Find Me in Paris - Frank One Shots

Wish We Could Turn Back Time

A/N: Ok, so I'm rewatching FMIP, and in the first episode, Henri finds a letter from Lena's mum to Victor saying the time collectors had fucked shit up, so here's this.

Summary: A long while ago, Frank had run into Victor and Princess Alexandra, and accidentally sent their dear friend through a time rip with no way to get back. Now, Victor, Alexandra, and Frank are in a room together, and Victor and Alex are really mad at Frank, finally getting a chance to tell him how much he ruined. By this point, Frank is already trying to put this stuff behind him, and starts to get really upset. At seeing how upset he is, Victor and Alex realise that he is still young, and start to comfort him about it.
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Frank had gone to Victor's office to collect something he'd left there when he'd been there last. He'd been there so many times for research, or hunting for items, that he sometimes forgot that it is Victor's office.

Walking in, there was Victor and Alexandra - Lena's mother, the queen of Russia - someone he'd had a few run ins with before. They're last encounter had ended in Frank messing things up for them, and they were no doubt unhappy with him. Just when he'd thought he could be better, his past came back to haunt him.

Panic written across his face, they turned and saw him. Victor was still unhappy with Frank about what had happened before, but not so much now that he'd already seen Frank since then, and had time to deal with it. Alex on the other hand, had just been waiting for an opportunity to give him hell for what he'd done. And Frank could see this on her face.

"You! I can't believe you have the audacity to walk back in here. To stand in my presence after what you did! Have you even paid a thought to it? Do you even care about the consequences of your actions? You ruined everything Frank! I hope you know that! I've been waiting for a chance to tell you just how much you screwed up!" She continued like this, and Frank kept his head down.

Looking at the floor in front of him, he was desperately trying to avoid eye contact, and she kept screaming.

The more she screamed about everything he'd done wrong, the mess he'd made, how much he'd screwed up, and how stupid he was, the worse he felt. He'd tried so hard to make up for his past mistakes. He'd brought down the Bureau, made amends with Lena and Ines, he worked for them. And yet, his efforts still weren't good enough.

He isn't good enough.

As he was thinking this, she was still yelling, and he couldn't help but think that it was this feeling that led him to run off and become a Time Collector in the first place. He'd brought this on himself.

At that thought, the lump in his thought gave way, and a deep breath escaped him as a small tear left his eye.

He very quickly wiped it away, and tried very hard to hide his face and not break down completely.

Victor caught onto this, and moved to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Frank couldn't even look up.

Finally Victor had had enough. Frank was misguided, and Victor had often tried to be a role model to him - tough but fair. He'd at least been better than Frank's own father. He's put time travel on him from a young age, pressured him into being the perfect time travelling heir he was, and that obviously didn't work. It only led Frank to be up tight, and untrusting. Always trying to be better than his best, thinking his best isn't good enough.

Although never saying it out loud, Victor tried to be a father figure to Frank, as he knew Frank needed a better role model in his life.

"Alex," he started, calm but stern, "that's enough, he is only a boy."  She stopped and looked at Victor with an incredulous look, but then saw Frank and the stray tears he couldn't stop, her expression stopped. It was at that moment that she realised, he is, just a boy. He hadn't done it on purpose.

Finally looking up, Frank saw both of them staring at him, and just broke down.

"I'm sorry, I really am! I never meant to, I promise, it was only an accident. I was using the time piece and I didn't even realise it would create a rip, I didn't know then, and he came out of nowhere, and, and.." Frank continued rambling like this, tears dripping down his face, and Victor and Alex gave him some time for him to calm himself down.

After a moment, Frank was just left crying, not knowing what else to say. Victor sat him in a chair.

"I know Frank, it's ok," Alex said comfortingly "I held onto that resentment for so long, but... I forgive you."

With those three words, Frank took a breath, tears streaming harder, but knowing he could try and relax now.

"We forgive you. What's done is done, what matters, is not letting it ruin the future." Victor added. Frank only nodded, elbows against his knees and head in his hands, still crying, but steadying his breathing. Victor and Alex were both to his side, and for a moment, everyone realised that they were ok.

They stayed like that for a bit before Frank just said "Thank you.", not looking up or moving, but tears finally stopped, and breathing even. He only took a minute more until standing up, wiping his tears with his sleeve and regaining his composure, dignity having already been thrown out the window, he went to leave without another word.

Before he could though, Victor stopped him with a long hug. Frank let another silent tear slip by as he did this, and whispered, "Thanks Victor.". As he let go, Alex pulled him into a shorter hug, yet equally compassionate.

In the door frame, he turned and nodded as his way of thanks, not trusting his words, but finally feeling as if he'd made peace with the Time Collector in him, and accepted it as a good thing. The only thing holding him back from seeing that part of his life as a part he could proud of, had just been eliminated by forgiveness.

Despite his still watery eyes, he left the office feeling better about himself than when he walked in.
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A/N: I hoped you liked this part! Let me know if you want more fics like this, please request! And let me know if you want more fatherly Victor.
Have a great day/night,
~ SonofaBeach