Get ready to sing "Happy Birthday" again in the near future, Vampire Diaries fans.

Following a season three premiere that saw Elena turn 18, producer Julie Plec tells Entertainment Weekly the same milestone will be hit by Caroline soon after this show returns on January 5... but there will be a problem: our favorite cheerleader doesn't age.

“She says ‘I couldn’t wait to be 18. Seventeen is a filler year. I’m stuck in a filler year for the rest of eternity,’” previews Plec. “She’s just starting to question what her life is gonna be as a vampire and kinda mourning the loss of her relationship with Tyler and feeling kind of unsettled and a little sad."

Wait, Caroline won't be her typical upbeat, optimistic self?!?

Not only will this trouble all members of the TV Fanatic staff, but Plec says Elena, Matt and Bonnie will "realize they need to do something nice for her to kind of get her out of her funk, and they give her a very unconventional, untraditional birthday.”

Let's hope it helps. In the meantime, come on VD lovers, let's think of what we can get Caroline for her birthday...

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.