#starternah

Years... it had been years since he had last been in the presence of a child; specially an unattended child. Well, she wasn't exactly unattended, but Elijah was currently the only other person in this room. Asleep, he could hear her breathing without much effort on his end as she continued to sleep profoundly. So much alike Rebekah at that age, he was taken back to different times - centuries ago, when he was human and the first female Mikaelson had been born. How he had doted on her... they all had. A girl... Elijah could still remember the shock on his father's face before a rare smile touched his lips. Most had fought for turns, to hold her, to put her to rest. Esther had to intervine more than once and keep order. Ella was exactly as Rebekah had once been and he already struggled to part from her, terrified that the next time he looked, she'd be 16. Rebekah had grown too fast as well and then the curse made them all freeze in time. He couldn't decide if that was the kind of future he wished for his niece; although letting her age and die before him wasn't a much more appealing alternative.

"Mama." Pulled from his thoughts, the eldest of a handful of children took notice of the toddler stirring in her bed.