A/N: I haven't update this in over a year, I know, it's ridiculous. I'm sorry to all of you who have been waiting for this and I promise I'll update more often. I'm back into this story and I look forward to working on it more. Thanks to all of you who reviewed while this was basically on hiatus! Keep reviewing, you guys are terrific.
One more note: I haven't yet read the last ASoUE book. I know, I know, it's awful, but I can't bring myself to accept that the series has ended. So if anything in this story contradicts information from The End, I'm terribly sorry.
The sound of her friends' voices jolted Violet out of her pensive state. She glanced at her reflection in the glass of her study door, straightened her ribbon and smoothed her hair, before pausing to wonder why she'd done that. She rarely cared what she looked like around such close friends. The feeling lasted only a moment before she brushed it off and hurried down the stairs.
The scene in the entryway was close to chaos. Klaus was taking several boxes from Isadora as Duncan tried to carry a conversation with him and simultaneously with Sunny who had latched onto his ankle. Quigley now had Isadora in an embrace that lifted her off the floor, and she shrieked upon seeing Violet and struggled out of Quigley's arms, as he turned to his brother who was trying to partake in a three conversations at once now and gather his luggage at the same time. Violet and Isadora rushed into tight hug, their breathing fractured through tears.
The Quagmires had been such an important part of everything that defined the Baudelaires lives, and it had been extremely emotional when they'd been separated. Telegrams could only bring them so close, and now, to actually be in the same room as their most beloved companions was nearly overwhelming.
Isadora pulled away and held Violet at arms length. She smiled through her tears. "You're so beautiful, Vi."
Violet let out a choked laugh and both women dissolved into giggles, and fell to their knees, accompanied by more tears at their nonsensicality. The rest of the family came to join them in the hallway between kitchen and foyer. Violet got up, not bothering to wipe her eyes and was immediately swept up by Duncan who twirled her in a circle before putting her down for a proper embrace. She kept her arms tight around his neck and breathed the fresh scent against his shoulder, the one that always reminded her of new snow.
She was about a head shorter than Duncan and so she craned her neck upwards to look at him. She didn't speak at first, just patted him maternally on the cheek with a smile.
"Hello Ms. Baudelaire," Duncan said in an exaggeratedly formal tone. Even though he and Quigley were identical, the differences were apparent. Duncan was more confident and held himself very purposefully. When he spoke, it was very matter-of-fact, and in a much deeper tone. This self-assured nature had annoyed Violet on several occasions but she eventually resigned herself to the fact that she'd have to accept Duncan as he was. Of course, she loved all the triplets dearly, and especially now she found it easy to look past any flaws she might have previously dwelled on.
Instead of responding, Violet just stared into his eyes for a moment, hoping that her scrutinizing gaze could convey some of the pure, unspoken emotion she was feeling. Talking to Duncan had always been more difficult. Violet felt like he knew too much about her that she'd never told anyone. He read her thoughts like a newspaper article, never commenting on what he learned, hoarding the knowledge and speaking it back to her only the gazes like that one he held her in now.
The stare finally broke and the pair rejoined the happy jumble of greetings still going on around them. "Presents!" cried Isadora, "We have presents!"
"Not now, not now!" insisted Duncan, "Let's wait until after dinner."
"Is this all your luggage?" asked Klaus, "Let me bring it upstairs."
Violet interrupted, "No, no, let me. We have the guest bedroom all ready for you. I hope it's okay that you're sharing a room, we felt bad putting one of you on the couch, and there's already two beds – "
"Oh, it's fine, it's fine," Isadora interjected with a wave of her hand. "We've endured much worse, fear not."
There was a laugh all around and the party moved to the kitchen where spaghetti had already been placed in a steaming heap on a platter in the middle of the long oak table. A tureen of pesto sauce and a bowl of freshly grated parmesan shouldered the pasta. As everyone took their seats, Violet nipped into the refrigerator and brought out a pitcher.
"Now, I know it's not traditional with pasta, but lemon iced tea happens to be Klaus's specialty-"
Klaus took a bow and Isadora applauded.
"- so I thought we might all humor him."
Laughter again from around the table as the pitcher was passed and everyone filled their glasses with the sweet smelling drink. Violet sat down next to Sunny and across from Duncan who was seated next to his sister. Klaus headed the table at one end Quigley at the other, who looked positively ecstatic to have his siblings with him again.
The conversation over dinner started with Duncan and Isadora insisting upon hearing the details of everyone else's life. Together, the Baudelaires and Quigley gave the gist of what they'd been up in the absence of the other two Quagmires.
"But now, let's talk about you," demanded Klaus.
Isadora and Duncan glanced at each other, as though trying to decide where to start.
"Life is busy," Isadora started. "But it's fun being right in Headquarters. There's lots to do and you get used to the constant activity. You meet so many great people. Um, let's see, we recently began – "
"Isadora's got a boyfriend," Duncan interrupted in a sing-song voice and immediately ducked to his right as though anticipating the blow that came sure enough when Isadora realized what he'd said.
"Duncan!" she shrieked, "I told you I would tell them when I was ready!"
"I'm sorry! Mercy, mercy!" he cried as she continued to pummel his shoulder. "Can I claim sanctuary from the Baudelaires? Sanctuary!"
"Wait, wait!" shouted Violet to break up the fight, "Tell us about him, 'Dora. I'm curious."
Resigned to her secret being revealed, Isadora sighed but smiled. "He's in VFD doing cartography, just like you two, and he was in Germany during the schism but now he's stationed at headquarters like us."
"So we don't even get a name?" teased Klaus.
"Oh, you shut up. His name is Hansel."
"Just checking."
"We call her Gretel," added Duncan.
"Weren't Hansel and Gretel brother and sister?"
Quigley snorted into his iced tea and Violet shook her head with a smile. "Be careful, we have virgin ears amongst us."
"You mean, you and Quigley haven't- "
"I meant Sunny!" Violet loudly clarified with an exasperated grin. "Now, how about a little PG conversation."
Quigley nodded. "Yeah, Duncan, let's hear about your love life, that ought to tone things down."
Duncan aimed a friendly punch at Quigley who dodged out of the way. "Maybe I just haven't found the right girl yet, is that such a problem? Come on, I'm just eighteen, I don't need to be settling down quite yet."
Klaus raised his glass. "Well said. Here's to the single life."
Klaus and Duncan tipped their glasses at each other and Violet couldn't help but feel a little sad. She knew that Klaus would be singing a different tune if Fiona hadn't left. His façade continued, fooling everyone around the table, except for her.
Violet felt Quigley's hand brush her knee and smiled vaguely as she recommenced twirling her pasta. With a jolt she realized that both Quigley's hands were occupied eating his own pasta. And someone's fingers were still trailing along her left leg. Her eyes swung magnetically to Duncan who looked back innocently but made no motion to bring his left arm above table.
Violet jerked her leg out of his reach and didn't look at him again through the meal.
Later, as Violet helped Isadora bring luggage upstairs to the guest bedroom, she could hardly focus beneath the distraction of the swift realization she'd had just an hour before.
"Something wrong, Vi?" questioned Isadora nonchalantly.
Violet shook her head. "No, just overwhelmed. I'm so happy you and Duncan are here."
Isadora rubbed her back in passing as she crossed the room to hang some clothes in the closet. "We're delighted to be here, really Violet, more than you know. Headquarters is great, but I hate being away from you all. Both of us do."
She moved to the other side of the room and began unpacking for Duncan, placing all his neatly folded shirts in the dresser. "I might as well," Isadora muttered, more to herself, "or it'll never get done."
"Do you need any help up here?" asked Violet.
"No, I think we're good. Thanks so much for everything, Vi. I'm exhausted too, I'll probably head to bed as soon as I'm done unpacking."
"Alright, goodnight 'Dora."
"'Night sweetie."
Violet closed the door behind her and headed down the dark hallway to her own room. Klaus was putting Sunny to bed after a movie and she felt drained after the everything that had happened that day.
Just as she turned the corner to her bedroom door, she stepped directly into the path of a shadowy figure. "Quigley?" she whispered.
The figure approached and she saw that it was Duncan.
"Good evening," he greeted her.
"Oh," was the only response Violet could come up with.
She made to shuffle past into her room, but stopped at the door. She looked at Duncan's retreating back and suddenly felt angry. He had no right to act like he had and then be so indifferent about it. Didn't he realize what he'd done to her?
"Duncan!" she called firmly.
He scurried back to her side with a smile. "Yes, Madame?" His smile quickly went away when he saw the anger in her face.
She stepped toward him so that he was against the wall on the other side of the hallway. "What you did at dinner tonight was entirely inappropriate. I could have slapped you."
Duncan looked down and then back at Violet. "I know. I'm sorry. Truly. It wasn't my place to do something like that without your consent."
"Without my consent! It wasn't your place to do that ever! If Quigley knew- "
"If Quigley knew, he'd probably laugh, he'd think it was a joke."
"I love your brother, and if you think that's going to change, don't count on it."
"Violet, you're acting like I violated you! I touched your leg, and I'm sorry it upset you. Don't make this into more than it is."
Violet took a deep breath. Maybe she was over-reacting. But he had brought this upon himself, the other side of her argued. Violet pushed these thoughts aside.
"Let's just forget about it, okay? I care about you a lot Duncan and I know you care about me. Just… don't misconstrue those feelings. Promise."
After a pause, he solemnly replied. "I promise."
Violet wrapped her arms around him in a brief but tight embrace. Then hurried into her room. She dropped backwards onto her bed and sprawled herself across the white quilt. For the second night in a row she fell asleep in her clothes.
When Quigley came in later that night to say goodnight, he removed her ribbon for her and watched her sleep for a moment before gladly rushing off to his own room for a more fitful sleep than she would ever know.