Chapter Text
“Well,” Mr. Will got the attention of the distracted children “It’s better if I show you all your rooms, if you may follow me upstairs.”
The three children moved quietly, even Sunny in Violet’s arms was as observant and watchful as ever. This is usually the point when Count Olaf could appear.
“Mr. Graham,” called Klaus as they passed the tiny toddler proofed gate at the top of the stairs.
“You can call me Will, you know?”
“Is there any other visitor in the house at the moment?”
Mr. Will saw straight through the question but decided to just answer.
“No Klaus, in this house for the foreseeable future will live us five and three dogs, no more no less.”
With reddened cheeks, Klaus understood the implications and only exhaled a “Thank you.”
“Well kids, on this floor are five bedrooms and three bathrooms, the last door to the right is a guest room we reserve for our other adopted daughter Abigail, she is studying abroad right now and you all might meet her over the holidays.” Explained Mr. Will getting closer to the end of the hall and pointing at the open door, next he pointed to the open door closer to the stairs, inside it seemed to be an odd kind of samurai armor,” That one is the master bedroom which door will always remain unlocked shall any of you ever need Hannibal or me, I know the samurai armor is weird as heck, I have been trying to get rid of the thing for over six years.” The kids didn’t enter the room but saw what they could over the threshold and Klaus smirked a bit which Mr. Will considered a big win.
“Now the three at the left are all yours” continued Mr. Will as he directed them prompting them to the closest room, painted in mint green, with a huge crib and several soft cushions, stuffed animals, and three plush dog beds scattered over the floor, “This is for Sunny, sadly Hannibal and I never predicted such a big girl so we should sooner than later change the crib for a bed, also, this happened to be the dogs' room, but, after seeing how much you like Winston I doubt that would be much of a problem” Sunny smiled for the big news of her roommates, and the older siblings got the important part, three dogs would protect Sunny at night.
“No puoblem” gurgled Sunny, anyone fluent in toddler would promptly be able to present it as...
“It’s no problem at all,” Violet translated, with a cautious smile while holding an amazed Sunny.
“Very Well. Let’s move to the next room.” They left through a door that communicated to the adjacent room, Violet’s bedroom.
The walls were painted in soft pinks and purples, it had a big canopy bed occupied the near wall, the other one has a big wooden desk near to a huge closet, that seemed filled with clothes from one of its open doors, and further was a vanity with combs, pins and trinkets. The room was huge, so big it even had a reading nook beside the window and a small reading chair. It was Violet’s turn to be amazed.
“This one is as big as Abigail’s room, that door goes to the shared bathroom, all the wood in this room is cherry except the desk which is the sturdiest oak I could find, so you can do most anything in that desk, from designing to fixing a boat motor of you please, but, I may suggest, the workshop in the garage is a better place for that.” The clear invitation made Violet imagine wild things, happy things.
“I have no words to thank you enough, Mr. Will. This room is beautiful.”
“Don’t thank me for that, Hannibal is the one that designed and furnished these rooms, I only helped moving stuff,” in a more secretive voice he added “I can promise you he looks scary, but he is a big softie, he is just really nervous of having you all here. Honestly, we were not planning for more kids, but let’s say you quickly changed our minds.”
For the three, now pinkish, children it was impossible to think someone as stern as Dr. Lecter would be nervous over anything, but Mr. Will’s kind expression almost made them believe him.
“Let’s see the bathroom now.”
As they passed through, they detailed a big bath that could be completely covered by curtains, an open shower made of one-way mirrors so you couldn’t see inside, and a couple of sinks with all the bathroom appliances one could imagine. It was a huge expensive bathroom just for them.
At last, they opened the door to what would be Klaus’ room.
The door opened in and let the afternoon light in the bathroom. Klaus’ room was soft greens and deep blues, also had a canopy bed, a much more modest desk an and equally full wardrobe but more impressive than that was the fact that the whole room, except the wall that was made of a thick pane of glass, that let as much sunshine as possible in, was filled with empty bookshelves, all of them empty but one filled with twenty or so books, Klaus was speechless.
“Even if this is not the biggest room, Hannibal though, after seeing your file, that may be the old windowed room would fit you more.” Then he pointed “those books over the desk are some of Hannibal’s and my favourites, sometimes one can know people over their taste in things like books, we thought that maybe it was a good start.” Explained Mr. Will without hurry “ the shelves are for you to fill with all the books of your choice, consider yourself free to scavenge the library downstairs as you please, and, if you want more just ask. In this house books are a necessity not a luxury.”
Klaus was overwhelmed as Mr. Will spoke, he was more than a tad flushed, the soft murmur arose “Thank you Mr. Will, please, also thank Doctor Lecter.” Klaus’ chest filled to the brim with gratitude for the thoughtfulness.
The three Baudelaires were so filled with emotion, they did not know how to muster better words for gratitude than a mere thank you.
“Please don’t thank us, Hannibal and I… We are doing what you deserve, we just want to give you finally a safe place. We are honored to have you here and have the chance to be your legal guardians.” finished Will with a weird emotion that could only be described as the mix between the protectiveness of a mother lion and the care one can only feel for those in terrible need.
He cared deeply for these kids even as he merely met them. Clearing his throat he disposed of the spell of the moment shared between them “Well,” said letting all eyes in the room dry “in every closet there are clothes Hannibal thought you would like and fit in, if you happen to find something you like, dislike or want to change just let us know and we will see it through. You can visit every room in the house freely and pick things as you want, but, right now I invite you to meet your rooms and refresh yourselves if you want while my husband and I prepare dinner, which might be in a bit over an hour.”
At the moment all that the cautious speechless Baudelaires could muster was an almost unison “Thank you Mr. Will.”
“Welcome home Violet, Klaus, and Sunny,” muttered Mr. Will as he exited the room and added one last thing before closing Klaus’ room door “we are very happy you are all here.”
After the emotive moment shared with the siblings Will somewhat rushed downstairs. He trusted his husband with all of his heart but also knew Hannibal was going to murder Mr. Poe. That was a fact.
As he arrived at the kitchen Will found a relatively calm Hannibal finishing what will be an amazing lamb stew in little less than an hour.
“Did they like their bedrooms?” Hannibal sounded as calm as ever while putting the stew in the oven.
“They loved the bedrooms, even asked me to thank you. Violet said hers was beautiful, and Klaus almost cried while telling him that he could fill the bookshelves to his heart’s content.”
Now a small smile appeared on Hannibal’s lips “They look like good children, smart and kind.”
“I bet they are great” managed Will with a toothy grin.
Will then let a couple of minutes pass in contemplative silence, while Hannibal rinsed and assorted fresh greens for a salad, before asking in a grimmer manner.
“As for Mr. Poe…?”
“I suppose he is his long way home in his hideous car, with damaged lungs.” Answered Hannibal disinterested with the topic.
“So… not in the freezer, as for right now.”
“Will, I’m not that negligent as to do anything to harm the children in any way. Even by proxy.”
“I know that, but you really looked ready for murder every time you looked at him.” Will moved around the kitchen island, closer to Hannibal.
“And I will murder him, but later, after things have settled, time has passed and the children feel safer.” Will’s arms held the doctor in an embrace.
“That might need time,” murmured Will into his husband’s neck, “I think they might need a therapist, have you seen how tense are Violet and Klaus?”
“And we have only a pseudo actor to thank,” added the Doctor with distaste, “We have to kill him, my love.” Susurred.
“I’m well aware. They won't live peacefully until he is dead.”
Almost forty-five minutes after the kind Mr. Will Graham had closed the door of Klaus’ room, the three Baudelaires held a conference in Violet’s bedroom on the subject of their new legal guardians.
“Eem ice” they seem nice, were the well-meant feelings of Sunny.
“Esmè Squalor also seemed nice Sunny”, replied Klaus while watching out of the window for anything suspicious. Especially a dark damaged car with an acting troupe inside.
“I don’t know Klaus, Mr. Will seems honestly nice, and they don’t look as… quirky as our previous tutors”, intervened Violet.
“Ogs”, dogs added Sunny.
“That’s also true, those who had pet animals have always been kind to us, like uncle Monty”, argued Violet.
“But then again uncle Monty let himself be tangled with count Olaf and now… Well”, the death of uncle Monty had shaken all of them, after all, it was the first time someone died because of them.
“And yet… Count Olaf hasn’t appeared yet”, mussed Violet.
“That is what I find the oddest in this situation, that and Doctor Lecter’s dislike at Mr. Poe.”
“Oh egwet”, Or neglect, helped Sunny.
“Maybe, anyway, let’s get downstairs, so Mr. Will doesn’t have to fetch us, if we are lucky we will be able to think more later.”
“Even in the morning if we are lucky enough”, said Kalus.
“Op fo besh” Let’s hope for the best.
And like that the three orphans went downstairs and straight to the kitchen.
As the siblings arrived cautiously in the kitchen Hannibal perfected the plating of the masterpiece which would be their dinner. The Baudelaires salivated by the smell of the hearty stew. This time they would eat something palatable, not made by themselves and that was something to be thankful about.
Doctor Hannibal Lecter was cleaning the ridges of five oddly designed china in an immaculate white apron about to add a last dollop of sauce.
“Good evening Violet, Sunny and Klaus”, he said in his deep dark voice, for some reason he wasn’t as intimidating as in the afternoon “Will is setting the dinner table, you can go help him if you may”, offered as an excuse for them to abandon the kitchen, which the took quickly, but, before that…
“Doctor Lecter”, resounded Violet’s sure voice without a trace of indecision “thank you for our bedrooms, they are wonderful.”
This brought an honest yet small smile to Hannibal’s mouth.
“Will and I are glad that you find them adequate.”
“They are more than adequate”, Klaus inferred a bit more loudly than he pretended “I mean, they are beautiful and ideal for each of us”, his decision deflated as he ended with a more subdued “thank you Doctor Lecter.”
Now Hannibal was seeing the three siblings with a soft expression that resembled gladness.
“I’m pleased that you like your rooms, now why don’t you go to the dining room and help Will, I will follow shortly”, Hannibal found himself dismissing the Baudelaires as he needed a moment to absorb what just developed, not that he showed it anyway.
Like that, with one last look, the orphans went to the adjacent room, where Mr. Will Graham was fixing glasses, cloth napkins, and silver cutlery in four spaces and a toddler seat big enough to serve a whole individual serving. The chair that they correctly guessed was for Sunny was a deep mahogany with brass accents between the first and second seating, left to the head of the table.
“Children”, Will seemed to always acknowledge them softly and Violet and Klaus thanked silently thus.
“You are perfectly on time, could you put the napkins and silverware while I seek the beverages?”
“Surely”, said Violet, starting to move.
This room like the exterior of the house looked ominous with dark walls and decorations with deer antlers. It was odd but the siblings thought less and less about it as they finished setting the table.
Mr. Graham returned with jugs of water, dark juice and a decanter halfway full or wine, as he set them on the table he told the children “Please sit, I’ll help Sunny in her throne, I swear Hannibal buys things like this just for the drama”, while picking and setting an already open-armed Sunny with care and precision.
The comment made the Baudelaires smile. The house did have a big flare of dramatics.
As the three children were seated Doctor Lecter arrived balancing three plates expertly, one, they noticed, was slightly smaller than the others. He served the children first, and without saying a word went back to the kitchen to retrieve the other two.
Mr. Graham served the children what seemed to be blackberry juice and filled Doctor Lecter and his own glass with wine. Again the Doctor arrived and served the last two dishes and finally, they were all seated with warm food in front of them.
Raising his fine glass of wine the Doctor welcomed again the Baudelaires and with soft smiles, they began to eat.
The children rarely ate delicacies these days, but the complete dish their new tutor made, a stew, a simple salad and a side dish called polenta, tasted better than anything in their odyssey so far, and the siblings closed their eyes in the pure that a good meal can bring to one’s heart.
“It’s delicious, Doctor Lecter.”
“Thank you Violet”, was the simple exchange after a quiet meal, the children seemed pink in the cheeks and happy with their bellies filled with food. “Now, would you three like to have dessert with us in the lounge?”
At the mention of dessert, the siblings roused with interest. Who knows what this man could do with sweets with meals this good.
“If you want, wait for us in the living room while we make tea and pick the table”, suggested Mr. Graham.
As told they did and quickly the three Baudelaires were full and warm in the leather, cushioned, and comfortable big couch waiting for what may come.
Probably a complex conversation.
And dessert.
As the Baudelaires chatted quietly in the common room, Hannibal and Will let the tea steep, washed the dishes, and served strawberry shortcake in record time. They moved like a well-oiled clock, swiftly and surely. They were nervous, no, not nervous, anxious.
In exactly ten minutes two trays were ready, the dining room cleared, and the dishes drying in a rarely used rack.
Swiftly but slowly, surely, Will and Hannibal entered the living to look at the three newest and most important guests in their home to the date.
The children didn’t startle as they arrived, they just timidly smiled. They too were anxious, but oddly enough they did not feel bad.
The coffee table was all fixed, presenting saucers with three servings of fresh cake with dollops of cream and slices of strawberry, other five with sweet chamomile tea. As softly as ever Will started.
“Children”, not orphans, not Baudelaires, children “as we have told you we are glad you are here, and we are honoured to be your tutors, but, and I know that I speak for Hannibal when I ask, do you agree with this?”
Until this moment the Baudelaires did not know they had a choice or an opinion, they were perplexed.
“What if…”
“Yes Klaus”, the accent got even softer as Hannibal lowered his teacup and saucer.
“What if we wanted to leave, and have other tutors?” There was a complex emotion in Klaus’ voice. This was a clear test.
“Then we will be the ones helping you find the new tutors.”
Three pairs of eyes opened wide for the barest of moments. Hannibal answered very quickly, not a note of doubt in his words.
“What if Count Olaf came for us”, now it was Violet’s turn to put down her dessert on the coffee table.
“Then Hannibal and I would take care of him. We had investigated him, we most probably would need your help in recognizing him, but the second you do we promise, the three of you, that we will believe you and help you”, Will saw the orphans and felt their apprehension as if it were his “We will protect you. We owe you that much.”
One tiny face brightened at the words and then got somber just as fast, the two older siblings had heard similar promises, but never that they would be blindly believed.
Sunny was fast and as clearly as she could she asked “Wo u hurs ush?” Would you hurt us?
Violet’s face blanched “Sunny asked...” but was promptly silenced by a soft gesture from Hannibal.
“I understood her Violet”, these kids needed them as much as they needed the reassurance “never Sunny, mark my words, We will never hurt any of you, and as long as it is in our power no harm will come to you.”
Will, the Baudelaires, and even Hannibal, felt overcome with the weight of these promises. Will love his husband so damn much.
The children were teary eyes, weary and so obviously tired of the day that Will promptly found the opportunity to invite them upstairs to finally get some rest, they could keep talking in the morning over breakfast. The siblings felt exhausted and agreed without fuss.
The five of them went upstairs, the three orphans straight to Violet’s bedroom and the pair of husbands followed without saying a thing. It was not a coincidence Violet’s bed was big enough for three.
“Violet, Klaus, Sunny, we hope you have a good night’s rest.”
“Lemme remind you that the three dogs we’ll be sleeping in Sunny’s room and that the master bedroom is always open, Hannibal and I are very light sleepers if you need anything you can reach us.”
“Thank you Mr. Graham, Doctor Lecter.”
“You are welcome, good night.”
“Good night”, sounded in unison.
Like this Will closed the door and left the children to themselves. They would sleep soundly and safe. They will finally get the rest they deserve.
Somewhere, several blocks over the siblings' new home a conversation between a secretary and a waiter developed.
“I’m scared.”
“Don’t be”, she embraced him and he felt marginally better.
“We have to protect them, but they can’t know.”
“Nor the Ripper can. We have to take them far away, this man is much more dangerous than Count Olaf.”
“But if the Ripper sees us we could put them in immediate danger, besides why a homicidal maniac wants three children?!”
“Only God knows, but we have to rescue them before we find out.”
“Let’s only hope Count Olaf doesn’t find them first.”
“Not to be obscure but maybe… Maybe it would be good if he finds them first.”
“That is very obscure of you, but, it might be optimal.”
And like that, the waiter and the secretary went down a manhole, to the sewers to keep their organization informed, and hope that the Chesapeake Ripper won’t hurt the Baudelaires, or at the very least hurt Count Olaf and Esmè Squalor first.