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

What If? Book the Twelfth (Again)

So I know I already did this one BUT I had a new idea and I think that I'm going to do another What If series because that really helped me with idea production and productivity, writing-wise, and I think that the What If series was some of my best writing so I'm trying to recreate the magic. It'll be out of order and I might repeat certain books as inspiration strikes.

Okay, context. So in Book the Twelfth, the Baudelaires are put on trial for their crimes, both real and imagined. Obviously, in canon, the trial is a mockery and the High Court- bar Justice Strauss- were villains and had already made up their minds to convict the three children. But what if it had actually been a fair trial- kind of like the original What If for book 11- and they were acquited? Well, now you have three Baudelaires, proven innocent, ages 15, 13, and somewhere between 1 and 3, and they need a place to live. Justice Strauss takes them in and now they're living a relatively normal life with pockets of angsty trauma!

Sorry for the context dump. Enjoy! 

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire's respective days started out the same way, these days. Justice Strauss- who insisted they call her Emily, stating that "It's much more informal, and if I am to be your guardian, I hope we can be comfortable with each other!"- woke first Violet, then Klaus, and then Sunny, knocking at the doorway of and then entering each of their rooms. She would open the curtains to let light into each of their rooms and then gently wake each sibling. 

It had been such a long time since anybody had woken them up in so gentle a manner that when Emily had first woken her up, Violet had begun to cry.

"Oh no, dear, what's the matter?" Emily asked, putting a hand on Violet's shoulder. 

Violet fell into Emily's arms and cried very hard for a short while. Finally, she managed, "You are so kind, Just- I mean, Emily. I'm just... I mean, we're so unused to..." Violet couldn't find the words. "Thank you."

When they all gathered in the kitchen for breakfast, Emily looked around and remarked, "This table is much too small, don't you think, children? I always used to eat by myself, but I shall have to buy a larger one that will fit the four of us. For that matter, we should go shopping to buy the three of you new clothes and things. I'm sure the clothes you have are getting small and worn by now."

Violet and Klaus looked at each other and came to a silent understanding. "That's so kind of you, Emily," Violet said, carefully. "Klaus and I know that you have taken on a great burden by taking us in. We can cook and clean and help you in the garden, and we can chop wood and repair things for you, and we can do laundry, and-"

But Emily cut them off. "Children," she told them, "You are home now. I don't know who put it into your heads that you have to earn your keep, but you do not have to do any of those things." When the older Baudelaires protested, she added kindly, "Dears, if you want to help around the house, you can, but there is no need to chop wood or any such thing. You can help clear away the dishes after meals, and Violet, I know that you enjoy mechanical devices, so if you wish to repair things, you may, and you three can all help me in the garden if you wish it. But I want you to feel at home with me. In addition, taking care of you three is not a burden. It is a pleasure" 

The steely look in Emily's eyes told the siblings that they should not argue further. They ate, and while they ate, Emily made pleasant small talk about subjects she knew interested them, and Klaus began to ask detailed questions about one of her cases, and Emily answered every one of them as she helped Sunny eat.

Violet and Klaus dressed- first themselves, then Sunny- in the clothes that Emily had brought to them before the trial. These were their freshest outfits.

Soon the four of them were sitting in Emily's vast library, each with a book. Sunny sat on Violet's lap with a book with many photographs of teeth in it, while Violet read a manual that gave instructions on how to fix a car engine. Klaus was curled in a chair with a stack of books on the table next to him, and Emily Strauss was looking at a law book while she talked on the phone to a colleague. She finished her call, sighed, and then said that she had to do some work in her study. "Feel free to do anything you wish to do, but let me know if you want to go out." Soon she had disappeared into her study, but not before looking at them lovingly and saying, "I'll be done soon. This should only take me half an hour, and then we can spend some more time together. Oh, dears, I'm so glad you're living with me."

Violet and Klaus exchanged a look. They knew they were thinking the same thing- it had been so long since they had engaged in conversation with anyone for pleasure, or spent time with anyone, and now Emily was offering to, was excited to do so? It was enough for Violet to want to start crying again and for Klaus to slip his hand into Violet's. Sunny looked around at her siblings from her seat on Violet's lap. She reached out and grasped Violet and Klaus's free hands. She didn't quite understand her siblings' reactions.

"We like her, right?" Sunny asked.

Surprised, both her siblings looked down at her. "Of course we do, Sunny," Violet told her. "Why wouldn't we? She's been so kind to us."

"Then why are you sad?"

Sunny's question caught Violet and Klaus totally off guard. Klaus was the one who answered. "We're not sad, Sunny," he said quietly. "We're wary, and we're relieved, and mostly, we're confused. We don't know..." Klaus trailed off and looked to Violet for support.

"We don't know quite how to feel, Sunny," Violet finished.

"Then feel happy," suggested Sunny. "Justice Strauss- Emily is nice and we don't have to worry about Olaf anymore."

The two older Baudelaires looked at their younger sister and then at each other, and then towards the study door, and smiled at each other, squeezed their little sister's hands. "It's been so long since we've had a home," Klaus said. "It's been so long since we've been able to be a family, to be children."

"But you're right, Sunny," Violet said, hugging her sister. "Now we can."