm. Like, comfortable. Sort of like being bundled up in front of a fireplace on a really cold day."

Hope pauses, her voice sounding small as she asks her next question. "Did you want to stay there?"

"I don't," Rowan meets the eyes of her girlfriend. "Knowing that it wouldn't have you or Lizzie, or even Harry and Landon, I wouldn't have wanted to stay."

"Speaking of," Hope smiles softly. "They all wanna see you."

"Harry's here?" Rowan raises her eyebrows.

"No, he couldn't get a flight in from London--"

"So, they're in London now, huh?"

"But," Hope payfully scolds her girlfriend for cutting her off. "He's been non-stop calling for you."

Rowan smiles weakly, not responding.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Hope asks. "You don't look happy to hear that they're all waiting for you."

"Hope, I--" Her eyes get a panicked glint in them. "You know, I could always feel everyone at the shcool. Even if I wasn't connected to any of them, I could feel them; I could feel that I'd do anything to help them if they were in trouble."

"Ro, where are you going with this?"

"I could always feel you, and Lizzie; and Landon. Even Harry if I really missed him."

"Rowan, you're scaring me," Hope gets louder, grasping her girlfriends hand.

"Hope," Rowan finally looks at the Mikaelson, shaking her head with pursed lips. "I can't feel anyone. Not a single one of you."

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A/N: two updates? oh my god it's a miracle. thank you for being here. until next time, 🌸