The Acrimonious Addendum (completed)

Chapter Thirteen

Sunny POV:
The cave floor is cold and hard, and the stones dig into my back, making it difficult to sleep. Nevertheless I fake it, and I'm drifting through the haze of almost-sleep when I hear voices that I recognize belong to my sister and Duncan.
"By loves that last when lights are past?"
"Yes. I love you, Violet Baudelaire, by loves that last when lights are past because ours will." I can hear no more talking from either of them and I don't know whether to squeal like the fangirl I am or to groan at how long it took them to realize that they liked each other. I hear Duncan murmur, "Goodnight, my Ultraviolet," and then more silence before one of them settles down on the ground. After about fifteen minutes of silence I hear more movement and quiet conversation from the front of the cave.
"You were my first love, Violet Baudelaire." Quigley this time, not Duncan.
"Quigley, I,"
"You were my first love but not my last. I'm seeing someone now, someone I met in the city, and I just wanted to tell you that I'm really happy for you and Duncan."
"Thank you, Quigley. I'm really happy for you too. What's the name of the lucky girl?" I can hear silence and imagine that Quigley must be blushing. "Fiona. But that's not what is important. What's important is that whatever happens between you and Duncan, I will always be here for you."
"Thank you, Quigley. Thank you."
Quigley and Violet walk back into the cave and to the rest of us, and I wonder how it is possible to feel so much love for two people at the same time.

Isadora POV:
I sit bolt upright with the feeling of falling in my bones. In his sleep Klaus vaguely stirs and squeezes my hand. Calm down Izzy, I tell myself. You are ok, it was just a dream, you're not falling. You're here with your brothers and the Baudelaires and you need to get back to sleep. I lay down again and close my eyes, breathing deeply in and out. Concentrate on your breathing, on the silence and the... what was that? I listen carefully and can hear the slamming of a car door and the supounds of voices. Suddenly I am wide awake. I gently nudge Klaus's arm until he blinks blearily, reaching for his glasses. "What is it, Izzy?"
"I heard noises coming from the summit. They sounded like car doors slamming and people's voices."
"I'm sure it was nothing, Iz. Maybe just some animals or a falling boulder. There's nothing to worry about." The reassurance in Klaus's voice would normally be enough to let me fall back asleep but I'm certain that I heard something, and it wasn't any animals or boulders. "Just listen for a second. I'm sure that I heard something." Klaus obliges, glasses in his hand. After a few seconds of silence he says, "Ok, Izzy, maybe it was just a nightmare, but it's ok, love." we freeze, our words cut off by the distinctive crunch of footsteps on snow, still faint but getting louder. Getting closer to us. Klaus's face is serious. "I'll wake Duncan, Quigley and Violet if you can wake Beatrice and Sunny?" I nod, and in about thirty seconds everyone is awake, rubbing their eyes and stretching stiffly. "Klaus, Isadora, would you two care to enlighten us on why you felt the need to wake us all before the stars have completely disappeared? I mean, I'm an early riser but this is taking things too far." Duncan complains groggily. I want to explain everything, but every second we delay could bring the strangers straight to us, so I settle for the abridged version. "There are people looking for us. I don't know who they are but I can almost guarantee that they aren't friendly, so we have to go. Now."