A Series of Unfortunate Events One Shots

Late Night Comfort

There probably won't be much romance in this one because of the subject but I wanted to write this anyway. Begin!

Universe*

~Klaus' POV

Prufrock really is such a boring place but at least we have the Quagmires to help us get through it; though some days I feel like it's us helping them too. But right now my biggest concern wasn't my stupidly boring measuring class or the terrible school food or the ridiculous punishments for breaking the rules. Right now my biggest concern was that I couldn't sleep. It was our eighth night here and I was lying on my hay bale in the shack. I've been up for a little while, and both my sisters were sleeping peacefully. I sighed and put my glasses on before slowly getting up and walking out the door.

The Hinterlands did get pretty chilly at night; I guess Duncan and Isadora were right to give us those blankets so we wouldn't freeze in our pitiful shack. I was planning to sneak into the library and try to find something to read. Miss Caliban would probably be upset but I knew I wouldn't keep the book permanently. However, my plan was halted when I saw a figure pass by through the stone archways of the school buildings. I recognized the person too; I could tell it was Isadora. I saw her walk out to the athletic field clutching something to her chest. I got curious as to why she was out so I followed her. I saw her sit down against the bleachers. I couldn't help my heart rate increasing; this will be one of the few times she and I get to truly be alone together. My feelings for her were rather stupidly obvious... as much as I wished I could hide them.

I walked up to her and heard something that I never wanted to hear: she was crying. There's no way I can ignore her now; she's in pain and needs help.

"Hey Izzie..." She flinched and looked up at me. Damn her beautiful brown eyes for making me so weak.

"Klaus I- what are you doing out here?"

I sat down beside her, "I was going to ask you the same thing. I couldn't sleep and I noticed you come out here. I heard you crying..."

She looked away from me and continued clutching a mystery object to her chest. After a brief silence she spoke again.

"I couldn't sleep either... I don't see how Duncan can..."

"What's wrong?"

"It's the anniversary of our fire... we've been here for over a year, remember...?"

"I'm very sorry to hear that," I replied softly.

I didn't know how to respond to be honest. My fire happened much more recently and I feel like I'm still getting over it. But her... she's had it so much worse. I looked at the object in her hands trying to discern what it was in the dim moonlight.

"What's that?"

She pulled away from me as if I would break it just from looking at it.

"I just wanted to see it..."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Promise you won't break it?"

"Of course, I have a very gentle touch," I smiled a little to reassure her.

She conceded after a moment and moved closer to me. I tried to hold back the little rush of happiness I got inside with her being so close. Now is not the time for that. She put it gently in my hands and I held it on my lap. I pushed my glasses up my nose and studied it. My eyes went wide in quick realization at what it was.

"I managed to save it from the ruins when I found the spyglass half..." She wiped her eyes again. "It was taken a month before the fire. It's the last picture we have of all three of us together..."

It was a small picture of her whole family. The edges was battered and burnt, but it was intact and whatever frame it was previously in must have kept it safe from harm. In it was Isadora with her arms around both her brothers and her parents smiling proudly behind them. I felt a lump in my throat as I heard her sob quietly beside me. I handed the picture back to her and she once again clutched it to her heart with one arm.

She took the opportunity to lean on my shoulder and I timidly put my arm around her. Duncan would probably be upset at me holding her like this, he was a protective older brother, but since she didn't pull away she didn't seem to mind. I forced myself to ignore the warm fuzzy feeling inside at having such a wonderful girl in my arms. I don't want to think about that right now; she needs comfort.

"Perhaps you'd feel better if you told me about it... unless it's too painful to talk about."

Isadora sniffled and replied, "It was nighttime, around this hour I think. Duncan and I were asleep in our room, and Quigley was staying up late in the library. He was probably reading a book or something. We were woken up by the sound of glass breaking and we could smell smoke. Our father ran into the room and told us there was a fire; someone had thrown a torch through our parlor window. He grabbed both of us and managed to get us out into the driveway. The whole mansion was already falling apart at that point, but he was determined to save mom and Quigley so he ran back inside... none of them came back out."

All I could do was hold her as she started crying again.

"So it was arson then," I noted, "Did they ever find who did it?" My mind immediately drifted to a wicked man I knew who could have performed such a heinous act.

"No and we never really thought about it. We were too upset at the time. When the fire department arrived they took us to a shelter for the night and the next day we were picked up by our family's financial adviser. We never learned her name but she was never very nice, really snobbish, and always wore really weird clothes. She put us in her car and simply said, 'your parents' will states that you're to be dropped at a boarding school until you come of age and you'll get your sapphire fortune.' She dropped us off here and the rest is history."

"Yeah she doesn't sound very nice; she didn't even seem to care about your feelings."

"She certainly didn't," Isadora replied, "But you were right... telling you did help a little."

"Well it's always nice to have someone to talk about your problems with."

"That's true; especially when it's someone as caring as you." I saw her smile a tiny bit at her unintentional couplet and I returned her smile.

She then yawned and moved to stand up. "It's late... I should get back to the broom closet before Duncan wakes up and gets worried."

I stood with her. "I'll walk you back."

"Are you sure you want to do that? Because he might get the wrong idea if he sees me with you alone at night..."

I couldn't hold down the heat that filled my cheeks at that insinuation; thankfully it was too dark for her notice. "Uh, I'll be fine. I'm sure he will understand nothing...uh...bad happened. Besides I don't want you to be alone..."

She smiled bigger at me this time and put the picture in her uniform pocket. She grabbed my hand and we walked back through the school halls to the broom closet she and her brother were forced to live in.

Upon arriving, she gave me a warm hug and whispered something in my ear. "Promise you'll still be here when I wake up tomorrow?"

"Of course Izzie, I'm not going anywhere. Now get some rest, because if you start falling asleep in class we'll both be in trouble."

That comment made her giggle quietly, "Yeah that would be bad."

We pulled away from our hug and I turned to leave. "Good night Isadora."

"Good night Klaus," She then added, "Thank you for caring for me."

I didn't get a chance to respond to that before she disappeared behind her room door for the night. I managed to finally fall asleep when I got back to the shack minutes later. The next day, Isadora and I were a little tired from staying up late but she seemed much more comfortable and happier after I helped her last night. She seemed to feel the weight of her situation more than her brother. I can relate since I'm more sensitive to my situation than my two sisters.

But I knew that no matter how bad the situation got for either of us, I will always be there for Isadora when she needs me.

~The End

See you in the next one!