The Morven Family Dynasty - Chapter 46 (4 March 2017)

[Whirligig]

(Psst, @oshizu , gimme a chance to post the next chapter, will ya? ).

Chapter 34 - Can We Do It All Again?



"There, you did it again!" I exclaimed.

"Oh ho, Watcher, why are there sparkles?"

"Norman, why you do insist on doing whatever you can to annoy me? My first alien abduction pregnancy in the Sims 4 and…grr!"

"Pregnancy?"

"Yes, pregnancy, Norman. Well if this doesn't put a spanner in the works…"

"What will my wife say?"



"So ever since aliens of Sixam found us, they've been monitoring our activity, I'm sure of it. I'll get Edith out in the new telescope tonight to see if she can find anything suspicious, but you mark my words, Gerald, there is definitely something the aliens want from us."



"I still don't understand what any of this has to do with my father, Harley," sighed Gerald. "Or with the two of us taking over the world."

"We could harness alien powers if we could keep that baby," Harley continued.

"Baby?" asked Gerald.

"Yes," replied Harley, "your father's baby."



"My father doesn't have a baby. Edith's the youngest, and she became a teen a couple of days ago," said Gerald.

"No no, I'm pretty sure Edith's a human sim. The other baby. The one he hasn't had yet." Harley continued.

Finally, Gerald realised he was fighting a losing battle. So he just smiled and gave a little nod. "Sure, Harley," he said, "whatever you say."



But Gerald's nonchalance just annoyed Harley, so she went off to try to find someone who would listen. She decided to approach the family matriarchs - without so much as a 'how do you do?', she sat them both down in the lounge room and began explaining her concerns.

"Aliens from Sixam have been monitoring us," she began.

Rose blinked. "That's nice, dear."



"No, it's not nice! You don't understand!" she insisted. She turned her attention to Iris. "They want something from us. I think they're confused about human reproduction. They're trying to replicate it, but they think our males look more like their females. Or that our males are females. Or, well, something. They're confused, okay?"

"I've heard of that," Iris nodded thoughtfully. "But why are you telling all of this to us, dear?"

"Arrrgh, you people are so dense!" Harley nearly screamed.



"Um, Harley, sweetheart," Rose began.

"There's a limit!" Harley continued. "And we've reached it. And the Watcher knows it. And she doesn't want to but because of the stupid…oh, forget it."

But Iris just nodded. "I know about the limit. We're very close."

Harley paused. Was she actually getting through to them?

"Norman," she said. "They've done something to Norman."



"That's good," said Iris, "slow down and take some deep breaths. There we go. Now, you were saying?  The aliens of Sixam have done something to Norman. Do you think they've pollinated him?"

Harley eased. She scratched her head.

"I…think so. Yes," she said at last.

"And this is going to create a problem for us because we're very close to the limit."

"Yes," Harley repeated.

"Because the last space in the house is meant to be for your baby, not for Norman's," Iris concluded.

"Err, well," Harley squirmed, embarrassed now.



"See, Rose, just a little bit of patience goes a long way." said Iris.

Harley looked at Rose smugly.

But Rose only managed a weak smile. She wanted to pin this down to the ravings of a lunatic, but, well, could it be true? She doubted Norman would handle it well if it was.



Edith was still trying to (mostly) stay out of the way of the 'typical family drama'. But one thing she was grateful for was that the family had finally purchased a telescope. She positively jumped at the chance to be the first one to use it (for its intended purpose - she tried not to think of what Henry would do to this beautiful, delicate piece of scientific equipment if he ever got any of his girlfriends around to see it).

In all honesty, she doubted the stars would have anything to say about the now increasingly likely pollination as a result of her father's abduction, but she wasn't about to turn down an opportunity to find out.



Rose, for her part, went to track down her husband to find out what she could. When he greeted her with a poetry recital, she knew immediately that something was up.



Though it certainly didn't take long for her suspicions to be confirmed, either.

"Dear plumbob," she sighed, gazing upwards, "what in the name of all things Simlish are we going to do."



"I've been looking for you."

Henry looked up. He didn't really like Harley's tone - it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Oh, uh, hey Harley," he greeted her. "I've been meaning to talk to you actually."

"Oh, that's excellent," Harley replied, "but first. Here, take this." She extended her hand, as if to pass something to him.



BZZZZT.

"ACK!" shouted Henry in surprise.

Harley cracked up. "That was pretty good, wasn't it? See, that's why you should trust no one. Especially me."

"Right. Got it. Message received."



"So what was it you wanted to talk about, Henry?" Harley asked.

"Oh, I was just going to check-in in with you, find out how you were getting on, that sort of thing."

Harley suddenly became disinterested. "Oh," she said, "that's nice."



Henry squirmed. When he'd envisioned their having this conversation, this hadn't exactly been the time, nor the place, nor the attire, he'd pictured himself in. But, well, here they were.

"Can I ask you something, Harley?" he began.

"You're going to anyways," she replied.

Henry thought that was a yes, so he continued.

"Are you happy here?"



"I am not unhappy," Harley answered.

"But do you love Gerald?" Henry pressed. He needed to know if he had made the right choice.

"Do you think your parents were in love when your father moved in?" Harley asked.

Henry hesitated. He hadn't been anticipating that question, exactly. To be honest, he hadn't really thought about it before. Of course, his parents have always been madly in love…haven't they?



"They haven't always been the perfect couple, Henry. And it's about to get worse. I can do better, of course, but better isn't always best."

Henry's heart sank. What did she mean, his parents were about to get worse? And he had hoped to find the best for Gerald. Now, it seemed like it was too late to reconsider.

"I know what you're doing Henry," Harley said.

"So you keep telling people. You know? I wish I could say the same myself." Though he tried to be as calm as possible, there was an underlying bitterness in his tone.



Harley looked at him. The same piercing, analytical look she got sometimes; the one that gave Henry the creeps. She seemed to speak so cryptically all the time, and always in a way as if she knew better than everyone else. It was like living with a young, blond yoda some of the time - he half expected her to pick him up with her mind and hurtle him across the yard.

Finally, she turned to go back inside.

"All will be well, Henry," she said. "Thank you for bring us together, but there is no need to worry about us further."

There was a finality in her tone, and Henry knew the conversation was over.



The following morning, if anyone had any doubts about Norman's impending, er,  motherhood, they were more or less squashed.

"You really did it, huh?" mused Rose. "You really went and got yourself alien pregnant."

"Isn't this great?" Norman enthused. "I've missed having all the nooboos! Now we get another one!"

"Norman, we're close to being grandparents! You think I want us to do all that again ourselves?" Rose asked.

"Sure!" said Norman. "It'll be fun!"



Before Rose could stop him, Norman was downstairs at the breakfast table, getting ready to tell his other children.

"Oh yeah! I'm eating for two! Now the watcher can't possibly say no to my having seconds of lobster thermidor!"



"Oh ho, Edith, have I got some great news for you."

Edith smirked. As if it wasn't completely obvious what his great news would be.

"You know how you've always wanted a younger brother or sister?"

"No, Dad, pretty sure a screaming, wailing poop machine was never a thing I ever asked for," she replied dryly.

"God, Nana's cooking keeps getting better and better!" Gerald enthused, oblivious.



"Well, you're in luck, because I'm going to have a baby!"

Edith gave her father a quizzical look. "Aww, that's so cute Dad!" she said, finally, "they haven't told you yet!"

"Told me what?" asked Norman.



"Oh, nothing," Edith sighed, turning her attention back to her sandwich.

"You're right Gerald," she mumbled through a mouth full of food, "these are delicious."

"I know, right? This sandwich is lit!"

"Oh yeah," Norman muttered to no one in particular, "having another baby around is going to be so cool!"

Gerald paused, suddenly hearing the b-word for the first time. "Say Edith," he asked, "did Dad just say he was going to have a baby?"

Edith rolled her eyes. Men, amirite?



Rose, meanwhile, spent Monday morning frantically searching the simnet, for any possible solution to her predicament.

It seemed, however, that the rules were pretty clear.

Norman would either give up his alien child to be raised by his parents in another world, or delay the birth of the fourth generation heir, the only grandchild he would ever have the opportunity to spend any significant time with, until after his death.

She still wasn't quite sure which solution was preferable.

---

Writer's Note
So this is where I'm up to, guys. I am actually really, really torn between the two options. Suggestions? Advice? What should I do?

I could keep the baby, but as Rose said, there wouldn't be any room for the heir until after Norman dies (his age bar is bubbly because he's pregnant, but I think he's about halfway through adulthood? I might have a recent-ish backup somewhere so I can check). And then, there won't be any room for the spouse/next generation until after Henry or Harley dies. And dammit, Harley just moved in and Henry's still a teen (who I was thinking of giving the 'active' trait to because I love him so much!), I don't want to think about them dying. But on the other hand, I've run through the story-possibilities for taking Norman's baby and the social worker in me hears Norman saying 'Please don't take my baby!' and…I can't do it! Ugh, why game?

Goddammit, Norman!

[oshizu]

Awww, darn household size limits!
Of course, Harley would be the first to know. And Iris would believe her while understanding what it means for the dynasty.
Norman is so adorably happy about sharing the "big news"!

Maybe you could stop and make a copy of your current save file? You could then play the copy file to enjoy Norman's pregnancy, the alien toddler, and everything.
Then you'd have to find some way to work part of that sequence back into the narrative of your legitimate save because, sadly, keeping Norman's baby would really strain your dynasty.
Or maybe you could write a separate short story of several chapters, using your copy file?

You have such a creative mind--I know you'll find some way to have your cake and eat it, too (or however that saying goes).

You did such a great job with dialogue in this chapter!

[FrancescaFiori]

Uggggh. How heartbreaking! And Norman seems so excited, too! You can wait until the very last second to return the baby to Sixam, giving you a few days with the alien baby, but that might just make things harder. Then again, if you keep it Norman can always come back as a ghost to meet his grandchild. As can Harley, if you put off getting her pregnant for awhile.

I think I'd feel the same away about it that you do. Sending the baby back to its homeworld makes the most sense and is the most practical thing to do but, but, but . . . .ALIENBABY! If it was me, I'd probably keep it. You're not going for speed with this dynasty anyway, right?

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll work it into the plot beautifully.

I do love Gerald happily and obliviously praising the food. He's such a great contrast to Harley, who knows exactly what's going on before anyone else does. I really liked her interactions with the matriarchs and Iris's patience with her.

[Whirligig]

Thanks so much for your suggestions and support, @oshizu and @FrancescaFiori . I tried to explain the situation to my boyfriend to ask for advice, but he just kinda said "Sounds like you need to kill the baby." To which I was like 'but, but, but," to which he was like "I don't know what you want me to tell you." Grr.

Thanks goodness I moved Harley in sooner rather than later. At least I know Norman won't be having twins. Not that that makes this much easier.

[Whirligig]

Chapter 35 - Application Rejected



So Gerald's adult birthday kind of got forgotten.

I moved Harley in. Norman got pregnant. I stopped playing the game for three months, and then forgot to check his age bar when I got back and so this happened. Things fell apart. Whoops. I'm so sorry, Gerald.

(I did take this opportunity to double-check Iris' age bar. But she's still sweet for, like, a few days at least, so that's cool).



"You'll pay for this, Watcher."

I said I was sorry! Geeze, I really should know better to invoke the wrath of Gerald Morven. This is probably going to bite me in the butt.



Moving in with the Morvens had given Harley another opportunity that she hadn't really considered before - the opportunity to get to know, and sort of even form a relationship with, well, with her father.

It went about as well as could be expected.

"You didn't really want to have fifteen children. I know that. But you forced to - enslaved, one might say, and from there you forced innocent women all over town to bear your children. All for the sake of ensuring the dynasty would have friends and family and spouses to choose from. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Sergio hesitated. "Well," he began, "for what it's worth, I really initially didn't want to have any part in it."



Harley pondered this response.

"Well," she said at last, "since Mom died I haven't really had anyone to look up to. Andrew's a wimp and Rosa thinks I'm weird. So I guess you'll do. Hug me."

"Oh, why the heck not?" muttered Sergio, and he embraced his 'daughter'.



Perhaps it was the newfound interest in developing a relationship with her active father that put a fire into Harley to not quite live up to the reputation of the 'lazy' trait she had possessed since childhood. With renewed determination, she decided to approach some of the milestones of the bodybuilder aspiration.

Her enthusiasm for personal exercise is contagious, apparently, and it wasn't long before the rest of the family started following her lead.



Some more successfully…



…and with far more enthusiasm…



…than others.



In all honesty, Rose was grateful for the opportunity to just think. Like fishing, exercise seemed to help her keep her mind clear.



And lately, her mind had been murkier than ever. Her husband's predicament, of course, being at its forefront. A week ago, perhaps, she might have said she was worried about Gerald's career choice, but she was now quite certain she'd taken care of that.

The family's main concern was, of course, for Norman. In Rose's mind, there was only one truly viable solution, but she knew this solution would not be well-received by her husband.



"I acquired a microscope," Edith had explained to her, and Harley, who had suggested it. "And attempted to analyse some samples of the grass around where Dad was abducted. I'm afraid the results of the analysis were inconclusive."

So they had, so far, learned nothing about the child's other parents. No way of knowing if was a descendant of good aliens or bad aliens, who would treat it well or treat it poorly when, when, Rose decided, they sent it back.



If Gerald was at all concerned with becoming a big brother again, he was doing a good job of hiding it. Perhaps it was his newfound adulthood that had proven too enticing a distraction to overlook.

This, after all, was what he'd been waiting his whole life to do. He had been waiting for the opportunity to wield real power, real influence, and take over the world.

"So I just browse to the job I want and click the 'apply' button?" Gerald asked? "Is that what you did?"



"That's right!" Harley called. "So, as I was saying, Henry, I know it's problematic that we've reached the limit, but as long as the two of us face the fact that we're going to die, I think in the meantime the demonspawn could prove a useful asset to our purposes. That is, if we can convince the matriarchs to permit us to raise the child as our own."

"I see," said Henry. "But I thought Mom said the only option was to return the child to its home world?"

"That's what she'd like us to think."



"Okay, I'm doing it. I'm submitting my application," Gerald announced grandly.

"That's great Honey," Harley replied. "If we return the child, we're just giving them what they want. I'm convinced that that's what they came here for - fertile male bodies who could produce the children that they are unable to produce themselves. Perhaps being part human means the aliens have special insight into the human psyche."

"You would know about the human psyche…" muttered Henry.

"Um, Harley?" asked Henry, "is it meant to send you one of those automatic response things?"

"Yes, Honey, it'll tell you what day and time they want you to start," Harley replied. "Now, where was I, Henry?"

"That's not what this one says," said Gerald. Henry and Harley both suddenly sensed the anger and frustration in his tone.



Dear Gerald Morven

We are writing to you regarding your application for the position of Agent Handler within our agency, Sims Intelligence Management Services, hereafter referred to as S.I.M.S..

We regret to inform you that your have failed to pass our initial psychological screening tests.

Powerful supervillains pose a significant threat to the safety and security of sims in our world. As a highly powerful and influential intelligence agency, our primary priority at S.I.M.S. is to protect the world and the government from such usurpations of power. Due to recent events, where it was alleged that such powerful supervillains had been rising to power within our organisation, we have now commenced a screening process for new applicants.

Your traits have made it clear to us that your motives are not for the protection of SimKind, and as such, your application for the position has been rejected. Please be advised that we have also recorded your fingerprints, your photo ID, and your full name to ensure that you would be blacklisted from ever applying for a position with us again.

Thank you again for your application.

Yours Sincerely

Isabel Baldwin
S.I.M.S. Recruitment Officer



"Application rejected? Psychological Screening? Recent events?" Gerald fumed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is this even allowed? How is this even allowed?"

Harley stiffened.

"That's weird, Henry, isn't it?" she began. "You know, not even in the world of watched sims to job applications ever get rejected. It's entirely unheard of in the entirety of simanity! I knew you had enemies, Henry, but I had no idea you had enemies like this? Who do you suppose is behind it?" For once, not even Harley Bjergsen had any idea what could have been the cause of something like this.



"Mother," said Gerald.

"Mom?" asked Henry. "What's she got to do with..."

"She told me to join the Mafia! Then I was made to work on Handiness as one of my skills. Then...oh, they're behind this somehow."



"Hooookay, everybody calm down," said Henry. "Gerald, I seriously doubt this has anything to do with Mom and Nana."



"I mean, yeah, they're interested in the success of the dynasty, and part of that means you're gonna have to reach at least level 8 of a Criminal Career Track," Henry reasoned, "but, I mean, you could have done that, and then later joined the Secret Agent career to become the villain you've always wanted to be. But this? They've full on blocked you from ever joining this career. Denied. Shut down. Computer says 'no'. Forever. I don't think Mom and Nana could be behind that."

Gerald, of course, hadn't considered that being immortal, the plan Henry had just outlined would have made much, much more sense.

"This sounds to me like another villain came out of this agency, and now they're trying to cover their tracks by forbidding anyone with indications of antisocial behaviour, such as 'evil' or 'kleptomaniac' from ever joining. I wonder what led to that?" Henry mused.



"You two could find out for me," Gerald said suddenly.

Harley beamed proudly. Well of course she could find the information. Finding information was what she did best!



"Of course!" she said, "I'd be more than happy to-"

"You know heaps of people, Henry, and they'd trust you with this sort of information. You have to figure this out!"

"Well, actually," said Henry, "I was thinking. I'll be an adult myself in a couple of days. Maybe I could apply for this 'agent handler' position myself? With my traits, I'm a shoe-in for the Diamond agent branch. They won't suspect anything of me."



Gerald could've kissed his brother. "You'd do that for me?" He asked, shocked.

Henry shrugged. "Well, sure. You know I'd be completely faithful to you. And, I'd have access to the insider knowledge we need to find out just who's behind keeping from ever entering this career branch. Maybe I could even take them down..."

"You'd do that for me?" Gerald asked again.

"I'm your #1 sidekick, remember?" Henry asked with a wink. "Are you…are you crying, Gerald?"



"No, of course not. It's…liquid pride," Gerald managed.

"I'm still useful to you, too, right Gerald?" asked Harley, almost desperately.

"What? Oh, of course. Yeah. You wanna join the mafia with me, Harley?" asked Gerald.



"Well you're almost as dense as your mother," Harley muttered. "I'm already in the mafia. What did you think I meant when I said we'll need to have the right connections?"



But Gerald just laughed.

With Henry on his team and Harley by his side, things just couldn't get much better...

This was going to be perfect!

[oshizu]

Sorry about your boyfriend's misread about the significance of a simmer's first male pregnancy by alien abduction. Non-simmers don't get it.
Whatever you decide will only enrich your story, I'm sure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter! Happy adult birthday, Gerald!

Gerald is so very lucky to have such devoted sidekicks! I really love the way that both Henry and Harley accept Gerald for who he is and give him their full support.
And, anyway, the Criminal Boss and Oracle offer better career outfits than the Secret Agent Villain!
It will be fun watching the three of them rising through the ranks. Here's hoping their work schedules aren't too different!

[Whirligig]

Sorry about your boyfriend's misread about the significance of a simmer's first male pregnancy by alien abduction. Non-simmers don't get it.
Whatever you decide will only enrich your story, I'm sure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter! Happy adult birthday, Gerald!

Gerald is so very lucky to have such devoted sidekicks! I really love the way that both Henry and Harley accept Gerald for who he is and give him their full support.
And, anyway, the Criminal Boss and Oracle offer better career outfits than the Secret Agent Villain!
It will be fun watching the three of them rising through the ranks. Here's hoping their work schedules aren't too different!

Yeah, non-simmers just don't understand, do they?

I felt really bad for missing his birthday - it would have been easy enough to at least have a cake, but oh well.

I think the three of them make an awesome trio - I've been really focused on Rose and Norman in my playing lately, I kind of haven't spent as much time on the three of them as I'd like. Hopefully I'll be able to rectify that soon.

[Whirligig]

Chapter 36 - For the Good of the Dynasty



"Mind if I join you?" Iris asked.

Rose shrugged. "Sure, Mom. I know I maxed logic ages ago, but this is a good way to think."

Iris nodded. "You've been doing a lot of that lately, haven't you Rose?" she asked.

Rose nodded.



"You know we have to send the child back to its home world, right?" asked Iris, gently. "Keeping it would put too much of a strain on the dynasty. Not just for this generation, but the next and maybe even the one after."

"But is that the only viable option, Mom? Really, is it?" Rose pressed.



"Strategically speaking, yes, it is," Iris insisted.

"Strategically speaking? We're not pawns on a chess board, Mom. This isn't just some game to us - we're sims with lives, and Norman is already so attached to that child, I honestly don't think I could bear to be the one to tell him he has to send it back…there," she gestured at the space print Edith had hung on the wall, "when we don't even know where 'there' is."



"How do we know that being raised by 'them' isn't what's best for the child, though?" Iris responded. "Norman will barely live to see the child become a teen if we keep it."

"Mother, don't say that!" Rose choked.



"Rose, you need to come to terms with the mortality of those around you - including your husband," Iris said gently.

"I need to come to terms with- oh, that's rich. That's really rich coming from you of all people mother," Rose was nearly fuming.

Iris went quiet. She moved a pawn forward another space. Maybe it had been a long time since she'd won a chess match against her daughter, but she was determined to win this discussion. Her husband was gone, her friends were all gone. All that mattered to her now was seeing this dynasty through to the end.

"I think you know what needs to be done," Iris said quietly, after a long pause.



But Rose wasn't so sure.

She had devoted her life to this dynasty. Dedicated herself to its success. Her brain, and every single one of the ten logic points she possessed was telling her what needed to be done.

But her heart was telling her something else.

"Alright," she sighed at last. "I'll talk to Norman."

Iris smiled. "That's my girl," she said.



"You know, initially I was pretty upset about the whole 'application rejected' thing, but now I'm actually starting to feel good about this. I'll make an excellent mob boss, won't I, Harley?" asked Gerald. "Apparently the outfits are better, too!"

"It's still really suspicious, Gerald," Harley countered. "Someone out there is working against you, I can feel it. Sure we could work around this easily, but they need to found and they need to be stopped. Just like the aliens. And the vampires."

"Don't be ridiculous Harley," Gerald laughed, "there's no such thing as vampires."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Harley replied.



"Look, Harley," Gerald said, "I appreciate your enthusiasm, I do, but if someone is out there to try to thwart my plans, they're doing a pretty terrible job at the moment. I've got you, I've got Henry, I've got a great family."

"Your mother and grandmother are plotting to get rid of your father's baby," Harley interjected.

Gerald blinked.

"It makes no sense strategically, for the sake of the dynasty, to keep it. So they want to get rid of it. But it doesn't mean the end of the dynasty if we keep it, just that things will take a little bit longer. Besides, if we give it over to the aliens…"

"I think you've said all this already, Harley," Gerald interrupted.



"I've never really cared all that much about the whole dynasty thing. I mean sure, it'll be cool to live forever and all, but for me it's mostly just been a bunch of lame rules we all have to follow," Gerald explained. "And while I'm really, really into you, I'm really not sure how fatherhood would suit me. I just - I don't think I'm ready yet. Are you?"

"Well, no, not really," Harley mused.

"Right, so whatever happens, we'll have a kid when we're ready and not before. But whether my alien brother or sister gets to stay with us, or gets sent back to its home world, I just think that's for mother and Nana to sort out, okay?"

Harley still didn't look convinced.

Gerald sighed.

"Come here," he said.



"I've been waiting to do this for days."



Late that night, Rose found Norman with his nose in a book upstairs in their bedroom.

"Hey, sweetie," she asked, "how are you feeling?"



"Oh ho, I feel great Rose! Thanks for asking! I mean, it's a bit weird, putting all this weight on all of a sudden. And I need to pee a lot. And I'm like, constantly hungry, but I'm so excited," Norman replied.

"Yep," Rose agreed, "sounds familiar."

"I was just looking up some names! Did you know that 'Colette' is actually a dim… dimiut… related to the name 'Nicoletta'?"

"I hadn't really thought of it before," sighed Rose.



"Look Norman," Rose faltered. "I'm really…not…sure. About the baby. I really don't know if we can keep it."

Norman looked stunned.

"What do you mean, Rose? Of course we can keep it. It's my baby."

"Well, I'm just saying, Norman, that that's not the only, nor even the best option." Rose tried again.

Norman stared across the room, still not quite comprehending what his wife was telling him.



"Norman sweetie, we can only have eight sims in the house. You know that, those are universal laws of Sims. Even mother nature herself respects those laws, and Harley won't even be able to get pregnant with eight sims living here," Rose swallowed the lump rising in her throat.

"The dynasty laws are also very clear - once a sim joins the household, they cannot leave until the event of their natural death."



"The only exception to this rule," Rose said slowly and carefully, "is in the case of half-alien children such as yours. After it's born, we have the option of returning the child to its home world, to be raised by its other parents, so that the dynasty can continue on as usual. So that Gerald and Harley can have a child, so that their child can move in a spouse, so that they can have a child, and so on. Household limits are always of high priority for the dynasty planners, and unfortunately keeping this child will make negotiating such household limits rather…difficult, for quite possibly the rest of the dynasty."

"Rose?" asked Norman weakly. His voice trembled with emotion. "What are you saying?"



"I'm so sorry, Norman," Rose continued, "but Mom and I really think this is what's best for the dynasty."

Norman completely broke down - devastated was the only word for it. Rose looked on helplessly, feeling utterly impotent to do anything for her husband. She felt like her heart was breaking, too.



"Norman, I'm sorry," she managed.

But even she knew that sorry wasn't enough. For the first time since their wedding day, she was given the cold shoulder by the man she loved the most.

'He'll get over it,' she told herself. 'One day soon, he'll meet his grandchild, and he'll be happy. All of this will be forgotten. I'm sure of it.'



But as she watched her husband crawl beneath the bedsheets for a good long 'cry it out' session - well, she was even less certain than ever that this was the right choice. Maybe it would be better for the dynasty, but it wasn't exactly a good thing for her marriage, and it certainly wasn't the best thing for Norman.



Dazedly, Rose made her way into the bathroom. After a quick shower, she brushed her teeth, and  caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked, and felt, like she'd aged years in only a matter of days. The decision was harrowing.



When she returned to her room, she discovered that Norman was no longer there. She panicked. He wouldn't leave, would he? He couldn't.



She began searching the house. Gerald and Harley were at work, it seemed. And everyone else was in bed.



The big house was eerily quiet this late at night.



Rose even tried searching the backyard for her husband.



Finally, in the small bedroom that Henry and Edith used to share (before Henry took over Antwan's room in the basement, and Edith Colette's), she found Norman.

He couldn't speak to her. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't even share a bed with her.

Now Rose was ready to cry herself to sleep, too.



Instead, she crawled wearily but dutifully into the other single bed opposite her husband, and flicked off the light.

"Oh Norman," she sighed. "I'm so, so sorry. What have I done?"

[oshizu]

Oh no, what a terribly sad chapter!

Whiriligig, you did such a fantastic job of creating the perfect screenshots for each step of your narrative.
How do you do it? I was really amazed by Norman's changing facial expressions while Rose explained what was best for the dynasty.
The image of Norman in the children's bed with his back turned is pretty heart-breaking. Oh, poor Norman!!!

I also love how Gerald has really fallen for Harley!

Well, I'm very, very eager to find out what the family decides about Norman's baby.
Would you please share Norman's age right now so I might join you in biting my nails?

[Whirligig]

@Oshizu Those screenshots were obtained in a dummy save. I used cheats to get the right moodlets for the facial expressions I wanted (sad, in this case). I also just use a lot of the usual socials, but out of context. Pretty sure Rose used "give fake bad news" a couple of times, for instance. I also made her tense at one point, so there's some shots from "complain about problems" in there, too.

Other things are flukes. Like when Rose and Iris looked like they were pointing at the space print? I have no idea what prompted them to do that.

When Norman gave birth I could finally check his age bar. He was three days from his elder birthday. I put in a pretty big play session yesterday so as usual, I have some catching up to do.

Gerald and Harley's relationship is funny. Their pink bars are always full, but when it comes to friendly socials? Gerald doesn't like Harley's conspiracy theories. And being evil, he actually insults her or pokes fun at her a lot before I can stop him. So I've yet to get them up to BFF status. Not sure how to reflect this in the story just yet.

Fun fact: if your romantically involved Sims have an argument, there's an "Apologize...With woohoo" option. I'd never seen that before these two.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[FrancescaFiori]

Oh, the suspense! This is a real nail-biter! I'm not sure I totally understand Harley's plan (I'm not sure anyone does), but I'm sure it's brilliant and fool-proof! I'm continuing to adore Harley. I adore that she has all these crazy-sounding conspiracy theories (like alien abduction and vampires), but she's always actually right. She and Gerald are wonderful together. Yay for smooches!

My heart aches for Rose and Norman. Their marriage has not been an easy road, and now this!

I had to laugh about Gerald not liking Harley's conspiracy theories. I have a similar thing going on between Thaddeus and Akito. Akito's unflirty, and even though their relationship bars are both full he refuses to be hugged. Embraces? Sure! Makeouts on public benches? No problem! Friendly hugs, though? Back off, mister! You're moving too fast! The coding is very funny sometimes. I love the "Apologize . . . In bed." social, too!

Agh! I can't wait to find out what happens next! Norman's got to be about ready to pop!

[Whirligig]

Oh, the suspense! This is a real nail-biter! I'm not sure I totally understand Harley's plan (I'm not sure anyone does), but I'm sure it's brilliant and fool-proof! I'm continuing to adore Harley. I adore that she has all these crazy-sounding conspiracy theories (like alien abduction and vampires), but she's always actually right. She and Gerald are wonderful together. Yay for smooches!

My heart aches for Rose and Norman. Their marriage has not been an easy road, and now this!

I had to laugh about Gerald not liking Harley's conspiracy theories. I have a similar thing going on between Thaddeus and Akito. Akito's unflirty, and even though their relationship bars are both full he refuses to be hugged. Embraces? Sure! Makeouts on public benches? No problem! Friendly hugs, though? Back off, mister! You're moving too fast! The coding is very funny sometimes. I love the "Apologize . . . In bed." social, too!

Agh! I can't wait to find out what happens next! Norman's got to be about ready to pop!

If Harley has an actual plan, she hasn't told me what it is! I just write her how I feel her, really. I mean, she has a small plan, but whether or not anything comes of it...

Yeah, Rose and Norman have kind of been...exceptionally imperfect as a couple. Sims usually find happiness so easy (like Iris and Joaquin who were awesome together) that it was almost refreshing to have something not quite perfect to write. This, of course, was a bit much. I guess you've had a similar journey with the last few Spiffendales - Thaddeus' story was especially heart-wrenching.

[Whirligig]

Chapter 37 - Diminutive



By the time Norman went into labor, Rose felt as if their relationship had become more strained than ever before.

Norman had been avoiding her - and, in fact, most of the rest of the family as well.



Rose had tried her own ways of staying away from the problem and keeping her mind clear.



But when her husband finally went into labour, she showed just as much support as any spouse would under the circumstances.



"Are you comfortable, Norman? Can I get you anything? Maybe some tea? Oh goodness, Doctor, is my husband going to be okay?"

Of course, she'd birthed her three children in the privacy and comfort of her own home. But Norman's procedure being that much more…complicated - it seemed wisest to have the child here.



"Mrs. Morven, if you could calm down please, I promise I have everything under control," Doctor Casey Stone tried to reassure the panicked partner.



But to Norman, everything felt like a dream.

They had given him an epidural and now he had only to wait while the doctor performed the Caesarean. Then he would have the briefest of brief moments with his child before he would be forced to say goodbye forever.

He wasn't sure that he could do it.



"Hang in there, Norman," said Dr Stone, her voice soothing. "You're doing great. Just a little bit longer. Oh, this one is a little wiggler - I think he's eager to come out into the world to meet you!"



"Oh, Norman!" Rose gasped. "Norman, he's perfect!"



Dr Stone beamed. "That's right," she said, "a beautifully healthy baby boy. Easy does it, Norman. Don't overexert yourself. There's plenty of time to say hello."

Norman sighed. If only that were true. He had, maybe, until the baby's first birthday. And then he would be saying goodbye forever.



Rose watched.

She watched as her husband cradled his son with the same love and the same tenderness with which he cradled his other three children.

She watched him whisper in the baby's ear that he was beautiful. That he was precious. That he was safe with daddy for now. 

Tears welled in her eyes. Maybe this baby wasn't hers, but he was as much Norman's son as Gerald and Henry, and deserved just as many opportunities. He may have the surname Johnston, but as far as Rose was concerned, he was a Morven.



"Thank you doctor," Rose piped, as Dr Stone left the couple alone in the delivery room. Then, she turned to her husband.

"Come on," she smiled weakly. "Let's get the two of you home."



The arrival of the new baby in the house caused quite the stir, as three siblings each took their turn to greet their new brother.

"He kinda looks like a snake baby," Henry commented.



"What do you reckon, Dad? Do you think he has super-special alien powers? Maybe he'll go back to his planet, try to take over this one, and become my chief arch-nemesis until we recognise one another as brothers." said Gerald.

Rose shrugged. "Maybe he does have special powers. I guess no one will know until he's big enough."



"Eww, Dad, remember when I said I didn't want one of these," Edith whined. "I think he just pooped."

Norman jumped to change his diaper. He jumped at any opportunity to spend time with his son.

But of course, the three Morven siblings were happy to meet their little brother. It seemed, to Norman, that they were happy to keep him. There really was only one person he really needed to convince.



"Iris," he greeted his mother-in-law with a curt nod.

"Norman," she responded in like manner.

"Have you come to meet my son?" Norman asked.

Iris scoffed. "You know we can't keep him. Fine for a few days, but he gets sent back to home world before he becomes a toddler. You know that, right?"



Norman ignored this remark. Without comment, he bent towards the cradle and lifted the sleeping child from his bed.



"He's a bit upset at the moment," Norman said, "because we've woken him up. But look at him, Iris. Isn't he beautiful?"

Iris bit her lip thoughtfully. There was, of course, something somewhat compelling about the child. Like all babies, he commanded love and attention simply by measure of being.

"I've named him Chimo," Norman continued.

"Chimo?" Iris questioned. So different to the names of Norman's other children.



Norman nodded. "It's from Catalan. According to my research, it's a diminutive-" Norman emphasised every syllable of the word, almost as if he'd been practicing, "of 'Joaquin'."



------



"I mean, it's not the end of the dynasty if we keep little Chimo around," Iris was saying. "It makes things more difficult, sure, but not impossible. Someone else to help around the house, earn some money, raise the kids, maybe even pollinate a few townies. It's not all doom and gloom."

Rose didn't know whether to laugh or cry.



"Strategically, it's absolutely the wrong move," Iris continued, "and I know that. But I'm not completely heartless, Rose. Norman is as in love with that child as he is with his other three. You and I may get to live forever, but Norman only lives once. We'll survive just fine with Chimo around, but I'm not sure that Norman could survive without him."



Rose beamed, as a wave of emotion - happiness, relief and appreciation - washed over her. "I was hoping you'd say that. Because if you hadn't said it, I would have." She sighed, contentedly. "Oh Mom, I can't wait to tell Norman the good news!"



"Wait, Rose, not just yet." Iris turned to Gerald and Harley. "Are you kids are okay with this? I mean, the sooner you tie the knot the better, don't get the wrong idea on that, but you'll have to wait a while to start a family. Does that suit you?"

"Yes ma'am," Gerald replied, wholeheartedly. He was feeling somewhat relieved himself, if he was being quite honest. "It suits us just fine."

Harley nodded in agreement.



"Well, I suppose that's that, then," Iris smiled.



"Welcome to the family, Chimo Johnston."

[oshizu]

Awww, what a absolutely satisfying response to the question of whether to keep Norman's baby or not.
After the baby was born, I got a hard lump in my throat as Rose watched and described Norman's first encounter and subsequent interactions with his son.

Oooh, brilliant move, Norman! Picking a name for your baby that Iris positively couldn't refuse!
Also, I think completing Bestselling Author has really suited Norman--now that he's up and walking around, we really get to see him!

Such a great chapter, Whirligig.  I could feel your own torment about whether or not to keep the baby through Norman's pain.
Hats off to you for another great chapter. I felt so moved! (and almost cried at the hospital...)

[FrancescaFiori]

Chimo! Oh, how marvelous! Oh, he's such a sweetie, too! Norman, you're a brilliant man, after all. High five!

The whole chapter was beautiful and touching, and I'm just so, so happy about the way it ended.

I did love Gerald's idea about them becoming arch-nemeses in an interplanetary power struggle, but I think this is better. Also loved that Gerald was eating lobster thermidor while having that conversation. Is he ever not eating?