I do not own TVD or TO.

This is the first time I have ever written something that is not exclusively ELEJAH; although it has inspired a another story for them that I might write at a later date.

Obviously this has been done before... Its one of the most common soulmate aus... this is just my interpretation of it. I've never read one with Klaroline.

Caroline had always adored and dreaded her birthdays. She loved celebrating and growing a year older; every 365 days marked another step into adulthood. The dread came from the words etched into her skin.

Everyone had soul words. The first words their soulmate would say marked on their body in their mate's own hand. Most people got standard greetings, or outraged cries from where they would literally bump into them.

What did Caroline get? She got a question written in elegant handwriting. Ever since she had been old enough to decipher the slanting script she had been wary of any celebration of her birth.

Her soulmate was apparently going to do something despicable to her on her birthday, and she was going to suspect them of it.

When she became a vampire she immediately dreaded the prospect of an unknown number of birthdays anyone of which could bring her soulmate with a supposedly vial action.

She guessed it didn't matter much anymore.

This birthday would be her last. She wondered idly if the fever would take her before morning. Would she live a day over eighteen years?

Caroline curled into a tight ball. The sheets curled around her arm. Her lip trembled involuntarily with the chills racing through her body.

Her voice was weak to her own ears; more fleeting than a leaf in a brisk fall breeze. Any moment she was certain she would break from the branch to be crushed under his thousand dollar shoes.

"Are you going to kill me?" Her bright eyes locked on his solemn expression.

A tingling sensation spread over his chest.

Klaus had long since given up hope. After all, that seemed to be a common first question someone would ask him. His replies never seemed to match, and most of the time he killed them out of spite. For whatever reason though he couldn't bring himself to harm this young vampire; he had been wracked with guilt since sending Tyler to bite her.

"On your birthday," his eyes flickered over her continence. His eyes narrowed incredulously, "do you really think that low of me?" He couldn't fathom why the thought bothered him so much?

Caroline's eyes grew round as her shoulder tingled. What had she done to deserve this? Did the universe have it out for her? Why did she get the psychopath?

"Yes," she maintained her stare. After everything he had done to her friends she wouldn't put it passed him to kill her; soulmate or not.

This was not what she had imagined. In her wildest dreams she had never thought her soulmate would be the one responsible for her death.

Klaus crossed the room slowly and carefully pulled back the covers. His mouth twisted into a frown as he sat beside her and eyed the bite. It was swollen and red.

"Ahh," his fingers ghosted over the mark, "that looks bad. My apologies," he met her eyes, "you are what is known as collateral damage, it's nothing personal." He trailed his hand down her arm and touched the bracelet with a small smile. "I do love birthdays."

"Yeah," she couldn't help but scoff, "aren't you like a billion or something?"

"You have to change your perception of time when you become a vampire, Caroline." Klaus smiled and held up his hands. "Celebrate the fact that you are no longer bound by trivial human conventions, you're free."

"No," she whispered looking up at him, "I'm dying."

"I would let you," he murmured, "if that's what you want. If you really believe your existence has no meaning." He took a deep breath and tilted his head. "I've thought about it myself once or twice over the centuries, truth be told. But I'll let you in on a little secret," his eyes shifted with an unknown emotion, "there's a whole world out there waiting for you. Great cities, art and music; genuine beauty. You could have it all. You could have a thousand more birthdays, all you have to do is ask."

She swallowed the rising nausea and met his steady blue eyes. Was she imagining the fear there? Did he want to save her life?

She had hated the prospect of living forever without ever growing old. Most people wanted to freeze time, but Caroline resented the end of her human life. She had never considered the fact that she was free; she had only mourned the things she had lost. She had grown envious of her human friends who changed in some small way with each passing month.

She found now though that she wanted to live. He was right… there was so much out there that she wanted to do; that she wanted to see. She wondered if he knew. Would he recognize the cursive across her right shoulder?

"I don't want to die." The whisper had barely left her lips when he pulled her into a seated position.

"There you go, sweetheart." Klaus cradled her trembling body against his chest and lifted his wrist to her mouth. "Have at it."

He barely felt the sting of her fangs, so great was the relief. His eyes drifted shut as he savoured the near euphoric feeling of her warm lips on his skin.

"Happy birthday, Caroline," he murmured against her hair.

Caroline felt the bite heal almost instantly. She knew she should pull away from his wrist, but his blood was the sweetest she had ever tasted. It exploded across her tongue and brought her body to life; every molecule hummed with energy.

When she finally tore her teeth from his wrist her shaking breath had nothing to do with the former bite. Did he know? Was that why his fingers were running soothingly through her hair? Was that why his heart was beating erratically beneath her ear?

"Klaus?"

She had a feeling her life was about to get very complicated.

"Yes, sweetheart?" His lips brushed over her soft hair.

Caroline blinked at the teddy bear sitting on her window sill. Her mouth opened and closed at a sudden loss for words. She couldn't remember the last time she was at a loss for words. She always had something to say; half the time her comments were inadvisable, but there was always something on the tip of her tongue.

"Caroline?" Klaus counted the quick beats of her heart. A chill spread over his body when she pulled back.

Caroline placed a few inches between them and lifted her right hand. Quickly, before she could lose her nerve, she flipped the edge of her sweater over her shoulder and pushed aside the strap of her tank top.

His eyes widened. His gaze was drawn to her bare shoulder and the familiar script spread over the skin: 'On your birthday, do you really think that low of me?'

He reached out with his thumb and fingered the soul words. His touch was the lightest of caresses and sent a jolt of electricity through both of them.

"I'd given up centuries ago," he stared at his handwriting on her otherwise flawless skin. "People tend to ask if I'm going to kill them all the time."

Caroline lifted her eyes to his intense blue gaze. It was probably a bad idea to mock one of the oldest creatures on the planet, but mock she did. After all, half of the stuff that came out of her mouth was inadvisable.

"You should really look at that in yourself."

His lips quirked up into a smirk: "perhaps I will."

It was definitely inadvisable, but Caroline would be damned if she didn't admit he had an infectious smile.

Drop off a review and let me know what you thought of my first ever Klaroline oneshot.