Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Everything here, with the exception of major characters, names, businesses, places and events are mine unless otherwise stated. Any resemblance to any book, show or incident is purely coincidental.

Prologue

The first time he saw her was during one of his early morning jogs. He had just gotten back from his daily rounds at Central Park with his golden retriever when he noticed her talking to the grey-haired doorman of The Salvatore Hotel.

She was beautiful, her golden locks glowing under the striking sunlight that fell over New York City. He had silently laughed at her appreciation for the old man's cheesy jokes, wondering who in the world could ever find those bigoted one-liners humorous.

They had locked eyes when she heard him scoff, and he wasn't sure if she was on the verge of calling him off for eavesdropping and being rude, but the moment was gone as soon as they had looked at one another.

He didn't know what it was about her, but he already knew she was different. It made his heart leap out of his chest, the way her mesmerizing eyes connected with his lackluster ones and as she bent down and gave his pet a pat on the head before walking away had him instantaneously intrigued.

'She doesn't live here,' Greg answered him before he could ask.

He hid the disappointment and flashed the old man a smirk. 'I wasn't going to ask.'

The silver-haired man shook his head and opened the door for him, wishing both he and Will (his dog) a great day.

A year passed since he saw her again.

It was the night his company had finally made it worldwide. Mikaelson Enterprises was officially in Europe and South East Asia, and with it came the most beautiful woman on the market finally by his side. He was a little drunk after the party and so he always thought whether he had just imagined her on that elevator that night.

The stranger was shut out from the world; earphones in and eyes closed as she immersed herself into another world. It was only when he accidentally stumbled towards her did she look up and noticed his presence.

She was stunning, he recalled. There were many women, he deemed, just as stunning as the one before him, but she was different. It was always the way he described her when talking to Elijah about her. For a man with unlimited vocabulary, he felt inadequate.

She had smiled at him as she stepped out and he watched her leave just as soon as the gorgeous expression on her face faltered in nanoseconds.

The third, and the last time since, was when he spotted her at the end of the 24th floor in the Hotel. Her delicate pale hands were pressed against the floor to ceiling glass panel, and the only sound he could hear in the deserted hallway was her wrecked sobs.

'Hey,' he approached her carefully.

She turned around with a shock, trying to wipe away her tears harshly and get herself together. He found himself smiling sadly, to see such a broken sight of a young woman before him.

'How much do you think it would cost my family to replace this glass panel?' She laughed nervously, licking her lips.

Her voice trembled as she spoke and he realized at that moment that all he wanted to do was ignore the voice in his mind telling him his girlfriend was waiting for him and just wrap his arms around the blonde goddess that was shivering in front of him.

'You're not contemplating to commit suicide, are you?' He furrowed his brows.

She shrugged with a pathetic excuse of a smile. 'Nothing's really left for me here.'

He grabbed her shoulders forcefully, not caring whether he was crossing an invisible line. She may not have been someone he knew well, but no one deserved to think such thoughts. He himself had suffered a lot of things in the past, but not once to ever wish himself dead.

'Listen to me,' he began, ignoring the mobile phone vibrating in the pocket of his jeans. 'You don't want to die tonight.'

'Why not?' She laughed, tilting her head to the side and looking at him in amusement.

'I…' He sighed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. 'Look, just take one more breath and clear your mind, okay? Every single moment in your life, no matter how you look at it now, is relevant.'

He didn't know what happened, how it happened, but in a split second, the sound of glass breaking and her small voice telling him thank you for trying mixed with one another and he watched, unable to do anything, as the angel before him flew into the bustling city, only to fall back down in the end.

Klaus' speech is from a song called 24 Floors by The Maine.

This story, and what will become of it is inspired by the song. Give it a listen and let me know what you think :-)