Petrichor - e.mikaelson

41

A lot had changed in the year since Frankie had left New Orleans.

The Salvatores had been successful in their plan to bring her brother back, though a great deal more calamity came from it than any of them had expected. That chaos however was at least something that both Frankie and her brother were determined to stay far from. They almost lived somewhat normal lives after his resurrection, forcing a steadiness that neither felt in earnest.

Once Alaric had been resurrected, it had been difficult for Frankie to consider being anywhere other than there with him. She was surprised by how much it scared her having him back. It was as though she always needed to know he was alright, constantly felt terrified he'd die on her again.

Alaric too liked having her there. He'd spent a lot of his time on the Other Side shadowing her and watching her grieve and he felt relieved being back with her as they helped each other rebuild their lives. Everything in their worlds had changed and being together was nice, the solidity of family, helping them take the next steps forward.

Frankie had days where she still missed Elijah, a lot of days where she couldn't get him out of her mind, where she couldn't stop hearing his kind words and picturing his steady hands holding her.

If she let him he could pervade every inch of her soul.

It was hard to forget the feeling of him beside her as she slept or the comfort of him next to her as she read, the sound of his laugh when she teased him and the taste of his lips on hers. There were so many things about Elijah that she missed that she was sure she could write a new one each day and never run out of ideas. 

If anyone asked, she'd only shrug her shoulders but really her heart would clench with regret each time she thought of what she'd done when she'd run.

She'd even nearly turned around a few days after her arrival back in Mystic Falls when Cami had called to tell her the events that happened, Hayley's transition and the baby's death and the toll it took on both Klaus and Elijah. It had gone so far that she'd begun looking at flights until Klaus returned her call and assured her they were okay and that she stay where she needed to be, that he'd call her if she could help them but that she do what she needed to do.

At times staying in Virginia was hard but at least it allowed Frankie to build her life a little more. She worked on mostly freelance projects on the side until eventually she stopped working in hospitality in its entirety, able to support herself with just her art. It was strange, actually enjoying the work she did but being able to make art as her living helped her feel more fulfilled.

Frankie and Alaric had somehow ended up in an apartment together, him teaching at Whitmore while she worked on her art, mainly from home though sometimes she'd squirrel away in a studio when she had a particularly large project. He'd been the one to ask her to move in with him, who'd suggested that they get a place together, he'd even been able to compel them a slightly larger newer apartment than either of their salary's could justify thanks to his vampire compulsion.