The journey back to Elijahs apartment seemed shorter than the one from it but she didn't question it, stumbling gratefully out of the car and up to the apartment without glancing at him. She'd pulled the book out that they'd read on the plane but once again her eyes caught on the words, it was only as she noticed Elijah tugging his jacket back on that her head shot up to look at him.

"I'll be back shortly," he told her, "I've organised the flight for the morning, I hope that's alright."

"Don't hurt him," she asked firmly, sure that he was only leaving her alone to end Mitch as she knew he wanted to, "Klaus said you'd kill him for me if he didn't, I don't want you to kill him."

"Does he not deserve it?" he asked, somewhat surprised by her revelation.

"I don't want you killing anyone for me."

Elijah seemed to disagree with her request but he nodded, examining her for a short moment before resuming his path to the doorway.

"Elijah," she said sharply, standing to her feet, "I mean it, leave him alone."

"I won't be long," he told her, nodding and heading from the apartment.

Frankie opened her mouth to argue but the door clicked shut before she got the words out.

As it happened, Elijah wasn't long, returning with a brown bag that he placed in the kitchen before pulling his jacket off and rolling the sleeves of his shirt up. Her mouth nearly dropped open in surprise as he began to tug ingredients from the bag, beginning to prepare them dinner. She wasn't exactly sure why Elijah continued to surprise her like this, she was well aware vampires ate, she and Damon got dinner several times a week and yet once again she'd pictured Elijah too pristine to do something so normal as cook dinner.

He didn't look at her but it was clear he could feel her eyes on him as his lips twitched up into a smirk. There was silence between them until eventually she pulled out the book she'd been reading earlier, tugging it open to where the card held their place in the pages.

Frankie read the words as Elijah had, continuing the story where they left off though she didn't falter to read the notes in the margins, the words on the page as familiar as a memory of her own tattooed to her soul.

Elijah's smirk twitched into a grin as she began to read to him. Like Frankie, the book was one of his favourites and for him too, the words were familiar to him though they meant more as she pressed them from her lips, the sound more melodic than any song.

He was almost disappointed when the buzzer on the oven went off and she finished the page while he plated their meal up for them both. It brought him joy to feel her eyes watching him move, grinning as he held up wine glasses with a raised eyebrow.

"Please," she nodded in agreement, she liked this playful Elijah who teasingly grinned at her, "Thanks, Elijah, for all this."

"Always," he nodded, placing the meal in front of her before finding a corkscrew to open the wine, "I'd do anything for you."

Frankie rolled her eyes but her cheeks began to flush and her lips twitched into a small smile. Elijah was just about to sit beside her when both his phone began to ring and a knock came from the door.

"Mr Mikaelson," a woman greeted with a nod when the door was opened, passing him a small dark bag. Elijah nodded in thanks even as he tugged the ringing phone to his ear to listen to the voice on the other end. His face was furrowed at whatever he was being told down the line, it took him a moment to respond and even then it was with disbelief.

"Niklaus, what you are saying-" he spoke softly, sharply, cutting himself off as though he couldn't wrap his head around the words. Frankie wished she could hear the other end of the call because his face was screwed up in disbelief and his hand was running anxiously though his hair, "It cannot be true. . . Is she alright now? . . . We'll return tomorrow. . . No, don't call her, I'll tell her. . . We'll speak soon, be safe, brother."

"What is it?" she asked when he returned to his seat. He didn't reply for a moment, passing her the bag that he'd been handed, she was surprised to see her phone with a new screen inside but aside from pressing the power on, she didn't look at it, staring up at him with concern, "Tell me, Elijah, what's happened?"

"It's your brother," he told her, watching as her face screwed up and her breath hitched in her throat, "It appears he was forced to transition and he's not himself. Since he returned, he's been engulfed by his dark side, he's tried to kill both Rebekah and Miss Forbes."

"He's alive?" she asked, her hand shot out to grasp her wine glass, taking a large gulp before continuing, "Do you think he'll come back, my real brother, or. . . "

Elijah's face confirmed her fears before he answered with a slight shake of his head, "I highly doubt the brother you knew will ever return, not knowing that Esther was the one to force this transition. She wouldn't have done so if she wasn't certain he'd carry out her wishes."

"Oh," she let out the breath that she'd been holding in anxiously, averting her eyes.

"I understand this is difficult, would you rather return to Mystic Falls tonight? I don't know what will happen but if you want the opportunity to try and connect with your brother again-"

"No," she cut him off her eyes still focused on her plate that her fork was picking moodily at, "no lets go tomorrow. That's not my brother, he wouldn't do these things. Let's just eat."

The meal was nice and although neither recovered entirely from the shock of her brothers resurrection, they pushed past it, eventually chatting lightly and even teasing one another though Elijah could see the thoughts running wild behind her head. Finally night had arrived, the wine was finished and Frankie began to yawn, her eyes itching with the need to close, to fall asleep and end this awful day.

"Would you like to borrow some pyjamas?" Elijah asked, when he caught her staring at the door to the bedroom for a moment too long.

"It's okay, I've got some," she said sleepily, standing and rubbing her eyes, "I'm gonna go change," Elijah nodded and in an instant she disappeared. When she reemerged to ask him for toothpaste she paused, staring in confusion at him, "What are you doing?" she asked, watching him pull a pillow and blanket from a closet before laying it out on the couch.

"I'm afraid I only have one room," he told her, "I'll take the couch."

"Don't be ridiculous," she rolled her eyes, grabbing his wrist to tug him after her into the bedroom, "We're not twelve we can share a bed."

"Are you sure?"

"It's a bed Elijah, not an orgy. I think we'll be fine, just keep some pants on and everybody wins. You got toothpaste?"

Elijah was sure he fell in love with her each moment he spent with her, his lips twitching up in amusement he passed her the toothpaste from its place in the bathroom cabinet, soon sliding in beside her when she eventually tucked herself in the sheets.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Finn," she said quietly, laying on her back and facing the roof, "I'm sorry for what they did and that I didn't say anything. I just thought it was easier that way."

"If I'm not allowed to apologise for the actions of my brother, I don't believe you should be apologising for the actions of the Salvatores," he said kindly, "I don't hold you responsible and I would rather you didn't either."

There was silence between the two and Frankie's stomach turned. She was constantly telling Elijah to stop apologising, to stop accepting responsibility for the actions of others and yet here he was doing the same and she could barely stomach it. She didn't want to be so wrapped up like this and yet she was, she needed to pull herself back away but she didn't, rolling to her side to face him.

"Thank you," she told him again, "For coming with me to California, and for making him stop. Even after everything, I just- thanks."

She was surprised by Elijah each moment, he never quite seemed how she thought he would be. He rolled to his side to face her and his hand reached out to brush the hair that was falling onto her face. As his fingers floated by, her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, looking up at him again when his hand lay gently on her cheek, thumb brushing softly against her face.

"I will not let anything happen to you," he told her, his voice steady with the tone he used when he gave his word, "do you understand me?

Frankie nodded, squeezing her eyes shut as she did. Her hand rose up to catch his that lay on her face and she gripped it as she rolled over, turning her back to him she used the hand that she held to wrap around her waist.

Elijah did as she wanted with a contented smile on his face, curling his arm protectively over her as he tugged her closer to him. Like in the morning when she'd been curled against his chest, counting his heartbeats alongside her breaths, now she counted out the beats of his heart until she drifted off.

-

The sound of Elijah tugging his shoes off and then shuffling about as he placed them by the door was what stirred Frankie awake. It was still dark outside, still nighttime, and she stayed motionless, listening as he pulled his jacket off and then his shirt too. The space behind her lay cold, he'd been gone for a while, but Elijah was silent as he slipped back into the bed, his arm easily curling around her waist to pull her closer to him again.

"Did you hurt him?" Frankie asked, her voice was scratchy from how recently she'd pulled awake.

Frankie was sure that Elijah had left to do something to Mitch, certain of it in fact, waiting until she'd fallen safely to sleep to return to him. She rolled over to face him though her eyes stayed closed, feeling Elijahs fingers rise and press her hair gently back from her face, his thumb swiping against her bottom lip almost instinctively.

"He's alive," he replied, confirming her assumption though doing little to assuage her fears. She could feel he was so close to her that his breath tickled her cheeks causing her lips to quirk up into a small smile.

"Good," she nodded, rolling back around and feeling as his arm tightened around her waist, tugging her closer to his chest, "Don't kill anyone for me."

"I'll do my best," Elijah chuckled softly, "Go back to sleep."

-

The second time Frankie woke, the sun was up and Elijah was still beside her, his arm circling her waist with his breath blowing gently across her neck. She spun slowly in his grasp, turning to face him though this time it was her eyes that were on him.

Elijah's lids fluttered open as though he could feel her watching him and he gave her an almost cocky grin when he caught her. He wished he could lean forwards and close the gap between them, kiss her this morning as he'd dreamt of doing so many times in his sleep, instead he contented himself with watching her.

There was a small bruise on her chin, a slight purpling that hadn't been visible in the darkness but when his fingers reached out to graze it slightly he watched her flinch back in surprise.

"Don't Elijah," she told him warningly, "When does the plane leave?"

"Whenever we'd like it to."

"Oh, right, convenient."

His phone began to ring and she rolled over, relieved the moment was broken as he stood from the bed. She was closer than she'd expected to him, closer than she'd ever predicted she would allow herself to get and especially so soon.

She could see the way Elijah looked at her each time she caught him, she knew the way that he felt about her was more than platonic. After how terribly her love affair ended with Mitch and how broken she felt each time she thought of her brother she wasn't open to caring about someone again. If she was honest with herself, there was a spark between her and Elijah, the feeling of his fingers dancing on her cheek electrified her, their conversations felt as though he was seeing into her soul.

His face was furrowed again as he returned to the room, she was tugging her jeans on and she knew he'd been given news about her brother. What a rotten job he'd been given, forced to babysit her though meltdowns and relay news of her brothers demise.

"What happened now?"

"It seems Esther didn't want Alaric to be immortal like us," he told her, fixing the cuffs of his jacket while his eyes watched her reaction, "when she turned him into an Original she tied his life to that of a human so when she died, he would too. Elena Gilbert is now dead, as is-"

"My brother."

Elijah nodded.

"I need a minute," she told him, as he stepped forwards to comfort her she stepped back with her fists rising to press at her temples anxiously, "maybe some air, I dont know. I knew he was dead," here she took a deep breath, feeling the fizzle of worry bubble in her stomach, "I don't know why it hurts so much hearing it again."

"It's because you love him."

"I wish I didn't," she told him honestly.

Elijah studied her, he could see the pain in her eyes that she wanted gone. She wanted to block out the world and he'd be dammed if he let that happen, if he let her lose herself instead of living.

"Someone once told me that if we cease to believe in love, there would be nothing that would make us want to live."

Frankie was silent, busying herself with the laces of her shoes as she avoided his gaze. She could feel him watching her but she didn't know how to reply, she didn't know how to explain that she couldn't remember the last time she'd really wanted to live nor that she felt sure she didn't ever want to love anyone again, not if it meant one day losing them.

He looked at her too kindly for her own comfort. His eyes settled on her with care and such silent kindness that it overpowered her, it made her feel like she was crumbling inside. She couldn't handle the way he looked at her. She made a mistake the night before by letting him get close to her and she needed now to rectify it, to push him back away so that he couldn't hurt her.

Finally she stood, her eyes flicking to him she rolled them, "Do you have any coffee here? Before we go?"

Elijah shook his head, repressing a sigh at the shield that had reappeared behind her eyes, the wall returning that he'd been so sure he'd smashed to pieces the day before. As she rolled into his arms the night before his chest felt warm, so sure he'd finally recovered the greatest love, all he had to do was keep from losing her.

"I'll get you one," he offered. She was dealing with her brothers death for the second time in as many days, he could give her a moment to collect herself, "How do you take it?"

"Black," she smiled up at him, her hand reaching out to grab his forearm, "Thank you, Elijah," she said, squeezing softly before turning away.

Her mind had been made up the moment Elijah had told her that her brother was dead, really dead this time and as she felt the affection in his eyes as he told her the plan cemented itself inside of her. The moment the door clicked shut behind him she began to move, she grabbed her backpack that was now practically her third limb as well as one of the books Elijah had collected for her, shoving them together as her hands reached for the skateboard by the door.

She left the pile of possessions they'd taken from her old apartment though her hand shot down and grabbed the little black dress she'd so desperately needed. The rest she abandoned, they were too heavy for her to carry and she knew if she was going to do this she needed to do it now, that she needed to make a quick escape, start fresh.

It was barely minutes after Elijah left that she did too, rushing from the apartment, terrified he'd catch her on her way and her shameful escape would be exposed. She didn't know where she was going now but she couldn't handle returning to that town, couldn't handle staying here either. Frankie didn't want Elijah's eyes staring at her with affection and she didn't want to watch the guilt pass across the face of everyone she knew as she returned to Mystic Falls to occupy her dead brothers apartment.

The bus station was nearby and from there she made it to the train, her heart was pounding in her ears as she found the ticket booth, purchasing a ticket for whichever was the next train to depart.

She was standing on the platform when her phone began to buzz, staring terrified at the name flashing across the screen when she finally tugged it from her pocket. She watched it, waiting for the ringing to end but as soon as it did it started up again, over and over it rang. Elijah's name appeared time after time upon the screen until finally she gave up and gave in, certain she needed to force it to stop.

i'm sorry

The moment the text was sent her finger was on the power button, switching it off so at least it was silent. Her hands were shaking as she tugged her earring from her ear, jamming the post into the slot at the side, she pulled the sim card from the phone and crushed it beneath the sole of her shoe.

Finally she could breathe again, she'd had twenty minutes till the next train to depart and just as the sim was crushed beneath her the doors opened. At last the train pulled itself from the station, with each moment she travelled further away from California her chest lightened and lightened.

Leaning her head against the window she felt free again, she didn't know what she was going to do when she stopped, but for now she was running until the end of the line. She didn't care what was waiting for her but she knew she needed something different to what she was leaving behind

If Frankie was honest with herself, it wasn't them she was leaving behind but herself. Running from the person she was becoming and the person who terrified her, someone so weak and easily hurt. No, not anymore, Frankie would run and she'd start over, away from vampires and soulmates and Originals. Away from anything that could hurt her, at least then she'd be free.

😬