"Here comes the sleeping beauties! Have a good sleep?" Violet yawned. "Yes, and the lucky triplet knows who he is." Yes, Duncan did know. He already asked for the navy suit from Klaus. Violet smiled at Duncan and he smiled back. This move didn't escape Isadora and Quigley's sharp eyes. Isadora whooped. "What is it, Iz?"

"I know who Violet chose."

Quigley knew too, but he had a different reason. "I thought you loved me. I loved you. Well, I used to," he whispered to himself. His expression changed, cold and defiant. "That's it, I'm switching." He melted into the shadows and stayed there for the day as his friends smiled and laughed. Isadora was the only one who understood. Makes sense as Ray played her heart. That's who Violet is. A manipulative, hurtful girl. That night, the group dressed up and boarded a limo headed to the city. It was shadowy in the backseat. Klaus, Isadora and Quigley sat in front, and Violet and Duncan in the back. Jacquelyn drove. "So, you excited?" Duncan asked, smiling at his date. "Kinda. I'm just excited to spend time with you. And the mission." Duncan wrapped a arm around her shoulder, hugging her. "Aw, thanks. By the way, will you be my girlfriend?" Violet leaned over and kissed him. "Duncan, of course I'll be your girlfriend!"

They arrived at the dance and scattered throughout the guests, Quigley being a lone wolf. All of them had lots of fun, gobbling down hors d'oeuvres. Except for Quigley, who needed time alone. He walked through a crowd of people hanging around the buffet table, catching the eye of a gorgeous auburn-haired, blue-eyed girl. "Psst! Over here!" Curious, Quigley followed her behind a curtain. That's when she dropped the mask. "What are you doing here, cake sniffing orphan?"

"Carmelita Spats."

"Dun-oh, wait, you're Quigley. What are you doing here?" Quigley breathed in. "I'm here to join the Fire-starting side." Carmelita raised an eyebrow. How does she manage to look hot while doing it-wait what? "Really? Let's bring you to Esmé then, we'll see how she reacts. She's the head of the movement now, you know." Carmelita pulled out a handgun and pressed it against his leg. "If you dare move away," she snarled, "I will not hesitate to shoot."

Quigley nodded, trembling with excitement. Finally! "Oh, and by the way, the name's Carmen Squalor now."

Esme sat in the tearoom, waiting for Carmelita to come back. She would always be Carmelita to her. The doors swung open, and her beautiful daughter walked in, aiming a gun at a handsome young man. "Hello, Carmen, sweetie. Who's this? He looks...familiar." Esmé flashed a thin stiletto knife at him. "He's Quigley Quagmire. He wants to join our side of the team." Esmé cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Really? Fine! We'll put him to the test. Boy-sorry, Quigley, you have two things you have to do. First, set fire to this god-forsaken place. Second, I want you to kidnap Violet Baudelaire."

He shuddered. He didn't want to hurt her, but he wanted to hurt Duncan the way he hurt him. "Okay." Esmé clapped her hands in delight. "Goodie! Carmen, you accompany him and make sure he doesn't chicken out, and help with the kidnap and fire-setting." Carmen nodded. "Yes, mother. Come on, Quigley." The two grabbed a bundle of rope and a box of matches, then left the room. Suddenly, as they were about to find Violet, Carmen leaned over and kissed him. "What was that for?"

"Just something I've wanted to do for a while."

"I like it."

*With Violet*

*Duncan mumbled something*

"What?"

"Oh, I was thinking about the day you tried to rescue us at 667 Dark Avenue. That was when I started to fall in love with you."

"Aww." Violet laid her head on Duncan's shoulder and stared up at the stars. They had a great time dancing together, but had not picked up any information. Nevertheless, it had been a fantastic date, even if it was only a cover-up. "Thanks, and-oh hi Quigley. Do you need anything?" Quigley fidgeted. "I need to talk to you."

Quigley grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a darker corner across the ballroom. Then, there was a flash of rope and a bag was thrown over her. She tried to scream but was gagged and knocked unconscious. Quigley looked at Carmen, his new love interest. "Now!"

Carmen struck a match, and held it near the curtain until it started to catch fire. She quickly aimed the spyglass in her hand onto the floor from the moonlight to the huge oak doors, which in turn started smoking. "It's done."

A woman screamed. "Fire!" The crowd rushed out of the burning building. "Klaus!"

"Isadora!"

"DUNCAN!"

The group recollected in the villa gardens. "Where's Violet? And Quigley?" "I don't know. He needed to talk to her about something. I haven't seen them since." Isadora cried, exasperated. "Well then, where are they?"

"Right here."

The trio were knocked unconscious, and were pulled away in the dark.

Isadora was the first to wake up. Groggily, she stared at the room. Seemed unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. She looked around, and saw Violet opposite her. Duncan and Klaus tied opposite. Trying to free her wrists, she realised that they were too tight. "Darling, don't struggle in the ropes. They'll get tighter if you do." Isadora wildly looked around for the voice, and found Esme lounging on a chaise sofa. "How could you kidnap us? Our siblings must be so worried, and VFD. You're monsters!" Isadora spat at Esme's haute couture stilettos. "No one asked for your opinion, cakesniffer!"

"Carmelita?"

Carmelita smirked. "The one and only." Isadora snorted loudly in response. "You've changed. You're more beautiful now, but too bad that you can't eat your beauty so you can be pretty on the inside." Esme growled. "Isadora. Do me a favour and wake up your friends." She did. Reactions:

Klaus: "Oh my lord, I'm so happy we're alive. But we're not good at all."

Duncan: "Where are we? Why are we here? What do you want with Violet? Where's Quigley?"

Violet: "Esme and Carmelita, you both are insane to hold a grudge for a such a long time. It's been what, four years?"

Carmelita: "MY NAME IS CARMEN NOW!"

"Alright, fine, Carmen. Happy? Now, tell us where Quigley is." Carmelita turned around. "Oh, Quigley!" The tall, dark, brooding figure of their triplet brother stood in the doorway holding a gun aimed at Duncan. "Q-Quigley?" Quigley crossed the room and wrapped a arm around Carmen's waist. "Don't insult my girlfriend, Violet."

"Your girlfriend? Since when were you lovey-dovey with her? We're not even on the same side!"

Quigley sighed and looked down at Carmen. "Go on." He looked back up at his former colleagues. "I switched to the Fire-starting side."

"NO! Quigley, no, why...."

Quigley walked over to Violet and backhanded her across the face. Everyone except for Esme and Carmelita, who cackled, flinched and then furiously struggled against the ropes. Violet moaned in pain and screamed when Quigley jerked her head so it was eye-level with his ice-blue eyes. "I'll tell you why, Violet Baudelaire. It's because I'm always alone, you guys always have a partner, I have no one to talk to and the only girl I ever actually loved broke my heart, thanks to you! And, I want to kill my baby brother the moment I get the chance because I want to steal from him like how he stole from me!" Esmé nodded. "Smashing revenge lines, Quigley. Absolutely love it. Carry on." She sipped her flute-shaped wineglass filled with rose wine. Of course, Esme was always over-the-top and had E.S. engraved into the glass. She pointed a long, sharp fingernail at Violet. "Keep the Baudelaire girl. The rest can go."

"WE'RE NOT LEAVING WITHOUT VIOLET! QUIGLEY, I THOUGHT YOU LOVED VIOLET! THE ROMANTIC WAY!" Duncan yelled, pausing to breathe. "SHE STILL CARES ABOUT YOU A LOT! DON'T DO THIS!" Esme snapped her fingers and her guards took the three teenagers away. "KLAUS! DUNCAN! ISADORA! I'll be fine...I'll be fine. Duncan...I love you." Violet stopped struggling, tears streaming down her face as her friends and lover were separated from her, leaving her alone with a broken-hearted psychopath, his adoring wicked girlfriend and her monstrously evil mother.

In the ride back to the Great Unknown, Isadora and Duncan were furious. Isadora ranted to Klaus, who patiently listened to her. Duncan, however, sat muttering to himself. "I'll make sure he never sees the light of day, if it's the last. Thing. I. Do."