The Baudelaires (Unedited)

13: "Baudelaires?"

The next morning
I woke up, Klaus falling off my bed with a book on his head and me lying on top of several books; how long has we read for?
I shook Klaus awake, he woke up straight away, "I read too much.."
"You can never read too much." I laughed.
"My head hurts.." he complained.
"Probably because you were sleeping upside down."
"Maybe!" He laughed.
Violet woke up, grumbling, "what's all the laughter?"
"Klaus's head hurts." I replied, "because apparently he read too much."
"I've never heard that before." She sounded surprised.
I picked up Beatrice slowly, waking her up with a little tickle. She woke up giggling.
"There we go, cousin." I giggled with her.
Sunny started bouncing around happily.
"Are we taking the books or not?" Klaus asked.
"Best leave them, I don't have any more bag space." Violet suggested.
"Neither do I, I have most of your library in my small bag!" I laughed.
"I could always carry them." Klaus smiled.
"For another thousand miles, I don't think so." I stared at him with a little disbelief.
"I'm stronger than you."
"You're not carrying a baby all the time."
"I had to for a year." He pointed out.
"She's grown since then."
"I know." He winked and walked downstairs.
I rolled my eyes laughing and followed.

We got back into the tunnel, checking the corners twice. We were safe, we knew that well. But we were still unsure.
We started walking back into the main part of the tunnel, away from all the bits that turned off, trying to find something for miles and years.
But, nothing was popping up.
We needed something like Heimlich Hospital or Lucky Smells, maybe even the Mortmain Mountains.
It seemed unlikely that we were going to get something at first.
"I'm aiming for the Mortmain Mountains, honestly." Violet said.
"Seems close enough." Klaus said, "if you see a sign for the Carnival, then we're close."
It was hours later until we finally found it.

Mortmain Mountains, the sign of hope.
"Oh thank god!" I sighed with relief.
The others began to jubilate, happy smiles over their faces.
"Shouldn't we go up the tunnel to the VFD headquarters?" Klaus asked.
"No, Klaus, there's no point it's all burnt to a crisp. And, she won't like the idea." Violet looked at me.
"I don't mind." I sighed.
Klaus then smiled, "see?" and started heading toward the ladder to the headquarters.
Violet reluctantly followed, rolling her eyes yet smiling still.
I climbed up after all of them, passing Beatrice up to Klaus so neither of us would fall.

A sudden burst of cold air knocked me breathless as I got up from the tunnel, making me put on both my jumper and coat, hood up.
"W-Wow..." I shivered, taking in the burnt area that I once slightly knew.
"I haven't seen this in a while." Klaus sighed, "it looks worse now."
"It's because it's aged and...rotted.." Violet added.
"Baudelaires?" A familiar yet new voice asked from behind us.
I turned around to find a Quagmire in a full on winter outfit, standing tall on top of the tunnel.
"Quigley!" Violet exclaimed grinning.
"Violet! Klaus! Sunny!" Quigley replied running towards them, knocking into my shoulder as he ran past.
They all started chatting, as I picked up Beatrice and started walking off, slowly down the "steps" where you would leave.
I vaguely remembered the headquarters, I must've been a toddler the first and probably last time I came. Back when Mother was alive and well, and Father was happy.
Klaus noticed my lack of talkativeness and followed me, I stopped walking.
"What's up?" He asked.
"I'm tired.." I lied.
"Come on, please tell me. It matters."
"Fine."
"Go on then."
"I feel so...lonely and I don't know why."
"You shouldn't do, you're with us."
"Yes, I know, but I think it's the lack of parents and people who can look after me, like friends in VFD."
"Maybe that's it. It's a strange thing, loneliness isn't it? I don't generally notice it anymore. I've been through it for so long."
"I bet you have." I sighed, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Everything that's happened to you. I wish you could have had an easy way out."
"We lived through the worst part."
"Maybe, but I'm not sure if it's over; we might not be out of the woods yet."
"But, we can do it."
"You did."
"Doesn't mean you can't."
"It might be different for me."
"Maybe, but we're like twins in a way, you said it yourself."

Three hours later
We were in the middle of nowhere, way past the Mortmain Mountains, Violet was just chatting away to Quigley, Klaus thought we were getting closer, I did too. It felt like it, yet were in the middle of nowhere.
A familiar town was forming in the distance, home.
We had got back to where we all loved beforehand, we had gone a complete circle.
"Okay, this is a good sign." I smiled, "we can just circle back."
"And ask Mr Poe for a ride." Klaus suggested.
"Good idea." Violet agreed.
Beatrice was sleeping in my arms, smiling as she did. I wish I could sleep.
"I'm tired.." I admitted with a mumble.
"We can't sleep now, we're close." Klaus said, "we can sleep as soon as we get there."
"Or, if Mr Poe lets us, in his car." Violet laughed, "I'm tired as well, not going to lie."
"Me too." Sunny yawned.
We kept walking until we were fully in town, catching a tram ride to the Bank.

"Hello, is Mr Poe in?" Violet asked the lady at the front desk, it wasn't Jacqueline.
"Mr Poe.." she started flicking through her agenda, "he's free, let me just ask him....who are you all?"
"The Baudelaires, a Quagmire and a Snicket." Klaus explained.
"Oh..okay.." she picked up the phone, calling Mr Poe.
We waited with anticipation, tired and worn out.
She put the phone down, "he can see you now, just take the door to your left there." She pointed at his door.
"Thank you." Violet smiled and lead us in.

Mr Poe coughed as soon as he saw us all, probably out of surprise.
"Oh my, Baudelaires?" He looked astonished now.
"And Charlotte Snicket and Quigley Quagmire." Violet pointed out.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, still surprised.
"You see, we had a problem earlier with guardians, Charlotte had recently become an orphan...her Father.." Violet explained.
"Perished in a terrible fire." Klaus finished her sentence.
"And you know the Quagmire triplets?" I asked Mr Poe.
"Yes, but I believe they are twins." He answered.
"I'm their brother." Quigley intervened, "I'm just wondering if you came in contact with them."
"No, I'm sorry." Mr Poe shook his head.
I layed my head on Klaus's shoulder, growing more and more tired.
"And we wondered whether you could drop us off at the Hotel Denoument, it's important." Klaus said.
"Oh, well I can do that." Mr Poe smiled, "All of you?"
"Quigley are you coming?" Violet asked, obviously wanting him to say yes.
"I guess so, if they're still in the sky." Quigley smiled as Violet celebrated her victory.

We somehow all fitted in the car, Violet, once again, in the front.
I sat beside Klaus, nearly falling asleep.
"We just need to find Frank and it'll all be good, Charlie." He mumbled.
"I know, what if this all goes wrong?" I asked him, quietly as to not wake both Quigley and Beatrice.
"I don't know. We'll know what to do when the time comes." He smiled slightly, leaning against the car door.
He was staring up at the sky.
Everything started to go by like a blur, we passed these obstacles too fast, as if we'd done it so many times before it was easy.
Maybe it was just a trailer, as if the worst had still not passed.
"Klaus?" I asked, thinking about the recent train of thought.
"Yes, Charlie?" He replied, a murmur.
"Do you think Frank is there?"
"Yes, if you were to stay positive. I'm not sure if it's unlikely or not."
"I'm just worried that we're the only members left, if Earnest really did murder his brother. Or maybe both of them are on the other side now."
"That's crazy talk, Earnest wouldn't do that and neither would Frank." Klaus counteracted.
"But, Earnest said-" I meant on his shoulder.
"Earnest says a lot of things, at least, that's what it sounds like."
"Maybe so, but it's worth the benefit of the doubt, right?"
"Obviously." He laughed quietly.
I looked out the window with him, seeing the lumber mill, Aunt Josephine's house, and so on and on.
I eventually fell asleep, accidently on his shoulder, him against the door. It felt as if I was pushing him, but later on he reassured me that I wasn't.