Disclaimer: Lemony Snicket owns ~A Series Of Unfortunate Events~. He does not own the government papers about a fire as well as three pounds worth of tiger fur. Not anymore, anyway.
The Baudelaires woke with a start to the door of Count Olaf's room opening with a loud squeak. At the door stood Fernald and Count Olaf. Light from the hallway flooded into the room. Sunny continued to sleep, undisturbed by the incomers.
Count Olaf stared at the older Baudelaires, his face melting from worry to disappointment. He stepped into the room and surveyed Violet and Klaus. The two children suddenly felt much smaller than usual.
"Children! What are you doing here? I specifically instructed that you can't come into my room! We were worried sick when we came home and couldn't find either of you in your rooms!" Klaus shrunk further into his seat, disappointed in himself. Violet quickly stood up to explain to Count Olaf, hoping she could wipe the disapproving look of his face.
"Olaf, we heard Sunny coughing up a storm in the middle of the night. It sounded like she was dying. I climbed in here through the window—" Olaf stood up rigidly. His unibrow was raised, his eyes shining and wide. He stared at Violet. "You climbed into my room…in the middle of the night…" he glanced around the room. "Did you use a ladder? A rope?" The count looked around for the tools he thought Violet had used to enter the tower. His eyes finally landed on the grappling hook, and he sighed, closing his eyes.
"Children, tomorrow's a big day. Perhaps you should go and rest. I'll take care of Sunny. I don't think she'll be able to go to the play tomorrow." Violet and Klaus nodded sadly. They both knew how excited Sunny had been for the play. As the two trudged to their bedrooms, their eyes became heavier and heavier, until finally they were asleep in their rooms.
The next morning, Count Olaf rushed into the two older Baudelaires' rooms and wake them up. He cried out about how great the production was going to be, how Sunny was faring better than ever, and how they were going to have delicious pancakes for breakfast. It was almost as if last night's fiasco had been forgotten.
The three sat around the table and ate, Violet and Klaus missing Sunny, and Count Olaf going over last-minute changes and tricky things to remember. The children nodded sleepily, wolfing down their pancakes.
Finally, the count loaded Violet and Klaus into his car, and they were off to the theatre. Olaf had promised the worried Baudelaires that Jonathan, the long-nosed man, would watch Sunny very carefully. At last they'd relented, waving goodbye to Sunny from the car door.
"So, Baudelaires. It's been three weeks, nearly a whole month! Are you still sure you want to travel the country with me for grr next two?" Olaf watched the kids through the rearview mirror. Violet nodded excitedly, but Klaus seemed lost in thought. "Oh, most definitely, Olaf! We're plenty excited." She flashed him a smile, and he looked back at the road. Violet turned to her brother almost immediately.
"Is something wrong?" She whispered. Klaus nodded. He cleared his throat a little, then spoke up. "Count Olaf, I've just realized how dangerous your play is. We're going to have to make a few adjustments." Olaf frowned into the mirror. "What do you mean, Klaus? I made plenty checks. There isn't too much to worry about, trust me." Klaus only shook his head. Violet cringed, not liking the way her brother was openly defying the Count.
"Count Olaf, in the wedding scene, there are many problems. The largest and most important is the fact that you and Violet could be officially wed." Olaf screeched to a halt and pulled over. He turned around and stared at Klaus with large eyes. "Ex-excuse me?" He stuttered. Klaus seemed content that he's captured the man's attention.
"You see, in the scene, there is a judge present; Justice Strauss. There is also a legal, if not simple, marriage document. By signing both of your names, you and Violet could become…man and wife." Violet and Olaf looked horrified. They obviously did not want to be married to each other.
Violet spoke first, "But I'm not even eighteen yet! I can't be married! I'm fourteen, that's way too young!" Klaus pushed his glasses up ok his nose. "Well, if Olaf is present and gives permission, it's entirely legal." Olaf folded his arms. "Then I won't give permission." Klaus seemed to have been expecting the answer. "That wouldn't be very good acting, then. You'd lose approval of you suddenly announced that you, the groom, didn't approve of the marriage. I do have a solution, though."
"Tell us!" Violet and Olaf cries in unison. Klaus nodded. "We simply need both of you to sign in your non-dominant hand." Violet blinked. "That's all?" She questioned. Klaus nodded again. "The document has to be signed in the bride and the groom's own hands, or their dominant hand. If you don't do that, the marriage is terminated." Violet and Olaf sighed with relief. "Thank you, Klaus," said Count Olaf as he started the car's engine again. "Other Violet and I would've been married…imagine what your parents would say!" They all laughed.
Hi guys! So this chapter was a lot shorter than the others, but oh well. Anyway, sorry for not updating in like, a million years. I'll try to update a lot more from now on!
"And a refrigerator may hold a basket of strawberries, which would be important if a maniac said to you, "If you don't give me a basket of strawberries right now, I'm going to poke you with this large stick."
-Lemony Snicket, The Slippery Slope
(Jaguar)