Sunlight

Chapter 23: Road Tripping

They were on the road the next day, driving. The stunt with the men had gained a little more media attention than they would have liked, and they felt the need to keep moving. Caroline swore to return one day, however. Despite the attack, she was attracted to the city, and nothing could stop her from coming back in the future.

Klaus kept glancing over to Caroline to see how she was coping, and she appreciated and was warmed by his care, but in all honesty, she had killed before. Killing in self defense or to defend someone she cared about was something she could come to terms with. It was just the combination of the men targeting her and how she had automatically elected to remove the mans heart – a classic Original move – that had shaken her.

"I'm fine, you know." She sighed as she felt his gaze move to her face again. "Eyes on the road."

"We could fly somewhere else, rest for a few days, not do anything." Klaus suggested, not wanting her to feel pressured. It had not been the best start to the Caroline planned part of the trip, and he wondered if she would overexhauste herself. No, he didn't wonder. He worried. He wasn't particularly happy that he worried, for worrying about his family was one thing, but worrying to this extent about Caroline was something he was not comfortable with yet. But there was no other option for him. Being changed irreversibly by another human being was not something that one could choose. He merely had to accept it, embrace it.

"You just want to get the control back." Caroline rolled her eyes at his voiced comment. "No chance, Klaus. No way."

"Whatever you say, love." Klaus conceded with a smile curling his lips.

"That's right." Caroline nodded vehemently, earning a chuckle from the hybrid.

"Now, the slow torture of Niklaus continues." Caroline joked. "First I take away the control, and next up is the introduction into music of this century. Where's the iPod?"

"Back pocket." Klaus grinned over at Caroline, trying to be difficult.

She merely raised one eyebrow before unbuckling her seatbelt and leaning over him. Klaus masked his surprise well while her hand went to search the back pocket of his jeans, staring her straight in the eye, their faces a mere inch apart while he somehow kept control of the car on the highway.

"Its not here."

"No? Must be the other back pocket."

Her hand went around to the other side even though she did not move from where she was leaning over him. She gave a thorough search even though the pockets themselves were not all that deep, purely just to feel his impeccable behind, but didn't find what she was looking for.

"Not there?" Klaus asked innocently while he smirked, and Caroline gasped in mock outrage.

"Niklaus!"

Klaus pressed his lips to hers hungrily. "I love it when you say my name." He said against her lips, his words soft but harsh with his deep husky voice. Caroline shivered deliciously, his action almost prompting a reaction from her, the word 'love' on the edge of her lips. But she pulled away, knowing it was neither the time nor place for such declarations.

"You just want crazy car sex." She said, and Klaus laughed again. Caroline pressed a kiss to his neck, nipped it, and kissed it again before returning to her seat.

"We'll both have to wait. There's still a long way to go."

"Sweetheart, are you planning on driving us to China?" Klaus said jokingly, then did a double take at the expression on Caroline's face. "Really?"

"Not China, but yes, this is going to be a bit of a road trip. Which is why I figured I'd get the music going."

"Check my coat pocket." Klaus said helpfully, and Caroline fished out the device from his discarded jacket and plugged it into the car stereo system. Ed Sheeran's voice filled the car, and Caroline sat back with a smile.