Violet took only one slice of pizza at the restaurant and spent the entire time they were there nibbling at it, trying to make Klaus and Sunny think she was eating right along with them. It made both the younger siblings give each other surreptitiously worried looks across the table. In spite of having no appetite, though, Violet was cheerful and talkative, asking Sunny all about her classes, her teachers and her friends. Sunny chatted about the work she did for her favorite professor and especially spent a lot of time talking about a certain male friend, which Klaus and Violet mercilessly teased her about. Everyone was having a splendid time until Sunny asked about Isadora.

"Hey, Klaus," she began, mouth full of cheese and bread. "Isadora called me today looking for you. She said you weren't answering your cell phone. I told her you were staying with Violet. Did she ever get a hold of you?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, he avoided eye contact with Violet. "Nope, I haven't heard from her."

"Klaus," Violet said in an undertone of disapproval. Obviously she remembered the missed calls from earlier that day and now knew he had lied about who they were from, but he didn't understand why he should have to go out of his way to talk to Isadora at this point. There would be plenty of time to deal with that situation later. He had quite enough on his plate already.

"But didn't you know she was coming back today? She should've just met you here," Sunny pointed out, then directed the conversation to Violet. "God, when I heard Klaus wasn't going, I almost asked if I could go instead." Not wanting to bother Sunny with domestic troubles when she was at school, Klaus hadn't told her the whole story, only saying that Isadora had gone without him because he didn't want to leave Violet that long. He'd have to set her straight, but maybe not here, not right now with Violet watching him so closely.

Later, back at the house, the siblings dressed in their pajamas and Violet made popcorn. Klaus and Sunny oriented themselves around Violet like she was a planet and they were her moons, all sitting in a tight, cuddly row on the sofa to watch a rented movie. It was the first time they'd turned the television on all week and it was comfortable to be there altogether.

The girls chatted late, late into the evening and Klaus let them at it. He retired to his bedroom with a book after the movie to give them some time alone together. He could still hear the soft, undulating murmur of their voices, their faint laughter filtering through the crack in the door, when he decided to call it a night, undressed down to his undies, and turned out the light.

And so, really, he had no idea what time it was when he was awakened by a very naked Violet climbing into bed with him. A quick lift of the covers and a whoosh of air accompanied her cool body as she scooted back into his embrace. He didn't need the light on to know it was her. He didn't even need to be totally awake, which he wasn't sure he even was. Her scent, the feel of her body, that way she moved and breathed, were all familiar to him. Had he been dreaming about her? Because waking reality felt seamless from sleep as his hands set immediately to exploring her skin, and his mouth tasted her neck and her shoulder, like he'd been doing these things all along.

Reaching behind her to pull him closer, grabbing large handfuls of his flesh to squeeze, she tugged restlessly at his boxers until he wiggled out of them. Welcomed by the cleft of her bottom, he stroked himself between the soft roundness of her cheeks, until he reached between their close bodies to guide himself into her wet and warm vagina. They each groaned loudly as he slid into her, filling her tightly, then they shushed each other with quiet giggles.

"Yes," he said huskily, lips brushing her skin. "I've wanted you all day."

"Yes," she agreed, and he knew this was another gift Violet offered him, another chance, free from interruptions this time, and he was glad to take it. He wasted little time building up a fast pace that suited him, holding one hand across her pelvis to keep her near, and another to hold her breast. The bed squeaked unapologetically with his movements, and though he knew they should be quiet because Sunny was in the next room, he didn't have the heart to silence Violet's incomprehensible, sexy sounds that got louder as the minutes passed and the pleasure built. Nor, when he uttered her name in reverent relief as he came, could he bring himself to care very much. At least, not at the time.

"Oh, God," Violet fell into a fit of slap happy giggles. "Do you think she heard us? It's so quiet now, I can't believe that she didn't."

"You're so tired that you're delirious!" Klaus told her, smiling against her shoulder, making sure they were both covered with the blankets so Violet wouldn't get cold. His accusation only made her laugh harder and he was sure she must've just taken her pain medication.

"Shh," he soothed. "You won't be the one in trouble, will you?"

This sobered her right up. "Will you?"

"What?"

"Be in trouble?" she asked curiously. He didn't want to think about what would happen if someone knew about this. "Don't tell her, Klaus." Klaus wouldn't have to tell her anything if these walls were as thin as he thought they probably were. "You can never tell Isadora. She'll never understand. She'll never forgive us."

Oh. "Why would I tell Isadora?" he asked incredulously. "This is between you and me."

"I know you," she said, turning over in his arms to face him. "One day you'll feel dreadful about keeping a secret from her and then you'll admit to it, but trust me," she stroked a thumb over his cheek, "that'll be the end."

Grabbing her hand and twining his fingers into hers, he said, "I'm surprised that you haven't noticed, but Isadora and I are kinda already over."

Violet shook her head. "No. Not really. I'm in the way right now, I know, but I'm being selfish anyway. Once I'm gone, she'll find her way back to you and you'll need her. She loves you."

He exhaled a long breath out through his nose, ready to give up or argue, he wasn't sure, but she said no more, rolled over again and soon was fast asleep.

Breakfast was a bit tense the next morning. Sunny's eyes shot daggers at Klaus all the while he made waffles in the big double Belgian waffle maker he'd gotten Violet for Christmas two years ago. Violet seemed oblivious to the change in atmosphere, suggesting that Klaus and Sunny go for a swim after breakfast. Sunny offered to clean up the kitchen, then went to get her swimsuit on while Violet grabbed the picnic blanket, a few towels and her cardigan.

They took the back deck stairs down to the sand. The sun was only lukewarm in the early autumn sky, and Klaus knew the water would feel a little on the cool side, so procrastinated by helping Violet lay out her blanket, unfolding all the towels to wrap around her because there was a breeze blowing and she already had goosebumps.

"I'm fine," she said, waving him off. "Go play with Sunny."

His sister was already making her way through the waves. She hadn't said a word to him that morning, which was highly unusual and he had a pretty good idea why. He recognized that cold shoulder tactic from his marriage. It could only mean one thing under the circumstances.

He was in trouble.

Finally, when he had put off facing his little sister for as long as he could, he waded warily into the cold. The water was fairly shallow, reaching only to his waist even when he was twenty feet from shore. As soon as she sensed him behind her, Sunny rounded on him. "What the hell, Klaus?"

"What?" he asked, trying to go for innocence.

"You know damn well what. What was all that last night? It's not like you were trying very hard to keep it a secret."

He immediately held his hands up in surrender. "I know it looks bad. Let me explain."

"What about Isadora? What are you even doing here? She's back at your house and doesn't even know where you are, calling around looking for you. Why would you cheat on her? Is this why you didn't go on the trip? To be with, God…with…with Violet? It's…it's disgusting." She was so angry she could barely get out fully formed sentences. "If it weren't my dying sister I'd come to see, if I'd had my car, I would've left straight out of that house last night."

"Isadora left me, Sunny. I haven't told you because you have enough other stuff to worry about."

This news gave her only a moment's pause. "Why Violet, though? Surely you could've found someone else to rebound with…"

"It isn't like that," interrupted Klaus. "In case you haven't noticed…"

"…not to mention how illegal it even is," she lifted her voice to talk over him.

"Violet only has a few more weeks!" Klaus continued, also getting louder. "She's not doing anymore treatments." Finally, Sunny was listening to him. "She even has a hospice nurse. Her plans are to just die…here at the house," he gestured up the beach from where they had come. "She asked me to come here, to stay with her while she…" his voice broke and he didn't finish that sentence. He looked over the water to where Violet sat watching them, the helpless concern on her face visible even at that distance. "Anyway, she asked me to."

"No," Sunny denied. Then, "Why?" she demanded, her disappoint obvious. "Why would you agree to that? She obviously isn't in her right mind. You're supposed to be taking care of her, not taking advantage of her."

Scoffing loudly, he disagreed. "Don't you see, Sunny? What does it matter? None of it matters. She's going to be dead in a matter of days. She's going to be gone…forever. If she asked me to dance naked through the grocery store, I would do it. If she wants me to bend over backwards and steal the moon from the sky, I'll do it. If she asked me to trade spots with her I would do it in a heartbeat. So, if she asks me to do something, anything, then I'm going to do it. It's that simple."

"Is that all it takes? And what about me, Klaus? If I asked, would you fuck me, too?" she asked coldly. Even though the water was chilling his body, he could feel a hot flush spread from his chest all the way to his cheeks. Looking away from her, his muscles had turned to stone under that awful accusation and he clenched his jaw so tightly that it hurt. He had no words. She might as well have struck him across the face. He couldn't have felt worse, or more embarrassed. He was just glad that she had confronted him alone and not Violet, who sat, not quite as blissfully unaware to the tension as he would've liked.

Without another word of defense, Klaus stalked out of the water, but not before Sunny had called to him, "Wait, Klaus!" He didn't heed her, but continued, intent on getting away to hide in his room for awhile. He felt her hand on his arm, "Klaus, please. I'm sorry," she pleaded. "I didn't mean it. I swear."

He stopped, but didn't look at her, couldn't look at her. She was right about everything. Of course, she was right, but she didn't get it and there was nothing he could do or say to make her understand that he loved Violet more than life itself.

"Can you mange to bring Violet back up to the house in a bit?" he finally asked, managing to keep his voice free of the emotion that was surging through him. He spared her a short glance, long enough to see the repentance in her eyes and the nod of her head in answer to his question, then pulled himself out of her grasp and walked out of the water. He made some lame excuse to Violet about letting the girls have some quality time which she obviously didn't believe for a second by the deep frown on her face. She, too, reached for his hand as he walked away, but he only squeezed her fingers briefly before leaving.

When the two girls finally came in from the beach, they were arm in arm, but silent. Klaus had fixed them a simple lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, but left them to eat their food alone, saying he would run to pick up some groceries while they ate. "Anything special you want from the store? What would you like for supper tonight?" Klaus said it to the room as a whole, but felt too overly scrutinized to look at either girl directly.

"Whatever Sunny wants is fine with me," answered Violet.

And even though he was angry at Sunny, no, that wasn't exactly true…he was really angry with himself, but still felt the emotion was directed at Sunny, he looked to her with a quirk of a smile, mostly for Violet's benefit. "I already know what Sunny wants. She always wants the same thing." Violet laughed, because she also knew this to be true.

"Then why did you ask me?" Sunny said, good-naturedly, trying hard now to diffuse the tension.

"Steak then, Klaus," announced Violet. "And get something for dessert. Pie and ice cream, maybe?" She looked at her little sister for confirmation.

"Cherry," instructed Sunny.

"Need anything else?" Klaus asked as he pocketed his keys and wallet.

"Just the usuals. Get what you want. Here, take my card," Violet said, walking over to her purse. Klaus just waved her off and left the house. He told himself it was good just to let them have some alone time, but it was really him that needed some alone time. It was always so hard to make a decision between what you ought to do and what you want to do. He was leaning heavily on the side of 'fuck it all'.

So, he carried that attitude with him all through the supermarket, throwing items into the shopping cart with more force than necessary, wanting to buy something nice for each of his sisters, but deciding against everything he looked at because he was still mad. Whatever. Fuck it. Then his phone rang and he just knew, before he even pulled it out of his pocket, that it would be Isadora. Because, of course she would call when he felt like this and he daren't speak to her when he might say things he would come to regret. Turning the volume down, he let it go to voicemail. Three times. His wife could win first prize for being persistent. He threw a loaf of bread into the bottom of the cart and then threw a half gallon of milk on top of it, feeling a queer satisfaction from seeing that dented up loaf of bread, and when he got back to the house and Sunny volunteered to put away the food, she held up the injured bag of bread questioningly. He just shrugged nonchalantly as if he didn't know what had happened to it.

That evening, as the steaks cooked and the potatoes baked and Violet busied herself at the kitchen island fixing them a salad, Klaus took his glass of wine out onto the balcony deck to lean against the railing and watch the moonlight reflect over the light surf below. He was too busy feeling sorry for himself to hear Sunny join him, gently shutting the door behind her and crossing the wooden floorboards to lean beside him.

"Can I have a sip?" she asked, handing out her hand for his wine glass. He let her take it. She took more than a sip, he noticed, and she remained quiet for a long while. Out of the corner of his eye he could see how the wind played with her long, blond hair and how she kept pushing it back behind her ear, as was her habit. Finally, she said, "Listen. About earlier? I was way out of line. You have every right to be angry with me." He didn't answer her, only pressed his mouth into a tight line. "I was upset, but now that I've had time to think it over, well…"

"Well, what?"

"Well, I can't say that I approve…"

"That's just the thing, though. I didn't ask for your approval. It's none of your business."

Sunny held her hand up. "Whoa, let me finish. And by the way, it is my business. You and Violet are my business. You're the only family I've got and I love you both, no matter what. But after spending the day with Violet, I am beginning to see what you meant. She's so different now. I don't know…so much less. I can't exactly put my finger on it."

Klaus was nodding. He understood. The cancer had taken some of Violet's spirit and most of her vitality, but it had left her kindness and sweetness untouched.

"Out of everyone, Violet, who has been through so much already, and now this…" she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Well, she has every right to tell the whole world to burn, yet she doesn't. She still loves and wants to be loved. She wants us to be happy and I want her to be happy. If you," -she handed him back his empty glass- "are what makes her happy, then so be it."

Klaus wasn't sure he felt any better after this speech. "I'm not some pervert," he said, against his will. He didn't like saying it out loud, but that was what was bothering him the most. Even though he knew actions have consequences, to think that Sunny might think was sick, or that she might even be afraid of him, was something that he didn't think he could live with.

"I know that," she said earnestly. "I'm really sorry for what I said earlier. I told you I didn't mean it." The problem was that there was always at least a little bit of truth in the things people say, but Klaus accepted the apology at face value. Sunny continued. "You know, I have this really weird memory that all this has reminded me of. I was pretty little still and I was holding Violet's hand and we were walking somewhere, though I couldn't tell you where, but Isadora was there. This was a long time ago, mind you. Anyways, Isadora was asking Violet, if she could marry any boy in their class, who would it be? And Violet said, without even stopping to think, she said, 'Klaus'. I remember thinking, yeah, of course. Who wouldn't want to marry Klaus? I was only jealous because that was my plan and I realized of course you would prefer Violet because she was so much taller than me." Sunny laughed and Klaus grinned a little.

"But, right away Isadora says, 'No, don't be stupid. You can't marry Klaus. He's your brother. You'll have to marry Duncan because I'm going to marry Klaus.' Violet stopped us both right in our tracks and said, as mean as I've ever heard her, 'You're the stupid one if you think that. Klaus loves me best'."

It seemed like that was the end to the story. Sunny had stopped talking and was turning away, back to the door. "So what. We were just kids. She didn't know any better," said Klaus. He turned, too, and through the window he could see Violet moving around just inside. She looked frail and slow and tired. He saw her stop, close her eyes, and just lean on the counter for a few seconds.

"The moral of the story is this: Violet's always known that it was you she wanted. Here's the catch. Isadora's always known the same thing." Sunny took a step toward the door, then asked, "So, are we okay?" He gave her a nod and she left him to ruminate in his thoughts, wishing he had more wine. Klaus watched her pull Violet to a nearby chair, saying something to make her laugh, then she went out of view, but a few seconds later he heard one of the Baudelaire's favorite albums begin to play and the music drifted out to him, subdued through the closed door.

Later that night, Violet again appeared in his bed, just as naked as before, her skin chilled and and covered in gooseflesh. He wrapped her in his arms to warm her with his body and she kissed him, threading her arms around his neck, scratching softly at his scalp with her short fingernails. Before he could get too lost in the moment, he pulled back. "We shouldn't," he objected.

Her brow creased and a pout formed on her lips. "Why not?" As if there weren't a thousand excellent reasons not to.

He only gave one reason. "Sunny will hear."

She whispered very, very low in his ear. "I can be quiet." Then she took that same earlobe between her teeth, and oh, how his reticence wore paper thin.

"Violet," he breathed and he wasn't sure if it was meant as a protest or plea, but he didn't stop her as she kissed across his collar bones or when she tugged at his boxers until he took them off. Waist nestled between her thighs, he moved over her slowly at first, wanting to make it good, to make it last, but she reached around him, her hands on his bottom, urging him faster. He held back as long as he could, and just when he thought she wasn't going to make it, her body spasmed under his in a powerful orgasm that tightened and pulsed intensly around his oversensitive erection, pulling him over the edge at the same time. She had lied. She wasn't quiet. At the end, he pressed his mouth harshly over hers to stifle her cry and he had to fight his own urge to call out, resulting in a long moan that he quickly muffled into the crook of her neck.

He could've laid like that, wrapped in her arms and legs forever. She whispered, "I love you," into his forehead, and then again into his cheek.

"I know," he said, kissing her chin and then her temple. "You are love."