A/N Welcome back! Our story is almost over with only one chapter after this. Thank you to everyone who has been following along. I've really enjoyed your sweet comments and opinions. This chapter is all Klaroline, so I hope you enjoy it. Please tell me what you think! (No concrit please)

PS As of this update, I have crossed the line and published 1,000,000 words of Klaroline!

Chapter Eight – Contrition

"No guilt is forgotten so long as the conscience still knows of it." ― Stefan Zweig

Caroline really hated playing the role of a slutty cop. The only thing she resented more than following Logan's directive was how fruitless she knew his plan would be. Still, she and Klaus would have to put on a good show for the camera, so slut clothes it was. And it took him all of three seconds to comment on her attire. "Oh, please tell me you're here for that conjugal visit we've both been craving." There was mischief alight in his topaz eyes and while she knew he was just being playful, it annoyed her all the same.

Caroline trades glance with the guard and shook her head in disappointment as he bit back a chuckle. "Not a word," she warned him sternly, holding up a bright red nail.

The guard, whose name she had learned was Marcel, held up his hands innocently and flashed her a thousand watt smile. "Hey, I already apologized to this guy for being an ass once. I'm maxed out on saying sorry for the year."

"You kept turning off the water in his cell so the toilet wouldn't flush," she reminded him coldly, crossing her arms over her chest as her bright red stretch v-neck blouse exposed a fair amount of cleavage. "You should apologize."

Marcel let out an easy laugh as he secured Klaus to the metal interrogation table, his hands cuffed to the cool surface. "Hey, I thought he whacked a Congressman's brother, okay?"

Caroline narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "That does not make it okay."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know." There wasn't a shred of remorse behind his tone, but she appreciated that he'd at least apologized for what she considered totally unacceptable behavior. He'd become her favorite of the correctional officers at Terre Haute Federal Penitentiary with his charming southern gentility and lax attitude about the rules, something she once would have hated. He dropped his tone to make himself sound official as he slipped a small metal key off the ring on his belt. "Now, remember, Agent Forbes, all prisoners on death row must be shackled and chained at all times when not in their cell." Suppressing a smile, he set the key on the table right in front of her. "It's proper prison protocol. You understand."

Taking the key and tucking it in the back pocket of her skin tight blue jeans, she nodded her head and replied solemnly, "Well, we wouldn't want to break any policies." They shared a small smirk before he let himself out of the room, closing the giant metal door behind him. Turning to Klaus, she held up a stern finger. "Don't say it," she warned, causing his grin to widen as he eyed her up and down in a way that made her blush. Pressing his lips together, he held up his palms as much as he could while chained to the table. "The outfit was Logan's idea. I'm supposed to flirt with you until you give up Rebekah's location."

Unable to contain his glee, Klaus barked out a laugh at her obvious discomfort as she set up the camera. "I don't suppose he authorized a lap dance, did he?" Blushing furiously, she hid behind the equipment and pressed her lips together, making his eyes widen with delight. "Oh, he did! Well, I would hate to see you go against your boss's orders."

Caroline glared hatefully at him. "Just shut up and let's get this part over with. And if you could maybe pretend not to be enjoying this quite so much, that'd be great."

Klaus, of course, made no such promises.

The prisoner enjoyed himself thoroughly as he shamelessly ogled her for the camera, eyes darkening with lust every time she leaned forward to press her palms flat against the cool metal surface of the table as she grilled him about his sister's location. Since it was never his way to talk on camera, he made sure each comment was more obnoxious than the one before. After about an hour, she didn't think her cheeks could flush a deeper shade of crimson and turned off the recorder. "What about my lap dance?" he asked in faux disappointment, flashing her big puppy dog eyes.

"Bite me," she sassed, flipping him the bird as she sat down across from him in a flimsy metal chair.

"Come closer," he teased playfully. "It's been almost sixteen years since I was with a woman. Surely, you can take one for this team-" he gestured between them- "as well."

Arching a brow, Caroline pulled the key from her back pocket and held it just beyond his reach. "What was that?"

Klaus' smile turned angelic as he folded his hands politely. "I'll behave."

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she tossed the key across the table but couldn't suppress a smile at their banter. "Liar."

"If you thought I might be lying, you wouldn't trust me nearly so much," he pointed out as he freed himself first from the handcuffs and then the shackles bolting his ankles to the ground and finally dispensing with the thick chain around his waist. She just rolled her eyes as he tossed the key back to her, catching it midair. He stretched out his limbs and rubbed his wrists soothingly. "Much better. I do believe those I will miss the very least."

"Too bad. I'm kinda into that kind of thing," Caroline quipped, pretending to sigh in disappointment. His eyes shot to hers and for a split second, he wasn't sure if he was kidding before her face broke out in a wide grin and her musical laughter filled the small, cement room.

Klaus smirked at the innuendo, happy to see the air between them so much lighter these days. He let his gaze slowly rove over her body appreciatively, but eventually brought his cerulean eyes up to meet her sapphires. "What on earth made Fell think that would work? Not that you don't look lovely, of course."

"I have no idea," she huffed, crossing her arms over her barely covered chest. "I told him it wouldn't work but he was insistent, and he saw me about to leave the hotel in a sweatshirt," she replied resentfully, scowling.

The prisoner scoffed in amusement. "It would take a lot more than that." His lips curved up into a lecherous grin. "But if you'd like to discuss other options…"

"Do you want me to get the chains again?"

"Well, you did say you have a thing for them," he shot back with a devious smile, earning him another eye roll.

"Add one to the 'Pros of Leaving the FBI' list," she grumbled low under her breath, making him sit straight up and reach for her hand.

Klaus' eyebrows raised in astonishment. "You're thinking of leaving the FBI?"

Allowing him to take her hand in his as he traced soft circles on her smooth skin, she sighed and nodded her head. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it for a while." He looked over at her with concern and it made something ache in her chest. She enjoyed spending time with him, but he was also a reminder of the worst thing she'd ever done. She leaned forward and set her other elbow on the table, cradling her cheek in her palm and ignoring the way his eyes briefly fell to her chest as the top of her bra peeked out. "It just… doesn't feel like home anymore. I violated my oath. I don't belong there."

"Caroline, sweetheart," he implored her, squeezing her hand, "you did nothing wrong."

"I broke the law!"

"With very good reason."

Pulling away from him, she ran her hand through her curls before wiping her palms down her face and looking over at him tiredly. "Just because something is right doesn't mean it isn't still wrong."

Klaus postured straightened and he crossed his arms over his chest; she almost thought he looked offended. "Well, then perhaps you should just turn yourself in. Clear your conscience."

The agent looked down at her hands fiddling in her lap. "I've thought about it."

"What?!" He looked at her like she'd suddenly gone insane. Peering up at him guility from beneath long lashes, she shrugged. Huffing his chest, he scoffed. "Don't be daft, love. That's utter poppycock."

"What the fuck is poppycock?" she asked in confusion, squinting at him.

For a moment, he paused, looking off to the side. "Actually, I've no idea. Just something my parents used to say." He frowned and she knew he was thinking about his stepfather. Shaking away the dark thoughts, he looked back at her sternly. "Caroline, you cannot seriously be thinking of turning yourself in. You'd be charged with obstruction and in all probability sent to prison. Elijah is keeping the pressure on the U. S. Attorney to release me. Soon, I'll be out of the country and this will all be over. You, Rebekah and I will all be free of this burden. Don't throw your life away out of some ridiculous sense of misplaced guilt. As gorgeous as you are in that top, martyrdom doesn't look good on anyone. We got away with it. Can't you just be happy with that?"

Ignoring the blatantly sexual remark, she looked over at him sadly. "I don't think I'm exactly going to get away with it."

"What do you mean?" he asked warily, frowning.

With a sigh, she told him all about her self-doubts and how she felt she deserved to be fired, how she'd thought about simply resigning, and yes, how she'd thought about turning herself in to assuage her guilt. She told him how she'd been to see Father Kieran again and they'd talked about penance and absolution. When his face darkened, she assured him she would wait until he was safely out of the country, but that didn't appease him. He came out firmly against the idea and was so vocal about it that she eventually dropped it. Finally, she launched into the whole story of her conversation with Logan about her future at the FBI.

The knowledge that it was either Caroline's career or Rebekah's freedom did not sit well with Klaus. "What are you going to do?" he asked softly, the edge of anxiety in his tone.

Caroline ran her fingers through her hair and smiled at him. "Now is the part where I give you my confession." He looked over at her curiously, head tilted to the side. "You asked me once if there was anyone I would do whatever it takes to protect, no matter the cost."

"As I recall, you told me no," he replied with a frown, eyebrows knitting together as though that answer still saddened him.

"Turns out, I was wrong." Releasing her breath in a huff, she shrugged and slowly shook her head side to side. "I just never thought the cost would be my career."

Feeling the tension leave his shoulders, Klaus leaned back in his chair and watched the beautiful woman across him staring off into space, golden tendrils framing her face. "And the person?" he asked tentatively.

Caroline's head lolled to the side as she slowly met his eyes, huffing out a dry, humorless laugh. "A wanted fugitive and the idiot brother willing to die for her."

"I'm not an idiot," he grumbled petulantly.. She looked over at him with a bored expression and the corners of his lips curved up into a smile before they both burst into laughter. If anyone had been watching, they'd have thought them mad. There was nothing funny about it, but after everything that had transpired between them – all the lies, all the confessions, all the cover-ups – there just didn't seem like there was anything left to do. And so they laughed. They laughed until there were doubled over with tears in their eyes and then they laughed some more, uncontrollable hysterics washing over them in waves until their sides ached and chests heaved.

"It's a bit ironic, isn't it?" Klaus finally asked once they'd calmed down, wiping a stray tear from the corner of his topaz eye.

"What is?" Caroline asked, amusement still etched in every line upon her face.

"You. Me." He gestured between them with one hand. "After all the years you spent trying to kill me, you're ultimately the reason I'll be going free."

"Oh, it's something, alright," she replied lightly, shaking her head. "Speaking of which-" she reached down and opened her messenger bag- "I've got a proposition for you."

"Does it involve dinner and dancing?" he asked cheekily, flashing her his best dimples. "Perhaps even that lap dance?"

Caroline rolled her eyes but couldn't stop a small grin from curling up the corners of her lips, causing him to smirk. Pulling out the plea agreement, she set it on the table. "The U. S. Attorney wants to make a deal."

Klaus' smirk faded as the air between them shifted and they fell back into their roles as agent and convict. "Would I be leaving here before I qualify for Social Security?" he asked darkly, eyeing the papers between them warily.

"You would," she replied professionally, although she really wasn't sure why when getting his signature was probably the last thing she'd ever do as a federal agent.

Flicking his gaze up at her and then back down at the papers, he crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head toward her. "I'm listening."

"We all know you didn't kill Stefan Salvatore," she began cautiously, "but you are guilty of the rest of the charges." He shrugged casually, as though he didn't care that he'd chopped up a body and tried to dump it in the river. It should have bothered her – and in another life, it would have – but after all she knew, she didn't care much, either. "They want you to plead guilty to accessory after the fact and take ten years," she spat out quickly, knowing he wasn't going to like that. The prisoner's arms fell to the table with a heavy thud, jaw dropping open as he stared at her incredulously. She held up her hand in a gesture of surrender before he could refuse, the outrage all over his face telling her he was about to. "In exchange," she continued calmly, her tone placating him, "the judge will set aside the murder conviction and they'll add up the remaining number of days you've already served and use that for the sentences on the rest of the charges."

For once in his life, Klaus didn't know what to say. He had no flirty comeback, no witty retort, no obscure hypotheticals to speak of. Pressing his lips together, he picked up the papers she'd pushed his way and looked them over carefully. He flipped through the pages over and over and while he understood the terms, it still didn't seem real. He looked up at her and then back down, scrutinizing it all again as he tried to process what she was offering him. Caroline watched him intently as he reviewed the document in silence for a solid fifteen minutes before he finally met her gaze, eyes brimming with moisture.

"I'm getting out?" he asked in a small, terrified voice, almost as though he was afraid of hearing the wrong answer and realizing it had all been a hopeless dream.

Smiling at him reassuringly, she reached across the table and took his hand, a simple gesture of kindness that still made him jump despite how familiar it had become. At least two or three times per interview, she'd reach over and touch him in some small way, heart aching every time he initially flinched no matter how gentle she tried to be. She'd sent a lot of people to prison, but before she met him, she really hadn't understood just how inhumane inmates were treated. Her newfound knowledge made it very difficult to justify the part of herself that wondered if he still belonged behind bars. As she watched his eyes beginning to water at the mere thought of regaining his freedom, it was hard not to want that for him, too.

"You're getting out," she confirmed gently, nodding as she gave his hand a soft squeeze. "Sign the papers and you're free to go with time served."

Klaus' head dropped as a single tear streamed down his cheek. He stared down at their joined hands and inhaled a shaky breath, trying his best not to break down right in front of her. It had been almost sixteen years since he'd first been put in handcuffs. Sixteen long summers and winters since he'd been treated like a human being. Most of those years had been spent in a tiny cell on death row wondering if he was going to die before finally knowing that he was. And then Caroline came to him on what should have been his last day on earth and everything changed.

There were no words.

As he rubbed his thumb over the back of her knuckles, all he could think about was how nothing he could possibly say or do would ever be enough to express the absolute depths of his gratitude. He was grateful for himself, but also for what she'd done for Rebekah. If the execution had proceeded, his little sister would still be free. She could have ended it there, but instead, she chose to keep him alive. She'd seen the good in him. And she'd seen the good in Rebekah. Just as he'd been willing to sacrifice his life, the federal agent holding his hand was willing to sacrifice her career. What words or deeds could ever possibly be enough to thank her for that?

Blinking the moisture out of his eyes, he inhaled a shuddering breath and said the only thing that seemed to make sense. "Got a pen?"

A wide smile spread across Caroline's face as she reached into her messenger bag with one hand and pulled out a cheap black ballpoint with FBI printed on it, the irony amusing her. Reaching over, he reluctantly let go of her so he could sign that documents that would grant him his freedom. He pushed it toward her and she looked it over before tucking it back in her bag. As he gazed over at her fondly, he was once again struck by how beautiful she was even in the low watt institutional lighting. She was strong, full of light. Everything he wanted and nothing he deserved. Still, as she returned his smile with one of her own, he couldn't help but feel hopeful.

"So, what now?" he asked, leaning back in the chair and throwing one arm across the back of the cold metal.

"It'll take a few days, but once the judge accepts the plea agreement, you'll be free to go."

"Not that," he replied, brows furrowing together. "I meant what happens to you?"

"Oh." She was taken aback by the question, although it really shouldn't have surprised her that he'd be concerned about her after all they'd been through. She ran her fingers through her hair and tied it up in a messy bun, tired of blowing stray tendrils out of her face. "I don't know."

"Will you lose your job?" he asked worriedly, eyeing her up and down.

Caroline barked out a humorless laugh. "Probably."

Klaus' jaw tightened, muscles in his neck twitching as his voice was a gravelly growl. "That isn't fair."

"Life never is," she replied with a sigh, completely disagreeing with him but unwilling to have the same argument. "But Damon Salvatore isn't going to let this go. He's already snarling about the FBI's incompetence all over national television. Logan's done his best to protect me, but once you walk out those gates, Damon will get the internal investigation he's been demanding."

"Fucking Salvatores," he scoffed angrily. "If he's the only problem, love, just say the word and-"

"And what?" she cut him off with an amused smile at his showboating. "Make a call and make a United States Congressman disappear? Please," she snorted, waving her hand at him dismissively. "If you had anywhere near that kind of power, you'd have broken out of here a long time ago."

Klaus grumbled petulantly under his breath, huffing. She laughed out loud and while he tried to glare at her, the sound of his own chuckle mingled in with hers. "I tried once, you know."

"You tried to escape?" she asked with a raised brow, curious to hear what his next confession would be. Despite her status as a federal agent, over the months, he'd admitted to enough crimes to guarantee several life sentences. She never said a word. Given, most of them were small enough that the government wouldn't have bothered looking into them and she suspected the rest were mostly blown way out of proportion so he could make himself feel like he still had power in the world. Still, she kept his secrets nonetheless.

"I did," he confirmed casually, admitting to yet another felony. "It was set for the day I was transferred here from New York. Elijah paid off the driver of the transport vehicle to have a little accident. But when the day came, someone new showed up. Turned out, the original man resigned hours before his shift began. My brother was not very pleased about it, let me tell you."

"Please, please don't," she interjected, holding up a hand to stop him from telling her anything violent.

"Oh, he's alive, love, if that's what your wondering." Her shoulders slumped in relief and he flashed her his dimples. "Although, not very happily." She narrowed her eyes but didn't ask. "Elijah tried to set up a few things after that, but none ever came to fruition. This fucking place is impregnable," he added bitterly, glaring at the ugly mint paint on the cement walls. "I never thought I'd be getting out of here… until I met you."

"Until you met me," she repeated, returning his soft smile. Groaning, she leaned forward and buried her face in her arms atop the steel table, shaking her head. Unsure what to do, Klaus reached over and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. Coming out from where she was burrowed, she tilted her head to the side, resting her cheek against the back of his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe I'll start a gang. Do you think I'd make a good criminal?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eye that made him bark out a laugh.

"Sweetheart, I think you'd make the worst criminal in history," he chuckled. "Given that I was once a rather successful one, I would offer to assist in the formation of this gang of yours," he teased, eyes dancing with amusement, "but I seem to recall making a promise to a lady that if I ever got out of here, I'd keep my hands clean."

The blonde smiled at that, hopeful that he would. "Must be a special lady."

"Oh, she is indeed." Their eyes met as they gazed fondly at each other like two old friends instead of once sworn enemies. "She's brave, fierce, loyal, and completely unlike anyone a man like me has ever known. I have no doubt that whatever course she chooses is one at which she will excel beyond measure." Leaning closer, his tone dropped and dripped with sincerity, "And if she ever needed anything-"

"She needs you to keep your word and be a good person," Caroline replied seriously. He nodded his head and they sat there in comfortable silence for several minutes, quietly processing everything that was happening. Glancing up at the clock, she nuzzled her cheek against his hand one last time before sitting up and leaning forward on her elbows with her hands clasped behind her neck. "So, what's next for you?"

"I believe sloppy brown gristle is on the menu tonight," he teased with a smirk.

She just rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"I do," he chuckled even as he internally grimaced at the thought of the horrible concoction he would soon be served for dinner. Prison food was near the top of the list of things he would not miss, right above showering over a steel toilet/sink combo. "Frankly, I'd like to get the hell out of this town. Perhaps I'll take a vacation." Flashing her a smirk, he repeated the words she'd once said to Rebekah. "And flee to a country far, far beyond the reach of extradition."

Caroline quirked up a brow at the subtle confession, not surprised in the least that she'd been right all along about him knowing the whereabouts of his sister. "Any idea where you'd go?" she asked with a slight taunt to her tone, wondering if he'd tell her.

"Oh, I don't know," he mused. "I hear Indonesia is lovely this time of year." He leaned forward with his forearms on the steel table and held her gaze, a amused twinkle behind his cerulean orbs. "Rumor has it, there's a group of Balinese street mums who cater to the needs of women and children who find themselves in unfortunate situations. The way I hear it, they're so desperate for help that they don't ask too many questions about the qualifications of female volunteers who show up wanting nothing but to aid in their endeavors, nor do they inquire as to what exactly brought them to such a far corner of the earth."

"Bali," she repeated with a knowing smile as amusement colored her tone. He hummed his confirmation, dimples etched into his cheeks. "Can't say I've ever been there, but it sounds like a place where someone could get a fresh start."

"You should go," he said casually, tilting his head to gauge her reaction as he reached forward to tuck a stray tendril behind her ear t hat had broken free from her bun. She eyed his wrist with an amused brow but didn't pull away. "Once all is said and done, perhaps you should consider a vacation yourself. Clear your head a bit before you decide your next move. Take a walk in the sand, the salt air blowing in your hair. You never know what might happen, or who you may run into along the way." Her strawberry lips curved up in a slight smile as their eyes met. "And should you be walking along the Pantai Munggu beach at sundown and find yourself getting thirsty, I'm sure you could find someone at the Black Sand Bar more than happy to buy an old friend a drink." His dimples were etched into his cheeks beneath his gruff stubble and there was something almost boyish in his grin that made her wonder just what the sand would feel like between her toes. "Just something to consider."

"That it is." Caroline reached over and squeezed his hand one last time before getting to her feet and throwing her messenger bag over her shoulder, the black canvas strap taut against her chest. "I should go," she said with a soft smile as she patted her bag. "I want to get these papers to Logan before the courts close for the day."

As she made her way to the door, Klaus' voice was filled with a desperate longing as he asked hopefully, "Will I ever see you again?"

The heavy steel door opened with a loud buzz, but before she walked out, she tossed him an easy smile and looked back at him over her shoulder, their eyes meeting one last time. "I'll consider it."