Begin!
Universe*
~Normal POV
"Mr. Poe you have to believe us!"
"That man wasn't Count Olaf and we didn't kill him!"
"Majin!" (You can't just let them arrest us like this!)
Mr. Poe sighed heavily as he stood at the bars of the Baudelaires' prison cell, "I'm sorry children but... the evidence is against you. I just wanted to say good-bye before your sentence. Good-bye..." Without another word Mr. Poe left the police office with his wife on his arm.
Count Olaf, in his ridiculous detective disguise, stepped in front of the cage as soon as they were gone. It was just him and the Baudelaires now.
He smiled evilly, "Comfortable orphans?"
"You framed us," Klaus spat back at him furiously.
"I did nothing of the sort you stupid bookworm," Olaf replied calmly, "I simply put a murderous baby in prison along with her two accomplices. And now you'll all be burned at the stake... and you'll never even see your poor Quagmire twin friends again."
Violet and Klaus snapped. With one arm each they reached through the bars and grabbed Olaf by his jacket and pulled him against the bars to look them directly in the eyes.
"Where are they?" Sunny had never heard her siblings so enraged when they spoke those words. The situation must finally be getting to them.
At first, Olaf seemed to have a faint glimpse of fear in his shiny eyes at the question. He had seen the Baudelaires mad before of course, but there was a spark of pure rage in their eyes. One he had never witnessed until this moment, and it gave him a realization. He smirked at the two elder Baudelaires.
The villain chuckled, "Oh... I get it now. Not just friends are you? Hm? Perhaps something more? I hear bookworms have a thing for pretty poets... And I'm sure an inventor would be eager to build a printing press for a handsome young journalist..."
Violet and Klaus glared at the wicked man, trying to ignore the embarrassing insinuations he was making. And for once they had to unfortunately admit that Olaf was at least partially right in his accusations. Violet Baudelaire was particularly fond of her charming journalist friend Duncan Quagmire. She did indeed feel that she wanted their relationship to be more than mere friendship, and based on that interesting D.Q+V.B carving in the red herring statue she now knew that her feelings were returned. Klaus had trouble admitting so, but he was very fond of his lovely poet friend Isadora. He was too shy and doubtful to admit it to her. Although Violet and Sunny could see his feelings clear as day; he wasn't as subtle as he wanted to be.
"We will get out of here," Violet replied vehemently, she and Klaus let go of Olaf.
Olaf gave them their "last meal" which was a cup of water and some stale bread and left the police station. Violet took out her ribbon and began tying her hair back. She was about to ask Klaus if he could help think of a way out of here but they were interrupted by someone else entering the station.
"Hello Baudelaires," Hector said.
"Hector, what are you doing here?"
He went up to their cell and gave them two small scraps of paper, "I found more notes from your friends by the Nevermore Tree. They can't get you out of jail, but I figured they might cheer you up."
Klaus smiled faintly at the papers and replied, "Thank you Hector."
"I'm sorry there's not more I could do," Hector said, "I wasn't a good guardian, was I?"
"You were fine," Violet answered, "Better than some others we've had. You should go, the villagers will probably get mad at you for talking to us in here."
He nodded, "Yeah I'm going to leave the village on my hot air mobile home; thank you for helping me get it to work. I only wish I could take you and your friends with me."
"If we do get out of here, we'll find another way out of town."
Hector said good-bye and left the Baudelaires alone in their prison once more. Violet started to ask Klaus what he could do to help their situation, but noticed that there was something off about him.
"Klaus do you think there's anything in your research about jail-breaks?"
Klaus racked his brain for a moment, "Well I just remembered something but... um."
"Is it something that can help us?"
"Er, no... it's- it's just I..." He sat down on the bench that was the only piece of furniture in their cell, "I just remembered that it's my birthday. I'm 13 today."
A few tears escaped his eyes; he took off his glasses momentarily to wipe them away. Violet and Sunny glanced at each other and felt guilt overtake their hearts.
Violet sat down next to Klaus and Sunny climbed onto his other side, "I'm so sorry Klaus... We completely forgot..."
"Klaus," Sunny bit his hand gently as an affectionate gesture, and Violet put her arm around him.
The three Baudelaires hugged each other as Klaus cried softly and talked about what their parents had planned to do for his birthday this year; after how disappointing his last one had been. As he let out his emotions, Violet racked her brain for something to give him for a good present. Something that would make her brother happier than she had seen him in a while... She smiled as an idea dropped into her head.
She stood up, "Klaus, Sunny and I are prepared to offer you anything you want for your birthday. Right, Sunny?"
Sunny stood up, "Yeah!"
Klaus finished drying his eyes and smiled faintly at his sisters, "Thank you, both of you, but what I really want is to know where the Quagmires are and how we can help them..." He pulled the other couplet papers out of his pocket and stared at them sadly.
Violet then picked up Sunny and slipped over to the back corner of the cage to talk in moderate secrecy.
"I have an idea," Violet whispered, "It'll be the perfect present. Let's get out of here, and reunite Klaus with Isadora."
"Isa," Sunny spoke quietly; she seemed to say, "I know you're worried about them, but why Isadora?"
Violet rolled her eyes, "Because Klaus likes her of course. What better present to give him than to bring him and his girlfriend back together?"
"Bleck," Sunny said, meaning, "Teenagers are gross."
"Hey, Isadora would make a great sister-in-law someday, don't you agree?"
"Duncan?" Sunny obviously meant to ask about Violet's fondness for Duncan in reference to Isadora as a potential sister-in-law.
Violet blushed lightly, "This isn't about me and Duncan; I'll worry about that later. It's Klaus' birthday and we're going to do this for him. It'll be the best present ever. What do you say?"
Sunny grinned toothily, "Ok!"
Violet set Sunny down and finished tying her hair back. She took the stale bread and the bench and began making a battering ram with the noose that was hanging in the cell. She instructed Klaus to try to figure out what the couplets mean as she worked. Klaus took the papers and stuck them to the wall in order of arrival with some water from their cup. Once Violet finished her invention she started to ram the side wall of the cell. She could see that Klaus was still a bit depressed too, so she was surprised when he turned to her with a smile.
"Klaus, you're smiling? We're in jail and you're smiling?"
She saw a bit of pink cross his cheeks, "I know where Duncan and Isadora are!"
She set aside her invention and looked over the couplets with him.
"It's Isadora's handwriting," Klaus said, "Look at how it's worded." He read it aloud:
For sapphires we are held in here.
Only you can end our fear.
Until dawn comes we cannot speak.
No words can come from this sad beak.
The first thing you read contains a clue:
An initial way to speak to you.
Inside these letters the eye will see
Nearby are your friends, and V.F.D.
Klaus pointed out that the couplets spelled out the word Fountain.
"Fowl Fountain," Violet said, "We know where they're being held! That's brilliant, you're brilliant."
Klaus smiled shyly, "Isadora is brilliant... I just figured out her riddle."
Violet began using the battering ram again and said with a tiny smirk, "Then you're going to love the birthday present Sunny and I have for you."
Sunny giggled quietly, and Klaus looked confused, "What do you mean?"
"We're going to get you and Isadora back together for good."
Klaus suddenly looked very embarrassed. He shakily asked, "What?!"
"Isn't that what you wanted for your birthday?"
"Well, that's um not what I..."
"Fez," Sunny shrieked, meaning, "You're whipped. Just admit it already; you could see it from space."
"Sunny's right," Violet replied laughing lightly, "Ever since you and Izzie laid eyes on each other you've been practically drooling over her. My little brother has a crush on my best friend; how adorable! And we're going to get you two back together. You can tell Isadora how much you love her and your little glasses will get all foggy."
Klaus didn't have a coherent response to these accusations; he was too embarrassed.
"I'm not trying to be mean you know," Violet said as she continued using her invention, "I think you and Izzie would be really cute together."
"Yes!" Sunny obviously agreed with Violet's statement.
Klaus averted his eyes to the floor and softly asked, "Um... do you think Duncan will mind?"
"I'll handle Duncan for you if something happens. If anything he should trust you just fine; he's your best friend after all."
Klaus' next question was obvious, "What if she doesn't like me that way...?"
Violet smirked, "I have a feeling she does. And by the way Klaus, happy birthday."
In her head, she thought back to all the times that she'd catch Isadora staring at Klaus with a look of longing. The time Isadora told her about when Klaus accidentally called her his favorite poet and how it made her all warm and happy inside to be given such praise by someone like him. Violet knew for sure that Isadora Quagmire was just as enamored with Klaus and he was with her. And Violet couldn't help being immensely happy for both of them.
"Isadora will be a great sister-in-law. Now how should I approach my feelings for Duncan?"
~...
"Hey Isadora?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember when we were in the elevator shaft a few days ago, and the Baudelaires' balloon burned out?"
"Yes Duncan it was dreadful! I thought they would fall to their deaths right in front of us!"
"I did too that's why I didn't say this at the time but when Klaus started screaming I thought, 'Wow Izzie your boyfriend screams like a girl.'"
Isadora gaped at her triplet brother, "Klaus does not scream like a girl!"
Duncan smirked, "You never said he wasn't your boyfriend."
Isadora blushed darkly, "Well... he isn't!"
"Uh huh, sure he isn't..."
"Wipe that cocky smirk off your face before I do it for you!"
"How can you tell if I'm smirking? We can barely see in here."
"Because I can hear it in your smart ass voice!"
Duncan pretended to look hurt, "You'd call your own brother a smart ass? I'm offended."
Isadora rolled her eyes, "Oh, please, do you remember how many times I'd call Quigley a smart ass? You're not special. And again, Klaus is not my boyfriend!"
"Ok but I can so tell you want him to be."
"Duncan, do you want to aggravate me like this while we're in a spot where you can't get away from my rage?"
Duncan faltered for a moment, "Alright you win; he's not your boyfriend. But I'm sure he will be eventually."
Inside his head Duncan was thinking about what it would be like if Violet was his girlfriend. The two triplets' thoughts of the Baudelaires were then interrupted by the sound of the fountain opening at last.
~The End!
Obviously this happened right before the start of my How It Should Have Been book. I'll add the picture that inspired this story too for fun!