V.F.D. Training Days - Chapter 24

[Emma “Emmz” Squalor]

This is an idea that originated from something Tiago mentioned once in one of the many threads over in the Sardonic Series section regarding Jerome and V.F.D. Training School exams. I'm not sure how many chapters this fic will end up being, but I'm hoping for an even (uneven?) thirteen. It's going to involve many - if not all - of the adult characters from the books and is going to be as connected to the canon as I can make it. Besides Jerome's family, the only other thing I'll be including from my main ficverse in this one will be Esmé's adoption by Olaf.

I hope you guys enjoy this story, and if anyone has any suggestions or things I can do to improve it, please don't hesitate to tell me. Though I'm not completely certain, there is a possibility that a fic with this title may already exist, so if that's the case and the author would like me to change my title, PM me and I shall comply.

Many thanks to the tremendously talented and always awesome Tiago Squalor: this fic would not exist with you!

Now, on with said fic!

~

V.F.D. Training Days

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Author’s Disclaimer: I do not own A Series of Unfortunate Events or any of its characters or places. They belong to Lemony Snicket a.k.a. Daniel Handler. Cora, Maxwell, and Andrew Squalor belong to me.
Rating: PG (rating is subject to change, but won’t go above PG-13).
Genre: Drama/Romance
Story-Type: Multiple Chapters
Summary: For the very first time, Jerome Squalor is given the opportunity to achieve the confidence he has pined for all his life. But will the road ahead be more than he bargained for?

Table of Contents

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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four

[Emma “Emmz” Squalor]

Chapter One

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“I[/i] had an interesting conversation with Thomas Snicket this afternoon,” announced Maxwell Squalor, as he tapped the ashes of his cigar into the ashtray beside him on the table. “He informed me that he and Linda are in the process of preparing the triplets for their V.F.D. Training School entrance exams. Apparently all three have been thriving under the support of their tutors. Especially that Kit, but you know how bright she is. When Thomas asked if I’d given any thought to the future education the boys, I told him flat out that Andrew could pass the exam blindfolded if he had to.”

Cora Squalor’s gaze fell away from her husband’s and settled on the face of Jerome, their eldest son. He had only recently turned sixteen and still lived in the shadows when it came to his father. At a very young age, Jerome had fallen under the impression that he was not the sort of boy a man of power like Maxwell Squalor would want as an heir. Never did Maxwell make any attempts to conceal the fact that he preferred his youngest son, Andrew, over Jerome. While Jerome was painfully shy and not very clever, Andrew was outgoing and did well in both school and a variety of extracurricular activities. Even at just ten years old, he expressed an interest in economics—whereas at his age, the only economics Jerome had been interested in were those of the home variety. Those associated with the Squalors were constantly asking about Andrew, about how he was faring in his studies and how his latest football game had gone. The only time Jerome ever heard his name mentioned in a conversation between his parents and their friends was when someone asked if he had managed to pull up one or more of his grades.

Cora—who had an older sister she was continuously being compared to in her younger days—sensed her eldest son’s feelings at the mention of his younger brother. Giving Jerome a reassuring smile, she turned once more to her husband.

“What about Jerome?” asked Cora, her voice as timid as her son’s every time either of them questioned Maxwell.

“Jerome?” Maxwell repeated, and waved his hand in Jerome’s direction. “He’s sitting right over there, silent as usual.”

Cora saw no reason to remind her husband that Jerome’s silence was the result of his father failing to take him or his interests into consideration. And besides, the last thing she wanted was to have Maxwell argue with her in front of their two sons. “That wasn’t what I meant.” Cora bit her lip and continued to tread carefully across the vast waters of her husband’s short temper. “What I meant was did you happen to mention to Thomas that Jerome just turned sixteen?”

Maxwell cleared his throat uncomfortably, as if his wife’s question had caught him off guard. He dragged on his cigar as he pondered ways to answer her.

Finally, after a moment or two of silence, he lowered his cigar and balanced its tip on the edge of the ashtray. Turning to his wife, he answered as if she thought she’d asked him to stop at the store for ice-cream when she actually hadn’t. “No.”

Cora seemed to lose her nerve, but then caught sight of the longing expression in Jerome’s eyes. Even Andrew looked as though he were expecting something more than just the usual “Oh” from their mother.

Biting her lower lip, she looked her husband in the eye and said, “Well, perhaps when you speak to him again, you can do that.”

“What for?” Maxwell asked. “From the sound of it, one might think you’re suggesting we sign Jerome up for that exam.”

“Well, maybe I am suggesting it,” Cora replied in the most argumentative tone she had used on Maxwell in the twenty years they’d known each other.

Their eyes wide, the Squalor siblings exchanged looks of astonishment.

“You know what low self esteem he has,” Cora went on. “If he passes this exam and gets into the academy, just think of what it will mean for him—for his future.”

“And if he fails?” Maxwell countered. “You know what he’s like during tests, Cora. He can study for weeks and weeks and still manage to fail. The only subject he excels in is home economics, and what good will that do him in life?” The billionaire chuckled bitterly, and Jerome felt his heart sink as if someone had tied an anchor to it. Andrew gave his brother a sympathetic look, while Cora lowered her eyes to her plate.

“I just think it will be a good experience for him,” she explained, her voice wavering. “I won’t deny the possibility that he’ll fail, but I refuse to believe that he can’t possibly pass.”

“Very well.” Maxwell’s voice was gruff as he stamped out his cigar in the ashtray. “Do what you will, but don’t you or Jerome come crying to me when all this blows up in your faces.”

Rising from his chair, Maxwell Squalor turned and exited the dining room. A few moments later, his wife and sons heard the thunderous sound of his study door slamming shut.

[Michelle Denouement]

Looks awesome, Emma! ;D

[MyKindEditor]

Wow! This looks really cool, poor Jerome! I feel so bad for him...he is so sweet I love what you've made the character!

[Very Funky Disco]

Good of Cora to stand up to Maxwell. In a way, it looks like Jerome takes a little after his mother.

[Seymour Glass]

Maxwell's a total dick. I already hate him after one chapter. I'm supposed to hate him, right?

[Very Funky Disco]

I know I do. He's even worse than Sam Baines, and you know how my version of him is quite strict.

[L'enfant terrible]

Wonderful start Emma!

I already cannot wait for the next chapter! Poor Jerome At least he has his Mother on his side. I hope things will get better for him in the VFD Academy

Jun 6, 2010 15:47:24 GMT -5 Emma “Emmz” Squalor said:

Cora bit her lip and continued to tread carefully across the vast waters of her husband’s short temper.

Beautiful imagery there

I hope you post the next chapter soon.

[Emma “Emmz” Squalor]

Thank you so much for your feedback, everyone! I'll have the next chapter up just as soon as I can - probably within the next couple of days.

Seymour Glass - Haha, yes. Maxwell is every bit as hateable as I've made him out to be. Though the way he treats Jerome is nothing compared to what he's done to Esme and Carmelita.

[Tiago James Squalor]

I hate parents who prefer one child to the other and don't do anything to conceal it. Bad, bad Maxwell.

This was really good, Emmz, you're a terrific writer.^^

[Very Funky Disco]

I was just thinking a little more about what Jerome's father could be like. For instance, Emma, I know that your Maxwell wants Jerome to be more confident - but Maxwell's problem is that he's going about it all the wrong way. Instead of giving gentle encouragement to Jerome, he instead berates Jerome for his (Jerome's) awkwardness - making thing all the worse.

You probably know by know how, in my ficverse, Jerome Squalor is essentially George McFly's counterpart. They both have the same mother, but their fathers are different. It's semi-canon (mentioned in the novels, but not the films) that Arthur McFly (George's father) had about the same problem as George. For the most part, I pretty much borrowed that for my ficverse. Arthur is actually discouraging to George, and tells George that he should not back or take risks in life. So, in a sense, Arthur is pretty much the opposite of your Maxwell - but, yet, the end result is the same.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that it is canonical that Jerome's parents fought a lot - so, as much, Reginald Squalor (Jerome's father in my ficverse) is quite outspoken and argument. Both Reginald and Sylvia really love and care about their son, but the constant arguing that Reginald and Sylvia engaged in have made Jerome decide that he's not going to be argument. I'm thinking that part of the arguments stems from Reginald's fears that Jerome likes Sylvia better, and Reginald has some sense of awareness that their arguing upsets Jerome. As such, he actually tends to go easier on Jerome than he does on most of his peers - because he doesn't like the idea of his son being afraid of him.

Do you think Maxwell gets some subconscious (or even conscious) satisfaction in knowing that Jerome is afraid of him, or is he completely full of pure rage in knowing that his son is afraid of him (which is, of course, entirely counterproductive)?

In the improved timeline, I always figured that Marty Jr would grow up to be more assertive and self-assured - because, with Marty Sr having avoided the accident, he would have a more positive influence on his son. He would give his son the gentle encouragement that he (Marty Jr) needs, and do it in a way that's loving - and he would not shame his son for his (Marty Jr's) lack of confidence. That's the kind of upbringing that would be helpful.

Oh, yeah, as for Arthur's lack of confidence - his mother died when he was very young, and his father was very busy working to support a family of four children. His older sister, Alice, has taken on the role of mother - and has acted as a mother to Arthur and their two younger sisters, even though she's only two years older than Arthur. As such, she has been a bit too mothering of Arthur - instead of encouraging Arthur to stand up for himself.

In the ASOUE Universe, Arthur was devoured by Lachrymose leeches at the age of twelve - and Alice is the paternal grandmother to the Quagmire triplets.

[Emma “Emmz” Squalor]

Jun 7, 2010 18:24:50 GMT -5 Tiago James Squalor said:

I hate parents who prefer one child to the other and don't do anything to conceal it. Bad, bad Maxwell.

This was really good, Emmz, you're a terrific writer.^^

Hehe. Esme should punish Maxwell via tagliatelle grande. ;D

And thank you very much, Tiago - I'm happy to know you're enjoying this fic. I started writing Chapter 2 earlier, so I'll have it up soon.

Jun 8, 2010 11:34:35 GMT -5 Very Funky Disco said:

You probably know by know how, in my ficverse, Jerome Squalor is essentially George McFly's counterpart. They both have the same mother, but their fathers are different. It's semi-canon (mentioned in the novels, but not the films) that Arthur McFly (George's father) had about the same problem as George. For the most part, I pretty much borrowed that for my ficverse. Arthur is actually discouraging to George, and tells George that he should not back or take risks in life. So, in a sense, Arthur is pretty much the opposite of your Maxwell - but, yet, the end result is the same.

I find the connection you've made between Jerome Squalor and George McFly very interesting. ASoUE and BttF are both such different series, and yet these characters' personalities are so eerily similar that it's just amazing.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that it is canonical that Jerome's parents fought a lot - so, as much, Reginald Squalor (Jerome's father in my ficverse) is quite outspoken and argument. Both Reginald and Sylvia really love and care about their son, but the constant arguing that Reginald and Sylvia engaged in have made Jerome decide that he's not going to be argument. I'm thinking that part of the arguments stems from Reginald's fears that Jerome likes Sylvia better, and Reginald has some sense of awareness that their arguing upsets Jerome. As such, he actually tends to go easier on Jerome than he does on most of his peers - because he doesn't like the idea of his son being afraid of him.

I, too, have always followed the idea of Jerome's parents having always fought during his childhood, prompting his intense dislike of arguing in later life (I even mention so in one of the early chapters of The Return, the fic in which I first introduce Jerome's family). That's the reason why I like the character of Reginald so much, because he's the polar opposite of Maxwell. I also like how Reginald fears that Jerome prefers Sylvia over him, which in a way I suppose isn't much different from my Jerome's knowledge that Maxwell likes Andrew better than him (Jerome).

Do you think Maxwell gets some subconscious (or even conscious) satisfaction in knowing that Jerome is afraid of him, or is he completely full of pure rage in knowing that his son is afraid of him (which is, of course, entirely counterproductive)?

I think a big part of Maxwell prefers the fact that both his wife and eldest son are afraid of him, since it leaves room for him to do what he wants without the fear of getting caught (i.e. cheat on his wife). At the same time, though, I think it frustrates him in knowing that Jerome is afraid of him, as it prevents him from having the bond he shares with Andrew. I think deep down Maxwell loves his children - he just doesn't know how to show it. And the only time he does show affection is when it comes to a woman he's romantically interested in.

In the improved timeline, I always figured that Marty Jr would grow up to be more assertive and self-assured - because, with Marty Sr having avoided the accident, he would have a more positive influence on his son. He would give his son the gentle encouragement that he (Marty Jr) needs, and do it in a way that's loving - and he would not shame his son for his (Marty Jr's) lack of confidence. That's the kind of upbringing that would be helpful.

I completely agree. It's evident that Marty Sr. would make an excellent father, considering how confident he is in the films. It's impossible to picture him ever becoming frustrated with his children, which makes him a lot like Jerome if I'm not mistaken.

Oh, yeah, as for Arthur's lack of confidence - his mother died when he was very young, and his father was very busy working to support a family of four children. His older sister, Alice, has taken on the role of mother - and has acted as a mother to Arthur and their two younger sisters, even though she's only two years older than Arthur. As such, she has been a bit too mothering of Arthur - instead of encouraging Arthur to stand up for himself.

I like the story behind Arthur's low self esteem - it's such an original idea and very realistic. I can picture Cora being a little like Alice, in the sense that she doesn't really push Jerome to stick up for himself, even though it's due to her fear of Maxwell and the fact that she's every bit as passive as her son.

In the ASOUE Universe, Arthur was devoured by Lachrymose leeches at the age of twelve - and Alice is the paternal grandmother to the Quagmire triplets.

I remember reading about that in your last installment of The V.F.D. Diaries. Tell me, does Alice feel any blame for what happened to her brother, even if she isn't responsible? I was watching an episode of Ghost Whisperer the other night that was similar to that, so now it's got me curious about your characters.

[Very Funky Disco]

I'm sure Alice blames herself for that, everyday. In both the BTTF and ASOUE Universes, Annette White McFly dies in childbirth - as twins Agnes and Anita are born. Alice was only seven, while Arthur was five. William McFly, while he's a very loving father with a big heart - he is also very busy, as he needs to work hard to support four children. As such, he doesn't have as much time to spend with his children as he'd like.

[Emma “Emmz” Squalor]

It's good to know that William works so hard in order to keep his family together. As for the misfortune plaguing their lives, it's every bit as heartbreaking as that which befell the Baudelaires, Quagmires, and other characters in ASoUE. Not only that, but it appears to stand right alongside a V.C. Andrews novel, considering the focus on family tragedies.

By the way, I went back and modified my fic's first chapter so that in addition to being siblings, Lemony, Kit, and Jacques are now triplets. I don't think it's canon, but realized that if I want to include Lemony, then I'll have to do it that way. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about Beatrice, considering she's a year younger and I want to include her as well. I suppose I can just say she got into the school a year early, or perhaps make her the same age as everyone else.

[Hermes]

Emma, if you're worried about canon regarding B being a year younger, I don't think you need to be. I know a lot of people think this, but I've searched for it and never found it. I think it started when a piece of publicity for TBL said that one of the revelations the book makes is that 'Beatrice was only ten'. People put that together with L being eleven when they met, and concluded she was a year younger. But actually I think it refers to little Beatrice, and means that she was ten when she met Lemony, many years later.

This is a fascinating story - I look forward to seeing more.