Series of Unfortunate Events One-shots, What-ifs, and Drabbles

What If? Book the Twelfth

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire murmured to each other in the back of the taxi Kit Snicket drove them in. They discussed many things, from 'what if we had gone with Mr. Poe?' to 'what are we getting ourselves into now?' to 'do you really think she will tell us everything?' to 'how can we trust her?'

And the Baudelaires came to a conclusion.

So when Kit Snicket set out their picnic on the lawn of the Hotel Denouement, and told them their mission, the siblings looked at each other.

Violet took Sunny's hand, Sunny took Klaus's. They took a deep breath as one. "No," Klaus said.

Kit cocked her head slightly. "No?"

"We don't want to join VFD." Violet looked at her siblings for strength. "We don't want to accept this mission."

"Not join VFD? But... all your research-"

"We want to be safe." Sunny spoke as clearly as she could.

"We're okay with being in the dark," Klaus added.

"We were thrown into all of this. We don't want to follow in our parent's footsteps. VFD does good work, but we are children, and frankly, VFD owes us more than we owe you. All we want is our names cleared." Violet spoke firmly.

"Please." Sunny's voice broke. She began to cry.

"Sunny is not a murderer, and we are not accomplices. VFD stands for justice, doesn't it?" Violet added.

"You said you were a friend of our parents, right? Well, for them." Klaus said. "Help us clear our name, then... Then let us well alone."

Violet put an arm around her brother. Klaus cradled his distraught sister in his arms.

Kit took in the sight before her. Violet's eyes seemed to be looking directly into her soul. Klaus held his sister as if trying to keep her from any further harm, even if the lawn of the hotel was safe- safer, anyhow, than they had been in weeks previous. And Sunny held the weight of being perceived as a murderer on her shoulders at three years old. 

Perhaps... perhaps it had been a mistake to bring the children here.

"Okay," said Kit. "Okay. I'll help you."

"You will?" Violet's frown turned into a relieved smile.

Klaus sighed as if he'd been holding in a breath. "Thank you, Kit."

Violet kissed her sister's forehead. "You're going to be safe, Sunny."