Chapter Text
Sunny, Violet and Klaus were not used to sleeping. Usually, they barely had any rest and when they did sleep, they were used to sleeping together. They have done it like that since the fire, almost a whole year now.
The first night at the Lecter-Graham household, they slept in Violet’s new plush bed, one that had more than enough pillows, blankets and quilts for the three of them. Like this, they slept the second night, the third, the fourth and all the way to the thirtieth night, many more but more and more infrequent.
The first morning in their new tutor's house they woke up early and well-rested, and to say that they were surprised was an understatement. They were amazed.
Quickly Violet and Sunny (with Violet’s help) dressed in soft dark dresses that looked and felt expensive. Sunny’s was a tad short but it didn’t bother her, much less with new even softer leggings. Klaus went to his own room where he found another three-piece suit, this time a woolen piece with a subtle pattern. It was a particularly handsome fit and slightly similar to the one Dr. Lecter wore the day before.
Everything was oh so expensive, tasteful, and fitted so well, to everyone but Sunny, to whom everything fitted a bit small or it didn’t fit at all.
After dressing in their brand new clothes they agreed to go downstairs and in any case investigate the house together. Or so they initially planned.
As they opened the door of the room, the divine smells of food made them beeline to the kitchen, where a certain doctor and his husband prepared the kitchen island with so many dishes and jugs it looked rather like a breakfast feast, and to the children wonders never ceased.
Very active and dressed to the nines, with a three-piece suit sans the jacket, Doctor Lecter received them with a warm smile. Meanwhile, a still sleepy-looking and in pajamas Mr. Graham acknowledged them.
“Good morning early risers”, Mr. Graham saw them as they entered the kitchen. He spoke softly and seemed as tired just setting the silverware as Doctor Lecter was active managing muffin trays, sizzling pans full of bacon and hashbrowns. Even with his hands full, he sent a soft warm smile to every Baudelaire.
The children stood aghast with the scene. Shy Good morning's resounded in the busy kitchen.
After this, the orphans quietly took a seat in front of the overgrowing breakfast feast on the kitchen island. They were starting to feel hungry but were too polite and shy to pick anything without their host's clear permission.
As fast as humanly possible, Doctor Lecter finished plating the last warm side dish and besides an already seated husband, at last, he sat.
“Please serve yourself” was the only thing necessary for the children and a slightly more awake Will to start digging in. Doctor Lecter was relaxed and happy, silently observing as three shy orphans left this shyness to enjoy a meal, to eat their heart's content. After that, he himself began to eat.
The second they were left alone to freely be themself and acknowledge their new home as they pleased. And so, they began the never-ending reflection of what may happen next.
The library was deliberately open and empty, as was the living room, the small backyard, the dining room and even the garage. Doctor Lecter and Mr. Will informed them that they would be in the relatively small office near the receiver, door open shall they need or want anything. Also, he told them that lunch would be served around one, finally, they let the orphans be.
The Baudelaires had little less than four hours just to be by themselves, the siblings couldn’t believe their luck.
Slowly, as if they did not understand what is happening, like something might break the spell, they exited the kitchen where Mr. Will and Doctor Lecter washed dishes and put away leftovers, talking about making smoothie bowls with “All this fruit, because someone went overboard with today’s breakfast”, “They deserve a good welcome Will”.
The Baudelaires were astonished by the domesticity of it all as they left.
If the Baudelaires wanted to be alone they could have gone to Violet’s or Klaus’ room, nobody would bother nor hear them, but it seemed rude with their hosts, especially as they’ve been given total freedom to roam as they pleased. So they did, and out of deference to Klaus, they began in the library.
It was a handsome room, the most handsome to Klaus, filled to the brim with books with tomes, copies and editions. It was a cozy room that gave them an unknown, complex feeling. It felt similar to… Safety.
And so they began talking in hushed voices picking books of useful knowledge. Sunny received dogs that freely entered the room and stayed for soft pets and ear scratches.
After two hours of talking, Sunny closed a complicated issue.
“Ey seem naish.”
Klaus and Violet heard her clearly and didn’t contra argument a thing, but, they heard the ugly “but” in each other's mind, Esmè Squalor also seemed nice.
After a few more minutes they reached a consensus, they would stay until one of three happened:
If VDF contacts them in any way… though they still didn’t know if Doctor Lecter or Mr. Will were VFD.
If Count Olaf, Esmè Squalor, Carmelita Spatz, or any henchpeople appeared, they had to leave, basically for their hosts, new tutors, safety.
If Doctor Lecter or Mr. Will seem to be in any way as this abusive crew, they would flee as fast as possible.
With these conclusions and what if’s situations, they finished this absurdly important conversation that will define the rest of their lives and, as if what just happened was insignificant, they continued the soft activities that would be frequent their next few days.
Klaus read in the soft leather chair beside the lamp, and read, and read, and read as freely as hours passed by. Violet enjoyed big texts in machine analysis and mechanical systems, while filling pages and pages with notes on coloured inks that appeared in every cabinet in the house. Sunny was free to roam all spaces in the house, three dogs at her heel at all times, she loved them as the asymmetrical dogs loved her.
Will went looking for them half an hour after one and found them in the peaceful habitat inside the library.
In the dining another feast waited for the siblings on the table, with an odd nest centerpiece surrounding a beautiful Tarte Tatin, apples still bubbling in the caramel.
Children and adults served themselves freely. Hannibal helped Sunny as a sweet excuse to watch them have their first bite of food. Savory stew, fluffy mashed potatoes and crisp salad, everyone was enjoying, and delicately expressing their gratitude for such a delicious meal.
Hannibal was satisfied.
After dessert in a routinary way Will and Hannibal kindly dismissed the children for them to cleanse the table and wash the dishes alone in the kitchen.
“I think we should invite them out”, said Will while drying silverware and putting it away. “At least for a little while.”
“I really don’t think they would enjoy much interaction yet.”
“Yeah, I get it… Also, they need a shrink, I know what murder does to a brain.”
“That might be a better idea. Maybe we can present them the idea later in the afternoon”, Hannibal rinsed the last plate. ”I could recommend a couple of Baltimore based pediatric psychiatrists.”
“That sounds good, they could pick themselves the doctor. I want to meet them too though.”
“Of course, we are their legal tutors after all.”
They exchanged “a look”. This particular look meant something in the lines of I cannot believe we have three kids. Hannibal kept talking.
“Also, we have to think about schooling”, Will sat in front of the kitchen island, on the stool beside him sat Hannibal. “Maybe homeschooling, at least for a while.”
“Yes but not too long, they need to socialize.”
“I really think we should speak to them, there is also the matter of their first tutor…”
“We can talk about it when we have dedicated some time to the kids first.”
“Every day that we wait he may be getting closer, love.”
“We cannot rush things. That might endanger the children”, Will’s eyes were getting sharper, Hannibal’s jaw was slightly clenched. “yet again his sole existence endangers the kids.”
“Indeed”, abruptly Hannibal opened his eyes in surprise and looked into the house, the kitchen’s door was wide open into the corridor where Sunny and with her ardent four-footed followers were about to enter the kitchen. As they came closer Hannibal failed to suppress a smile.
Fast, but not enough to startle any of the entering entourage, Will crouched with one of his charming smiles, just right to be eye to eye with Sunny.
“Hey Sunny, what you up to?
“Hi, can we go to the bakyad, pweesh?”, At the mention of said space the dogs started to make tiny jumps with their front paws and tail wagged wildly. Now Will smiled without reservation.
“Of course, lemme accompany you.”
“Thank you”, with no prompting needed, Sunny held Will’s hand, more exactly his ring and pinkie fingers, as he stood she took-guided him to the glass door.
Perplexed, Will followed with Hanibal’s eyes following them. The husbands were feeling the same surprise.
In a sweet series of events, Sunny enjoyed the sun, being chaperoned by Will -an incredibly happy and astonished Will that gave her toys for dogs- dogs that could not stop running around, tickling a laughing Baudelaire toddler.
Shrill yells of laughter resounded through the house, alarming older siblings to action. Klaus and Violet ran to Sunny, passing a perplexed Doctor Lecter, who watched at the backyard through the window. When they finally arrived at the scene they were likewise perplexed, Sunny hast laughed that hard since… Ever.
Like that, a bond was forming between a homicidal couple, three disgraced orphans, and three mismatched dogs.
Let’s hope it lasts.
A small and disheveled car, filled to the brim with people, was being followed by a black nondistinctive van. If the driver in the ugly car decided to turn right and take the exit out of the state of Virginia and into Maryland, so did the van. If the driver of the crusty car, filled with actors and an awful woman, decided to speed up like a mad man into the highway, so did the van.
So, the Count fumbled, for he was a genius, a tired genius, but a genius nonetheless. He drove to avoid the van, mindless of the people inside the vehicle, making them squish, spin, swivel and spew curses as he, finally, lost the damned van and swiftly entered the parking lot of an inconspicuous motel.
The Vermillion Fox Dormitories was a low-cost motel with minuscule suites that could barely allow one person in, much less five hench-people, a villainous lady and a deranged Count. And so, with money they stole from someone else, Count Olaf rented three rooms for the night.
As the mad Count had a room all to himself, he basked in the sheer brilliance, the massive intelligence he possessed, how smart was he to find his elusive prey, as they had gotten pretty far indeed. Completely alone in the first room, he kept praising himself.
In the second room was a fuming Esmè Squalor. Hateful thoughts spouted from her head and filled the room. She should not be alone in a dingy bed, but she dared not annoy Count Olaf while he was in a mood, that would be counterproductive.
Inside room number three, there were five hench-people of full size trying to occupy as little space as possible while, maybe, realizing that they were no part of a good deal. They were terribly far from home, tired of being used and abused, and really, not so thrilled to be persecuting children.
Maybe, they thought that perhaps they could find other career paths. Yes, Count Olaf was extremely charismatic and unique, but they also enjoyed sleeping and eating on a regular basis sans so many people around. They were all starting to get well past weary.
A couple entered the small reception of the Vermillion Fox Dormitories, over four hours after the mismatched troupe.
A pair of light eyes, a pair of dark eyes, with the same look of determination, asked for a room, maybe with a window, they asked.
The innocuous clerk behind the desk gave them an inconspicuous key to a boring, tiny room that had a lonely window that barely opened. It was perfect for the couple, that actually was not a couple.
When they grabbed the Count he was fast asleep. One good shot of sedative was enough. They wanted him alive. Two got in, three got out, and all into the nondescript van, at the perfect hour, not too early, not too late. They disappeared well before dawn, to the west for a long while, then to the north, and then to whichever direction they could to be far, far away from danger.
But, let’s go back a few hours in our chronology.
As the first couple entered their bedroom to plan the escape and rescue, a second couple registered at the shabby lobby. A pair of light eyes, a pair of dark eyes, both spoke of the same masked righteous fury. They gave fake names at the Vermillion Fox Dormitories, then picked a room with a view, a small view, but a view nonetheless.
They opened the door to their own room, got in and planned and prepared. Plastic covers, latex gloves and a transparent hazmat suit for each.
With the ease that gives much, much practice, the couple, that actually was a couple, entered another room in the dark hours of the morning, just to find an empty room, and a bed filled with pillows and blankets.
Not a problem for seasoned hunters, they went to where they knew was sleeping the other prey, the first one must be there too.
He wasn’t there. But the villainous lady was.
The hunters had to settle, and quench their blood thirst with this consolation prize. Slipping the sedative in her body was too easy. So, as previously, two got in, three got out, straight into the night, into a non-distinctive rental, then to a warm house with a cold basement.
Esmè Squalor was to die and be found in a distant place, just to send a message and to scare nightmares away.
Count Olaf was saved by an old lover and her non-dead twin, to be secured somewhere no ripper could ever find.
Away from the Baudelaires for good.