~a/n: this is when this business starts to get viciously questionable. No
matter what seems to be happening here, THERE WILL BE NO SEX. None
whatsoever. Flames will be violently ignored, so you may as well not waste
your time and profanity. However, if you must you must. A quick thanks to
Miss Luna, the "fine spice", for her vote of confidence. :)
C h a p t e r F o u r
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny worked hard that next day. Violet repaired furnaces, windows, and cabinets at a rapid fire pace, trying not to think of all the times Olaf had come into her room without her even knowing it; Klaus chose not to converse with the interesting people in the bar because he was rather busy keeping an eye on the various theater troupe members scattered about the booths and tables, watching him with a wary eye; Sunny bit and tore every turnip, box, and cellophane wrapper the kitchen staff supplied in an attempt to get her mind off the things she had heard her siblings talking over that morning. She had hardly understood any of it, but she could tell by their tones that they were quite distraught.
"So on one end," Violet had said, "Olaf is obsessed with me, and I'm absolutely repulsed by him."
"And on the other," Klaus finished with a sinking voice, "Esme hates me and I'm quite afraid of her."
"Did she mention why she chose to beat the living daylights out of you?"
"I caught something about someone I remind her of between the blows," Klaus said, rubbing the bruises on his face that he had been able to pass off to the Winters as having fallen out of bed that morning. "And I really do think she means to kill me." He looked terrified, and half of his face was purple and swollen.
The day disappeared fast, and before they knew it Mr. and Mrs. Winters were ushering them up the broad stairway. "I don't want to go to bed," Violet said worriedly at the landing of the third floor.
"Me neither." Klaus shuddered.
"No," Sunny moaned, hugging Violet around the knees.
"Maybe we should all sleep in the same room tonight," Klaus suggested, glancing around to see if anyone could be watching them, "then at least we won't be alone with them."
"Sunny, you sleep with Klaus in his room. I have to talk to him. I think I can make him see reason."
"Violet, remember who you're talking about! He could kill you!" he lowered his voice, his eyebrows knitted with worry. "And remember, there are worse things he can do than kill you. He's obsessive--you heard him say it yourself. I don't think you should be anywhere near him, much less alone!"
Violet stared at him, her face very still. "Klaus, I have to do this. I have an idea."
"I don't like the sound of this, but if you insist....Sunny and I will move into the next room so we can get to you if you need help. And Violet--BE CAREFUL."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Still distrustful, Klaus and Sunny followed Violet to the sixth floor. Violet went into room 665, and the remaining two Bauldilares sighed heavily as they walked nervously into room 667.
Violet sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around herself. It was easy to be brave about what she wanted to do when she could see her sister and brother, when she knew she had absolutely no choice. But sitting alone in the dimly lit room all she felt was fear and anxiety. Could this even work? It was stupid, foolish, crazy....but what choice did she have?
There are worse things he can do than kill you, Klaus had said, and that was the undeniable truth. She had hoped it wouldn't have to come to this-- she had never liked the idea of self sacrifice. But she knew Esme was capable of murdering them, and there was nothing she wanted from life more than to save her siblings. And so, she waited.
She waited for hours on end, until quarter past one, when she saw a thin plastic strip about the size of a library card forced the door open. Olaf slipped in and turned to her, looking puzzled. "My dear Violetta, what are you still doing up? It's rather late."
"I have to ask you a favor."
He smiled. "For you, the world." He seemed cheerful.
"Would you be willing to make a deal with me?" she tried to be charming and cute despite her fears.
"What are the conditions?" he asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully and sitting in a comfortable chair near the bed.
"I think Esme wants to kill Klaus and Sunny. If you let them go—" she took a deep, steadying breath and shook slightly, "—I'll go away with you."
He stared at her for a very long time. His eyes felt oppressive, and she shifted under his gaze. "Stop staring at me."
"My god," he whispered, rising and walking towards her slowly. "I can't understand your motivation. You cannot possibly be real." He knelt before her and set his hands on either side of her face. "I think I could probably love you." He pressed his lips to hers quickly, crazily, and her eyes widened. She had expected him to strike her in rage, cry out in frustration, or run from the room to go get his horrible troupe to get the hell out of there. To be truthful, she was expecting anything but the feeling of his thin lips on hers, the strange touch of his hands in her hair. He pulled away just as suddenly as he had moved forward, sitting back on his heels.
"Sometimes," he whispered, placing his head in his shaking hands, "I scare myself."
Violet felt herself shaking furiously. Her confusion was mounting—just what was going on here? "Wha-wha--?" she stammered faintly, bringing her hands to her lips as if to verify their existence.
The thin man smiled faintly. "No deal."
"B-but--"Violet was still shaking and she felt panic rising in her throat.
"Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go figure out just what the fuck I'm going to do." He got up and left, slamming the door behind him.
A few minutes later Klaus stuck his head in the door, carrying Sunny in his arms. "Are you alright?"
Violet made a soft frightened noise.
"Oh God, what happened?" he cried, setting Sunny hastily in a chair and dashing to the bed to sit next to her. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Violet, talk to me!"
Violet made a faint, fearful noise and pointed vaguely to her face. Her plan had failed--and she would focus on that, because she did NOT want to think about what had just transpired here.
"Violet? VIOLET??!" Klaus pleaded frantically, shaking her shoulders. "Please wake up!"
Sunny crawled out of the chair and over to her siblings, biting Violet's knee hard enough to snap her back into reality. Her eyes cleared and she shook her head. Her skin had been rather pale, and now the blood rushed to it. She held her head in her hands.
"What happened?" Klaus demanded. "What did he do to you? I swear to god I'll--"
"I'm fine," she said softly, looking down at the paisley bedspread, "Nothing happened."
"Then what was wrong with you? Violet, I've read about things like this--I think you were slightly catatonic. You don't go into a mild catatonic trance when nothing happens."
"It didn't work. Klaus, my plan didn't work. I can't get you two away."
"We've talked about this before, Violet. No one gets left behind anymore."
"Atens pan tocho?" Sunny asked nervously, which translates roughly to "But now what do we do?" She held up her arms and Klaus picked her. Her little face was worried and she gnawed nervously on the corner of her brother's shirt.
"We can run. There are plenty of places we can go--I know we can lose him."
"No," Violet whispered, "I don't think we'll ever lose him. He told me something before, when he had us in the house. He lets us get away every time--what we do has no effect."
"What?" Klaus looked as shocked as she had expected. At least one thing is going as you planned tonight, she thought suddenly. "That doesn't make any sense."
"He likes chasing us. It's rather like a hobby."
"So you're saying that the only reason we're still alive is because he likes playing cat and mouse with us? Add to that this whole business with obsessions...." he shuddered. "This just somehow got more disturbing."
"What are we going to do?" she asked, knowing the answer.
"I don't know," Klaus said, setting Sunny on the bed and getting up to pace the room nervously. "I've never read anything about a situation like this before. Stalking soured by a sick obsession--is there anything else I should know while we formulate a plan?"
Conflicting emotions fluttered through her brain like butterflies with broken wings. On one end she was sick of lying, and was afraid that whatever she withheld could be dangerous to her siblings. On the other hand, she didn't want to cause him any more distress--she knew how disturbed Klaus was by what he did know. She was also afraid that if Klaus knew what had happened that night, there was a chance he may do something dangerous and foolish, a risk she was not willing to take.
"No," she said finally. "That's all."
C h a p t e r F o u r
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny worked hard that next day. Violet repaired furnaces, windows, and cabinets at a rapid fire pace, trying not to think of all the times Olaf had come into her room without her even knowing it; Klaus chose not to converse with the interesting people in the bar because he was rather busy keeping an eye on the various theater troupe members scattered about the booths and tables, watching him with a wary eye; Sunny bit and tore every turnip, box, and cellophane wrapper the kitchen staff supplied in an attempt to get her mind off the things she had heard her siblings talking over that morning. She had hardly understood any of it, but she could tell by their tones that they were quite distraught.
"So on one end," Violet had said, "Olaf is obsessed with me, and I'm absolutely repulsed by him."
"And on the other," Klaus finished with a sinking voice, "Esme hates me and I'm quite afraid of her."
"Did she mention why she chose to beat the living daylights out of you?"
"I caught something about someone I remind her of between the blows," Klaus said, rubbing the bruises on his face that he had been able to pass off to the Winters as having fallen out of bed that morning. "And I really do think she means to kill me." He looked terrified, and half of his face was purple and swollen.
The day disappeared fast, and before they knew it Mr. and Mrs. Winters were ushering them up the broad stairway. "I don't want to go to bed," Violet said worriedly at the landing of the third floor.
"Me neither." Klaus shuddered.
"No," Sunny moaned, hugging Violet around the knees.
"Maybe we should all sleep in the same room tonight," Klaus suggested, glancing around to see if anyone could be watching them, "then at least we won't be alone with them."
"Sunny, you sleep with Klaus in his room. I have to talk to him. I think I can make him see reason."
"Violet, remember who you're talking about! He could kill you!" he lowered his voice, his eyebrows knitted with worry. "And remember, there are worse things he can do than kill you. He's obsessive--you heard him say it yourself. I don't think you should be anywhere near him, much less alone!"
Violet stared at him, her face very still. "Klaus, I have to do this. I have an idea."
"I don't like the sound of this, but if you insist....Sunny and I will move into the next room so we can get to you if you need help. And Violet--BE CAREFUL."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Still distrustful, Klaus and Sunny followed Violet to the sixth floor. Violet went into room 665, and the remaining two Bauldilares sighed heavily as they walked nervously into room 667.
Violet sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around herself. It was easy to be brave about what she wanted to do when she could see her sister and brother, when she knew she had absolutely no choice. But sitting alone in the dimly lit room all she felt was fear and anxiety. Could this even work? It was stupid, foolish, crazy....but what choice did she have?
There are worse things he can do than kill you, Klaus had said, and that was the undeniable truth. She had hoped it wouldn't have to come to this-- she had never liked the idea of self sacrifice. But she knew Esme was capable of murdering them, and there was nothing she wanted from life more than to save her siblings. And so, she waited.
She waited for hours on end, until quarter past one, when she saw a thin plastic strip about the size of a library card forced the door open. Olaf slipped in and turned to her, looking puzzled. "My dear Violetta, what are you still doing up? It's rather late."
"I have to ask you a favor."
He smiled. "For you, the world." He seemed cheerful.
"Would you be willing to make a deal with me?" she tried to be charming and cute despite her fears.
"What are the conditions?" he asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully and sitting in a comfortable chair near the bed.
"I think Esme wants to kill Klaus and Sunny. If you let them go—" she took a deep, steadying breath and shook slightly, "—I'll go away with you."
He stared at her for a very long time. His eyes felt oppressive, and she shifted under his gaze. "Stop staring at me."
"My god," he whispered, rising and walking towards her slowly. "I can't understand your motivation. You cannot possibly be real." He knelt before her and set his hands on either side of her face. "I think I could probably love you." He pressed his lips to hers quickly, crazily, and her eyes widened. She had expected him to strike her in rage, cry out in frustration, or run from the room to go get his horrible troupe to get the hell out of there. To be truthful, she was expecting anything but the feeling of his thin lips on hers, the strange touch of his hands in her hair. He pulled away just as suddenly as he had moved forward, sitting back on his heels.
"Sometimes," he whispered, placing his head in his shaking hands, "I scare myself."
Violet felt herself shaking furiously. Her confusion was mounting—just what was going on here? "Wha-wha--?" she stammered faintly, bringing her hands to her lips as if to verify their existence.
The thin man smiled faintly. "No deal."
"B-but--"Violet was still shaking and she felt panic rising in her throat.
"Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go figure out just what the fuck I'm going to do." He got up and left, slamming the door behind him.
A few minutes later Klaus stuck his head in the door, carrying Sunny in his arms. "Are you alright?"
Violet made a soft frightened noise.
"Oh God, what happened?" he cried, setting Sunny hastily in a chair and dashing to the bed to sit next to her. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Violet, talk to me!"
Violet made a faint, fearful noise and pointed vaguely to her face. Her plan had failed--and she would focus on that, because she did NOT want to think about what had just transpired here.
"Violet? VIOLET??!" Klaus pleaded frantically, shaking her shoulders. "Please wake up!"
Sunny crawled out of the chair and over to her siblings, biting Violet's knee hard enough to snap her back into reality. Her eyes cleared and she shook her head. Her skin had been rather pale, and now the blood rushed to it. She held her head in her hands.
"What happened?" Klaus demanded. "What did he do to you? I swear to god I'll--"
"I'm fine," she said softly, looking down at the paisley bedspread, "Nothing happened."
"Then what was wrong with you? Violet, I've read about things like this--I think you were slightly catatonic. You don't go into a mild catatonic trance when nothing happens."
"It didn't work. Klaus, my plan didn't work. I can't get you two away."
"We've talked about this before, Violet. No one gets left behind anymore."
"Atens pan tocho?" Sunny asked nervously, which translates roughly to "But now what do we do?" She held up her arms and Klaus picked her. Her little face was worried and she gnawed nervously on the corner of her brother's shirt.
"We can run. There are plenty of places we can go--I know we can lose him."
"No," Violet whispered, "I don't think we'll ever lose him. He told me something before, when he had us in the house. He lets us get away every time--what we do has no effect."
"What?" Klaus looked as shocked as she had expected. At least one thing is going as you planned tonight, she thought suddenly. "That doesn't make any sense."
"He likes chasing us. It's rather like a hobby."
"So you're saying that the only reason we're still alive is because he likes playing cat and mouse with us? Add to that this whole business with obsessions...." he shuddered. "This just somehow got more disturbing."
"What are we going to do?" she asked, knowing the answer.
"I don't know," Klaus said, setting Sunny on the bed and getting up to pace the room nervously. "I've never read anything about a situation like this before. Stalking soured by a sick obsession--is there anything else I should know while we formulate a plan?"
Conflicting emotions fluttered through her brain like butterflies with broken wings. On one end she was sick of lying, and was afraid that whatever she withheld could be dangerous to her siblings. On the other hand, she didn't want to cause him any more distress--she knew how disturbed Klaus was by what he did know. She was also afraid that if Klaus knew what had happened that night, there was a chance he may do something dangerous and foolish, a risk she was not willing to take.
"No," she said finally. "That's all."
