Chapter Text
It had all been going so well. Too well. They’d caught Olaf, gagged him with a bandana which did not suit his complexion and shoved him into the county jail, certain for once that things would work out. But then Esmé swooped in wearing that stupid costume, and ruined everything.
Now instead of turning Olaf into the police and sending him to jail for a very long time, Jacques was going to be burned at the stake in the morning, and there was no doubt that unless they did something that she would soon be burnt to a crisp as well. Standing in the non-deluxe cell of the jail Olivia was painfully aware of what she had to offer to that hideous woman in that ridiculous disguise across from her. It’s betraying VFD, she shuddered, but…I can’t let them kill him. Kill us. So betrayal it was. The necessary words lingered on her tongue, kept back only by the remnants of Olivia's pride and the strength of her fear.
“Orphans,” Esmé said, looking lazily up at her, “Nothing but trouble am I right?”
“No. You’re not.” Olivia responded, the boldness in her tone surprising her. Oh where were the Quagmires? She needed to make sure that finding them was their first priority once she got her and Jacques out of here.
“Tell me what did those droopy desperate orphans ever do for you,” Esmé asked. Olivia scoffed, her brow furrowing. “Before you got mixed up with them I’ll bet you had some kind of a life, a future.” she said, voice dripping with fake pity. “ Now look at you.” Esmé ran her eyes over Olivia in a disapproving way that made her blood boil. The same infuriating stare fixed on her face, Esmé got up and strutted over to the bars. “Is that a corset?” she laughed.
“Yes.” Olivia snapped, pulling Esmé towards her until only a few inches of air and the bars of a prison cell separated their faces. “Look at me a member of a noble and heroic organisation finally putting my innate physical dexterity and extensive training in library science to the glorious purpose for which they were made.” She released Esmé, hiding a smile. Maybe she could be a good volunteer for this confusing yet seemingly noble organisation after all. If she and Jacques survived the next 24 hours that was.
“Do all you bookish volunteers start spouting that nonsense when you’re afraid,” Esmé asked, the empty look in her eyes signifying that she hadn’t understood a word Olivia had just said. She almost wished she'd snuck a bit about the sugar bowl in there, just to see if Esmé would understand that.
“I’m not afraid,” She quickly lied, hiding her shaking hands behind her back.
“You should be,” Esmé threatened. “Oh you think your boyfriend is going to rescue you,” she added, adopting an infantilising tone.
“I think I’m going to rescue him.” She said, finally letting her hidden smile break loose. Jacques wasn’t her boyfriend, but that would just clog up the conversation, and besides it was much more satisfying to make her think he was.
“Please,” Esmé snorted, her laughter loud enough that it seemed anyone who walked past the jail would hear it, “Your boyfriend is going to burn at the stake in the morning, I’m so sorry if I didn’t make that clear.” Again with the fake pity, Olivia fumed. Esmé’s dangerous tone made her legs go weak with fear, but fear she could handle. The pity however..it made her want to reach through the bars and strangle that stupidly perfect neck.
“Not if you unlock this cell and let us go.” Olivia said slowly, the tremor in her voice still leaking through. How had Jacques been able to come across so confident when he was talking to Olaf before? All she had to say was one sentence, yet all she wanted to do was run into her mothers arms, just like when she was four and had a nightmare.
You’re not four anymore Olivia, she reminded herself. You can do this.
“And why would I do that,” Esmé said, her tone matching Olivia's own.
“Because I’m a librarian.” she said with entirely too much force.
“Oohh,” Esmé said, gasping mockingly. Infuriating woman.
“Don’t you see?” She replied, leaning closer to the bars, gagging as Esmé’s repugnant perfume filled her nostrils. “Librarians know where to find…things.”
“What kind of things?” Esmé said, her smile finally dropping from her face.
“Missing things.” She confirmed, steadfastly ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach. It’s necessary Olivia, you know this. After this we’ll go to the hospital ourselves and snatch it before she does. And we won’t ever have to see Esmé Squalor again. She knew this. So why did she still have to feel this cocktail of feelings, all mixed up and blended until she couldn’t even tell where they were from and why she was feeling them.
“Stolen things?” Esmé asked, her interest finally piqued.
“That’s right Esmé,” Olivia said. How did Esmé get anything done when she was so easy to manipulate? Bring up the sugar bowl and that woman was at your feet. Business Olivia. This is a deal, not a time for you to fulfil any fantasies of torturing Esmé and her equally stupid boyfriend. “If you let Jacques and me go I will give you the location of the sugar bowl.” Esmé let out a sigh of delight.
“Well?” Esmé demanded after a few seconds, “Tell me. Tell me where it’s stashed.”
“Only after you let Jacques and me go. How naive do you think I am? This is my first time making a deal to get out of jail but it’s not..you know, my first time making a deal to get out of jail. You can’t expect me to assume you will follow through with your side of this.”
“It’ll be such a shame to see Jacques’s handsome face melting when he burns at the stake,” Esmé threatened, leaning even closer in. A shiver ran through Olivia’s body. No wonder half of VFD was terrified of this woman.
“If you do that you’ll never get your hands on the sugar bowl.” Remain confident, Olivia. Don’t let her know how fast your heart is pumping. Don’t let her see.
“I could always torture you,” Esmé smiled, tapping her police baton. “That’s the problem with your side of the schism, you fail to recognise the obvious solution. Don’t try me.”
“You wouldn’t.” She wouldn’t…right? What if she would.
“And why not.” she muttered.
“Look Esmé,” Olivia said, desperately trying to command a conversation that felt more and more like a slippery slope. “You give me the keys, I give you the location of the sugar bowl, and no blood has to get on your outfit.”
“I do like this outfit, and bloodstains are decidedly out.” Esmé mused, sending a sigh of relief through Olivia. Esmé smiled as she unlocked the door, the gesture looking more like a baring of teeth than anything comforting. Once she had pulled the door open barely enough for her hand to slip through, Esmé grasped one of the bars that made up the door.
“It’s unlocked,” Esmé said, the simple words seeming like a threat. “Now give me the location and I swear on the sugar bowl I’ll let you go.”
“Heimlich Hospital.” Olivia blurted out all in one breath.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Esmé purred. You definitely heard me, Olivia fumed.
“Heimlich Hospital.” She said again, talking to Esmé like she did the kids at Prufrock. “It’s out here in the hinterlands. I have directions in case you need them.”
“I know where that hospital is, librarian. You pesky volunteers abandoned your base there years ago I thought.”
“Then you arsonists just fell right into our ploy. Now let us go.” Looking Olivia straight in the eyes Esmé slipped the keys from her perfectly manicured hands to Olivia’s rough ink stained ones.
“I’ll distract Olaf,” Esmé said, clapping her hands. “If you two are still here when I or he comes down next I will kill you with my bare hands.”
“Good to know.” Olivia roughly pushed the cell door open. Esmé pranced out of the room, and the second Olivia couldn’t see that hideous bright blue costume she rushed over to Jacques, jamming the key into the lock and frantically trying to open the door. He wordlessly stepped out, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the door. He’s mad about the sugar bowl isn’t he, Olivia worried. How much of a mistake have I made?
“I’m sorry it was the only thing I could think of!” she said, desperation slipping out, once they had made it out of the jailhouse.
“You did the right thing.” Jacques replied, his steady voice calming the nerves running through her. “But now you’ve got to get to that sugar bowl before they do. She nodded agreement. Maybe Esmé just cared about the container it was in, but Olaf and his associates would care about the content. The sugar that could destroy the noble side of the schism completely. “You need to find our top field agent, she knows exactly where it’s hidden and she knows what to do with it. She knows all.” He carefully unfolded a flyer, pressing it into Olivia’s still shaking hands.
She stared at the purple ink, the large gold writing declaring ‘Madame Lulu knows all,’ and the crystal ball…with the VFD logo clearly wrapping around it.
“She’s more legitimate than she looks,” Jacques assured, “You can take my taxi.” His taxi? Part of her felt honoured he trusted her with it but..this confirmed what she had assumed. He wouldn’t be coming with her.
“What about you?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“Someone has to protect the children. Take care of the sugar bowl and we’ll rendezvous as soon as we can.” She nodded.
“Promise me you’ll rescue the children.” If anyone can do it it’s Jacques, she reassured herself. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever Jacques did wouldn’t be enough…and that this was the last time she would ever see him.
“I promise.”
“Promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”
“Of course.” If I wait until I’m ready I’ll be waiting the rest of my life, she reminded herself, grabbing the taxi door before quickly turning around.
“Promise me we’ll see each other again.” Please. He’s the first person who actually showed me the world, I can’t lose him. Not like this. Not now. He didn’t answer, staring at her with solemn eyes, before leaning in and kissing her. Hesitantly she kissed back, leaning into the warmth and trying to ignore who the man was giving it. And really trying to ignore the person she half wished it was with instead. Much too late and much too soon he leaned back, hands resting on her shoulders.
“This story isn’t over yet.” The words were meant to be reassuring, she knew that much but all they did was stir the pot of confusion in her mind. Smiling partly to quell her anxieties and partly to quell his, she got into the cab, pulling the door shut behind her as Jacques pulled something out of his pocket. A spyglass. She gasped, her smile now fully genuine. He handed it to her, the cool metal a stark difference from the warm night air. She let herself a moment of staring, marvelling at the codes, the workmanship, and the fact that she finally had one. She was a volunteer, properly now. The sugar bowl Olivia, get to the sugar bowl. She shook the distractions away, slipping the spyglass into her pocket and slammed the gas, the noise of the engine loud enough to block out the worries of the world.
She turned the radio on as soon as no one in that vile village could hear her, hoping to pay no attention to where she was. The taxi was warm and soft and nice…but it smelled of Jacques and she really didn’t have time to sort that out. Because he was nice and noble and so so kind and the kiss was nice but…she didn’t even know.
What was the plan? She asked herself as another distraction. Or rather, would she follow through with his? Jacques had said to seek out Madame Lulu but…even though Olivia was hardly a competent volunteer, time mattered more than anything, and she didn’t even know how to find her way around the hinterlands! No, no she must go to Heimlich first, then bring the sugar bowl to Madame Lulu. We can’t waste time.
And if she runs into Esmé Squalor again? So be it.