Above It All " SEQUEL TO ABOVE ALL ELSE "

Chapter 1

Caroline lightly shoved him, doing little more than pushing his chest a few inches back. Her eyes glared at him from beneath her lashes as she hissed, "Yes, those powers. Plus the fact that I am not a complete airheaded moron who can't take care of herself don't forget." She snipped as she poked her finger into his chest.

Lessening his eyes at her he snarled, "You are not going alone and that's final."

"And who made you my Lord and Master huh?" Caroline swiped her hand through the air, pinching the bridge of her nose with her other, "No. We are not doing this. We are not going to fight over this."

"Oh and just why is that?"

"Because as much as I understand what you are thinking, you need to understand that I have to do this for myself. I love you and I know you love me. So please, just can't you go off the faith of that, stay home and trust that I will be fine and I will be back?" Caroline licked her lips battling against the tears that were threatening to form in her eyes, "I need to do this while I still can Klaus."

Klaus read in her eyes what she was trying to tell him. It wasn't about her losing her nerve or something happening that would make this impossible. No, she was talking about her near crippling emotional state. How one moment she would be having a conversation and then the next she would lock herself away in their room either sobbing her bleeding heart out or staring off at nothing barley able to function.

"Fine." Klaus caved begrudgingly before offering his own rules, "You will call me immediately if anything, even the smallest detail, seems out of place."

Caroline smirked with a mock salute, "Aye, aye Captain." Before she was out the door.

Fifteen minutes later Caroline had found herself standing outside of the police station nervously running her right hand over her left arm. She could only hope that her Mom, she winced as she mentally corrected herself, Liz, hadn't changed her normal work schedule over the past two months since she had left. Since seeing Steven she had debated quietly to herself just when would be the right time to try and talk to Liz. If she caught her after her shift, Caroline knew she ran the risk of Liz feeling tired and not in a very good mood. Catching her before work though posed the risk of ruining Liz's day and while Caroline didn't want to cause her anymore pain she figured it was the safest bet. This way Liz would be awake and coherent for this conversation but still have the option of calling off work if she needed to.

Caroline watched from across the street as the familiar police cruiser that had been such a huge part of her childhood pulled into the parking lot off to the side of the building. Squaring her shoulders, she inhaled deeply knowing it was now or never and set off across the street to the parking lot to catch Liz before anyone else seen her.

Liz noticed her the moment she stepped out of the car and Caroline tried not to take it too personally when her eyes hardened over as she harshly slammed the door.

"Whatever is going on, I don't want any part of it." Liz offered in a form of a greeting.

Caroline held her hands up in front of her, shaking them back and forth at her wrist, "Nothing is going on I promise."

"Then what are you doing here? My shift starts in a few minutes and I..."

Caroline cut her off with a small grin and a light laugh, "Want to get caught up on last night's paperwork. I know. Somethings never change."

Liz paused seeming unsure of what to say before settling on, "While some things do."

"Yeah." Caroline breathed quietly while nibbling on her lower lip as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Looking at Liz's face all Caroline seen was the only Mother she had ever known. Through the good times and the bad, for just over the past decade Elizabeth Forbes was the only Mother she had had. Yet knowing the truth of everything finally gave Caroline the understanding of just why sometimes her Mom, Liz she winced as she corrected herself again, would give her that strange off kilter look like she wasn't sure just how to act around her.