Series of Unfortunate Events One-shots, What-ifs, and Drabbles

Beatrice

When Beatrice was born, the Baudelaires took turns watching her as they reeled with grief. Kit had died, the islanders were all most likely dead, and Count Olaf... well, they didn't know how they felt about him. Beatrice's happy gurgles helped the Baudelaires stumble out of the haze of grief. It was 15-year-old Violet who took on the brunt of the responsibility of waking up during the night when Beatrice cried. 13-year-old Klaus would sometimes wake up first to spare Violet the trouble if he could, but it was important to Violet to always, always be there for Beatrice. 3-year-old Sunny would play with her during the day to let her siblings get some rest.

When Beatrice was a year old, Violet made her little toys and trinkets out of parts she had found in the Arboretum. Klaus would read her stories, and Sunny made delicious food that was soft enough for Beatrice to eat. One day, as Klaus played with Beatrice, she looked up at Violet and said "Mama." Violet put her hand to her mouth in shock.

"Oh," she said. "I'm... I'm not..."

"Mama," Beatrice said again, firmly. She crawled over to Violet. "Mama."

When Beatrice was two years old, her daily routine had been solidified. She would wake up and Sunny would help Violet feed Beatrice breakfast. Usually, it was a recipe of Sunny's. While Beatrice ate, Klaus would tell her wild stories. He started with the stories he had heard as a child, like The Little Engine That Could, and Cinderella. As she grew, he told her stories about a girl who liked to tie her hair back with a ribbon to think, a boy who remembered every word he'd ever read, and a baby whose teeth were unusually large and sharp.

As Beatrice grew she began to wonder where all the other people were. When she was three years old, she pointed to a page in Madeline, a book Klaus had found in the Arboretum. "Where are they?" she asked as she pointed to Madeline's friends. Klaus didn't know how to answer. How did you tell a three-year-old that everyone you knew was far, far away, or dead?

When Beatrice was four, Violet decided it was time to leave the island. She had been working on the boat that had brought them to the island and had fitted it with a contraption that would row for them, as well as a sail. Klaus and Sunny brought the last of their supplies onto the boat, and Violet led Beatrice onto the boat that had her name. "Mommy, where are we going?" Beatrice asked Violet.

"I don't know exactly, Bea. We're just leaving the island. We're trying to go back to the mainland, but anywhere where they speak English would be good."

As they watched Violet's mechanical oars row and heard the whirring of the machinery, Klaus told Beatrice another story. The story of a noble volunteer named Kit Snicket. He told of all her brave deeds and explained how kind she was. "And we saw her float onto the island on a raft of books, and she..." Klaus trailed off.

"What did she do next? Was it our island?" Beatrice asked eagerly.

"No," Klaus lied. "It was a different island. Time for you to take a nap, Bea."

When Beatrice was five, Violet enrolled her and Sunny in an elementary school. She had a meeting with her sister and daughter's teachers to let them know that Sunny and Beatrice had been homeschooled and might need a little push to socialize. On Parent's night, Violet went to her girls' classrooms to talk to their teachers, see their work, and meet their friends.

When Beatrice was six years old, she asked Violet why she didn't have a dad. "You have me and Klaus and Sunny, Bea. We don't know who your dad is." Beatrice seemed satisfied. Violet exchanged a look with Klaus. Their eyes met. They had a silent conversation, and then-

"Do you want to hear a story, Bea?" Klaus asked. 

"Yeah!" Beatrice smiled.

"It's one you've heard before," Klaus warned, and Beatrice shrugged. So Klaus told her again about Kit Snicket, about her bravery and kindness, and about her adventures. Then he said, "Kit Snicket was your mother, Beatrice."

Beatrice cocked her head. Her eyes were wide. She was the picture of confusion.

Violet took up the story. "Bea, your mother died giving birth to you. Before she died, she asked us to look after you, and we have been."

"But you're my mommy still, right?" Beatrice dug her chin into her chest nervously.

"Bea, of course." Violet took Bea into her arms. "Listen, you've been a good girl today. How about you and me and Klaus and Sunny go get some ice cream?"

Beatrice nodded, and the four of them went out.

As Beatrice grew, she became an exuberant, funny, outgoing girl. She enjoyed the outdoors and knew the name of every bug, plant, and animal she saw. She loved to read about different types of plants with Klaus. She'd designed the optimal snake terrarium with Violet for the Incredibly Deadly Viper, and she and Sunny loved to take it out of the terrarium and play with it. They mostly called it Inky, just as Kit had.

Violet couldn't be more proud of her daughter.