Petrichor - e.mikaelson

52

She remembered what Klaus had told her about Freya's ability to lift the compulsion and while she didn't believe the compulsion existed, she'd let them try tomorrow. Once Freya tried and failed to lift the nonexistent compulsion, Frankie would be vindicated and hopefully they'd help her escape from him.

"Right," she said, her eyes shifting uncomfortably to the floor as she buckled under the weight of her friends concern.

There was silence for a moment, Frankie could feel her cheeks begin to redden, letting out a sigh of relief a moment later when Cami broke the silence. Tugging her from her thoughts, she looked to her with an easy smile as she held out Frankies laptop.

"Love island?" she suggested, "I need to know if Cely forgives Johnny post Casa Amor."

"Me too," Frankie agreed, grateful for the change of topic as she shuffled over in bed so Cami could join her, "I would die for Cely, she's a fucking angel."

Cami laughed, kicking her shoes off so she could slide into the bed beside Frankie who was setting up the laptop for them both to watch. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she watched her friend, the girl who seemed exactly as she always had but who Freya said had flinched in horror just at the thought of Elijah entering a room she was in. Frankie had always been the stronger of the two and while she wasn't shaking in terror now, it was difficult to picture her doing so and awful to know.

Fortunately at least, both Frankie and Cami fell into deep slumbers, woken hours later by a knocking on the door that sent Frankie's heart pounding just as much with surprise as fear. The door didn't unlock from the outside at least like it had at her apartment and at the look Frankie unintentionally shot to her friend, Cami quickly slid from the bed to the door.

"Who is it?" she called, her hand on both the handle and the lock as she held them closed. Though any vampire could break through a locked door with little effort, the action comforted Frankie who's eyes were trained on it nervously.

"It's me," Freya replied, her voice steady and calm, "it's just me."

Cami turned back to face Frankie who gave her a tentative nod, curling her fists into the sheets as she watched the door open slowly. Freya stepped into the room noting the sigh that escaped Frankies lips as Cami tightly closed and then locked the door behind her.

"How are you feeling?" Freya asked, "Do you want any breakfast? If you're not comfortable coming downstairs, I can bring you food up here."

"I'm fine," she said, uncomfortable with the way both Freya and Cami were scrutinising her with the unspoken words hanging in the air, "You don't have to treat me like I'm a child. I'm not crazy, I know what I know. Just because you all hate Aurora doesn't mean she's wrong, not about him."

"You're not crazy," Cami agreed, "but things were different for me before and after Davina helped remove Klaus' compulsion. Freya can help you."

"And if it's not compulsion," she pressed in response, "You both swear you'll help me leave. You'll help me leave New Orleans tonight."

Cami frowned, hurt by the idea that her friend was so frightened she was running just as everything seemed perfect. She understood why Frankie was so vehemently opposed to staying but it didn't make things easier. She understood that as Aurora layered her compulsion onto her mind she gave her the delusion too that nothing was wrong, that she was the only one who really understood.

This was the first time Frankie had really ever been compelled and so it made sense that she didn't believe it had happened to her. Apparently Klaus had tried to compel her once, not realising she was wearing vervain and then not bothering to remove it, and since then she'd always both worn it and drunk it. If not for Lucian's kidnapping as he waited for their vervain to leave their system, Frankie would've been fine.