Okay, Chapter 2 is finally here. This was written for day one of Klaroline AU Week (All Human) and fills the prompt request on Tumbr: it's Caroline's turn to open up the cafe/shop today and she find a guy (Klaus) sleeping under one of the tables. tks.

Something Beautiful

Caroline fumbled with the keys, stifling a yawn with her free hand. It was far to early to be heading into work after the night she had but, she had promised Jenna she would open for her so she had extra time to study for her mid-term exam that afternoon. Caroline slid the key into the lock and turned it gently, glancing up and down the barren street. Soon it would be flooded with people making their way to work or to the local campus. She was about to push the door open and step inside when something caught her eye.

A man lay beneath one of the tables, curled up his jacket pulled over his head. She frowned and inched closer, wondering if she should wake the man or not.

What if he was dead?

The thought sent Caroline's heart racing as she dropped to her knees beside the man. "Sir? Are you alright?"

He didn't move.

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves before reaching out one, shaking, hand and gently touching the man's shoulder, "Sir, are you alright?"

The man groaned and shrugged her hand off of his shoulder, stirring slowly. She backed away, relieved he was alive but wondering just what she should do. There were not many homeless men in the area and she wondered where he could have come from. "Do you need me to call someone?" She asked, not sure what to do help.

She was taken aback when the man chuckled. He moved with much more grace than she expected for a homeless man sleeping under a bistro table. He got up, one hand on the cool brick store front. "No, but I wouldn't say no to a cup of coffee."

He had an accent. He lowered his jacket off his head when he turnd to face her, revealing a handome face, blue eyes and blond hair.

She was surprised by his kept, dignified appearance and wondered just how he had come to rest under the table. "Sure, just follow me. I have to put some on." She lead the way into the cafe and stepped behind the counter, tying an apron around her slender waist. He sllid onto one of the stools on the other side of the counter and watched as she started making coffee. "Why don't you tell me how you wound up underneath that table. You don't look like the type that sleeps on the street often."

The man sat with his hands folded on the counter and smirked, "Well you're right about that. That was my frist experience sleeping under a table. To be quite honest, the story is rather shameful."

"Hey we've all done shameful right?" She finished up the coffee and turned her attention toward filling the glass pastry case. "But if you'd rather sit in silence that's fine by me."

"I am in town on business and I went out with some friends. We went to a few bars and clubs, I had a few too many. I lost my hotel key card."

"Why didn't you just go back to the hotel and tell them?"

"You don't exactly think logically when you're drunk, do you? Besides, I thought I could find it. I was retracing my steps when I stopped to rest and I suppose I fell asleep – or passed out. Whichever way you'd like to imagine it."

"Charming." Caroline rolled her eyes and slid the glass case closed just as the coffee finsished brewing. She grabbed a cup and poured him some, sitting it in front of him. "Well, now that you've sobered up some and seem to be in your right mind. Maybe you should head back to the hotel and get yourself a new card." She leaned against the counter, smiling.

"Actually, I might have a better chance at finding it now that I'm sober." He took a sip of his coffee and smiled, "Thank you, love."

"Well, have fun with that. Sounds like a wild goose chase to me. There are a lot of bars and clubs around here."

"Well I was thinking I could use some help..."

"Yea, maybe your friends will remember where you left it. You should give them a call."

"Well, actually I was thinking someone local, who knows the area really well and wouldn't mind helping me out? Maybe the same lovely woman who found me this morning."

"Well, as you can see,' Caroline motioned around the room "I'm working right now. I'd just head back to the hotel if I were you."

"Well you could always help me when you get done, then maybe we could have dinner afterwards?" He prodded, smirking.

"You do realize you are asking me out after I found you passed out, outside, under a table." Caroline was shocked. Did he acutally think he could woe her after that display?

He finished his coffee and shrugged, "Well Caroline," He pointed at her name tag before she could ask how he knew her name, "It was worth a try, correct?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his walet. He droppped a twenty on the table before handing her a business card. "Have a good day."

She looked at the business card,

Niklaus Mikaelson,

Dealer of Fine Arts and antiquities

His phone number was written below with an address in London.

He was just about to leave when she called out to him. "You're an art dealer?"

He smiled as he pushed the door open, leaning against it,"Yes, I guess you could say I have an eye for beauty." He smiled and slid out the door, leaving her mouth agape as the customers began to pour in.

hope you all enjoyed it. :)