Thursday, January 30, 2014

Chapter 76: Black Picket Fences

 Warning: Language




  Cherie took note of the six police officers standing outside the hospital room, and the two standing guard inside the room as she walked cautiously in.  Her patient was no ordinary woman.  Cherie frowned, she wanted nothing to do with this woman, the woman who would have been executed by now if not for the fact that she was pregnant. Her execution had been stayed temporarily; after the birth, she would be executed within 24 hrs.  Dragon Valley did not tolerate kidnapping and assassination attempts on its Mayor.

  Obstetrics was not Cherie's specialty, she dealt mainly in Oncology. and the strange request from the Women's Prison had thrown her off.  Warden Jeffries had told her the woman was quite insistent that Cherie be her attending physician at the birth.

   Cherie sat quietly down on the stool and waited for her patient to arrive.  She had refused the woman's request at first.  It was not her field of expertise, and she had no interest in the woman that had hurt her family so badly.




   Two things had changed her mind.  The first one was that it had been confirmed through amniocentesis that the baby the woman carried would be Cherie's grandchild.  The second, the woman refused all medical attention, insisting that she would only see Cherie.  Cherie did not want her grandchild to suffer because of lack of prenatal care.

  She twisted her wedding ring, and anxiously looked around the room while she waited.  The room was bare, everything had been removed except for an examination bed, the stool she sat on, and the two guards.  It made her nervous what manner of woman she would be meeting and caring for, that the Prison and Hospital officials would take such care in the way she was being transported, and that not even the smallest of decorations was allowed to remain.

  Suddenly the door opened, and the woman was standing in front of her.  There was a stillness about her, Cherie mused, that was quite intimidating.  She almost felt like the woman was taking her measure, looking for any weaknesses.

  Her voice was lifeless when she finally spoke.  "I'm Ivory." 




    "I'm Dr. Kahekili."  Cherie said awkwardly.  Really, what else could she say?  Pleased to meet her?  That would be lie, she was not pleased to meet her, not at all.  Cherie was first and foremost, a professional though.

  "I know who you are."  Ivory said coldly.

  Cherie's brows rose.  The woman was angry with her?  Her?  The utter gall of the woman!  She felt her mask of professionalism slip a little bit.  "Yes, I suppose you do." she murmured. "You did request me as your physician, but I hope you realize that I am not an Obstetrician, I am an Oncologist.  You really should consider seeing an actual Obstetrician."

  "I just wanted to meet the woman who was responsible, and this was the only way to do so."

  Cherie narrowed her eyes.  "Responsible for what?"




    "For ruining his life."

  Cherie caught her breath.  Had that woman really just said that to her?  And after what that woman had done to her son?!  Both of them?!  She gritted her teeth.  "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

  Ivory tilted her head slightly.  "You know what I mean, you had a beautiful family and you took it for granted.  You took him for granted, you should have spent more time with..."

  Cherie interrupted her.  "You have no right to judge me on my parenting skills, and I fail to see how it is any concern of yours."  Cherie smiled stiffly.  "Now, if you'll have a seat, we can get this examination over..."

  This time Ivory interrupted.  "I have every right." She said fiercely.  "My lawyer tells me that you have filed for custody of my baby in Colin's name, you'll be the one to raise my baby.  I don't want the same thing to happen to my child that happened to your children, all of them carrying a wound from their childhood, thinking they were never good enough.  Thinking that their mother loved this f*cking hospital more than she loved them.  I sure as h*ll don't want my child to have the rotten childhood I had.  I want my child to be happy, safe, loved, and secure.  I want the peace of knowing that my child will be okay, before I die."

  The room was silent as they both stared at each other.




   Cherie broke the silence first.  "Coming from a mother's perspective, I can understand your concerns."  She hesitated for a moment.  Cherie had not expected such an outburst from a woman like her.  In court, Ivory had maintained a stony silence, she wouldn't look at anyone, but simply stared through them as if they weren't even there.  Looking at her now, Cherie could see what it was that had attracted her son.  "I am retiring."  She said simply.  "I will have lots of time to devote to all of my grandchildren."

  Ivory sighed heavily, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.  She sat down on the examination table.  "He loved you, you know.  He never said the words, but I could tell when we talked about you."

  For some reason it irked Cherie to no end to know that she had been a topic of conversation between her son and Ivory.  That Colin had talked to this woman, when he would barely say two words to her, unless it was to curse and try to get a reaction out of her.  She prided herself on how she had conducted herself all these years, not once had she given him reaction, she always stayed in control.  "I will not discuss my son, or my relationship with him, with you.  You are just another female, in a long line of his females.  You will soon be a long forgotten memory of his."  The words were cruel, but they were truth as far as Cherie was concerned.  Colin had been with hundreds of women, one he was even briefly married to, but he always moved on.  This woman would be no different.

  Ivory wrapped her arms around her middle.   "You speak of him as if he were alive."

 

  "Yes, your little plan failed.  Both of my sons are alive and well, no thanks to you."

  "He's alive."  Ivory whispered.

  "That's what I said."

  Ivory pinned Cherie with a look.  "Would you give him a message for me?"

  "Why should I?"

  "Because you want him to be happy."  So many emotions were running through Ivory, she barely knew what she felt, except joy.  She knew she felt an exceedingly, overabundance of joy.  He was alive!  She had thought he had died on that cold floor, all that blood...he was alive!?  She had not heard anything at that sham called a trial, she had been in shock, frozen by the knowledge that she had killed the one person she loved more than anything.  Even more than her own life.  The only thing that had pulled her out of it, was the faint stirrings of life in her womb.  She was carrying his baby, and she loved their baby with a ferociousness that sometimes scared her.

  Ivory heard Cherie say something, but she had been so involved in her thoughts she had not heard any of the words, she asked Cherie to repeat it.  Go on, she had said, as if she was reserving judgement.  Ivory did not blame her, she had almost killed both of her sons.  Ivory hugged herself, he was alive.  If only she could get her message to him, she knew he would understand what it meant, that he would find a way to free her.  Then they could move away, and raise their baby together, just like he was saying before everything went so horribly wrong.  Before she had allowed her fears to act ahead of her heart.  "Tell him I want the black picket fence, and everything that goes with it.  Promise me you'll tell him that."  She pleaded.

  Cherie looked away.

 

    What an odd message, black picket fence?  She had no idea what it meant, but it seemed harmless enough.  She turned back to Ivory.  "Very well, I will give him your message."  Cherie watched, stunned, as tears streaked down Ivory's cheeks. 

  "Thank you."

  "Um, yes, well, let's get back to business shall we?  Let's see how that baby of yours is doing..."

  Thirty minutes later, after Ivory had been handcuffed and taken back to her cell, Cherie walked up two flights of stairs and down a long corridor.  She opened the last door on the right, and stepped into the room.  The familiar sounds of the machines greeted her as she slowly approached the bed.  She stopped, and stared down at her son, Colin, hooked up to so many machines, still in coma after all these long months.

  She had misled Ivory a little, her son was alive, and she hoped more than anything that someday he would wake, and all would be well.  His pale, lifeless face scared her, she would infinitely rather have him cursing at her, or ranting about some perceived slight, then to see him this way.  She stifled a sob, it was unnatural to see him so still.

  She felt her husband come up behind her, and his arms came around her, holding her close.  She let the tears fall.  "Oh Ryder."  She wept.  "I should have been a better mother, she was right about that.  I should have.."

  "No, Love."  Ryder said gently.  "Should haves will kill us, hindsight is always twenty twenty.  We did what we thought best at the time."


 
  "And just exactly who is this she you're talking about anyway?"  Ryder asked.

  "Ivory.  That is her name.  The woman that nearly killed both of our boys.  She wanted to know that we would raise the child better than we raised our own children.  She wanted me to give Colin a message."

  "What message?"

  "That she wants the black picket fence, and everything that goes with it."

  "That's cryptic."

  "She said Colin would be happy to hear it."  Cherie sadly looked down at her son.  "If he ever wakes up, I will give him her message, I promised."

  Ryder hugged her tighter.  "When, Love, when.  He will wake up, and return to us."

  "I've read his medical reports, there was so much blood loss, and brain swelling and.."

  "He'll come back."

  "I hope you're right." 


~<>~


  "Let me at him!  I'm going to kill him!"  Brae shouted angrily.

 

   "Brae!"  Alder warned, "either you settle down and tell us what's going on, or leave."

  "What's going on?!"  Brae hollered.  "What's going on?!  What's going on is that a*shole," he pointed at his brother, "slept with my wife!  Not only that, but it turns out Elliot is his son!  What the h*ll Colin!  Let go of me Grandpa!  I'm going to kill him, I'll rip his head off and feed it to the dogs!"

  "Simmer down Brae."  Alder said tiredly.

  Colin looked up, "D*mn.  Is Elliot one of those kids you were telling me about?"

  "Uh, no," Ryder said, startled.  "That's a new development."

 


 "Why don't you start from the beginning."  Alder suggested reasonably.  "Why do you think your brother had an affair with your wife?"

  "I don't just think it."  Brae said sullenly, glaring at his brother.  "When Colin woke up, I was so thrilled by the news that my brother was awake, I told my wife about it.  And do you know what she did?  She broke down sobbing and crying, and she confessed to everything.  She told me, with Elliot standing right there, how much she has always loved him.  That they have been having an affair since highschool!  F*cking highschool Colin!  Wasn't it enough that you f*cked..."  Brae was so angry he ignored his mother reprimand on his language, he was beyond caring.  He wanted to smash his brother's face in.  "..every other female in town?  Did you have to f*ck my wife too?  Did you have to cuckold me?"

  "Oh dear."  Cherie said faintly.  "Brae, there's something you really ought to know..."

  "Not now Mother!  Let me go Grandpa, I'm going to pulverize him, beat him into a bloody f*cking pulp!  He was my son Colin!  My son!  And you stole him away from me!"  Brae yelled.

  "Braern Kahekili, you will cease and desist this very moment, and listen.  Do you hear me."  Cherie said firmly.  She placed her hands in her lap, and stared pointedly at him.

 

  "I'm listening." Brae said mulishly.

  "After talking to you this morning over the phone, we have since discovered that he has lost his memory.  The doctors think it is due to the brain swelling and the lengthy coma he was in.   He may get his memory back, or he may not, only time will tell."

  Brae stared at his mother, then he laughed harshly.  "Oh, f*cking good one Colin!"  He turned back to his brother.  "Fake memory loss just so that you can get out of a fight!  Well, I don't believe it for one moment!"

  Colin tilted his head and looked directly at Brae.  "Sh*t.  Am I the type of guy to run from a fight like that?" Colin asked, dismayed.

  Brae stopped, and looked, really looked at his brother. "No," he said slowly, "you love to get into fights, you start quite a few, but as you like to say, you always finish them."

  "F*ck, that's a relief.  I wouldn't want to be a f*cking coward."  Colin dropped his head back onto his hand and rubbed his temple.

  Brae kept waiting for Colin to start hysterically laughing, and tell them all what a bunch of morons they were for falling for the practical joke.  It was a practical joke, right?  Except Colin didn't laugh, or call him a f*cking idiot, or any other name, instead he sat just sat quietly. He appeared deep in thought, and every once in a while he would grimace, as if in pain.



  "It's true then?"  Brae whispered.  "He really remembers nothing?"

  "Nothing."  Alder confirmed.  "We had to bring out the photo albums to show him proof of who he is, and who we are."

  "I have six f*cking kids!"  Colin said suddenly, in amazement.  "Six!"

  Brae stiffened.  "Seven kids." he said bitterly.

  Colin looked at Brae.  "H*ll, did I raise that...Elliot?  That's his name right?  Did I raise Elliot?"

  "You haven't raised any of your kids Colin."  Brae snapped back.

  "Sh*t, really?"  Colin went all quiet and thoughtful again.  Then he ventured, "D*mn, did you end up raising any of them?"

  "Just Elliot.  The parents have raised the others."


 
   "Is that Elliot over there?"  He pointed to the teen who was shyly hanging back by the door.  Brae nodded his head yes.  "Ah, f*ck.  Well, I can't f*cking say what I was thinking, I'm sorry about that.  But sh*t, it seems to me, that if you raised Elliot, that would make him your f*cking son, and not mine?"

  Brae could feel the stares of his grandfather and father, but he ignored them.  It was all Brae could do to keep his jaw from dropping.  Had he heard right?  Had Colin just apologized?  He also had a good point, Brae was forced to admit, he had been the one to raise Elliot.  Who was this stranger that looked like his brother, but talked like a stranger?  Now that he was paying more attention, Colin really wasn't acting like himself at all, even his language was toned down.  Slowly the realization came to Brae, Colin wasn't faking, his brother really didn't remember.

  "H*ll, I'm sorry."  Colin offered.  "No matter how hard I f*cking try, I just can't remember." he said, frustrated. 

 

 "It's f*cking disconcerting to have no past.  To have a d*mn roomful of f*cking strangers tell you that you're their son, or grandson, or..." Colin's voice drifted off.  "The doctor f*cking says after a couple days of observation, I can f*cking go home, but where the h*ll is home?"  Colin was baffled, feeling overwhelmed, and the f*cking pain in his head was excruciating.  "Then's there's six f*cking kids that will be expecting me to be a f*cking father."  Colin still couldn't believe it, six f*cking kids!

  Brae laughed harshly.  "You can rest easy on that account Colin."

  "Brae!" his mother rebuked him.

  "What?  It's true.  His kids would rather he stay in a coma or die, then come home.  He should know the truth, if nothing else!"  Brae defended himself.

  "The triplets are too young to think any such thing, and the older ones will be happy to have him home, I'm sure of it."

  Brae snorted.  "Sure."
 


 
  
  "Brae!"

  "No, it's okay...Mom."  Colin tripped over the name.  "I prefer the f*cking truth, and d*mn, now I know I can f*cking count on Brae to give it to me."  The names felt strange on Colin's tongue, everything felt strange though.  He didn't feel like he belonged in this body, or in this f*cking life he supposedly led.  From what he was gathering, he was a selfish a*shole.  They all kept shooting little glances at him, like he was going to f*cking  suddenly jump up and start yelling or some sh*t.  Brae, his brother, had said he loved to f*cking fight, so maybe they had every reason to be afraid of his reaction.  Sh*t, that thought was f*cking depressing, that he was such an a*shole, his own family was afraid of what he might do.

  He looked at his brother, d*mn, Brae was seriously p*ssed at him, and for good reason if he had f*cking done what Brae accused him of.  H*ll, at least he knew Brae would f*cking give him the truth, or a closer f*cking version, and not f*cking soft pedal it like his so called mother was doing.  Suddenly he just felt f*cking weary to his bones, and his f*cking head wouldn't stop throbbing.  "Sh*t, I'm sorry, but I'm so f*cking tired, I think I'll take a nap."  Maybe when he woke up, he would have his f*cking memory back, and he would find that this had all been some sh*tty, horrible nightmare.


~<>~


  Unfortunately, the huge f*cking gap in his memory had remained, as had the d*mn headache.  Three days later, he had been f*cking released, and the stupid a*s doctor hadn't been a whole h*ll of a lot of help.  Memory was a f*cking tricky thing, he had been told.  It would f*cking come back when he was ready, well, h*ll, he was f*cking ready, so why the f*ck couldn't he remember?  Whenever he f*cking tried to force it, it gave him a stupid a*s migraine .  He had been advised to be f*cking patient.  He didn't know if he had been f*cking patient before or not, but he sure as h*ll didn't feel patient now.  He wanted his f*cking memory back!

   When he had first got home, he found his older kids f*cking standoffish, the younger three cried like he was the f*cking boogeyman.  His mother, f*ck, she didn't feel like his mother, but she had told to him to be f*cking patient.  That f*cking word again!  She had told him they had never f*cking met him...awake.  So with some help from his mother, he had scrounged up some f*cking patience from somewhere, and he soon changed all that sh*t.  He couldn't deny now that the highlight of his f*cking day was his triplets crawling all over him as soon as he walked in the front door.   His older kids were f*cking tougher, but, h*ll,  he had expected that.  Brae had f*cking told him in no uncertain terms what a jacka*s he had been to them, so he knew it would f*cking take time.  Sh*t.  And f*cking patience.  He really hated that f*cking word.

  His daughter, d*mn, she was a d*mn beautiful young lady, not that he was f*cking biased or anything. 



  He sure as h*ll didn't f*cking like the idea of her dating.  She just f*cking rolled her eyes at him, or f*cking patted him on the shoulder, like he was some dumba*s, and told him she was far more interested in becoming the f*cking Empress of the Free World than dating boys.  Sh*t.  He couldn't f*cking tell for sure if she was joking or not, she was f*cking scary smart.  Like her f*cking mother, she would always say after that.  Apparently he had f*cking told her that a few times, that she was like her f*cking mother.  That was the h*ll of not f*cking knowing things, people could f*cking throw his words back at him, and he couldn't f*cking refute them.

  His son, Nick, d*mn, he was really quiet, and would never f*cking say much at home.  He spent a lot of time at the f*cking animal shelter, training to be a Veterinarian or some sh*t.  Colin had f*cking zero interest in stupid a*s animals, had he ever?  Sh*t, he didn't know, but Nick sure seemed to f*cking love them.  Once he figured out his son was more f*cking relaxed and happy at that sh*tty smelling animal hospital, he had started stopping by more often.  Sh*t, while there, they actually f*cking talked, it was about dumba*s animals, but h*ll, it was a start. 


 
  The f*cking hardest child of his to reach, was Jake.  By all accounts though, he had treated Jake the sh*ttiest.  So Colin gave him plenty of f*cking space, and now sometimes Jake would actually stay in the f*cking room if Colin walked in.  H*ll, he considered that real f*cking progress.

  He wouldn't have f*cking blamed his brother at all either, if Brae had never f*cking talked to him again, but for some f*cking reason that Colin couldn't understand, Brae didn't do that.   Of course when Colin f*cking asked him about it, trying to understand why the h*ll Brae would give him the f*cking time of day; Brae had simply said he was waiting for Colin's memory to come back. Then they would f*cking talk.

  The sh*ttiest part of it all, he had discovered, was that while his f*cking memory was wiped clean, his f*cking muscle memory was not.  The first time he had f*cking tried kicking the training dummy he had found in the attic, he had been surprised that his body actually knew what the f*ck to do.  H*ll, he didn't understand why his f*cking muscles could remember his past when he f*cking could not.  He supposed he ought to be f*cking grateful for the little sh*t.  Like how at some point in his f*cking life, he had obviously learned Martial Arts, and he was f*cking good at it too.  Now he just kept it up because it kept him in f*cking good shape, and it helped ease his frustrations when it became clear his f*cking memory wasn't going to be coming back any time soon.


  

  The sh*ttiest day of all though, had been when his mother died.  Sh*ttiest not only because she f*cking died, but because he had such f*cking conflicting emotions about it.  She had gone to the f*cking hospital to visit a friend and she suffered a fatal heart attack on the way.  Just the f*ck like that.

  She had f*cking tried to clean up his 'potty mouth' as she called it, and he had really tried not to f*cking curse around her.  But h*ll, sometimes he had slipped up, he wasn't f*cking perfect, and he was trying.  She had also spent f*cking hours upon hours, along with his dad, just talking to him, until he had felt like his f*cking ears were going to fall the f*ck off.  He had almost thought she had f*cking stored those words up his whole f*cking life.  He had practiced patience, stupid a*s patience, with her though.  After all, she was his mother, even if she didn't f*cking feel like his mother.




   The f*cking sad part was, he hadn't known her very long.   Well, h*ll, she had obviously f*cking known him his whole life, but his memory of her was only a few months long.  While as far as the f*ck he could remember she had always been there to f*cking lend him a hand whenever and wherever he needed it; he just hadn't known her that long.   He had always felt like she was trying to f*cking atone for something, but he never had the heart to ask her what that was, and now that opportunity was gone.  D*mn, he would miss her, but his grief was nothing like his father's grief.  His father had simply fallen apart.

  The kids too, they had f*cking grieved, even his babies had cried for their 'Gramma', and Colin had been at a f*cking loss.  What the f*ck to do?  His family was hurting, and he felt f*cking powerless to do anything about it.   He hated feeling f*cking powerless, it brought up a whole host of f*cking emotions down deep that he didn't totally understand.  Anger was chief among them.  Why the f*ck was he so angry?


 
  Colin sighed.  He looked down at his little girl who was just waking up from her nap.  "Dada!" she said sleepily, and reached her arms out.  He picked her up, and hugged her.  Things were f*cking changing, he hoped for the good.  His dad had said he couldn't bear to live in Dragon Valley any longer, the memories were too much.  Colin f*cking agreed, but for a different reason.  He was f*cking tired of women stopping by all hours of the day, women calling him f*cking non-stop, and getting f*cking mauled by all sorts of strange women while walking down the street!  It was f*cking ridiculous, he would f*cking tell them he didn't know who the h*ll they were, so stop touching him and sh*t.  They never seemed bothered by the fact he didn't f*cking remember them.  It bothered him a whole h*ll of a lot, creepy a*s b*tches.

  In Dragon Valley,  he had a f*cking reputation, and while he couldn't f*cking remember it, the town sure the h*ll did.  He couldn't be him here, whoever the h*ll he was, he was still working on that.  He sure as h*ll wasn't into making out with some strange chick on the sidewalk in front of everyone.  He sure the h*ll wasn't interested in marrying his ex sister-in law, no matter how many f*cking times she pleaded with him.  He just wanted some peace, so he could get his f*cking act together.  Was that too much to ask?  In this town it was.  Sh*t, and the family had even kept his memory loss under wraps, to try to keep the f*cking drama down.  He seemed to attract drama anyway.  It was f*cking annoying as h*ll.

  Skylar started fussing, and Colin forced himself to calm down.  She was a sensitive little thing, much like he imagined Nick had been at this age.  He didn't f*cking remember Nick, or the others, at this age, but at least his Mom had taken tons of photos of them.  He looked through them a lot, hoping something would jiggle that stupid a*s memory of his, but so far, a whole lot of nada.

  He wasn't sure what to expect in Midnight Hollow, but surely it was f*cking better than here. It wasn't like he would even be losing his f*cking friends or family or anything, they were all making the move too, for various different reasons.  Like some gigantic f*cking exodus.  Brae for instance, he had been offered the position of f*cking mayor of Midnight Hollow.  Since he was going through a nasty a*s divorce from Morri, he was more than ready to leave Dragon Valley behind, and take up a new life.

  "What do you think of that baby doll?  Huh?"  Colin held Skylar up.  "A new life for fff--all of us."



  Skye reached out and patted his cheek.  "Dada."  Colin growled playfully, and nipped at her fingers.  Skye giggled and reached out her hand again, he nibbled at her fingers again, causing her to giggle some more.  "Let's go find Luna and Jack shall we? I bet they're already fff---playing in the playroom..." 
 
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Notes:  Woot!  Moving right along!  Yes, Colin lived as you can tell.  Yes, his memory really is gone.  Will he ever get it back?  Maybe, lol  I had been thinking back when I first came up with Colin's character---what would cause him to change?  It had to be something really major, because he is super stubborn, set in his ways, and refuses to listen to anyone.  Then I watched both versions of the movie Total Recall last summer (I love the Arnold Schwarzenegger version, I've watched it many, many times over the years) and it hit me---memory!  Haha, he needs to lose his memory.  Then I started thinking about how that would happen, and I came up with an assassin lover--big fight--yada, yada, yada. 

 And funny enough, after all those years together, SP gave me notice that Brae could no longer live in the same household as Morri, and just like that, they had divorced.  And yes, Morri calls Colin...constantly!!

  I'd like to say thanks again to my friend Jenn, for letting me use Ivory in this story---she was perfect.  Once again, for those interested in downloading Ivory---she can be found here: Ivory Mist  You must be registered at TFMs Sims Asylum to download her.

  
  Please ignore all the clipping and other strangeness in some of the pics.  I didn't feel like redoing them, those scenes were a pain in the behind to do anyway.  I'm glad to have most of the posed scenes behind me, there are still a few upcoming ones, but not for some time.  Yay!

  I love that picture of Colin and Skye, they are so adorable! <3  Unbelievable, but he and Ivory had triplets.  I was shooting for twins, and girls at that.  I needed twin girls for Gen 8 storyline.  Colin rolled 5 kids, so that would have worked perfectly.  I moved Ivory into the household while she was pregnant and stuffed her with watermelons and made her listen to the kids channel on tv while she read pregnancy books.  Gee, I don't know why she was so cranky!  Haha, everyone avoided her.

  Then, in typical Colin and Ivory style---they ignored what I wanted and had triplets.  I suppose I should be thankful they didn't have quads!  I did get my two girls, but the boy, Jack, he was a surprise.

  So, introducing the triplets---first born was Skylar.




 
  Then came Luna:



 and then Jack, the surprise baby, lol  I know, I know, I had such stellar names for the other two (haha, sorry about the bad pun, but it was irresistible, lol) but then I named the last one Jack.  Well, I wasn't expecting him, I gave him the first name that came to mind. =)

 

  A lot of times I don't reveal my household roll until a lot later, but this time around I am going to go ahead and tell it in advance.  I rolled full house for Gen 8, so the triplets will be around for a while.  Darn Jack though, he messed up my plans a bit, and then he was so blasted cute (especially as a teen!) that I had no choice but to fit him into the storyline a little bit.  I really wish full house was the heir plus four...

  Thanks for reading!  Next chapter---the big move to Midnight Hollow---which by the way happened when Midnight Hollow first came out.  That's how far behind I am!  Oh well catching up. =)
 

19 comments:

  1. Thanks, Nirar, for giving Ivory a great send off. I am just glad I didn't have to "witness" her death. Only Colin would have to lose his memory to become a semi-decent person. I just wonder if it is too late with the older kids? I like the idea of him changing though for the triplets. And they just adorable. The older three look good too.

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    1. I didn't want to witness her death either, I grew rather fond of her. As for how Colin manages with the kids---that will be revealed next chapter, lol All I will say is I'm having fun with it! =)

      Thanks for reading and commenting Jenn!

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  2. Actually want to cry right now. This was so beautiful. Colin getting a second chance is brilliant. I know he was starting to regret things in the last few chapters when he was talking to Ivory, and now he can make up for them.
    I assume Ivory is already dead. I wonder what she thought of Colin never coming to save her? Did she think he'd not got the message, or that he didn't love her? Poor girl. I would have loved for them to have been together, but the rolls are the rolls.
    The kids are all beautiful! The older three, are they all YA now? Or just teen? And the toddlers are super-cute, Ivory can live on through them.

    I'm kinda in two minds whether Colin should get his memory back... He's changed now, for the better (he's even censoring himself around the babies!), and if his memory came back I'm not sure what he'd do. I'm so glad he's not dead. it was a bit touch and go there, in Ivory and Cherie's conversation. "You speak as if he's alive" - my heart sank, "He is alive" - I got all happy again, then he was in a coma and I didn't know if he'd pull through, then he did and he had no memory... You know, you were there, lol.

    Wow, you really are far behind! How do you remember what you're doing?! Look forward to seeing their new life in MH. Really is a fresh start and a cleen slate.

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    1. omg lol. *Clean. I need to proof-read. :P

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    2. Thanks Gemma for the compliment! I did want Colin to have a second chance, but with the way he was before, that really wasn't going to happen, so in a lot of ways the memory loss will be a good thing for him. I actually wanted them to be together too, but that wasn't their story. :(

      Well, my current legacy save---the older 3 are YA and moved out long ago, and the younger 3 are YAs as well. I'm trying to get caught up before Gen 9 makes its appearance, lol

      I'm too fond of Colin to out and out kill him off, making him suffer a little bit, well, that's all good for the story, lol He'll be raising triplets that are half him/half Ivory---they'll give him a run for his money, haha!

      *cringes* Yes, I'm really behind. I only keep track of things through a zillion notes I have written in a notebook. I have all my story plotlines for Gen 8 and Gen 9, I'm looking forward to writing them!

      Thanks for reading and commenting! =)

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  3. Poor Ivory. I assume her message never got delivered, or even if it did it no longer had meaning. :( It's a good thing she managed to get Cherie to review the way she raised Colin, though. But, as they say, regret always comes too late.

    Alder is still as awesome as always!

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    1. Her message never got delivered, since Colin didn't wake up until after she was already gone. Not that it would have mattered much, the message would have meant nothing to the new Colin.

      It is good that she got Cherie to think a little bit about the way she raised Colin---she really wasn't a bad parent, she was more of a neglectful parent, always too busy to pay much attention to him. Colin was just a more needy child, lol

      Alder. <3

      Thank you for reading, and leaving a comment! =)

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  4. Mmm! Showdown between Cherie and Ivory! And how sad that Cherie still didn't even hear what she said to herself even. That she was proud of holding herself back when Colin provoked "looking for a reaction." He wasn't looking for a reaction. He was looking for a little attention from his mom. And she didn't get it. Neither did he. So sad. Such a waste.

    Oh man. Colin as not Colin? That's just sad! He had so much spunk, despite the anger beneath it all. Though with the anger still beneath it all I really hope at least a little of his memory comes back. Perhaps Cherie told Ryder about what Ivory had said? Maybe Ryder could tell Colin that Ivory had meant it all? One day? Please???

    Awwww! The babies! At least he's seeing his kids now, and trying to be a good dad. The triplets are so cute! Can't wait to see who you've picked for heir, and just who else will be in this full house!

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    1. I did not have the theme to the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly playing in my mind as I wrote that scene, lol Yep, you've got it---Colin was looking for attention from his mother, and it's sad that they were always at cross purposes. The harder he tried to get her attention, the more she withdrew from him.

      lol, he'll still be Colin, just not quite as angry. Well, Cherie kept her word, and did tell him what Ivory said, but it didn't mean anything to him. It was a cryptic message that the old Colin would have understood immediately, but the new Colin is clueless.

      I think they're all adorable, and they grow up nicely too! Colin will be a much better Dad to the younger three, than he was to the older three.

      Thanks for reading Sunny, and for commenting! =)

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  5. Farewell Ivory, I wish she and Colin could have had a happy ending... *cries*

    The confrontation between Cherie and Ivory was great - I'm glad Cherie seems to have taken on board what Ivory said, even if she didn't admit it, she was there for him and his kids after he came out of the coma.

    As for Colin, it feels really weird seeing him so different and so lost without his memory, but at the same time, losing his memory has given him a second chance and he's taken that chance so well that I'm not sure I want him to remember.

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    1. Me too. :(

      Cherie was actually a big help to Colin with the kids, especially after he woke up from the coma. She helped him learn how to diaper a baby, lol :P

      Colin is still out of sorts, trying to feel his way to who he is, since he doesn't remember. He does have this second chance though, and he uses it!

      Thanks for reading and commenting Ali! =)

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  6. Such an amazing story! I feel so bad for everyone! I can't believe Ivory is gone! It's so hard to remove a Sim from the storyline when you're so attached to them! I don't know how you did it! :P

    It's so sad to see Colin struggling with the memory loss. Hopefully he'll get back some, if not all, of his memory down the line! It might be nice to have it flash back in small parts!

    And those kiddos! Ivory makes some pretty babies! I melted when I saw Luna! She's so purdy!

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    1. Aww, thanks Megan, I'm glad you've liked it. They all have their sad moments, but they have their happy ones too, lol I do get really attached to the sims, and it's hard to let them go---especially if it is premature, but the story rules. They had to go through all of that to explain the way that Gen 8 will be, so I keep that in mind as I'm writing difficult scenes.

      Colin hopes he gets his memory back too, it is even more strange to him trying to fit into a life that he doesn't remember at all.

      I love all the Colin/Ivory babies (I play several alternate universe saves where they can be happy and have kids to their heart's content)---they all turn out really cute.

      Thanks for reading and commenting! =)

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  7. For about 30 seconds there, my temperature was rising while I was reading how Ivory was talking to Cherie, but then--yes, Cherie should hear those words, how her devotion to her work hurt her son. Not that Ivory's in any position to have a say, but knowing that Colin's parents are getting custody of the babies, I think I would've said that too. Kinda insensitive of her to ask Cherie to give Colin a message for her though, after all that. I'll be interested to know what his response to the message is.

    Awww and so cute to see Alder being forceful with Brae. LOL ok, that is a strangely misplaced perception of the moment, I know. So Brae knows, then, about Elliot. Interesting. And yay Colin's awake!

    It's got to be hard on Colin, realizing what an ass he was to his family and everyone, especially in facing the attitudes of the older kids. It melted my heart, seeing him with Skye <3 I wonder too what kind of relationship he'll form with Elliot, and how Brae will feel about that.

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    1. Haha, I know right? Pot meet Kettle! Ivory just wanted the peace of mind of knowing that her baby was going to grow up well. It was insensitive of her to ask Cherie to give Colin a message, but on the other hand, that was the only way she knew to make sure that Colin got the message.

      Brae had just found out, because Morri was so over emotional about Colin waking up, she blabbed all. If Colin had been the old Colin, he would have been seriously ticked off at her for that.

      It's hard on Colin, and strange too, because he has no memory of his former self, and yet he has to deal with the fallout of his former self. So he has just decided to do what he can to fix things, and go from there. As for Elliot, he'll still be more of an Uncle, because Brae really is Elliot's father for all intents and purposes. The biological doesn't change that, it just takes Brae a little bit to figure that out.

      Thanks for reading Misty, and for leaving a comment!! =)

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  8. I never thought Colin's parents were that bad, really, just that he was so self-centered that he couldn't deal with his parents' having lives outside of him. Colin himself was a far worse parent than his parents ever were, so Ivory blaming Cherie actually made me laugh. But Ivory only ever heard Colin's side of things.
    The memory loss must be hard on Colin, but I do hope he comes out a better person and most importantly a better parent for it.
    I feel really bad for Brae. Poor guy, all this crap happens and then he learns his son is actually his brrother's.

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    1. Lol, yeah Ivory only heard Colin's side of things. Colin's parents weren't bad parents, at most they were a little neglectful, but Colin wasn't the usual child, he was actually very needy, and that's where the problem was.

      Colin's memory loss is a second chance, and one that he is using, so he will be a much better parent to the younger three, than he ever was to the older three.

      Yeah, poor Brae. He did get a raw deal. :(

      Thanks for reading Cali, and for commenting! =)

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  9. That. was. so. BEAUTIFUL!! ::sniffles::

    At first I feel great when I finally catch up with a story but then I'm sad because I don't have another chapter to read lol. Of course I believed Colin was alive but did NOT expect the memory loss. I guess that would be THE only thing to complete change a man like him is total memory loss. I like how he still cuss though lol so all is not lost :P It's like we still got a part of the old Colin :)
    Darn, he'll never get to hear the message Ivory left for him, not that it matters anymore anyway since they're moving and he can't remember a damn thing.

    Ok a couple of lines had me hollering with laughter like:

    "the younger three cried like he was the f*cking boogeyman."

    and

    The part when his mom died, "Just the f*ck like that."

    I couldn't give you a good reason why but as I said it in my head and aloud I was in tears laughing. Thank you for that!

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad that you liked it. My favorite Shakespeare play is Romeo and Juliet, can you tell? lol

      Yeah, I couldn't kill Colin, but I can torture him, lol There's still a part of the old Colin in him, and it will peek out every once in a while, like with his language. Originally I was just going to totally clean up his language, but it just didn't work when I was writing it. He cusses less, but he still cusses, he's still Colin, lol

      He did hear Ivory's message, but it didn't mean anything to him. :(

      Haha, I'm glad you liked those parts. Lots of things I write amuse me, but I have been known to have a twisted sense of humor, lol

      Thank you for reading Nicky, and for commenting! =)

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