The Baudelaires (Unedited)

2: "Three Words"

This is the first time I'd seen Father happy in a while.
I let go of Klaus's hand, so as to not make Father assume that something was going on.
I looked at the Baudelaire's and heard Father say, "How is this even...possible..?"
I responded with, "ask the people that travelled the ocean.."
Klaus cracked up, "Just ask Violet."
"Oh my god, Klaus." Violet smiled, "you did most of the work."
Father laughed, "Now I don't have to have root bear floats everyday, wondering where you kids were."
I sighed, "I agree, Father."
Klaus smiled at me and nodded, happily.

Father lead Violet and Sunny out of the room to go and ask some questions about what had happened, so me and Klaus were left in the office until I lead him to my room.
Klaus started to look through my library section of my room, "the encyclopedia of nouns...an explicated history of verbs...Charlotte, which one is better?"
"Nouns, obviously." I replied, smiling as he climbed the ladder to the top shelf.
"I agree, nouns are better." He laughed.
"Be careful, Klaus. That ladder isn't the best at holding people's weight...I know that from experience!" I giggled.
"You're not that heavy, Charlie." Klaus laughed a bit, "a book on firetrucks a book on fire...the incomplete history of secret organisations..wait how did you get that?"
"Jacqueline has her ways.." I pointed out, "she always has a spare."
"You write your own books?" He picked out one called, 365 Days Later.
"That's just a diary...not really one of my books but..you're welcome to look..."
After a few minutes he made me jump, "this is great."
I dropped my spyglass and a piece for paper fell out from the two halves.
Klaus picked up the piece of paper, "this is from Jacqueline."
"Wait what?" I looked at the note.
Esme is coming, watch your back, don't let her have Beatrice's or your spyglass. The place where 'it' is hidden is down below the surface.
Jacqueline.
I ran into Father's room and shouted, "Hide now!"

Klaus grabbed my arm and pulled me into the wardrobe in my room, big enough to fit the both of us.
I clinged on to him and my spyglass just as I heard the window in my room open slowly and the familiar sound of heels knocking on the floor.
I held my breath even though Klaus was holding my mouth and I was holding his.
I stared through the crack in the wardrobe, I could see Esme and Carmelita searching through my stuff.
I saw Esme break a photo of my Mother, I would've opened the wardrobe door if Klaus didn't stop me.
My spyglass clicked on, light beaming out of the hole.
Esme's head twitched toward the wardrobe and she opened the door.
I stared at her.
"Look what we have here!" She smiled.
Carmelita started tap dancing, "I don't trust cake sniffers! La la la, and my name is Carmelita!"
"Charlotte Snicket and Klaus Baudelaire! Good to see you.." she tried to yank away my spyglass.
I spat in her face, "get your own."
She snarled at me and grabbed my arm, I quickly gave the spyglass to Klaus, who ran out the room.
"What do you want from me?" I asked.
"Three words. The. Sugar. Bowl." She demanded.
"I swore to VFD that I would never tell." I did a zipping mouth motion.
"Tell me or your whole family will be up in flames." Esme threatened.
"It already is, there's no point."
"Of course there is, you'd be dead and so would Lemony."
"There's no point in having the sugar bowl just because of some petty fight."
"Yes there is, girl!" Esme squarked, "I need that sugar bowl and your spyglass's!"
"No, Esme." I shook my head.
"Mommy?" Carmelita did her kiddy voice.
"Yes, darling?" Esme turned to her.
"Can I have this teddy bear?" She held the toy Mother gave to me. Or well, Father did but he said it was from Mother.
"No, Carmelita, that's mine." I said.
"Yes, because it's yours. Cake sniffers don't get pretty things like this." Carmelita objected.
"Leave it be." Father walked in.
Carmelita threw the toy on the ground in a fit.
Esme hit me round the face, "stupid Snicket!"
I backed off and fell on to the floor, tears flying off my face, I didn't make a sound.
Klaus rushed to my side, "You okay?"
"N-no.." I mumbled.
Esme looked over at Father, "she deserved it."
Klaus hit Esme, "and you deserve that."
Esme stared at Klaus with disbelief.
Carmelita grabbed my toy and ripped it to pieces.
Violet and Sunny stood there watching their brother fight back against Esme.
Father had Mother's spyglass in hand and gave it to Esme.
"Father, what are you doing..?" I asked.
"Lemony, no." The Baudelaire's yelled.
Father winked at me, he knew what he was doing.
Esme took the spyglass smiling.
Klaus looked at the hour glass and adjusted his glasses. He also knew what Father did.
I got up, my cheek stinging.
I grabbed Klaus's hand and smiled softly.
"Oh they're going to be proud!" Esme exclaimed.
"Who, mommy?" Carmelita asked.
"Oh you know, the nice lady and man!" Esme exclaimed happily, "come on, darling, it's sugar bowl hunting time."
And they both climbed out the window.

"Do you think that Justice Strouse would mind if you stayed here tonight?" Father asked them.
"Not at all." Violet smiled, "I can call her if you'd like me to."
"Let's make sure." Father and Violet walked downstairs.
I put Sunny on the bed and sat next to her. Klaus stayed standing up.
I felt suddenly more paranoid and afraid.
"You're cheek looks inflamed, Charlotte." Klaus pointed out.
"It's nothing." I shook it off.
"I've read a book on injuries, Charlotte, it's obviously something."
"Klaus, don't worry." I sighed.
"But.."
"It's just Esme."
"True."

I felt very strange when me, Sunny and Klaus went downstairs, as if something had gone wrong.
We found Violet in a state in the corner.
"What happened?" Klaus asked, crouching down to her.
I wandered the living room and looked around, following a strange smell.
I walked into the kitchen and found the source of the smell, it was in the oven.
It was Father.