"Happy birthday, Caroline!"

The sound of the keys falling onto the floor was completely obliterated by laughter and cheering that came from her living room. A bottle of champagne popped and confetti paved the floor and got tangled in her curls as Caroline watched her friends with her lips parted in a silent awe. She saw Jeremy with his hand around Bonnie's waist and Elena resting her head on Damon's shoulder with a widest of smiles curving her lips. Stefan, dressed in his leather jacket and aviator glasses, was pouring champagne into plastic cups that Matt was handing over to him. The only person who wasn't there was Tyler and Caroline couldn't help herself but feel disappointed amongst all other things.

"You guys…" Was all she managed to say before running to her friends and pulling Bonnie and Elena into a hug while tears were rolling down her cheeks. She could see Damon shrugging as Jeremy cast a questioning look his way, but both were quite used to all three of them crying, laughing and mumbling after not seeing each other for what felt like an eternity. Caroline giggled and wiped a tear from her cheek, trying not to show just how desperately tired she was. It has been a week since she started working in the firm and all she was looking for that Friday night was a cup of cocoa and a sappy romance movie.

The work — she had to admit — wasn't as bad as she initially thought. True – she was spending her days in Klaus' office while going through files, but after some time she learned to appreciate the opportunity to study every case Klaus ever had, looking into every detail that didn't fail to slip his mind, reading every note he scribbled in the corner of the page. What made it even easier was the fact that she would see Klaus for about twenty minutes every day and even then they wouldn't talk much except for an occasional 'it's time for a coffee run, love' or something even more diminishing that made her roll her eyes after turning her back on him.

"Alright girls, we all know by now that you're emotional and fragile." Damon's voice laced with thick sarcasm echoed through the room interrupting both the hug and Caroline's thoughts. "Less talking more drinking is the motto."

Caroline could see Elena casting an angry look at Damon and that made her giggle just because everything felt to be the same just as it used to before; no matter that only for a minute. Everyone stood there and smiled like lunatics while Stefan was handing out plastic cups and trying to form everyone into a perfect circle even though the couch and her clothes lying on the floor were in the way.

"To Caroline!" All of them exclaimed making her giggle and just as Caroline was about to raise the cup to her lips an annoying sound of her phone slashed the fun into pieces.

"Hello?" She furrowed her eyebrows and stepped out into the corridor as the chatter made it difficult to concentrate.

"Care to explain why you're not at the office, love?" She heard the voice and the accent helped her to realize just who exactly the unknown caller was.

"Because it's Friday night and my shift ended few hours ago?" She answered almost aggressively, not at all appreciating the fact that Klaus was not only killing eight hours of her day but also trying to ruin the rest or her life as well.

"Let's put it this way – if you're not here in half an hour you don't need to bother with coming in on Monday." Caroline's eyes widened in a protest but the call was ended long ago before she managed to think of a witty reply.

She dragged her feet back into the living room and collapsed onto the couch with a sigh and a loud curse, burying her face in her hands in frustration.

"What's wrong?" It was Bonnie who hooked her arm around Caroline's shoulders after an uncomfortable silence dawned on the room. Caroline could almost see everyone casting questioning looks at each other until someone decided it was for the best to simply ask.

"I'm quitting. That jerk just called me into work threatening to fire me if I don't drag my ass back there in the middle of the night." She blurted out — almost screamed it out loud — jumping up form the couch as the realization hit her – she would quit as the work even if in the prestigious firm wasn't worth it. "He won't fire me! I will slam my resignation right into his face! And then I will just… punch him!"

"Woah, blondie!" Damon raised his hands into the air as if in defense while smirking just slightly and making her blood boil that much more. God, she sometimes hated the guy – his sarcasm and his carelessness about all things that matter was uncanny. "No matter how much I love all things rebellious, don't you think that being homeless and having a lawsuit on your ass would be a bit too much?"

"Back off, Damon." Caroline hissed making her way towards the door. She could almost feel veins popping in her head and a huge disappointment settling in the marrows of her bones. Just a moment ago she was so happy she cried, real tears and everything, and now she was about to leave her friends whom she didn't see for months just to go back to that dark corner of hell. "I won't be long. Help yourself to a bottle of tequila that's under my bed."

Before anyone could reply or interfere, Caroline was already out of the door and into the stairway, the determination in her step that she had back in the apartment already fading away. She was like a quick-fire – getting impulsive and reckless in a matter of moments yet it wouldn't hold for long leaving her all burned out and heavily depressed.

…

"What are you? A vampire?" Caroline stormed into the office that was pitch-black; even the blinds were shut as if dark night sky wasn't enough to create a perfectly creepy atmosphere. Without hesitation she turned the light switch to the maximum, watching Klaus — who by the way was sitting on the floor — rub his eyes with the back of his hand while Caroline was secretly expecting his retinas were burning off. The unusual setting wasn't what caught her immediate attention - it was almost empty bottle of scotch that she noticed making her roll her eyes in annoyance but at the same time helping her understand the devil behind this charade. "And don't tell me you're drunk, Klaus. I'm so not in the mood for this."

"Took you long enough, love." He finally spoke, dismissing her questions and accusations completely as if she was something not important; — well, at least he still had that lovely attitude of his. "I need that file from my desk."

Caroline watched him motion his hand towards few papers lying literally a step away from him but he wasn't bothered to stand up and take them himself. At some point Caroline felt her jaw drop in realization – she was there just because he was too drunk and too lazy to pull away from his spot and she was too stupid to actually fall for this.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" She snapped, her voice rising by few octaves and making him flinch – the sight quite pleasing to her angry eye. "I was at home! Having champagne with my friends I haven't seen for months and you dragged me here with your pompous and arrogant threats just because you need a damn file that is inches away?"

Her lips were pursed into a thin line as Caroline crossed her arms on her chest almost defensively, waiting for him to burst into alcohol-fueled rage. Quite frankly she wanted him to as that would've helped her to make up her mind and actually leave because no matter what – she was still hesitant to do so and it was both inconvenient and quite worrisome. Yet he was simply sitting there and staring at a wall in front, not even bothering to look at her or acknowledge her fury that was nowhere even near invisible. There he was – leaning his back to the wall right under Tatia's painting with his fingers wrapped around the bottle, his jacket unbuttoned and his tie loosened up. For some reason the sight of how pathetic he looked was diminishing her rage and awakening her sympathy for the man.

With an overly-exaggerated sigh Caroline walked towards the table and grabbed the file before dropping it into Klaus' lap. She decided to be the bigger person there and to get this over with so that her birthday party could go on and she would also have a valid reason to ask for a raise on Monday. Even though she didn't want to admit that, she felt somewhat responsible for him getting back home safely, but this was out of the question and she was done with being charitable towards those who wouldn't appreciate it the next day.

"You know what I still can't understand? Why a man would just kill his wife?" She heard Klaus' voice, his tone completely different from the one that was always laced with sarcasm and hostility and only that made her stop while she was almost out of the office. Taking a deep breath she looked at him over her shoulder, watched him flip through the pages and couldn't help but smile because his interest was so genuine that even his forehead was wrinkled in thought.

"Well, maybe she used to call him in the middle of the night and then boss him around?" Caroline answered jokingly, failing to acknowledge the fact that someone's death was a very poor excuse to prove her point.

"Though I understand the rage—" Klaus carried on as if she never said a word that would be worthy of his attention. "—the rage is always there – pumping through your veins, making you lose your mind and ignore your better judgment. And no matter how much you try to cling to the beauty of the moment there's only one truth – in the end we're left infinitely and utterly alone. Too bad it takes such a long time to realize it."

By that time Caroline was well aware that he wasn't talking about that macabre murder case anymore. Klaus' fingers were still traveling across the lines upon lines of text printed on the page, but his eyes were closed and his expression was somewhat grievous - contrary to his cold, emotionless and sober self. She had to admit – there was something enticing about the enigma that was Klaus unraveling right in front of her eyes even though it was more subconsciously and less intended. Even though she was already regretting this, Caroline spun around on her heel and made her way towards Klaus' desk, taking a seat on the corner that wasn't covered with documents and books. She saw him opening his eyes slowly and his gaze meeting hers for the first time that night, gaze filled with sorrow and heartbreaking sadness that she never thought him being capable of. Something about him losing his mask even for a short while still kept her there – her eyes glued on his while the silence dawned on them interrupted only by the sirens and cars outside.

"You know, I think that we're just as alone as we want to be." She finally spoke after clearing her throat and looking away from that piercing gaze of his; even in the complete silence he managed to make her uncomfortable. "It's more of a lifestyle than destiny and maybe that's exactly why he killed his wife – he wasn't quite ready to face it."

"Or maybe he wasn't ready for a heartbreak that all love stories lead to and instead he decided to take matters into his own hands." He responded before taking a swig out of the bottle, his previously sharp gaze turning into one clouded with thoughts.

"Well, then it's safe to say that he's a coward and an idiot." Caroline answered nonchalantly, her shoulders moving in a little shrug. Somehow she didn't see that tragic story as something poetic or something that should be analyzed – it was so clear in her mind that the man was nothing but a killer and no love story — no matter how tragic — would justify what he did.

Klaus, however, didn't seem to share the same opinion as he snapped out of a drunken daze and jumped up to his feet in an eye blink, startling Caroline and making her clench the desk in alarm. Something about her words, probably, pushed all the wrong buttons in his head as she saw his jaw clench so tight that she could count all the bones in his face right then and there. She tried to explain his rash behavior, but no better reason than alcohol could cross her mind.

"There's nothing cowardly about not wanting to have your heart broken. Grief is an unnecessary and petty emotion that stops us from achieving greatness." She heard him hiss, wandering whether it wasn't his own experience that he wasn't basing this argument on. Her gaze traveled from his wry face to his hand that was clenching the bottle with such strength that it made his knuckles white. At that point she was truly afraid of what could happen as everything about him that evening was completely unpredictable. Few curses crossed her mind as she thought that she could've been home by then if not for her sick interest of seeing what made Klaus' mind tick.

"Was it her?" She murmured silently, unable to bite her tongue and once again falling into the trap set by her own impulsive self. It was too late, though, as she saw Klaus turn his head to look at her, wrath embedded into his features. "The girl in the painting? Did she make you chase greatness that doesn't exist while getting rid of every emotion because you thought of it as useless?"

It was as if she set the timer to the bomb herself – his expression changed from wrath to astonishment and then to a white-hot rage in moments. Bottle that was still in his hand smashed against the wall as Klaus threw it all the way across the room making Caroline jump down from the desk and wishing she could hug herself and make it all disappear. In a matter of moments Klaus was right in front of her and even if she tried to take a step back the desk blocked her path and she leaned back on it as far away from Klaus as she could, but he mirrored her by leaning even closer until there were only inches separating them.

"Don't deceive yourself by thinking that you know what I am." He hissed, his breath lingering on her skin and his anger so thick she could almost taste it on the very tip of her tongue.

"Klaus, you're scaring me." She murmured, trying to push him away with her hands on his chest, but it seemed like the man was as solid as a brick wall and she could feel shiver running up and down her spine. "Let me go. Please."

For a moment there they simply stared at each other and the beating of her heart was ringing in her ears louder than any noise she ever heard. Her breathing got more and more uneven as countless scenarios ran through her mind, yet it was the unknown that was more frightening than her vivid imagination. After a moment she squeezed her eyes shut as the tension was too unbearable to witness yet at that same time Caroline felt his body moving away and heard footsteps that were receding with every second and by the time she could open her eyes again he was gone.

Caroline took a deep breath and slid with her back against the desk until she was sitting on the floor with her face buried in her hands. Her heart was still beating like crazy even though she tried to focus on the fact that everything — whatever it was — was over. For a moment there she expected him to run back into the office and start trashing it until the point of no repair, but there was nothing.

Looking at the shards of broken glass she still couldn't swallow the fear down. Caroline was truly afraid of the man, but at the same time he reminded her of a wounded animal trying to fight until its last breath, trying to chase everyone who comes near away.

She indeed felt something she could only describe as pity for the man so tragically angry and lonely that he wasn't even in control of it anymore.