Things were different after Rebekah left. Though she hadn't truly spent that much time in the compound while in New Orleans, the place felt colder without her. Hayley was gone too, off with the crescent wolves in the bayou now their curse had been lifted. Only Elijah and Klaus remained and their relationship was more tenuous than normal.

Elijah and Frankie had gotten close, closer still though neither quite knew what to call their friendship. They enjoyed each others company and perhaps until they knew more that would be enough for them both. It was more often than not now that Elijah spent the night, him visiting her after work or for dinner, popping by to bring her lunch and then inevitably staying later.

Frankie rarely visited the compound now, she couldn't stand it. Klaus' newest conquest was the little redheaded witch who kidnapped and slit Frankie's throat and though she wasn't one to want revenge, seeing her lay around the house in scraps of lingerie with Klaus' mischievous grin made her blood boil in rage and disgust.

The first time she'd seen them was barely a few days after Rebekah left, she came to talk to Elijah and when she couldn't find him in his room nor the common areas, she'd made her way to Klaus' room. She'd felt her chest clench in pain when she saw her, laying in his bed with him watching her, a paintbrush in hand as he turned lazily to catch Frankie's eye.

"Lovely isn't it," he'd grinned at Frankie, "I always enjoy a-"

"What's going on?" Frankie asked, a harshness pushed into her voice as she tried to disguise the anxiety that bubbled at the sight of the woman who'd nearly caused her death. If Klaus detected the racing of her heart he didn't let it show, instead turning and beckoning the witch to him.

"Genevieve love," Klaus sighed as he summoned the woman watching them with a smirk, "give us a minute will you."

Genevieve didn't let her annoyance show through as she stepped from the bed and wrapped a kimono around her shoulders. Before she left however she made sure to pull Klaus into a kiss that went on so long Frankie had to clear her throat to grab their attention.

"What the fuck?" she snapped when Genevieve finally tore herself away, the door clicking shut behind her, "You do remember that woman tortured Rebekah?"

"And as a consequence, the truth of Rebekah's treachery was revealed," he smirked, the paintbrush falling beside his palette as he gave her his focus, "Is this all you came for, love, to remind me of my dearly departed sister?"

"She's not dead, don't talk about her like she is," Frankie growled, her arms crossing her chest, "I came by to see Elijah, he wasn't in his room and I wanted to know if you knew where he was. My phone is dead but I wanted to talk to him before work."

"Apologies, I've been rather ensconced in other pursuits, haven't quite kept up with Elijah's whereabouts."

"Clearly," she rolled her eyes at the veiled mention of Genevieve, "You told Cami you'd help her, instead she hasn't heard from you in a week. You said you'd help and instead you're in bed with the woman who slit my throat and tried to blackmail Cami into stabbing you with the magic torture knife."

"And yet even without Camille's help, I seemed to find myself with the blade in my chest, bully for me I suppose. Besides, I thought you'd be pleased, I seem to remember your insistence I not murder someone who hurt you."

"I don't want you to kill her," Frankie asserted, "but that doesn't mean I'm pleased to see someone who tried to kill me in your bed. Just because I don't want her dead doesn't mean I want to be her friend."

I thought you were my friend she half wanted to add. To remind him that his opinion mattered to her and that she'd thought hers mattered to him. She didn't want to be so controlling as to say it and act as though it was her place to tell him who he could or couldn't see but she wished he knew that it hurt her to see him with Genevieve after what she'd done. It hurt her to see Genevieve at all and be reminded of that terrible day but especially beside someone she trusted almost implicitly.

"Well love if you'd like to take her place," he shrugged mockingly, "I'm sure I can do a much better job than Elijah."

"I'll pass," she rolled her eyes, repressing the urge to pretend to throw up, "Now do you know where your brother is, or not?"

"Off somewhere blaming me for the actions of Rebekah and Marcellus no doubt,"

"Christ," Frankie picked up a book near her and threw it at Klaus' head, annoyed though unsurprised when he caught it with ease, "You're such a drama queen. Tell him to call me. And you need to call Cami, if you care about her or what I think of you, you'll do what you can for her and her uncle."

Klaus didn't reply and after that she'd stormed from the room. It was selfish for her to care about who Klaus was spending time with, but really him being so close to Genevieve hurt her. Though both tried to pretend their friendship was tenuous and nonexistent, after their summer together her opinion mattered to him and his mattered to her. His newest relationship felt like a slap in the face, like he didn't care about what she'd been through, proof he cared more about his Machiavellian intentions than about her.

She didn't know if she wanted to bring it up to Elijah, it was clear that he was less than pleased with Klaus after everything that happened with him and Rebekah in the cemetery and as frustrated as she was with him, she didn't want to make things worse between them. While she wanted to talk to him about it so he could help her decide if her anger was valid, she didn't know if it would only make things harder.

Frankie was relieved when she got to work and saw Cami there too. She knew they were scheduled together but Cami had called in twice this week to check in on her uncle and Frankie was worried it was only going to happen more frequently the longer the hex went on.

"Cam, love of my life. I've still got ten minutes I'm gonna go get a coffee, do you want a latte?"

Cami didn't reply, she didn't even look up from the glass she'd been wiping for so long that one would've worried it might break.

"Earth to Cami," Frankie said tossing her sweater at her head to catch her attention, "you good?"

"Oh, Frankie," Cami said in surprise, chuckling a little with a smile that didn't comfort Frankie as much as it was intended, "Sorry I'm a bit out of it."

"I'll retract my latte offer then," Frankie said with a grin, "Cold brew?"

Cami grinned at her and nodded, taking Frankie's skateboard for her whilst she went to the coffee shop next door that they'd begun to develop an unhealthy obsession with. Really, she wasn't sure if she needed the coffee, she didn't really but she knew that Frankie was someone who needed to take care of people and wouldn't have taken no for an answer.

It was funny thinking of how different their relationship was from when they'd both first started, when Frankie seemed like someone detached, too cool to seem interested in someones life or troubles.

In truth, she was far from that, Cami still remembered the time Frankie had cleaned the graffiti from Seans headstone without even knowing his story nor hers. They'd barely been friends at the time and yet when she saw Cami hurt by the message she'd fixed it for her without even thinking. The more Cami knew about her the more she realised there was little she wouldn't do for a friend, though she pretended to be indifferent to those around her, it was obvious to Cami that Frankie loved her friends far more than herself.

"You know I think I'd die if you weren't here with me," Cami said when Frankie returned with two cold brews and a banana bread to split, "like god, I'm so glad I've got someone who knows what's going on."

"More importantly," Frankie said seriously though her lips were twitching into a grin, "you work with someone who is as beautiful as myself, something to stare at longingly while you work."

"Much more importantly."

"How's it been?"

"Slow," Cami shrugged, "You know Tuesday's, I told Amelia that she could leave by 9 if it stayed like this and we'd close up. You're alright with that, right?"

"Yeah," Frankie rolled her eyes, "Of course I am, it's not going to be busy. Cami, I mean how's it been with you."

"Well I saw Davina today."

Frankie's eyes shot up, surprise filling them. Davina had been resurrected on the night Rebekah had left, Frankie hadn't known that she was alive again until two days later but by then she was back with the witches and not talking much. She'd been worrying about her all week but hadn't wanted to push her and make her resurrection any harder than it seemed to already be.

Cami saw her first and had filled Frankie in, Marcel had invited her over that first night, he'd hoped she'd be able to help the little witch who sat shaking with fear from the trauma she'd faced in death. It was hard, watching the girl she cared for so quickly terrified, knowing the delight they all felt that she was okay wasn't felt by Davina, the relief for them didn't wash over to her.

Frankie wanted to focus on what they could change, they couldn't change what had happened to Davina and they couldn't make her forget what it had been like but she didn't want her alone now she was back. Cami couldn't make a real diagnosis for her, PTSD, depression, anxiety, all of it seemed to flood through the girl but with her back with the witches there was little they could do to help, at least seeing her when they could would be a start, a way for them to help how they could

"How was she?" Frankie asked quickly, "Is she looking any better?"

"No," Cami grimaced, "No, I'm worried about her, really worried about her. She seems worse, she barely spoke to me and when she did it was only to beg me not to make her talk about it."

"Then we won't make her talk about it."

"Look that might work for you but she's a teenager who's been traumatised," Cami said harshly, her eyes furrowing as she let out an apologetic sigh a moment later. Her voice was softer when she spoke a second time and Frankie knew the only reason she'd snapped was fear, "she needs help, real help, doctors and medicine."

"What's a doctor gonna do, Cam," Frankie sighed, "Listen to her talk about how she was slaughtered by the witches and resurrected a week later? They'll lock her up for good. If she goes in she's not coming out because she'll either have to lie to them or she'll tell the truth and they'll call her crazy."

Cami frowned, she hadn't seen it that way. Despite only knowing the truth for a few weeks, she'd already forgotten at times that the supernatural wasn't common knowledge.

"God, I need a drink."

"Little nip of bourbon in your brew you'll be right," Frankie laughed, "Promise I won't tell."

"Well there's not many people you can tell since Sophie and Jane-Anne are dead."

"Damn Cam," she nodded, "How come we're still here? Not sure this place has the best track record. Considering everyone else here knows nothing about the supernatural, we'd better not be the next to go."

"We're here because we get paid to hang out," Cami reminded her, "And because you can scare the guys who try and flirt in French into tipping big."

"That I can," Frankie mused, "I learnt that glare off Klaus you know, you've just gotta pretend like you're a thousand year old brat throwing a temper tantrum."

The shift passed by quickly with the two girls teasing one another and while they didn't get many customers, those who were there tipped well enough to satisfy them both. By the time the evening drew to a close, though they both still worried for Davina, they felt a little less anxious knowing they at least had someone by their side.

Once they were free for the evening Frankie made her way home, she considered calling Elijah and inviting him over but she wondered if he might be busy trying to wrangle Klaus and she figured one night alone wouldn't exactly kill her however bored it might make her. That being said, when she stumbled home to see him on her doorstep with a pizza that was still so warm she could see the steam curling from the box she was so delighted she could've screamed.

"Wow," Frankie scrunched her eyes shut as she leaned towards him, inhaling the smell of the pizza excitedly, "wow."

"How was your day?"

"Incredible now," she told him, stepping into her apartment and tugging the pizza box to her lap as she collapsed onto the couch, "Wow. Did you know I loved pizza?"

"That's why I brought it," he chuckled, "if I knew it was this easy to make you happy I'd buy you a whole pizzeria."

"That," Frankie cleared her throat here to dislodge the slice of pizza she'd swallowed in seconds, "Mr Mikaelson, implies that I'm difficult to please. I'm very easy to please."

Elijah watched her with the affection that always seemed to fill him when she was nearby. He could think of several things that she could do to please him but he could think of hundreds more that he could do to please her. As though realising the innuendo in her words she coughed quickly before pulling her third slice from the box.

"What've you been up to?"

"Trying to wrangle Niklaus into having a modicum of interest in the kingdom he so desperately needed to claim."

"Oh," she nodded, she'd downed four slices in nearly as many minutes and her stomach was ready to burst, "Do you want a piece by the way?"

"I'm fine," he shook his head, "I got it for you,"

"Pizza for breakfast," she sung to herself as she carried the box to the fridge, "Any luck convincing him to tear himself from his Mona Lisa- Oh my god."

"What?" Elijah sped to her quickly, concerned by how quickly her face fell and how the shock had enveloped her.

"Not that I'm calling you old, which you are, but not the point, but oh my god," Elijah's face only furrowed into confusion at her rambling but he stayed silent as she continued, "Oh my god you're older than the Sistine Chapel."

Elijah wasn't exactly sure at how she'd gotten to the Sistine Chapel from the Mona Lisa but wonder flooded her face as she realised something that he himself had never really considered. Sure, he had been alive for half a millennium before the chapel was painted, but it wasn't as though it was something he'd been waiting to happen.

"I am," he nodded with amusement, "Is this a surprise?"

"That's insane."

"Is it?"

"God you're old."

"Fortunately I have a thing for younger women."

"Should I let Davina know?" she teased, enjoying the glint in his eye as his arms wrapped quickly around her waist to pull her towards him.

"Not that young," he corrected with a grin, "'86 was a good year, someone born in 1986 feels like a good age I'd say."

Frankie wiggled from his arms and lazily walked to the bedroom, "I'll have a look at some of my graduation class and send you some headshots."

Elijah followed after her quickly. Every moment with her delighted him and he felt joy shoot through his system when she spun to look at him with her lips quirked into a grin, her eyes sparkling in amusement. It was clear that there was very little Elijah wouldn't do for Frankie and when her hand shot out to pull him into the bedroom he used her grip to spin them around and pull her to his lips.

"So," she pulled away at last when they were both entangled on her bed, "is that a no to the headshots?"

"It's a no," he confirmed, pressing a kiss to her between each word, "No, to anyone but you."

"Who'd have thought Elijah Mikaelson was such a sap," she teased, "I should ask Klaus if you've always been this bad."

"Mhm," Elijah half ignored her as his fingers fiddled with her shirt, tugging it off, grinning as she leaned up a little to help him, her hands then falling to the buttons of his shirt.

"Do you know what he's doing?" she asked, suddenly enraged again as she thought of Klaus and the woman in his bed having already forgotten her silent resolve to not bring the issue up with him. Elijah was tugging off her jeans now as she ranted, raising her hips while gesticulating in her annoyance, "He's in bed with that witch! The one who screwed with Rebekah and Cami and I, can you believe-"

"Perhaps," Elijah cut her off, pressing a quick kiss to her lips, "Perhaps we could table the topic of my brother until we're wearing just a little bit more, my sweet."

"Right," she nodded, suddenly realising they were in bed in only their underwear, "Right good point. Okay, no, right."

"You're beautiful," Elijah told her as he pulled her close to him, "So incredibly beautiful."

Frankie grinned, rolling them both over so she straddled him. Elijah if nothing else did wonders for her self esteem. The way his eyes would linger on her sent shivers down her spine. His hands that held her so gently it was as though the slightest breath too far would cause her bones to crumble while his words were always so kind and caring they pulled more deeply at her heart than she was sure anything ever had before.

Sometimes she almost felt as though with him she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was so lovely always, so caring, their conversations never seemed to end but when one of them allowed it to lull into silence that was almost as good. Frankie liked being quiet sometimes, letting the space fill itself and so too did Elijah it seemed, often lulling into a contentedness that they'd never had truly before.

He still felt in awe at her beside him, at the spark in her eye, at the grin of amusement that would come when she shot out a light taunt, sometimes growing so large she couldn't get the joke out before she'd already begun laughing. She was almost certainly the most beautiful woman he'd ever known, but even if she wasn't, he couldn't bear to imagine his life without her again. Elijah would worship every inch of her until the day he died, he would praise each word she said and fulfil any whim or desire.

They were both naked now, sweaty warm bodies that were pulled so tightly together it felt like they were more one than two. His fingers darting along her skin teasingly as her nails dug into his shoulders so tightly she'd almost be worried about drawing blood if her thoughts were any clearer.

"'Lijah," Frankie groaned, "Oh my god."

"Hmm?" he teased, moving more quickly despite her legs that wrapped around his waist only tightening to pull him closer, "I didn't quite catch that."

"There," she mumbled, her face screwing up in delight, "There, there, there-"

"So beautiful," Elijah mumbled, pressing his lips to her neck again as they both groaned in delight, slowing to a still before at last he pulled away.