A/N Welcome to my latest adventure! This is a Klaroline romance for sure, but to be super, duper clear: I am American and extremely liberal. This story deals with election fraud and the ethics of politics. You don't have to understand the intricacies of the American legal system, but it definitely helps. If that's not your cup of tea, skip it. Please do not leave me hate comments if you are a conservative. I'm not looking to start a debate. This is just a fun piece of fiction I wrote for Klarosummer Bingo using the prompt, "Scandal Exposed." If you like it, please let me know what you think! (No concrit, please!)

Exposed

Despite being the leader of the free world, no one had less power than the American president. Caroline Forbes was the first woman to ever win the oval office at only 38 years old, defeating her opponent by a narrow margin in a race many claimed she could never win. And now she knew she hadn't. Her hands shook as she read and re-read Klaus Mikaelson's letter of resignation. Citing guilt he could no longer live with, he confessed in great detail how he, along with several other prominent members of the Democratic party, had rigged the election in her favor three years prior by hacking the voting machines in Calhoun County, Florida. Worse than the knowledge that she'd come into power fraudulently was the knowledge that her own team hadn't believed in her. Klaus hadn't believed in her.

Klaus wasn't just President Forbes' Chief of Staff. He was the love of Caroline's life.

That role should have gone to her husband, Stefan Salvatore, and it would have… if not for what America didn't know. At twenty-seven, she should have known he was too good to be true. Handsome, brilliant, wealthy and the son of the Governor of Virginia, Stefan was the perfect match for a young politician quickly rising to the top of her party. No, she'd never felt a spark with him, but they made sense in all the ways that mattered. They shared the same beliefs, got along splendidly and looked fabulous together in public. They weren't just any couple. They were America's couple.

It had all seemed so simple when Stefan proposed six months into their relationship despite never having shared a bed. It wasn't until he wasn't able to consummate the marriage on their wedding night that he broke down and finally confessed the truth he'd been denying for a long time. Stefan was gay. Caroline wasn't nearly as surprised as she should have been. She'd gone into the bathroom and the counter full of hair-care products suddenly made perfect sense. An hour later, she'd gone back to their bedroom and proposed an amicable divorce with a promise to support his coming out publicly. He refused outright, unwilling to tell the world he'd married a woman to lie to himself. Instead, he made a second proposal: a political marriage. They would stay married for the sake of public appearances and work together to make the world a better place.

Caroline was appalled at the prospect of lying to the American people for the sake of her career, but Stefan was insistent that they could make it work. They would have twice the appeal married as they would divorced. Together, they would be the ultimate power couple. Apart, their careers may never recover from the scandal. The election was weeks away and she was the clear front runner for a seat in the House of Representatives. Divorcing and forcibly outing her gay husband the day after the wedding of the decade was a scandal she couldn't afford.

A decision had to be made. Stefan stayed in the closet and Caroline won the election in a landslide. It was the first of many decisions on the road to power that kept her up at night wondering if she'd done the right thing. Morality was a slippery slope and no one knew that more than the American president. Over the course of her career, she'd made compromises that made her question everything she knew about right and wrong. When Stefan finally met a man he could admit he loved, looking the other way hadn't seemed like that big a deal. Falling in love with Klaus Mikaelson had been harder to justify, but her heart had eventually won out.

America's favorite couple was in love – just not with each other.

The Forbes administration had been a resounding success and chances of re-election were high with a skyrocketing approval rating. Gay marriage was legal and the gender pay gap had been successfully closed. The troops were home from the Middle East, employment was up and homelessness was down. The economy was flourishing and more Americans were making their mortgage payments on time than ever. Healthcare reform was well under way and gun control legislation was next on the agenda. So what if the fraudulent state of Caroline's marriage kept her up at night if it meant the world was a better place? A moral compromise here and there could be overlooked if it was for the greater good.

It was an easy lie to tell herself to make it easier to look in the mirror for over a decade. But times had changed. Caroline had been quietly seeking advice from America's top risk management attorneys. While each of the fixers were clear that divorce posed a clear threat to her re-election prospects, they were sure that they could spin the story in her favor. Stefan would give a speech publicly stating he was gay and issue a formal apology, citing the struggles still present for homosexual men. She would tell the truth that she hadn't known he was gay when they married with the small lie that she had suspected for quite some time but had never been sure. As a firm advocate for equal rights, she would come out in full support of his new found freedom, wishing him all the best and remaining close friends and political allies. They would have an amicable divorce and after a year or two past, she would go on a few public dates with Klaus before revealing to the world that their friendship had become something more. A few little lies and her conscience would be clear at last.

But this.

This.

Election fraud was the lie President Forbes could not abide. Caroline had been trapped in an illegitimate marriage, betraying the American people every time she and her husband smiled for the camera. Letting Stefan come out so she could be with the man she loved may ruin her career, but it wouldn't jeopardize her soul. This was different. As she held Klaus' letter of resignation, she knew this was the line she could not cross. Revealing the truth of the election would invalidate her entire presidency and ruin any chance for a legitimate victory… but to bury it was treason. It couldn't be that she sat idly by and let men like Tristan De Martel buy the world and rule with a bank account instead of by the will of the people. That was not the America she knew. That was not the country she loved with laws she'd sworn to uphold.

All the power in the world couldn't free Caroline from the oppressive truth. She could be the President or she could break free from an invisible prison with bars of immorality and walls of injustice built on a foundation of greed and privilege. Another decision had to be made.

Inhaling a deep breath as she wiped the tears from her eyes, Caroline picked up the phone in the oval office and called the Attorney General herself. "Enzo, we need to meet. How soon can you be at the White House?"

"You did what?"

"I told her about De Martel's plan to hack the voting machines," Klaus replied coolly, sipping his bourbon as he sat across from the First Gentleman. "And I tendered my resignation. She'll never speak to me again."

Stefan was dumbfounded, blinking a few times as he struggled to form a coherent sentence. "But you stopped him. The election wasn't rigged. She won fair and square. You made sure of it. We were the ones who wanted to go through with it, not you. Why in the hell would you tell her now?"

The former Chief of Staff sighed heavily, running his fingers through his dirty blond curls. For a man from a wealthy and prominent family who'd never wanted for anything, his heart ached with such longing. "She told me last night that you two decided to go through with the divorce."

Stefan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. They'd been debating the subject for years, ever since he'd confessed that he'd found someone to love. Caroline had been thrilled for him and proposed they divorce immediately, but he was perfectly content to wait until the end of her second term when it no longer posed a risk to their careers. It wasn't until he saw the way she looked at Klaus that he'd begun to change his mind for her sake. "Giving her a reason to hate you won't change that," he replied softly, spinning his wedding ring on his finger contemplatively. "She wants me to be free."

Klaus looked over at him like he was deeply stupid. "You want her to be free." Finishing the rest of his drink, he set down the glass on a table beside his deep blue couch. "We both know you don't give a damn about waiting, nor do I. You agreed so she can be with me sooner rather than later." He held up his palm to halt Stefan's fruitless protestations. "Spare me the part where we pretend that's not true. She isn't thinking with her head; she's thinking with her heart. Divorcing this close to the primary is political suicide. Even if she gets the party nomination, she'll never win in the general election. With me out of the way, she won't push for you to file until after her second term. She's going to need you now more than ever."

Stefan shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose; he could feel a migraine coming on. Knocking back his liquor, he set down the empty glass. Slowly looking around Klaus' spacious living room in his Georgetown townhouse, he sighed as his eyes landed on a painting of Caroline. "You don't think she'll file anyway if she thinks I helped rigged her election?"

The former Chief of Staff shook his head. "I omitted your name from the list of parties involved. I cited myself along with Tristan and his sister, Press Secretary Aurora De Martel, Secretary of Treasury Lucien Castle and Vice President John Gilbert." At Stefan's look of utter incredulity, he barked out a dry, humorless laugh. "All of whom are corrupt megalomaniacs she's too naive to realize she's better off without. It brings me great pleasure to know as my career is ending that I'm taking theirs with me when I go. She'll do it quietly, but they won't be around for her second term."

"You're assuming she'll even run. If she thinks she didn't win on her own, I wouldn't put it past her to withdraw her candidacy."

"She'll run again," Klaus replied confidently. Stefan looked over at him with a quirked brow, clearly not as sure as his wife's lover. "She'll run because she loves this country. She's what's best for America and she knows that better than anyone. She'll run and she'll win and the world will be a better place for it."

The Virginian shook his head. Reaching over for a crystal decanter of bourbon, he poured himself a second drink. "She never got over the guilt of our marriage being political. Do you honestly think she's just going to keep election rigging to herself and not tell anyone?"

"She'll tell you." Following suit, he generously filled his glass and sipped slowly, letting the liquor burn his throat. "You'll be shocked and appalled and do everything possible to see to it that the guilty parties are quietly removed from power. And when her conscience threatens to get the better of her, you'll convince her that no one needs to know. You'll let the truth – what she thinks is the truth – stay buried."

The First Gentleman leaned back in his plush armchair, feet planted firmly on the Victorian rug as his eyes gazed at the bright oranges and pinks of the sunset as colors filtered in through the skylight. "What makes you so sure she'll bury it and not run straight to Enzo St. John?"

"And let the American people know their vote means nothing?" Klaus scoffed. Shaking his head, he loosened his tie and let it hang around his neck. "Every aspect of government elections would be called into question. It would lead to anarchy and rebellion. Caroline Forbes would do a lot of things in the name of seeing justice done, but she won't stand by and watch our democracy fall for the sake of her conscience. She'll never come forward."

"You realize what coming forward with this information means, Madam President?" Enzo St. John set Klaus' confession on the massive desk of the oval office, silently giving her a chance to take it back as the gravity of their situation hung tangibly between them.

"It means you'll start an investigation to determine the validity of these claims," Caroline replied without missing a beat, keeping her tone even and professional despite bile rising in the back of her throat. "Once verified-"

"If verified."

"Once verified," she continued, sure that Klaus' claims could only possibly be true, "Congress will be forced to form a special committee to determine the next steps." Gulping, she pushed the piece of paper closer to the Attorney General. "What are the next steps?"

Picking up the letter and reading over it again, Enzo exhaled in a whoosh. "The constitution doesn't outline how to handle questions of election legitimacy after the fact. The framers basically wrote that the election is decided once the Electoral College says it is. There are precedents for smaller offices. North Carolina once ordered new state legislative elections and a Senate election was once redone in New Hampshire, but there's nothing about the highest office in the land. They may call for a re-election or they may simply call for your removal, along with John Gilbert's. Either way, the Republicans will fight tooth and nail to prove your complicity. The Democrats hold the Senate, but they hold the House. It's likely you'll be impeached before congress can reach a resolution."

Caroline felt sick. She swiveled her chair so she could look out the massive windows of the oval office. Her office. It was far too lovely a day for the world to start burning. "I should resign."

"You can do that but John Gilbert won't," Enzo replied gravely, his disdain for the Vice President evident in his tone. "I can't even begin to predict what Congress will ultimately decide or how long it may take for them to make up their minds. It's possible it won't resolve until long after the next election. That man is a shameless opportunist. He'll throw in his own name for candidacy and likely win the Democratic nomination. In the wake of such a scandal, he won't win the general. If you resign now, you're handing the Republicans the next four years on a silver platter."

Spinning her chair back to the desk she didn't deserve, the President buried her head in her hands, fingers winding in her long, golden curls. The Attorney General sat back and waited patiently for her to compose herself. Long minutes passed before she finally did, her face pale and her eyes brimming with tears she wouldn't let fall. "What am I supposed to do?"

Enzo looked at the paper between them distastefully. "Got a match?" She glared at him from her giant chair, unamused. "No, you can't do that, can you?" Sighing, he shook his head. "God, gorgeous, you always were the best of all of us."

Caroline rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Enzo, I'm the leader of the free world. When are you going to stop calling me that?"

"When my eyes fall out of my head," he replied easily, lip twitching up in an almost smile. "You were gorgeous when we first met at Harvard and you still are now. Just because I'm having an affair with your husband doesn't mean I'm blind."

"God, I didn't even think about Stefan." The President's heart clenched as she thought about her political husband. "He thinks we won fair and square. This is going to break his heart. What am I going to say to him?"

"For right now, I think you should say nothing."

"Enzo-"

"Now, hear me out on this, gorgeous." She glared at the pet name but he ignored it, leaning forward with his forearms on the edge of the massive desk separating them. "Let me take some time to investigate. I have detectives who can do so discreetly. We'll inform Stefan when we know there's something to tell. We don't even know if any of this is true."

"It's true," she countered sadly, the contents of her lunch shifting in her stomach as a wave of nausea passed over her. "Klaus is the best man I've ever known. He wouldn't have come to me if it wasn't."

"That is precisely my point." She looked over at him in confusion, head tilted to the side. "When we were on the campaign trail, no one believed in your ability to win more than him."

"No, I only thought he believed in me." Caroline's sapphire eyes burned as she thought back on all the late nights spent crunching numbers and how sure he'd been that victory was in sight. "He knew I would win because he made sure of it."

"You don't know that."

"Well, why in the hell would he say it if it wasn't true?" she shouted, fist banging against the desk in anger. "Why resign over a lie?"

"Because Klaus Mikaelson is a good man," Enzo insisted, his tone even despite having the American President yelling at him in the oval office. "He's the kind of man who would lie to keep you from doing something reckless and impulsive like announcing your divorce mere weeks before the primaries. He'd do it because he believes in you and loves you more than his own career. How can you not see that?"

"No." Caroline shook her head vehemently from side to side, curls bouncing around the edges of her blue blazer, a pin of the American flag affixed proudly to her lapel. "No, if he wanted to stop the divorce, there are a million better ways he could have done it. He could have come to me and-"

"And would you have listened?" the attorney interrupted, raising his eyebrows at her as his words gave her pause. "Hmm? Would you have called it off simply because he asked nicely?" She said nothing. "I didn't think so. You love him so much that you wouldn't call it off with him for anything less than treason, so that's what he gave you. The only thing you love more than Klaus is America itself. It's the one thing you would choose over him, and he'd choose over you. Think about it, gorgeous. Just sit there in your fancy chair and take two seconds to consider the possibility that you earned this office before you go running to the press to tell the world you didn't."

The president exhaled hard through her nostrils and closed her eyes to try and stop the pounding in her head. She rubbed her temples as she thought things over. She'd been quick to believe Klaus' story because she trusted him implicitly. Because she loved him. And he loved her, too. But just how much did he love her? Did he love her enough to rig an election? Or did he love her enough to lie and only say he did to keep her from losing one in the future? As she slowly opened her eyes and looked upon the face of her oldest friend, she honestly didn't know.

"Okay," Caroline quietly conceded with a minute nod of her head. "We'll do it your way. Look into it quietly. Report whatever you find directly to me. If it turns out to be true, I'll address the public myself."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then I'll be addressing Klaus myself," she replied firmly, rage bubbling up inside her at the mere prospect that he might have done this just to keep her away from him. "But until we know for sure, play this one close to the vest and make sure there aren't any leaks. The last thing we need is for the press to catch wind of this if it turns out not to be true."

"President Forbes, is it true that Enzo St. John opened an investigation to determine the legitimacy of the 2016 election?"

"Did you know the election may have been rigged?"

"Were you and the first gentleman in on it?"

In all her years on the front page, Caroline had never found the flash of the cameras quite so blinding or her mouth quite so dry. So much for discretion, she thought to herself bitterly as she was bombarded with questions as she stepped off Air Force One a few weeks later, only days after she'd won the Democratic nomination. Agents in black suits flanked her on either side as she slowly made her way across the tarmac to where an armored car was waiting to take her back to the White House.

"Did you know Tristan De Martel transferred half a million dollars to an offshore account the day before the election?"

"Have you spoken to Klaus Mikaelson since he resigned as Chief of Staff?"

"Will you withdraw your candidacy?"

"The president has no comment," one of the agents answered for her as they waded through the crowd of photographers and reporters, shielding her from the blinding lights.

"Were you aware the attorney general was working with an anonymous source?"

Finally reaching the shiny black SUV, Caroline steeled herself to face the press. Squaring her shoulders, she looked right into the nearest camera and spoke slowly and clearly right into the closest microphone. "I was aware of the investigation because I am the anonymous source."

The fifteen second clip had gone viral before she made it off the tarmac.

Scandal Exposed: Investigation Proves There Was No Scandal

Caroline stared at the front page of The New York Times over her morning coffee several months later. Next to it were half a dozen other major newspapers with headlines of their own. The Truth Wins the Race: President Forbes Exonerated. The White House Cleans House: Prominent Party Members Removed. Caroline Forbes: The People's President. Let Freedom Ring: The Truth Behind the 2016 Election.

The office of the Attorney General definitively proved that the presidential election had not been rigged, but there was overwhelming evidence that it could have been. Tristan De Martel had plans set in motion to tamper with the election software but the virus was never deployed. Dozens of emails and text messages proved he'd discussed it with his sister, Aurora, Lucien Castle and John Gilbert, all of whom had voted to go through with it. Caroline had been expecting that. She had not been expecting the trail to lead to her husband's complicity.

Even more heartbreaking than Stefan's betrayal was the revelation that only one man had objected on the grounds that he was sure the presidency could be won legitimately. Klaus did believe in her. Not only had he voted against the plot but he'd threatened to tell her everything if he so much as heard the term "software patch" ever again.

In the wake of the investigation, Caroline immediately removed Lucien Castle as Secretary of Treasury and fired Aurora De Martel as Press Secretary. Unfortunately, it was not within her power to remove John Gilbert from the Vice Presidency. Stefan proposed for a third time by suggesting he move into Blair House, also known as the president's guest house. In all the years they'd been together, she'd always assumed the divorce now looming imminent would happen because she'd married a gay man. It was a small consolation in the face of betrayal, but offering to take the sole blame for their separation in the eyes of the American people did allow the president a way to get out with her hands clean. The last thing she said to him as he packed his bags was that she hoped he'd come out anyway and live the life he wanted. It was a kindness he felt he didn't deserve – but that was just Caroline.

Despite the president's best efforts to be fully transparent during the investigation, the internet was still flooded with theories about her involvement in the conspiracy. She didn't even want to look at her approval ratings, although her campaign manager assured her all was not lost. With the election rapidly approaching, something had to be done. Sighing, she set down her coffee and picked up her phone to call her new Press Secretary. It rang twice before the voice of her oldest childhood friend answered. "Bonnie, I need you to call your grams."

"How is she?"

"How do you think she is?" Stefan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "She's fucking shitty. The world is on fire and she doesn't have either of us to help put out the flames."

Groaning, Klaus shook his head and ran his fingers through his dirty blond curls. They were overgrown and beginning to curl behind his ears, his stubble longer than usual. Gone were his fancy suits, replaced by jeans and Henleys. Since tendering his resignation, he'd barely left his townhouse, let alone made a public statement despite swarms of reporters outside his front door night and day. Rubbing his temples tiredly, he sighed. "This isn't what I wanted." Picking up a crystal glass, he slowly sipped deep amber liquid relief.

"Yeah, well, join the club." The first gentleman quickly downed his shot of bourbon before pouring himself a second drink as they sat in Klaus' living room. "You clearly underestimated her desire to not be a horrible person."

"Oh, I'd say the rest of us more than meet our collective quota." Grimacing, he finished his drink and debated the merits of pouring another. Opting against it, he set down the glass and leaned back against his armchair to stare vacantly at the high ceiling.

"Cry me a river," Stefan scoffed, grunting as he shook his head. "You're not the one who was just implicated in a national conspiracy. Thanks for that, by the way. It's not like I had my own plans for the future or anything."

Klaus rolled his head to the side and glared at him. "You act as though I had a clue she'd come forward."

"Well, I certainly think you should have considered the possibility before you put the whole goddamn plot in writing," he replied bitterly, liquor burning his throat as he worked his way toward an alcoholic stupor.

"What do you want from me?" the former chief of staff snapped. "I left you out of the letter, didn't I?"

"A lot of good that did."

Sitting up in his chair, Klaus wagged his finger admonishingly, his tone stern and accusatory. "You know, I'm not the one who thought it was a good idea to rig a national election. You, Tristan, John, Aurora and Lucien have only yourselves to blame. Your collective willingness to commit treason is what began this calamity."

"And you finished it." Stefan knocked back his second shot as he tried to drown out the pounding behind his eyes.

Seeing cameras flash through the glass of his front windows, Klaus grumpily got to his feet and stomped over to the far wall where he roughly slammed the curtains shut. "What a fucking mess. Did you have to come here when she booted you out?" he grumbled as he dragged his boots back across his living room. "The press is probably out there having a field day."

"Okay, first off? I offered to leave," the first gentleman corrected his friend pointedly. "And second? Don't pretend me moving into Blair House isn't the best fucking thing that ever happened to you."

"What in the bloody hell good does it do me?" Flopping down in his chair, he opted for a second drink and poured himself a generous amount of bourbon. "You've gone from not sharing one bed to not sharing another. It changes nothing."

"Please." Rolling his eyes again, Stefan scoffed and glared at the other man dubiously. "This whole thing gave her a 'get out of marriage free' card without anyone ever having to know the whole thing was political. You didn't want the world to know she married a gay guy and you got your wish." He held up his glass and tipped it in his friend's direction. "Congratulations."

"Yes, because a plot to defraud the American people almost carried out by her most trusted advisors in no way risks her reputation," Klaus shot back sarcastically. "This is so much better. I'm sure she'll call any minute to start planning our wedding."

The Virginianan looked over contemplatively, eyeing his friend's disheveled appearance. He'd lost a few pounds and looked as though he hadn't slept in days. The breakup was clearly weighing on him and the constant stream of reporters nagging him to make a statement wasn't helping. He needed Caroline as much as she needed him. "I think she's waiting for you to call her."

Klaus swirled the liquor in his glass as he stared down at it morosely. "She has my number," he grumbled more to himself than to the man seated beside him. "If she wanted to talk to me, she'd call."

"It's not that she just wants to talk to you. She wants to hear from you," Stefan pointed out, reaching for the crystal decanter. "She wants to know that you still give a damn, that you didn't leave because you stopped loving her but because you were trying to protect her."

"She knows that," he replied defensively, shooting a glare across the small table separating them. "She knows I could never stop loving her."

The first gentleman looked at the other man like he was deeply stupid. "You walked out on her without so much as a goodbye."

"I left a letter."

"A letter of resignation announcing you cheated to get her into office." Stefan rolled his eyes again, which only made the pounding in his head intensify. A few drops of liquor spilled out of his glass as he waved it around haphazardly, its intended effects beginning to set in. "What exactly about betrayal and abandonment screams, 'I want to spend the rest of my life with you?'"

A wave of nausea passed over him as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nostrils to keep from vomiting. Klaus' life had spiraled so far out of control that he held little hope of ever righting his wrongs as far as the president was concerned. So, he did what any good politician would do: he changed the subject. "You speak of my relationship as though yours is any better. How are things with Enzo these days? Is he speaking to you yet?"

"Not unless he's screaming my name." Klaus choked on his bourbon; Stefan grinned wickedly. "You asked."

"And I will add it to the list of things to never do again." Grimacing, he shook his head and tried to clear away the mental image of the attorney general coupling with the first gentleman. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and wondered if life would ever be good again. He doubted it. "So, what happens now?"

"No idea," Stefan replied flippantly, knocking back a fourth shot in his attempts to make the world burning around him disappear into oblivion. "With any luck, she'll let Enzo's report speak for itself and keep moving forward. Best case scenario, the whole thing fades away without anyone drawing any more attention to it. The sooner this gets off the front page, the better it will be for her campaign. Let's hope that for once in her life, she keeps her mouth shut."

"This is Sheila Bennett and welcome to A Different World." For a woman with a reputation as formidable as hers, the older black woman had a wonderfully warm smile and a pleasant cadence that set Caroline at ease despite knowing this interview would either make or break her presidency and determine the results of the next election. "President Forbes, thank you for being here tonight."

"Thank you for having me, Sheila," the blonde replied with an equally warm smile, far less nervous than she probably should have been when faced with the most ruthless reporter in America. Some of the most powerful men and women in the world had been reduced to tears in the very chair in which she now found herself. Careers had been made and broken, reputations ruined and redeemed, souls crushed and freed all in one small studio in the heart of Washington D.C. Sheila had made a name for herself as a young reporter by uncovering the Gemini scandal that forever tainted the Parker administration in the 1970s. Fifty years later, she'd become the nation's most beloved face on television, remaining politically neutral and serving only the truth.

The truth was all that Caroline had left.

"I have to admit, I was surprised to get the call this morning that you wanted to meet with me," Sheila commented with a sly smile. "Usually, I have to track people like you down. What made you decide to join me this evening?"

The president returned her amused smile as if they were two old friends sharing an inside joke. "I don't know if you've been watching the news, but my name's been in it a bit more than usual lately."

The older woman laughed and it was a joyous sound that filled the studio with warmth. "I may have heard something about that, yes," she conceded with a grin. "But why come here yourself? Most politicians wouldn't get near a microphone following a conspiracy. The office of the Attorney General definitively cleared your name. Why not simply let it rest and focus your attention on your campaign?"

"I've always strived to be different than other politicians. No one should be exempt from answering to those they serve." The line of her jaw was set and her tone was firm as she held her chin up high. "If I'm not willing to address the American people directly, I don't deserve a second term."

"There are some who believe you didn't deserve a first." Sheila's tone remained pleasant but there was a sharp gleam in her eye. A shark circling in deep waters. "Despite the report, rumors are still flying that you were involved in the plan to rig your first election. So, let's just get this out of the way. Were you aware of the plot at the time and if so, were you complicit?"

"The desire to answer those questions is why I'm here tonight. So, let me be clear: I was not aware and I was not complicit," Caroline replied calmly and professionally, knowing it would be among the first questions asked. "Enzo St. John may have cleared my name in the legal arena, but many still consider me guilty in the court of public opinion." Caroline gulped and had to fight the urge to fidget in her seat under the reporter's watchful eye. "I'm here to speak directly to those who doubt my innocence in the hopes that this controversy can be put to bed once and for all."

Sheila almost looked impressed with the president's willingness to be forthcoming. For a woman who dedicated her life to searching for the truth, it was refreshing to be offered it without a fight. "And what would you like to say to them?"

Inhaling a deep breath, Caroline sighed as she squared her shoulders and forced a practiced smile. "I would say that no administration is without flaw, but I've done my best to serve and protect the laws of this great nation."

"Is that why you went to the Attorney General yourself when you learned of the plot to hack the voting machines in Florida?"

"Yes, it is," the president confirmed with a nod. "Elections are supposed to be determined by a fair count of votes. If there was even a chance that I was elected unfairly, the American people had a right to know about it. And so did I. I couldn't sit idly by knowing men like Tristan De Martel have the ability to buy the world and ignore the will of the people."

Sheila wore a mask of congeniality, but the way her lips curved ever so slightly upward as the gleam in her eyes turned to iron was unmistakable. "When you say men like him, are you including your husband?"

"Oh, wow, we're jumping straight to it, huh?" Caroline laughed nervously, the lights of the studio hot against her skin as a bead of sweat formed at her temple.

"Well, we are on limited time, Madam President," the reporter replied, her tone sharp but smile polite. "Is it true that the first gentlemen has moved into Blair House?"

News sure travels fast in this town, the president thought bitterly as her heart skipped a beat. "Yes, Sheila. It's true. Stefan and I have separated."

"Would you say that's a direct result of his involvement in the plot to rig your election?"

Caroline pressed her lips together as she thought how best to answer that question. As much as she wanted Stefan to come clean about his orientation, it wasn't her place to out him. She'd done her part by seeing to it that liberal judges were appointed to the Supreme Court. During the second year of her presidency, they'd heard a landmark case that overturned a decision made under former President Saltzman's conservative administration and set a precedent to legalize gay marriage. If her husband wanted to one day marry a man, he was free to do so, but that was his decision.

"I would say that no marriage is perfect," the president finally replied contemplatively. "But the decision for him to leave now was a result of the conspiracy, yes."

"You said that no marriage is perfect," Sheila mused speculatively. "Does that mean there were other issues in your relationship?"

"Every couple faces their fair share of hardships, especially those in the public eye," the blonde replied diplomatically, folding her hands in her lap to keep from wringing them together. "Ours was no different. We all disagree with our partners at times and have to make compromises, but a clear willingness to defraud the American people is not something I can abide."

"When you say you can't abide, would you say we can expect to see a president divorce for the first time while in office?"

Caroline barked out a dry, humorless laugh. "Divorces take time. Whether or not it happens while I'm in office is likely dependent on the next election."

"But there will be a divorce?" Sheila pressed, the cutthroat reporter in her coming out from beneath her facade of Southern gentility.

For the first time, the president questioned her decision to come on A Different World. She should have expected nothing less, but as the spotlight shone down on her, honesty felt far more intimidating than silence. "I can't predict the future, but I can say it's a definite possibility. No papers have been filed at this time, but as I said, Stefan has moved out of the White House."

Sheila nodded appreciatively, sitting back in her chair and crossing one leg elegantly over the other. "He isn't the only one who won't be putting in an appearance at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue anytime soon," she commented conversationally. "You dismissed Lucien Castle as Secretary of Treasury and fired Aurora De Martel as Press Secretary."

"Yes, I did," Caroline confirmed, nodding as she forced an even tone. "I felt I had no choice in the wake of the investigation's findings."

"I believe most Americans would agree with that decision, but what of John Gilbert?" the reporter queried, watching the woman before her for any sign of weakness or deception, readying herself to pounce. "You've announced that he will not be your running mate in the upcoming election, but what are your feelings on him finishing out his remaining time in office? Have you two discussed the possibility of him stepping down?"

"Sheila, my first act after receiving the report was to call John Gilbert and personally demand his letter of resignation from the office of the Vice Presidency," she replied without hesitation, voice wavering for the first time as she recalled his calloused refusal to step down. "Whether or not he chooses to write that letter is beyond my control."

"No, it's not within the President's power to remove the Vice President." Sheila shook her head, her tone admonishing as though she didn't agree with that rule. "But it is within the power of congress to file articles of impeachment. What do you have to say to the members of the House?"

Caroline gulped, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of her face. "Should John Gilbert refuse to resign, I would call upon the members of the House to do their duty to the American people and consider the gravity of the situation when determining their course of action."

"Should the House vote to impeach, would you like to see the Senate vote to remove him from office?"

"Should it come to that," the president responded firmly and with grim determination, "I would implore each and every member of the Senate to vote not for what they like or in accordance with party lines, but for what they believe is in the best interest of the people they've been elected to serve."

"But what would you like to see happen?" Sheila asked, leaning slightly forward in her chair. "It's one thing to ask him to step down, but it's another to see him forcibly removed. Is that something you'd choose if it were within your power?"

For a moment, Caroline could swear she smelled blood. Her navy blue suit felt oppressively rigid and her messy bun impossibly tight. But she'd decided going in that the truth was her armor and all she could do was tell it. "Given the opportunity, John Gilbert would have stolen the election, to his everlasting shame. Impeachment precludes his ability to ever participate in another election. It is my personal opinion that removing him from office now is what's best for this country's future. For that reason, yes, I would."

"Is that why you initially presented evidence to Enzo St. John? Because you felt it was in the best interest of the people?"

"I did what I thought was right." Caroline's voice cracked and she had to blink the emotion out of her sapphire eyes. "At the end of the day, I think that's all any of us can do."

Sheila picked up a clear glass of water from the table between the two comfy chairs and sipped slowly, allowing her guest a moment to do the same. It was a rare mercy from the shrewd woman known for tearing politicians to pieces for the world to see. "Do you think Klaus Mikaelson did what he thought was right when he resigned as your Chief of Staff?"

The president nearly choked on her water, quickly feigning a cough as she set down the glass and immediately folding her hands together to keep them from shaking. "I can't speak to the mentality of anyone but myself," she replied evasively.

"In his letter of resignation, Mr. Mikaelson confessed to his knowledge of a rigged election," the reporter prodded, unwilling to let her latest victim off the hook so easily. "I understand that you can't speak for him, but you must have an opinion on his thought process for coming forward with information that proved to be false."

Caroline steeled herself as her stomach twisted in knots. She'd agonized about that very subject ever since learning that not only hadn't the election been rigged, but her former lover had been the one to put a stop to it. Why had he done it? The obvious answer was to keep her from divorcing Stefan on the belief that she would keep it to herself. But did he really think so low of her? Apparently. However, given how shocked the world had been, she could forgive that. What she couldn't forget was that he hadn't told her about it at the time and waited years. Then again, he knew her well enough to know she'd have pulled John Gilbert from her ticket the day of the election. She never would have won and he believed what they all did - that she was what was best for the country. If there was anything the president could appreciate, it was that he'd put his love of country over his love of her. Twice.

Deep down, Caroline knew Klaus had resigned to assure nothing stood in the way of her winning a second term. He loved America - and he loved her - enough to not only walk away, but to make sure she wouldn't chase after him. Unfortunately for everyone watching A Different World with bated breath, that was one admission she would not be making tonight. "To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Mikaelson never intentionally lied or omitted anything of this magnitude before. Nothing in his past behavior suggests he knowingly reported false information," she replied to the reporter, wording herself very, very carefully. "The obvious assumption is that he believed the contents of his letter and was unaware the rest of the involved parties did not proceed against his wishes."

"It is obvious, yes, but is it an assumption you believe?"

"As I said, I can't speak to his mentality," the president repeated firmly. "You'd have to ask him yourself."

Sheila smiled at the way the woman across from her wouldn't back down. Weakness made for good television, but it wasn't a quality she admired in those she interviewed. "Mr. Mikaelson is yet to make a public statement. Have you spoken to him yourself?"

Caroline felt bile rise in the back of her throat as her heart ached in her chest, her facade almost crumbling. "I haven't spoken to Klaus Mikaelson since before he left his letter of resignation on my desk in the oval office." It was true. He hadn't called and she wasn't about to make the first move. But damn if she didn't want to. "We can speculate on what he did or did not know or believe, but none of us can be sure. Out of respect for all he did for my administration, I'm certainly not going to presume to speak for him on national television. He'll make a statement when and if he deems it appropriate to do so. Until that time, we'll all just have to wait." Wait and see if I ever hear from him again… Squaring her shoulders, she tipped her head to indicate the subject was closed.

"Fair enough, Madam President," Sheila conceded with a nod of her head and a sly smile. Glancing at the decorative clock on the wall of her studio, she considered her words carefully. They were nearing the end of their time together but there were still questions to be answered. "What about your legacy? When you came forward with the information, were you at all concerned about the ramifications if the plot had come to fruition and it turned out you were elected unfairly?"

The president exhaled in a whoosh, grateful that the hour was almost up as she felt her composure begin to slip. "Yes, of course I was," she admitted candidly. But I was more concerned about what it meant for my love life. Pushing that thought away, she met the reporter's eye and continued her admission. "But I was more concerned about the ramifications if I did not."

"Hmmm," the older woman mused, tilting her head to the side as though this confused her. "Had you buried the truth, what ramifications would there have been? No one outside your inner circle knew about the plan. Were you concerned the information would leak and then you would have been implicated?"

"Considering I was kept in the dark, I had no reason to believe the truth would have come out. So, no, I was not concerned about that," Caroline replied bitterly, still deeply hurt and angry that Klaus had kept this from her all this time. "My concern - well, my fear, really - was that if one election could be so easily rigged, others could be as well. Even if it turned out to be true and my presidency was overturned, I would always be known as the one who stopped it from ever happening again. That's a legacy I can live with."

When Sheila smiled again, it was genuine and there was a twinkle of pride in her wise, old eyes. "Thank you for your candor here tonight, Madam President." The blonde simply tilted her head in acknowledgment, silently pulling herself together to finish the interview without bursting into tears on live television. "We're almost out of time, but I have to ask: what effect do you think all of this will have come November?"

That was one question for which Caroline had no answer. "I honestly have no idea. All I can do at this point is hope the American people can see the truth and trust all that I've said here tonight. I have to believe they still have enough faith in me to allow me the privilege of serving a second term."

"And do you? Have faith?"

Swallowing hard as her eyes burned, Caroline smiled sadly as she thought of the man she hoped was watching and what he would think. Do you believe Klaus has faith in you? Looking directly at the camera behind Sheila, she nodded. "Yes, I do."

Election nights were the absolute worst. It was all Caroline could do not to bite her perfectly manicured nails as she stared anxiously out the window of the oval office. She'd left the party after the results had been called in Ohio in favor of the Republican candidate. She'd been the clear winner in several other key swing states, but it felt like a hollow victory without the man who believed in her the most at her side. She couldn't explain why, but she'd been sure Klaus would come even though they hadn't spoken in months. Seeing him not in the room was almost as painful as watching what was happening on TV. Losing without him would be horrible, but winning without him felt somehow worse. When the president walked out of her own election party, she left specific instructions that she not be disturbed until the votes were in.

After Caroline's interview, Klaus finally made a public statement. He told the world he gave the president the information because he felt she had a right to know and expressed relief and gratitude that she had been elected fairly. When asked why he waited so long to come forward, he cited an inability to gather hard evidence confirming or denying the plot and trusted she was capable of finding the truth of the matter with the assistance of the Office of the Attorney General. The risk management firm he consulted with prior to giving an interview assured he came out looking squeaky clean. There'd been widespread rumors that the president would choose him as her running mate and disappointment when she hadn't. As she awaited the results of the election, she wished she had.

As she heard the door softly open and close, the president knew the time had come. "I can't look," she whispered as she continued to stare out at the White House grounds, wondering how much longer she could call the view her own. "What are they saying on the news?"

"All of the major networks have called the election." Caroline's heart stopped in her chest not because of the results she was about to learn but because of the accented voice speaking to her. Despite every nerve in her body screaming at her to turn around and run to him, she stood rooted to the spot as slowly approaching footsteps echoed in her ears. "Congratulations on a sweeping victory." Heart lodged firmly in her throat, she slowly began to turn around as her breathing grew ragged. Tears began to blur her vision as blood raced violently through her veins until their bodies were only inches apart. When her eyes slowly came into focus, all she could see was the hint of Klaus' dimples emerging beneath gruff stubble as he beamed at her with pride and affection. "You are the American President."

Even before her opponent called to concede the race, as her lips crashed against the love of her life, Caroline knew that she had won.

A/N What did you think? I know this one wasn't super KC-centric, but I had fun writing it all the same. If you have nice things to say, let me know in a comment! Stay tuned for several more oneshots as Klarosummer Bingo progresses and don't forget to follow me on tumblr at Eliliyah. You can also find the even on tumblr at klarosummerbingo. Give it a follow so you can keep up with all this wonderful fandom has to offer! See you soon!