Before The Beginning

Chapter 36: "Thought You Should Know..."

Begin!

~Normal POV

"Mr. Anwhistle, sir?"

"I'm busy, what is it?"

"You have some mail..."

Gregor took the small envelope from his secretary's hand, before dismissing her from his office. He contemplated throwing it away, it clearly wasn't anything important, but he stopped when he saw who the sender was.

Beatrice Anwhistle

511 Paradise Drive

He stared at the letter curiously. What was the meaning of this? His siblings had walked away from him. They were not supportive of his beliefs. Why was Bea sending him anything at all? They hadn't spoken since that last argument... That said, his curiosity got the better of him. He picked up a letter opener and cut the envelope. Then he noticed that there was something else inside along with the letter, but he pulled the letter out first and sat down at his desk to read.

Gregor,

I know this might come as a shock; hearing from me, I mean. But some things have happened that I feel you should be aware of. I am not dead, as you have likely heard from both the news and the return address on this envelope. I don't know if you still cared, but it's worth mentioning. You'll have to forgive me, I hadn't quite planned out what I might say here so let's just get it all out there.

I'm engaged, again. You remember the man I told you I was seeing last time we talked? Bertrand Baudelaire? He proposed to me. We're having a double wedding with Karen and her fiancé Quinten Quagmire. We don't have a date yet, but we've already begun dress shopping. We have a house now too. A nice, big, one in the heart of the city. Mother and father would have liked to see it.

Ike and Josie are living at Lake Lachrymose now. They're building themselves a house on a 300 foot cliff -edge. Personally, I think they're crazy, but at least they're crazy together. Hector is doing fine, I visited him in that village recently to give him a chance to catch up with our news. They stopped allowing the use of mechanical devices for some reason, but he's managing.

Well enough beating around the bush, there's one reason above all the others why I sent you this and I need to say what it is before you lose interest... Bertrand and I are not a particularly conventional couple. We had a baby. It wasn't intended, but that's just how the story goes. We had the baby April 8th, time of birth was around 10:30 at night; seven pounds, eight ounces. Ike, Josie, and Hector couldn't be there for it that night, but we brought them over to visit the other day so they could see; though this letter probably won't make it to you for at least a week, so I doubt you'd know when I meant. They're very happy for us. And I was hopeful that you might be happy too.

You're an uncle... I thought you should know. Enclosed with this letter is a picture of your niece.

Sincerely, Beatrice

Gregor set the letter aside and pulled the small photograph out of the envelope. It was a picture of a sleeping baby girl in a crib wrapped in a blanket next to a purple teddy bear. She looked more like Beatrice in his opinion, but he hadn't ever gotten the chance to meet Bertrand so he wouldn't be able to tell how much this child looked like her father. Scrawled in black ink at the bottom of the Polaroid was her name: Violet Roselyn Baudelaire.

He stared at his niece for a long time. Longer than he had intended. Several what if's ran through his mind. Should he try to call Beatrice? Would she answer? No of course she wouldn't. She was doing this as a courtesy. As pity even. Telling him that he had a beautiful niece now, and he'd never be allowed to meet her, to hold her in his arms, to give her presents for no reason, to watch her grow up...

How dare she mock him like this? Was this her attempt to get him to give up his research? Did she think if she gave him such wonderful news he'd do anything to be welcomed back into his family? Well Beatrice was wrong. Ike... Hector... Beatrice... they were all wrong. He had more important things to worry about. He truly believed the future of V.F.D. was in his hands, and he had to continue his work towards it.

And so with that final, twisted thought, Gregor put the letter in the envelope, stood from his desk, and tossed it into the lit fireplace behind him. He looked at the picture of Violet once again, and considered doing the same to it, but couldn't bring himself to do so. Violet was too innocent for such blatant contempt. She had done nothing wrong. So he quietly and carefully stored the picture inside a secret compartment in his desk that only he knew about.

That being done, Gregor stood up straighter, adjusted his lab coat collar, and walked out of his office to continue his work in the grotto beneath the building.

~End of Chapter

Bet you weren't expecting this, huh? I'll understand if you don't like this chapter. Wasn't pleasant for me to write either, but it had to be addressed.