Chapter 64: Love is a Four Letter Word

  Alder stayed overnight at his dad's place, he had fallen asleep sometime between Rhys and his father's reminiscing about their teen years and their musings about growing old, or in Rhys case, watching others grow older.

 

  In the morning Alder persuaded his dad, and even his son Niall, to attend a protest at Dragon Hall with him.

  "Love sucks!  Love sucks!"  Alder chanted loudly, waving his sign around.  "Down with marriage!  Love sucks!"

    Alder glanced over at his dad, who was half heartedly waving his sign.  "Come on Dad!  More enthusiasm!"

  "I'm not sure I agree with this protest Alder."  Reilly wiggled a sign he held a little and made a face.

    "I've been very happy with your mother."  Reilly said, he let the sign fall down to his side.  "In fact, " he looked around him, "if she saw me at this protest, I'd be in big trouble."

  "See!"  Alder grumbled.  "My point exactly.  You can't even attend a protest with your son without worrying about getting in trouble.  Love sucks!"  Alder hollered the last two words.

  Reilly shook his head at his son.  "Marriage is compromise, son.  And it's not so much that I'll be in trouble with your mother per se, it's that marriage is a cause she really believes strongly about, and I don't want to hurt her, or disappoint her."  Reilly set the sign down, and sat on the edge of the retaining wall.

  "That's easy for you to say Dad."  Alder said.  "You had an easy marriage."

  Reilly chuckled, and then laughed.  "An easy marriage?"  He laughed again.  "To your mother?"  He shook his head again.  Reilly stood up, walked over to Alder and laid a hand on Alder's shoulder.  "Come on son, let's go get a drink and have ourselves a little chat about love and marriage."

  Alder groaned.  "Not that lecture again Dad." 


~<>~


  "What's the first thing you'll do when you become Mayor?"  Morrigan asked as she Brae looked up at the night sky.

 

  "Get rid of crime."  Brae answered promptly.

  Morrigan looked at him.  "Really?  What about Sophie?"

  Brae shrugged.  "What about her?"

  "Isn't she a criminal?  Weren't you guys... " Morrigan paused for a moment, "...friends?"

  "Politics is politics Morri, you know that.  Sophie made her choice, and it was on the wrong side of the law.  I'm going to bring peace and order back to this backwards town."

  

  Morrigan turned to look at Brae with a smile on her face.  "Really, that is all Sophie is to you now?"

  "Sophie is the past Morri, we are the future." Brae said.  Morrigan scooted closer to him and whispered in his ear, his eyes widened.

 

   He looked at her.  "Right now?"

  "No one is home, right?  It's not like your going to ditch me like you did Sophie, or there would be hell to pay."  She smiled when she said it, but Brae understood the meaning behind her words.

  "Of course not.  As soon as we graduate we'll get married at Dragon Hall.  Are you sure you don't want to wait until then?"

  Instead of answering with words, Morrigan pulled him onto his feet, and kissed him.

    Wordlessly Brae led Morrigan into the house, and into his bedroom.


~<>~


  "Mom, Dad needs you."

  Spring turned to look at her oldest son.  "Really?  Why?"

  Ryder sighed heavily.  "We just got word that..." Ryder's voice broke, and he took a moment to compose himself before trying again.  "We just got word that Grandpa died, and Dad is taking it pretty hard.  He's been playing the same sad song on the piano for hours."

 

   Spring was silent, processing what Ryder had told her.  Finally she nodded.  "Okay, I'll talk to him."  She went upstairs, and changed out of her old nightgown, and checked the reflection in her mirror.  She wasn't dead yet, maybe it was time she started acting like it.  She quietly walked down the hall, and entered the room, where she found Alder playing the piano like Ryder had said.

 

   Spring hesitated a moment, unsure of how to proceed.  They had been at odds for so long, could she really offer him any comfort?  Would he accept it?  Or would he reject her?  It seemed like she had always feared he would reject her.  She stiffened her spine, it was time she got over it, he was obviously hurting.  It really wasn't about her.  She swallowed, as her last thought echoed in her mind.  It wasn't about her.  It wasn't about her.  It.  wasn't.  about.  her.

  Silently she approached him, then she wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "I'm so sorry Alder."  She braced herself, half expecting that he would push her away, but to her surprise, he didn't.

 
  Alder fingered the keys, only half way paying attention to the tune he kept playing on the piano.  He couldn't believe his Dad was gone.  Memories flitted around in his mind, a slide show of his childhood.  As far back as he could remember, his Dad had been there.

  It was his Dad that had taught him how to read, he had spent hours with Alder at the library, books propped open on his lap as Reilly spun amazing tales of fun, adventure and daring feats.  Alder had wanted to live that way, lots of adventure and fun.

 

 



   Alder sighed sadly.  It was just a week ago that he had sat down with his father, and listened once more to him expound on love and marriage and devotion.  What it meant to cherish someone, hold them close, and let them know they were everything to you.  Alder had poured out his heart to his Dad, and he had listened carefully to his Dad's advice to him.  His final advice it turned out.  Never let love go without a fight.  Alder had been contemplating those words for days.  He had not fought very hard to keep Spring, but had preferred to nurse his hurt instead.  Where had that got him?

  "I feel human today." he muttered. Suddenly he spun around, and pulled Spring in close to him.  "We are being ridiculous you know."  He told her.  "I love you, and you love me, and I have no idea how we got to this place, but I'd like to start over."

  "I thought you wouldn't love me if I was old and wrinkly, and not shapely.  Look at you, you haven't aged a day, and..."

  "When did I ever give you that impression?"  Alder wanted to know.

  "Well, that is what my Dad said when he left us, my mother and I.  She was too old for him, and not pretty enough, and so he went and married a younger, prettier woman.  That really hurt, and so I thought if I left you first..."

  "...I wouldn't leave you."  Alder finished for her.

 

   She nodded her head.  "Spring, I don't know whether to kiss you or kill you."  He sighed grumpily.  "All this time wasted, I wish you had just talked to me.  I'm not your father, and admittedly I didn't treat you very well at first, but when I married you, I was committed.  For all time.  I don't see any wrinkles, or grey hair, or any of that.  I only see you, the woman I fell in love with.  The woman I love still."

  "Well, if it's all the same to you, " she replied timidly, "I'd rather you kiss me, and make all those nightmare years go away."

  Alder smiled at her.  "Your wish is my command."

 

   "Marry me again?" Alder murmured between kisses.

  "I'd love to." she sighed happily.  She pulled slightly away, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled.  "The boys will be happy to hear that we are together again."

  Alder grunted.  "The boys?  I'm happy that we are together again.  No more fighting over stupid stuff."  He wagged his finger at her.  "And promise me that if you are feeling insecure or unloved, that you'll let me know.  I can cure both of those feelings." he bragged.  He grinned at her.

  She swatted at him.  "Listen to you!  Bragging about your..." she blushed, and didn't complete her thought.

  "It's not bragging if it's true."  He informed her.  He pulled her to her feet.  "Come on, let's go do something fun, something we haven't done in years."


 

  "This isn't what I thought you had in mind."  Spring commented, as she waved her arms and legs in the snow.

  "Where is your mind woman?"  Alder teased her.  "I know, you just want me for my body."

  Spring threw some snow at him.  "You wish."

  "You want to play that way?!"  Alder laughed.  "Well, game on!"  He stood up, and Spring scrambled up just in time to get lobbed by a snowball.   Spring squealed as snow fell down her shirt.  She shook the snow off and giggled.

  Alder danced around.  "You can't touch this!" he taunted with a grin.

 
   "Oh yeah?"  Spring stuck her tongue out at him.  "Watch me!"  She quickly made a snowball and threw it at Alder.

 

  Alder ducked, when he should have dodged, and the snowball hit him squarely in the chest.  The surprise of it, knocked him over, and he fell into the snow. 

 

  Spring laughed as Alder dusted the snow off his arms and chest.  "I'll get you for that my pretty..."  Alder mock growled as he stood up, and he chased after her until they both fell into a heap in the snow, gasping and laughing.  He pulled her close to him, and kissed the top of the head.  "Your lips are turning blue, we'd better get you inside and warm you up."

  "Hmm." Spring agreed.  Alder got up, and helped Spring to her feet.  They walked into the house, hand in hand.  When they reached the hallway, Alder stopped her.  She turned and faced him, a question in her eyes.

 

  "The perfect way to end this day," Alder began, as he pulled out a ring, Spring felt the tears rise when she noticed it was her old wedding ring, the one she had thrown at him in anger.

  "You kept it." she whispered.

  "It belongs to you."  Alder told her.  "The perfect way to end this day, is with you as my wife.  Will you marry me Spring, and spend the rest of your days with me?"

  "I love you." She said, as she held out her hand, and Alder slipped the ring back on her finger where it belonged.

 

  Brae had the same idea as his grandparents, but his motivations were a little different.  He didn't really love Morrigan, nor did she love him, but love was not needed.  Theirs was to be a political alliance.  They would be graduating in less than a week, and Brae decided to surprise her by formally asking her to marry him.

 
  Morrigan surprised no one, when she gracefully accepted.


  Noelle surprised everyone, when she announced to her Dad, that she was going to Paris, with Hades.

 

  "I love him Daddy, and he loves me.  He fully supports my ambition to design fashions in Paris.  We'll buy a boat, and leave the day after graduation.  I'm so excited!"

  Ryder was not very excited.  How had Hades managed to romance his daughter under his very nose?  After his daughter skipped away, her head in the clouds, Ryder headed for his target practice range.  He had a few words to say to his ex roommate, and a little practice beforehand wouldn't hurt.

  He caught Hades walking up to his daughter in the corner of his eye.  Which target should he aim for?

 

  Noelle was completely oblivious to her father's feelings, she only had eyes for Hades.

 

  Miles away, Colin stopped in his tracks.  He felt a strange sensation envelope his whole body.  "Precious, it is our birthday!"  Colin smiled.  "Our birthday Precious.  No longer will we be a child, easily ignored, oh no, not us."  Colin let the familiar sparkles do their work, and in a matter of moments, his childish body was gone.

 

~<>~


   Before Ryder was ready, it was Noelle's birthday.

 

   She was a carbon copy of her mother, and just as driven, only she wanted to stitch up dresses, not people.

  She and Hades had agreed to wait to get married until they arrived in Paris.  Noelle couldn't think of anything more romantic than get to married in Paris in the Spring.  Hades just wanted her to be happy.

 

 Ryder surprised his daughter with a gift, a cute little one bedroom houseboat that would transport her to Paris in style.

 

 Alder and Ryder both impressed upon Hades the importance of treating Noelle well, and what would happen to him if he ever broke her heart.

 

 Assured that Hades knew what was expected of him, there was nothing left but for Alder and Ryder to say goodbye.

   "Don't be a stranger."

  "Yes Gramps, don't worry.  I won't forget about you."

  "You'll call?"

  "Yes Gramps."

  "And write?"

  Noelle smiled at her Grandpa.  "Yes, I will.  I promise."  She let go of Alder and hugged her father.  "Love you Daddy."


 

  "I love you too.  Be careful now, and if you have any troubles..."

  "I'll be sure to call you."

  Ryder went through his survival list, with Alder interrupting to add his two cents worth, until Noelle, laughing, finally urged them to leave.  "Gramps, Daddy, we've got to go.  I'll be fine.  Don't worry."

  Ryder and Alder disembarked, and stood on the pier and watched as Noelle sailed away from them, and into her future.

 

 ___________________________________________________________

  Notes:  Colin is a pretty good genetic mix of his parents.  I was quite pleased with his looks.  He also has some interesting traits: Insane, Mean-Spirited (not evil, I knew it was one or the other, lol), Irresistible, and Inappropriate.  He gained Irresistible when he turned into a teen. =)  So people are drawn to him, ha ha!  Which he loves, btw! :D

  I've been having some career issues, which has been quite annoying.  Suddenly for no reason, my sims are unemployed.  I use MC to put them back where I last remember them being, but I sure wish whatever is kicking them out of their careers would stop.  It is making things more difficult!

  That's the first houseboat I made, nothing fancy at all, lol  Just the basics, so I could send Noelle off on an adventure, though in reality---she is still sitting off the coast of DV.  She and Hades have had 2 kids already, but they still haven't married, I guess she is holding out for Paris, lol

  It's a pretty blue moon, I had to include that pic just for it.  Thanks Misty for the moon mods!  I've had it for a while, but this is the first time I snapped a pic with the moon really showing.

  Spring did calm down, and then, suddenly they both wanted to marry each other again.  I am an incurable romantic, so I helped them out. =)  I had fun playing around with poses too, lol 

  Colin will be dominating the story really soon---probably starting next chapter.

  Lastly, the passing of Reilly made me sad.  I didn't play my Legacy family for a little bit, because I could have sworn I had just lost Kit, and then to lose Reilly... :(  So sad. 
  

Chapter 63: The Forgotten

  "Well, you see, " Colin babbled to himself, "no one listens to me, no one sees me, it's like I'm the forgotten child!"

 

 
   Colin made his hand into a mouth form.  "But we has a plan Precious!" He talked to his hand, "Isn't that right?  A plan, and we'll never be ignored again!"

  "Hey kid, who are you talking to?"  Hades asked as he came around the corner.

  Colin looked at him and blinked.  And then blinked again, before saying, "The pink haired one is stupid Precious.  We won't waste our time on him."

  Hades stepped back a little.  "Hey, whoa now!" 

  Colin turned to his hand.  "What's that Precious?"  He brought his hand up to his ear so he could listen better.  Colin grinned.  "That's a great idea Precious!  We'll help the stupid person out!"  Colin advanced towards Hades, Hades stood his ground, warily.

  "What are you doing kid?"  Colin used his wings until he was eye level with Hades.  "You're not planning on kissing me are you?" He asked suspiciously.

  Colin sighed.  "See Precious, he is ever so stupid.  No Stupid, we are not interested in kissing you.  Look up Stupid, and we will help you out!"

 

  Hades automatically looked up, and he saw sparkles float down.  "Hey..." he started to say, but then uncontrollable shivering overtook his body.  "Wwwhhhaaat dddiiiiddd yyyooouuu ddddooo tttooo mmmeeee?"  Hades body was shaking so hard, he could barely utter the words out of frozen lips.

 

  Colin looked at Hades like a scientist might look at a bug.  "We are attempting to freeze dry your brain for scientifical research, then we'll be able to dissect your brain and when we know why you are so stupid, we can fix it."  Colin said matter of factly. 

  Hades forced himself to stand up and then he glared at Colin.  "You are insane!" he sputtered angrily.  "And I'm not letting you anywhere near my brain!"  His teeth chattered.

  Colin nodded thoughtfully.  "Yes, we are so genetically superior to you, your feeble brain may only be able to conceive of our superiority and your inferiority by calling us insane."  Colin shrugged.  "It's of no consequence.  You have to sleep sometime."

 

    "Sleep sometime?"  Hades echoed in horror.  "Ryder!" he hollered.


  "Your little brother is insane!"  Hades told Noelle.  In the background he could hear the arguing of Ryder and Cherie, as they discussed how to best handle Colin.

  Noelle looked at him, a little confused.  "Brae?  Why would you think..."

  "No, not Brae."  Hades said impatiently.  "The kid one, what's his name?"

 

  "Oh, you mean Colin!  I forget about him.  What did he do?"  She was still a bit confused on that point.  Hades sighed, and told her the story again.

  "It won't work Minions!" Colin hollered out from the kitchen.  "I am wise to your stupid plans!  You cannot poison us so easily!"

 

    "See, like that!"  Hades exclaimed.  "He's crazy!"

  Noelle shrugged.  "Oh that.  I thought he was just being a boy."


  Colin smiled, as he rubbed his little hands together.  His plan was working beautifully.  He knew exactly how everyone would react, and he had planned accordingly.  He knew his dad and his grandpa would be suspicious of him, but he knew his mother would win out in the end.  She was the knowledgeable expert, and she would say the best thing to do, is to ignore it, it was just a phase he was going through, and he would outgrow it.  He would show his mother though.  Just watch.

  He could count on one hand the number of times he had spent alone with her.  She was always in a hurry, too busy to spend time with him.  Too busy with her patients, too busy taking Noelle to ballet, or too busy watching Brae's football games, too busy studying her books, she was far too busy for him.  Everyone was far too busy to pay attention to him, but he would show them all.

  He heard the school bus pull up, he put the plate down, and reversed his direction and headed for the front door.  He eyed his siblings balefully as he found a seat towards the back.

 

  He glared at their backs.  "They are the Perfect Ones, Precious." He muttered under his breath.  "Straight A honor students."  He stuck his tongue out at them.  Blech!  Goody goodies.  He'd show them all.

 

 

~<>~

  "I think the Brownies poisoned all the hamburgers Grandpa."  Colin mumbled around the food in his mouth.  "You might not want to eat that."

 

  Alder set the burger down and turned to his grandson.  "The Brownies you say?"  Colin nodded.

  "That's why I am eating chocolate for dinner.  Mom says I have to eat a balanced meal, but if it is poisoned, it can't be so balanced now can it?"

 

    Alder smiled slightly.  "That is true enough."  He agreed.  "But, I have special powers."  He nodded his head sagely.  "Poison cannot kill me."

 

    Alder caught Spring sitting down across from him out of the corner of his eye.  He turned to face her, and noticed that she had a cupcake.  "You're eating a cupcake for dinner?" he asked, surprised.

  "Grandma says poisoned hamburgers is a good excuse as any for eating desert for dinner."  Colin answered.

  Hades, who had refused to sit at the same table as Colin, looked at his half eaten hamburger and began choking.

  "MMh, hmmm."  Spring agreed.

 

  "What about your figure?"  Alder asked, confused.  The Spring he knew, would never ruin her figure by eating desert at all, let alone for dinner.

  "I'm old, what do I care about my figure?"  Spring responded.  "I only cared because I thought you cared.  No fat people remember?"

  Alder stared at the hamburger he had just taken a bite of.  He chewed the bite slowly, while he thought about what to say.  The resentment in Spring's tone, told him his next words to her would be very important.

 

  "I did think that about other people."  He said apologetically.  "Lia has told me often enough that I am a shallow person.  But I've never thought that about you Spring, ever."  He stared at his hamburger, afraid to look at her, and see her reaction.  Only time would tell if she would believe these words, when she had never believed any of his other words.

 

 
~<>~


  "Dad, how do you take over the world and rule as Emperor?  We have decided that we would make an excellent Emperor."

  Ryder looked down at his son.  "Take over the world?" he questioned, not certain he had heard Colin correctly.

 

   "Yes, rule the world!  Supreme Emperor of All,  we even have our royal robes."  Colin tugged on his clothes.  "We just need a little help on the logistics.  Should we take out the police first, or the military?"

  Ryder's eyes widened a bit, then narrowed as he looked at his son, whose face was a picture of guileless innocence.  "I think his Supreme Emperorness, needs to do his homework first.  Conquer the homework, the world can wait for another day."

 

  "Dad!"  Colin groaned.  "That is not helpful to us!  We hates our homework.  It is for the stupid ones, we are too smart for boring old homework."

  Ryder grunted, and hid a smile.  "Then that homework should be a breeze for you, o genius child.  So get to it."

 

  Colin grumbled, but did what he was told.


~<>~


  Morrigan nervously waited in the parlor for Brae to show up.  She'd had a crush on him since the day she met him, but Sophie had struck first.  Sophie and Brae had been going steady ever since. Sophie had always loved to lord it over Morrigan that Brae was her boyfriend, and not Morrigan's. 

  Sophie and Morrigan had always been competitive with each other.  What one had, the other wanted.  Sometimes Sophie won, sometimes Morrigan won.  Brae was just the newest trophy for them to fight over, but he was quite the prize.  He was the most popular guy in school, he was the head quarter back on the football team, and as the saying went, all the girls wanted him, and all the guys wanted to be him.  It didn't hurt that he was genuinely nice either.  Or that he was so good looking. 

  Morrigan had just heard though the grapevine that Sophie and Brae had just broken up.  So now was her chance, she'd show Sophie.  Sophie may have got to Brae first, but Morrigan would marry him, that would trump Sophie.


 

   "Hi." she said shyly, as Brae bounded into the room.

  "Morrigan!"  Brae said with smile, like he was glad to see her.  "What brings you over?"

  "I just heard that you and Sophie broke up, and I thought maybe you could use a friend?"

  Brae shrugged.  "It was a mutual thing.  We just discovered our life's ambitions were polar opposites.  She's been hanging around a rough crowd lately, and I have political ambitions."



 

 
  "You say that so nicely."  Morrigan praised Brae.  "I know for a fact that Sophie has been caught stealing from stores, and just the other day she was caught with a stolen vehicle.  If her dad wasn't the Chief of Police, she would be locked up in juvie right now."

  Brae ignored the compliment.  "Sophie has made her choices, I had to make mine." he said diplomatically.

  "You know, " Morrigan tugged on his shirt, and pulled him into a small hallway off to the side of the parlor.  Curious, Brae allowed himself to be led.  "I think you would make a wonderful Mayor." She whispered as she casually reached her hand out to touch his shoulder.  "My Dad is part of the Governing Committee, and I'm sure we could work out a mutually beneficial arrangement between all of us."

  Brae caught her other hand.  "How so?"

 

  "Well, " she said coyly, "Daddy has the power to make you Mayor of our little town, and Daddy likes to make me happy."

  Brae stepped closer to Morrigan.  "And what would make you happy?"

  "To be the Mayor's wife."

  "Really?" Brae said skeptically.  "We've been friends for a long time now, but you don't love me, and I don't love you."

  "I don't need love."  Morrigan said.  "I already know that your ambitions line up perfectly with mine.  I think we'd make a good team."

  Brae smiled at her.  "I agree."

 

~<>~

  The woman in black approached Reilly.  "I'm just a messenger.  I've been sent to fetch the Book.  Give it to me nicely, and your descendants may live a long and happy life."

  "I have no idea where it is."  Reilly lied.

 

  "You grow old and weak Reilly Kahekili, you cannot protect your family forever.  Soon you will die, and then what will happen to them?  I'll tell you what will happen to them, my Benefactoress will make life so miserable for them, they will wish they could die.  But she'll let them live on, in pain, and suffering, uselessly dreaming of the day when they can finally rest in peace.   Give us the Book now, and your family will live in peace for all eternity, and nothing bad will happen to them."

  "It is true that the days of my life are nearly gone.  But it is also true, that your Benefactoress will not touch them, even after I am long gone, because of the Protections placed on the Book, and the Prophecy that your Benefactoress is well aware of.   Only an heir of Wolff's true blood, can open the Book, and use it's secrets there, and..." Reilly paused, "It must be done, without coercion, of their own free will."

  "That Book belongs to us!" the Messenger hissed.  "And know this Reilly Kahekili, while it may be true that we cannot touch your family just yet, the day they open that Book, is the day we wipe your family's name from this world and all others.  Not one of you will survive, we promise you this."  She smiled nastily.

 

  Reilly nodded.  "You can certainly try."

  "Try?" She said scornfully.  "We will do, not try.  Your family is pathetically weak, your powers die with you Old Man, not one of them have inherited what you have.  We will be watching them, you can be sure of that, and when the time comes, we will be ready."  She chanted a few words, and with a swirl of her cloak, she vanished into the dark night.

  Reilly walked slowly back into his house.  He stared at his books, all stacked in nice, neat rows.  He picked one from the shelf, and looked at it briefly, before letting it rest at his side as he stared at the stacks of books again.

 

    He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't worried about his family.  It was true that none of his children, or any of his grandchildren, held even a tiny fraction of the power that he had.  He placed the book back on the shelf, and paused to stare at his hands.  Old Man hands now.  His days were coming to an end, and soon.

  He had never held the mysterious Book in his hands.  His father wouldn't let him near it, and his Grandfather told him he didn't need it.  That the Book would be passed down through the family, until it was needed again.  Reilly had asked Puck if he had received it, but Puck had said no.  When Reilly had asked his father about it, Kit had told him not to worry, the book would be passed down to the rightful heir when it was time.

  Reilly had thought with the death of his father, the Book had been lost forever.  He was quite surprised when Alder, his fun loving, live for the day son, approached him one day to say that Kit had given the book to him for safe keeping.  Reilly had wondered at his father's decision.  Wouldn't Puck, his warrior son, the oldest one, be a better choice?  Alder had offered the Book to him, to give to Puck, but in the end Reilly told Alder to keep it.  His father Kit had been the wisest man he knew, if he had given it to Alder for safe keeping, there was a reason for it.

  Reilly sighed.  It was time to have a little chat with Alder.  He used his new fangled phone, and invited Alder over.  Alder was over within minutes, a worried look on his face.  "Is everything okay Dad?" were the first words out of his mouth.

 

  Reilly smiled tiredly.  "Everything's fine son.  Just feeling my age tonight.  It's been a while since we just sat and talked, I thought it might be nice to catch up a little on your life."

  Alder looked at his father, trying to figure out if what his father said was true, was everything fine?  His father looked a bit fragile to Alder, and it scared him.  "It has been a while." Alder agreed.

 
  "Well?"  Reilly prompted, "Tell me how everyone is doing.  You can start with how you and Spring are doing?"

  Alder grumbled.  "Better than before, but no where near where we ought to be.  I just don't understand her at all."  Alder shook his head.  "Ryder's been busy with trying to get this town up to speed, and Cherie is gone all hours of the day and night either working in her free clinic, or at the hospital.  Noelle is about to graduate, as class Valedictorian too!  She's a smart girl."  Alder said proudly.  "Brae is going to be leading this town one day, I just know it.  And Colin, well...."

  Reilly leaned forward a little bit.  "Yes, what about Colin?"

  "He is a mischievous handful."  Alder finally said, with a big grin.  "He's got the whole house in an uproar, he's kind of a chip off the old block."

  Reilly smiled.  "Is that so?"  Then he chuckled.

 

  Alder grinned.  "I may have been the cause of trouble a time or two."

  Reilly grunted.  "Or three or four. "  Then he seemed to reconsider.  "No, definitely more."

  Alder sobered up.  "The boy worries me though."  Alder confessed to his father.  "He doesn't seem to mind when he hurts other people, and even goes out of his way sometimes to hurt someone.  I was never that way, I never intentionally hurt anyone."

  Reilly nodded thoughtfully.  "The boy has a rough road to travel.  You just need to stick with him, because when we are the hardest to love..."

  "...that's when we need it the most."  Alder finished, "I remember Dad."

  Reilly pointed a finger at his son.  "See that you do.  It's important.  Love conquers all."

 

    Alder rolled his eyes.  "Yes Dad."

  "Hmph." Reilly said, then he seemed to weave a little.

  "Dad, are you okay?"

  Reilly waved him off.  "I'm fine, I'm fine."

   "How about we sit for a spell?"

 

  Reilly looked at Alder suspiciously, but gave in gracefully.  "Fine, fine.  Let's sit.  Alder, you remember your grandfather's words to you, about the Book?"

  "I remember."  Alder said, surprised at the abrupt turn in conversation.

  "Good, good."  Reilly said.  "I have a little journal I wrote, for you to keep with it.  It has the little bit I know about the Book written in it, so that when I die, my knowledge is not lost with me."

  "You're not going to die Dad."  Alder said impatiently.

  "We all die Alder."

  "Who's dying?" a familiar voice asked.  Alder had not heard that voice in many years.

  "No one is dying."  Reilly responded as he stood up to greet his visitor with a hug.  "At least not yet." he amended.  Reilly turned around to face Alder.  "Alder, you remember my cousin, and best friend, Rhys?"

 

    "Rhys!  I do believe you look exactly the same as when I last saw you!"  Alder exclaimed.

  Rhys smiled, a little bit sadly.  "I haven't aged at all, that is correct.  It is a blessing and a curse.  I tried to run from the curse, but it didn't work."

  "Curse?"  Alder asked.

  "The curse of watching my best friend age before my very eyes, and knowing that someday, he will be gone.  But Reilly has asked for my help, and I cannot deny him anything."  Reilly smiled.

  "Why did you ask Rhys for help Dad?  I could have helped you."

  "Alder, while you will live a good deal longer than I, because of your fae blood, you too will someday die, but Rhys will still be around.  He can keep an eye on our family, long, long, long after we are gone."

  "Thanks for emphasizing the long."  Rhys grumbled good naturedly.

  "That is not a curse, but a blessing."  Alder stated.  "Long life is a gift to be embraced and enjoyed.  Just think, " Alder continued, warming up to his subject, "long life is something the Goths have searched for since the beginning, and we hold it in our very genes!"

 

  "That is such a Fae way to look at it."  Rhys remarked dourly.  "You Fae, you live for today, and never worry about tomorrow.  You never plan ahead, well, we vampires are not like that."

  Alder was confused.  "What good is it to worry about tomorrow?  Today has plenty of worries of its own, there is no point in worrying about tomorrow's worries until tomorrow.  Tomorrow may never even come, but today is already here!  Today is a good day to play and have fun!"

  Rhys rolled his eyes and Reilly laughed.  "Typical Fae logic." Rhys muttered under his breath.  "You are all alike.  Are you listening to this nonsense that your son is spouting?"  Rhys looked over at Reilly.

 

    "I have lived a great many years with Elly, a full blooded fae"  Reilly said, with a twinkle in his eye.  "I know better than to argue with one.  It is the way they see life, and I am sometimes envious of it."

  "I have never understood why you vampires are so glum, and favor black and darkness so much.  How depressing."  Alder commented.

  Reilly groaned.  "Okay, this is going to take a while.  I'm sitting down for this one!"  He promptly sat down.  Vampires and Fae were total opposites when it came to their worldviews, and neither side ever budged.  It would be a long debate between his son and Rhys, but eventually it would end, because Alder would tire of the game.  The fae always did, as soon as it ceased to be fun, the conversation was done, and the vampires would always assume they had won.  To the Fae it never mattered, who won or lost, the fun had been in the game itself. 

  Reilly yawned.  He was so tired lately, maybe he could a catch a nap while Rhys tried to argue with his son, a Fae.  It was a lot like trying to catch water with a bucket that a had a large hole in the bottom.  Just when you thought you had it, it poured right out through the bottom.

 

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  Notes:  So that seemed as good a place as any to stop at, lol  Lots more coming up, but I didn't want the chapter to get too long.

  I adore Colin. <3  He is going to be a fun heir.  I usually roll random traits, even when it is not an official roll, and most times they all get pretty similar traits.  Not Colin, no sir.  Colin has rolled traits that I normally don't get.  One of which is insane. So be prepared for outfits that don't match, underwear in the snow, the whole bit.  He's very fond of talking to his hand, which I nicknamed Precious, because I am a LOTR fan, lol =)  He also rolled Inappropriate, so if it's the wrong thing to do, you can be sure he'll do it!  He's also evil (or was it mean spirited?  Can't remember for sure, but it was one or the other, I'll edit it in later when my game is open and I can look!), so---on top of it all---he enjoys other people's misery.  Couple his traits with his roll, and this is going to be fun! =D

  I know usually that the previous generations would either die off or move out, to help keep the cheaty aspect down, but I am going to hang onto Alder for a while yet.  I have decided to make him into a perfect sim, as something to do on the side, I have him perfecting all skills, and then I might have him work on the skill challenges.  So, he'll be around for story purposes, but not so much contributing to helping with the household.

  Rhys is another sim that I drag with me to every town.  There was a glitch where vampires weren't aging, as if vampires needed an even longer life than they already have, lol  Rhys is still a young adult. O.o  He'll be around for a while.  He's so cute!

 

    I have no idea who that baby is that he is holding in the story pic.  I think it is Mortimer Goth's and Regan (Atkins-Kahekili) Goth's baby though.  They were living with Reilly at the time, along with Rhys.  I knew Rhys would want to spend as much time with his best friend as he could, because Reilly's time was short, so I added him to Reilly's household using MC.  Best of friends until the end.

  Thanks for reading! =)