Hello, my lovely readers. Klaus plans the perfect birthday for Caroline, and she plans something for him, too. On with the show...

Chapter 13: Sweet Sixteen!

After the course of a year-with a little help from a few friends-I had been planning the birthday event of the decade, possibly the century. Nothing could go wrong today. Everything had to be exactly as I had planned it. Or heads would roll. You see, today was the sixteenth birthday of my beloved, Caroline Forbes,' and she would be happy today, or I would know the reason why! The funny thing was, I was so very focused on my own plans for Caroline; I had no idea that anyone was planning a surprise of their own. However, I would find out, and it would change my relationship with Caroline...

"Are the balloons ready?" I demanded through clenched teeth. We'd been at this for three days now. How could filling three hundred and sixty-five red balloons be this difficult? My eyes narrowed at my little helpers. Jeremy and Kol seemed to be pleased at the idea of working with helium tanks, until they realized I would not be allowing them to strap the tanks to their bikes, so they could create rockets and launch themselves up and down the streets of Mystic Falls.

Jeremy gave me a thumbs-up while Kol inhaled helium. Opening his mouth wide, my little brother began to sing: "Happy birthday, Dear Car-o-line!" That stopped when I tossed a pillow at his head from the couch. "Nik, stop being such a dick!" Kol cried, still sounding like a cartoon chipmunk.

Kol and Jeremy began to laugh while I shot a long look in the direction of Caroline's closed bedroom door. Thanks to the boys' racket, she was bound to wake up, and have her surprise ruined. "Go, and play in the traffic!" I snarled, "before you wake her!"

A sigh came from behind me. Rebekah sat on the couch, flipping through a copy of Vogue. Her lips pursed. "You certainly will not find me in bed on my sixteenth birthday."

"No, you'll be up bossing us all about!" Kol replied, opening a balloon, and sucking in the gas before cackling like a stereotypical witch.

Rebekah opened her mouth to yell at Kol. Stomping over to them, I grabbed my siblings and shoved them toward the front door. "Out!" I snapped, taking hold of the door knob, twisting it open, and fling them forward.

"Happy Bir-!" Katherine's eyes widened. "You're NOT Caroline! Where the hell is the birthday girl!" She popped her head inside, to peer around.

Crossing the room, I grabbed Jeremy and flung him toward his sister. "Caroline will be coming out. Soon. Take this!"

Katherine raised an eyebrow at Jeremy. "What did you do?"

Jeremy shrugged. "Klaus is just being a bitch."

Shaking her head, Kat wrapped an arm around Jeremy's shoulders. "He's just stressed because he's with a girl who knows what she wants. If you're lucky, one day, some girl will ignore your silly hair, and bad taste in friends, too. And after Kol gets done dating her, maybe she'll give you the time of day."

"You're such a-" Jeremy's retort was cut off by my closing the door.

A door inside the house opened. But it was not Caroline's. "Good morning, Klaus. She's still not up yet?" Liz made her way into the kitchen. Not waiting for my answer, she opened the fridge door, removed one Red Velvet cupcake.

"No. I had hoped she might be up soon..." My eyes went to the nearest clock. There were so many activities to get through. However, I did not want to affect Caroline's mood, by waking her too early. Liz nodded, lighting a single candle. She made her way across the floor and knocked on the closed door.

"Come in!" Caroline called out. She was awake!

Liz opened the door and I moved to peer over her shoulder. Caroline capped an eyeliner and turned to give us a huge smile. "Good morning!" she cried with a giggle.

"Happy birthday, baby!" Liz walked toward Caroline with the cupcake while I followed, moving to stand beside Caroline. Brushing her hair behind her ears, Caroline leaned over to blow out her candle. Straightening, she glanced at me with glowing eyes.

"Happy birthday, love!" I whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek.

"Ahem!" Liz coughed and gave us a fond smile. "I'm headed off to work. I'm sure Klaus has big plans for you, today. Be careful. I do not want to have come and break up the party." Her blue eyes fell on us for a moment and I smirked back. "I promise to end my shift before this evening's festivities." Holding out her arms, she gave Caroline a hug before leaving us alone.

As soon as we were alone, Caroline turned to throw her arms around my neck. She kissed me like we had the house to ourselves and all day to do as we pleased in it. This made it a hundred times harder for me to concentrate on the events of the day. A year's worth of work might go down the bloody drain if I could not restrain my impulses.

With a deep sigh, I eased back. "Caroline, your mother is right. I do have many, grand plans for the day..." Caroline's slow smile made my brain slow down. "Plans that I assure you, you will enjoy..." Leaning towards me, Caroline placed a tender kiss on my neck. My hands looped around her back, going downward, pressing her closer to me. Where was my self-control?

The doorbell rang. And whoever it was ringing it kept their finger on the infernal bell while Caroline's hands slid under the bottom of my shirt, along my stomach, and her lips trailed over my shoulder. "We...we should get that..." I groaned. I would kill whoever interrupted us.

"Okay..." Caroline suddenly moved back with a wide smile. She turned her back to me, hips swaying on her way out her bedroom door. Closing my eyes, I inhaled, and exhaled slowly. My feet forced the rest of my body toward the Forbes' front door. "Happy Birthday!" Katherine and the others cried from outside the house. I walked up behind Caroline as Kat waved a large, glittery birthday card in Caroline's face.

"Oh! Wow!" Caroline laughed as Kat pulled the blonde out the door.

"And a one, and a two, and a three!" Kat clapped her hands before she handed the birthday card off to Jeremy. Running forward, Katherine did a front flip and sailed into two pairs of arms who launched her on top of a pyramid of the current cheerleading squad. "This is for you, Girlie!" Kat pointed at Caroline. She did a back flip off the pyramid and then bounced into the street. Letting out a long whistle, Kat pointed her index fingers at the end of the street. The cheerleader's filed onto either side of the path leading up to Caroline's front door.

"C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E IS OUR QUEEN!" The girls cried, waving their pom-poms as Caroline and I passed by them.

When we arrived on the sidewalk, we could see Henrik riding his bike down the middle of the street. He had a streamer attached to the back that read: Happy Sweet Sixteen! Caroline clapped and waved to Henrik who honked his horn at her before finishing his role at the end of the street. Rebekah and Stefan came running down the street, turning to face us and did a quick jazz dance, legs flying and hands waving. Damon waltzed down the street before bowing to Caroline and continued to meet up with the others.

Caroline seemed to be enjoying the spectacle as members of the Boarding School came down the road with Marcel and Enzo in the lead of a band. They stopped to play "Happy birthday to you!"

When they finished their block-long parade, a group of girls headed down the street and stopped across from us. "Yo, I'll tell you what I want!"

"What I really, really want!" Katherine cried, running over to join Jenna, Rose and Andie.

"Aren't there five Spice Girls?" Caroline whispered to me, clapping along to the beat.

A chuckle sounded from behind us before a new voice added to the group: "I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!" Hayley sang, hugging Caroline before bouncing over to take a place beside Kat. "For you to have the time of your life!"

"Ha, mash-up!" Caroline's nose wrinkled as she giggled.

"And I had the time of my life!" Kat and Hales sang to each other.

"Friendship never ends!" Rose sang, dancing down the street with Jenna, Andie, Kat, and Hayley behind her.

With a wide smile, Caroline turned to kiss me. "Thank you, Nik!" she said softly.

A car horn beeped and I held up a hand, waving as the car pulled into the driveway. "DADDY!" Caroline shouted, running toward the driver's side door. Bill Forbes got out of the car. He wrapped his arms around Caroline. "You came!"

With a smile, Bill patted Caroline on the back. "You think I would miss my little girl's sweet sixteen?" He shook his head.

Caroline could not smile. "I like your new car."

"Actually..." Bill held up the keys. "It's not mine."

"Seriously!" Caroline took the keys. "Nik, my dad got me a car!" I knew, but I would not tell Caroline how many hours Bill and I had spent discussing exactly which car Caroline would love the most, and that her father could afford. "Can I drive it?" Caroline asked, eyes round.

"Sure!" Bill nodded, pressing a quick kiss to her temple before Caroline got behind the wheel. He got into the backseat and I took the passenger. Leaning forward, Bill said, "Don't forget to buckle up, and check all your mirrors before backing up, very slowly."

"Yes, Dad." Caroline did not mention that this was not her first time driving. She seemed too happy to be having this moment with her dad. I glanced out the window to note that our friends had disappeared. "So, where should we go?" The perky birthday girl inquired.

"I was thinking The Grill?" Turning, I kept a blank expression, as if this was not part of my plans.

"The Grill?" Caroline shrugged. "I haven't eaten yet. Are you hungry, Dad?"

"Famished, kiddo." Bill glanced at me and I smirked. So, far the plan was working.

~0~

Exiting Caroline's new birthday present, our party of three made our way up to the doors of the Mystic Grill. I opened a door to allow Caroline and Bill, inside first. Making my way behind them, I heard Caroline say: "Are they closed?"

Seconds later, the lights flicked on and Enzo came forward in a waiter's uniform. "Bonjour. Party of three! Come! We've been waiting for you!" he called with a flourish of a white napkin and a heavy, fake French accent.

Our friends began to appear from behind tables in costume, twirling and dancing between the tables and chairs. "Be our guest!" They sang as Damon appeared behind Caroline, pushing her into a wheel chair and spinning her around. Elijah came forth with, Kat, Elena, Jeremy, Kol, and Rebekah behind him. They set down plates and glasses before joining the dancing. And out came Nadia in a chandelier costume. Davina followed her big sister, nearly falling over as she tipped her teapot - clad self to the side. Josh and Aiden were a tea cup and plate.

"Happy Birthday, Caroline!" Aiden waved his handle at her. She scooped him up, placing him in her lap. She nuzzled his cheek as Elijah began to recite the offerings for brunch.

"For mademoiselle, we have croissants, bacon, eggs, of many varieties. With cheeses. And without. We have fruit. We have pancakes. We have French toast. We have lattes. We have orange juice. We have other things that the children tried to make..."

Smiling, Caroline leaned into me as I took a seat beside her. "Thank you all. This is just really sweet. Now, sit down, let's eat!"

"Her majesty has declared that we must eat! This is a dare, people! Eat!" Damon hopped onto a chair and pretended to gobble up food, smacking Stefan's hand when Stefan reached for a plate of butter.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline picked up a croissant and took a bite while Aiden tried not to spill OJ on his costume.

Hayley and Bill talked about Bill's work and Hayley's classes while Nadia and Davina got in a food fight and had to be separated by Elijah. The little teapot kicked her legs vigorously as the second act began over the loud speaker: "Shall we dance!" began and I produced a rose for Caroline who beamed at me.

Getting up, we began to dance while our friends ate and talked. "I hope the rest of my birthdays are just like this one!" Caroline enthused. I smiled back as she laid her head on my shoulder. My eyes widened at the thought of the pressure I would be under to create days like today for the next ninety years.

~0~

In the afternoon, Elijah came out of the kitchen, delivering several pizzas. "What about the cake?" Kol called.

"The cake is baking!" Katherine called, coming out of the kitchen with more drinks. We had three more hours before my next big surprise for Caroline.

Kol slunk down in his seat. "This party is becoming lame!"

"Good thing it isn't for you, isn't it!" Kat snapped, setting a drink in front of my brother.

"I asked for a root beer float!" Kol called.

Kat pretended Kol hadn't spoken. She moved to sit down beside Elijah. My poor brother was beginning to look exhausted. He hid a yawn behind a napkin. I truly wished he'd stop with the charade and tell us all about his investments. But I had Caroline to think of today.

Kol was not the only one who had become restless. Bill had begun to check his watch. My heart sunk. If he left before Caroline blew out her candles, her mood would sink. "Excuse me, love," I whispered in Caroline's ear. "I'm going to check on the cake." I slipped out of my seat and headed for the kitchen.

Pushing the door open, I wished I had knocked first. "Damon!" I groaned.

"Shit! Nik! Sorry!" Damon groaned as I turned my back on him and Elena. I'd just seen more than I wanted to for the next decade. "Elijah said the cake wouldn't be done for ten minutes. We though we'd be alone."

"Ten?" Elena cried. "You though you could do that in ten?" Scoffing, she headed past me.

Turning, I shook my head at Damon who shrugged. He leaned over and checked the cake. "Give it two." Standing up, he looked at me. "You and Caroline got any plans for tonight?"

"Not like that!" I nodded at the counter. Then I recalled how amorous Caroline had been that morning.

Damon shook his head at me. "Nothing. Man. Waiting for marriage?"

"Shut it, Damon!" I stalked over and opened the oven with a mitt. Pulling out the cake, I set it on a part of the counter that my friends had not defiled. "Can you check, to see that Mr. Forbes has not left us."

"Sure." Damon sauntered to the doors. "Nope. But he's looking at his watch."

"Right then!" I grabbed a box of candles, and took a deep breath before inserting each one with care. Elijah came in as I began to light them. "Go. Sit down, brother. I can manage." Damon came over to help me carry the cake into the dining room.

"Finally!" Kol cried.

We set the cake down. "Make a wish!" Kat called.

Caroline and I stared at each other as she blew out the sixteen candles. A round of applause began and Bill moved closer to Caroline's side. My heart stopped beating. This would be the moment that blew all of my hard work to bits. And I could not stop it. "Caroline, sweetheart, a word."

Nodding, Caroline walked toward the front doors with her dad. Her happy expression did not diminish, and she even hugged her dad before he left. "Are you alright, love?" I inquired, half-afraid Caroline was trying to hide her disappointment under a cloud of good cheer.

"I'm fine. Dad has to get back home. But I'm going to spend a weekend with him, next month, and he's going to give me a second party. He said you can come, too." She leaned into my side.

"Of course." I pressed a kiss to her lips.

Katherine jumped in. "It's present time! Open mine first!" She grabbed a present that was small in size and stood up rather straight. Caroline's expression matched my own baffled one. Tearing the paper off, Caroline held up a bottle of Heinz ketchup.

"Thanks..." Caroline's smile was frozen on her face.

Kat grinned. "This is the first bottle of ketchup I successfully married," she explained to the rest of the group. "See, Caroline heard I could not do it right-for this job-so she went to the store, and bought, like, thirty bottles. Then she called me, and I had to keep trying until I got the hang of it. It only took five broken bottles, and a ton of red spilled on the floor, but I got it. And that's because of Caroline. That's what kind of friend she is."

By the end of Kat's speech, Caroline had tears in her eyes, and she and Kat hugged. "More presents!" Kat called, grabbing one, and handing it to Caroline.

Caroline tore the wrapping off what looked like a comic book. Tyler stepped forward. "I made the illustrations. Stefan wrote the stories. It's 'The Adventures of Care!' You've got the power to make other people care. And you also have a lasso, like Wonder Woman."

Grinning, Caroline flipped through the book. "This is very cool." Tyler looked pleased and went back to finish his cake.

Rose bought Caroline a scarf from Paris.

Jenna got her tickets for a girl named Taylor Swift's concert. Personally, I had never heard of her.

Matt got her a teddy bear that said: "You're the best!" Davina kept eyeing it. Looked like it might hit be a re-gift pile.

Elijah's gift was a set of world-wide travel guides. "You might need them for your adventures."

Jeremy and Kol brought a large, rectangular present. It turned out to be a giant Hershey bar. "Sharing is caring!" Jer said before Kat dragged him back to his seat.

Rebekah handed Caroline a small gift. Caroline tore it open to reveal a tape. "This is a recording of funny things Nik says when you're not around." My sister laughed as I gave her a dark look.

Enzo offered Caroline another, small gift. She opened it, to find a heart-shaped necklace. My blood boiled and my fists clenched until Bonnie held up the other half of the heart. "This is usually for romantic drivel, but this heart symbolizes your bond as a friend. So, you'll carry a part of each other, in all of your lives." Enzo smiled as Caroline and Bonnie hugged.

Bonnie went next. Her gift was a camera. "To capture all of our new memories together." They wrapped their arms around the other's shoulders as Caroline snapped a pic of them.

Elena came forward. "I wrote you a letter. You should read it in private." Nodding, Caroline gave Elena a long hug as Elena brushed tears off her cheeks.

"My turn!" Damon called, moving between our friends, to get to Caroline. He handed her his gift. She opened it and stared. "It's a portable mic. Because you like to talk. And, now, we'll hear you, whether we want to, or-" Elena elbowed him in the gut.

"Thank you all. So much!" Caroline shook her head. "Today really has been the best birthday I've ever had!"

"And it is far from over!" I said. "Come with me, love!"

Taking Caroline's hand, I led her out to the Town Square. In the middle was a giant ferris wheel. "What is this?" Caroline looked at me, an amused expression on her face.

I shook my head and led her to a seat. She waited for me to sit down, but her brows rose when Damon shot into the seat and pulled the guardrail down. The wheel began to climb before coming to a stop at the top. This was the most dangerous part of the day. Gathering my courage, I climbed the ferris wheel before I came to a stop beside Caroline's seat. Moving down, I grabbed the guardrail to the seat in front of her and Damon. "Caroline Forbes, I dare you to go on a date with me!" I called out.

"Nik, have you lost your mind!" Caroline shouted at me.

"He thinks you like this scene from The Notebook! Say: 'Yes!' before we become a headline in the town paper!" Damon advised.

"Yes!" Caroline shouted.

Sighing, I slid into the seat and the wheel went down. When Caroline got off, she did not look pleased. "Klaus Mikaelson, I could kill you for that!"

"Caroline!" I shouted as she stormed off.

"Don't follow me!" Caroline shouted back. It looked like I was the one who ruined her perfect day...

~0~

That night I stood in a suit made for prom. All of our friends who were high school and above age were also dressed for the occasion. The lights were turned down low. Bottles of champagne chilled in the Mystic Falls gym. "She'll come," Damon told me as Elena stood next to him in a blue dress, soberly.

Just as Damon spoke, Caroline came in a red, velvet dress. It hugged her curves and fell at thigh length. My body responded as she made her way toward me, clutching her purse. "Hi, Klaus," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"What made you come back?" I asked, taking her hand.

"My mom told me how much effort you took to make this happen. We had a good talk. And she showed me the ceiling." A smile appeared on her face. "You really snuck in my room, every day, for a year?"

I nodded as she slid her arms around my neck. "Rebekah had to levitate me. And she dropped me. A few times." Caroline was referring to my placing glow-in-the-dark stickers on her ceiling to capture the likenesses of all of our Dare Club members. "You like it?"

"No." Caroline shook her head. "I LOVE it!"

We danced for the next two hours until Elijah had fallen asleep and Bonnie got on stage to sing: "Isn't she lovely! Isn't she wonderful!"

This was followed by Caroline and Bonnie singing: "Time after time!"

Speaking of time, I had not given Caroline her gift. "Thank you for coming!" Caroline said as her guests began to depart.

"Love!" I held out a hand and she followed me out to the hallway. Undoing my jacket, I removed a rolled piece of paper. She tugged the ribbon free and unrolled it. "Nik..." Her eyes came up to meet mine and she kissed me on the lips for a long time. "No one will ever make me feel more beautiful than I am in your eyes," she said. Her hand went to mine, and she led me to the back door.

We walked out to the football field. Outside Someone had laid blankets, pillows, placed insulated candles and strewn rose petals about. My mouth opened, and I turned to find Caroline's dress rested at her feet. Stepping over it, she made her way to me in a little bit of black lace and satin undergarments. Her lips pursed. Her hands went into my curls and she pulled my mouth to hers.

For a moment, I could not remember what to do next. Caroline did not seem to have the same problem as her lips moved to my neck. Her fingers pulled my tie off. Her hands rushed my jacket to the grass. Pulling back, she looked at me as she undid my shirt. "I love you, Nik. I want to spend my life with you."

No longer frozen, I picked Caroline up and laid her down on the blankets. "I will never leave your side, Caroline." She smiled before drawing my lips back to hers.

~0~

In the early morning light, I woke up and found Caroline waking up, too. She turned to nuzzle my nose. "Good thing Kat helped me plan last night," Caroline whispered to me.

"Yes?" My brows rose.

Reaching under one of the pillows, Caroline pulled out another condom before rolling on top of me. "She's bought a stock-pile of these after Davina . .." She kissed me at the same time that I was thinking that we needed to go before Tyler and the rest of the football team showed up for morning practice. And we would, after using Kat's present...

Caroline's Birthday Playlist:

Mash-up songs: "Wannabe," by the Spice Girls, and "I've Had the Time of My Life," by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

"Be our Guest," by Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach

"Shall We Dance?" Richard Rogers (of Rogers and Hammerstien)

"Isn't she lovely?" by Stevie Wonder

"Time After Time," by Cyndi Lauper

Thank you for reading, faving, fillowing, and reviewing. :)

Be safe,

-J