Six years later…

It had surely been the week from hell. First, Beatrice had picked up some sort of 24-hour stomach bug from school and passed it on to Sunny, who then passed it on to Violet, so that they had a good solid sixty hours of vomit. Then, right after that, when Quigley returned home from his two week long trip to the Andes, where he'd been hired to chart the equatorial bulge of Chimborazo, he had innocently complained that the house was a mess, so Violet had said that maybe he could help her more if he wasn't always traveling, to which he said he was the only one bringing in any money, to which Violet said she had her own money, and then he said he was too young to be tied down to a family, and before she could say anything to defend herself, he broke up with her.

Four years. Violet had spent four years turning herself into the person she thought Quigley wanted her to be. She'd been supportive of his education and his dreams, listened quietly when he needed a therapist, encouraged him when he began his own business, and kept his bed warm for him. It was regrettable, the time she'd wasted, but she didn't even feel that sad about the break up right now, just aggravated and more put out than anything. They'd been planning on leaving anyway for Klaus's college graduation. Well...she'd go alone. So what if she had to leave a day or two earlier than she planned. It could've been worse. She could be homeless with two young girls in tow. Oh, right. She was.

Violet had packed up the essentials, loaded the girls into her car without giving them any explanation beyond an ostensibly bright "let's go on a trip," and driven the three hours from the coast to the University, but Violet should've known that you can't drive away from the universe when it has its evil eye on you. Of course, she got a flat tire, and of course, it started to rain, and of course, three different men stopped and asked her if she needed help. Violet reined in her growing temper with the opposite sex. They were only being kind, she reminded herself. They had no way of knowing that she'd known how to change a flat tire since she was nine years old.

It was late when Violet and the girls drove into the apartment complex that Klaus had been renting and only then did it occur to her that she had neglected to tell Klaus she would be arriving on Thursday night instead of Saturday morning for the graduation ceremony. She'd been so wrapped up in her little drama with Quigley that she'd momentarily forgotten her ongoing drama with her brother. Time and space had mellowed their relationship somewhat since they'd left the island five years before. At first, they had stayed all together, the four of them, in a city apartment that was smaller than their island tree house, but it hadn't been easy to find jobs that would accommodate caring for the children, and it was all they could afford on their small hourly wages. Violet could remember that this had seemed just as stressful as when they'd been on the run from Count Olaf.

Sometime later that year, the Quagmires found them. As soon as the triplets had reunited, they'd made a vow amongst themselves to find the Baudelaires. It was a very bittersweet time in Violet's life. She'd been so happy to see her old friends, alive and well, but Quigley had taken a special interest in her and her reciprocated attention only drove Klaus farther away from her. At the same time as they received their inheritance from Mulctuary Money Management, Quigley convinced her to move in with him, and Klaus decided to go away to University. The separation from Klaus was hard on all the Baudelaire females, but Violet supported his decision to continue his education and even secretly thought she might enjoy a vacation from his detachment.

Indeed, for awhile she breathed a little easier out from under Klaus's constant apathy, but she frequently found herself alone in raising Sunny and Beatrice as Quigley conveniently kept himself very busy away from home. She'd once or twice mentioned enrolling in a few college courses, but Quigley didn't know how she'd be able to manage the girls, the house, and classes, and he often mentioned how nice it was for Violet to be home when he was. For a long time she'd enjoyed playing house with Quigley, but she'd grown pretty lonely these last couple of years since Sunny and Beatrice were both away at school now for most of the day.

When she did talk to Klaus, his long held silence on the matter of her education was proof enough of his disapproval. She felt like she was letting him down, but once again, she didn't know how to make things better or what she should've done differently.

Now, a tiny bit of anxiety about showing up unannounced like this began to niggle at her gut. If things had gone to the original plan, she should've been arriving, along with Quigley and the other Quagmires, on Saturday morning to attend the graduation ceremony, have a celebration lunch with Klaus, and help him pack his apartment. Violet had made hotel reservations Saturday night for her, Quigley and the girls, then planned to head home Sunday morning, while Klaus drove the moving van to wherever he was headed next. In retrospect, Violet could've gone to a hotel tonight, but it hadn't even occurred to her. Without knowing exactly why, she just kept thinking she wanted to drive straight to Klaus and her mind was determined to get her there.

It had started to rain an hour back, right as she was tightening the last lug nut on the tire, and the sky had become pitch dark as the windshield wipers worked valiantly to clear the rain. Beatrice had fallen asleep shortly after that. Sunny, not knowing exactly what was going on, was quiet and morose as they pulled into a parking spot. Violet turned off the ignition, closed her eyes and pressed her palms hard into them. The rain beat torrentially against the roof of the car, creating a cacophony of noise that drowned out Violet's long sigh, and she turned in the driver's seat to look back at Sunny.

"Where are we?" Sunny asked, and even in the dark interior of the car, Violet could see that the young girl was tired. She'd been to visit Klaus once or twice, but it had been awhile and she must not recognize it in the dark.

Violet genuinely smiled for the first time that day as she thought about how happy Sunny and Beatrice would be to see Klaus. "It's a surprise," she said with an amused lift of her eyebrows.

There was no use waiting for the rain to abate. It was pouring cats and dogs. So, Violet did her best to shield Beatrice, who was having a wet and rude awakening, as she hefted the youngest in her arms, covered her quickly with a blanket, and made a run for cover to the tiny porch of Klaus's apartment. Sunny began to recognize where they were, bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement as Violet rang the doorbell.

From deep inside the apartment a Sidney Bichet song sounded sad and familiar, the tones dull through walls and doors, pulling at Violet's heart in a surprising way. The volume was lowered immediately and Violet heard footsteps coming closer. Her heart pounded a nervous staccato in her chest. She hadn't thought this through. What if he were upset to see them? What if he had friends over? What if he had a girl over? How embarrassing.

Too late to change her mind, because the door swung open and the overhead light from inside the hallway spilled out onto them, announcing their presence, ready or not. Klaus looked…good. He had on sweatpants and a tee shirt and his feet were bare on the cheap apartment carpet. His hair was curly and just a bit mussed, because he had a habit of running his hands through it when he was reading. He seemed taller, older than she remembered him looking, though it had been only a few months since she'd seen him at Christmas. He looked like comfort. He looked like their father.

"Violet?" he asked, concerned bewilderment evident on his face.

"Klaus!" Sunny yelled and threw herself at him. She was too big to be picked up, but Klaus grabbed her around the middle to haul her up for a huge bear hug. His astonishment at seeing them warmed immediately into unmistakeable happiness.

"Well, Sunshine!" he said exuberantly. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

"I missed you!" Sunny cried, arms tight around her brother's neck.

"I missed you, too!" he replied, looking over her shoulder at Violet.

She gave him a little wave, saying timidly, "Surprise." He quirked a little half smile at her, his eyes sliding to Beatrice, whom she still held in her arms.

Klaus set Sunny on her feet and reached for Beatrice, who really was getting too big to hold, too, but Violet still managed it. The youngest was much shyer with Klaus than Sunny and it took a little more coaxing for her to leave Violet's arms.

"Hey, Sweet Bea!" crooned Klaus. "Come here and give me a hug." Beatrice played hard to get, teasing him with a smile, but not going until he actually took her from Violet to hold her against his side, and finally she wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her cheek. He'd obviously missed the girls and Violet felt a pang of guilt. They could've come to visit more. They should've.

Looking past her into the rainy night, Klaus asked, "Is Quigley here?" Violet only shook her head and felt satisfied that her lip only trembled a little bit, that she felt fully in control of her tears. "Come in," he said, stepping back into the hall, making room for Violet to enter.

"We're not…interrupting anything?" she asked, looking past him into the hall, but seeing nothing.

Klaus shook his head, closing the door once she was just inside. He looked closely at her then. She must look like the orphan she was with soaked clothes and rain dripping from her hair, and she felt very self-conscious as his eyes raked over her face. He lifted his thumb to rub across her cheek. "What is this…grease? Is everything okay?"

She raised her hand to her cheek, wiping at it, even though she knew it wouldn't come off without a good scrubbing. "We had a flat tire," she said by way of explanation.

"Do you need a towel…or something?" he asked. "Do the girls have a change of clothes?" He had his hand on top of Sunny's wet head and she was tiredly leaning into his leg.

"Yeah. The suitcases are in the car."

He nodded, trying to hand Beatrice back to her. "I'll get them for you," he offered, but Violet shook her head, pushing his arms back.

"Don't be silly. It's pouring and I'm already soaked. I'll get them. I'll just be a minute."

He cocked his head, like he might refuse, but she just turned, pulled the door open again and headed back out into the onslaught. The rain was cold and shocking and made her forget for a few minutes that she felt like crying, that the sight of Klaus looking warm and steady and comfortable hadn't made her want to blubber into his shoulder, that she wished he had grabbed her around the middle and hugged her like he hugged Sunny.

It took two trips to get their suitcases to the door. She had no idea what to do with the rest of her belongings packed in the car. She had no clue where to go from here. There was a towel waiting for her in the entryway, which she gratefully grabbed and swabbed off her face and hair. The music had been turned up again and Klaus must've changed the record because a more cheerful melody was playing this time. Somewhere down the hall, Beatrice had forgotten all her shyness, because she was talking a mile-a-minute, and the welcoming sounds of mugs being set out on the counter and water filling the tea kettle lured Violet into the kitchen.

"Klaus is making hot chocolate!" Sunny happily announced when Violet entered the bright kitchen. Both girls were set up on tall stools at the kitchen bar and Klaus was busy measuring spoonfuls of chocolate powder into mismatched mugs.

He glanced up quickly at her. "Want some, Violet? Or I have tea…or coffee?"

"Tea sounds wonderful," she said gratefully. "I'll just change first…if you don't mind?"

"Are you staying here tonight?" he asked, another quick glance at her.

Yes! She wanted to stay and to listen to music and for Klaus to read the girls a bedtime story like he used to. She wanted to drink mugs of tea on his couch and sleep for an eternity. "Nah, we can get a hotel," is what she actually said.

"Violet!" Sunny protested. "Can't we stay with Klaus? I don't want to stay in a hotel."

"Of course," Klaus answered Sunny before Violet could protest. "You should stay." He met Violet's eye and he seemed sincere, so she nodded, giving in easily to what she'd wanted all along.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

To the girls, Klaus said, "Go get your pajamas on. The hot chocolate will be ready when you get back." Sunny and Beatrice squealed a little in excitement as they hopped off their stools. "You can change in my room, Violet. There's more space in there than the bathroom."

The girls reemerged with warm nightgowns on and their damp hair brushed. Violet had scrubbed at the stain on her face, leaving her cheeks rosy and only a tiny bit stained with grease. Klaus had laid out two mugs of hot chocolate topped with a mountain of whipped cream each, two steaming mugs of tea and a veritable tower of buttered toast on the coffee table in the living room.

"Sorry there's not more to eat, but I haven't bought groceries since I've been getting ready to pack everything up," Klaus said apologetically. "This is a good opportunity to use up the rest of my food."

"No," Violet reassured. "It looks amazing! Thank you." She plopped down on an armchair, grabbing up a mug to take a big sip. "Oh no," she said, handing the cup out to Klaus and scrunching up her nose in distaste. "This one must be yours. Black and bitter."

Klaus traded mugs with her, a wry smile on his face. "Yes, here," he said. "I know you like your's with sugar. I don't need it. I'm sweet enough."

"Pfft," she exclaimed, taking another big sip from the new mug. "Ahh, much better." Klaus chuckled a little and grabbed a piece of toast to hand to Beatrice, who'd kneeled down by the coffee table to suck the whipped cream from her mug.

There were half-filled moving boxes everywhere. Bare bookshelves lined the walls, emptied of their well-read inhabitants, and he had bunched most of his clothes into one large lidless box, not bothering to fold them or to even remove the hangers; all signs that Klaus was moving. "So, what exactly are the plans?" she asked, gesturing vaguely to a scattered pile of boxes with her hand.

Klaus swallowed a sip of tea, nodding. "Well, I guess everyone is coming over on Saturday, right? To help me load all this stuff up?"

"Yeah. No, I mean, after that? What are your plans?"

"Oh, well…after graduation I'm going backpacking for a couple of weeks with Josh. You remember him?"

"Wasn't he your roommate Freshmen year?"

"Yes, exactly. Then after that, move into my new place in Chapel Hill, I guess. Summer classes begin in early July, so."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out," she said wistfully. "You already have a new apartment lined up?"

"Actually, I'm renting a house close to campus. The aunt of a friend is getting married, but doesn't want to sell, and since they sort of know me, she's letting me have it pretty cheap as long as I keep the lawn mowed and take care of basic maintenance myself, so it's worked out really well."

"Basic maintenance?" Violet asked, interested.

"Well, it did cross my mind that I might have some contacts in that department in case of severe emergency," he said, winking at her. "I only know the basics."

"Don't sell yourself short. You know everything."

"Klaus?" interrupted Sunny. "Where will we sleep?"

"Hmm," he thought briefly. "How about this? There's a futon over there in the corner that we can fold out. You girls can sleep on that. Violet can have the bedroom and I'll sleep on the couch."

"Absolutely not," said Violet. "I don't mind the couch." He shot her an indecisive look. "Really," she assured emphatically, with a vigorous nod.

"Klaus?" Beatrice stood, leaning against his leg, already re- in love with Klaus. What did it take, like fifteen minutes? "Can me and Sunny sleep in your bed with you? You can read us a story." He smiled sweetly at the little girl and glanced at Violet.

"Beatrice…" Violet was going to argue against the idea, but Klaus announced that it was fine with him. Later, when the music was over and the mugs were all emptied and thrown into the sink, Klaus rummaged through a box to pull out some sheets and blankets for Violet, piling them in a heap in her arms. The girls were already arranging themselves in Klaus's bed and Violet could hear them arguing over who would have to sleep in the middle. "You don't have to sleep with them," Violet said. "They're messy sleepers."

"Nah, it's fine. It's really good to see them. They're growing up fast and I feel like I've already missed so much. It's good you came early."

"I am sorry to surprise you like this. I just got it in my head that we'd come see you and never even thought to ask you first." It was only part of a lie. She began to unfold the sheet to spread out over the couch cushions.

"Really, I'm glad you did. I'm glad to see you, Violet." Violet's whole chest filled with instant warmth. It was the only acknowledgement from the whole evening that he also wanted her there, not just the little girls that he'd had a hand in raising. Her smile was broad and automatic, though she tried to hide it by turning earnestly to the task of making up the couch. "Well. Call if you need something, okay?"

"Okay, but, I'll be fine. Good night and good luck with those heathens," she said, nodding towards the bedroom, making him laugh and it sounded so good.

He looked directly at her for a long moment and she didn't think he'd really looked at her in such a long time. "And you're sure you're okay?" he asked uncertainly.

She breathed out a soft laugh. "It's been a pretty bad week, if I'm being honest, but" -she closed her eyes and shook off the urge to spill her guts- "I'm fine now. Really."

All tucked up in her blankets, she switched the light off on the end table, and from her spot on the couch she could easily see in through Klaus's open door. He'd let Sunny choose the story from out of a box filled haphazardly with books and all three were snuggled tight together under the covers, the bedside lamp casting a warm yellow glow over their figures. Looked like Klaus got to be in the middle, the poor soul. Violet sometimes forgot what Klaus had been to these girls. He was devoted to their pleasure whenever he was with them, adamant to give them everything that he didn't have after he'd lost his parents. They hadn't had this sort of attention from anyone but Violet since probably the last time they'd seen Klaus and she ached a little at how happy they all looked right now and sort of wished she could be included. Violet closed her tired eyes and felt her muscles sink deep into the couch, listening to Klaus's baritone voice begin his bedtime story.

Much later, Violet awoke to complete darkness, though she knew right away where she was. It took only a few seconds for her eyes to adjust, to make out Klaus's form coming out of the kitchen with a glass of water. The sounds of the faucet must've woken her up. She lay perfectly still, but he didn't pass by her without stopping to look at her. He just stood there, taking sips of his water.

Finally, she rolled onto her back. "Did they kick you out then?"

He laughed quietly, then whispered, "You were not wrong about them. I think I have a bruise in my back where Beatrice shoved her knee into me."

"I told you so." Violet sat up and reached for his glass. He handed it to her and she took a couple of gulps, then set it on the coffee table. Reaching down by her feet, she pulled out a couple of folded blankets that she wasn't using and tossed them to him. "Here, I'm not using these."

"Yeah, okay. Good idea," he replied, and he plopped himself down on the futon in the back corner of the room. After a very long silence, in which Violet was sure he'd fallen asleep and that she never would, he said, "Did I say how happy I am to see you guys?"

She felt warm all over, almost too warm for all these blankets, and she savored the contentment his simple words brought her. She didn't let herself think about tomorrow, or the next week, or what in the world she was going to do now, concentrating instead on how nice it was to be inside and cozy with her family when she could still hear how the rain outside lashed at the windows. "You might've mentioned it."