Happy Birthday, lovely Miranda! (livingdeadblondequeen) Here's a little drabble I wrote for the occasion. I put it together pretty quickly so I could post it on your birthday still, so I hope you like it : )

All Caroline wanted was to drink in peace but the annoying guy on the neighbouring bar stool has other plans. Turns out they have more in common than what she first thought.

It's My Party

September 5

"Double vodka on the rocks," Caroline ordered, taking a seat at the bar.

"Someone must have really pissed you off," a distinctly English voice, commented. Caroline fought the urge to roll her eyes, how very clichéd. She figured the fact her eyes were cast downward would have sent him the message she wasn't interested in a little chat and whatever else he expected.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes a few someone's pissed me off. However, I have no desire to go into any detail, especially with some stranger in a bar."

"Wow, you are one angry ball of rage, aren't you?"

"Yes, so it's probably best you stop talking to me."

"But yet it's so much fun."

Did this guy have a death wish or something? She finally looked up and to her right where he was perched on the neighbouring stool. What Caroline wasn't expecting was stubbled cheeks, crimson lips, dark blue eyes and those dimples. She paused, briefly trying to remember what he'd said and what stinging reply she had formulated in her head before she looked in his direction. Why did this idiot have to be so damn good looking?

"Are you alright, love?" He asked smugly, those delicious looking lips curling into an annoying smirk. There it was; he may have been cute but his personality left a lot to be desired.

"I thought we already covered my current mood and don't call me love. Now, if you don't mind I'd just really like to have my drink in peace." She scowled, pulling the glass tumbler towards her and greedily taking a sip, relishing in the burning sensation the alcohol caused on the back of her throat.

"Well, if I knew your name I could use that instead." Caroline didn't respond just swirled the clear liquid around her glass. "I guess I could leave you alone but, you see, I have this thing I like doing." She looked over, raising one eyebrow curiously. "It's called conversing; you should try it some time."

"I can converse," she shot back. Why couldn't this guy take a hint? "I'd just prefer not to do it with strange guys in bars, as I'm sure you'd understand."

"You never know, it might make you feel better."

"Are you a psychologist or something? Is that where this is all coming from? Do you want to psycho-analyse me and cure all my supposed emotional issues?"

"Hardly," he muttered. "I'm actually a lawyer."

"Well, that's even worse," she murmured, taking another sip. "Are you using me for cross examination practice or something?"

"Sweetheart, I don't need practice." There was that arrogance coming through again. "Look, you might as well talk to me because I'm just going to keep going."

"Is this some sort of weird pick-up technique? You know annoy the girl enough so she'll sleep with you."

"I don't need any techniques, love." Given the way he looked in that fitted, navy Henley with three necklaces peeking out from underneath, Caroline was pretty sure he was right.

"It's Caroline," she drawled. "You know, just so you'll stop calling me love."

"Nice to meet you Caroline, love," he replied, cheekily. "So, what's gotten you so uptight?"

"My birthday," she murmured, gesturing to the barman for another drink, she was definitely going to need it.

"It's your birthday, today?" He asked, a slight grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Unfortunately."

"I'm surprised, most people like their birthdays."

"Well, I'm not most people."

"I'm getting that impression. So, why exactly do you hate your birthday?"

"I told you why I was in a bad mood, I didn't agree to any further questions."

"Okay, what if I told you that it's actually my birthday as well."

"I'd say you really need to work on your pick-up lines, mister." She watched with interest as he pulled his wallet from his pocket and threw a card on the bar in front of her. She picked it up wondering if this guy could ever look bad. Her driver's license photo wasn't quite so flattering. There it was though, 5 September. "Your name is Niklaus?"

"That's my full name and only my annoying family members continue to use it. I go by Klaus," he muttered, plucking the card from her fingers and placing it back in his wallet. "I didn't show you my driver's license so you'd tease me about my name."

"I wasn't teasing you, I just didn't expect it. So, it's your birthday today? Are you one of those people that like their birthday then?"

"I think the fact I'm sitting alone in a bar answers that question." It was at that point her cell began to ring loudly interrupting their conversation. She consulted the screen and immediately switched it to silent.

"Another well-wisher?"

"That's my best friend, Katherine," she answered, matter-of-factly. "She must have just realised I left my party."

"You left your own party?"

"No, I uh sort of escaped, out the bathroom window," she squeaked, thinking just how crazy that must have sounded.

"So, let me get this straight, you crawled out of the bathroom window, at your own birthday party?"

"You make it sound so bad," she muttered.

"No, I'm actually impressed that you managed such a physical feat in those heels and that mini skirt," he chuckled, his eyes devouring her body, causing tingling to occur in places that hadn't for a while.

"I was actually pretty impressed with myself," she smiled, finally finding her words again.

"You must really hate your birthday to do something like that," he whistled.

"You don't know what I have to deal with. My friends know I hate my birthday but yet every year they try to convince me that it is somehow going to be different. They thought a party might cheer me up, I couldn't be bothered arguing so I played along, well until that whole bathroom incident."

"My attention is piqued, what exactly happened to make you hate it so much?"

"Ever since I was sixteen my birthday has been unlucky."

"Unlucky?"

"Yes unlucky, when I turned sixteen I broke my leg at my birthday party."

"So, you had one bad birthday and you think it's somehow jinxed?"

"Every birthday for the past eleven years has followed the same pattern. When I was seventeen, I caught my boyfriend kissing my sworn enemy, at my own party I might add. At eighteen, I found out my parents were getting a divorce, at nineteen I lost my job, at twenty…"

"Okay, I get the picture," he interrupted. "So, what's happened this year?"

"Nothing, yet. Although meeting you has been slightly unfortunate, now that I think about it," she joked.

"Gee, thanks."

"Look, I just thought it was best I leave the party before anything bad could happen."

"I have to say, I never envisaged such an interesting and convoluted story, but its certainly cheered me up."

"I'm glad my misfortune entertains you," she growled. "So, why do you hate your birthday then?"

His cell which was lying on the bar began to vibrate, he picked it up to see who was calling, then promptly ended the call.

"Who's that? The angry date you stood up so you could be all alone on your birthday?"

"No, worse, my disgruntled sister. You're not the only one who skipped out on your party. At least you had time to deal with yours, mine was a surprise."

"If it was a surprise, how did you find out?"

"My youngest brother has a big mouth; it can be annoying but tends to come in handy every now and again."

"So, everyone is just waiting for you to arrive?"

"Oh you mean like everyone is waiting for you to return from the ladies room?"

"Touché," she conceded. "We're pretty horrible friends aren't we?"

"Hey, I never asked for this party, last time I checked. Knowing my sister Rebekah she'll actually enjoy the fact I'm not there so she can be the centre of attention."

"So, why is your birthday so bad?"

"Unlike your creative reasoning, I just hate attention and large crowds and birthdays seem to lend themselves to those sorts of situations."

"That they do," she agreed. "You know compared to all the other disasters, this birthday hasn't actually been too bad."

"Oh really? Why do I get the impression that next year you'll be sitting around bemoaning the fact that your run of bad luck continued when you met me?"

"We'll, see about that," she murmured.

"So, how about we see if I'm right then?"

"I don't know what you mean," she uttered in confusion.

"We meet up again this time next year, same time, same place and see if that's the case."

"Well, as long as no huge disaster has befallen me before then, it's a date," she grinned, shaking his hand by way of agreement and trying to ignore the heat that was spreading through her body from his touch.

As it turned out, Klaus and Caroline didn't need to wait a year to meet up again because they fell in love sitting on neighbouring stools at that very bar.

It could have been his disarming dimples, that sexy accent or those crimson lips but Caroline was fairly certain it was because he lifted her dreaded birthday curse. She always enjoyed telling their three children the story of their first meeting and how their father finally changed her luck.