Christmas crept up on them all surprisingly quickly, a day engulfed in a normalcy that felt odd compared to the chaos that usually filled any day alongside a Mikaelson.

For the first time in a long time, things actually seemed to be good in New Orleans.

Rebekah was home and although there had been a worrying moment thanks to a curse the Strix's weapon had placed upon her, it was all under control now. Freya had managed to subdue the curse well enough for it to be manageable and they were all taking this moment of respite for the win it was. Somewhat of a truce had been called between the de Martels, Lucian, and the Mikaelsons, and while peace likely wouldn't last for long, it was a tentative beginning that they'd take while they could.

All of them had been embroiled in such chaos for weeks, that they needed to take the small window of peace to be together. The messed up family that they'd created with both Frankie and Cami thrown into the Mikaelson mix was an unusual one, but one that flowed naturally despite it all.

Spending the morning together, Frankie and Elijah had returned to her bed in her apartment, their first Christmas together spent doing alarmingly little. They needed to head to the compound in time, but neither was in a rush to break the spell that seemed to fall over they lay together with nothing but soft words and gentle caresses between them.

As Elijah read aloud, Frankie lay with her head in his lap, her hand brushing gently across his arm as she tried to stay awake. She could feel her eyes slipping more definitively closed but she fought against it, rolling off Elijah lazily.

"Where might you be going, my love?" Elijah probed, placing the book beside them before following her and pinning her lightly beneath him.

"We need to get up," she groaned, pushing his shoulder back, forcefully though not cruelly. He didn't budge though his eyebrows rose in amusement causing her to roll her eyes, "I should shower and I definitely need to change before we go to dinner. Your family will literally torture me if I turn up in my underwear. Do you want me to die of embarrassment?"

Elijah frowned, pressing his lips to hers softly and grinning at how quickly she melted into his grip. Pulling away, he looked down at her studying her before speaking, "But I haven't given you my gift yet."

Laughing, Frankie wrapped her legs around his waist before tumbling them over so she now lay atop him, then sitting up so she was straddling him. He followed her movements, sitting up with his lips following hers, smirking in amusement at the look on her face.

"You should know that if you're referring to your dick, that it's a lot less of a turn on than you think it is," she informed him bluntly.

Elijah laughed so loudly at that she almost fell off of him and if his hands hadn't flown up to catch her by the waist, she likely would've. There were a great many things that he loved about her but one of the greatest was her boldness. Though from afar she looked as soft and sweet as any, in earnest she swore like a sailor and was just as blunt and crass.

"No," he chuckled again, "Not now, but I do have a gift for you, a real gift."

Surprise flitted across her face but before she could respond he stood, an arm circling her back to hold her against him as he walked them both to the linen closet beside the bathroom. It was a cabinet that she was fairly sure she'd never opened and by amusement across Elijahs face, she knew he knew that too.

There was a box inside and she pulled it out, eyeing it curiously as he then took them both to the couch. Once they made it there she climbed off of his lap, sitting beside him with her legs crossed and her body turned towards his.

"I thought we said we'd do presents at your family's?"

"Mhm."

"Well what's this?"

"Hmm?" he frowned innocently, "How am I to know?"

A scowl fell across her face, but as she tugged the lid back, her mouth fell open in shock and surprise. She'd made a joke about this very thing dozens of times but she'd never actually meant it in earnest and she never expected that he'd fulfil that wish.

"Now you can feel better about me being a better stoner," he teased her, "I'm sure you'll look better in that than I ever have in my own. And, now you needn't be forced into uncomfortable dresses each time you accompany me to an event."

Frankie tugged the suit from the box, looking in awe at it and then at the man she loved. It was such a sweet gesture she actually could feel the tears pricking at her eyes, the care in every action he took overwhelming her.

It had been a long time since she'd thought of Mitch but she did now and she knew there was no way to ever compare them, Elijah's constant adoration and affection a far cry from anything he'd ever expressed to her.

For all that time during and after him she'd thought that the way to protect herself from pain was to keep people away. She'd lost person after person and she discovered the best way to skip the hurt was to skip the love too.

The less people who she let herself love, the less people would hurt her when she inevitably lost them.

She'd thought that being alone was being strong, that it was protecting herself, but she saw now that all it had done was hurt her. Even if things ended poorly with Elijah, she'd be okay, because she was sure could survive off this love he filled her with now for all of eternity.

"Why are you so nice to me," she murmured, "It's too much. You're always so perfect."

"I want you to know that I see perfection in you so much more so than anyone else, certainly myself included. I've never known such beauty nor love like I do when I'm with you. All I need in this life is to know you and have you by me."

"You're still way too good for me."

"Frankie my darling, I'll say this every day until you believe me but it's me who's blessed to know you. There's nothing that brings me more joy than every minute I spend in your company. Nothing and no one has made me feel as alive in a thousand years like I've felt with you laying in my arms. You're radiant, you have an inexhaustible light that I would live by for all of eternity if I could. Frankie, you are divinity and all I need in my days is to bask by your side."

Her heart pounded as her body flooded with love. Certainly there was no one she'd ever loved like this, cared for do immensely that it could consume her while still letting her be free. Elijah never once tried to control or change her, instead he stood by her, let her make her own mistakes and simply supported her however she needed.

Frankie pressed a kiss to his lips, "I love you so fucking much. Shit, I can't say things like you can but fuck, Elijah I want to live this life with you too."

"That would make me beyond happy."

"I'm not ready yet," she said gently, "but Elijah, I don't want to grow old, not if you won't."

"Frankie-"

"Listen," she cut him off, "If things are still perfect in a year, I want us to talk about me turning. I want to stay with you because I don't ever want to lose you."

"In a year?"

"A year," she nodded.

It was something that she'd been thinking of ever since the time she'd been compelled by Aurora, and a topic she became more certain of each day she spent with Elijah. The idea of turning had so consumed her she'd even called her brother to ask his opinion on it, on whether she should share her thoughts with Elijah.

She didn't actually want to be a vampire if she was really honest, but she preferred it to the thought that she'd live a life without him or grow old when he didn't and so it was something that seemed to make more sense than anything else.

The idea was set in her mind, the time frame had been her brothers idea, a confirmation before she ended her life that things were right and it was a decision that made sense. She'd known Elijah for really only a few years at this point and while the time they spent together was brilliant and intense, her turning wasn't something that necessarily needed to be rushed.

Though she couldn't leave it forever as she aged and he didn't, she didn't need it to be instantaneous. At least with an idea of that as a goal a year for now, it could be something they both thought on in that time.

"I suppose I can change your mind by then," he teased, kissing her again, "So did you like the suit?"

"Yes," she laughed, standing to her feet at tugging the jacket over her underwear, the lace of her bra peeking out beneath the lapels of the jacket in question, "It's such a fucking vibe."

Elijah's eyebrows quirked as his lips twitched up with amusement, "A vibe?"

"Alright," she rolled her eyes jokingly as she flipped him the bird, "If you can use a word like divinity with a straight face in reference to me, you're not allowed to laugh at me using slang.'

"Oh never," he teased, standing and pulling her to him by her waist, "I'm merely trying to get acquainted with this century's vernacular."

"You'll need to do better than that," she said honestly, stepping back from his grip and pulling the trouser pants that still sat in their box into her grip, "I'm going to shower. We can leave in an hour?"

Elijah nodded, watching affectionately as she strode nonchalantly from the room in only underwear and a jacket. Everything in his soul felt settled when she was around and while he somewhat balked at the idea that he ever do anything to taint her soul like allowing her to turn, secretly he felt himself swell with love that she could want to consider spending eternity with him.

While he'd spend the next year doing what he could to convince her to stay human, if she wasn't swayed by then, he'd help her do it and support her every step of the journey into vampirism.

There was no doubt in Elijah's mind that Frankie was who he loved, he loved her unequivocally and he thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen always. But, when she appeared from the bedroom an hour later, the suit he'd gifted her on and her hair billowing down her back in soft waves he felt his breath catch in his throat.

He was reminded of the first time he saw her, bruised and confused in her brothers apartment and then again the first time he'd taken her out. Her hair had billowed down her back like this when he took her to his mothers ball but while she'd certainly been beautiful then, she was so much more so now he really knew her too. It was like he could see her soul each time her. lips twitched into a smile, her happiness engulfing and then overflowing onto him.

"You look—" he broke off, staring in awe at her, "Wow."

Grinning, Frankie sped forwards and wrapped her arms around his waist before leaning up to press a kiss on his lips, "Do you like it?"

"Very much," he nodded, his arms circling her back, shifting beneath her jacket to tighten against the shirt beneath that she wore, "does it fit well enough?"

"Yeah," she stepped out of his grip and held the jacket up before spinning around to show him, "Like really well its almost insane. How they get it to fit my butt and my waist so perfectly, like fuck, this has been tailored so fucking well and I'd never even tried it on, I can't believe it."

"I'm glad you fucking like it," he teased, his lips twitched up at the surprise that crossed her face as he swore but rather than giving her a chance to reply he continued on, "Shall we? Would you rather drive or do you just want me to take us?"

Despite his centuries of life which moulded him into a pinnacle of steadiness, Elijah still surprised her. He enjoyed teasing her just as she did him and that was one of the things she loved most about them, how easily things flowed and how full of a lightness she felt beside him. His eyes would twinkle with mischief as his lips twitched up into a conspiratorial smirk when he'd tease her.

"Can you be bothered to just speed us there? I don't know if I care enough to drive. At least all the gifts are there so we needn't bring anything."

Elijah smiled, circling his arms around her waist again before speeding them to the compound. Everyone was already there when they arrived, all of the Mikaelson siblings, Cami, and then Hayley and Jackson with Hope in their arms.

"A suit!" Cami declared excitedly, tumbling forwards to greet Frankie first, "You're both in suits! How fantastic."

"You look hot, Cam," Frankie laughed, "How much have you had to drink?"

"Less than at Lucian's," she said honestly, "I just really love the suit. Hi Elijah."

Frankie broke away, greeting the others at that point before pulling a giggling Hope up into her arms. It was hard to believe something so sweet and pure came from Klaus but when she looked over at him and caught his eye she saw the way his face softened. It was hard to picture Klaus as anything near kind or tender but when his eyes fell to his daughter he seemed to melt into just that.

"Merry Christmas," she said, making her way over, "Can't believe that's actually a smile on your face, didn't even know you could do that."

"Merry Christmas Francesca," he replied, his warm look dropping into a cool scowl that wasn't nearly as frightening as he thought it was, "How are you?"

"I'm good, Niklaus."

"How are you really?"

"I'm good," she said again, laughing at the way he seemed to be studying her for her responses, "Thank you, for everything when—"

"It was nothing."

"It wasn't," she was bouncing Hope in her arms as she spoke but her eyes were steady on his, "I was freaking the fu- I was freaking out and you were really nice. I probably would've had a lot more of a meltdown if not for you so, thank you."

Klaus lent forwards, pressing a kiss on her cheek with more kindness than she expected, "I've been telling you for years sweetheart, you're family."

A flush covered her cheeks though really it flooded her whole body with a warmth and a love that enveloped her entirely.

Klaus had a funny way of pulling you in no matter how much you tried to hate him and she knew he'd done exactly that to her. They'd gone though so much together since she first met him in Mystic Falls possessing her brothers body, and it was bizarre thinking of how she felt about him then in comparison to now.

Just as much as Alaric, Klaus really was her family, just as he'd always told her she was to him.

"Wait," she caught his arm before he could leave, seeing the beeline he was making towards Cami, "Are you ever going to make a move on her?"

"On who?" he asked, an eyebrow raised expectantly, "Despite being the mother of my child I'm certain that Hayley has little desire—"

"You know," Frankie cut him off, "You know who I mean. I know you care about her."

Klaus was quiet for a moment, his thumb gently running across Hope's back, "Is that so?"

"She cares about you too," she continued, "She doesn't want to mess things up which is why she hasn't done anything, but I think if you made a move, she'd be happy."

Cami hadn't said so explicitly that, but Frankie more than knew the truth about how she felt about Klaus, just as Cami had known the truth about her and Elijah. Trapped with only each other as supernatural confidants in their friendship had grown deeper than any either had had before. Just as Frankie had been pulled back to Elijah thanks to Cami's interference, she knew it was okay to intervene for the sake of Cami and Klaus' happiness.

"I'll take it under consideration," he nodded, a small smile pricking at his lips as he pulled Hope into his own arms, and turned away again.

Frankie wasn't alone long, Elijah had joined back up with her after that, pulling her towards him in a kiss that lasted so long Freya actually cleared her throat to break them apart. She loved him so much that her heart raced just by his hand on her and she ignored Rebekah's dramatic retching in the corner, throwing the bird up at her before pecking him again on the lips.

"Save it for literally anywhere else," Klaus said with disgust, "there are children around."

"Aside from you and Hope?" she said, spinning to face him with a grin before turning back to Elijah, noting both their empty glasses that she tugged into her hand, "Refill?"

"I'll get it," he smiled, pulling the glasses back and disappearing before she had a chance to respond.

With a sigh, Frankie sat down on the couch, warmth filling her at how content she felt. The couch dipped down beside her but she didn't turn to look at them, presuming it was only Elijah returning with their drinks.

"You're good for him," Rebekah said beside her, "He's happier when you're here, he needs someone by his side who takes care of him."

"He's too good for me really," Frankie said honestly, "I've never had anyone in my life like him, but I'm gonna stay until he wants me gone."

"Always and forever?" she asked with a laugh.

"I think so," Frankie turned to Rebekah with a smile on her face, "Honestly, I really hope so."

Rebekah laughed understanding implicitly the hope in her voice and how desperately she really did want everything to work out. Elijah joined them then, two glasses in hand and an innocent expression as he pretended not to have just overheard their conversation. Shooting him a grateful look, her hand caught his as she tugged him down beside her, his arm leaning across the back of the couch behind her.

"Thanks."

"Of course," he smiled, "Can I get you anything, sister?"

"Finally noticed me, have you?" she teased, "It's not as if I've only been in your life for a millennium Elijah."

"Don't worry," he chuckled, "You're still Frankie's favourite."

"Of course I am," Rebekah wrapped her arm around Frankie's waist, tugging her closer so they were pressed together on a couch, "I'm everybody's favourite."

"Damn straight," Frankie agreed with a laugh, "So I know your brother compelled people to bleed themselves for you guys, but do you know if he got any actual food too?"

"I can see—" Elijah made to stand before Frankie caught him, pushing him back to the couch with a grin.

"I'm perfectly capable of harassing your brother myself," she said, standing up herself, "Do you want me to bring anything back for you if there is?"

Elijah shook his head and Frankie turned away. She made her way first to the kitchen, figuring if there was food that's where Klaus' compelled chefs would be, cooking something for her, Cami and Freya. Tragically when she arrived there wasn't anyone cooking, but there was Cami, leaning over a bowl of hummus with a packet of crackers beside her.

"Oh," Frankie cried, "let me get in on that please."

"God yeah," Cami laughed, spinning the crackers to face Frankie who pulled a handful out gratefully, "You'd think with half the guests actually being alive Klaus would've thought to get some food."