So, this was a mix of a bunch of ideas that I just couldn't let go. Initially, it started with American Gods and the scene where Laura and Shadow first met, then it spiraled from there. Caroline knows trouble when she sees it in the casino, and Klaus is nothing but trouble for her.

She knew he was trouble the second he sat at her table, with that cocky smirk on an unfairly attractive smile. He had come in on his own, eyes immediately latching on her blonde hair and sauntering over. Having worked at the casino for a good eight months, Caroline had learned to recognize bad news when she saw it, the kind that drew attention from the eyes in the sky. The owner was a slick son of a bitch who didn't hesitate to have his goons beat someone to a pulp.

Sometimes, they didn't even bother to accuse the sucker of cheating; if the win was big enough, it was far cheaper to bribe the hospital to quietly treat the bloody mess they dropped off with a warning not to mess with Damon Salvatore's profit margins.

With an easy charm and sharp eyes, though, Caroline would bet anything that the guy sitting across from her wasn't one to care for rules. He probably wouldn't cheat outright, male pride and all. Counting cards was more likely his game; stacking the odds in his favor without technically breaking the law.

Her lip curled at the thought of Damon breaking such a pretty face. "Are you sure this is the way to spend a Friday night?" she asked quietly while shuffling her cards. "D.C. has some better entertainment options than a seedy, underground casino."

He arched an eyebrow, taking a sip of his bourbon. "I've never met a dealer warning away a willing pile of chips," he noted with a shrewd once-over of her gaudy, gold-sequined vest. She tried not to react to the attention or the smooth British accent. "Caroline, is it?"

"You can put the flirt away." Giving an icy smile, Caroline winked at the plainclothes security sitting at the next table. "There are at least three men watching your every move right now, praying you give them the slightest excuse for violence if only to liven up their incredibly dull lives. One's right over your shoulder, examining my face for any sign of distress or suspicion."

Shrugging, the guy tossed back the rest of his drink. "That sounds more like a problem for me than for you. I'm touched you're so concerned."

"Right," she scoffed, making sure to keep her voice low, "like I won't be next on their hit list if you don't manage to lose half your chips." Dealing the cards quickly with her practiced hand, Caroline pinned him with an unimpressed glare. "Trust me, you don't want to cause trouble tonight. You're going to play this hand, maybe the next if you win, but then you're leaving."

His wicked smile cut dimples deep into his cheeks, and his tongue peeked out to wet his lips. "I do like a woman who takes charge," he murmured. "And you're beautiful, which means the house expects men to linger at the expense of their pockets. If I promise to lose, may I stay and keep you company?"

Rolling her eyes, Caroline flipped the cards with more force than necessary. "Be still, my heart," she deadpanned. "Look, buddy-

"Klaus," he offered.

"Look, Klaus," she snapped, "do what you want, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Coyly glancing at his cards, Klaus smirked. "So caring. What's a nice girl like you working in a place like this? Damon Salvatore's a bloody wanker on his best day."

"So are student loans. Hit or stay?"

He met her eyes with a playful glint. "Stay."

Straightening her posture, Caroline swallowed down a small grin. "And people think I'm stubborn. Dealer stays at nineteen, show your hand."

"Eighteen," he answered with a mournful cluck of the tongue. "I suppose I should try to recoup my loss."

Caroline just collected the cards to reshuffle. Never one to bear a silence, she couldn't stop her natural curiosity. "You know Damon, then? I always wonder how people find this place."

"Friends with his brother, actually," Klaus replied. He signaled to the passing waitress for another drink, a sure sign of his intent to get comfortable. "Stefan and I both did a semester at Oxford years back."

"Ex-boyfriend?"

"Nothing as official as all that," he winked. "Anyway, I'm in town for a few weeks, thought I should look up an old friend. We came together, but his brother stopped him for some urgent business, whatever that means."

Focusing on her shuffle tricks, Caroline's eyes narrowed. "It surprises me he mentioned this place," she said. "I thought he was the squeaky clean government worker. State Department, right?"

"I'd rather talk about you," he countered. "Your hopes, your dreams. Everything you want in life."

She let out a disbelieving laugh as she started the next deal. "God, does that line ever work on anyone?"

Klaus shrugged. "You tell me."

"I'm too smart to be seduced by you," she retorted. "Dealer has sixteen. Hit or stay?"

"Hit." His smile widened at the face card.

"Twenty-one," Caroline announced, moving his chips toward him. Her eyes darted over his shoulder, sweeping the rest of the floor. "Congratulations, sir. I suggest you cash out and enjoy your winnings elsewhere."

Looking at his meager pile of chips, Klaus's eyebrows fell in confusion. "I doubt the Salvatores care about losing fifty dollars."

"You're probably right," she said, "but they're not your biggest concern right now. You seem like a nice guy, if a little arrogant. It's a bad idea for you to stay much longer."

"I'm not that nice, love."

She let a dramatic shudder wrack her shoulders. "Ugh, that's just gross. Can you please just crawl back under whatever rock you came from? I don't want the extra paperwork."

"Paperwo-"

"Everybody FREEZE! FBI!"

Both their heads whipped to the crash of the front doors opening, people with guns and police badges barging into the casino. A waitress screamed as a tray dropped to the floor, and the security guys all drew their weapons on high alert.

Sighing, Caroline reached for his hand and pulled him around the table. "I'm sorry about this," she muttered before slipping a pair of handcuffs from her back pocket. "My name is Caroline Forbes, an agent with the FBI. You're not under arrest, the cuffs are just to make getting out a little easier. I'll take you in as a material witness, my bosses will especially want to hear about how involved Stefan Salvatore is in his brother's dealings."

To her surprise, Klaus chuckled in amusement. "Fair enough, sweetheart, I find I don't mind the idea of you restraining me. However, I should ask that you remove them before we step outside. For your sake more than mine."

"I've been deep undercover in a ruthless criminal organization to uncover ties to human trafficking," she explained with a snort. "My colleagues are everywhere, I'm the safest I've been in months. Why are you worried for my sake?"

As they reached the front doors of the casino, Klaus looked over his shoulder to smirk. "Because I have diplomatic immunity, and you'll likely cause an international incident by tying my name to this until and unless my status is revoked as a result. And it won't be, as a matter of experience."

Rearing back, Caroline turned him to face her fully. "What are you talking about?"

Klaus shrugged, somehow able to look nonchalant while in handcuffs. "It's notoriously difficult to charge a foreign prince with a crime of circumstance, love. If it makes you feel better, my brother has only gotten more insufferable since assuming the throne. He'll be sure to lecture me quite severely."

She was torn between disbelief and utter horror that her biggest case would be tainted if Klaus was telling the truth. "Trust," Caroline relented, releasing the cuffs. Still, she held a hand toward him. "But verify."

Clearly understanding her demand, he reached for his identification. "Klaus Mikaelson, heir in waiting until King Elijah can beget another. There are a few other titles in there, but that's the one people seem to care about."

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut, sheepishly handing it back. "Thanks for the warning, your highness. I guess I should apo-"

"No apologies, please," he said warmly. "But I'll let you make it up to me, with dinner."

Her mouth fell open in shock. "I- What?"

"I wasn't kidding about finding you beautiful." Klaus reached forward, brushing a blonde curl behind her ear. "And I was having fun before this excitement started. I'd like to continue our conversation, perhaps with new explanations, considering."

Shaking her head, Caroline couldn't tell if he was kidding. "This is a joke, right? You're just a con artist with a really good source for fake passports?"

"Would you like to talk to His Majesty?" he asked, pulling out his phone. "Maybe he'll save the lecture for skipping yet another meeting with your state officials if you convince him I'm an innocent bystander."

"No," she answered automatically. "Um, okay, I should get my boss. He'll want to handle your situation directly, and I really have to get back to work anyway."

Before she could leave, though, Klaus wrapped a hand around her wrist. "I'm happy to cooperate, Agent Forbes, and I'd very much like to see you again. Maybe after your boss is finished with his questions?"

"You just met me, and I arrested you," she pointed out.

He smirked. "Think of the story it makes."

Rolling her eyes, she turned away to find Agent Saltzman. Hopefully, her blush would lessen by the time she explained the freaking prince she left in the lobby. She would undoubtedly be too busy to watch his conversation with the boss, but she might be able to finish her initial debrief in time to take him up on his offer.

It wasn't every day a real life fairytale dropped at her feet, even if it's beginnings were less than magical.