Brilliant Minds: The Wainwrights of Sunset Valley

[Cheezey]

He said on their way back down they were both really hot, and he wanted to go swimming in the oasis when they got back to it.  She said they couldn’t because there were deadly snakes in that pond, but she knew a spot on the river they could go to, so they went there instead.



The rest of us went swimming, too, but we didn’t go in the river with the crocodiles.  We went to the Al Simhara community pool.  Zaki invited Iris to meet him there, but Grandma and Grandpa didn’t want her going off alone to meet some guy they didn’t know.  She said that was a crock and they were old fashioned and sexist because Orion was allowed to go alone to lunch with Dunya, but Grandma told her it wasn’t because she was a girl but because she was so much younger than Orion.  (He’ll be legally an adult on his birthday right after Snowflake Day.  Lucky him.  We’ve still got even more years of putting up with parent llama loads than Iris does.)  So me, Dad, Patrick, and Maria went with her.



It was so hot that none of us minded an afternoon at the pool anyway.  No hiking or digging involved.



Patrick kept going to the snack bar for their hard pomegranate juice drinks.  Maria said she couldn’t have any, for some reason, but got the Egyptian version of peanut butter discs from the vending machine when she went with him.  I hope she doesn’t think that’s saving her any carbs, but whatever.



The snack bar food wasn’t that great, so we just grilled some hot dogs from our cooler for a late lunch.



While we ate, Iris’ mouth was otherwise occupied making out with Zaki in the hot tub.  Bet Lester would be pretty steamed himself if he knew about that!



We found out when we got back that Mom got a major break in her case.  When she was at those caves above the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, most of the “archaeologists” and “traders” there were part of the smuggling ring she came to bust.  She stayed undercover gathering intel all day and figured out who the leaders were, and arranged a meeting with one of the key players, Karima Nahas, the next day.  She kept cover and played dumb as the greedy old tourist lady wrangling a deal to get evidence against her…



Which the smuggler realized a little too late when she smelled a rat.  She accused and threatened Mom, but before she could even draw a weapon, the operatives working with Mom came out from their own cover around the site and busted her.  Since Mom had a wire on, they had all the evidence they needed with what they recorded and a ton of stolen artifacts and relics in the crates right there.  Case closed!



Mom was really happy and we were all excited for her when she came back and told us.  It was the highest profile case she’d resolved since the Golden Llama, and the first international one.  She told us how she always dreamed of being an international super-spy one day and solving major cases.  It also meant she could hang out with us for the last day and just be on vacation.



Don’t say anything, but Mom wasn’t the only one doing covert stuff.  Orion snuck around at night while the rest of us were asleep.  He kept coming back with this crazy loot he told the old people he just “found,” but he’s totally sneaking into places he’s not supposed to be.  Like the Pyramid of the Burning Sands, the other small one in the trio.  He rode out there in the middle of the night and said it was unlocked, so he went in “to look around.”  Of course, if I tried that, I’d end up in jail or in traction, or at least caught and grounded, because that’s how my luck goes.



Orion was fine, though.  Guess all that working out is good for something!  He said he found fake walls, dodged fire traps, found stuff in dive wells, and even found flame fruit growing at the bottom of that pyramid.  Crazy!  Grandma and Grandpa would probably love to hear about it, if they wouldn’t freak out and possibly keel over from the stress before they even got to read him the riot act first.



I told him that after he told me about his adventure over my bowl of Sugar-Doos at breakfast.

He said he saved the stuff and took pictures, but he wasn’t saying a word to them until it was long enough past for them not to blow a gasket.  I don’t blame him.  He should at least wait until after his birthday so he can say he’s adult and can’t be grounded.  That’s what I’d do.



Today on our last day we went to the Ruins of Karnak.  It’s not a tomb, but it’s a famous ruin and even cooler in person than the picture on the postcard of it I put in with this.



Most of it was outdoors but there was one chamber you could go into.  Grandpa caught some scarab beetles in there, and Mom found some gold ornaments in a chest.  We thought they were relics, but one of the archaeologists told us they were pieces of a Sarcophagus of the Kings.  Dad tried to be funny and said I wasn’t allowed to sleep in a sarcophagus if we found enough to put one together.  Ugh.  Sometimes he says the stupidest things.  I’m not a vampire or a mummy, I just think monsters are cool, okay?  What a llama.



Iris found some ancient coins on the floor, and Grandma found one of those weird drain-looking holes like in the pyramid.  It didn’t have any switches (or bugs) in it like the one Grandpa found, but it had a fake bottom.  When she got that out, she found a little gold snake figure under it.  Better than a real asp, that’s for sure!  I’d say that would bite, but Dad made enough bad jokes already.



There were dig spots all over the site, and since Grandma and Grandpa had a permit for there, we were allowed to dig.  Orion and I took turns at one.  We found a bag full of Al Simharan money that wasn’t ancient coins, but had dates from almost a hundred years ago.  We also found a bowl with some cool glyphs on it, but it had a pretty big crack in it.  We were afraid it would break coming out, but we managed to get it out.

Patrick and Maria also worked on one, but she didn’t do any digging.  He said she was too tired and didn’t feel good, so he did that while she sat with him and took notes and pictures.  He found an old vase that was kind of neat, and a star cut emerald she ended up keeping.



My grandparents’ favorite thing they got there was the chunk of tiberium they found by the shore near the ruins.  It’s super rare and valuable, like soulpeace, and they were sad that was the one thing they didn’t manage to find here.  They found the tiberium by luck.  They took a walk to the water before leaving just to see if there was anything they wanted, and evening low tide had washed out the sand over it.  It was a big chunk and Grandma said it was worth a small fortune.

It’s also radioactive, so Grandpa didn’t want us around it long.  They did some analysis and packaged it up in a special container so it could go straight to the courier once we got back to camp.



Once they got that taken care of, we took a ride out to Desert’s End, Al Simhara’s cemetery.  It’s got some neat architecture and it’s cool to see the difference between how Al Simhara honors their dead today compared to all the ancient tombs we’ve seen.  Suffice it to say modern life is a big downgrade!  It was a lot like the ones you see here in some ways, but the architecture is different, and they have more mausoleums than in Sunset Valley.  They also have cooler lights.  We get posts, they get statues made to look like the ones in the ancient pyramids and tombs.



Some families still bury their dead in style, though.  One of the mausoleums had coffins that looked a lot like the ancient sarcophagi, and one dead rich guy had a pretty ornate one.  Probably from some old money Al Simhara family that claims to be descended from pharaohs, like how the Landgraabs say their family has ties to the old royal bloodlines overseas.



When we were all back at camp, we had to start packing up and get ready to go.  Grandma and Grandpa sent the courier off with everything going to the lab, and then they had to sort all the relics for customs.  The coolest ones were the gold and onyx statue and the canopic jars.  We got a complete set of those, one of each type of design.  If you’re ever over at my grandparents’ place with me, I’ll show you.  They said they were going to get a display for them once they got home.



After that, we just hung out and relaxed as much as you can here at Camp Cave Sim.  Patrick got out his snake charming basket and showed off the tricks he learned.  He’s a lot better after some practicing than when he first tried it and hit some notes that must’ve made the snake wish it had headphones like I did to drown it out.



He actually got it dancing to the tune, and Iris called us all over to see it.  It was cool.  I’m going to try to convince him to learn how to send it up people’s pants like in that SimTube video.  I can think of a few llamas at school we’d both like to see get a snake in their pants.



And I guess that’s all there is to say.  Wow.  I’ve been writing for a while.  Most everyone’s gone to bed and I should probably go, too.  The charger’s finally free, and I’m tired.  Even napping on the plane, the jet lag will be a pain in the plumbob.

I’ll see you at home and hopefully I’m back safe by now and our plane didn’t go down in some freak fiery crash leading to my untimely death.  If it did, I love you and I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you again before kicking the bucket.  If I didn’t, don’t laugh too hard at me for writing that, even though it was paranoid and corny and I probably deserve it.  I miss you and I hope you like the stuff I got you.

Love, Travis.

P.S. – Don’t bring it up, but if Iris asks, tell her my letter was romantic and awesome and you loved it, so she has to eat rank fertilizer for her stupid jokes about it.  I’ll treat you to the next movie and dinner if you do.


Author’s Note: And that wraps up the Egypt trip! I thought it would be fun to show the rest of it through Travis’ grumpy teenage point of view. Next time, everyone will be back at home and life will be moving on in Sunset Valley once more.

[Cheezey]

Chapter 104

When the Wainwrights returned from Egypt, Plumboptimus greeted them enthusiastically.  “Welcome back from your foreign travels!  I hope your voyage was fun and productive?”

“It was.  Thank you, Plum,” said Susan.

“Can I assist with your luggage?”

“That’d be wonderful!” Maria said, while Boyd looked around.  The house was spotless, and everything appeared to be in order.

“The place looks great!  You had no trouble taking care of things?”

“Thank you.  I performed as optimally as possible.  There were no breakages, burglars, fires, or natural disasters in your absence.”

“That’s good to know.  The snow is enough of one for me.”  Iris shivered.  “I hate how cold it is compared to Egypt.”

“You must’ve had so much fun!  Tell me all about it!” Patches called from the stairs, while Buddy sauntered up behind Plumboptimus.

“Yeah, but Plummy left out the little unnatural disaster that’s Alien Boy’s gnome.  I had to punt him a few times to keep him in line, but he’s behaving now.  I think Sculpey’s keeping an eye on him, too.”  Sculpey was a magic gnome that recently appeared on their property.  He was all gray and wore a toga like some old Greek statue.  After researching the magic gnome lore, they concluded he’d been attracted to Patrick’s sculpting practice.  He often sculpted when he was in a foul mood, since pounding a medium let him vent his anger without a repair bill, and some magic gnomes were attracted to extreme human emotional states.  Buddy wisecracked that if that was true, he was surprised Maria didn’t have a fleet of them following her around, but Patrick didn’t think that was as funny as he did.  Orion did, until Buddy added that he was surprised he hadn’t attracted a bunch of mopey country song my-girl-left-me gnomes himself with how he kept moping over Tara.



After they settled back in, Boyd and Susan proudly displayed their collection of ancient canopic jars in the upstairs hall.  “If people didn’t think we were eccentric already, this will probably push them over to it,” Susan remarked.  “Though they are incredible pieces, and one of each type, too.”

“It might be a little morbid, but it’s unique and educational.  You have to admire the artistry on them.”

“Oh, I agree.  Just don’t be surprised if we get a few side-eyes from the ‘normals’ about them at our Snowflake Day party.”

“Like we’re not used to that.  Besides, our normal friends have their own quirks.”

“Using Mortimer Goth as a barometer of ‘normal’ only shows how far gone you are, dear.”

Boyd was amused, mostly because she was right.  Mortimer was who came to mind, after thinking that Gunther and Cornelia, Mortimer’s parents, would’ve found the jars fascinating.  “I didn’t say he was my bar for ‘normal,’ though I’m not sure I’d call Ethan or anyone else who’s worked with us at the lab for years that, either.  Maybe some of the other Bunches.”

“Well, Lisa does have her issues with her criminal baby daddy, but she is who I thought of, along with a few of our in-laws.  Thornton and maybe Esme or Caleb might think they’re weird or creepy.”

“Nah.  Esme thinks cow plants are cool, after all.  Last family gathering, she asked me a bunch of questions about them.  Thornton might think it’s odd, but I doubt he’d be put off.  He’s just a bit fastidious.  Kind of like my mom was.”

“She was far from ‘just a bit,’ and I say that as someone who’s nowhere near the slob you are.”  She patted him on the shoulder affectionately.  “But I like our collection.  We’ve got quite the mini museum here.  The vases from China, the relics from France…  Hey, you know what?  We should break out one of those ancient French nectars we’ve been saving at the Snowflake Day party.  Heck, maybe we should treat ourselves to a bottle tonight.  Celebrate our homecoming and kick off the holiday season.  No point hoarding it all without ever getting around to enjoying any before we’re gone.”

“Sounds good to me, honey.  You pick the bottle; I’ll get the corkscrew.”



They were also enthused about all the scientific and biological samples they collected.  The tiberium, the Cleopatra butterfly, and the mummy fish were prime specimens, but they were also eager to get their more mundane botanical samples growing.  Spring was still a way off, but it was always summer in their greenhouse.  The cherries and pomegranates would thrive despite the season, especially with all the time Iris spent in there.



Not that she spent all her free time in the artificial warmth of the greenhouse or the mansion, even if she wasn’t a fan of the cold.  The same night they came home, Lester invited her on a date to the winter festival.

“I’m glad you’re back.”  He kissed her, warming her nicely in the chill of the falling snow.

“It’s good seeing you, too.  I sent you a postcard.  Did it come yet?”

“No, but you know how the mail can be.  Especially international.  That artisan glass I ordered from Monte Vista still hasn’t gotten here.”

“I warned you about free shipping,” she admonished playfully.  “Don’t be cheap or it takes forever!”

“I wouldn’t, but I don’t have your wallet, pretty little rich blossom,” he joked back.  “So should I be hurt you didn’t spring for premium postage on my postcard?”

“That would’ve ruined it by putting it in an ugly envelope where you don’t get authentic postmarks to show off.  But I brought you these.”  She handed him one of the carved alabaster relics and some ancient coins.  “This alabaster makes me think of the things you make at the studio, the jewelry and stuff.  You could make a cool pendant with it.  Maybe the coins, too.  They trade in these over there, off-market.  That struck me as totally something you’d be into, so I saved you some.”

He admired them as best he could in the low light.  “Oh, yeah!  They’re great!  Thanks.”  He tucked them into his pocket.  “I don’t have anything nearly as cool to give you, but anything you want to do or get here tonight’s my treat.  What do you want to do first?”



First, they got hot chocolates, and then, after deciding against ice skating, they watched the snowboarders.  Iris wanted to try it, but Lester didn’t.  “No way!  I’ll wipe out before I’m even halfway down.  I tried it once when I was in third grade and ended up eating snow.  Tom laughed at me for half an hour.  Not that he’s any better at it.”

“I’m hardly a first-class athlete myself, but it looks like fun.  How hard can it be?”

“All I can say is that snow’s harder than it looks,” Lester warned.  “But if you really want to, I’ll hold your cocoa.  At least you’ll look cute on a snowboard.”

She gave him a coy look.  “Even if I wipe out?”

“Yeah.  Even then.  You make everything look good.”

“Even epic fail, huh?  Well, now you’ve definitely talked me into it.”  She smooched him and got on line.  When it was her turn, she climbed the ladder a bit nervously, but heeded the instructions.  If kids could do it, it couldn’t be that difficult, right?

Unfortunately, Lester was right, and snowboarding was harder than one might expect.  She made it almost all the way down without a problem, but then she hit one of the slicker spots at a slightly too-high speed.  Her instinctive movement to compensate ended up over-compensating, and before she knew it, she lost her balance.  With a startled yelp, Iris flailed and toppled, snow flying behind her and leaving her with a miserable wedgie that would require a bathroom trip to fix.

Lester set down their cups and offered her a hand up.  “Ouch!  Are you okay?”

“Nothing hurt but my ego,” Iris lamented, embarrassed.  “And some snow somewhere I’d rather not talk about.”

“In that case, I won’t offer to kiss and make it better,” he teased while she brushed herself off and snickered.

“Yeah.  That definitely wouldn’t be festival-appropriate.  Let me stop in the bathroom a minute, and then we can try something less adventurous.”



After she fixed her wardrobe malfunction, they decided to build a snowman.  It wasn’t an official festival activity, but enough guests had made them that there were random snowmen all over the park, and they wanted to add one of their own.

“What do you think we should make it?” Iris asked as they constructed the base.  “You’re the art club man.”

“In honor of both of our fail at snowboarding, let’s make it a sports chump.  There’s a beat-up helmet over there, and that one,” he pointed to a snowman someone had trashed, “lost his hockey stick anyway.”

“Right.  The snowman team needs a replacement.”

“Beats having to play myself.  In gym class the last day before break, Alfonso made a bad swing and hit me in the head.  I got a bruise and the teacher made an example about me screwing up not paying attention and how that leads to injuries.”  He rolled his eyes.  “You’re so lucky you got that extra time out.  You must’ve had a lot more fun in Egypt than I did in school.”

Iris couldn’t help but think of Zaki, and felt mildly guilty.  “Yeah.  I did.”



He placed the helmet on the snowman.  “I saw all the pictures you posted.  Got any stories you haven’t told me yet?”

“Uh, nothing major.  I told you most of it.  The mummy, the cool things in the pyramids, me and Dad fishing, and how Orion and I snuck around in that one site after hours.  Turned out we were allowed in there, but we went farther in than the archaeologists had, so that was cool.  Travis gave us plum for going without him, even though he was asleep and got to see it all later anyway.”  She thought for a moment.  “Oh!  I don’t think I told you how my brother-in-law acted like a tough guy bragging about how he could handle spicy food and then practically combusted when he tried a local special.  We all razzed him for that.  Especially Patrick, but then he got him back when Maria called him ‘Paddy-cakes’ in front of him.  Don’t tell anyone I told you that, by the way.”  She snickered.  “I’ve heard it at home before, but I never said anything.  Mostly because she never said it right in front of me, so saying something would make me the llama.  But that never stops Cycl0n3 anyway.”

Lester was amused, but eyed her curiously.  “I saw some of the pictures your family tagged you in, too.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.  You and Orion and Travis in front of one of the pyramids, and you and Maria drinking some fruity thing at a place you went.  There was also one of you dancing with some guy there.  I think your sister posted those.”

Thanks, Travis, Iris thought irritably.  Although he kept his word and didn’t post it himself, and Blair probably had no idea Iris did anything more than dance with Zaki, she was still annoyed he’d taken it in the first place.  Especially since he did it just to needle her, even if he never intended to cause her actual trouble with it.

“Hey, I’m not jealous.  It looked like you were having fun.  What all did you do there?”

It didn’t take her genius IQ to realize if Lester really wasn’t jealous, he was only a step away from it, and the guilty feeling returned.  But it’s not like I’ll ever see Zaki again anywhere but online.  It was just a fling and it’s over.  Lester doesn’t need to know what went on.  “Well, I danced, obviously.  We ate and hung out a while.  It was the same day the mummy thing happened, and Mom and Dad were keyed up and wanted to do something fun since camp was so boring.  I just chilled and met people.  Lots of them hadn’t seen a plantsim before.”  It wasn’t exactly a lie, just an omission of certain details.  Still, it was best to just change the subject.  “What about you?  You didn’t post all that much while I was gone.”



“I did some sketching when I was snowed in, nothing worth putting online though.  You saw the glass egg I made on Simstagram already.  I did that the first day of vacation.  There was the hockey thing, and oh.”  He paused.  “We had art club that day, and Kristal actually talked to me for more than two words.  She said she wasn’t mad at us anymore.  We worked together on a project and she was cool about things.  Like back when we were all friends, before the weirdness.”

“Wow.  That’s—that’s great!”  Iris was surprised.  She’d wanted to mend her friendship with Kristal ever since she lost it, but an unsettling feeling came with it, one that wondered if Kristal was truly over Lester.  Iris knew how hard it was to be friends with someone you used to be more with.  She felt it around Lane still, whenever she ran into him, even though she wasn’t angry at him anymore.  Perhaps especially because of that.  Her old feelings still lingered, wanted or not.  What if it was the same for Kristal?  And how did Lester feel, deep down?  When they were dating, he wasn’t as into Kristal as she was him, but their friendship had been strong before that.  What if things changed?  What if Lester sometimes wishes he was with someone he had more in common with like you do sometimes?  Someone like Kristal?

Then she had the unwelcome thought that maybe she wouldn’t have been so interested in Zaki or think back so fondly on Lane if she was that into Lester beyond their physical attraction.  But then, why did it hurt so much to think it?  Because looking at him there in the snow, her heart ached at the thought of losing him.  Lester was sweet and they loved each other, and his kisses were oh so hot.  She didn’t want that to be over.

“Yeah,” Lester said, snapping her out of her thoughts.  “It’d be cool to all be friends again.  Like you and Rashida are even after, you know.”

“Think I should message her?”

“It didn’t seem like she’d mind when I talked to her, but if you feel weird about it, you could wait until we’re back in school.  Maybe we could sit together at lunch or something.  She asked about you.  Said she hoped you were having fun in Egypt and missed being able to talk to you about stuff like that.”



That made Iris happy, so she focused on that and left the rest in the hands of fate.  She wanted her friend back, and things were fine with her and Lester.  He was there with her on a date, flirty and affectionate, and he’d obviously missed her.  He’d even been jealous of Zaki.  Oh boy, would he be if he knew the truth.  So, why worry?

“Cool.  I’ll talk to her at school, then.”  She leaned in flirtatiously.  “So, our snowman’s done.  What do you want to do now?  I’m getting chilly, but I don’t want to leave yet.”

“I could get you another cocoa, or just warm you up myself.”  He kissed her, and she felt like melting in his arms.  No, she didn’t want to give this up.  No way.

“That’ll do just fine.”  She stared into his dark eyes as he smiled back at her.

“I know you hate the cold, but I’ve got to say, you look beautiful with the snowflakes on your cheeks.  The contrast of the ice crystals against the green is so… amazing in the short time it lasts.”  He brushed them aside with his finger and held her close.

She savored that embrace, then took his hand.  “You’re sweet, and I’m not frostbitten yet.  Let’s get another cocoa and see the rest of the festival.”



The snow continued on and off through Snowflake Eve.  Unfortunately, Patrick didn’t have Iris’ supply of cocoa and kisses to keep him warm while helping Wilbur and Holly load the band’s equipment into the van.  He didn’t mind, though, because they were about to play their first real gig.  It wasn’t at the most prestigious venue, but it was a start, and he was confident they’d rock the house.  Gretchen managed to get out of the heavy work, however.  She was at home with her son, claiming she couldn’t find anyone to babysit until Jamaal could pick him up half an hour before the show.  The timing struck Patrick as rather convenient, but he supposed it might be hard to get a sitter that close to the holiday.  “All done,” he told Holly after the last of it was in, while Wilbur secured the door.

“Wonderful!  We can hit the road in a few, then.  Ready for your big debut?  Not still in vacation mode?”

“Nah.  I’m ready to rock out!”

“Glad to hear it.  You guys are going to be fantastic!”  She reached for her keys.  “How’s your family doing?”

“Fine.  We had a blast in Egypt.  Well, some of us less than others in some ways.  The camp was rough, as Mom will rant about at length if you ask her at the party tomorrow.  Maria was pretty bent about it, too.”

“That’s a shame.  I hope they had fun aside from that.  What about your sisters and brother?  Did they mind roughing it?”

“Not as much as Mom and Maria.  Blair solved a case while we were there, and Orion and Iris got to ditch school for a few days to go on vacation, so they didn’t mind camping out too much.”

“Speaking of Orion, how is he?  I heard that meteor almost hit him.”

That caught Patrick off guard.  He had no idea the neighbors saw Orion outside on the night he brought the meteor down, and he knew his parents, especially his father, would not like anyone thinking too much about it.  “Yeah.  Crazy coincidence, huh?  He’s lucky.  He just went for a walk and came in and… wham!”

“Poor kid.  He must’ve been so shaken up.  I guess that’s why he didn’t come out with the rest of you, huh?”

Even though it was just innocent small talk, Patrick didn’t like the way the conversation was going.  “He was freaked out, yeah.”  More like freaking furious, he thought, but obviously, he didn’t say that.

“I can imagine.  Malcolm told me he saw him out there before it fell.  That’d sure throw me for a loop!”  Holly motioned to Wilbur, waiting by the van for them to finish talking.  “You ready?”

He gave a thumbs up.  “Ready when you are.”

“Great.”  Patrick was glad for the subject change and got in the van.  “Let’s go.”



The bar they played at was a dive, and the crowd was small since it was Snowflake Eve, but Red Rooster Crisis made a good debut anyway.  Not everyone in Sunset Valley had a family event or party to attend, and there was a respectable turnout considering the date and weather.  Their music was well-received by the crowd, and Patrick felt energized and alive on stage.

They had the support of family and friends in the audience, too.  Patrick had everyone from home but Plumboptimus there, and even though they couldn’t make it, Blair sent her, Cycl0n3, and Travis’ best wishes, too.  Before his gig was scheduled, she’d promised Tamara they’d attend her “tacky Snowflake Day sweater” party that same night.  Patrick understood, and figured Blair would have a better time there, anyway.  Even if she liked the music, he knew how much she hated crowds, and Travis wasn’t a fan of them, either.  Chris and Tad also couldn’t go, but they wished him well.  They were at the elementary school’s Snowflake Day play watching Esmeralda play a magical singing evergreen.  Patrick hoped her big night on stage went well, too.

Wilbur had Penny and Tara there, but his parents couldn’t make it.  Justine had severe bronchitis and Marty was too afraid to leave her alone, even for a few hours, in case she took a turn for the worse.  Penny and Wilbur’s toddler son, Rodrigo, was at his Uncle Ethan’s spending Snowflake Eve with their family.

Only Gretchen had no family seeing her on stage for the first time.  Darren was with Jamaal and his family for Snowflake Eve, since she had him for Snowflake Day and they were still barely on speaking terms.  Her youngest half-sister, Edna, and her cousin Owen were also in the school play, so her uncle Connor, her cousin Sommer, Emma, and her other half-sister Rashida were all there to see them.  Her father said he would’ve come, but Emma gave him “too much plum” about wanting to skip the “boring kids’ play.”  If he went to her show, he said she’d “probably say I just went because there’s a bar,” so he’d save himself the grief and skip both and “supervise the idiots at the bakery” doing the last minute holiday orders to be “fair” about it.  It hurt more than she’d admit, but as Gretchen told her bandmates, it wasn’t like she wasn’t used it.  Jared had treated her like little more than afterthought most of her life.  She said she felt worse for Edna, because she wasn’t used to it yet, but at least she had Emma like she always had her mom.  Gretchen knew she’d have been there if she was still alive.

Patrick couldn’t help but think Gretchen had that in common with Maria, a life of letdowns from her father, though he’d never say that where either could hear it, or he’d hear it.  It made him appreciate more that his parents always cared enough to try and support him even when they didn’t necessarily understand him.



Penny and Maria chatted while watching the show.  “They sound great!  Wilbur’s been off rehearsing so much.  Glad it paid off.”  Her smile betrayed a hint of hurt.  “It’s the first time I’ve seen him for more than ten minutes all week.”

“This close to Snowflake Day?”  Maria couldn’t imagine putting up with that.  Even at his busiest, Patrick still made her a priority.

“You know how he is.  Always got something going on, half of which he doesn’t ‘have time’ to go into.  But the rehearsals do keep them busy.  And… whatever else it is that he does.”

“And you’re sure it’s not Gretchen?”  Maria side-eyed her on stage.  She might have the voice of an angel, but the rest of her certainly came from farther downstairs, in her opinion.

Penny scoffed.  “No.  He’s not cheating, and definitely not with her.  But whatever.”

“Whatever?  If I thought Patrick was keeping things from me, ‘whatever’ wouldn’t be what I’d say about it.  Are you thinking of breaking up or something?”

“I love him and Rodrigo, and I want us to be a family, but… I’m getting tired of waiting.  Like I’ve told you, my family, Michael—I told you he’s staying with us again, right?—my new friend Tawanda, even Gretchen hoping she might clue him in to get his act together, I’m starting to think he just doesn’t want to marry me and doesn’t want to say so.  Rodrigo’s in preschool, and we got engaged when I got pregnant.  There’s always some excuse, something else to do, something else going on, and he won’t talk to me, not in any meaningful way.  I’ve tried being patient, I’ve tried giving him space and being supportive.  Heck, I’m here now.  But I can’t help but think if it was the other way around, I’d be looking for him in the audience like Gretchen is for her llama of a dad.”

“I can’t say I blame you, because I’d have made him either set a date or call it off long before now, but I know you were really holding out hope.  I’m sorry.  That sucks.”



“It is what it is.”  Penny forced a smile.  “And I’m starting to feel like I shouldn’t settle.  Wilbur’s not the only one in the world that could make me happy.”

Now Maria was curious.  “Oh?  And who might be making you happy?”

She blushed.  “Nobody, exactly.  Just, you know, my friends have reminded me I don’t need to pine away waiting for him.  I deserve better than that, right?”

“Absolutely.  Like I said, I wouldn’t have put up with that nearly as long.”

“So, when the holidays are over, if he still hasn’t shaped up…”  Penny shrugged.  “We’ll see.  Anyway, happier subject.  Did you and Patrick have a nice vacation?”

“We did,” Maria said with a smile.  “And just between us… don’t be surprised if we have a little announcement soon.”

“Really?  Might we be pushing strollers together in the park soon? I noticed you’re only drinking soda tonight.”

“Let’s just say I saw a positive sign this afternoon.”

“Wow!  Congratulations!  I’m sure you two will have a very happy Snowflake Day, then,” she replied, and enjoyed the rest of the show with her.



Although live rock music in dive bars wasn’t the kind of scene Boyd and especially Susan were all that into, they were proud of Patrick and loved seeing him so in his element on stage.  “One day he’s going to be a rock star, just like Stiles.  Could you have ever imagined, back when he was born?”

“Back when he was born, Stiles himself was only playing places a little more prestigious than this.  He was Blair’s guitarist roommate, helping them make rent.”

“And now she’s an international super-spy, which is way more out there than anything I’d have imagined back when she was a baby.”  Susan paused thoughtfully.  “Makes you wonder what the rest of our kids and grandkids will end up achieving someday.”

“Emit probably knows, although he’d have to come back first to ask him.”

“Do you think he ever will?  He said he’d see us again, but it’s been so long.  I wonder if something changed.”  Susan tapped her foot to the music.  “I know I couldn’t get on one of those hoverboards in Oasis Landing now if we went back.  Not without risking a serious injury.”

“Or one of those jet packs!  It’s hard to believe I once did that.”  Boyd touched his arm over the now old and faded life-extending tattoo.  “That treatment made me feel like I was twenty again.  Now I feel closer to… well, move the decimal.”

As if on cue, the next song the band performed was one sang from the point of view of an old woman looking back fondly on her life.  It was more of a ballad, but still had a strong rock beat and guitar riffs that showcased Patrick’s skill.  “Do you ever think about what it might be like to do it again?  Try our own formula in the here and now?”

“Sometimes,” he admitted.

“Me too.”

“But then I think about the reality of it.  Of outliving even more of our family and friends.  Of watching Blair die of old age if we don’t give it to her or she doesn’t want it before…”

Susan put a hand on his shoulder.  “I know.  Me too.  I don’t know how I’d handle that.”

“I’m not sure I could.  So then I wonder when I should put away the death flower in my pocket and leave it up to fate.  Let nature take its course with this tired old body.”

“Not while I’m still here with mine, you better not.”

She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed it back.  “No.  When that time comes, we do it together.”



During an intermission, Tara approached Orion.  He’d been doing his best to block himself from feeling or sensing anything from her all night.  As much as he wanted a sign, a hint, anything to feed his hope that she was open to reconciling, he didn’t want to do that to himself.  He was there for Patrick and good music, not to drive himself to distraction with her.  So he kept his distance from Tara and his focus on stage.

That all flew out the door when she talked to him, though.  “Hi, Orion.”

“Hi.”  It took every bit of self-control he had to not immediately try and attune to her thoughts.  No.  Don’t go there.

“They’re pretty good, huh?  It’s so weird seeing our brothers on stage like rock stars.  But cool.”

“Yeah.”

What was I thinking?  He doesn’t want to talk to me.  I’m just bugging him.  He’s still mad at me.  Why am I so stupid?

Tara’s thoughts were so overwhelming, especially in that proximity, that Orion couldn’t help sensing them.  Argh!  No, I’m not mad at you, and you’re not stupid.  That was the last thing he ever wanted her to think.  Why did this have to be so hard?



“So, how’s it going?”  He hoped a friendly conversation would at least convince her he wasn’t mad at her and didn’t resent her talking to him, even if things were complicated and awkward.  “Enjoying break?”

“It’s been okay.  Lots of snow.  Nothing like you must’ve had over in Egypt, that’s for sure.  How was your trip?  You were lucky to get out of school for a few days.”

“It was fun.  Got to do and see lots of cool stuff.  Did you see any of the pictures I posted?”  They were still friends on social media.  Despite breaking up, Orion couldn’t bring himself to unfollow or remove Tara even if they weren’t together anymore.  She never did, either, which was one of those little things that still gave him hope.

“Yeah.  It must’ve been amazing seeing the pyramids and the sphinx and stuff.”

“It was, even though the sphinx almost set us on fire with some fire traps.  But we’re all fine,” he assured her before she could worry or ask.  “They just scared us a little.  Well, a lot in Dad’s case.  He was already worried about that kind of thing, and then that happened.  You know how that is since your Dad’s the same way.”



“Fire traps would freak me out, too.  Glad you’re okay.”  She paused.  “I guess your new friend over there didn’t warn you about that?”  Is she just a friend?

Orion wasn’t sure what to make of that, and he was both elated and annoyed to pick up on her distinctly jealous thought.  “Dunya, you mean.”

“The girl in the pictures.  I saw she liked them.”

“I met her the night after all that.  She’s nice.  You’d like her.”

“I’ll have to take your word for that, since I never met her.  I’m glad you had fun with her, though.”  Her tone turned sour.



“It’s not like you’re thinking.  We’re just friends.”

Tara balked, then over-played a display of nonchalance.  “Oh, were you…?  Well, whatever.  You’re misunderstanding.  It’s fine.  You’re free to do whatever you want.”

Then why are you so bent out of shape about it?  He could feel the defensiveness radiating from her.  “I know.  But it’s the truth.”  He met her eyes, and she looked away, uncomfortable.

“You’re reading me, aren’t you?”  No!  Don’t!  Please!  Don’t go in my head!  Oh, Watcher!  I can’t do this!  Why did I even start…?  It’s over!  Why am I so stupid?  Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

“I’m not doing it on purpose.  I told you, I can’t always shut it out.”  He paused, and added, “And you’re not stupid.”

“You were in my head,” she accused.

“I didn’t want to be.”



“Really?”  You’re not spying on me?

He refused to acknowledge that, even if he had sensed it.  “Really!  Like I said, I can’t always help what I hear.  Especially if it’s strong enough.  Believe me, sometimes I really wish I couldn’t,” he finished on a bitter note.

Tara sighed.  “Look, I’m sorry.  I—I just don’t want you getting the wrong idea.  If you sense something I…” Her voice trailed off.

“You what?”

I still feel—No, don’t even think it!  He’ll know!  “Forget it.  I’ve got to go.  I’m sorry.”  Tara turned and ran off as the band returned to the stage.

Orion wanted more than anything to follow, but that would only make things worse, so he didn’t.  “Yeah.  Me too,” he muttered miserably, and tried to lose himself in the music when they started playing again.



“You sounded awesome, big brother!” Iris congratulated Patrick after the show was over.

“Thanks!  I saw you doing some pretty sweet dance moves yourself.  I’m glad you’re here.  I’m surprised you didn’t bring Lester.”

“I would’ve, but he had a family thing tonight, so I had to come solo.”

“Aw, too bad.  And for the record, be careful in places like this, especially without a date.  Some of the guys in the crowd had their eye on you, and most of them were way too old to be looking at my high school age sister that way.”  He smirked.  “I’d hate to have to bust a barstool over someone’s head for creeping on you.  They’d never let us play here again.”

“Ha!  Don’t worry.  I noticed.”  She made a face.  “This one guy at least ten years older than you tried to get me a drink.  That was a big nope.  Besides, I could always poison kiss someone if they got too pushy.”

“Heh.  You never know, some of them might be into that,” Patrick joked as he packed his guitar in its case.

“Well, hopefully you’ll get some classier gigs soon, once you’re more famous.  Maria’s blog review should help that.”

“Here’s hoping!”



Although Maria had been the first to hug and congratulate Patrick after the show was over, she interviewed people in the crowd and the other band members afterward.  Wilbur just finished telling her how his favorite drummer’s style was the inspiration for one of their songs.  “Oh, cool!  I didn’t know you were such a fan.  I’ll mention that in the write-up.”

Gretchen sauntered over.  “And it goes without saying you’ll make us look spectacular, right?  Otherwise, Patrick might have to kick you to the couch for a change.”

Maria rolled her eyes.  “No, I thought I’d write a withering rude review talking about how the place smelled like cheap juice and the lead vocalist thought she was a comedian instead of a singer.  Of course I’m going to give you guys a good review.”

“Relax.  I was just teasing.”  She gave her a little pat on the shoulder like one might give a child who’d said something cute.  “I know you’re not the type to hold a grudge over not winning that audition.  You’re a much bigger person than that.”

“Yes,” Maria said through a forced smile, although Gretchen’s little barbs had her fuming inside.  Someone in pants so tight they’re obviously a size too small has no room to talk about being big, she thought cattily, although she magnanimously refrained from saying such.  Unlike Gretchen, she had class.

“I look forward to reading it.  Thanks, PR girl!  Come on.  I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Thanks, but that’s not necessary.  I’m not drinking tonight.”

“Okay then.  Suit yourself.  More for me!”  Gretchen headed for the bar.  “Hey, Cass!  A Sweet Hijinks, please!  I’m parched.”



After the crowd disbursed aside from family and crew and the band packed up their gear, Maria caught Patrick alone by the stage.  “You sounded amazing tonight, baby.  I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks.  Having my favorite inspiration here was a nice bonus,” he replied affectionately.

“Aw, I love you, too.”  She lowered her voice after looking around to make sure they weren’t about to be interrupted.  “And on that note, I have a little more inspiring news for you.”

“Oh?”

“I haven’t been to a doctor yet, but a home test said… well, by next Snowflake Day we’ll need another stocking.”



Patrick beamed.  “Baby, that’s… wow!  A baby!”

“But don’t say anything yet.  I left a message at the doctor’s office so I can get in right after the holiday to make sure and get a due date and all that before we tell everyone.  I took the test while you were at the theater.  I wanted to tell you right away, but not over text or phone or while you were about to go on stage.”

“I won’t tell anyone until you want to.  But that’s great!”  He looked her up and down.  “You feeling okay?  Not faint or nauseous or anything?”

“No, I’m fine.  I just took the test because I was pretty sure I was, you know, given the timing.”

“Good.  Let’s do our best to keep it that way.  Stay warm and low stress.  Just kick back and enjoy Snowflake Day, and the awesome little gift we got for it.”  He kissed her.



They lingered in their lip-lock until Gretchen interrupted.  “Hey, you two!  Happy Snowflake Day,” she said wryly.  “I know it’s after midnight and officially the holiday, but there’s no mistletoe on stage and we’ve still got a ton of breakdown to do.  Save that celebrating for home.”

“You said to keep stress down, yet I keep having to put up with her,” Maria murmured so only Patrick could hear.

“Let it go.  I’ll deal with the equipment; you go take it easy while I finish up.  It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“Okay.  I love you.”

“I love you, too.”  He smooched Maria more time before letting her go.  “Both of you.”

[mpart]

Oh, Iris. I get a feeling just because things are calming down for her right now, they aren't going to stay that way.
I feel bad for Gretchen. If only her and Maria would put their differences behind each other, they could be best friends. I worry for Sunset valley if they ever DO become friends.
Tara why....whyyyy. Agh, she breaks his heart a little more every time. Every time!
I'm excited to see Patrick and Maria's child. I get a feeling they're going to have a little werewolf on their hands. 

[Cheezey]

Oh, Iris. I get a feeling just because things are calming down for her right now, they aren't going to stay that way.

Those flirty sims have a really hard time staying out of trouble...

I feel bad for Gretchen. If only her and Maria would put their differences behind each other, they could be best friends. I worry for Sunset valley if they ever DO become friends.

They do have quite a bit in common, but one of those things is that they're also both divas. I see them as frenemies, since they're in the same social circle and have mutual friends and can get along at times, but they just can't not be competitive with each other.

Tara why....whyyyy. Agh, she breaks his heart a little more every time. Every time!

The worst part is, she geniunely doesn't mean to be hurtful. She isn't even sure what she wants, deep down, and thanks to her inappropriate and socially awkward traits, doesn't get that she's making it worse for them both until it's too late.

I'm excited to see Patrick and Maria's child. I get a feeling they're going to have a little werewolf on their hands. 

And then poor Patrick will still be the only "normal" Wainwright in the house. (Not counting his parents, since even if they're not occult, with the Oasis Landing age reset, they've kind of got some unnatural stuff going on, too.)

Chapter 105

While Patrick played his first gig on Snowflake Eve, Blair attended Tamara’s “tacky sweater” holiday party with Cycl0n3 and, grudgingly, Travis.  While he disliked crowds as much as his mother, he still would’ve preferred going to see Patrick play at the bar to hanging around with dorky-dressed old people reliving their good old days over sweets, nectar, and eggnog.  But Blair insisted.  “Aw, it’ll be fun!  Besides, I promised Tam at least one of my boys would come along, and Chris couldn’t.”

“Yeah.  He’s married.  He knows better than to argue with his other half when they say you’re doing something.”

“I’m not, so I shouldn’t have to take orders from anyone,” Travis protested, but Cycl0n3 stuck a Santa hat on his head to go with the cardigan Blair made him wear, and they dragged him along anyway.

“Hey, fashion disasters!  Happy Snowflake Day!” Cycl0n3 greeted everyone when they arrived.  It was always an odd nostalgic feeling being in the lofts again, remembering how they once lived there with Tamara, Emma, and Stiles a lifetime ago.  Tamara never left—she owned the building now—and it had long since been renovated for her, her two sons, and the various romantic partners she’d lived with over the years.  It was just her and her kids now, though.  Parker, who’d moved in after Blair and Cycl0n3 got married, was the boys’ father, but after their third—or was it fourth?—breakup, he and Tamara were now just friends and he had his own place.  Tamara’s latest lover was the much-younger Mortimer Goth, a match that neither Blair nor Cycl0n3 would’ve foreseen, but it was working out so far.  Hank was also at the party, as were Emma and her youngest daughter Edna, dressed for the play in her snow angel costume.  They stopped in on their way to the school to say hello and drop off Snowflake Day treats.



Bundling up in his jacket on his way out, Alfonso smirked at Travis.  “You look nice and festive.  Love the hat.”  Although they weren’t friends in the sense that they ran in the same social circles, they were friendly from knowing each other their whole lives since their parents were friends.  Travis couldn’t stand some of Alfonso’s friends, like Lester, but he was all right, except when he bragged about doing stupid things like it was an achievement.

“That makes one of us.”  Travis eyed him dubiously.  “How’d you get out of dressing up like an idiot?  Don’t tell me your mom didn’t make you?”  That was highly unfair.  If he had to be humiliated, how did the party host’s own kid manage to escape it?

“I’m taking Rashida to watch her little sister in the play.  Then after we’re going out for one of those crazy giant peppermint milkshake specials at the diner.”

“Man, what a llama load.  You get to go on a date tonight?”

“You could’ve brought Starla here.  You two are still a thing, right?”



“Yeah, we’re still a thing.”  Things were better than ever between them, as a matter of fact.  She adored the smoky quartz heart and told him she loved it because it was sweet, but dark, like his heart, and coffee.  Since Starla also loved coffee, Travis took that as a compliment.  She liked his letter and told him she’d tell Iris it was incredibly romantic, like he asked.  She said she’d have done it without the bribe, but since he offered, she looked forward to splitting one of the diner’s giant platters of cheese fries after seeing Mutant Killer Snowman III with him.  “She’s at her uncle’s tonight.  Family party,” he told Alfonso.  In fact, Travis and Starla had been lamenting their fates over text all afternoon.

Her most recent one came in just as they got out of the car, and Travis hadn’t had a chance to respond yet.  Ugh if I have to listen to Aunt Kaylynn whine about the kids getting crumbs on her stupid new rug one more time, I’m going to scream!!!  And now Mom is arguing with Uncle Ethan about Dad not being here and being at Aunt Bella and Uncle Arlo’s and I just don’t care… oh and they have the stupid fire log on TV and won’t let me change the channel because it’s “festive” FML soooo bored. Hope your dorky sweater party is better!

“Well, have fun,” Alfonso said on an entirely too cheery note as he picked up his keys.  “If it makes you feel better, Mom made Estevan dress up, too.”

“Great.  At least I won’t be suffering alone.”

“Ha ha!  Nice hat, Travis!” Estevan, Alfonso’s little brother, called over with a giggle when he saw him.

“Ho ho ho to you too.  My mom made me wear it.”

“At least it’s not as bad as the sweater my dad came in.”  He made a face and pointed to Parker, wearing a garish over-the-top Snowflake Day sweater in honor of Tamara’s party theme.  “Want to get some cookies and go play video games?”

“Sure.”



“Emma!  I’m glad we caught you before you left,” Blair greeted her old friend.  “Tam said you were just stopping in before the play.”

“Yeah, you timed it well,” said Tamara.

“It’s great seeing you guys, too.”  Emma hugged Blair, then Cycl0n3.  “I promised some swanky Snowflake Day goodies for you guys.  I left some care packages by the tree for you to take home, too.”  She looked over at Travis.  “He’s getting tall, and whoa!  He looks more like you every day.  Except for the grumpy scowl,” she joked, while Cycl0n3 chortled.

“That’s from me, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, I’m sure.  By the way, I love your vest, Cycl0n3.  It’s so you.”

“Hardy har.  Can it, candy-cane.”

“I picked it out for him,” Blair said proudly.  “I wanted to do Tam’s theme proud.”

“That you did,” Tamara agreed with a grin.  “Yours is quite snazzy, too, I must say.”

“Thank you!”  Blair turned to Emma’s daughter, struck by how much she resembled her.  “Speaking of themes, Edna, that’s a very nice costume.  You’re a beautiful snow fairy.”

She beamed at the compliment.  “Thank you!  I’m their queen!”

“Wow!  How prestigious!  Your mom and dad must be so proud to have a royal daughter.”

“We are,” Emma replied, although her smile was a bit strained.  Blair wondered if that had anything to do with why Jared wasn’t there.  She’d noticed he wasn’t, although she wasn’t complaining about that.

Cycl0n3 noticed, too.  “Where is Jared, anyway?  He go to Gretchen’s gig?”

Emma scoffed.  “If only.  No.  He’s at the bakery, supervising last minute holiday orders.  Not that he needs to be, but whatever.  We seem to have a fundamental difference of opinion on that.”  She looked at the time.  “Edna, honey, would you mind getting our coats?  We need to head out so you’re not late.”

“Okay!”  She darted off to the bedroom where Tamara had put them, while Emma went to the kitchen to make sure everything she brought was set out.



Blair followed, concerned.  “Hey, are you all right?”

“I didn’t want to say much in front of Edna, but I’m so mad at him.  It’s bad enough he didn’t want to go to her play. Yeah, kids shows can be tedious, but still.  It’s your kid!  You go and be there for them anyway.”  She sighed.  “So I was like, if you’re skipping her play that’s only because you’re going to Gretchen’s show, right?  That I’d understand and Edna would, too.  I’d be there myself if I could be in two places at once.  Then he’s like, ‘no, then you’ll just accuse me of playing favorites,’ and we got into this big fight.  So not only is he skipping his youngest daughter’s play, but his oldest’s gig, too, and he twists it like it’s my fault and I made him do it.  What the plum is wrong with him?”

He’s a llama, and he’s always been, that’s what, Blair thought, although she didn’t say it since it would just hurt Emma.  “I’m sorry he’s being such a… poop, but you know it’s not your fault, right?”

“Yeah, but it still sucks.  I hate how he treats the girls sometimes, and how selfish he can be.  But anyway, I’m not going to dump on your Snowflake Day anymore,” she said, brightening.  “I’ve got to get Edna to the play.  You guys all have fun and have a happy Snowflake Day.  I made a cookie package for you and Cycl0n3 and Travis, and there’s also one for Chris and his family, and one for your parents and all of them over there.”



“They’ll be thrilled!  Thanks.  You know you and the girls are more than welcome to come, too, if you want.  They’re throwing a big Snowflake Day party and there’s always room for more.”

“I appreciate it, but we’re having Gretchen and Darren over for presents and dinner.  Jared’s at least going to spend Snowflake Day with his daughters and grandson if I have anything to say about it, and I don’t want Gretchen feeling like nobody cares about her.  Connor, Jamie, and Owen are coming by for presents too.  Sommer’s spending the holiday with her mom, though.”

“Give them all our best.”  Blair hugged her as Edna returned with the coats.

“You, too.  Happy Snowflake Day.”



Cycl0n3 caught up with Hank by the snack table.  “Hey, how’s it going?  How’s retirement treating you?”

“Pretty good.  Well enough to afford a top of the line ugly sweater for Tam’s party,” he replied wryly.  “She always did come up with fun off the wall ideas.”

“Hey now, no need to go into that kind of history,” Cycl0n3 joked, holding up a hand.

“I wouldn’t share those stories, not that I dated her all that long.  It was a long time ago, but a gentleman never tells.”  Hank smiled.  “We all had some good times in this place back in the day.  How have you and Blair been?  I can’t believe how grown up Travis is.”

“Ha.  I can.  You’re not hearing his smart llama mouth all day.  Freaking teenagers.”

“A big mouth?  Can’t imagine where he got that from.”

Cycl0n3 smirked.  “Ah, Blair’s not that bad.”

“Right.”  Hank chuckled.  “How’s she doing?  Parker told me about her promotion and that case she solved in Al Simhara.  That’s awesome!  She’s got a lot to be proud of.”



“She does, though I wouldn’t complain if you told her how great retirement is to put a bug in her ear about it.  She’s tough for her age, but not as invincible as she thinks.  I worry more about her every day.”

“And I take it you’ve had no luck sweet talking her into it?”

“Please, Hank.  I’m her husband.  What makes you think she’ll listen to me?”

“I’ve never made it to the altar, so I wouldn’t know.  But we both know how stubborn she can be once her mind’s made up.  I’ll give it a good pitch, but no guarantees.”

Cycl0n3 clapped him on the shoulder.  “Thanks, Muscles.  I knew I could count on you.”

“Muscles?  Ha, you haven’t called me that in years… Tornado.”

“Tornado?”  He didn’t remember that one, but Hank did.

“I can’t remember if I ever said it to you, but I called you that to her as a joke a time or two back in our early days on the force.”

“You llama.  Tell me she didn’t think it was funny and set you straight, at least.”

Hank picked up a chip, his eyes gleaming.  “She did about, oh, half the time.”

“And the other half?”

“I’m sure she laughed with all due affection,” he replied, and popped the chip in his mouth.



After Emma left, Blair chatted with Mortimer and Tamara.  “Morty!  I love the Santa hat!  But where’s your holiday sweater?”

“The Santa hat was all I could talk him into,” Tamara admonished playfully, straightening it.

“I’m in good company.  Travis is sporting one, and much more festively than I.”

Blair giggled.  “I think he’d argue with you on that, but let’s not get him started.  He’s been a real grumpy pants today.”

“I can’t throw stones.  I’ve got my moody days myself,” Mortimer admitted, although he smiled as Tamara put her arm around him and he reciprocated the gesture.  “Though not so much recently.”

“Yes, you two look very happy!  I’m so glad for you!  Tam told me you hit it off at a fundraiser.”

“She sweet-talked me into a donation and dinner.”

“We had a great time and we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

“That’s wonderful.  I guess catching that garter back at Patrick’s wedding changed your luck after all.”

Mortimer smiled.  “So it’d seem.  I heard he’s playing his first gig tonight.”



“Yup.  My parents and Orion and Iris are there with him, and Maria, of course.  Mom kind of turned colors when she heard what bar it was at, but that’s how it goes when you’re starting out.”

“Ah, poor Susan.  First the Al Simhara camp, now the bar.”

“Orion can Sim Fu any creeps in the crowd away, at least.”

“Yeah, and old Dr. Keg Stand can pick out the good juice,” Tamara joked.

“Oh, my Watcher, Tam!  Don’t tell Mom I told you that story about him.  She still gets that look when we bring it up.”

“I probably shouldn’t tell you about Patrick’s bachelor party, then.”

“Don’t worry.  Cycl0n3 already did,” Blair said with a giggle.

“Hey, nobody told me!  What did your dad do at Patrick’s bachelor party?”  Tamara eyed Mortimer curiously.  “What did you do?”

He cleared his throat and picked up his empty glass.  “Hmm, I think I need an eggnog refill.  Do either of you?”  He headed toward the kitchen.

“Oh no you don’t.  You’re not getting out of that that easily!  I want details,” Tamara insisted, hot on his heels.



After some laughs in the kitchen and a chat with Hank about retirement that was nice, but less successful in convincing her than Cycl0n3 hoped, Blair chatted with Parker and Tamara while Cycl0n3, Mortimer, and Hank polished off more cookies and eggnog.  They were engrossed in what could only be described as a bad joke contest that Cycl0n3 was winning.

“I heard Hank pitching the retirement package to you over there,” Parker said to Blair.  “I’d hate to see you leave the force, but if anyone’s earned it, you have.”

“Why does everyone want to put me out to pasture?  Right after I just proved I’ve still got it.”

“I’m sure it’s more they don’t want to see you lose it,” Tamara pointed out with a note of concern.  “You’re in your golden years, girl!  You don’t need to work so hard anymore.  Kick back and relax.  It’s great.  I can vouch for that.  I sure as plum don’t miss the day to day nonsense at City Hall.”

“You still do fundraising, though.”

Tamara shrugged.  “That’s not so much work as it is a chance to meet people and hobnob while getting taxpayers to donate to underfunded projects.  Speaking of which, your parents were really generous to the future planning fund this year.  I know part of it was probably for the tax break, but that was a fat check.  We appreciate it!”

“I’ll let them know.  But it’s not really the same with the kind of work I do.  You’re either involved, or you’re not.”



“That international smuggling ring is kaput now, though, largely thanks to you,” said Parker.  “I know you can’t go into details, but are you still on any major cases?”

“Nothing international and I will be cutting back on the travel.  I don’t like being away from my family too long, and Cycl0n3 really harps on me when he finds out anything dangerous happened.  He’s been listening to my parents too much.  I just hate to leave it all behind.  I feel like there’s so much more good that could be done, you know?”

“Yeah, but look at all the good you’ve already done.  Even if you retired today, no one would say you didn’t have a great run.”  Parker chuckled.  “Besides, you’re making me look bad, counting down the days until I can get my pension.”

“No one would say you didn’t earn yours, either.  Though the rookie girls will miss you.  I hear you still charm the uniforms off them every chance you get,” Blair teased, while Tamara chortled knowingly and Parker just grinned.

“I do.  Guilty as charged.”



Blair, Cycl0n3, and Travis were the last to leave, and they chatted with Tamara after the party wrapped up.  Blair and Cycl0n3 helped her tidy up while Travis and Estevan battled out a final round of the game they were playing over on the console.

“I have to say, the ugly outfit party was more amusing than I thought it’d be,” Cycl0n3 remarked to Tamara as they got ready to leave.  “That was fun.”

“Oh, were you dressed differently?  I couldn’t tell.”

“Ha ha ha.  You should leave the jokes to Emma.”

“So should you.  I heard some of those sad attempts at humor you and Morty and Hank were going for, but those puns of yours were the worst.”

“You’re just defending your rich boy toy because you love him,” Cycl0n3 retorted with a sarcastic face.  “Now be nice to me, or Santa will leave coal in your stocking.”

“So Santa’s a dorky old internet troll these days?  Good to know.”

Blair giggled.  “Speaking of which, we need to fill some stockings at home ourselves, and get our too-big-to-believe-in-Santa boy to bed anyway.  Otherwise, he’ll be a royal monster in the morning, even with a peppermint cocoa to kick it off.”



“Thanks for coming, guys.  I always love hanging out with you.  Reminds me of the good old days.  It’s too bad Stiles couldn’t make it.  When you see him tomorrow, tell him we missed him.”  He’d been invited, but spent Snowflake Eve with Caleb and Morgana, who went to see Esmeralda in the play.

“Will do,” Blair promised as she hugged her goodbye.  “Happy Snowflake Day, Tam.”

“You too.  And you, you big nerd.”  Tamara hugged Cycl0n3.

“Right back at you.”  He called over to Travis.  “Hey, jolly little elf!  Come on.  We’re heading out.”


Author’s Note: Originally this chapter was going to be the first half of the next chapter, but it would’ve made it too long and image heavy, so I made Tamara’s party its own installment. On the bright side, that means that a big chunk of the next chapter is already written in draft format.

[Cheezey]

Chapter 106

Snowflake Day at the Wainwrights’ was more traditional than Tamara’s party, but just as festive.  They’d been wealthy for a long time now, but Susan still loved showing off their mansion with an elegant party as much as she did back when they were newly rich.  “Happy Snowflake Day!” Blair called out cheerfully when her family arrived.  Several guests were already there, and everyone was dressed up looking their best.  “Everyone looks so nice and ritzy, especially compared to last night!  You should’ve seen it.  It was a hoot!  And because of it, today was probably the first time ever that Cycl0n3 and Travis didn’t complain about wearing suits and dress shoes.  After Tam’s party, it must’ve not seemed so bad!”  She giggled.  “Travis was so bent out of shape.  Full on teenage grumping about it.”

“I hope you got blackmail pictures,” Orion said with a grin.

“Oooh, I want to see them if you do!  Chris told us you made him wear a Santa hat!” snickered Caleb.

“I did, on both, but blackmail pictures isn’t what I’d call them, Chief Engineer.  That’s not very holiday spirit,” she admonished jokingly.  “It’s not like I’m going to show them to his girlfriend like some out of touch uncool mom.  Just his grandparents and maybe his uncles and aunts and little brother-in-law.”

Susan feigned playful offense.  “I hope that wasn’t a dig at me.  I never did anything like that to you.”

“And we have pictures of you dressed up as Princess Pretty Pony with her rainbow tail at age seven,” Boyd added with a fond smirk.

“Cycl0n3 thinks those are cute, but I’m glad you never showed him them back when I was in high school!  I would’ve died.”



Tad admired the ever-building pile of presents.  “Nice stack of loot here.  But who used the bacon wrapping paper?”  He looked at Chris.  “It was your dad, wasn’t it?”

“It was me, actually,” Chris admitted.  “But I did wrap it at their place so I could keep it secret from snooping eyes.”  He side-eyed Esmeralda playfully.

“Oooh!  The bacon box is mine?”  She knelt to examine it while Tad shook his head.

“Really?”

“Hey, it’s your fault.  You married him and made him Esme’s dad,” Patrick pointed out.  “Look at his role model.  What kind of dad humor did you expect?”

“Oh, you should talk, with Grandpa and his science puns.  Except yours’ll probably be art or music related when the time comes.”

“Which I hear might be sooner rather than later?”  Tad gave him and Maria a curious look, and she sighed melodramatically.

“Mom wasn’t supposed to say anything.  I haven’t seen the doctor yet to confirm and get an official due date.  But yes.  You’re going to be uncles soon.  Please keep it quiet, though, and don’t spoil our announcement.”

Tad rolled his eyes at her theatrics.  “Wouldn’t dream of it.  And cut her some slack.  She’s happy and didn’t think you’d mind us knowing.  Besides, you know how she is.  If you didn’t want her gushing about it, you should’ve waited to tell her, too.”

“She only told us at the house, and we won’t mention it.  She told us that, too,” Chris added.

“Yeah, Caleb and I promised not to,” Esmeralda said.

“We’re happy for you, though,” finished Tad.  “We’ve got that and Chris graduating Sims U to celebrate this Snowflake Day, even if we can only talk about one.”

“Congrats on that, by the way.  A degree and a new job make pretty sweet Snowflake Day gifts, huh, Dr. Wolff?”  Patrick high-fived him.

“They do, but when those intern hours start next week and I’m in the throes of sleep deprivation, I probably won’t feel that way.”



Plumboptimus helped keep things tidy at the party and mingled with the guests.  His social functions were always evolving and improving.  This was the first time Caleb really had a chance to interact with him, and he thought he was cool.  “You are Caleb McGraw,” Plumboptimus confirmed with a scan after not recognizing his face on sight.  Caleb had grown quite a bit since he last encountered him.  “It is a pleasure to see you again!”

“Thanks, Plumboptimus!  Do you like Snowflake Day?”

“I enjoy celebrating holidays with humans.”

“That’s cool.  Do you get presents, too?”

“There is a wrapped package assigned to me in the pile, but my creators instructed me not to open it until indicated during the festivities.  I do not know what it is in it.”

“What kind of presents do plumbots like, anyway?” Cycl0n3 asked from the rocker nearby.  “New circuits?  Batteries?  Oil changes?”

“My hydraulics and lubrication do not require changing like motorized vehicles, but I am sure it will be something useful in task utilization.”

“Ha.  For your sake, I hope they got you something cooler than the equivalent of robot socks.”

“Ew.  Nobody wants socks for Snowflake Day!” Caleb wrinkled his nose.  “Do robots even wear socks?”

“My lower appendages do not require fabric shielding from the elements,” Plumboptimus replied just before Susan called him over to clear some empty glasses from the bar.



When Miraj Alvi arrived, Patrick was surprised that Holly and their kids weren’t with him.  He’d invited them all, since Holly said they celebrated with their extended family on Snowflake Eve and were free on the holiday itself.  Even though she was his boss, Holly was also their neighbor after inheriting the Alto mansion from her parents.  He liked both her and Miraj, and his parents had been friends with her parents despite their reputation.  Blair never liked that, but Susan always pointed out that the Altos had been good friends and neighbors to them, and they wouldn’t hold the rumor mill against them.

“Hey, welcome!  Are Holly and the kids on their way?”

“I’m afraid not,” Miraj replied, somber for such a festive occasion.  “I’ve got some bad news.  She told me to go ahead and come so I could tell you and Stiles personally, since she didn’t want to say over text or the phone.”

“What happened?  Is she all right?”

“She is, yes, but Zelda’s in the hospital.  She had a heart attack early this morning and had to go straight into surgery.”  He frowned.  “It’s bad.  She barely survived the operation, but she’s in ICU and it doesn’t look good.  It’s doubtful she’ll make it.”

“Oh, my Watcher.”  Patrick could hardly believe it.  Sure, Zelda was old, but she seemed fine the last time he saw her.

“Even if by some miracle she recovers, she’ll be in no condition to go home for a long time.  Lane’s a wreck, understandably, so Holly offered to help him pack his things so he can stay with us until we know what’s going to happen.  I’d rather he stay with us than VJ.  We’ve got a lot more room and VJ’s… well, let’s just say he’s not the ideal influence for someone Lane’s age.”

“I understand.  Wow.  I’m really sorry.  What a plum thing to happen, especially on Snowflake Day.  Do you need to go?  I can tell Stiles if you want.”

“Holly told me to just stay at the party and try to relax with friends since Zelda’s got other family with her at the hospital, and she’s with the kids and Lane.  So I’ll stick around until they get back to the house.  They need the extra room in the car for Lane’s things, anyway.”

“Sure.  Let me get you something to eat and drink.  I’m sure you can use it.”

“Thanks.  That would be great.”



Blair caught up with Stiles after Miraj broke the news about Zelda to him.  “Wow.  I’m so sorry about Zelda!  That’s terrible.”

“Yeah.  I’m in shock.  She always seemed tough as nails.  I guess time catches up with all of us eventually.  She used to joke that her lifetime of hard partying would get her in the end, but I never imagined… well, you know how it is.”  He sighed wistfully.  “My bandmates are like a second family, and until Morgana and Caleb, they were my only family.  I’m glad I realized how important that is before it was too late.”  Stiles looked over at Caleb.  “Just wish I hadn’t waited so long to have one.  Sometimes I think I missed out on a lot.”

“You’re here now.  That’s what matters, and Caleb and Morgana both love you.”

“I know.  I love them, too.”  He sighed again.  “I feel for Zelda’s kid.  Poor Lane.  He’s young to lose his mom, and he lost his dad before he could even really remember him.  I’m glad he’s got his brother and Holly to go to.”

“He’s Parker’s cousin, too, isn’t he?  Zelda’s Parker’s aunt?”

“Yup.  Speaking of which, how’re they all doing?  Sorry I couldn’t see them last night, but you know.  Family.”

“They understood.  We missed you, of course, and Tam told me to tell you she hopes you’re doing well and wants to see you soon and catch up.  Emma too.  Oh, and she made you cookies.  Your box is in the kitchen.  You’re lucky, you’re getting a double helping.  She made you some, and also sent a package for Chris that I’m sure everyone over there will be enjoying.”

He chuckled.  “Won’t complain, but I suspect they won’t last long.”

“Not if they’re as good as the ones I had for breakfast this morning,” Blair agreed with a giggle.



After everyone had a chance to eat and the party was in full swing, Susan called everyone to open gifts.  “All right!  It’s present opening time!  Who wants to play Santa this year and hand them out?”

“I hear Travis made a snazzy Santa last night,” Iris suggested cheekily.

Travis considered responding with a Cycl0n3 quality quip that she should do it since she had the most experience ho-ho-ho’ing, but he didn’t want to hurt or offend her, so he refrained.  Instead he just said, “Maybe the plantsim should be the one to take that holly jolly honor.”

“Nah.  I look terrible in red hats.”

“I’ll do it,” Patrick volunteered.  “I’ve got the red hair and that’s halfway there anyway, right?”

“Looks like you’re working on the beard, too,” Susan remarked lightly.  Although she was used to Patrick’s stubbly rocker look, she still wished he’d at least shave it on formal occasions.



The children got their gifts first, and then some of the guests.  Esmeralda’s mysterious bacon box contained a remote-control car, and Caleb got a new snowboard.  Patrick handed Plumboptimus his present next.  “Here’s to not getting robot socks,” Cycl0n3 remarked as the plumbot opened the box.

It was a new chip that allowed him to recharge from solar energy, so he could stay out longer during the day if need be.  “We’ll equip it tomorrow first thing,” Susan promised after she and Boyd explained what it was.

“Have fun freezing your circuits off for twice as long while they have you out collecting stuff in the snow,” Buddy sneered, even though Plumboptimus couldn’t hear him.  “Dumb bot doesn’t realize they just made him more efficient slave labor.”

“Sounds to me like someone’s just jealous he didn’t get to open a present,” Orion muttered quietly enough that only Buddy could hear.

“Stuff it, Alien Boy!  For your information, this morning Patrick gave me a painting he made just for me, and I’m glad!  Good art helps counteract all the ugly from your face.”



“This one’s for you, Mom.”  Patrick handed her a gift and sat with Maria while she opened it.  Susan was delighted to see it was an assortment of ancient nectars and gourmet cheese and chocolate.

“We always buy the newest electronics as they come out, so there was no surprising you with that,” Boyd told her with a smile.  “So the kids and I put our heads together to come up with something you’d appreciate that you wouldn’t automatically get for yourself.”

“It’s wonderful, sweetie.  Thank you.  All of you.”  She smooched Boyd.  “Travis, would you mind passing your grandfather his gift?  Our current Santa seems to have retired.”  Patrick and Maria were exchanging private lovey-dovey gestures on the couch and he didn’t seem inclined to get back up.

“Sure.  What the heck.”  He gave both Iris and Chris a sharp look before either could comment.  “Not a word.”



Boyd was surprised by his present, too.  The whole gift didn’t fit in the box, but the manual and remotes did.  “One of the Sharper Sim recliners?  Nice!  I’ve been thinking about getting one of those, but I wasn’t sure where to put it.  I can’t wait to try it!  Neither can my poor old back.”

“It’s in the garage now, but I was thinking we could rearrange things in here to fit it,” Susan suggested.  “If we do, we won’t have to take turns on the rocker so often.”

Sitting in the high-tech recliner watching his favorite shows and movies on their giant screen TV sounded wonderful to him.  “Great!  We can do our binge-watching in comfort and style.”



The next gift was for Iris.  “Wow!  Thank you!”  She held up a new tablet, already wrapped in a tough waterproof case.  She’d had one for a while, but it was older and didn’t have the memory, storage, or capabilities that the newest model did, plus the screen was much bigger.

“It’s pre-loaded with all the apps on your old one, plus a few more things we thought you’d like,” Susan told her.

“The case should stand up to the humidity of the greenhouse and the elements to an extent, too, since we know how hard it is to keep you indoors sometimes,” Boyd added.

“Awesome!  I’ll probably take it out there tomorrow and try out the gardening app with my plants.”  Now that her turn was over, she noticed the box nearest to her had Orion’s name on it and passed it to him.  “This one’s yours.”



“Thanks.”  Orion tried to guess what it might be.  Unfortunately, the thing he wanted most for Snowflake Day—Tara back—wouldn’t come in a gift box.  It was still a nice present, however: a leather-bound hardcover book on advanced martial arts philosophy, practice, and history recently published by the Order of the Resolute Fist.  “A little light late-night reading.”  He held it up to show it off, although it felt bittersweet because it also made him think of Tara.  It was the kind of thing she’d be just as enthused about as he was.



After the presents were done, everyone but Miraj stayed to enjoy the rest of the party.  Holly and the kids were back, so he wished everyone a happy Snowflake Day and went home.  “It’s a shame he had to go, but I’m glad he could be here for a little while.  Any news on how Zelda’s doing yet?” Susan asked, and Stiles shook his head.

“Afraid not.  Still touch and go last I heard.  Pauline texted me a little while ago.  She stopped in to see her and there was no change.  Zelda’s brother-in-law and nephew were with her.  I’ll probably head over in the morning.”  He stopped short, not wanting to say what they were all thinking: If she makes it that long.

Patrick nodded.  “Yeah.  Me too.”

“I hope she’ll be okay,” Iris said.  She couldn’t imagine how Lane must feel, with his mother so close to dying on Snowflake Day and having to move in with his half-brother under the circumstances.  She felt bad for him, and if things weren’t so awkward, would’ve reached out and offered her sympathy.  Even though things were over between them, she had fond memories of being at their house, and Zelda had always been nice to her.  Her houseplants adored her, too.  Hope Lane brings them with him.  They’re losing their mom, too.

Patches stood by the fireplace nearby.  “Maybe there’ll be a Snowflake Day miracle.  And wow, I guess Lane will be living next door for a while either way…”

“Yeah,” Iris murmured softly enough that only she could hear.  “Hopefully that won’t be too weird.”



Orion chatted with Travis after presents were done.  “That was a pretty cool EMF meter you got.”

“I know!  I can’t believe Mom and Dad got Grandma and Grandpa to custom set it with the settings their paranormal research team at the lab uses.  It’ll be interesting to see if our house is haunted.”

“Do you think it is?  Did anyone die there?”

“Not as far as I know, but my parents don’t have much of a life, so that might attract something.  You never know.”

“Ha.  Just don’t whip out a Ouija board and summon anything.  I won’t be there to Sim Fu your plumbob out of trouble again.”

“Oh, hell no.  At least not without one of those banshee banishers, too!  Discovering ghosts in the wild is cool, but opening a portal to hell and inviting them to move into my house?  Not so much.  Though with that fancy new book, you might learn some new moves that could work on ghosts if they’re solid manifestations.”

“Maybe I should teach some to you so you can defend yourself.”

Travis chortled sarcastically.  “What, you running so low on sparring partners that you want to scrape the bottom of the barrel with me?”  He realized only after he saw the look on Orion’s face that in his self-deprecation, he’d inadvertently reminded him about Tara.  “Sorry.  I didn’t mean… plum.  I wasn’t trying to be like Dad there.  I just meant I suck at that kind of thing.  And how Chris will probably be too busy, and he and Tad aren’t nearly as good as you anyway.  Tad’s not even as good as Chris, and you know how graceful his moves aren’t.”

“It’s fine.  Don’t worry about it.”  Orion gestured to the meter.  “Did you test it here?”

“You mean like did it pick up Buddy or Patches or the gnomes or random wandering ghosts?  Nope.  Not for the little while I had it on.  But Grandma and Grandpa said the spirit dolls and gnomes won’t register on it, and there were no signs of other spirits.  Just lots of old people who move so slow you’d think they were dead.”  He gestured to a roadblock of Boyd, Cycl0n3, and Morgana bottlenecking in the kitchen archway as they slowly made their way back into the living room.

“Nobody needed a meter to detect that, though.”



Ever since Maria found out that her mother told Tad, Chris, and the kids about her pregnancy, she debated making an informal announcement now, before anyone else could find out through the grapevine.  She suspected her mom probably also told Stiles, but he didn’t let on if he knew.  Still, all it would take was one of them making some offhand remark without thinking, and everyone would find out anyway, and her thunder would be stolen and their big announcement ruined.

Patrick wasn’t as concerned about that, but he still wanted those closest to him to hear it from them and not the rumor mill.  His parents, and probably Blair, would be hurt otherwise, and it was only right that they tell Thornton themselves, too.  Before they opened presents, Morgana assured Maria she hadn’t told him.  “I’m sorry, honey.  I didn’t think you’d mind just them knowing, especially since they knew something was up and asked me.  I didn’t want to lie to them, and Tad would’ve guessed anyway.”

“All right, but please don’t say anything to anyone else until I do!” Maria declared dramatically.  Morgana agreed, but Maria wasn’t taking any more chances.  After the gift opening, she and Patrick decided to tell their immediate family members.



They gathered Boyd, Susan, Thornton, and Morgana by the bar.  Their siblings, Cycl0n3, Chris, Caleb, and Esmeralda were in earshot, but none of the other guests were.  Maria straightened while Patrick stood by her side.  “We’ve got something to tell you, but please keep it between us right here.  Patrick and I are having a baby.  You’re all going to be grandparents… again!”

Patrick grinned happily.  “Pretty cool Snowflake Day gift, huh?”

“But please don’t say anything to anyone,” Maria emphasized.  “I want to get an official due date from the doctor first.  This is just a little heads up since we know you’d want to be the first to know before someone else tells you.”  Morgana didn’t seem to mind that remark, but Tad and Chris both rolled their eyes at her assuming they’d immediately start gossiping about her if not ordered to refrain.

“And so you’d know why she’s taking it a little easy,” added Patrick.



“Of course.  Oh, that’s wonderful!” Susan gushed.

“Congratulations!  What a great surprise,” Boyd said, although he wasn’t that surprised considering he and Susan knew they were trying.  They were thrilled for them, though, and excited for a new grandchild even if one coming from Patrick made them feel positively ancient.

“I’m so happy for you both.  I can’t wait to meet my first grand-baby,” Morgana said, then looked at Esmeralda.  “Not to say you’re not my first grandchild, but I didn’t know you as a baby.”

“I didn’t take it that way.  I want to meet the baby, too!  I’ll have a new cousin!”

“And I’ll be an uncle already,” Caleb added enthusiastically.

“It’s a big duty.  Just ask Chris how I always had to keep him in line,” Patrick teased, while Chris scoffed.

“Please!  I was always better behaved than you, and you couldn’t even keep Travis in line.  Or Iris and the Sim Fu Mummy Slayer…”

Since Chris beat him to the punch, Cycl0n3 offered his congratulations without any additional snark.  He wondered if so many years with Blair had mellowed him, or if he was just feeling the holiday spirit.  “Good luck.  Can’t wait to meet the little ensign.”

Blair hugged them both.  “Congratulations, you two!  How exciting!  Don’t hesitate to ask old Aunt Blair for anything!”

Orion and Iris congratulated them as well, as did Thornton.  “Congratulations.  I can tell you’re very happy.”

Maria hadn’t been sure what to expect from her father.  While he’d never made a secret of the fact that he didn’t particularly like children, a part of her refused to believe he’d feel that way about her baby, despite how he’d treated both her and Tad as children, and his attitude back when Tad adopted Esmeralda.  But Esmeralda’s situation was different, and he was never overtly rude or cold to her or Caleb.  Besides, her baby was his flesh and blood grandchild, her child, and he’d treated her better in his old age…  “We are, Dad.”  She gave him a meaningful look that.  “I hope you are, too?”

“Of course.  I wish you all the best.”  Truthfully, Thornton didn’t relish the idea of spending much time around a crying, diaper-soiling newborn, but he wasn’t heartless.  Maria’s baby was his grandchild, and she and Patrick were at the stage in life where having children was typical if one desired them.  If that was what she wanted, then he was happy for her, as long as he wasn’t required to babysit.

“Thank you.  I’m glad.”  Maria brightened again to bubbly happiness.  “We want our baby to be as important a part of your lives as he or she’ll be to ours.”



After the party wound down and the guests left, Patrick and Maria smooched under the mistletoe and enjoyed a quiet moment by the tree.  Everyone else was upstairs for the night, except for Plumboptimus, who was cleaning up, and it was just the two of them.

Patrick admired the festive glow of the lights on the tree in contrast to the frosted window and the snow outside.  “It’s always a bummer when Snowflake Day is over.  Tomorrow this will all get packed away again.  No more holiday spirit, no more lights.  Just muddling through the rest of winter until spring comes.”

“But with spring comes new life to look forward to.”  Maria put her hand on her belly, and Patrick smiled as he put his over hers.

“It’s going to be cool.  Being parents.  Wow.”

“I think we can handle it.  I love you so much.”  She leaned closer to him, and they embraced.  He held her by the tree, enjoying the last moments of Snowflake Day together.

“I love you too, baby.  Happy Snowflake day.”



After the party, Boyd and Susan chatted while getting ready for bed.  “So, it’s official.  Another grandchild on the way.  It’s been a while since we had a baby in the house.  Think we’ll be able to keep up?”

“Don’t remind me how old we are, Boyd,” Susan replied with a chuckle.  “Besides, diaper duty and toddler chasing is all on Patrick and Maria this time, except when we help out.  Plum can do a lot of that, too.”

“Wish we’d had him to empty the old diaper pails for us back in the day.”

“We’ll also have to talk to them about renovating for a nursery.  Iris is still in the room that was hers, Orion’s, and Patrick’s.  We gave Patrick the guest room and had to build one for Orion.”

“Who hopefully won’t move out too soon after his birthday.”  Although Boyd would worry about any of his children going out on their own for the first time—he certainly had with Blair, and he had plenty of anxious moments while Patrick was at Sims U, too—Orion’s alien secret made the thought of him moving out incredibly nerve-wracking.  Susan shared his concerns to an extent, but she understood that the day would come whether they liked it or not.  While he and Iris would always be welcome to live there if they wanted, Orion was too independent to stay there forever, especially with Patrick raising his own family there.

“Not for a little while, anyway.”  They convinced Orion some time ago not to go away to Sims U and to get his higher education locally.  At the time, his relationship with Tara made that an easy sell, and despite breaking up, he hadn’t changed his mind.  That gave them some time, at least, to figure out how best to set him and his alien tech like the Galaxa up somewhere safely when the time came that he did want to move out.  “And it gives them another babysitter.  Orion and Iris will probably have almost as much fun with the baby as we will.  And Auntie Blair and Uncle Cycl0n3, of course.”

“Not to mention Granny Morgana, Tad, Chris, and the rest of them.  The baby certainly won’t lack for family.”

“Funny when you think about how little our family was when we had Blair.”  Susan became wistful.  “Mine all gone, you an only child and your parents passing when she was just a little girl…”

“Things have changed a lot over the years.  For the better, crazy as it’s been at times.”

“Definitely for the better.”  She reached for her nightgown and kissed him.  “Now let’s snuggle up under that comforter for a nice warm end to another wonderful Snowflake Day.”

Boyd kicked off his shoes and picked up a pair of reindeer socks he received as a gag gift in his stocking.  “Just as soon as I get on my new lucky Snowflake Day socks.”

Susan chortled as he put the ridiculous things on.  “Well, I didn’t marry you for your fashion sense.”



Iris already changed for bed, but she stared out the window at the falling snow.  “Ugh, now that Snowflake Day is over, all that snow can just go… north for the rest of winter!”

“You used to like it,” said Patches.

“I like it when it’s pretty and falling, and how when winter first starts, it’s kind of new.  Walking around in it or tossing snowballs is fun until I get too cold. But that trip to Egypt really reminded me I’m much more of a summer bloom.”  She stared at the park, at the frozen pond and the trees and grass blanketed in snow.  “It is beautiful, though.”

Patches agreed.  “And maybe the unicorn will come back when the grass does.”

“I hope so.  We haven’t seen her since winter came.”  The holiday lights on the Landgraab mansion caught her eye.  “Guess those will be gone like ours will be soon, too.  They make the snow even prettier.”  She looked in the other direction where the Alvi, formerly Alto, mansion was also lit up, and thought about how Lane was there now.

Her phone beeped with a text notification, and she went to the nightstand and picked it up.  It was from Lester.  “He wants to know if I want to go with him to the Prism studio tomorrow to try out his new glass.  That stuff from Monte Vista still hasn’t come, but his parents got him some new stuff for Snowflake Day.”

“Well, at least you won’t be cold by the ovens.”

“Nope.  I’ll be roasted instead,” she said wryly.  “Good thing my new tablet’s case was designed for weather extremes.”  She fluffed her leaf-hair and wrote him back that it was a date with a smoochy heart emoji.  “The things I put up with for love…”



As usual, Orion was up and about long after everyone else in the house was in bed.  Even Plumboptimus was recharging, and Buddy, Patches, and the gnomes all seemed to be taking a post-Snowflake Day rest as well.  He meditated for a little while, and then read some of his new book, but shortly before dawn, he sensed something off.

A disturbance in the force, he thought, a reference which might have amused him for being geeky enough to do his parents proud, if it wasn’t so unsettling.  The disturbance he sensed, though, was a presence.  Not a supernatural one like Travis hoped to find with his meter, but a live one.  Someone on the property.  A prowler.

He couldn’t see anything through the frosted window and falling snow, so he ran up to the rooftop deck.  That was when he saw him—a male figure lurking by the greenhouse, wearing a dark outfit and a helmet.  Orion’s eyes went wide behind his sunglasses.  Not a prowler, or a robber.  A Golden Llama.  He knew it without even having to look twice.  He sensed that, too.

What the plum is one of them doing here?!

He was both anxious and a little excited.  He’d always been curious about them, even before Tara told him about Wilbur’s likely involvement, but he didn’t like the idea of them lurking on their property.  The Golden Llamas supposedly only targeted criminals, and even though no one in his family was doing anything shady enough to warrant their attention, there was plenty he, and certainly his parents, would rather they not discover.  He didn’t know what the Golden Llamas might be looking for, but he was going to find out before they did.



Orion raced down the three floors to the patio in record time, and even though he couldn’t see the Golden Llama, he could sense him.  He also sensed that the Golden Llama knew someone from the house came outside, but he thought he was stealthy enough that he hadn’t been seen yet.

He was wrong, and Orion took advantage of that as he silently made his way to the gate the Golden Llama was creeping toward.  When he got close, Orion leapt over it and confronted him.

“I don’t know why you’re here or what you’re after, but you need to leave,” he warned, straightening with steely resolve as he faced the helmeted figure.  “Now.”

[Cheezey]

Chapter 107

“Orion Wainwright.  Interesting it’s you that came out here.”  The Golden Llama was startled, but not fazed by the unexpected confrontation. 

He was familiar, even with the helmet obscuring all but his jawline and something mechanically altering his voice.  Wilbur.  Freaking plum, Tara was right.  Orion wished he was surprised, but he’d believed her.  The only surprising part was that he was there at his house as a Golden Llama and speaking to him that way.  Why am I interesting?  It was difficult to glean his thoughts while watching for him to make any sudden moves.  Especially since Wilbur didn’t project emotion like his sister, and Orion didn’t know him nearly as well.  “Didn’t look to me like you were expecting anyone.”

“Your robot or an alarm, maybe, or cops if someone called.  But I had a feeling if someone did come out… it’d be you.”

“Maybe because I’m the one with a blue belt in martial arts?”

“More because there are a lot of weird things about your family, and a bunch of them involve you,” he replied, staring him down.  “What are you doing out here?  You’re a kid, or the next closest thing.  Normal people don’t use their teenagers as a security system, especially ones as rich as the Wainwrights.  That’s pretty weird, and it’s not the only thing.  About them or you.”

“I’m old enough to take care of myself, and my parents don’t use me for anything.  In fact, they’d flip their plumbobs if they knew I was doing this.  I came out because there was some weirdo lurking in my yard, and I wanted to know who and why.  You’re lucky it was me who saw you and not them.”



“Why?  What would they do?”  His tone had an accusatory note that Orion didn’t like.

“What do you think they’d do?  Fire off some lasers or a death ray to nuke you or something?  You’re wrong!  They’re not like that.  They’re good people and they wouldn’t hurt anyone.  They’d have called the police, probably my sister.  The one who caught your friend Leighton Sekemoto,” he retorted.  “Why are you here?  My family’s not criminals.  You should be after someone who actually deserves it.  Just leave, and I won’t call the cops, this time.”  Or even tell Mom and Dad, because I don’t want Dad panicking himself into a heart attack over Golden Llamas spying on us.

“Nothing to see here, move along?  I should just take your word that nothing shady is going on?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”  Is it because I broke Tara’s heart?  Did she tell you I couldn’t be trusted?  Orion knew she hadn’t betrayed his secret, but he had no idea what she told her family about their breakup.

“Because there’s a lot about you and your family that doesn’t make sense.  There’s eccentric and then there’s downright weird and maybe even dangerous.  I wonder how you noticed me from inside before I even got inside the fence.  That’s some pretty sensitive security.  Outstanding’s not even that thorough, and they are law-evading criminals.”

“My parents are scientists.  Them having high-tech security surprises you?” Orion scoffed.

“Let’s talk about that tech.  Like that machine in the yard, or whatever’s on the roof under a tarp that drones can’t identify.  What is that stuff?”

“You’re sending drones to our roof?”  Oh, Watcher, glad Dad didn’t hear that!  Orion could only imagine how he’d react to drones buzzing around the Galaxa.  He was glad it had Sixam cloaking technology in idle mode, even under the tarp.

“A roof you spend a lot of time on.  It’s pretty cold for stargazing, yet you’re out there an awful lot.”

Orion frowned.  “I like astronomy.  Didn’t your drone notice the telescope?”

“At all hours, even on school nights?  It’s almost like you don’t even sleep.  And that’s not the only weird thing about you.  How about your adoption records?  All sealed and confidential, with dates that if you check them, show they were rushed through way faster than typical, signed off by a late magistrate now known to be an illicit crime lord.”



Orion was shocked and upset by that, not only because they violated his privacy and came dangerously close to finding out they were fudged, but also because they were suspicious of him in the first place.  He resented having to keep his origin secret, but he still did.  He didn’t flaunt his alien abilities and he lived what he thought was a pretty normal human lifestyle.  “You looked up my birth records?!  What the plum!  Why?”

“Because we’re curious what exactly your rare condition is, and why all your parents’ research on it is under wraps and top secret.  Why is that?  What is it?”

“None of your business, is what it is,” Orion retorted angrily.

“Another non-answer, just like your parents always give, too.  Which is why we wonder about it, and whether it affects more than your looks and voice.”

“What, you think I’m crazy or something?  Unstable?  Dangerous?”

“Are you?  Because it’s pretty strange how you don’t seem to be afraid of anything.  You ride around town on a motorcycle in the ice and snow when most people don’t even want to go out in all-wheel drive.  Witnesses said you barely flinched and just walked off when that meteor crashed out of the sky right in front of you.  And here you are now, in the dead of night when most people are asleep, confronting me—a so-called public enemy who could easily pound you into next week—talking plum like some tough guy instead of calling the police or your parents.”

“Taking me down wouldn’t be as easy as you think.  Guess you missed the part where I said, ‘blue belt in martial arts’?”  And that’s without my powers or the experience whooping a mummy’s plumbob, he added silently.



“Martial arts aren’t everything.  Do yourself a favor and don’t find that out the hard way.”

“Right.  You should take your own advice.  And for the record, I’m out here talking to you and not calling your bluff because I respect what you guys try to do.”  And because Tara doesn’t want anything bad to happen to you, either. “My parents don’t.  They’d just as soon see you all rot in jail after what Blair went through dealing with you guys.  But they’re not criminals, and neither am I.  Since you like checking records so much, go on and look!  Then back off and leave us alone.  We’re not bothering anyone and haven’t hurt anyone!”

He gave him a pointed look through his visor.  “That meteor came pretty close.”

“Wait.  You think my parents did that?  With what, their big experimental satellite projection station?”  He pointed to the most obvious piece of equipment on the property, their build of the Sims University science project that was out in the yard.  Boyd and Susan still collaborated with scientists from the university on it as a side project sometimes.

“Are you saying someone else brought it down?”

“I’m saying you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, and you should leave.  That stuff can’t even do that, and my parents aren’t mad scientists nuking the town with space rocks, or anything else crazy you’re thinking.”

“Then what are you trying so hard to keep me away from?”

“Trespassing on our private property and breaking or screwing up my parents’ scientific equipment because you don’t know what the hell you’re doing!”

He looked through the gate, dubious.  “Even if I go, this isn’t over.  We’ll be keeping an eye on you, and when we find out what exactly you are up to here… we will be back.”



Orion eyed him defiantly.  “No.  I don’t think you will… Wilbur.”

He took a step back, shocked, but tried to deny it.  “I don’t know who you’re—”

“Oh, cut the llama load.  We both know exactly who you are, Wilbur Keaton.  I was with Tara long enough to recognize you even with half your face under a helmet and using some stupid voice changer.  Especially after I just saw you on stage with my brother last night.  So get off your high horse, or llama, whatever, and leave.  Unless you want Penny and everyone else to find out exactly what you’re doing when you’re out all night.”  Although he promised Tara he wouldn’t tell anyone Wilbur was a Golden Llama, Wilbur didn’t know that.  “Yeah, I overheard her complaining to Maria about that at the bar.  She’s pretty fed up, you know.  Girlfriends don’t like being jerked around.”



He glowered at him.  “Speaking from experience?  Is that why Tara dumped you?”

“If she didn’t tell you, I guess she doesn’t think that’s any of your business, either.”

“What I think is it devastated her!  I don’t know what the hell happened between you, but it must’ve been pretty bad.  My parents told me how upset she was the night you broke up.  It was the same night the meteor came down, and when they told me, I couldn’t help but think how close she came to being hit by it, being here with you that night.  How messed up it was that the breakup was lucky since she only ended up heartbroken instead of killed or hurt.  Holly told me you were right where it fell.”

“And you think we had something to do with that?” Orion retorted incredulously.  “That someone here summoned a meteor to hit her after we broke up, way after she left?  Seriously?  Wow.  Their aim and timing really sucks.”

“I never said they were after her.  I said she could’ve been hurt if she was here.”



If she was still here, that meteor never would’ve come down, Orion thought sourly.  “Well, she was long gone by then, and even if my parents could just drop a meteor out of the sky, why would they do it here?  The lab’s got nothing but woods behind it.  A lot better site than practically on their front lawn, or the freaking mayor’s,” he argued with a vague gesture in the direction of the Landgraab mansion.  “Like I told you, they’re not the kind of people that’d hurt anyone.  You guys must’ve really cleaned the town up if this is the most suspicious crap you can come up with.  Maybe I should tell Blair, so she retires.  That’d make Mom and Dad happy.”  He stepped back and pushed open the gate.  “Just go home, Wilbur.  Go tell Penny you love her and Rodrigo.  Maybe you’ll get a happier ending than I did with Tara—who I’d die before I’d ever hurt on purpose, for the record.”

Standing stiffly in the snow, Wilbur stared back at him.  “Well, once she goes off to study martial arts in Shang Simla after graduation, you won’t have to worry about that.”

That cold surprise made the wintry chill feel even harsher.  “I guess not.”  Oh, Tara, why didn’t you mention or think that loud enough for me to hear when you blasted me with everything else at the bar?  He wondered how and when he’d have found out if Wilbur hadn’t told him.  Was she planning to tell him, or would he have just read it on SimBook or heard it through the grapevine?  She didn’t owe him any goodbyes, but it still made his heart ache anyway.

“All right.  I’ll go,” Wilbur said after a tense moment of consideration.  “Did you mean what you said about not telling anyone?”

“Yeah.  As long as you guys leave us alone and stop poking around our property and our business, I’ll keep what happened here tonight between us.”  He paused, his hand on the gate.  “I’d rather be a friend than an enemy.  Like I said, I respect what you’re trying to do, even if you’re way off looking at us like that.  And you never know.  A weirdo like me might be able to help you someday.”  He gave him a parting look.  “If you tell Tara you ran into me, tell her I said good luck in Shang Simla.  I’m sure she’ll learn a lot there.”  While I try to learn how to finally let her go, Orion thought, musing as Wilbur disappeared into the night without another word that maybe it ran in the family.



The following evening, blissfully unaware of Orion’s run-in with a Golden Llama in their yard the night before, Boyd enjoyed his new recliner in front of the TV while a restless Maria tried to relax in the rocking chair.  She’d been feeling off all day, unable to focus or get comfortable, and chalked it up of the early stages of pregnancy.  She had a book in her lap, but she couldn’t get into that, either, which was unusual because normally she loved to read.  She sighed as she rocked, and Boyd looked over.  “You all right?”

“I can’t get comfortable.  I guess that spaghetti and pie I ate didn’t agree with me.”

“The baby’s putting in weird orders with cravings, huh?”

“Did that happen to Susan when she was pregnant?  My mom never said much about it.  I remember her ordering a bunch of Mexican takeout once when she was pregnant with Caleb, but that’s it.”

“Sometimes.  She took up cooking when she was pregnant with Patrick, and she made a few… interesting dishes.  But back when she had Blair, it was more whatever she could keep down.  Mashed potatoes, chips, crackers, stuff like that.”  He chuckled.  “I think I take the prize for weird cravings.  When I was… well, with Orion, even though I didn’t know, I was a bottomless pit.  Ate constantly.  One night I inhaled almost an entire tray of lemon cobbler and at least twenty mozzarella sticks.  Several of them spread with the peanut butter left on the table.”

“That sounds…”

“‘Revolting’ is how Susan put it, when she caught me polishing it off.”  He changed the channel to check the weather during a commercial.  “Oh, good.  That snowstorm’s going north.  It’ll be clear tonight.”

“Full moon,” she noted as the weather summary came up.  “Bet that’ll look pretty on the snow.”

“Maybe you could paint it.”  Maria had been talking about how she wanted to paint more in her free time as a break from the stress of writing.

“Only if Patrick’s done ice sculpting in there.  That chainsaw is so annoying and loud.  It hurts my ears.”  She sighed again and stood.  “But maybe I’ll see how he’s coming along.”



He was about halfway done.  His ice block was shaped distinctly like a mermaid, but still lacked detail.  “She’s pretty.”

“Thanks.  Got the idea after Buddy complained he couldn’t punt Orion’s gnome into the pool because it was frozen, and I said the only water not frozen right now is the ocean and even the mermaids were probably freezing in it.  Then it hit me, why not make an ice mermaid?”

“For the record, I’d still like to put that gnome out to sea,” Buddy chimed in from behind them.  “I caught it creeping around the coffee pot.  Probably peed in it.  Your mom said the coffee tasted nasty this morning.”

“So, I guess you’ll be in here a while, then,” Maria said.

“Too loud for you to write or paint, huh?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure I could focus anyway.  I’ve felt restless and weird all day.”

Patrick set the chainsaw aside.  “Is it because of the baby?  Are you okay?”

“Probably.  I guess.  I’ll see if I can nap or read in the bedroom.”

“I hope you feel better.”  He smooched her, and she smiled.

“Thanks.  Good luck with your icy Ariel.”

“Maybe that’s what I’ll call her when she’s done.”

“I’d call her Marine Maria, because the land version sure turns into an ice queen when you tick her off,” Buddy quipped.

Patrick just gave him a look that was partly amused and partly an eye roll as he picked his chainsaw back up and Maria headed upstairs.



A little while later, Orion took a break from practicing his board breaking to get a snack.  He passed by Patrick on the way to the kitchen, where he was now chiseling fine detail onto the mermaid’s face by hand.  “Wow.  Cool mermaid.  No pun intended.”

“Ha.  Thanks.”  He noticed Orion was still in his uniform.  “How’s the timber terminating going?”

“Actually, I graduated to stone today.  Broke my first one,” he said proudly.

Patrick was impressed.  “Stone?  Wow!  That’s awesome.  Next time we go spelunking in a tomb, you won’t even need a pickaxe.”

“They’re not that thick, but it’s a start.”  The run-in with Wilbur the night before left him wanting to train harder, in case he ever did have to tangle with a misguided Golden Llama.  “I needed to blow off some steam anyway.”

Patrick set his tools down and went over to him.  “Why?  What happened?”

“I found out that Tara’s going to Shang Simla to study martial arts after we graduate.”

“Oh.  I’m sorry.  I know you were hoping maybe you might…”

“Yeah, well, obviously not.  Just wish she’d told me herself.  We’re still kind of friends, or something.”

“Who’d you hear it from?”

“Something Wilbur said,” he replied, then changed the subject before Patrick could ask when he ran into Wilbur.  “Speaking of which, how are things going with the band and Zelda?”

“My band’s fine, but Zelda’s not.  She’s in a coma now, and they don’t think she’s coming out.  So Holly and Stiles and Pauline are going in all directions while everyone’s, well, basically grieving and waiting.  We’re picking up some of the slack.  I’m going in tomorrow to take care of some stuff at the theater, and Gretchen’s there tonight.  Wilbur’s supposed to help us out for a few hours both days.  Though I’m sure Penny’s thrilled about that.  Maria told me she’s already fed up with him for blowing her off for other plum all the time, and before all this happened, he told me he was spending some of the holiday downtime with her and their kid.”

When he’s not spying on us, anyway, Orion thought, but he kept that to himself.  He wondered if Patrick ever suspected anything about Wilbur, but it didn’t seem like it.  “He must be busy.”

“I just hope it’s not because he’s getting busy with someone else behind her back.  He doesn’t really seem the type, but you never know.  And in a town like this, that kind of thing always gets noticed sooner or later, no matter how subtle you try to be.  Gretchen sure as plum never mastered it.  She was all over that agent from Bridgeport that was here last week even though she said she and Julius got back together or something.”



Upstairs, Maria couldn’t nap or read in the bedroom, either, so she got up again around dusk.  She paced in the hall, restless and anxious, and ended up staring out a window to watch the horizon as the moon rose.  It was only after she stood there a while that she realized she completely zoned out staring at it.  She couldn’t even remember what she’d been thinking about.  But now she felt weird and jittery, so she went into the bathroom and studied her reflection in the mirror.  Was she getting sick?  Was she going through some weird pregnancy side effect?  Why did she feel so off?

And then, suddenly, it got worse.  Her whole body started to shake from the inside, and her stomach tied itself in knots.  It wasn’t nausea or anxiety exactly, but more like being on edge amped up to an uncomfortable degree.  She closed her eyes as her ears started ringing and her skin began to itch.  The room now felt unbearably hot and stuffy.  Her heart pounded, her pulse quickened, and her breathing came hard, almost like she was in the throes of a high fever.

“What… what’s happening to—?”



She couldn’t even get out the last of what she was muttering before the physical sensations became too intense, and her words slurred into a squeal that turned into a scream… and then a primal howl.

It was like her body was on fire, but it wasn’t.  The heat was inside, bursting forth, and she contorted involuntarily.  Her fingers curled and twisted, and it felt like they were growing.  Her nails thickened and lengthened, and her skin prickled with the same heat, like an itch gone wild, as hair suddenly grew out of it everywhere.  Her jaw clenched and twisted as even her face began change.



And then, as her howling scream ended, Maria lurched forward with an aggressive snarl, baring her newly grown teeth and claws.



Patrick, Orion, and Buddy all heard her screaming downstairs in the study.  “Was that Maria?”

“I think so,” Orion said, while Buddy looked up at the ceiling.

“Uh-oh.”

In a mad dash for the stairs, Patrick shoved past Orion, who followed right behind him.



When they got to her, she was emerging from the bathroom, and they froze in shock.  “Maria?”  Patrick’s voice rose on a panicked note.  “Baby?”

“Holy plum on a stick,” murmured Orion.

They could hardly believe their eyes or process what they were seeing.  It was like Maria had become an animalistic caricature of herself.  Hunched over, she sniffed at the air, letting out little grunts and growls.  “Maria…?”



With a feral snarl and a leap, moving faster than either of them would’ve ever expected, Maria rushed at Patrick.  She sniffed him, much like a high-strung dog might an intruder it didn’t immediately recognize.  Patrick stiffened, startled, frightened, and worried, desperately trying to comprehend what was happening as he saw her changed face, the hair on her body, and her sharp claws and teeth up close.  “Maria, baby?  It’s me, it’s… oh, plum, what happened to you?”

“Don’t make any sudden moves,” Orion warned.  He couldn’t read any distinct thoughts, but Maria radiated a sense of wild disorientation full of aggression and fear.

She sniffed at Patrick’s shoulder and neck, and he tried to stay still while making sense of it.  “It’s me, Maria.”  She shoved her nose practically against his ear, less aggressive now, but still disturbingly animalistic.  “Patrick.  Your Paddy-cakes.”  He tentatively put a hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed a bit more, and looked at him, panting.  “What happened to you?”

“Do you think she got into one of the alchemy potions in the basement?  Because she kind of seems like—”

“A freaking werewolf?  Yeah.”  Patrick remembered her ranting at Sims U about how the sorority rejected her because of the crazy story that her relative who’d been in it had supposedly been a werewolf.  But she said that wasn’t true and didn’t believe it herself…

Orion glanced at the window.  “It is a full moon.”



“But she’s never…”  Except in Egypt that night she sleepwalked out of camp, he remembered.  There was a full moon that night, too.  Confused and worried, Patrick patted Maria’s shoulder and tried to figure out what to do.  “Maria, please… Plum!  Can you even understand me?”

She shoved her face against his and grabbed him, scratching him lightly, but he hardly noticed.  “Patrick.”  It came out as a barely coherent growl.

“That’s right.”  He was glad she was at least that cognizant.  He stroked her upper arm and gently reached for her hand.  “It’s me, baby.  You’re—you’re going to be okay.  Can you tell me what happened?”



That was when the rest of the household showed up, pretty much all at once.  Buddy came through the door behind Orion, while Iris and Patches came out of her room, and Boyd and Susan came up from the living room with Plumboptimus behind them.

“Holy freaking plum!” Iris gasped when she saw Maria.

“What the…?!”  Susan was struck speechless, while Boyd just stood there, his mouth gaped open.

“Don’t move, any of you!”  Patrick tightened his grip on Maria’s arm and tried to keep her calm by petting her shoulder.  She turned and jerked in their direction, but stayed in his grasp.  “Don’t scare her!”

“Patrick, what the hell happened?” asked a horrified Boyd.

“She looks like a werewolf,” said Iris.

“I think she is,” Patches agreed.

“But how?” Susan asked, concerned and disconcerted.  “That’s very rare and almost never seen outside of communities like Moonlight Falls and some places overseas.”



Boyd took a steadying breath and tried not to completely freak out that his pregnant daughter-in-law somehow transformed into a feral supernatural beast that could attack any of them, especially Patrick, at any moment.  “Nothing like this has ever happened to her before?!”

“No!  Of course not!  Don’t you think I’d have noticed if this happened?”

“Okay.  Just asking.”  He took a cautious step closer.  “Werewolves usually start transforming as young children.  Not at her age.”

“Has she tried any weird elixirs from the shop or anything?” Susan asked.

“We wondered if she got into something in the basement,” Orion said, while Boyd couldn’t help but notice her eyeing them all warily and twitching like she wanted to break loose despite Patrick’s attempts to keep her calm.

“No.  We don’t have any lycanthropy potions down there.”

“The weirdest thing I’ve seen her drink is a kale health smoothie,” Patrick said as Maria lurched toward them, growling lightly.  He tightened his grip, stroked her hair, and murmured to her.  “Shhh.  Hey.  It’s okay.  Relax.  You know them.  It’s us.  Family.  Nobody’s going to hurt you.”

“That’s right.”  Susan spoke softly as she took another step forward.  “We just want to help.”

But Maria was too agitated, and when Susan moved, Maria broke free and lunged at her.  “No!”  Patrick tried to grab her, but she was too fast.  Boyd screamed and reached for Susan, while she and Iris both shrieked.  Buddy and Patches both moved to help, but Orion beat them to the punch.  Focusing as hard as he could, he put his hand to his forehead and hit her with a quick bio-drain.



It worked, and Maria dropped to the floor, unconscious.

“Maria!”  Patrick spun around.  “Did you just freaking bio-drain her?!”

“She was going after Mom!  Sorry!  I had to!”

“Maria?”  Patrick knelt beside her as Orion came over.

“It was only enough to knock her out.  I didn’t want to tackle her or use martial arts.  I didn’t want to hurt her or the baby.”

Upset, Patrick cradled Maria’s head and looked up at his family in a panic.  “What’s this doing to them?  She’ll turn back, right?  If she’s a werewolf, it only lasts through the full moon?  And the baby, is this hurting it?”



“I hope they’ll be okay,” Iris murmured, while Boyd and Susan exchanged looks.

“We’ve never met any actual werewolves before, but that’s generally how it works,” said Susan.

“Though this isn’t a typical case,” Boyd added.  “She’s never transformed before, so we need to find out why.  If she was bitten, or had some elixir, and when.  And I have no idea what data there even is out there on pregnant werewolf women, let alone ones who were turned while pregnant.”

Patrick grew more agitated.  “Should we take her to the hospital?”

Susan pulled out her phone.  “Let’s call Morgana first.  I doubt Sacred Spleen has dealt with many werewolves, and she’s a doctor.  She’ll want to know what’s going on, anyway.”



By the time Morgana got there, Maria was resting in bed, sleepy but drifting in and out of consciousness.  “Oh, my Watcher!”  She rushed over as soon as Susan called, but even though she’d warned her about the state her daughter was in, she wasn’t fully prepared for it.  “Oh, sweetheart…”

“Your mom’s here,” Patrick told Maria softly from beside her on the bed.  She opened her eyes briefly, and Morgana was startled at their ethereal yellow glow, but leaned over anyway.

“It’ll be all right.  We’re going to figure this out.  You just relax.”  She stroked her hair, amazed and horrified at how the transformation had changed Maria’s features.  “Just rest and take it easy.”

Maria rolled and sniffed at her mother’s hand.  “Mom.”  Her voice still had the same growl-like undertone, but it was not aggressive and obviously tired.

“That’s right.  We’re going to take care of you.”

She seemed comforted by that and closed her eyes, drifting off into a light sleep again.



“How long has she been like this?”

“Since this evening.  Moonrise, basically,” Patrick told her.  “She was alone up here when we heard her screaming and found her like this.”

“And very wild,” added Susan.  “She was obviously agitated and disoriented.  She came after me when I startled her and barely calmed down for Patrick.  She seems to recognize us, but I don’t think she’s fully aware of her surroundings or what’s going on.”

“She said she wasn’t feeling right, that’s why she came up here.  To lie down,” said Patrick.

Boyd nodded.  “She said pretty much the same to me this afternoon while we were watching TV.  She couldn’t get comfortable.  Felt restless.  We had no idea…”  He frowned with concern.  “As far as we know, nothing like this has ever happened to her before.  Has it?”

“No, usually her beastly behavior just involves a lot of yelling as a plain old human,” Buddy quipped, although his sarcasm held a note of genuine concern.

“There was the sleepwalking thing in Egypt,” Patrick pointed out.  “She told you about that, right?  I didn’t connect it at the time, but that was during a full moon.”

Susan looked over at Boyd.  “She was disoriented after that, too.  She couldn’t remember anything.  We just thought it was the stress of that awful camp.”

“So whatever it was affected her before then,” mused Boyd.  “If she was bitten, or—”



Morgana took a steadying breath.  “That might not be it.”

“What do you mean?” Boyd asked, while Patrick brushed Maria’s cheek now that she’d fallen back asleep.

“The werewolf… issue runs on her father’s side of the family,” she told them.  “Thornton doesn’t like to talk about it.  It’s a very sensitive subject.  But he has cousins in Moonlight Falls who have this, well I suppose you could call it a condition, although it’s got a whole clannish cultural family dynamic to it as well.  One his father very much wanted no part of, and disavowed when they moved out of Moonlight Falls when Thornton was a child.  It’s the reason they sent Esme to him when her parents died.  She doesn’t have it, either, and they… keep to their own.”

“But if Thornton doesn’t have it and it’s genetic, shouldn’t that mean Maria wouldn’t, either?”

“The thing is, Thornton was never certain he didn’t have it.  He’s never become a werewolf or transformed like this, but… well, his father, Lucas, did have the gene and he hated it.  So much that he researched a suppressive cure for himself.  Maria’s grandmother, Jessica, didn’t, but Thornton never knew for sure if he wasn’t one because he didn’t inherit it, or if he did and his father just gave him the cure when he was born to stop it.  It wasn’t something they talked about.  His father was a very stern man and had serious issues with it.  Thornton never even told me until after I found out I was pregnant with Maria.”  She looked at her, sleeping in her transformed state, concerned.  “But that’s all I know about it.  We need to talk to him.”



While Iris and Orion came back in to see how Maria was doing, Morgana picked up the phone and called her ex-husband.  “Hi, Thornton.  I’m sorry to bother you, but it’s about Maria.  You know that family issue you worried about back when she and Tad were born?  I’m afraid it’s happened.”

[Cheezey]

Author's Note: This one is split into two parts since it's image-heavy.

Chapter 108

Thornton Wolff knew that if his ex-wife was calling, it must be important.  Although they divorced a long time ago and were on good terms without harboring any ill will toward one another, he and Morgana weren’t exactly buddies, either.  Whenever they interacted, it was almost inevitably about one of their children.  As he answered, he wondered which it was.  Tad was more often the one who needed something, although he had to admit he’d become more responsible in recent years.  He wondered if it was Maria this time.  She was pregnant, and even if the pitter-patter of grandchild feet didn’t excite him like it did his ex-wife, he certainly hoped nothing was wrong.  He never expected to hear what Morgana told him, though.

“What?”  Thornton’s breath evaporated in his throat.  He hadn’t thought about the family curse, as his father called it, in a long time, not since Gator dumped Esmeralda on his doorstep with no warning.  If it was up to him, he’d never think about it at all.  “That—that can’t be.  She never—”

“I’m afraid it is,” Morgana said gravely as Thornton looked out the window at the full moon with a feeling of dread.  “I’m here with her now, at the Wainwrights’.  It’s bad.  She’s transformed, Thornton.  Completely.  She’s almost unrecognizable, and she only seemed to know for certain who I was after she sniffed my hand.  From what they said, it was like that with Patrick, too.  She hardly recognized any of them and went absolutely wild.  Even tried to attack Susan when she startled her.”



Thornton paled.  “My Watcher!  Is she all right?”

“Susan?  Yes, she’s fine.  They managed to subdue Maria before she could hurt her.  They said Orion used some martial arts technique to restrain her and then a psychic ability he has—part of his condition, they said—to make her think she’s drowsy.  It should keep her too tired to run around for a while.”

“I wouldn’t count on that lasting long,” Thornton warned.  “I’ve never seen it firsthand because my father stayed away from my cousins most of the time, but… Mother told me stories a time or two about Moonlight Falls after she had a few too many, out of Father’s earshot.  And told me why we’d never visit them anytime near the full moon.”  He closed his eyes as long-forgotten memories from his childhood came back that he wished would’ve stayed buried in the past.  “Be careful, Morgana.  Let them know that if this is that, she could be dangerous.  Without even meaning to be.  Especially since she never had others modeling more acceptable behavior for it, if you could call it such a thing.  They do that.  The older family members, with the children who’re… afflicted with this.”



Morgana nodded on the other end of the line.  “I considered that.  I never saw it myself, but back about 15 years ago, we had a John Doe turn up in the ER on a full moon who had it, that someone hit with a car.  He almost tore the poor nurse in half when he woke up while she was taking his blood pressure.  We were all given a rudimentary training on it afterward, though I never needed it until now.  I brought some sedatives that’ll be safe for her and the baby.”



“Good.”  Thornton sighed, distressed.  “I don’t understand how this could’ve happened.  Usually if someone has it, signs of it show while they’re in diapers.  She’s been normal her whole life.  Why now?”

“I don’t know.  I was hoping maybe you knew.”

“No.  I’m sorry.  My father hated talking about it, so I never asked many questions.”

“We’ll just have to try and figure it out ourselves, then.  In the meantime, though, you should talk to both her and Tad as soon as possible and tell them everything you know about it.  Especially since,” she lowered her voice, “there’s a chance Maria might pass it on to her child.”

“Of course.  She should return to normal around sunrise.  Have them come over tomorrow.  I’ll clear my schedule as soon as I get off the phone with you.”  He paused, then added, “And even if she can’t understand it, tell her I love her and… I’m sorry.”



“I will, and… Oh, crud!  She’s up.”  Morgana heard a shuffling behind her as Maria woke up suddenly and leapt out of bed before Patrick could stop her.

“Maria!”

“Got to go,” Morgana told Thornton abruptly, and hung up as Maria threw her head back and howled.  “Maria, honey?”  Morgana took a tentative step toward her, but she gave her no more than a furtive glance before leaping over the bed and bolting out the door.



Adrenaline had Patrick on her heels faster than anyone else.  “Maria!  Come back!”

She snarled back at him defiantly and kept going.

“Maria!” he shouted again in pursuit, while everyone else followed and Buddy shook his head.

“Half the time she doesn’t listen to him in regular form.  What makes him think she will now?”

This time, though, unlike when she was her normal self, she could hear him with her enhanced werewolf senses.  She could also smell him—the magical doll spirit had a distinct scent of old fabric and a strange, almost floral perfume that a werewolf from somewhere like Moonlight Falls could tell her was the signature of fae magic—but she could not see him.  She stopped and looked around, sniffing at the air.



Patrick didn’t realize that was what was going on, but he caught up to her and put his hand on his shoulder.  “Maria, baby, come on,” he urged, careful to keep his tone non-threatening.  “Let’s go back to our room and rest and relax.”

She spun around, ignoring Buddy’s scent in favor of him, her mate.  “Patrick.”  She met his eyes, her own alight with interest, and put her hand on his shoulder, perilously close to his neck.

He tried not to be nervous with her claws that close to his jugular.  He didn’t think she’d hurt him on purpose, even in this state, but it was obvious that it didn’t take much to spook her.  “Yeah, it’s me.”  He put his hand tentatively on her waist.  “Come on.  I’ll go with you.  We can lie down together.  Snuggle up.”  He stroked her with a calming pat.  “Chill out and… well, nothing too frisky,” he teased, although he seriously hoped she didn’t want to get more affectionate than that.  Not that he minded being a little adventurous from time to time, but between the potential for grievous bodily harm and how worried he was about her, he was about as far as possible from being in the mood for that.

She seemed to like the idea of cuddle time, though, and nuzzled up close to him, making happy grunts and licking at his ear.

“Well, okay, then, baby.”  He stroked her back lovingly.  “Morgana?  You, uh, have that special ‘treat’ for her I heard you mention on the phone?  I think she might be ready to take it.”  Please don’t be a shot, though.  He didn’t want to see how she’d react to an unexpected needle jab with her claws and teeth so close to his flesh.



“Sure do.”  Morgana came over with a pill in her hand.  “Maria?  Sweetie?  Before you and Patrick lie down, would you take this?  It’s going to help you feel and sleep better.”

Maria didn’t react aggressively, but she gave her mother a dubious look and sniffled at the pill with distrust.

“It’s nothing bad.  I promise.  It’ll help you and your baby rest up like you need.  You’ve had a long day.  Patrick and Boyd told me you had trouble resting.  Remember?”

“That’s right,” Patrick reminded her.  “You told me that when I was working on the statue.”

She did remember, vaguely.  And Mom only gave her medicine when she needed it.  Doctor.  That was what Mom was.  She took the pill from Morgana’s hand, nearly catching a claw on her sleeve, but she didn’t flinch.

“Go ahead and take it.  Do you want us to get you some water?”

Maria sniffed the pill, then popped it in her mouth and swallowed.

“That’s my girl,” Morgana said proudly.  “Come on, now.  Let’s go with Patrick back to bed.”

“I’ll stay right with you,” he promised.



Maria panted happily, but the medicine worked quickly, and she only took a few steps before she stumbled and fell.  She rolled over on her back, panting more, seemingly giddy but unwilling to get up.

Patrick leaned over her.  “Wow, that worked fast!  Come on.  Can you stand?”

“She might need a hand.  That was very effective fast-acting sedative,” Morgana told him.

“All right.  Up we go?”  He reached for Maria, but she put her arms around his neck instead.  “Okay.  Carrying you it is, then.”  He grunted with the effort of lifting her, but he managed, and she held on tight.  “Hey now.  Easy with those nails,” he said as she flexed them against his back on their way back to the bedroom.  “That’s a little…”  He felt the fabric of his t-shirt catch on one and rip a bit.  “Yeah, a little sharp there.  But it’s fine.  It’s an old shirt anyway.  Come on, baby.  Let’s call it a night.”



While Patrick and Morgana settled Maria back into bed, Susan and Boyd talked privately in the upstairs lab.  “It just doesn’t make any sense!  How could she have inherited this from Thornton’s side of the family if she’s never turned by now?  I’ve never heard of lycanthropy not expressing until adulthood.  Have you?”

“No.  First transformations that late typically happen when someone was turned, not born with it.  Bitten or scratched, or from an elixir,” Boyd agreed.

“And Patrick seemed pretty certain she didn’t take one.  I’m sure one or both of them would know if she was bit or scratched by someone, whether they looked normal or not.”  Susan frowned.  “Besides, Maria’s not the type to keep quiet about that sort of thing.  If that happened, she’d rant to the high heavens.”

“Unless it was from someone she didn’t want anyone knowing she was with, but I doubt that.  She’s got her dramatic moments, but I’ve never seen any sign of her sneaking around or cheating on Patrick.  And I think he’d have mentioned any weird scratches or marks he might’ve seen on her if there were any, after what happened tonight.”

“No.  There was that night she went wandering in Egypt, but that was probably this, too.  She didn’t remember anything afterward, and it was a full moon that night.  And since it was our first night there, unless she caught it at the market somehow, I don’t think she could’ve gotten it there.”

“I’ve never heard of any Egyptian relics carrying a lycanthropy curse.  It’s just as rare in that part of the world as it is here.  Maybe if we’d been in one of the European areas it’s a little more common in…”

Susan sighed.  “So if she hasn’t contracted it, we’re back to the latency theory, that she’s always had it and it just never happened until now.  But why would a gene that normally expresses in early childhood lie dormant for two decades only to express now?  It can’t be pregnancy hormones, because she wasn’t pregnant in Egypt.”



Something about the way Susan phrased it made Boyd remember something he’d all but forgotten until now.  “Oh, my Watcher.”

The look on his face concerned her.  “What?”

“Susan, remember when the aliens abducted Maria at Sims U?”

Her eyes went as wide as his as she came to the same realization he did.  “Oh, no.”

“Eni Jish Xip told us she was healthy, aside from a protein suppressing an otherwise beneficial gene that they fixed.”

“Oh, plum.”  Susan rarely used such vulgar language, but sometimes even she couldn’t find a better way to put it.  “Once activated, I suppose it could take a while to fully express.  Maybe like it does from birth to toddlerhood in a normal situation.”  She paused.  “Though they’ve got a different definition of ‘beneficial’ than I do, if they think uncontrollable transformations into a feral form every lunar cycle is a good thing.”

“Along with super-human strength, agility, enhanced senses, and natural defenses.  They might deem the behavioral side effects minor compared to all those bonus physical stats,” Boyd said sarcastically.  “It’s not like they’ve got a great grasp of acceptable human behavior anyway.  If they thought she wasn’t someone who’d morph and go on a murdering spree every time the moon is full, they’d probably think they were doing her a favor by fixing a genetic ‘defect.’”



“That apparently Thornton does carry.  His father must’ve ‘cured’ him as a child after all, and this cured version of the gene can be passed down.”

“Which means Tad could have it, too.”

“Yes, but unless we take their DNA to Oasis Landing to engineer a child for them, Tad and Chris won’t be having any biological children together.  Although if they ever do try something like surrogacy, it’s something they ought to be aware of.  Even if the aliens shouldn’t have done anything to Tad after Maria’s abduction.  They agreed to leave the rest of the Wolff family alone.”

Boyd scoffed.  “Assuming they keep their word and keep their probes off them like they promised.”  He glanced at the door, worried.  “Maria got pregnant after her gene was reactivated.  Our grandchild could have it.”

“I know,” Susan said somberly.  “So we need to find out what Lucas Wolff used to cure himself, if he ever published anything on it, or if there are any known elixir formulas that do it.  Though I wonder how effective they could be, if he had to make one himself rather than pick one up in Moonlight Falls.”



Once Maria was sound asleep, Patrick carefully climbed out of bed and went with Morgana to join his parents in the lab.  “How’s she doing?” asked Susan.

“Conked out,” Patrick replied.

“She should sleep through morning, when she should revert back, from what I know about the condition,” Morgana told them.

“What did Thornton say?  Does he have any insight?”

“Not too much, I’m afraid.  He’s concerned for Maria, of course, and he texted me Gator’s number—he’s a second cousin of his in Moonlight Falls—as someone I can ask more questions if I have them.  He’s one of the ones that’s got this condition.  The same one who brought Esme to Sunset Valley.  I’ll give it to all of you.  I know you’re just as puzzled by this as I am.”

“We do have a theory on why it might’ve only started showing now, though,” Boyd said.  “Back at Sims U, Maria had an… well, she was involved in an experimental procedure that we’re thinking might’ve switched the gene on, so to speak.”

Patrick’s eyes went wide as he realized what they were saying, and he struggled to keep a lid on his temper learning the aliens were responsible for this.  “You mean they—”

Susan cut him off sharply.  “Since the scientists running the experiment never disclosed all of the details, it’s just a guess, but yes.”



Morgana was alarmed.  “Maria took part in a genetics experiment?  She never told me that.”

“She was embarrassed,” Patrick lied.  “They hyped it up like those who did it would be able to get a perfect beach body without ever stepping foot in a gym, and she bought into it.  Instead it just left her feeling all sick and when she ate some donuts and gained a pound instead of getting a flatter belly—not that she even needed to, but whatever—she got mad for being dumb and believing in something too good to be true.  I don’t have it anymore, but I read the disclosure paperwork and it said something about genetic tinkering, but it wasn’t supposed to be harmful or anything.  They probably never tried it on someone who had a werewolf gene, and when they asked about pre-existing conditions, she didn’t know about it, so she said she didn’t have any.”

Boyd and Susan were both impressed and disconcerted by how easily Patrick spun that llama load cover-up, but he’d had years of practice thinking up such things when it came to Orion and the aliens.   “So we think maybe that’s it,” Boyd finished.

“Well, as tonight’s proven in spades, anything’s possible.  However it happened, I just hope she’ll be all right.  It’s hard seeing her like this, and I’m sure she’ll be scared and confused when she wakes up.  Thornton said he’d talk to her and Tad tomorrow, and I think you should go with her, Patrick.  I’ll tell Chris the same tonight when I tell him and Tad what’s going on.”  Morgana sighed, weary.  “I hate that she’s going through this.  If she wants to be cured like her grandfather was, would you two be able to help with that?”

“Of course,” said Susan.

[Cheezey]

Just like Morgana predicted, Maria slept through the rest of the night.  Around sunrise, she reverted to her normal form while asleep.  She woke up feeling groggy, with hazy memories of the night before, and more than a little disgusted and weirded out by all the hair on her sheets.  She felt ill when she stood—a combination of morning sickness, a side effect from the sedative, and ravenous hunger.  She was still too early in her pregnancy to show, but not eating anything after going through such a dramatic physical change and exertion left her so hungry that it just added to her nausea.



She barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up the acid and bile in her stomach.  She felt a little better afterward, but she was still confused and upset.  Flashes of what happened last night came back to her, and she was hideously embarrassed and horrified.  I can’t really be a werewolf, can I?  Maria wanted desperately to believe it wasn’t true, that it wasn’t possible, but there was no denying the facts.

How can this happen to me?  She needed to talk to Patrick, her mother, her father—yes it was his family that supposedly had werewolves in it, as those snobs in the sorority once so rudely informed her—or Boyd and Susan.  They were scientists.  They had to have a good explanation for what was going on.



And hopefully a cure, she thought as she brushed out her hair and washed her face.  How can I be a monster?  I look normal.  I’m pretty!  But she remembered the way her pretty features had twisted into that awful animal face.  It hurt, physically at the time, and emotionally now.  Maria saw her reflection, and she wished that was one of the things she hadn’t remembered.  Being a werewolf was bad enough, but being a hideous freak, to boot?  Why was the Watcher so cruel?!  She pouted miserably, an unflattering expression that she didn’t catch sight of in the mirror, as she hopped into the shower to wash last night’s horror away.



When she came downstairs, dressed and made up like normal, Patrick embraced her right away.  “Oh, baby, I’m so glad you’re up.  I was worried about you.  How are you feeling?”

“Okay, I guess.  I puked my guts out when I woke up.  I think that medicine Mom gave me made the morning sickness worse.  And… whatever else that did to me.”

“Yeah.  She said last night after you fell asleep that might happen.  Come on.  We’ll get you something to eat that’s easy on your stomach.”  He smiled at her.  He’d been there when she changed back.  Her rolling and moaning in her sleep woke him up even though she’d been sleeping too deeply herself to wake up during it.  He was relieved to see her familiar face again, but now that she was up and about it was even more of a relief.  “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

“I don’t remember much,” she admitted as Patrick made her some toast.  “But I remember enough.  I’m sorry.  I was awful.  I attacked your mom, didn’t I?”

“She’s fine.  You didn’t hurt her, and she’s not mad or anything.  She knows you were just scared and out of it.”  He told her everything that happened from his perspective, including what his parents and Morgana discussed.



“So they think it’s because Dad had this the whole time, but he’s been sort of cured or suppressed because of something my grandfather gave him as a baby, and he passed it on to me?  And the freaking aliens turned it back on when they abducted me?”  Maria was both upset and angry.  “How could they?”

“We think they thought they were helping,” Patrick said with a measure of disgust.

“Helping?  Well, I can do without their stupid help!  It’s not helpful at all!  Not unless I want to grow excessive body hair and beat someone up!  Oooh, I hope there’s a full moon the next time Orion’s mother shows up.  I’ll show her how beneficial it is!” she ranted, and then started to cry.  “Can anyone fix me?  Make me normal again?”

He set her plate down and pulled her close to comfort her.  “I don’t know.  I hope so.  Maybe whatever your grandfather used can set you back to the way you were.”

“Do you think our baby will get it?”  She sniffled.  “Do you think this is why Dad never wanted me and Tad?  He was afraid we’d be monsters?  Freaks?”

Patrick wondered that himself, but Maria’s relationship with her father was difficult enough without him speculating and adding to it.  “You’re not a freak.  As for your dad, I don’t know, but you can ask him today.  We’ll go over whenever you’re ready.  He called this morning and said he’d be there all day.”

“Good.  Because he owes me an explanation for why he never warned me about this, bigtime!”



When they arrived at Thornton’s home, Tad, Chris, and Morgana were already there.  They took time off work for the family meeting, but Esmeralda and Caleb remained at school since they weren’t directly involved.  Thornton greeted Maria with contrite warmth.  “Oh, Maria.  I’m so glad you’re all right.”

“Except I’m not!”  She cut him off before he could say anything else.  “I’m a freaking werewolf, Dad!  How could you never tell me about this, never say anything?  That we’re literal monsters?!”

He sighed.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t know.  I was never sure if I had it, and when you and Tad never showed any signs as kids…”

“Well, obviously, you were wrong!”

“Yes.  Apparently so,” he replied as her anger changed to sobs.  Thornton would never be the most nurturing parent, and often considered Maria unnecessarily dramatic and prone to overreaction, but this time he felt for her.  “You’re not a monster.  At worst you’ve got an—an unfortunate condition.”

“Unfortunate condition?!” she shrieked back.  “I ran around like a wild dog and grew freaking fangs and claws and got hairier than Tad!”  She thumbed angrily in her brother’s direction.  “That’s way beyond an ‘unfortunate condition!’”



“Well, you seem to have waxed it off just fine,” Tad chimed in.  He didn’t appreciate her dig at him, but he sympathized with why she was upset, so he let it go.  “Seriously, you can’t tell.  I never would’ve thought anything was different if no one told me.”  He approached her.  “Do you feel all right?  Is the baby okay?  Mom said you told her you were fine, but…”

“I guess, for someone who transformed into a monstrous freak out of nowhere last night!”  She pouted melodramatically.  “I just hope someone can fix me before the moon gets full again, and that the baby doesn’t have it…”

Patrick turned to Thornton.  “Speaking of which, your dad cured himself, right?  So how’d he do it?  As you can see, she’s really not cool with this.  And while I love her no matter what, I’ve got to say, it was a hell of a mind-screw watching her suddenly turn into a werewolf, for me and everyone else at home!  Especially since our kid could get this, too!”

Thornton bristled at Patrick’s aggressive tone, but he retained his composure.  “I understand.  Come on.  Everyone have a seat.  I’ll tell you what I can.”



They sat down in Thornton’s living room, and he told them everything he knew about his family and their history with the werewolf curse.  His father, who’d been born in Moonlight Falls, inherited it from his parents, both of whom had it and were proud of it.  He had a brother who also had it, Thornton’s uncle, who he told them he’d met exactly twice in his life that he could recall.  Once, when his grandmother died and Thornton himself was only a young child, and once again at his father’s funeral.

“My father hated the family curse, as he called it, and everything about it.  As a teenager, he bought a cure elixir from some witch in Moonlight Falls, but it was expensive, ineptly made, and only half worked.  Sometimes he would transform, but only in part, and others not at all.  It was a gamble.  That only put him more at odds with the family, who were all proud of it, aside from the cousins out of town—Esme’s side of the family.  The ones who didn’t have it.  They mocked and derided him for wanting to be an outsider, to be normal.  It only made him hate them all more, so when he was grown, he left Moonlight Falls and went to university to become a doctor.  He dedicated himself to discovering a real cure, a reliable, pharmaceutical one, not some backwater herbal nonsense brewed by someone calling themselves an alchemist.  Using what he discovered studying it, he managed something, although I have no idea what it was or if he published it.  I doubt it.  The werewolves he knew reveled in it and wouldn’t have wanted it, and he hated them anyway.”

Thornton went on to explain that his father cured himself before meeting and marrying his mother at university, and they had only one child, him.  “My father made it clear after I was born that I was the last, and only, child he wanted.  I never knew if I inherited his condition or not.  When the subject came up, he just told me I didn’t need to concern myself with that.  We were civilized, normal, and not like them.  We never would be.  And then the subject would be dropped… or else.”



That time Tad beat Maria to the punch.  “So you just assumed we didn’t have it, then?  No biggie?  Not even worth maybe mentioning just as an FYI that our cousins and relatives are werewolves?”

“I thought that stupid cow at Tri-Fruhm was making up rumors about our family, cousin Willie,” Maria added on an accusatory note.  “You should’ve told us!”

“Why?” Thornton countered, aggravated.  “So you could worry about what seemed to be a non-issue that other people wouldn’t understand or stigmatize you for?  Things like that?”



“But it’s not a non-issue, obviously!  You’re a werewolf, kind of cured or not, and apparently I am, too!  Because like Mom told you, a stupid experiment was able to turn it back on.  For all we know, so’s Tad, and so could be my baby!”

“Your mother and I thought you were fine, Maria.  Normally, children show signs of it very young.  You said yourself, you never would’ve known if it hadn’t been switched on.”  Thornton frowned.  “And frankly, volunteering for a potentially dangerous medical experiment for vanity is something I’d have thought you were smarter than.”

Maria huffed angrily, both at the insult to her intelligence and the fact that she couldn’t tell him that wasn’t what happened, that she actually hadn’t done that.  Patrick really needs to come up with better lies to cover up for the stupid aliens, she thought resentfully.  “I’d have thought you were smart enough to tell us about something that might affect us or your grandkids someday, but no!  And you should talk about vanity!  You admitted yourself the whole reason you don’t talk about it is because you and our grandparents didn’t want to be embarrassed by it!”

Tad had to side with his sister on that one.  “Really.  And here I thought the reason you didn’t like our cousins was just because they were uncultured hillbillies.  That, and the stuff with Esme.”



“Pardon me for trying to make your lives easier,” Thornton retorted.  “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t know.  I’d have told you if there’d been any inkling something like this would happen.  But I thought you’d rather be spared the uncertainty and embarrassment of the truth, especially when it didn’t seem like it’d affect you anyway.  Or worse, that you might actually want the blasted curse and seek out our cousins and get it and ruin your lives with it.”

“We were owed the truth,” Maria argued, looking from him to her mother.  “You could’ve told us, too, you know.”

Morgana met her eyes remorsefully.  “I agreed with your father that it wasn’t worth burdening you with, especially knowing how it affected him.  Clearly, that was a bad call.  I’m sorry.  Believe me, neither of us ever wanted to see anything like this happen.  We both love you.  Both of you,” she added, looking at Tad.  “You know that.”

“Yeah, Mom, we know that,” Tad said.

“Yes, but it doesn’t fix things, either,” Maria said with a sob, and stood.  “So how are we going to fix me?  Fix my baby?  Fix this mess?!”



“We’ll start by researching,” Chris spoke up.  “Your mom and I can look into the medical files at the hospital.  Your grandpa worked at Sacred Spleen.  Some of his notes or case files might be archived there.  You never know.  He might’ve cured someone there and just never talked about it.  I’m sure he wasn’t the only werewolf who didn’t like being like that.”

“We discussed this before we came here.  We’re going to tackle that right away,” Morgana promised.

“And I told you, my parents are looking into it, too,” Patrick reassured her.  “Dad’s even messed with some alchemy on and off.  You’ve seen that junk in the basement, and they sell to the alchemy shop people all the time.  Mom already ordered a cure potion to analyze to see if it’ll work and it’s safe.”

“You’ll be okay, Maria.  Really.”  Tad hugged his sister.  “And if not, hey, I can tell you to bite me and maybe get super-powers from it.”

“That’s not funny,” she said sourly, and Tad rolled his eyes.

“Oh, come on.  Yes it was.”

“It was, but poorly timed,” Chris agreed.  “You’ve been hanging around my dad and Travis too much.”

Patrick snorted.  “Travis would probably tell her to bite him and mean it.  That kid’s got a crazy attraction to weird plum.  I’m sure he would like being a werewolf.”

“If nothing else, the bullies at school might screw with him less,” cracked Chris.

“Well, I’m glad you all think this is a big joke,” Maria huffed, and Patrick sighed and put his arm around her.

“No we don’t, baby.  We’re just trying to lighten the mood a little.  We love you.  And you’re going to be fine.  I promise.”  He put his hand on her belly and smiled at her.  “Both of you.”



“I’m truly sorry for what you’re going through, Maria,” Thornton said.  “We’re going to do everything we can for you.  I promise.  I know I haven’t always been the best father, but I’ve always loved you.  If I’d realized, I never would’ve kept this from you.  I’ve always wanted a good life for you and Tad.”

Maria sniffled, touched and appeased by his apology.  While she was still upset, it was rare for her father to humble and express himself that much, and a part of her would always crave the attention and approval she never got from him as a little girl.  She hugged him.  “Thank you, Dad.  I love you, too.  I—I guess I’ll just do what I can to get through this until we can cure me.”

“That’s my girl,” Morgana said with a smile, while Patrick took her hand.

“Come on, baby.  Let’s go home.”  He nodded to the rest of them.  “Thanks.  We’ll get this figured out.”

[Cheezey]

Author's Note: This is another wordy chapter, so I had to split it into two parts.

Chapter 109

Unfortunately for Maria, figuring out a cure for her werewolf curse was easier said than done.  The only “known” cure was a cure-all elixir that could be made by an alchemist, but much like the rest of the more obscure and advanced brews, it was a special order from Moonlight Falls.  Boyd and Susan were able to obtain one, but it came with no documentation and only the word of the witch who brewed it to vouch for its quality and safety.  Although they were told it was “probably” safe for a pregnant woman and baby to take, none of the alchemist community was willing to certify it as such, since there were no recent known cases of one using it.  In light of that, Boyd and Susan decided to do their own analysis of its components before risking it on Maria and their unborn grandchild.



Chris and Morgana scoured Sacred Spleen’s medical archives for lycanthropy and anything published by Lucas Wolff, but aside from an old case from when Thornton’s father would’ve been close to retirement, they didn’t find much.  That case involved a young man suffering ill effects from a botched cure that left him stuck in a half-transitioned state.  He was given two drugs to combat the hair and nail overgrowth, a common psychiatric drug to quell his violent and animalistic urges, and something identified only as an “experimental pre-clinical formulation” with an obsolete reference number from a system the hospital quit using over twenty years ago.  The file also stated that the man’s condition had gone into remission after three months of treatment.

Unfortunately, that was of little help for Maria.  Not only was she not stuck in a transformed state like that patient had been, one of the drugs used was highly contraindicated for use during pregnancy.  Trying to find out what the experimental formulation was with so little data meant checking old records one by one, and stumbling upon it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.  They could try, but it might be literally many moons, and transformations, before they found anything.



Despite that, life went on, and Patrick and Maria tried to make the best of the situation.  Her distant cousin Wilhemina, who now had three children of her own, reassured her that being pregnant as a werewolf was not dangerous to the baby, as long as she didn’t injure herself while transformed.  With one parent a werewolf and one not, it was a 50/50 chance that the baby would inherit it.  Since they couldn’t be certain without invasive testing, and any experimental cure carried some risk, they decided to wait until the baby was born before trying anything.  Maria wasn’t happy about that, but she wanted what was best for the baby.

“I suppose I’ll just have to lock myself up like some crazy person when the moon gets full,” she groused melodramatically to Patrick.  “It’s only months.  I hope Junior or Juniorette appreciates my loving sacrifice!”

“It won’t be so bad.  Think of it like a mini spa retreat every few weeks.  Mom and Dad will set up a nice room at the lab that’s safe and quiet with all the stuff you like.  And I’ll be there with you.  You know I wouldn’t leave you alone at a time like that.”

“Unless you have a show or something.  You can’t skip that.”

“I’ll be with you as much as I can, though.”

“You’re not worried I might infect you or something?”

“Gator said it takes more than an accidental nip or a scratch, and you never played that all that rough,” he teased flirtatiously.

She smiled back at him, then lapsed back into a self-pitying pout.  “Give me time.  Who knows?  After a few transformations, I might go full wild alpha and decide to make you part of my pack.”

“Nah.  You didn’t go after me the first time, and you were totally on instinct then.  I’m not that worried about what you’ll do in a secure place now that we’re all aware of what’s going on.”  He smooched her and put his hand on her belly.  “It’ll be a pain in the plumbob for a while, but you and the baby are going to be fine.”



Soon, the family had a happier occasion to focus on with Orion’s birthday.  Iris congratulated him before the party.  “You’re so lucky!  Freedom!  Now I’m the only one who’s still got to do whatever the old folks say.”  She glanced over her shoulder as she finished her sentence to make sure they hadn’t heard.  Fortunately, Susan was in the kitchen instructing Plumboptimus on how to set out the snacks, and Boyd was over at the bar chatting with Patrick, who was starting the party early mixing some drinks.

Orion was amused.  “You think a little thing like my birthday’s going to stop them from lecturing?  It didn’t with Patrick or Blair.”

“Oh, please.  Like Saint Blair ever did anything to get a real lecture from them about anything other than maybe Cycl0n3’s manners, and Patrick ever listened to them anyway.  Besides, what I meant is now they can’t ground you if you do something they don’t approve of.”  She paused.  “Assuming they catch you.  They never do when you sneak out.”

“I don’t sneak.  I judiciously travel,” he corrected her with a smirk.  “You sneak.”

Iris put her finger to her lips and nodded in the direction of her father while lowering her voice.  “It was just a couple times, and you shouldn’t talk because you’re way worse.  Besides, you wouldn’t even know if you actually slept like everyone else.”

“You’re lucky they’re deep enough sleepers not to hear you, and maybe if you didn’t tell Patches all about it after, I wouldn’t know way more than I need to about your secret after-curfew meet-ups with Lester.  You might keep your voice down, but she doesn’t.”

“Not my fault your alien super-powers can hear her.  That’s what you get for eavesdropping on my girl talk,” Iris retorted.

“It’s hard not to hear when she’s practically broadcasting, and the house is quiet and I’m trying to meditate.”

“Well, maybe now that you’re officially of age, you should actually use that Sim Finder profile I helped you make and try matching with someone to get some hot action of your own,” she teased back.

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”



Orion strolled over to the bar, and Patrick held up the shaker.  “Hey.  Does the birthday guest of honor want to try my special party mix?”

“If you want to enjoy your birthday upright, you might want to hold off until after cake,” Boyd remarked, nearly cross-eyed after tasting his.  “What all is in this?”

“It’s an old favorite from my frat days at Sims U.  It’s on the strong side, but don’t tell me old Dr. Keg Stand can’t handle it?”

“Heh.  A keg stand would probably put me in traction, and that joke is almost as old as I am.  Not to mention dangerously reminiscent of one Cycl0n3 would make.”

“Oh, that was harsh, Dad.  I’ve got way more style than him.”

“So do my dirty socks.  That’s not saying much,” Iris said from over by the window, while Boyd turned to Orion.

“On the subject of awkward relatives soon to be in attendance, Eni Jish Xip messaged saying she’d be here soon.”

“Is that why you’re having one of Patrick’s specials?”

“I’m fine.”  There was an anxious glint in his eyes and edge to his voice despite that.  “She’s been good to you, and I’m sure she’ll be proud of the young man you’ve become.”  He put his hand on Orion’s shoulder.  “Just like we are.  I just hope there are no… incidents.  Either revealing her alien identity or—”

“Or Maria blowing a gasket and telling her off?” Patrick guessed.  “I told you, Dad, she won’t.  Much as she’d like to tear her a new one, she’s not going to risk exposing Orion’s secret or starting some interplanetary diplomatic incident.  She promised she wouldn’t make any scenes.”

Boyd sipped his drink.  “Well, all the same, I’m still glad Orion’s birthday isn’t on the full moon.”



Shortly after, Eni Jish Xip arrived, well in advance of the other guests.  This would be her first time around more than just family since her visit many years ago when Orion had just started school.  She assured Boyd and Susan that she would do her best to blend in and follow along with whatever they wanted to tell everyone who didn’t know who she really was.

This time she was more appropriately attired, wearing a human outfit that concealed and downplayed her alien features.  Orion was also surprised by how much older she seemed.  While he supposed it had been a long time since she gave him the Galaxa, the lines on her face hinted at what he might expect when he aged in the future, if on him it looked more like the Sixam side than his human one.  His father had always looked old to him, since Boyd had been far from young when he was born.  Orion wondered how old Eni Jish Xip was, and how her age compared to human years.  He thought she was younger than his parents, but perhaps it wasn’t by as much as he imagined.

She looked him over, beaming with pride and happiness.  “Orion Wainwright, this is truly a proud occasion!  Look at how you’ve grown and thrived to maturity.  You are an ideal specimen of an Earth Child.”

He wasn’t sure how he felt about being called a specimen, and if the look on his father’s face was any indication, he found it off-putting, too.  They understood it was meant as a compliment, though.  “Thanks.”

“Happy birthday, as you say here on Earth.  You must be excited for all of the opportunities ahead of you.”

“Yeah, I am.  Thanks.”

She turned to Boyd.  “And thank you, Boyd Wainwright, and your wife Susan Wainwright, for allowing me to attend this celebration.  It holds sincere sentimental value and meaning to me.”  She looked over at Susan, who acknowledged her from where she was setting out the cake, while Boyd nodded back, anxious, but not unkindly.

“You’re welcome.  We understand.”



She returned her attention to Orion.  “What are your plans now?  Are you pursuing a skill or profession, or obtaining further education?  I know many humans your age attend an institution of higher learning at this point in their lives.  If so, I am certain you will excel in whatever you choose.”

“Yes.  I’m getting a tech degree at a local university.  I’m not going away to Sims University or anything.”

“Wonderful.  Do you plan to start your own family unit now also?  You are of optimal age to begin reproducing.  We strongly encourage that with our Earth Children, to have multiple offspring with as many partners as you desire.  Your favorable genetics will benefit both Earth and Sixam lines.  We hope to see you generate a strong and prolific lineage someday.”

Orion frowned, both at the awkwardness of the subject and the reminder that even if he wanted to, he’d lost the only girl he thought he might have married one day.  “No.  Not yet.”

Meanwhile, Boyd wished she hadn’t touched on the sore subject for all their sakes.  While he and Susan knew Orion had no immediate plans for settling down or starting a family, they still felt terrible about how the Tara situation played out, and their role in it, even though they’d only wanted to keep him safe.

Eni Jish Xip also picked up on Orion’s thoughts, and offered her sympathy.  “I see.  I am sorry you lost your prospective mate.  I know she meant a great deal to you.  But try not to lose hope.  There are a great many others here on your world, and certainly some are compatible with you emotionally and physically.  I have no doubt you will love another just as deeply when you are ready.  You are young and have much time to consider all your opportunities for mating.  I have had four different mates myself, and I have deep love for each of them.”

“Wow,” said Orion.  None of them had ever really thought about Eni Jish Xip’s personal life, or what such things might be like on Sixam.  They each wondered if she had other children, if Orion had half-siblings there, and if she raised them as a mother instead of an experiment.  Or if Sixam even had a family culture at all like Earth’s.

They never got to ask, though, because then she spotted Patrick and Maria, and greeted them.



“Speaking of families, it is good to see you again, Patrick Wainwright, now grown and procreating yourself.  You were not much older than Orion when I first encountered you.  It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Maria Wainwright.  Congratulations on gestating your first offspring!  You look vital and strong and healthy, and I am sure your child will thrive.”

“Thanks,” Patrick said, but Maria cut her off.

“Yes, it’s good to meet you, too.  Face to face instead of yanked off a sidewalk in the middle of the night.”

“Maria…”

“No, Patrick Wainwright.  It is all right.”  Eni Jish Xip sensed Maria’s mood and wanted to apologize.  “I understand that was traumatic for you.  I am deeply sorry for that, as it was never my intention to offend or cause harm.  I only desired to express my appreciation to the Wainwright family for their excellent care of Orion Wainwright by giving the mate of their human son the benefit of our advanced medical technology, so that he would have strong and vital offspring as well.  I did not realize that it was a violation of boundaries until Boyd Wainwright and Susan Wainwright explained that to me.  I apologize again for the anguish you suffered.  You have my word that I have updated all of the protocols to state that no one from your line is to be taken without your consent again.”

“Good.  Because I don’t want any of us to go through that again,” Patrick asserted.

“I understand.”  Eni Jish Xip turned to Maria.  “Despite the unfortunate misunderstanding, I do hope the suppressed gene we repaired has granted you better health after its reactivation?”



That was the opportunity Maria was waiting for.  Although she promised not to cause a scene, that didn’t mean they weren’t going to discuss the werewolf situation, especially since the only guests there yet were family members who knew.  Only Travis was in the kitchen, anyway, so, in clipped civil tones, Maria unloaded.  “Better health?  You mean making it so I turn into a hairy snarling werewolf every full moon?  If so, then yes, I’m the picture of wellness!  Thank you very much.”

Eni Jish Xip was taken aback.  “You do not like the physical benefits of your transformed state?  But why not?  I understand that it is an unusual gene among humans, but that is precisely why we assumed you would want it reactivated.  It grants such powerful metabolic benefits and sensory ability!  We could not imagine why it would be voluntarily suppressed unless the individual with it was dangerous.  But since it was clear yours had been inherited that way, we assumed you would want the chance to experience its benefits and pass it on to your offspring.”

“No!  It’s horrible!  It’s a curse, not a gift!  It makes me totally lose control of myself and turn into a hideous hairy slobbering howling beast whenever the moon’s full!”

“Instead of just the last part all the time,” Travis muttered sarcastically as he came to check out the snacks.

Patrick overheard, and he wasn’t amused.  “Not funny.”



“Come on.  Seriously?  She’s complaining about essentially having super-powers because it makes her feel ugly.  Boo freaking hoo.  You know what I wouldn’t give to be able to wolf out and get all badass on a full moon?  Instead, I just get to be a skinny dorky nerd all the time, with no powers.  So pardon me if I don’t cry a river for the alpha princess over there.”

“You weren’t there, and you didn’t see what she went through that night.  Just because you think you’d like it doesn’t mean she does.  It really freaking upset her, and she’s the one that’s got to live with it, not you.  So have some sensitivity and lay off, okay?”

Travis rolled his eyes.  “Fine.  But I still don’t think she gets how lucky she is.”

“Lucky.  Yeah, you didn’t see her go after Mom, and Orion having to drop her with a bio-drain.”

“Okay, that probably did suck, but it was just an adjustment, and nobody got hurt.  Werewolves can control themselves.  She’s just got to get used to her powers.  She’s even got family in Moonlight Falls she could go and learn from if she wanted.  That’s what I’d do.  Learn to use my powers and max the plum out of them.”

“Like I said, she’s not you.”

Travis looked over at Maria and Eni Jish Xip talking and then back at Patrick.  “I take it you’re hoping your kid isn’t one, then?  Will you cure them if they are?”

Patrick had been trying not to dwell on that since there wasn’t anything he could do about it yet.  “I don’t know what we’ll do, but I don’t want them to have a rough time.  It’s hard being different, and I’d rather them not grow up with issues from it.  Look at Orion.  Much as he’s got going for him, he’s all kinds of messed up in some ways from this alien plum.”

“And look at Iris.  She’s a plantsim, and the world thinks she’s special and gorgeous and unique,” Travis countered.  “Besides, we’re all messed up, regular vanilla human or not.  Hate to break it to you, but no one will ever call you or me normal, either.  You can’t be, growing up in this family.  We’re all weirdos.  Some of us are just more in denial about it than others.”



While Patrick and Travis talked, Eni Jish Xip tried to smooth things over with Maria.  “I am sorry that the gene we repaired causes you so much distress.  I had no idea it would upset you, or that humans stigmatize one another over it.  On our world, such abilities would be considered highly beneficial, and actively sought after.”

“Well, here they make me a freak.”

“I am sorry.  For what it is worth, it is clear that Patrick Wainwright and the other members of your family do not love you any less for it.  From what I overheard, young Travis Sw0rd over there is even envious of you.  I suspect he would be open to having your abilities passed to him, if you choose to transmit it the way I believe you can through a biting process.”

“He would, but I’m not biting him or anyone else.  I don’t even want it myself, and I don’t want my baby to have it.  I don’t want him or her to be a freak, either.”  Maria frowned.  “Can you fix me?  I—I don’t really want to be abducted again, but if you could reverse it and make it so me and my baby could be normal again…”

“I cannot,” Eni Jish Xip replied regretfully.  “It is not as simple as you might think to deactivate a reactivated gene, and it would carry considerable risk to you, even when you are not pregnant.  I am sorry.  When we made alterations to your genetic code, they were permanent.  It was done in such a way that it would prevent the beneficial gene from becoming suppressed again.”



“Wait!  Are you saying I can’t be cured at all?” 

“Not by Sixam technology, no.  Not without undergoing dangerous experimentation with low odds of success and survival.  Anything from here on Earth is also likely to be ineffective, since we engineered the change to prevent further suppression.”

“And my baby?”  Her voice wavered.

“I am truly sorry, Maria Wainwright.  If your offspring inherits the gene, it will be with the rewritten genetic coding, resistant to suppression like yours.”

“No!  No!”  Her voice rose, and she struggled not to cry.  Patrick and Travis both looked over, alarmed, while it took everything Maria had not to scream at the top of her lungs about how horrible and unfair it was.  “How am I supposed to live like this?  This has ruined my life!  My baby’s life!”

“I am sorry.  If it is any comfort, it is equally probable that your offspring will not inherit the gene.”  She looked down, regretful.  “I hope you will be able to adjust and perhaps one day even accept this change.  I cannot fix your situation, but if there is anything else I can do to ease your burden, I will gladly do so.”

“You’ve done enough!  Just—just leave me alone!”  Maria turned and ran from the room in tears, and Patrick cursed under his breath and went after her while Travis approached Eni Jish Xip.



“Hey, just so you know, I’d have appreciated it.  Don’t worry about Maria.  She’ll get over it.”

“Thank you, Travis Sw0rd.  I admit I do not understand why she feels such strong revulsion for her natural gift, but I regret that restoring it to her caused such anguish.  Your human customs are so different from ours.”  She sighed.  “It seems I still have much to learn about them.”

“Can’t really help you there.  I’m a human, and I suck at our customs, too.”  He smiled at her.  “But what can you tell me about yours?  What’s Sixam like?  I’ve been dying to know, and this is the first time I’ve ever had a chance to meet you and ask about it…”

[Cheezey]

While Eni Jish Xip discussed the werewolf situation with Maria and Patrick in the kitchen, Orion, Boyd, and Susan came out into the living room to greet the family and other guests that arrived.  “Hey there, Chief Engineer!  Happy birthday!”  Blair gave Orion a thumbs up.  “I can’t believe you’re grown up.  It doesn’t seem that long ago that you were just a cute little green baby in the crib next to the Captain and Number One in their playpens.  Now look at you.  A big strong tough green Hulk guy with big muscles.”  She squeezed his bicep.

“Ha.  Not quite the Hulk, but thanks.  The martial arts and working out pay off.”

“I don’t know.  You look pretty buff to me, especially compared to these couch potato chumps,” she teased with a look at her parents.  “Mom?  Dad?  You should take a cue from him.  I’m telling you, fitness keeps you young and strong.”

“Nothing’s keeping me young at this point, and I’m not wasting what years I have left cracking my already sore joints lifting dumbbells,” Boyd replied dryly.  “But I’m glad Orion has a healthy hobby that he likes, and that you do.  More power to you both.”

“Well said.  Sorry, Blair.  We love you, but you’ve been doing that old treadmill pitch for years, and we’re never going to buy,” Susan added.  “Well, not entirely true.  We do have a treadmill upstairs, but Orion’s the only one that uses it, and occasionally Iris.”



While Blair and his parents continued to chat, Orion went to say hello to Tad and Cycl0n3.  Tad had just finished whipping up a batch of party drinks, and Orion helped himself to one.  “Happy birthday,” said Tad.  “How do you like those?  It’s a new one I learned from a friend at the club.”

“The club?  I didn’t think you got much chance to do the whole club and party thing once you had kids.”

Tad shrugged.  “Sometimes I go out after work when Mom’s already home with Caleb and Esme, and Chris is working a night shift.  Mostly to unwind and complain about dumb llamas at work with Julius.  He invested some of the money he inherited from his dad in the place, so we hang out there.”

After consoling Maria, who had calmed down enough to rejoin the party, Patrick came over and overheard the last bit of their conversation.  “I’d think Julius would be the dumb llama you work with.”

Tad was amused.  “It’s funny you two still don’t like each other, because I think you’d get along now if you didn’t have that whole high school history.”

“What makes you think that?  He was an arrogant jock.  We don’t have anything in common.”

“You both like to party, you both like the club scene, and you’ve both got an inexplicable attraction to high maintenance drama queens.”

Buddy snickered.  “Well, he’s not wrong.”

Orion nearly snorted into his drink, while Patrick shook his head.  “Yeah, I heard Gretchen was back with him again.  In way too much detail, while we were waiting on our sound guy the other night.  And I’m going to ignore that comment about Maria.”

Cycl0n3 patted Patrick on the shoulder.  “It’s all right, Captain.  I’m old as dirt and I still hate the guts of the llamas who kicked my plumbob back in high school, too.  And none of them even dated Blair before me.”  Patrick went red in the face at that, but Cycl0n3 kept talking.  “Speaking of Maria, how’s she holding up with the whole werewolf situation?”



He was still annoyed, but he let it go since Cycl0n3 already changed the subject.  “Not great, to be honest.  Physically, she and the baby are fine, but I just had to calm her down.”

“What happened?” asked Orion.

“When she was talking to Eni Jish Xip about it, she told her that not only did they switch the werewolf gene back on, but they somehow made it so it couldn’t be reversed.  Because they think it’s so freaking beneficial or some plum that they couldn’t fathom why someone wouldn’t want it, and they wanted to prevent it from getting suppressed again.”

“Oh, no,” Orion said, while Cycl0n3 facepalmed.

“That sucks.  I’m sorry.”  He lowered his voice.  “Man, those aliens really know how to win friends and influence people, huh?”

“Yeah, they’re even worse at it than you, and that’s saying something,” Buddy quipped, although Cycl0n3 couldn’t hear it, of course.

Orion did, and he had to agree with him that time.  He looked around for both Maria and Eni Jish Xip, and saw to his relief that both were around, socializing with other guests as if nothing was wrong. “Did she—?”

“Don’t worry.  It’s smoothed over, for now, but suffice it to say Maria’s really not happy about it.”



Susan already knew about Maria’s situation, since she’d quietly asked her what happened after she returned from leaving the kitchen crying.  Afterward, she immediately pulled Boyd aside and told him, and then she told Chris when she caught him alone.  “So, it looks like even if you find her grandfather’s cure, it might not work.  And it’s doubtful the Moonlight Falls brew would, either.”

“Wow.  Well, Morgana and I haven’t had any luck finding any documentation on it anyway.  Just an obsolete archive reference, and they never got full computer records for that system.  They overhauled it over twenty years ago, and when the archivists computerized the old stuff, there was stuff missing and mis-labeled, and it’s just a mess.  Some of it never even made it into the database because a bunch of old paper records got trashed in a warehouse flood during a hurricane fifty years ago.  We wondered if it was lost with that stuff.”  He sighed.  “But that sucks if it’s true, and we won’t be able to help her.  I know she hates it and they’re worried the baby will have it.”

“They are.  But worst-case scenario, even if she can’t be cured and the baby also gets it, we’ll figure something out for them to make life better.  Plenty of werewolves live with it and lead mostly normal lives.  Maria’s relatives manage and even embrace it.  Perhaps their child will, too, if it comes to that.”

Chris smiled.  “At least if they’re going to grow up different, they’re in the right family for it.  Uncle Orion and Aunt Iris know what it’s like, and even Mama Maria will be used to it by the time the kid’s old enough to understand.  And the rest of us ‘normal’ ones are used to a pretty high level of weirdness ourselves.  Esme knows some of her werewolf relatives and what they are.  She never talked about it before now because she figured Tad and Maria knew and it just never came up.  That and it was obvious Thornton didn’t like talking about it.  But even he’s come around with this.”



“I’m glad.  Maria and the baby won’t lack for support.  We’ll see to that.  And on that note, how are you doing, Chris?  There’s been so much going on that I haven’t had a chance to hear what you’ve been up to other than working all hours at the hospital.  You holding up all right?”

“I’m not going to lie and say I’m not mostly powered by coffee and energy bars lately, but aside from not getting much sleep, it’s good.  It’s nice helping people get better.”

“And what about at home?  I imagine you don’t get to see Tad much working that schedule.”

“No, especially not when they pull me in on night shifts.  But we manage.  And when the only sleep I get is from 11-3 PM, and the kids are at school and Tad’s at work, I’ve still got Diddy with me.”  His smile turned a bit wistful.  “He’s pretty old, but he’s hanging in there.  Still likes his treats.  Still tries to steal food whenever he can, so I take that as a sign I’ll have him for a few years yet.”  He lowered his voice.  “And there are a couple of strays I put food out for.  Morgana does, too.  I’ve seen her.  I think she likes the calico.  I caught her holding her once.”

Susan chuckled.  “Can’t say that surprises me.  What about the kids?  They get in on it, too?”

“Sometimes.  So does Tad.  Don’t let him fool you claiming he doesn’t like them.”  He paused.  “Speaking of kids, Tad actually applied to a foster care program.  The agency that handled Esme’s adoption sent out a survey and asked if he’d be willing to foster other kids since she did so well, and they always need homes.  We talked about it and he said he wanted to.  He’s really good with kids, and I figure if I can’t say no to the furry strays, I can’t very well say no to helping human ones, so to speak.  Besides, I’ve got plenty of dad jokes to make and I can’t use them all on Esme and Caleb.”

“That’s wonderful!  Any child would be lucky to stay with you, and I’m sure the kids in that system need caring people like you.  Good luck.  Let us know if you or Tad need any references, and it goes without saying that any kids you’ve got will be welcome here.”

“Even furry ones?” Chris asked wryly, and Susan laughed.

“I won’t say no, but remember that we haven’t cat-proofed this house as far as breakable valuables go.  As it is, we’ve got to baby and toddler-proof it again in the near future.”

“I understand, Grandma.  No problem.”



More guests arrived, and Maria mingled with them to try and keep her mind off the werewolf situation.  Even if she was doomed to be afflicted with it forever, she wasn’t about to let anyone else know or find out about it.  So, she put on a happy face and socialized like nothing was wrong. 

After saying hello to Holly and her family, she greeted Malcolm Landgraab.  Although he didn’t know Orion except in passing, he came over with Corina.  Orion was friendly with her, and Susan had extended an invitation to each of their neighbors anyway, as she often did for their parties.  “Hi!  Welcome.  Thanks for coming by.”

“No problem.  Happy birthday to Orion!  Besides, I’m not one to turn down cake,” he said with a smile, and then patted his belly.  “Though my doctor wife would probably disagree.”

“Well, we won’t tattle on you.  How are things down at City Hall?”

“Good, aside from almost burning through our budget on snow removal this winter.  It’s been a doozy.  How are you?  I hear congratulations are in order?  You and Patrick are having a baby?”

“We are.” Hopefully one that’s not a werewolf, she thought bitterly, although her smile remained suitably radiant.

Holly overheard, and she and Patrick both looked over.  “Congratulations, by the way.  Patrick’s been so excited about being a dad.  We’re all happy for him, and you.”

“Thanks.  Oh, and Patrick told me about Zelda.  I’m so sorry.”  Poor Zelda never made it out of the hospital after her Snowflake Day heart attack.  She clung to life in ICU for a few days, but never woke up and eventually passed in her sleep.

“Yes.  That’s awful,” Malcolm agreed.  “She was a musical legend, and quite a character.  She’ll be greatly missed.”

“It’s not the same without her, that’s for sure,” said Holly.  “On a brighter note, where’s Orion?  I’d like to wish him a happy birthday.”

Malcolm nodded with her.  “Yes, me too.”

“Looks like he’s over there talking to Iris,” Patrick said.  “Come on.”



After Malcolm and Holly wished Orion a happy birthday and moved on to mingle, Iris realized that while only Malcolm came with Corina, Holly brought her entire family—Miraj, her kids Venus and Brannon, and Lane.  After Zelda died, Miraj offered to be his guardian until he was legally an adult, so he wouldn’t have to go into the foster system.  “Wow, this isn’t awkward at all.  My ex-boyfriend coming to a party at my house that my current boyfriend didn’t come to.”

Although Lester had no issue with most of Iris’ family, he was still bitter about Blair turning in his father for being a Golden Llama, much more than Leighton himself.  While Leighton understood Blair only did what she believed was right and he respected her for it, Lester had been young when his father went through all that.  He never forgave her for what his family went through during the ordeal.  Because of that, he didn’t like being around when she was if he could avoid it, especially if Travis was there, too.  Travis made no secret of the fact that he couldn’t stand “Lester the Hipster” and the feeling was mutual.  Iris appreciated that Lester wanted to spare her unnecessary drama, but his absence made Lane’s unexpected appearance feel doubly awkward.  Especially since what she felt when he walked in wasn’t exactly bad.  Just… weird.

“Yeah, but you don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to.  There’s plenty of other people here.”

“I’m not going to avoid someone in my own house.  It’s not like I hate him or anything, and besides, he just lost his mom.”  She frowned thoughtfully.  “I feel like I should say something to him.  I know we never did the ‘let’s be friends’ thing, but I’ve talked to him a couple times when other people were around, and it wasn’t awful.  Plus his mom was always really nice to me whenever I saw her.  I don’t know.  What do you think?”

“It’s up to you.  You know him better than I do.”

Iris sighed.  “I probably should.  Like you said, it’s not like I have to talk to him for long.  I don’t want to seem like some rude llama who doesn’t even care about something awful happening to someone I used to… you know.”

 “That sounds fine.  Good luck.”



Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Iris went over to Lane.  “Uh, hi, Lane.”

“Hey.”  Was it just her, or did his eyes light up a little when she talked to him?  No.  If anything, he was probably just relieved that she wasn’t upset he came or something.  Some people would be, after all, if their ex turned up at their house.

“I’m sorry about your mom.  I heard she didn’t make it.  That really sucks.”

“Thanks.  Nobody really thought she would, but… yeah.  It does.”

“I can’t imagine,” Iris sympathized.  “She was a sweet lady.  I know your plants really loved her, too.”



“I have them over at Miraj’s.  I took them with me when she went to the hospital.  I knew if she woke up, she’d want to know if someone took care of them, so…”  He cleared his throat and looked away a moment, then regained his composure.  “Guess they’re mine now.  Now that I’m an orphan.  I guess this is what happens when your parents have you when they’re already kind of old.  I hardly even remember my dad because he was way older than her.  I was like four when he died.”

Iris had the unsettling thought that her own parents were pretty old when they grew her, and they were even older than Zelda.  They seemed healthy, but so had she.  She wondered how long it would be before she was in the same boat as Lane.  At least she knew Patrick, Orion, and Blair would be there when that time came, so she wouldn’t be alone.  “It’s got to be hard.  Glad you were able to stay with your brother.”

Lane nodded.  “It’s not like they’d let me live alone, though that might’ve been cool to try.  I did inherit the house.  Anyway, I hope you don’t mind that I came here today.  I know it’s weird.”  He shifted anxiously.  “Holly kind of insisted.  Said I shouldn’t sit around alone, that I should get out and see people, so I don’t get too depressed.  I tried telling her we used to go out without getting into details, but she was all like, ‘Oh don’t be silly, nobody will mind!  It’s a big house and lots of people will be there, and besides, everyone loves birthday cake!’  And Miraj agreed, so at that point I was like, fine, whatever.  Wasn’t worth arguing about.”

“It’s fine.  Don’t worry about it.  And the cake will be good.  It’s from the bakery.”  The same bakery we had our first date at.  The one Lester kind of crashed…  She wondered if it would bother him knowing Lane was there.  No.  That was silly.  It wasn’t like she invited him, and it’d be rude to blow off or ignore someone at a party in her own house, especially someone who just lost his mother.



She wondered if Lane thought the same thing as their eyes met, and his expression changed.  “So, Lester won’t care then?”

“He’s not here.”

“He’s not.”  It came out as more of a statement than an actual inquiry, and Iris felt compelled to defend him.

“Well, my sister’s not exactly his favorite person, you know…”

“Oh, right.  The Golden Llama thing.”

“Yeah.  I love Blair, but if someone put one of my parents in jail, I’d probably hold a grudge, too.”

“Sure.”  He chuckled.  “I wonder if his dad ever kicked VJ’s plumbob before he was forced into retirement.  I’d ask, but VJ gets really bent out of shape whenever anyone brings up the Golden Llamas.  For obvious reasons.”  He looked around.  “Ha, I bet he didn’t come with Lisa for the same reason as Lester.  Just on the opposite side of the Golden Llama coin.”

Iris knew all about VJ’s reputation, so it amused her, too.  “Probably.  Mom and Lisa are friends, but she’s never warmed up to VJ, and I’m sure Blair wouldn’t.”  She paused.  “Sorry if that came out wrong.  I mean, I know he’s your brother.”

“Doesn’t mean he’s not kind of a llama up to his eyeballs in shady plum.  He’s all right to me when I see him, but I know what kind of guy he is.”  He shrugged.  “Anyway, thanks for being cool about things, and for what you said about my mom.  She always liked you, too.”

“No problem.”  A silence fell between them, and Iris felt like she should either say something, or end the conversation, but she wasn’t sure which she actually wanted.

Luckily, the decision was made for her when Plumboptimus beeped a cheerful announcement that it was time for the ceremonial candle extinguishing.



Everyone gathered in the kitchen as Orion went up to the counter to blow out the candles on his cake.  His family couldn’t be prouder of him or happier for him.  Boyd could hardly believe that the alien baby he’d been so traumatically surprised with, who he’d loved so much and worried so intensely about over the years, who Emit told him in another timeline never lived to see his tenth birthday, was now a grown young man.  Susan was equally proud of their son, the alien baby that might not have been hers by blood but certainly was by heart, and her eyes misted with pride seeing him grown up.

Orion smiled as his parents, siblings, extended family, friends, Plumboptimus, and even Eni Jish Xip, his biological sort-of-but-not-really mother from Sixam all cheered for him.  It felt good to be surrounded by the love of family and friends, and then, just before he went to blow out his candles and make a wish, it seemed like one might already come true.

One last guest came in, later than the others, but not too late to miss the festivities.  A guest who had the same birthday he did, who he invited on the off the chance she might come, but who he hadn’t really expected would, especially when she hadn’t arrived by the time he went to blow out the candles.

But now she was there.  Quietly joining the crowd, Tara smiled at him, and Orion felt like it was a very happy birthday indeed.



He leaned over the cake and considered his wish.  He wasn’t superstitious, but a previous birthday wish—that no one would die on another of his birthday celebrations, like Gunther Goth had when he turned school age and Judy Bunch had when he entered high school—had held true so far, so he wasn’t going to take a chance on wasting it.

I wish that Tara still loves me as much as I still love her.

He blew out his candles and embraced his newfound adulthood, independence, and all he’d learned over the years.

Orion Wainwright was now a young man.

[deedee_828]

Wow--I just caught up in your story and it's been quite the read over the past few weeks!
You are a wonderful writer and make your sims come alive! I've grown rather fond of your Wainwrights and their extended families and can't wait to read more.

The only thing that took me by surprise is how badly Claire Ursine and Jared Frio come off in your story as your SP really gave in to their traits!
They are the founders in my Town Jump story and part of their journey is over-coming negative traits, so when they were alive they had to work really hard not to give in to them.
Though we never managed to get Jared to stop mocking people on their birthdays.
And he still laughs when ghostly coward Sam passes out when he sees the other family ghosts.

Some traits are just to ingrained to break!
Much like Maria and her Diva drama queen histrionics, Patrick and his hot-headed temper which is a trait he shares with my Claire, and of course Boyd's neurotic personality, which many of my own Frios have experienced.
But those traits more than make up for themselves with how much it adds to the story.
Especially being such well-rounded characters as you have managed to make them.
Characters that many of us readers now look upon with such fondness we can't wait to see what adventures lie ahead!

[MIA2009]

I've been reading this for a while now, never having seen it when it initially posted. I'm sort of late to the game in reading Sims stories even though I am now addicted. I love this family. I love how  you work in their traits in a "show me, don't tell me" fashion. I hope, actually, that you write your own original fiction as well. You're a good writer with few grammar and punctuation errors!   Anyway, the other reason I am posting mid-story instead of at the end is that I have to ask...is the baby mat part of Generations pack or part of a mod?  I can't use mods. They crash my computer, which is a bummer because I love some of the different poses mods.  Also, do you make you own "sets"?  Like for the hospital scene when Cycl0n3 got his behind broken or when Blair is in the police station or the founders are in the lab? Because I know those are rabbit holes. LOL Dumb questions, I know. And I hope you are still around these boards to answer!

[Cheezey]

Wow--I just caught up in your story and it's been quite the read over the past few weeks!
You are a wonderful writer and make your sims come alive! I've grown rather fond of your Wainwrights and their extended families and can't wait to read more.

Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

The only thing that took me by surprise is how badly Claire Ursine and Jared Frio come off in your story as your SP really gave in to their traits!
They are the founders in my Town Jump story and part of their journey is over-coming negative traits, so when they were alive they had to work really hard not to give in to them.
Though we never managed to get Jared to stop mocking people on their birthdays.
And he still laughs when ghostly coward Sam passes out when he sees the other family ghosts.

Yup, sometimes the NRaas Story progression really goes wild with a sim's traits. It likes to kick off the child support fail a lot, even with sims you might not expect it from. If they are evil, mean-spirited, dislikes children, or absent-minded, especially, it seems to trigger frequently.  So Jared got it a lot, but Connor did a few times (due to the absent-minded trait, I guess) with his daughter with Pauline, and Iqbal Alvi got it a couple times for Lane as well. Both Connor and Iqbal seem like good parents, though, so that seems out of character unless they just forgot to put the check in the mail or something. VJ gets it often and wound up in jail from it, too, but he's evil so I'm not super surprised about that. In my game, Thornton also didn't pay up a few times for Tad and Maria back when they were still minors, which is sad considering how rich Thornton is, but the dislikes children trait won out, I suppose.

Jared is one of those sims that I found hard to keep in line when I played him. Mean-spirited makes a sim autonomously rude so often.  In this game, Buddy has it, and I often have to keep an eye on Patrick when he's around or their relationship will start tanking, because Buddy will say something rude out of nowhere, and Patrick's hot-headed reaction will make it worse. (Though Patrick is guilty of starting it on occasion, too.)  But I agree Jared and Claire are a fun pair to play, as they have an interesting dynamic to work with.

Some traits are just to ingrained to break!
Much like Maria and her Diva drama queen histrionics, Patrick and his hot-headed temper which is a trait he shares with my Claire, and of course Boyd's neurotic personality, which many of my own Frios have experienced.
But those traits more than make up for themselves with how much it adds to the story.
Especially being such well-rounded characters as you have managed to make them.
Characters that many of us readers now look upon with such fondness we can't wait to see what adventures lie ahead!

Thank you! I like my sims to have a negative or at least a questionable trait or two, since it makes them more fun to play and write for.

I've been reading this for a while now, never having seen it when it initially posted. I'm sort of late to the game in reading Sims stories even though I am now addicted. I love this family. I love how  you work in their traits in a "show me, don't tell me" fashion. I hope, actually, that you write your own original fiction as well. You're a good writer with few grammar and punctuation errors!

Thank you! That's very kind of you!   I enjoy working in their traits and thinking about how and why they might have developed them, from a characterization perspective.   

Anyway, the other reason I am posting mid-story instead of at the end is that I have to ask...is the baby mat part of Generations pack or part of a mod?  I can't use mods. They crash my computer, which is a bummer because I love some of the different poses mods.

 

Nope, the baby mat isn't a mod. It's premium Sims 3 store content that came with the Titanic Toy Machine, which is part of the Golden Ticket Toy Shop venue that goes with Midnight Hollow.  It's something the machine makes, but if you have that content installed you can use cheats and buy it straight out of buydebug.

Also, do you make you own "sets"?  Like for the hospital scene when Cycl0n3 got his behind broken or when Blair is in the police station or the founders are in the lab? Because I know those are rabbit holes. LOL Dumb questions, I know. And I hope you are still around these boards to answer!

Not dumb questions at all!  I do have sets.  Some are lots in Sunset Valley that I customized that are in the game full time, like the lab lot.  I left the rabbit hole as it was, but I built a separate lab building on the same lot that the sims can use, which is where all the lab scenes were done.  My hospital lot is like that, too. I've changed and customized Sunset Valley quite a bit in this game.  I have Mick's Karaoke lounge on the original lot for the hospital, and put the Prism Studio in as my museum, and have the hospital on the old art museum lot, so I had room to build a second building next to it.  That one does have some mods and CC in it, though, hospital equipment decor that is player made.  Some of my "business office" scenes were actually taken on that lot, since I didn't have anything pre-built for that but some of the office rooms and cafeteria were close and just needed a few tweaks.

Other scenes like the prom gym, police station, and the alien ship room, are in a closed and inaccessible second floor of a building I replaced the Petit Shark Pool with that has my consignment shop, laundromat, coffee shop, and comic shop that I built in it.  I just teleport in the sims to get the screenshots I need when I need to make them.

Lastly, I have a few lots that I place in throwaway saves for staging only when I need them, becauase they won't work in my town full time without causing me to have to change a lot of stuff around. The theater/band set where Patrick works is one of these. I built it under the theater lot, but deleting and putting it back in means resetting every sim's job who works there when the 3 rabbit holes are deleted and that's a pain that I prefer not to deal with. My "inside the school" lot is similar. I built an open rabbit hole modeled after the original Sunset Valley school to be used with the mod rabbit hole rugs at one point, and really like how it turned out, but in this town I had to combine rabbit holes on other lots.  Unfortunately, because of that, it won't work full time on my current save because I used the smaller school from the Town Life stuff pack so I could also fit the police station on the same lot, to free the police station lot up to put a lounge on it.  Lastly, my "inside the diner" set is placed only when needed.  I have to temporarily delete another lot in a throwaway save to place it to get those screenshots because I don't have enough lots open anymore to leave it up.

[Cheezey]

Chapter 110

After blowing out the candles, Orion cut his cake and took the celebratory slice feeling like he was on top of the world.  He was legally an adult, he’d be graduating from high school with high honors, and he’d been accepted into a competitive technology program at a local university.  He was a natural with computers and advanced technology after so many years of messing around with it alongside his parents, especially combined with his innate telekinetic abilities.

Although he could’ve easily gotten into Sims University, Orion knew his parents wanted him to stay close to home, and truthfully, he didn’t want to go that far.  Taking the Galaxa or any major alien tech to a place like that was risky, and he wanted to keep using it like he always had.  Besides, Boyd and Susan were getting older and frailer by the day.  He didn’t want to burden them with unnecessary worries, and he didn’t want to be away if their time came while he was still working on his degree.  He didn’t like thinking about losing them, but he also knew it was inevitable.  No one lived forever, and they were far older than many who met Grim at a ripe old age.



“Happy birthday, Orion!”  Esmeralda sat down across from him and Travis.  Orion was still elated that Tara was there, but she was waiting in line for cake, so he hadn’t talked to her yet.  “It must be so cool being officially an adult now.  No more rules!”

Orion was grateful for both the sentiment and the temporary distraction.  “You’d think, but not exactly.  Believe me, I’ll still hear about it if I do something they don’t approve of.”

“Yeah, but you can tell them to stuff it and not get in trouble for it.”

“That depends on how you define ‘trouble.’  Grounding, no.  Long-winded speech of disapproval…?”

“And you’d never blow that off, of course,” Travis remarked wryly.

“No more than you’ve taken every one of Blair’s cop mom speeches to heart.”

Esmeralda giggled.  “He doesn’t.”

Travis eyed her over his glasses.  “For the record, cop Mom is a lot different than the cop Grandma you see.  Not to mention you’ve also got the world’s most laid-back spoil-the-kids grandmother ever living with you, along with Tad and Chris, who can’t even lay down the law with his freaking cat.”  He did an imitation of his brother.  “‘Diddy!  Shame on you, hopping right into the pizza box!  Bad cat!  I’m locking you up!’  One minute and sad meow later: ‘Oh, no, that won’t work this time.  Not like the last fifty!  Nope, no way…  Hey!  Stop looking at me like that!  …  Oh, fine, you’re cute and fuzzy.  I’ll let you out and pet you.’”

Both Orion and Esmeralda were amused, but Orion had to chime in again.  “True, but you and Chris also never got the same kind of lectures me, Patrick, Iris, and your mom did from my parents.”  He paused.  “Well, I don’t know about Blair, because to hear it told, she was an angel who never misbehaved, but I was there for the rest of us.”

“Tad’s not really that strict, but it’s not like I can do whatever I want,” Esmeralda pointed out.  “He gets mad about stupid things and gripes about them to everyone.  And when Caleb does something and Tad gets on his case, he can just run to Grandma Morgana saying, ‘She’s my mom and you’re not my dad.’  I can’t.  But I don’t get in trouble that much anyway.”

Orion raised an eyebrow.  “You don’t get in trouble, or you don’t get caught?”

“What?  I can’t believe you’d say that,” Esmeralda replied with playful haughtiness and an overly innocent expression.  “Is this the face of a troublemaker?”

Orion snickered, and Travis smirked.  “Uh-huh.  Luckily for you, I owe my llama of a brother a lifetime of paybacks, so your secret is safe with me.”



When Susan got her cake, she sat down next to Orion.  “I hope your birthday’s been nice so far, sweetie.”

“It has.  Thanks.”

“I’m glad.  We’re very proud of you.”  She paused.  “I noticed Tara’s here.  Did you invite her?”

Orion glanced around and saw her standing by some balloons eating cake by herself.  “Yeah, but I was surprised she came.  Especially since it’s her birthday, too.  But she did say on SimBook she wasn’t doing anything special.  Just going out to lunch at the bistro with family.”

Susan smiled.  “I guess she wanted to wish you a happy birthday in person, then.  Have you talked to her yet?”

“No.  She came in while I was blowing out the candles, but I don’t think she wants to talk much in front of people.  So I will when I’m done.”

“Well, I hope you two have a nice birthday chat.  You deserve it.”

Although he knew she meant well, he couldn’t help but think sourly that if she and his father had just let him tell Tara everything back when he first wanted to, it wouldn’t be like this now.  But saying so would just be petty and hurt her feelings, and he didn’t want to do that.  It wasn’t like it would fix anything with Tara anyway.  “Thanks,” he said.  “Me too.”



He finished his cake and noticed Tara was also done.  She was still keeping away from the crowd over by the balloons, but Eni Jish Xip had gone over and introduced herself.  Orion hoped that neither would say anything too weird and create an awkward situation.  Tara had an unfortunate knack for putting her foot in her mouth, and Eni Jish Xip might have been a Sixam diplomat, but she wasn’t exactly a smooth conversationalist among the Earth crowd herself.  Not only that, she knew about Tara’s history with him, and while he didn’t think she’d intentionally do anything to upset him, he didn’t want any of her “help” with his relationship, either.  Not with her track record.

He put his plate in the dishwasher and went over.  “Hi, Tara.  Thanks for coming.  I see you’ve met Eni Jish Xip.”

Tara looked from him to her, and then down anxiously.  “Yeah.”

Eni Jish Xip was more empathetic than Orion anticipated, and he realized she must’ve been reading Tara, and him, too.  “Yes.  Tara Keaton is a pleasant individual.  I can see why you enjoy her companionship.”  She turned to Tara.  “I can tell you would like to express birthday wishes to Orion Wainwright, so I will go indulge in another libation so you two may converse.  It was a pleasure meeting you.”  She nodded to Orion and went to the living room while he talked to Tara.

“It’s nice to see you.  Happy birthday.”

She smiled, but seemed even more anxious now.  “Thanks.  Happy birthday to you, too.  You look great.  Happy, I mean.”  Oh, why’d I say it like that?



Orion wished he couldn’t still pick up on her thoughts so easily, especially since it felt to him like maybe she did mean it the way he hoped.  He motioned for her to follow him to the counter where they were less likely to be interrupted.  “Thanks.  You look great, too.  How was lunch with your family?  I saw on SimBook…”

“Good.  Mom and Dad took me to the bistro, and Wilbur and Penny and Rodrigo came, too.  I was kind of surprised, since she and Wilbur haven’t been getting along great lately, but it was nice.  Rodrigo’s gotten really big.  And it was so fancy, I had to scale down and change before coming here.  I’m glad I did.  That formal dress would’ve been way overkill and I’d have stuck out even more.”  She glanced through the archway to where Eni Jish Xip chatted with Plumboptimus.  “More than her, even.”  I can’t believe that’s his alien mom!  I hope she never abducted and probed me and I just don’t remember!

Orion hoped that, too, and he hated that Tara still feared that even though they were broken up.  She should’ve at least been able to not worry about that now that they weren’t together anymore, but apparently not.

“So she’s…?”

“Genetically, my mother.  That’s her.”

“I can kind of see how she looks like you.”  She bit her lip.  “Aside from just being green and her eyes, I mean.  Like in the face.  Your cheekbones.”  I hope that didn’t come out rude!

“I get what you mean,” Orion assured her.

“She was nice, but kind of…”

“Off?  Strange?  Dare I say, alien?” he said with a light smile.  “Yeah, that’s how she is.  I hope she didn’t say anything too odd.”

“No.  She was fine.  But it’s kind of weird knowing she probably knows we…”  She regretted her words mid-sentence and re-started.  “So, who do you tell everyone else she is?”

“Just someone with my condition that knows me and my parents from the lab.”

“Like you’re test subject buddies, or something.”

“Something like that.”



If I hadn’t made him tell me his secret, that’s what he’d be telling me, too.

Orion hated that he sensed that, that she thought it, and that it was true and she knew it.  It made the next thought he picked up on even worse.

And I wouldn’t even know because he’s so good at lying about it.

I have to be, he wanted to tell her.  I never wanted to lie to you, and I won’t do it again!  But he couldn’t say any of that, not without letting on that he was reading her thoughts, intentionally or not.  He knew exactly how well that would go over.  Their eyes met in an awkward silence that fell between them, and he picked up on yet another thought.

I wish I could tell when you’re telling the truth so I could trust you again.  Tara shifted awkwardly and looked away, remembering that he could read thoughts and hoping, horrified, that he hadn’t sensed any of that.  Maybe he hasn’t since he hasn’t said… but you’ll never know for sure, will you?

It made him glad he hadn’t let on, but it felt dishonest anyway.  Was there any way he could not be wrong here?

“I almost didn’t come,” she admitted after a moment.  “But I didn’t want to not see you again before…”

“Before you leave for Shang Simla?”

“You saw that post, too, huh?”  So he is still reading my posts like I do his…



When he sensed that, he tried not to give it the weight he did, but he couldn’t help it.  Was his wish coming true?  Could she really be coming around?  But if so, why was she still leaving?  “Yeah.  And Wilbur told me.”

“Oh.  I didn’t know you ran into him.  He didn’t say anything to me.”

Big shocker there, Orion thought, although he was glad she didn’t ask more about it.  He wouldn’t have kept it from her if she did, but Wilbur’s Golden Llama visit wasn’t anything he wanted to bring up now, especially in front of other people, even if they weren’t in direct earshot.  “Do you want to go over to the study and talk?  Just so people aren’t…”

“Staring and wondering why we’re broken up but talking like this and what we’re talking about or what’s going on?”  Tara cast a nervous look around the kitchen, especially as Maria glanced over at them curiously while putting her own plate in the dishwasher.  “Yeah.  Okay.”



As they left the room, Iris shook her head while chatting with Travis.  “Man, this party’s turning into one of your horror movies.  Attack of the Awkward Exes.”

“I didn’t think Lane bothered you that much.  You talked to him a while.”

“Yeah, but he’s still an ex.  Mostly I talked to him because he just lost his mom.  I’d feel bad for anyone that happened to.  Even someone I had a bad breakup with.”  She paused.  “He didn’t even really want to be here anyway.  He said Miraj and Holly made him come so he wasn’t sitting at home all depressed and stuff.”

“Hey, you don’t have to justify it to me.  Talk to who you want.  I’d talk to Lane over Lester any day.”

Iris sighed.  “Really?”

“What?”

“You say something rude about Lester every time something about my boyfriends comes up.  I know you don’t like each other, but do you have to bash him all the time?  It’s not like I go around making fun of Starla in front of you.”

“Sorry.  Didn’t realize it bugged you so much.”  He frowned.  “You don’t like Starla?”

“I didn’t say that.  What I meant was, how would you like it if I was always saying bad stuff about her?”

“Honestly?  She probably wouldn’t care any more than I think Lester does about what I think of him, so I’d blow it off.  But okay.  I’ll lay off mocking him when you’re around.”

“Thanks.”  She smirked.  “I realize what a Herculean effort it is for you.”



“Well, at least you agree that it’s a grand favor I’m doing for my favorite aunt.”

“Favorite aunt?  I’m your only aunt, you llama,” she joked back.  “Unless you count Maria as that instead of as, like, your sister-in-law once removed or whatever.  And you’re lucky you don’t have any awkward exes, or they’d have probably shown up at this party, too.”

“A problem I’ll hopefully never have.”

Iris raised an eyebrow.  “Oh?  Could it be that surly little Travis has the golden heart of a romantic who believes he’s already found his one true love forever and ever underneath that grumpy everything-sucks exterior?”

“Shut up,” he retorted, turning just a bit red in the face.  “All I said is I hope I don’t ever have an ex that makes me want to either hide under a rock from them or bury them under one.”  He paused.  “Though anyone with half a clue could see that Orion doesn’t want to do either with Tara.  What he wants is pretty obvious.”

“Tell me about it.  Honestly, I wish he’d just get over her so he doesn’t keep getting jerked around.  But unfortunately, like everyone else in this family, maybe even you,” she said with a gleam in her eye, “he seems to think that the first person he falls totally in love with has to be ‘The One’ and he should work it out with them no matter what plum they pull.”

“Hey, Starla’s never pulled any plum with me.  I wouldn’t put up with that.  It’s one of the things that makes her great.  Super low levels of llama load.”  He chortled.  “You think I’d put up with what Patrick and Maria do from each other for five minutes?  Or Tad’s constant mooching of my snacks every time he’s over while complaining about stupid plum, or Chris’ dumb jokes and needing to be BFFs with every cat on the block?  And don’t even get me started on Mom and Dad and how I’m pretty sure they’ve been together forever only because no one else could deal with them but each other.”

“Maybe it’s the woohoo,” Iris quipped, doubly amused when Travis blanched.

“Ew.  Thanks for that montage of mental images I never wanted.  May you now be cursed with wondering whether werewolves actually do it doggy style the next time Patrick and Maria get too loud.”

Iris made a face.  “You’re a pain the plumbob, and Chris is now my favorite nephew for at least the next week.”

“Love you too, favorite aunt by default,” Travis replied cheekily as he headed off to grab another potato chip.



Once they were alone in the study, Orion and Tara continued their conversation.  “So, what did you want to talk about?” she asked, shuffling nervously.

“You said you almost didn’t come, but you wanted to see me before you left.  Was that so you could tell me you were going?”

“I—I guess so.  I thought you probably knew already from seeing it online, but since you didn’t like or comment… but you said you also heard it from Wilbur anyway.  It’s not like it was a secret or anything.”  She paused.  “Are you mad I didn’t tell you?  I just figured since we were broken up, you wouldn’t care.”  She frowned.  Wait, does that makes it sound like I think he’s a jerk? “I mean, I didn’t want to bother you or be all weird thinking you even should care since we’re not together anymore, not like I think you hate me or anything.  But—”

“I’m not mad.  I’m… I’m happy for you.  If going to Shang Simla is what you want, then you should.  You’re good at martial arts and you’re getting a chance to study with masters.”  He met her eyes as she looked up.  “And I’ll always care about you.  I didn’t comment because, well, I didn’t think you’d want me to.  Since you hadn’t told me yourself.  I figured you still wanted space.”

Tara looked down again.  “It’s not—it’s not so much that I want space, Orion.  I need it.”  Because I can’t stay away from you and I have to.  “What I mean is, I do want to study martial arts, and if stuff hadn’t happened like it did and we were still together I’d have hoped maybe you might come with me, but obviously, that’s not going to happen, and it can’t happen.  So I just need to go.  By myself.”  She let out a self-deprecating laugh.  “Maybe I’ll learn some of that discipline and peace and be able to put it to work on my head as well as my body.”



Orion couldn’t pretend he didn’t sense that.  “So are you saying you’re leaving just as much to get away from me as you are to study?”

Tara balked.  “No, I—wait, were you reading me?!”

“I didn’t have to.  You said it.  You need space.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said, her voice rising.  “You said you wouldn’t lie to me anymore!”

“I’m not lying.  Yes, I sensed it.  I’m sorry.  I told you that you broadcast sometimes.”  He looked back at her.  “But even if you weren’t, if you want the truth, here it is.  I do tune into you.  Just like you, I can’t help myself.  You know why?  Because I still love you.  Because I can’t stay away from you, either.”

“Orion, don’t—”



“No.  Let me finish.  I’ve tried to move on.  To get past this, us.  But I can’t any more than you can.  To the point that you’re going to China to study just as much as you’re doing it to force yourself to stay away from me,” he vented.  “I haven’t seen anyone else, been with anyone else, any more than I think you have, and it’s all because I’m not over you any more than you’re over me.  Not really.  You say you don’t want to be together, but you act like you do.  It sure feels like you do.  Your actions say just as much as whatever I’ve picked up on that you don’t say does.”

Tara’s eyes filled with frustrated tears.  “That’s not fair!  You can literally read my mind!  I don’t have alien powers.  I can’t even figure out normal people half the time, whether they like me or hate me or find me annoying.  And sure as plum not when they’re being honest.  When they say one thing and do another.  I trusted you, but—”

“I get it,” Orion groaned frustratedly.  “I really do.  I lied to you, a lot.  I kept something huge and major from you, and I shouldn’t have.  I screwed up!  I know that.  Plum, do I!  If I could hop in a time machine and go back, I’d tell my parents to go suck a meteor, take whatever punishment they gave, and tell you as soon as it wouldn’t have been breaking my word to them.  I’m sorry.  I hate that I hurt you, I hate that you don’t trust me, and I hate that despite that, you still love me enough that part of why you want to leave is because you’re afraid of it.  Of me!”



She turned away, upset.  “I’m not afraid of you, I’m afraid of what happens if I’m wrong like I always am, and trust you not to hurt me only to end up even worse than now!”  Her lip quivered.  “The alien stuff, that’s weird and scary enough, but I think I could deal, if I could trust you to keep me safe and not let them hurt me.  But how can I trust you?  Even if I know you love me and want to believe you’re telling me the truth now?  How do I know for sure?  I loved and trusted Tom, a long time ago, and I was blindsided when he hooked up with Bianca.  I trusted my brother, only to find out he’s been a freaking Golden Llama and lying to everyone about what he’s doing when he’s out doing that, including the woman he loves!  I thought Penny loved him, but she’s cheating with one of her friends—yeah, found that out by accident when I saw them together, and I know Wilbur doesn’t know about that!  So she’s a liar, too.  Everyone lies!  You did, at least in the past, even if you say you don’t anymore.  And even I do, when I say I’m over you.”  She laughed bitterly.  “So I wonder how and when I can really trust, because I can never tell for sure!  So as much as I want to believe you, as much as I’d love to…”

“Then take a leap of faith and let me earn it back!  You don’t have to believe me now, but I’ll prove it to you.  Just give it, give us, another chance.  I won’t let you down.”

“I can’t,” she sobbed.

“Why?  Because going on like this is so much better?” he challenged.  “Come on.  We both know it’s not.  We’re both miserable!  Just turn around and look at me, Tara.  Tell me you don’t still love me, and you really want it over.”

“That’s not fair,” she argued, even as she turned to face him with tears in her eyes.  “You can read me, and I can’t—”



“You can’t deny how you still feel.”  Orion met her eyes and took her hands, stroking them tenderly as he held them while she leaned closer.  “Not any more than I can,” he finished, and, now that he knew for sure she wanted him to as much as he wanted to do it himself, he kissed her.

They stayed in that embrace for a passionate moment, enjoying being in one another’s arms, together, again.  They lingered, savoring that feeling…



Until Tara’s fears got the better of her and overwhelmed her once more.  She wrenched away.  “Oh, Watcher!  What are we doing?  This can’t happen!  We shouldn’t—oh, I was so stupid to come!  So freaking stupid!”

“Tara—”

“No!”  Her voice went shrill in panic.  “Don’t you see?  This is why I have to leave!  Because whenever I’m around you, I just—Oh, what’s wrong with me?  What am I doing?”

“Being honest with yourself?” Orion retorted, hurt and frustrated.  He reached for her again, but she wrenched away.

“No!  I can’t!  I want to, but I can’t!  I’m sorry.  I’m so, so, so sorry!  But I can’t do this,” she gasped miserably.  “I love you and I want to stay, and I want to imagine it’ll work, but it won’t!  It won’t!  I know it won’t!  It can’t!  It never does!”



Orion tried not to fall apart himself.  “That’s not true!  We love each other!”

“I know, but that doesn’t matter!”  Tears streamed down her face.  “It doesn’t mean—”

“Doesn’t mean what?”

“It doesn’t mean getting back together isn’t a mistake,” she sobbed.  “I’m sorry!  I shouldn’t have come!  I have to go!” 

“No, you don’t,” he insisted.  “Please!”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated tearfully.  “I never meant to hurt you.  I really didn’t!  I’m sorry!”

The worst part was, he knew she meant it.  All of it, good and bad.  “Tara…”

“Good luck with your tech degree and all the stuff you’re going onto now,” she said, eyes closed and voice wavering.  “I’m sure you’ll do really well.  You always do.”  She swallowed.  “Goodbye.  I’ll—I’ll see you when you I get back from China, I guess.  Or online.”



She turned and bolted through the door, and he followed, upset.  “Tara, please!  No!  Don’t do this!”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated raggedly one last time before running through the crowd, grabbing her coat, and dashing out the front door.

“Yeah.”  Orion clenched his jaw so he wouldn’t burst into tears in front of everyone still at his birthday party bearing witness to the spectacle.  “Me too.”  It seemed that his birthday wish came true after all, just not the way he wanted, and it made him bitter.  But hey, at least nobody died, except maybe me inside.  Guess I just should’ve been more specific.



He noticed everyone in the living room staring at him after Tara ran out.  Boyd was the first to speak.  “Orion, are you…?”

“I’m fine.”  He forced a smile although it felt as fake and flat as his tone.  “We just had a… conversation that went somewhere it shouldn’t have.  That’s all.  Don’t worry about me.”

He could sense the concern and pity radiating from his family and friends, and while he appreciated the sentiment, it only made him feel worse. Even freaking Buddy feels bad for me.  How sad a sack must I look like for that? he thought ruefully as he walked over to the bar.



He looked at Patrick.  “I think I’ll take that birthday drink you offered me earlier.”

“Sure, though I’d start with one of these.”  He handed him a glass off the tray.  “Plumboptimus whipped them up a few minutes ago.  Nice and smooth.  Made with the premium stuff.”  He left off that they weren’t nearly as strong as what was in his glass.  Although he didn’t think it’d hit someone built like Orion too hard, he didn’t drink often, and the last time Orion was that upset over Tara, he dropped a meteor across the road.  Patrick wasn’t one to throw stones about a drink and blowing off steam on a bad day, but he didn’t want Orion to overdo it and end up doing something he’d regret later.  While Orion took a heavy sip, Patrick and Iris watched him with concern as the rest of the crowd distanced themselves a bit and gave him his space.  “Sorry your birthday got a llama load dumped on it,” he said.  “That sucks.”

“It was my own fault.”  He swallowed down about a third of his glass.  It tasted good, and it warmed him, although he already decided he was done after that.  He glanced over at Iris.  “Should’ve known better than to talk to the ex, right?  Though at least you were smart enough not to invite yours.”

“It’s just a shame mine went so much better than yours,” she said sympathetically.  “I’m sorry.  Whatever happened—”

He put up his hand as he downed the next third.  “Like I said, just got into stuff we shouldn’t have.  But it’s over.  I’ll be fine.”

Both Iris and Patrick were dubious of that, but since it was obvious he didn’t want to say more about it, they let it go.



The festive mood picked up a little, and Orion put on a happy face to appreciate the well meant sentiment of the guests there to celebrate and wish him well.  After the last of them left, Boyd approached him.  “I’m sorry things went plumbob-shaped in the middle of it all, but I hope you enjoyed at least part of your birthday.  We’re all real proud of you.” 

“Thanks, and it’s… it’s all right.  It is what it is.”  He knew his parents felt guilty about their part in his breakup with Tara, but it just wasn’t in him anymore to hold it against them at this point.  It was over.  Tara had made that clear.  Being angry at them wouldn’t change her mind or keep her from running off to Shang Simla for months.  “I’ll be fine, really.  It’s my birthday.  A new beginning.  A fresh start.”

“That’s true,” Susan agreed with a hesitant note of concern.

“Really, Mom.  Dad.”  He looked from one to the other.  “Yeah, it sucks.  I hoped Tara and I could work things out, but that’s not going to happen.  And now I know it.  We’re moving on to different parts in our lives.  She’s going to Shang Simla and I’m going to get my tech degree.  New school, new people, new… friends.  Onward to new adventures.”  He smiled.  “Like I said, I’ll be fine.  Thanks for everything.  My birthday was all right.  Plum just happens.”

“You know, your resiliency is one of the things I’ve always admired about you,” Boyd said fondly, while Susan nodded with him.

“We love you, Orion.”

“I know, Mom.  I love you all, too.  Thanks.  I’m going to call it a night and meditate for a while.  Good night.”  He headed upstairs.



“Poor Orion,” Susan said after he left.  “He’s talking a good game, but he’s crushed.”

“He really loved her,” said Boyd.  “I hoped when she showed up that maybe things would go the other way.”

Iris sighed.  “I wish I could say I did, but I had a feeling two exes turning up at the party wasn’t a good omen.”

“Do you think one of us should talk to him?  Not right now, but maybe later?  Soon?  To make sure he’s all right,” Susan suggested, glancing over at Boyd.  “Not us.  I’m sure we’re the last ones he’d want to talk to about it, but maybe one of you?”  She looked over at Iris, Maria, and Patrick.  “How about big brother?  You two have always been close, and I’m sure he’ll be more willing to open up to you.”



At that, Iris spoke up.  “Uh, no offense, but Patrick, or any of you guys, are the last people Orion needs advice from right now.  Sorry, but none of you in your long term I-married-my-first-love-from-high-school fairy tale relationships are going to be able to say anything that he really needs to hear,” she said bluntly.  “What he needs, what he’s needed for a long time now, is to stop clinging to the notion that they can magically work things out when the reality is that she’s going to keep hurting him.  He needs to just let her go and move on, once and for all, for good.  And none of you, or Chris or Tad, or Blair or Cycl0n3, have ever done anything like that, have you?  You’ve all been together forever and worked it all out through thick or thin, no matter what the plum.  Even if you might’ve dated someone for five minutes before winding up with each other, none of you ever had to walk away from something super serious with someone you were with for a long time, right?”

“No,” Maria admitted.  “I thought I was in love with Julius when I dated him before Patrick, until he didn’t call me like he promised.  And we were only together a couple weeks when I dumped him on Love Day with a note in his locker so I could go out with Patrick and not feel bad about it.”

Patrick didn’t say anything, and Susan shrugged.  “I had a crush or two on boys at my old school before moving here, but it’s true, your father’s the only one I’ve ever really loved.”

“I was almost as big a nerd as Cycl0n3 at that age, so I was thrilled that someone as amazing as your mom would go out with me,” Boyd confessed.  “Before that, most girls who talked to me were trying to get me to do homework for them.”

“So you get my point, then?  Because I’m pretty sure none of us want Orion to take a cue from you guys and go off to his classes and other stuff and not take a chance at meeting someone new, because some part of him believes that Tara is his one true love and she still loves him, so he should keep freaking pining for her while she’s away in Shang Simla because she might change her mind when she comes back?”

“No, of course not,” Susan agreed.

“Though I’ll point out a very similar situation did happen with Blair and Cycl0n3 way back when,” said Boyd.  “They broke up when he went off to university and got back together when he came back.”

“And she actually didn’t date anyone while he was away,” Susan continued.  “She was heartbroken a while, and then just immersed herself in her last year of high school and then her new job on the force.  I remember when she got Hank Goddard as a partner.  I hoped she might go out with him, even if not seriously, just to get a bit of life experience.  She never did, though.  And obviously it all worked out for the best.”

Iris groaned.  “Yeah, see, that’s exactly the kind of thing Orion doesn’t need to hear right now, anecdotal evidence or not.  Something to reinforce the idea that since he really loves her, he should hang in there because fate will work things out.”

“Probably not,” Patrick agreed.  “But I wouldn’t encourage him to hang onto someone who’s jerking him around.”



It was all Iris could do not to say how rich that was coming from the fairy tale relationship king of being jerked around by his big bad wolf, and how it was another example making her point, but she kept things diplomatic.  “You know, back in Egypt, he was this close to falling for another girl.  One he had fun with, that he had things in common with, who seemed to like him.  But he didn’t, because he was so hung up on Tara.  And yeah, it might’ve been just a fling, but maybe after, he might’ve realized that there are billions of girls on this planet that aren’t Tara Keaton!  Even if just a tiny percentage of them are someone he’s compatible with, that are attracted to him and he’s attracted to, and that could accept his alien secret once they knew—even just a small percent—that’s still a heck of a lot of options and way more than the one who keeps breaking his heart.  He just has to realize they’re there and seek them out.  But it’ll never happen as long as he doesn’t actually let her go.”

“It seemed like he’s accepting that, though,” said Maria.

“Yeah, and the last time you got mad at Patrick, you said he was the world’s biggest llama and you were never ever speaking to him again until you calmed down and got over it twenty minutes later,” Iris said sarcastically, continuing before Maria could huff about it.  “And Orion’s probably doing the same thing.  Saying he’s done with her for now, while he’s hurting, but once he sits and mopes—excuse me, meditates—on it, there’s going to be a part of him whispering ‘maybe’ and ‘what if.’  So we can’t encourage that.  Consciously or not.”  She frowned.  “He’ll just end up hurt again, and he’s been hurt enough.”

A silence fell over the room, and none of them could disagree.  Boyd and Susan exchanged looks with Patrick and Maria, and each other, and then Susan spoke, proud and impressed with her youngest daughter’s insight.  “You’re absolutely right, sweetie.”

[MIA2009]

Oh, no! I'm of story!  So, some thoughts. For so!e reason, when Blair speaks I hear the voice of actress Teri Polo in my head. Blair's voice in the game is much higher pitched. Not a fan of Supernatural or vampires or that stuff, but you've done well with the alien and plant SIM states so far, so l am still hooked. LOL. Can't wait for more!