At the risk of inflating her ego even larger than it is.... No bet was wagered and lost. More of a "thank you" nod for putting up with me while writing this story.
Elijah is definitely more comfortable at his home. Don't forget, even though his time in Montana/Idaho was memorable, it was also short. He really doesn't know Sebastian and the gang all that well. Zev and Ben are the ones he connected with the most and in this time-line, Zev is balls deep in sorting out the Idaho mess.