"I can't believe you'd really keep my apartment for me for over a year," Frankie murmured honestly, "Am I that predictable?"

Elijah laughed, his hand rose to push her hair back from her face and he pressed another kiss to her lips, "I was only working on becoming a little more of an optimist."

"How's that going?"

"Rather swimmingly if I'm honest," he said smoothly, looking at her who was straddling him on the couch, "I've certainly had worse afternoons."

Frankie laughed. She missed this, she really missed this. She missed how easy it was to be with Elijah, how easy it was to laugh with him and how content she felt beside him. Her phone beeped again but she ignored it, enjoying this moment as long as it would last, this moment with just Elijah before the reality of being with a Mikaelson would return.

"Have you had better afternoons?"

"Difficult to say," he frowned as though wracking his brain, "I'm a little old, my memory's a bit fuzzy."

"Well I suppose I'm number one by default then."

"By more than just default," he promised.

Frankie grinned and Elijah took the opportunity to pull her back towards him in a kiss. That was how they remained until a buzzing started, this time it was his phone rather than Frankie's and he broke apart from the kiss more than reluctantly to read the message.

"Klaus?" Frankie guessed, leaning her chin on his shoulder as she waited for him to read it, "What happened with the girl he didn't kidnap yesterday, what was that about?"

"There's been a prophecy," Elijah sighed, tucking his phone back into his jacket pocket as she sat straight and again and he looked up at her, "foreseeing death and destruction to my family."

"Is that kind of thing real?" she asked tentatively, the playfulness leaving her at once despite the nonchalance with which she said it, "You can't die, right? So it's all fake."

"Nothing is going to happen to anyone," he promised, "I'll allow no one to touch anyone I care for nor will I allow anything to harm me."

Frankie looked unconvinced. She didn't know if she was being overdramatic, but she felt sure if it was an impossibility he'd say so. Instead as he reassured her that he wouldn't let it happen it told her that it could. Too there seemed something in the way he shifted that told her there was something he was keeping from her and though it probably wasn't her place to pry after so long away she was concerned nonetheless.

"So it could be true? You say you won't let anything happen but that means that prophecy's have come true before you just won't let this one."

"True prophecy's have," he nodded, "not third rate ones from our enemies. I have no doubt this prophecy has been conjured up as means to drive us against one another."

"And your enemy in question is Tristan and the Strix?" she probed, "Him and his little group are the ones who came forward telling you you're all going to-"

"We're alright," he cut her off, "Nothing is going to happen."

Frankie faltered, she felt cruel pressing him like this but Elijah was always so certain and he didn't seem as certain now. He was doing well pressing certainty off on her but it didn't feel genuine, it felt like he was working just as hard to convince her as he was himself.

Letting out a sigh Frankie leant back. Her hand rose up and her fingers danced across his jawline, softly tracing the slight stubble on his chin. Elijah beneath her felt his lips twitch up into a smile, delighted by the feeling of her fingers running across her skin softly. Her thumb brushed back and forth and she watched him, guilt niggling at her knowing she was pushing at a subject he clearly didn't want to talk about.

"What did the girl last night have to do with it?"

Elijah shifted uncomfortably. He wouldn't have lied to her, but he perhaps wouldn't have mentioned the prophecy to her if he'd realised how much it would worry her. It was clear the concept was plaguing Frankie more than he'd predicted and that she needed more information to settle her fears. No matter how much he told her that he wasn't going anywhere, that he'd never leave her, he understood that she'd heard that before and it didn't reassure her like he wished.

"She was the seer who saw the prophecy," he explained, "Lucien was the one who brought the prophecy to Klaus. He claims to have come to New Orleans with the intention of protecting his sire, Klaus, believing that those of my line such as the Strix would try to kill Klaus in order to win an apparent war between our sireline's. The seer was kidnapped by Tristan and then Klaus and Lucien's appearances last night at the gala were a distraction for Freya to rescue the girl."

"Is she okay now?"

"Not exactly," Elijah continued, stiffening slightly at the memory, "After I left you we joined her and Hayley and I took the chance to view the prophecy. We did so by feeding on her, we had just enough time to see parts of the prophecy before I began tasting poison in her blood. Both Hayley and I noticed it and pulled back but moments later she died. Someone had the chance to poison her before Klaus and Freya could save her."

"Fuck," Frankie rubbed her fist over her face in the vaguest of disbelief, "If Tristan took her then was it him who killed her? But how did he even know that Klaus and Lucien were coming. He was there the whole time Klaus was making that scene he couldn't have slipped away anywhere."

"I'm not quite sure it was Tristan," he replied honestly, his hands rising up to trail along her arm, "I imagine he'd be a little less subtle about it oddly enough. Perhaps it was one of his people but it was almost too delicate a murder for him."

Frankie nodded thoughtfully. It was strange that a murder of any kind could be seen as delicate but she supposed to Elijah who'd witnessed thousands it could be. She wondered vaguely more about the relationship between Tristan and Elijah, she didn't question it now but she was curious to know the full story between them.

"What did you see what you saw the prophecy? I thought prophecy's were always delivered like sonnets by oracles."

"We've progressed a little past sonnets in this century," Elijah chuckled fondly, "though there was an original spoken prophecy, by feeding on the seer, Hayley and I were granted access to her visions themselves,

"And what did her visions show you."

"It's not important," Elijah brushed her off.

One of his hands rose to softly clutch her face and his thumb brushed back and forth across her lip. Her face twitched into a frown with her hand landing on his that was trying to distract her. There was clearly something missing in his explanation. Elijah was honest with her, he was always honest and open with her and it was only when he was trying to protect her that he spoke evasively.

"God you're beautiful," he murmured pressing kisses down her neck and then back up to her lips.

"Tell me 'Lijah," she pressed again pulling away reluctantly, "Please. Why do you seem worried?"

Elijah sighed and her hand clutched his tighter, waiting for him to explain. It took him a moment before he did, nervous over how she'd worry when the truth came out.

"I saw you."

"In the vision?" she frowned, "How do you mean?"

"The vision showed us flashes. It's difficult to know for certain what they meant, it was confusing. I saw scenes more than reality. A smashed table, blood on a portrait, and there was you, curled up in a corner. You were terrified, I couldn't see what was frightening you but I've never seen you like that."

"Oh."

"It's not real," he promised, "I don't understand what it was but I'm not going to let anyone or anything near you."

"It was probably Klaus," she brushed off with a laugh, her hands rose to push her hair back behind her shoulders and she cleared her throat uncomfortably, "I probably had to spend an afternoon with him again and that was traumatising in itself."

"Probably."

"If all that you saw was me a little spooked it's fine."

Neither Frankie nor Elijah seemed entirely convinced but he leaned forwards to kiss her again and that distraction was enough for both to pretend they were okay. They were pulled apart again by Frankie's phone beeping, Elijah pulling back with a laugh.

"I think it's best if you let Camille know you're alright."

Frankie nodded, pulling out her phone with a grin twitching to her lips as she looked at the messages that had come throughout the night and morning. Cami it seemed had done some of her own research, the messages that had started off hopeful and encouraging, then turned worried, then lightened with delight again.

"Klaus told her I was here," she explained, scrolling through the messages with amusement before typing back a response, "Apparently your brother gave her a play by play of everything after I crashed here. He's also made some presumptions about this morning and shared those with her."

"Wonderful to know Niklaus' position as the gossip cycle coordinator is thriving."

"He is a gossip, isn't he?"

Elijah laughed and Frankie felt her stomach rumble. She and Elijah had been hiding away in his room for more than a few hours at that point and the mediocre bowl of cereal she'd consumed had done little to sustain her now that night was falling.

"Are you hungry?" Elijah asked, noting the sound as her stomach rumbled again, this time embarrassingly loudly.

"Yeah," she nodded, finally stumbling off her place on Elijah's lap as she stood to her feet, "Thank fuck you've got Freya living here so you've got real food in the house, do you reckon she'd care if I raided your pantry again?"

"Not in the slightest," he shook his head, standing to his feet beside her, "I believe she's home too, would you like to meet her?"

"Now?"

Elijah nodded and so Frankie shrugged. She'd met enough of Elijah's siblings to know how to hold her own against them and what to expect but she wondered what Freya had been told about her after last year. She wondered whether Freya knew everything about her or if there were things that for once hadn't been shared.

Elijah's hand caught hers, pulling her back towards him in a kiss before they finally left his room. As they stumbled down the stairs towards the living area of the compound his hand was on her back and her face was split into a grin.

She wasn't sure what she'd expected of Freya but when she saw her it was undeniable that she was a Mikaelson. She didn't have the same features as the others, not Elijah's dark hair or Rebekah's statuesque height but she held herself like them, her shoulders back as her eyes flicked to Frankie in surprise. She was beautiful too, all the Mikaelson's had good genes and she was no different, powerful eyes and a smile that quirked up to one side endearingly while the rest of her was practically model like.

"Hello," Freya greeted, looking between Elijah and Frankie curiously.

"Hey," she said lightly, leaning back against Elijah's chest reassuringly before raising her hand in a light wave, "I'm Frankie, you're Freya, right? I've heard a lot about you."

"I am," Freya nodded, a smile rising to her lips though Frankie could still note the calculating look in her eyes as she glanced between Elijah and her, "It's nice to meet you. Are you staying?"

Frankie faltered at the question, unsure if Freya meant in New Orleans or the compound. How much exactly that Freya knew of Frankie too was a mystery. She certainly knew something given the way her analytical eyes flicked between the proximity between Elijah and herself but she supposed that Elijah wasn't exactly the most open person and it wouldn't have been a hard leap to make that she was someone to him.

"I was gonna raid your pantry," Frankie confessed, "so long as you don't mind."

"Go for it," Freya laughed, "I was about to make dinner, if you like you're welcome to join."

"Yeah?"

Freya nodded and Frankie grinned.

Somehow after they made their way to the kitchen and popped a bottle of wine, her invitation to dinner grew into a party. Elijah was just as good a cook as Freya and while they took over in the kitchen, Frankie texted Cami inviting her too to join. It took a while for her to arrive but Frankie enjoyed the time with Elijah and Freya. He'd always had a gentle kindness when she watched him with Rebekah and he seemed the same too with Freya, anticipating her every movement so he did more of the work than her.

Freya was interesting to talk to, so much about her life fascinated Frankie that she hardly noticed as Elijah slipped from the room to make a phone call leaving the pair alone. Freya seemed to feel the same about Frankie and the pair chattering easily.

She gathered that Freya hadn't been told about her but that she knew somewhat who she was. The details were vague but Freya mentioned there was someone in Elijah's life who was a taboo topic, someone that Hayley, Klaus, and Rebekah were all weary to talk about. No one mentioned her but there were times they almost would, when one of them would bring her up when discussing Elijah, just stopping short of revealing too much about her.

Freya definitely seemed like a Mikaelson the more time Frankie spent with her. She revealed that she'd noticed Frankie first at the Strix Gala when Elijah's eyes followed her as she danced with Tristan, watching her in a way he rarely focused so much on.

Despite not seeing her again that evening, she'd placed the pieces together easily with Hayley and Klaus giving him knowing looks as they talked in the study and then as he slept in a spare room. Finally when they came down together and she caught the look in Elijah's eye she knew instantly that Frankie was the one no one liked to discuss.

Eventually the kitchen filled back up again, Cami and Frankie giggling ridiculously at a joke Freya made while Elijah looked on fondly. Even without the meal fully prepared they'd made it to their second bottle of wine and despite the odd gaggle of people they chattered along easily.

"Francesca," Klaus boomed cockily, entering the room dramatically with an eyebrow raised at the crowd, "I take the fact that you remain in my kitchen after last nights affair with my brother to mean you're home."

Frankie turned to face him with a scowl on her face. Klaus was calling her by her full name with the express intent of irritating her and her hand reached out to hit him across the chest before a grin broke out and she pulled him into a hug.

His arms reached up around her and he pulled her tight to his chest, relieved to have her here and delighted to have his favourite punching bag back. Already in the interim he'd been planning quips to say to her mocking her and Elijah and he was pleased to finally be able to do it in person rather than over voicemails that she never replied to.

"You apparently gathered all that hours ago," she pointed out when they broke apart, "Cami got the full rundown from you."

"My therapist does seem to be struggling with the whole client confidentiality thing," he looked threateningly at Cami who was sitting at the counter before letting out a toothy grin that might've been frightening if they didn't know him so well, "suppose I'll have to see to that."

"I think that applies to clients who pay, not compel," Cami pointed out.

"Please," Klaus scoffed indignantly, "I haven't compelled you in months."

Frankie laughed. She missed this, her little family in New Orleans which felt so in sync, the room filled up with people she loved. Elijah was there and his hand pulled hers to his lips as he watched her affectionately, his heart swelling when she caught his eye she grinned wider.

"Your hair is all shaggy," she told Klaus, her free hand darting out to ruffle through it before he had a chance to pull away and join Cami. She'd heard from Klaus whilst she was away a lot but she hadn't seen him, not even over FaceTime or through photos like she had Cami and Rebekah and she was surprised by how different he seemed.

"Fantastic," Klaus drawled sarcastically, his hand catching her's and tugging it from his hair, "good to know you're back to insult me, my ego hadn't taken a proper hit in a while."

"Please Niklaus your ego grows by the minute," Elijah said from beside her, a smile twitching at his lips at the indignation in Klaus' voice,

Frankie let out a laugh that sounded more like a snort, "No," she protested, "I actually like the hair."

Klaus rolled his eyes instead of responding, moving to take the plates Elijah had pulled from the cabinet as Freya placed the final garnishes on the dish.

It was certainly a bizarre mix of people, the gathering only turning more unusual when they retired to the living room with Freya somehow contouring Rebekah up, pulling her spirit to the room where she could join in even from where she lived overseas.

Her witch body aided in the astral projection though when she'd first appeared Frankie had been shocked seeing her friend wearing another body. She knew all about Eva Sinclair and what had happened in the year before and she'd even spoken to her friend over the phone hearing her new voice but it was still a surprise to see her beside her looking so different.

Elijah had caught her hand and though she'd only smiled happily at Rebekah, she'd secretly squeezed his hand, glad of the reassurance as she stared at her friend. While each of the others had seen Rebekah like this before, it was her first time really acknowledging how much things hand changed and she felt relieved that she had Elijah beside her to steady her.

Post dinner things grew a little more relaxed when they all dissolved into a a drunken sprawl around the living room. Frankie was squashed between Elijah and Cami though they were pressed so near to each other that her shoulder was leaning against Elijah's while Camis legs lay atop her lap. She didn't exactly mind how close they all were, certainly not when Elijah's hand fell to her thigh and traced gentle circles as they all spoke.

Somehow they were playing a drinking game, a good idea in fiction however in reality with all of the Mikaelson's having an alcoholic level tolerance combined with a supernatural recovery rate only Cami and Frankie seemed to be really feeling it. The game was never have I ever, Frankie had been the one to suggest it in the first place, looking pointedly at Klaus with the intention of making him chug more of the spirits than the rest of them, hoping she could get him as drunk as he'd pretended to be the night before.