This fic is set after the 'Safe and Sound' chapter of Tabithatibi's story, 'The World is Quiet Here.' Whilst you don't strictly need to have read that first, I think it might make a bit more sense if you do. Either way, I hope you like it!

Klaus had barely looked up when Duncan had entered the room. That code from the other side of the schism had needed to be cracked, and besides, the entrance of a Quagmire was almost ritual. Soon enough, Duncan would move over to the little window, perhaps check the refrigerator, something small like that.

But today, today Duncan hadn't done something like that. He hadn't walked over to take in the view, or looked in the refrigerator for a snack or a secret code. No today, Duncan had just stood, and watched Klaus work.

He had much preferred that to what he knew he would soon have to say.

Klaus, eventually, had looked up, and had immediately seen that something was wrong. It could, he had had to admit, been a lot of things; but at least Duncan's lack of urgency told him that there was no fire – not here, anyhow.

When Duncan had told him, he hadn't reacted. Not then. Instead, he had looked down at all the papers on his desk. The secret code which he had been working so hard to understand suddenly all slid into place.

And then everything in his mind slid into place.

He had been on his feet before he knew it, his sister's names on his lips. Duncan had stood in the doorway, though, expecting the younger boy's charge.

'There's nothing you can do, Klaus.' He had said. And he had been right, though Klaus had fought the case hard. He had done a lot of things he probably shouldn't have done, and said thing he probably shouldn't have said –things which he should probably apologise for. But he could do that later. Right now, the words that he had said aloud could not stick in his mind. Try as they might, they could not overpower Duncan's own words – or more specifically, just one of Duncan's words:

Fire.

Fire. Everywhere. Well, everywhere where his sisters were, and to Klaus right now, where they were was the only place. Nowhere else mattered. If, of course – a tiny voice in his head muttered – they were still al- No. He wouldn't think that. Couldn't think that.

He began to struggle once again, but Duncan remained a steadfast blockade. For a moment, Klaus thought he had double vision, but reality dictated that Quigley had just appeared to aid his triplet. Had the younger boy's yelling brought him in, or had Duncan called out for help? In the aftermath, no one could remember.

Slowly, Quigley's calm demeanour broke through the single Baudelaire's panic, and he recalled that he was not the only one who cared for his sisters – and that neither were his the only siblings in that world of flames. Isadora was out there somewhere, too.

Time passed, and it was not only Klaus's frantic pacing that kept the two present Quagmires worried and restless.

'You should get some sleep, Klaus.'

'No.'

'Klaus...' Quigley began, paused, then took a deep breath and plunged on. 'Violet and Sunny wouldn't want you to-'

'If - when they can contact us, they will, and that contact will come straight here, to this very room. I have to know. So don't tell me to leave.'

Neither could argue with that logic.

'Then at least sit down, Klaus. We will find them. They will be okay. We're going to run that newspaper, remember? Violet will invent us a printing press, and you and I will write the articles, and- you know the rest. But sit down, Klaus, please. If you won't sleep, then at least conserve your energy. Who knows: come morning light, you might need it.'

'Come morning light... They might be safe and sound.'

Safe and sound. The words triggered a memory. And in the sudden silence brought by Klaus's stillness, Quigley, very quietly, began to sing.

'The world is quiet here, brothers. We're safe and sound.'

Kudos to Tabs for being an awesomesauce beta!

Let me know what you thought.

~ Em

:D