Family Comes First- ASOUE

Chapter 91: Every Step of the Way

*No POV*

In an office of Mulctuary Money Management, Jacqueline Scieszka and Olivia Caliban continued to look through different files, however nothing quite seemed to fit the criteria they had for the Baudelaires and the Quagmires.

Jacqueline clicked her tongue. "It's not as easy as I thought it'd be to find a perfect guardian for the kids..." She said, shoving aside some notes.

"As long as they're not like Olaf, I think that's the best we can do," Olivia offered with a small smile. "I especially want to see them in a good home!"

"... Interesting."

"Yeah," Olivia continued, "I was raised in the foster system, so I didn't exactly have a perfect home environment. The best role models I had were all fictional, so I really want to make sure they ultimately have someone that's actually there for them, and, you know... Real? They need it. Deserve it, too, after everything they've gone through."

Jacqueline just grinned as Olivia went on about how much thought she had put into the kids' futures- much, much, much more than her, as a matter of fact. "Olivia?" She said, interrupting the ranting.

"Sorry, I'm rambling. I'll be quiet."

"Olivia."

"What?" Olivia asked with a grin.

"Do you want to take the kids in?"

Olivia's eyes widened. "Wait, what?? Me? Raise six children??"

"Yes! You'd be great for them- maybe the perfect guardian, in fact! You truly do care for them, and they already are close to you and trust you. Really, you're the best, and maybe even the only option we have."

The librarian's surprised expression turned more and more excited. "I- uh... I'd love to!! But I need to ask Jacques first. We have a date later... I feel like that conversation would have the potential to ruin it though..."

"Well, we have a week and a half, so don't feel too rushed to bring it up unless you feel it's right to." Jacqueline smiled encouragingly.

The door opened behind Jacqueline's desk and the two ladies turned around to see a confused Mr. Poe. The man started coughing into a white handkerchief, finally piping up when his fit was over. "Who is this? She shouldn't be here."

"Mr. Poe, this is Olivia Caliban," the assistant introduced. "She's helping me with the Baudelaire and Quagmire case."

"Do you work for Child Protection Services?" He asked, turning to her.

"No, Sir, I don't. I'm close to the children, however. I was the librarian at the preparatory school they attended?"

He tried to straighten his back to make himself taller. "I apologize, Miss Caliban, but this is Mulctuary Money Management business and I'm afraid while you might mean well, you aren't allowed to be involved in arranging affairs for the children."

Olivia tried to hide her disappointed frown with a tight-lipped smile. "That's alright..." She said politely. "I should be on my way anyways... Have a good afternoon, Jackie..."

"You too, Olivia."

The door shut softly behind her, and Jacqueline continued to look through the files. After a few moments, she finally spoke to Mr. Poe.

"I think she'd be a great permanent guardian for the Baudelaires and the Quagmires."

Mr. Poe smiled in a confused way as if she had said something ridiculous. "The Quagmires, perhaps, but not the Baudelaires," he said. "You know their parents left a very specific list of guardians, and we aren't going to stray from what Beatrice and Bertrand intended. It's honestly quite funny that you thought we would diverge from their will just because you have claimed there won't be more trouble with their arrangements!"

Jacqueline forced a smile. "Yes, I'm sorry, Mr. Poe. Very silly of me to forget..."

Truth be told, she hadn't even taken a look at the next name on the list. Jacqueline opened up the Baudelaire and Quagmire file. She had combined the two folders around the time the children went to live with Dr. Montgomery. Despite how thick it had gotten, she had practically memorized almost every word within it. She pretended to read it another time, instead zoning out to think about what just happened. Olivia was very hopeful to be able to raise the children, but the Baudelaires had to go to the next guardian on the list. Separating them without permission would upset the poor kiddos horribly.

'This isn't our decision to make,' she decided.

Later, Olivia was having a wonderful time on her picnic date with Jacques. He seemed a little nervous, but she didn't want to press on. He had been a little jumpy lately, but it was improving a lot. The two of them, of course, were having a lovely time- they always did when together- but she couldn't get the question she had for him off her mind.

After plenty of happy chatting, Jacques finally brought up her visit with Jacqueline at the bank earlier. "How's the guardian search going?"

"Heh, we're trying," she giggled. "Poe kicked me out earlier though because I'm not allowed to be involved in Mulctuary Money Management's affairs."

"Well, Jackie can still consult you outside of work hours. How close did you come to finding a good guardian?"

"Well... That's actually something I've been meaning to talk to you about..."

Jacques smiled. "What's up, Pum'kin?"

"Well... Jackie asked me if I wanted to be the children's guardian... Hehe. I wanted to ask what you think."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "Wha- really? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious!" She giggled. "And I wanted to know what you think!"

Jacques' grin returned. "You know what? If you seriously want to take all of them in, I am with you every step of the way. I swear by it."

Olivia beamed, looking down at her crossed ankles, hair falling around her and hiding anything in her peripherals. "Jacques Snicket, you are literally the best man alive," she said, turning back to him. She gasped suddenly, her eyes immediately falling on the small box. It held a thin gold ring with three lines running across the front. One was decorated with a circular diamond with smaller gems all around it, and the other two lines of gold sort of wove together underneath it like vines, more of the small gems dotted here and there.

"Can one of those steps be marrying me?"