𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝐊𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐗 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐎𝐂

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏 - Dr Montgomery

Veronica sat in Mr. Poe's car with the Baudelaires, on their way to their new guardian, Dr. Montgomery. Veronica didn't know who he was or why that lady in the red dress said that she had to go with them. The brunette turned to see Violet and Klaus coughing a little before she felt it to. "What is that smell?" Klaus asked. "It's ginger, I believe. We're here." Mr. Poe coughed. Veronica looked out the window to see snake-shaped hedges as she asked "How exactly is Dr. Montgomery related to the Baudelaires?" 

"He's...well, let me see...their late father's cousin's wife's brother. That probably explains why they never met him." Mr. Poe responded. Veronica felt herself shake, she was hoping that this person wasn't like Count Olaf at all. Nothing treacherous about him or abusive. She could still see the bruises on her legs from the beatings she had. It made her flow a few tears before someone wiped them away. It was Klaus. "Don't cry, okay? We can be sure that this next person is nothing like Olaf...I'm here as well as Violet and Sunny." He smiled. Veronica smiled back and then got out the car with Klaus. 

"What do we call him? I mean, he's not exactly our uncle." Violet asked. "You can call him Dr. Montgomery, unless he asks you to call him by his first name in which case you will call him Montgomery." Mr. Poe responded. "His name is Montgomery Montgomery?" Klaus questioned. "Yes, yes. And I'm sure he's very sensitive about that, so please don't ridicule him. Ridicule means tease." Mr. Poe said. "We know what ridicule means." Veronica interjected. Mr. Poe pressed on the doorbell as Violet said "I hope Dr. Montgomery is a decent person."

The door opened as a man said "Hello, hello, hello, you must be the Baudelaires and you must be Veronica Bella." Veronica smiled at him, he seemed cheerful and happy. "Well, this is perfect timing because I have finished frosting this delicious coconut cream cake. Take a fork, take a fork, take a fork..." Montgomery said as he handed Violet a plate of cake with a fork. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Montgomery." Violet said. "Please, call me Monty. I don't like fancy titles unless they get me a discount at the movies. Do you all like going to the movies?" Montgomery gasped with delight. "Very much but our parents didn't us very often." Violet responded. Montgomery looked towards Veronica. "I didn't go at all, I was all stuffed up at home, cleaning." Veronica mumbled. "Well, we are going to go to a lot to some very important and very special films!" Montgomery smiled. Veronica raised an eyebrow at that, important and special? What could he mean by that?

"Well, let's not stand out here. Come in!" Montgomery exclaimed. The children followed him in along with Mr. Poe. "Now you must be Violet, the inventor, and you are Klaus the reader." Montgomery said, handing Klaus a plate and fork as well.  "And you must be Sunny, would you like a piece of cake?" He said. "My sister prefers hard food." Klaus clarified. "Ah, that is unusual for for a baby but not so unusual for many snakes." Montgomery said. "Perhaps Sunny would prefer a raw carrot." Sunny reached out for the carrot with a small gurgle. "And you must be Veronica Bella, the writer." Veronica nodded back at him with a smile. "Ah, a Bella, when was the last time I saw your father? Good friends, we were." Montgomery smiled. Ever since Veronica found out that Olaf wasn't her father, she had been wondering who her parents were and she knew that they had gone up in a fire, which made the situation feel even worse.

Montgomery rushed Mr. Poe out, Veronica seeing that he didn't want him in his house any longer which made her snigger. "I'm terribly sorry if I was rude to him, children. But frankly, that man ruffles my scales." Montgomery said. "Mine as well." Veronica mumbled. "'Unpleasantness with Count Olaf,' he says, when Mr. Poe is the very reason you were put with Count Olaf in the first place. Well, not to worry, you're finally safe now, children. Just as both your parents wanted." Veronica smiled up at Montgomery but it got cut off with Violet saying, "Monty, our parents never mentioned you." Montgomery gave a slight sad look towards the children. "Really? Dr. Montgomery Montgomery? Renowned scientist?" He questioned and Sunny let out a gurgle, which translated to "No."

"Herpetologist?" He asked, Veronica shaking her head at him. "That is astonishing...follow me! Now your parents, Veronica's father and I practically grew up together, can't believe they never told you about me." Montgomery exclaimed as he lead the children up the stairs. "I loved them dearly. Look, here's a picture of us." He said. It was only a picture of a piano, no one in it. "There's no one in that picture..." Veronica clarified. "We're locked inside the piano." Montgomery informed. "Ah, we were so young..." Veronica looked to see another picture that had no relation to snakes or Montgomery and his friends, though she couldn't get a really good look at it. 

"Well, it seems some proper introductions need to be made. Do you know what 'herpetology' means?" Monty asked. "Well, 'ology' always means 'the study of..'" Klaus replied. "Snakes! Snakes, snakes, snakes. That's what I study." Monty exclaimed with a joyous smile. "I circle the globe in search of a creature who can encircle a globe." Veronica exchanged looks with Klaus, confused a little. "Oh don't worry about your dishes. Just leave them everywhere, Gustav will wash them up." 

"Gustav! Oh, drat..."

"What?" Veronica questioned. "I forgot all about Gustav. He was my assistant for many years, then he left quite an unexpected letter of resignation just yesterday morning. Quite surprising, really. Well, no matter what, who needs an assistant when I have three charming Baudelaires bambinis and a amazing Bella to help me with my research?" Monty exclaimed. "Bambini?" Klaus questioned. "Klaus, it's Italian for children." Veronica corrected. "Correct you are, indeed, Veronica! Why I'm so giddy having you here that I might as well be talking gibberish." Monty chuckled before leading the children to a strange-looking door.

"Now, children, I am about to show you one of the most important scientific collections in the history of the world. Spies and rivals in the world of herpetology would eat nine garter snakes to get a glimpse of the wonders inside the room. This door has been installed with a top-of-the-line security system."

Monty hit the door and then the gears on it began to turn and the children watched it in awe. "You can't get in unless you have 19 keys, three combinations, two fingerprints, and one optical scan. Or as I share with my most trusts associates...by turning this doorknob right here." Monty opened the door to reveal a room filled with different reptiles in cages and plants. Veronica's jaw dropped with a smile in amazement, it was wonder to her eyes. "This is the Reptile Room. Feel free to explore." Monty announced.

Veronica didn't follow the Baudelaires and Monty as she went the other way. She gently grazed her hand against the cages and the tanks which made her smile. She hadn't felt this happy in ages, she felt happy to finally see herself smiling again. Veronica waved to the winged lizard in it's cage and then walked over to the Baudelaires and Monty. "This, my dears, is my most recent discovery..." Monty said and a tarp came off the giant cage to reveal a large and black snake, slithering around. "The crown jewel of the Montgomery Reptile Collection. I discovered him on a recent journey and I brought him here under the cover of the night and a very large hat. Because next month, I am going to present him to the Herpetological Society as my new discovery." Sunny cooed at it as Veronica leaned her hand out a little to it. "What did you name it?" Veronica asked.

"The Incredibly Deadly Viper." Monty answered. But before any of the children could ask about the name, the viper came out towards Veronica and Sunny.