Above It All " SEQUEL TO ABOVE ALL ELSE "

Chapter 1

Caroline tapped her pen against the book that sat propped on her thighs, her mind wandering as she felt the warm breeze glide across her skin and ruffle her hair. Her blue eyes danced over the near similar colored waters from beneath her large sunglasses. The rays of the fading sun sparkled over the water of the sea as it dried the last that remained on her skin from her recent dip in the ocean. Sighing lightly, she glanced back down reading over what she had just wrote in the book and thinking about the man who had given it to her.

Caroline laid silently in Klaus's arms, her eyes dry and scratchy from all the tears she had shed long after the battle was fought and won. Sighing heavily, knowing there was more to come, she knew she had to take advantage of this small reprieve her emotions were giving her.

She tilted her head, looking up to Klaus with a drawn and haggard face, her voice raspy, "We should go let him out now."

Klaus winced at the pain in her voice as he brushed his fingers over her salt stained cheek, answering her lowly knowing she did not need any more conflict this night, "I can take care of it Caroline."

She shook her head against the crook of his neck, "No. It's fine." Sluggishly she sat up and turned her head to look at him with her brows furrowed, "Then again, maybe you should come with me. You know, to help protect me."

Klaus chuckled as he lifted his body off their bed in one sleek move, "I'm sure he won't be as angry as all that."

Caroline scoffed as she began to trudge down the hallway, "Clearly you've never seen him pissed off."

Keeping up with her steady yet unhurried pace, "I'm sure Steven will understand, we were only looking after his safety."

"Here's hoping, but I'm not counting on it. Even if we did have the backing of nearly half the coven."

Turned out Caroline was correct. Steven had ranted and raved when they released him from one of the holding cells in the Mikaelson's basement. He didn't care how many of them wanted to keep him safe, he did not appreciate being knocked unconscious and kept from the battle.

The sound of the front door slamming echoed throughout the halls, resounding within Caroline's chest so deeply she would have sworn she would never see him again. As Klaus had wrapped his arms around her trembling shoulders, she buried her head into his chest taking solace in the fact that even if Steven was so angry that he might never speak to her again, at least he was alive.

So, to say that she was stunned when he had shown up a few days before she and Klaus were scheduled to leave would be an understatement. Steven had begrudgingly agreed that he was happy to be alive and safe, that by being the only human of the group he would have had little means to defend himself. He made sure to stress the fact that by no uncertain terms did that mean he agreed with what and how they accomplished such a feat.

"I love you Sunshine, even when I am steaming out my ears mad at you." Steven had whispered as he hugged her tightly. He gave her a grin that was more a grimace than a smile when he pulled away, "Now what's this I hear about you taking a trip?"

She rushed to explain, "I'm not running away. I'm not hiding out or anything I just need some time to..." Caroline trailed off with a gulp.

"Breath Sunshine, just breath." Steven took slow deep breaths, his eyes crinkling with a smile when she mimicked him, "Good. Now you don't have to explain anything to me. I understand and honestly, I think this is the best thing for you under the circumstances. Go off into the sunset with that hunk-tastic hybrid of yours, Let him carry you away to paradise so you can grieve and sort yourself back out again."

He paused to pull a small hardcovered book out of his satchel slung across his chest, "Here, take this with you."

Caroline had opened the book expecting to find all sorts of words of wisdom and antidotes to keep her amused in attempts to lift her spirits but was dumbfounded at what she found. Cocking an eyebrow, she looked at him skeptically, "The pages are blank. Why are you giving me an empty book?"