Xalia Squalor; because sometimes being in is not enough

The night has a thousand eyes

Violet runs over to us again with Klaus, both coughing weakly. As soon as they get in arms reach, I can feel my throat begin to hurt. Violet tells me to go to Olaf, so I do, kneeling to him. The harpoon is lodged in his stomach, and there is no way he'll live. He knows that too. Olaf smiles at me, and whispers, "I don't not like you."
"I don't not like you either," I say, "Dad, you're dying."
Olaf pretends to gasp, and scoffs, "I noticed. Are you alright? You've been infected."
"I'm a Baudelaire," I whisper, "Dad, my mother is Beatrice Baudelaire."
Olaf nods, and whispers, "I know. Are you feeling okay?"
"The fungus is in my throat," I say, "Dad, are you okay?"
"It'll be fine," Olaf strokes my hair. He whispers, "This is goodbye now, Xalia May. A proper goodbye. This is weird. I don't usually say proper goodbyes."
"Why did Beatrice give me up?" I ask
"Who knows, Go to your siblings. Look at them run." He forces a little smile, but I imagine he really would be laughing if he could be. I nod, running over to them. We cough and splutter the whole way to the tree house. I ransack the cupboards, and cough weakly. I'm going to die, and there's nothing I can do. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny read, leaving me to try and desperately find something in the cupboards, anything. I whisper, "Kit told me something. I'm not a Squalor."
"What do you mean?" Violet wheezes. I mutter, "I'm a Baudelaire."
I watch as they all stand, but I fall to the floor with them. Violet groans, "We can't die here. Our parents gave us the answers without even knowing it."
"Maybe it's too late," Klaus wheezes, "Maybe this is the end of our story."
I wince as a snake slides over to us, producing an apple. It gives me it, and I weakly take a bite, handing it to Sunny. She passes it to Violet, who gives it to Klaus, and I gasp in relief. Violet hugs me, and mutters, "What do you mean, you're a Baudelaire?"
"I'm your sister."

Violet nods, and we all sprint to Kit. Klaus hands her the apple, but she refuses it, muttering, "I can't. It'll harm the baby. I'm not as strong as you. I've lost my parents, my brothers, Dewey."
Klaus looks over at Olaf, and walks to him. I stay with Kit, whispering, "You and your baby will be okay. Have you got any name ideas? Names you like?"
"I have some," Kit moans out in pain. I hold her hand, gasping as Olaf walks through the water to us. He picks Kit up from the pile of books, and carries her through the water, to the shoreline. I follow them, kneeling down on the sand with them. Violet pulls me away from them, and I hold her hand as we watch them. Olaf lies next to her, and smiles at her. He kisses her, and she whispers, "You?"
"I told you I'd do that one last time," Olaf smiles smugly. He loves her. Kit whispers, "You are a wicked man. You really think one kind act will make me forgive all your failings?"
Olaf mutters, "I haven't apologised."
Kit coughs, and Olaf strokes her face gently. He whispers, "Let me see your eyes."
I blink back tears as Kit opens her eyes. Olaf... Dad says, "The night has a thousand eyes, and the day but one. Yet the light of the bright world dies with the dying sun."
"The mind has a thousand eyes, and the heart but one," Kit wheezes, "Yet the light of a whole life dies when love is done."
"I never forgot you," Dad says, staring into Kit's eyes.
"You hurt people," Kit whispers. Dad shrugs, "Yeah. And people hurt me. It's all over now. What's that thing your brother used to say? Man hands on misery to man..."
"It deepens,"
"Like a coastal shelf," Klaus whispers. Dad whispers, "Get out as early as you can, and NEVER HAVE CHILDREN."
He directs the last bit at us, and coughs, before lying down in the sand. His eyes close, and I gasp weakly. Sunny babbles, "Olaf?"
"He's gone," I whisper, "He's really gone."

I kneel down to him, holding his hand. Violet rests her hand on my leg as I whisper, "I love you, Dad."
Kit moans out in pain, and her labour begins.
       
                                                                                          ***
It is nightfall before the baby is born. Kit holds her, her breathing tense. Klaus asks, "What will you name her?"
"Let's name her after your mother," Kit whispers, "Beatrice Baudelaire. I always hoped I'd be as good a mother as she was."
"You will be," Violet sighs. Kit shakes her head, wheezing, "It's too late now. The apple isn't working. My baby will be an orphan. Promise me, Baudelaires, promise me she wont be alone."
Kit hands me her baby, Beatrice, and groans. She bursts into coughing, before leaning back. Gone. I look down at Beatrice, and whisper, "So much as happened."
"And there's still so much left," Violet finishes. I kiss Beatrice's forehead, and whisper, "A single death is a tragedy."
Klaus looks at me, "A million deaths is a statistic."
"We've learnt so much too," I sigh, a tear breaking the barricade for more, "We're siblings. I've spent sixteen years as an only child, and now I'm one of four. I missed everything."
"Not everything," Violet sighs, "Our story wont be over yet. We can continue as a family."

"We'll never be a proper family again," Klaus says, "We're never going to all get to go back to our lives before the fire."
I hold Beatrice, and stand up. Violet's gaze follows me to the door of the tent, and I whisper, "We should go to the tree, and make Beatrice a bed first. She'll need a bed. Then we can figure the rest out in the morning. Will that be okay with you guys?"
"Yeah," Klaus sighs, picking Sunny up. Violet asks, "Are you all okay?"
"No," Sunny babbles.
"Not in the slightest," Klaus whispers.
"I've actually never been worse," I cradle Beatrice as I speak, careful not to hurt her. Violet nods, and sighs, "Glad we're all okay."