Elijah was glad he'd stayed. Not just because he felt relief at pulling her body towards his chest, grateful to have her with him and to know she was alright, but also because she stirred, time and time again and he was able to press her back to sleep.

He didn't know what dreams she was having, didn't know the memories that forced themselves into her head and caused her to whimper and cry out. She didn't wake from them either, they weren't strong enough to cause her to wake, only enough for her to shake, apologies pushed from her lips. He didn't enter her thoughts to find out the root, he respected her more than that and wouldn't allow himself to invade her privacy but after the third time he felt her stir he did force a dream to her head, a happier one. The dream was one that allowed her peace until she woke, relief from the day she'd spent in fear.

"Good morning," Elijah greeted. His thumb had been swiping slowly on her hip for the better part of an hour but it was as she shifted into consciousness and spun in his grip to face him that he spoke.

"Morning," she yawned, "God, I need to shower. Sorry I made you stay last night I probably stink after all that."

"It's alright," he smiled, "I've been with Niklaus for a thousand years."

"Are you saying I smell like a dog?" she teased with a laugh, her hand flicking out to hit him on the chest, "You really are just as rude as your brother."

"On the contrary, we were alive for nearly a millennium before deodorant was invented and bathing was commonplace, believe me, you smell angelic. Besides, no one is nearly as rude as Klaus, he truly cornered that niche several centuries ago."

"You got that right," she laughed, her hand rising to push the hair from her face before her expression softened, "Thank you for staying with me."

"Always," he said gently, hesitating a moment before continuing, "Do you have dreams like that often?"

Frankie sighed, she should've known that he would ask and though she wished she could ignore it she knew she couldn't. It wasn't that she was necessarily frightened of Mitch, more that things made her remember how she felt with him, nervous and apologetic.

She shook her head, her eyes shutting as though that would help her escape from the memory, "Just when something happens that makes me remember what it felt like, then I have a bad night or two."

"He won't come near you again," he promised, "I didn't kill him like you asked, but I compelled him to move away, to never contact you again and to never hurt anyone again."

Frankie's eyes shot to his in surprise, "Really?"

Elijah nodded, "He'll never even speak to you again."

"Thank you."

Although really she shouldn't have, Frankie felt comforted by Elijahs hand that still lay on her hip, his thumb swiping gently back and forth. Her eyes kept flickering away from his that still stared much to fondly at her but she certainly didn't hate being beside him right now.

She hated this conversation however, it seemed to burn her with shame each time she spoke of Mitch or had some ridiculous reaction like last night with her nightmares. It was how powerless it all made her feel that was the trickiest, the fact that despite knowing she hadn't been properly with Mitch for nearly a year, that despite all that, one awful moment would cause the anxiety to bubble up and a nightmare to reappear.

"Do you talk to anyone about it, what he did?"

"It wasn't even that bad," she rolled her eyes, "it just- just messed with my head is all. I don't want to do this. Really, I'm fine."

"You need to talk to someone."

"I don't."

"If you ever wish to talk about it, I'll listen."

"I won't."

"If you change your mind."

Frankie needed to change the subject. She couldn't let Elijah keep pressing for answers because she didn't want to lie to him and was sure that he had patience enough to win any argument. There was something that had been plaguing her mind since well before she left him in California and in lieu of continuing to talk about Mitch, she said it.

"Can I ask you a question?" she sighed, screwing up her face again before looking back, "Not about that but- Elijah, I know it's been a while but will you tell me what happened with Francesca? Did Klaus have something to do with it?"

Elijah's face furrowed in confusion, "What makes you think that?"

"No matter what I say to him he lets me get away with it. When he kidnapped me I tried to hit him like a lot and I never listened to what he said and he never really did anything to pay me back for it like he would if Stefan was shitty. Like yeah he forced me to stay with him, but aside from that I kind of did a lot of what I wanted. Klaus is so vindictive and kind of a dick yet he pretty much seems to forgive whatever I do and he's never actually cruel to me."

Elijah paused, his hand that still rested on her hip and had been moving slowly froze and she could see in his mind as he considered his response, His head whirring as he tried to figure out how to explain, it hurt him even think of the memory and the pain he'd felt though his body when it occurred.

"He didn't hurt you, her," he told her, his voice was quiet but each word was crisp, "he wouldn't ever hurt her intentionally. Though he wouldn't admit it, there were times I believed he was in love with her as much as I. You must understand things were different then, very different. Men and women were rarely allowed alone together and even less so when they came from a powerful family. Francesca's father was very powerful, in fact it was through him that we became so close to Francesca and he was the reason we all fled eventually."

Elijah paused again, squeezing his eyes shut, he could almost picture the first moment that he'd laid eyes on her when he returned to his family. She'd been tumbling down the stairs with her gown fluttering out behind her and her cheeks flushed pink with joy.

"In those days we weren't quite as discrete as we are now about our vampirism."

"Discrete?" Frankie scoffed, "during the summer we were away, twice Klaus compelled college cheerleading teams to see how long they could do handstands and the first person to fall he and Stefan fed on till they passed out."

Elijah wrinkled his nose and let out a small laugh, "Yes, Niklaus is certainly more of a menace than most. Regardless, in those times we would often pay off more powerful members of the community to look the other way to my family's indiscretions. Francesca's father knew of us and even for a period provided us a place to stay. I'd followed my family a little later and by the time I arrived it was clear that there were few people not in love with Francesca. Her light was infectious and each of us grew close in a different manner, she and Klaus were close companions when I arrived but it felt almost instantly that she and I had a connection."

Elijah paused again. It was difficult talking of this and though he felt he owed her an explanation, he worried that in telling her, she'd feel fear for her own safety.

"Though it was difficult for Francesca and I to be alone without her fathers knowledge, we were so enamoured by one another's company it was almost all we ever thought of, how to sneak off and catch one another. Rebekah often helped us by providing a distraction or an excuse for Francesca to be away from her family."

"Gloria, the witch in Chicago, said Rebekah and Francesca were close."

"They were," Elijah nodded, "Francesca was a kind soul, even when she discovered what we were she never acted differently, never cruel nor frightened. Many of the girls in the town would avoid Rebekah because of rumours they'd heard of our family but she wouldn't, she was kind to everyone she ever met."

"She sounds nice."

Elijah looked pained as he smiled weakly, "She was."

"So how did it happen?"

It felt cruel asking so bluntly for Elijah to describe the death of someone he loved but she was desperate to know. To know why Rebekah and Klaus were so protective of her and so close to her almost immediately after meeting her.

"Her father found out about us, he was already angry with Niklaus and when he discovered she and I had been close he was enraged. He demanded we leave, Klaus being Klaus didn't like the ultimatum and threatened to take Francesca with us. Although I wouldn't have ever wanted to leave her, I wouldn't have taken her away from her family without her consent but Klaus didn't like the pressure placed upon us and was reacting impulsively. The decision was made for us barely a day later, Francescas father, believing it to be the only way to keep his family safe, sent word for Mikael and tipped him off."

"Your father?"

"Mhm," he nodded, "I was going to find her before we left, I needed to talk to her but when Niklaus found I intended to stay behind and catch up with he and Rebekah later, he daggered me to take him with them."

"He daggered you without letting you say goodbye?"

Elijah nodded again, "I usually fared better than Rebekah from daggering, it was his preferred method of punishment for her but I think he knew I wouldn't truly leave Francesca behind. The one thing that's truly ever terrified Niklaus has been our father, and at the prospect of his return he wasn't willing to risk anything. He undaggered me a month later, by the time I returned Francesca had been slaughtered. Mikael intended on using her as bait to lure me and by extension Niklaus back, but when we never returned she eventually died. Strung up outside of her home with the residents of the town compelled to ignore her, her body and then corpse rotting into oblivion."

"Fuck," she screwed her face up, balling her fists to her eyes in frustration, "Elijah that's so fucked up. I can't imagine seeing a corpse like that, not of someone you loved."

"I hope you never will," Elijah nodded shortly, his eyes settling on her face that was furrowed into pain, "I believe the reason Niklaus is the way he is with you is because he feels guilty for his part, for goading her father and for daggering me too long to rescue her. I believe it's his way of rectifying past mistakes."

"I don't get it," she shook her head, flopping to her back, feeling Elijah's hand that still lay on her hip slip to her side between them, "Why are you here? Why are you trying to put together your family when it's so clear that one part of it is broken?"

"To me, the very definition of the word 'broken' suggests that something can be fixed. I have a whole eternity to accomplish one single task, my brothers salvation. If I surrender this, then tell me, what value would I be to my family? To myself? To Hayley's child."

"But don't you ever think about yourself?" she rolled back to face him, catching his eyes that hadn't left her even as she turned away, "Taking me to California, following Klaus to New Orleans, Elijah you're always looking after everyone, when do you do what you want. Klaus has been selfish for a thousand years, it's your turn to take what you want."

Elijah was silent. How was he to tell her what he wanted without pushing her away again, without making her run like she inevitably seemed to whenever she got too close to someone.

Her.

He wanted her in every sense, he wanted her with him, to talk to her every moment and to lay beside her tomorrow and the next day and the next. The thing he wanted more than anything was an eternity filled with more moments like these.

"Perhaps you can help me figure that out," he answered at last with a smile, "Help me to act a little more selfishly."

"First you said I smelled like your brother and now you're calling me selfish," she grinned teasingly as she sat up, "You and Klaus might be more similar than you think. I think everyone who thinks you're so polite just doesn't know you very well."

"How fortunate for them."

"Indeed," she nodded, reluctantly pulling herself from the bed and looking around for her shoes, "I guess after rescuing me from my second kidnapper it's not an unfair trade to teach you to be selfish. Perhaps if I stick around you Mikaelson's a little longer I can get my hostage total to the magic number three."

"I promise I will do whatever I can to prevent that from happening."

"I think relinquishing blame for things you have no control over it a good place to start," she told him, turning to waggle her finger at him teasingly, "Taking the blame for other peoples actions doesn't seem particularly selfish."

Elijah smiled. He was delighted by her playful nature, though neither had addressed the last time they'd been together in California, he'd almost been nervous she would've run from him the moment they were reunited.

Having spent almost every day since they separated worrying about her, he was surprised by how light she seemed. She wasn't shaking or terrified or angry at the world for what had happened with Tyler or with her brother. In fact, aside from the dreams she'd had and only reluctantly mentioned, she seemed good, playful and content too. Pulling her shoes up from where he'd placed them beside the door, he passed them to her, a grateful grin crossing her face.

"Did Tyler damage my board?" she asked, following him down the stairs, "that baby has been with me to four states I wouldn't have the heart to replace her."

"I believe it's fine," he passed it to her, his nose wrinkling at the battered board that she tenderly clutched to her chest, "come. I'll drive you."

"It's cool," she laughed, "I got here on my board, technically, I can get myself home. Was my phone here too?"

"Mhm," he passed the phone to her, "Frankie you were just kidnapped, please let me me take you home so I know you're safe."

She rolled her eyes but nodded, holding her hand out to imply he should lead the way. Elijah was relieved at her response, though he wasn't like his brother who'd force her to stay just so he knew she was safe, he still worried about her and he didn't want to let her wander the streets alone so soon after the ordeal of the past days.

The car ride was short, he was surprised by how near to everything she'd found herself but secretly he found comfort knowing she was close by. Grinning when they finally made it to her apartment and he pulled to a halt, she turned to leave when his hand landed gently on her arm, causing her to turn to face him.

"'Lijah?"

She felt her breath catch in her throat at the look he was giving her, the furrowed brow and concerned eyes that made her worry he was going to ask her why she'd left him in California.

"Your neck," he murmured, breaking the silence between them in the car, his lips pursed in displeasure gazing at the bruise on her neck, "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, I'd do anything to take it back. I never want to cause you pain."

"It's fine," she smiled, "I've had worse than a hand around my neck," Elijah almost flinched back at this and her hand landed on his, "really, it's okay."

"I will never hurt you again," he promised.

Frankie didn't reply for a moment, she trusted Elijah, he'd never intentionally hurt her, but then, neither had Mitch, he'd certainly promised the same thing too. That line was exactly the line he'd said to her, time and again, never again. Sure, Elijah was different, his words were kinder to her and his touch more gentle but Mitch wasn't cruel when they first met either.

"Cool," she said after several beats too long, "Thanks for the ride, see you."