A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for not posting in awhile. Work is the root of all fanfiction delays. -_- I swear I didn't forget yas! ;) \m/

Disclaimer: Still no own ASOUE. :( Damn my life sucks...


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Chapter 9
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Klaus watched as Sunny mowed down on some hard, stale bagels the cafeteria workers managed to find in the back. All around him he could hear excited whispers about his presence, feel the volunteers' stares burn his skin, but he paid no attention. To be honest, he really just wanted to be alone, to think, to recover from the past three years, to mourn Violet's death, but his stomach wouldn't allow it. This was the first good breakfast he'd had in years, but Violet wasn't there to share it with him. His belly was full, but his heart was still starving…starving for a connection with his older sister.

"Murderer!" came an outraged cry from behind him, and immediately the whole cafeteria looked to see what had captivated her attention.

Puzzled, Klaus looked around at the volunteer who started the uproar to find her on her feet, pointing dangerously at somebody ahead of them. He followed her finger and found Fiona emerging into the cafeteria.

"Get outta here, murderer!" a different volunteer chimed in, almost as ruthless as the first.

Fiona looked to find the whole room glaring vengefully at her, some volunteers getting up from their seats and storming over to her. Well, this is one way to start your day, she thought. I usually prefer coffee and eggs to start mine.

"You got a lotta guts to show your face around here after what you did," a different female volunteer snarled darkly, she and her two cronies forming an uncompromising wall between her and the breakfast line.

"Cali, seriously? I just woke up," Fiona sighed tiredly, exasperation blatant in her eyes. "Can I just get some breakfast?" She tried to walk around them.

"No!" Cali barked, shoving her harshly. "You don't deserve breakfast after what you did! Actually, you don't deserve to breathe after what you did!"

Fiona took a deep breath, her blood beginning to boil again. "Cali…" she growled warningly. "I'm not in the mood today."

"Neither are we!" Cali and the other two girls closed in on her.

"Hey, whoa, stop!" a female volunteer about eleven squeaked, jumping between them. "She didn't mean it! Seriously! It was an accident!"

The girls stopped and stared at her, Fiona with shock and relief, Cali with a sadistic glare. "What, you got a recruit to fight your battles for you?" she smirked up at her opposition. "Real volunteers don't hide behind apprentices! They own what they do!"

Fiona's heartbeat quickened, her breathing now shallow. "Real volunteers ask both sides of the story before making an educated judgment!" she retorted, her upper lip curling into a snarl.

Cali's eyes flickered. In a blur, she slugged the recruit brutally in the the jaw and seized Fiona by the throat, thrusting her backward into the double doors. The cafeteria roared with approval, the few Fiona sympathizers hiding among the chaos taking the recruit's casualty as a sign and remaining silent. The color draining from her brave face, Fiona whipped out her pocketknife and flipped out the blade–––

"Stop!" Klaus yelled over the madness, springing up from his seat and bolting over to them. In the nick of time, he broke Cali's grip on Fiona before she could sever the problem herself.

Cali stepped back, appalled at who stood before her in his six foot five muscular glory. "Klaus…?" she breathed, blinking, trying to wrap her head around what just happened. She looked at Fiona incredulously. "What, did you blow him, too?" she demanded.

Klaus blushed furiously at the graphic accusation, Fiona flinching at the ball from left field. "Where the hell did that come from?" she shot back.

"Why else would he defend you?" Cali shouted. "You killed his own sister and he's defending you!"

"I said it was a fucking accident!" Fiona screamed viciously.

"Okay, stop it!" Klaus hollered, and the room became hauntingly quiet. "Look…uh, Cali, is it? Just go and eat your breakfast. I'll handle this."

Cali looked up at Klaus, then glared at Fiona. "You're fucking lucky!" she hissed, pointing at her. "If he hadn't have stepped in, I'd have beat the snot outta you! C'mon, girls." With that, she turned and led the two girls back to their table.

Klaus watched to make sure they held true to their word, then looked at Fiona. "C'mon. Let's head back to my dorm," he whispered. He looked around at his sister. "Sunny! Bring your bagels and c'mon."

"Selco!" Sunny called, getting up and gathering her spoils, which probably meant something like, "Roger!"

The three walked out of the cafeteria and retraced their steps back to the Baudelaire base. All the while following, Fiona stared down at her feet, her face flushing at the instant replay, both from anger and from nerves. Anger at the gall Cali had to make a scene (and almost gut her) in front of the whole cafeteria, and nerves from Klaus's response to the situation. As if Cali couldn't believe that he jumped in to save her, she was even more amazed. He actually defended her…even after she'd committed one of the most unforgivable acts in the world? Did her eyes see that right? She replayed the scene again, analyzing every minute detail at least a dozen times. By God, he did. Wait…maybe he jumped in to save her so he could grill her himself. And not just for Violet's death, but for her betrayal on the Queequeg years ago…a moment that haunted her to this day. She swallowed anxiously. Yep…that's where this was going. She could just feel it. She was mere footsteps away from being beheaded by her beloved. Did this nightmare ever end?

After a few more twists and turns, Klaus walked up to his and Sunny's dorm, fumbling for his keycard.

"Willbo?" Sunny asked, watching her brother hesitate, which probably meant something like, "Are you alright?"

Klaus felt his heart tighten. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, trying to sound casual, swiping the keycard through the lock.

Sunny squinted doubtfully as Fiona reluctantly followed him inside. "Nobuyit," she told him.

"What do you mean 'you don't buy it'?" Klaus turned around, feigning ignorance.

"Nobuyit," Sunny insisted.

Klaus sighed. Even his baby sister could see right through his lies. And if he couldn't fool her of all people, the jig was definitely up. He swallowed, clearly disturbed by some demon deep inside. "Sunny, can we have a minute? Just the two of us? Please?" he asked sweetly.

Sunny looked at Fiona, then back at him. "Gizzo," she sighed finally. "Quagolbisha." She turned and walked back the way they came.

"Thanks. Tell them I'll be there in a bit to check on them," Klaus called, then shut the door.

"Where's she going?" Fiona piped up finally, trying to delay her death sentence as long as she could.

Klaus was quiet, staring at the door numbly. "She's…going to check on the Quagmires," he translated after a moment, then turned around to look at her. Instantly, the memories he tried so hard to forget came to the forefront, this time crystal-clear and in color. He could see himself, Violet, and Sunny following Captain Widdershins down the dark hall to the belly of the beast…he could see her wheeling out from under one of the panels in the dim green light…he could see her shaking his hand in greeting with that beautiful smile of hers… He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat swelled shut. Embarrassed at how idiotic he must've looked, he looked off to the side at the wall, beginning to tremble.

"Klaus?" Fiona said delicately. "You okay?"

Despite his attempts to look calm and collected, his breathing had deepened, and to his horror, she'd noticed. He could see them gathered round the table, trying to make head or tail of the tidal charts…them being carried by the icy current deep into the Gorgonian Grotto…the field of Medusoid Mycelium creeping up to them on the shore… "Yeah, I'm fine." He continued to stare at the wall.

"No, you're not," Fiona shook her head.

The vacant Queequeg upon their return…his spore-poisoned sister gasping for air…Count Olaf leading them to the brig of the Carmelita… "Yeah, I am," Klaus insisted hurriedly.

"You're not foolin' me."

Hers and Fernald's reunion…their escape back to the Queequeg…curing Sunny with the lone can of wasabi… He remained silent.

"What's wrong?"

Decoding the telegram from Quigley…her newfound allegiance to Count Olaf as they raided the Queequeg for its valuables…him begging her to come with them…

"Klaus?"

The kiss…

With a tortured grunt, Klaus bolted out of his dorm and down the hall at top speed, tears racing down his face.

"Klaus!" Fiona hurried into the hall and stared in the direction he disappeared, her mind racing.

"Whado?"

Fiona jumped and looked around to find Sunny standing by the door, her arms crossed tightly, her adorable little face grim.

"Sunny!" Fiona breathed, taken aback by her presence. "I thought you went to see the Quagmires."

"Whado?" Sunny demanded again, which probably meant something like, "What did you do to him?"

Fiona tipped her head questioningly. Unfortunately, her only translator had run away in an erratic mess. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to understand what you're saying."

Sunny ignored her desperation and proceeded to speak her mind. "Nobuyyou," she growled, which probably meant something like, "I don't trust you."

"What?"

"Nobuyyou!" Sunny repeated louder.

Fiona took a deep breath, fighting to remain patient. "What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"Hurt Klaus!" Sunny yelled, then stomped past her to look for her brother. But before setting out on her mission, she opened wide and clamped down hard on Fiona's leg.

Fiona cried out in pain, bending down to baby her wound.

"Stayway!" Sunny threatened, pointing at her, which probably meant something like, "Stay away from him!" And with that, she left.

Fiona watched her disappear, then looked down at her pantleg to find it speckled with blood. She sighed tiredly. This was going to be a long day.