Chapter 78: Parenthood

Warning: Language

  "Oh, they have a freezer bunny!"  Luna exclaimed happily.

  "It's kind of scary, like that doll of yours that doesn't have any eyes!"  Skylar shuddered.

  "Mugs is not scary!"  Luna declared.  "He does need a friend though."  She added thoughtfully.

  Colin sighed.  "Alright guys, as promised, one toy each for staying out of trouble for two whole days!"  Two whole days of peace, it didn't seem like much, but Colin would take it.  Some days he really thought maybe he should get married, that the lack of a f*cking mother was what made them so f*cking rambunctious.   He watched as they eagerly headed towards the shelves that were stuffed full of toys.  He might even get five more minutes of peace out of this deal, if he was f*cking lucky.

  He glanced around the store, surreptitiously looking for Janet.  He still had women coming up to him all the time, kissing him, handing him their phone numbers, he had even called a few and went on a few dates.  A couple of them he had even accepted their offer to go inside their house, where they would make out, and his body had been more than eager to just f*ck them against the wall, or the couch or...  Inevitably though, he would pull back, regretfully, his body protesting the whole time.  While he had really wanted to get laid, he just...couldn't.  It felt wrong somehow, which he didn't understand in the least.

  From all that he knew of his former self, he was never serious with anyone, so why the h*ll did he feel like he was...cheating?  He had tried to explain it all to whatever woman he was with, but that f*cking conversation never seemed to go over very well.  So far, though, Janet seemed to be the exception to that rule, she had seemed to understand his conflicted feelings, and they had decided to take things one day at a time.

  He hadn't taken more than a couple of steps into the store when he spotted a doll in a polka dotted outfit.  "Creepy a*s doll." he muttered.

  
  He spotted Janet talking with a customer, and wandered her way, making to sure to keep his eye on his kids, but so far they were behaving.  His older three were so much easier to f*cking parent.  They rarely raised a fuss, and asked very little.  He felt bad about it, partly because he was f*cking sure it was a direct result of the way he had treated them in the past.  Now he just did all he could to connect with them, and whenever they did ask for something, he did his f*cking best to give it to them.  Most times it had more to do with keeping their younger siblings out of their rooms, and away from their f*cking stuff.

  Janet saw him, and gave him a little wave.  He smiled at her, and then leaned against the wall and waited.  They hadn't dated very long.  Maybe two weeks?  She hadn't met any of his kids yet, but that would change today.  He couldn't very well date someone that his kids didn't f*cking like.  He watched as she sashayed towards him, and she greeted him by pressing her body up against his, her lips seeking his.  She smelled so good, like summer peaches, and she felt even better, his lower body started to respond, and he groaned. 

 

  Her hands roamed over his body, and he let his do some exploring as well.  He wanted to get laid in the worst way.   He couldn't even remember ever having sex!  Six kids and no memories of making them, it f*cking sucked.  Then, just like always, the good feelings started to fade, and he felt the awful, crushing guilt.  He reluctantly pulled away.  Sh*t.  He f*cking needed to get over the sh*tty feeling that he was cheating.  He wasn't with anyone! 

  He rubbed the back of his neck.  Sh*t.  "Janet." he murmured.  How the h*ll could he move on, if he didn't know what the f*ck was holding him back?  He really wanted to f*cking move on with his life, but some...thing just wouldn't let him.  Was Janet the cure?  He didn't f*cking know, but he figured that if she worked at a f*cking toy store for kids, that she ought to at least be child friendly.  That had to count for something.

  "Hey handsome, what are you doing here?"  She pulled him back, and kissed him again.  He wound his arms around her and returned the kiss.

  "Not that I'm complaining."  She said when they pulled apart again.
 
  "I brought my kids down here, I promised them a toy."

  "Oh."  Her smile dimmed a little.  "They're here?  How...nice."

  Colin felt unaccountably nervous, over her meeting his kids or over his kids meeting her, he wasn't f*cking sure.  Where the h*ll was the instruction manual on these f*cking types of situations anyway?  Colin was startled out of his thoughts when Janet suddenly started to f*cking scream like a banshee.  He had failed to notice that the triple terrors had spotted him with Janet.

  "Owwwwww!"  Janet howled.

 "What the h*ll?" Colin said.

  "She's pinching me!"  Janet hollered.  She was trying, rather unsuccessfully, to shake Luna off.  Luna had a good grip on Janet's flesh though, and she wasn't about to let go.

 

   Colin was furious.  "Luna, what the f*ck are you doing?!  F*cking let go of Janet right now, or I'm grounding your a*s for the rest of your f*cking life!"  He felt a tug on his shirt at the same time he recognized Skylar's wail.

  "Daddy, you cursed!" she cried.  "You have your angry voice on Daddy, and I'm scared!"  Skylar began to really cry, fat crocodile tears rolled down her cheeks.  "Hold me Daddy!  I'm scared!" she wailed again, tugging at his shirt.  Colin sighed, frustrated, and leaned down to pick Skylar up.  She hugged him tightly, her little body shook with each sob. 

  "Luna."  He growled.  "Don't f*cking push me!"  Luna looked at her father's face, and let go.

  Skylar sobbed.  "Daddy, you said another bad word!"

 Once Luna had let go of Janet, Colin turned his attention to calming down his other daughter.  "Skye, Skye, calm down, it's okay."

 

  "Okay?"  Janet screeched.  "Okay?  Nothing is okay!  Just look at this huge welt on my leg, put there by your daughter!"

  "Good one Luna!"  Jack crowed, as he clapped his hands.  All it took was one stern look from his father and Jack subsided rather quickly, his smirk remained though.

  Colin raised his voice, trying to be heard over Skylar's sobs.  "Janet, I'm sorry..."  he started to say, but Janet interrupted him.

  "You're sorry!" she yelled hysterically.  "You're sorry!"

  Colin set a sobbing Skylar down, she collapsed in a heap by his feet.  He closed his eyes briefly, then rubbed the back of his neck.  Sh*t, what the h*ll had just happened?  He looked directly at Janet, and tried again.  "Sorry Janet, my kids can be a bit exuberant sometimes, they're not used to the idea of me dating, but with time..."

She screamed. "Exuberant, is that what you call them?  They're f*cking sh*theads, and..."

  Colin glared at her.  "Hey now," he snapped, "there's no cause for name calling.  They're just kids..."

  "Monsters, not kids!" She said shrilly.

  "I think we're finished here."  He said stiffly.  "Let's go kids."

  They all got into the car and headed for home.  "Are we in trouble Dad?"  Jack ventured to ask after several minutes of complete silence.

  "What do you think Jack?"  Colin growled.

 "We'll be grounded forever." Jack said glumly.

  Colin snorted.  "Forever is not nearly long enough."


~<>~


 "You can't catch me!"  Skylar taunted Jack.

   Jack splashed and hopped about in the water, just happy to finally be ungrounded.  "I could if I wanted!" he retorted.

  "Could not!"

  "Could too!  Just watch me!"  He tumbled after Skylar, who shrieked happily and tried to get away, but Jack was gaining on her.

 

  "Come on Luna!"  Skylar yelled.  "Join us!"

  Luna dipped a toe in.  "It's freezing!"  she shouted back.

  "Wuss!"  Jack hollered.

  "You'll pay for that Jack!"  Luna waded cautiously into the frigid water.   She shivered, brr, it was so cold!

 

   Colin kept a watchful eye over his kids as they splashed and screeched about in the water.  They were always half a step away from trouble, and he didn't want any of them to get hurt.  They had earned this time at the beach.  They had spent the last few weeks doing community service for the town and for Janet, on top of being grounded as discipline for their behavior at the toy store.  What they had done was unacceptable, and Colin wanted to make sure that message came across loud and f*cking clear.  There would be no repeats.

  They had dutifully pulled weeds, raked grass, picked up trash, anything they were told to do, all while Colin lectured them.  He would date whoever the h*ll he wanted, but that said, if they really didn't like her, then they needed to f*cking come to him and talk to him about it.  Not go behind his f*cking back and scheme and plot, and cause general chaos and mayhem in their wake.

Janet had been all smiles and apologies when they had shown up on her doorstep, ready to work.  Colin had told her as nicely as he could, they weren't going to work as a couple.  His kids weren't ready for him to date, and quite frankly, he wasn't f*cking ready either.  He should have f*cking listened to his heart, instead of trying to push himself. Maybe when they were older, they would all be more ready.   It just would have been f*cking nice to have one f*cking memory of sex.  Sh*t.

  "Daddy!  Come play with us!"  Skylar begged.

  They were the only ones on the beach, so why the h*ll not?  "I'm coming to get you!" he threatened as he charged into the water after them.  They all squealed, and scattered into different directions.  Colin grabbed a giggling Skylar first, and slung her over his shoulder as he chased after Luna and Jack.  He got a hold of Luna, "Arrg, my pretties, a dunking it will be with you two!"

  They shrieked, "No!  Daddy!  No!"  Then he dunked himself and both girls under the water, their heads bobbed up out from under the water a few seconds later, laughing.  "Again!  Again!" they pleaded with him.  Colin dove under the water, and grabbed Jack's foot and pulled him under next.  Jack's head bobbed up out of the water, and he splashed back at his dad.

  Colin dove for all three of them, and they all screeched in delight.  Some time later they headed closer for the shore, to play a game of  Stomp Splash.  Jack stomped both feet, and laughed gleefully as the water rained down over his father.  "I got you Dad!"

  "Oh yeah?"  Colin stomped back, and the challenge was on.

 

 
Lots of stomping and laughter later, a tie was declared, by Jack.  "I clearly won, you little imp."  Colin teased his son.

  Jack giggled.  "Nuh uh, I won, but I didn't want to make you feel bad!"

  He grinned down at his son.  "Liar, liar pants on fire!"

 

   Colin stopped for a moment and just took in the scene before him, the smiling, happy faces of his children as they goofed around in the water.  Sometimes, being a parent was a real b*tch, but times like this, made it all worthwhile.  He loved his kids, and couldn't f*cking imagine what his life would have been like without them.

  He noted the darkness creeping in, and with a sigh of regret, called a halt to the beach trip.  It was time to go home.  All three of them tried to get him to change his mind, but he held firm.  In the fading light he helped them gather up all their things and get everything put back into the car.  They all climbed in, and he smiled as he drove down the twisty, windy road.  He loved listening to their childish chatter as they excitedly went over and over the day's events. 

 

 "Dad?"

  Colin glanced at Jack.  "Yeah buddy?"

  "You're the best Dad ever!"

  "I think so too!" Luna chimed in from the back.

  "Me too!" Skylar piped up.

  "Well, I have the six bestest kids ever!" he told them with a grin.


~<>~


  Very soon they would be moving into their new house, and Skylar was so excited.  She would have her own room, but she would really miss having her sister so close.  The sisters liked to talk about things, important things while the grown ups were sleeping, and Jack snored away in a nearby bed.  Now how were they supposed to have these important talks without the grownups overhearing them?

  "Lu, do you ever wonder about who you're going to marry when you grow up?"

 

 "I already know who I'm going to marry."  Luna informed her sister.

  Skylar looked over at her sister.  "Really?  Who?"

  "Someone rich and handsome." She said loftily.

  "What about nice?  He ought to be nice Lu."

  "I'll sock him in the nose if he's not nice to me."

  "What about true?  Like Daddy?  I want to marry someone just like Daddy, he's been true to our mother all these years."

  Luna stared out the window.  "He doesn't even remember her."

  "Besides that, he was dating that nasty prune face Janet, that's not staying true to our mother."

  "He said he didn't like her much."  Skylar said loyally.  "He said he was only dating her because he thought we needed a mother.  But I only want our mother."  She sighed wistfully.  "I sure wish we knew more about her.  No one ever talks about her."

  "Grandpa says it's because they never met her, so they can't tell us anything about her.  I think when I get older, I'm going to look for her."

  "But she's dead Lu."

  "Well, I'm still going to look and see what I can find out about her.  She is our mother."

  Skylar nodded.  "I'll help you."  The sisters smiled at each other.


~<>~
 

  Today was their birthday, and Skylar was helping her Gramps make the cakes.  She stirred the ingredients in the bowl.  "Like this Gramps?"

 

  Alder smiled down at his great-grand daughter.  "Just like that.  Great job Skylar, someday you're going to make a great cook."

  Skylar nodded.  "Just like you!"  She barely had time to finish her own birthday cake, before her birthday was upon her.  She couldn't wait to be bigger, and have more privileges.  Like dating boys.  She wanted to get married, and have a hundred kids.  She really wanted to marry her Daddy, but he told her it just wasn't possible. 

  She had time for one last birthday wish.  She closed her eyes, and wished with all her might.  She wished for true love.  When she opened her eyes up, she felt different, more grown up.

 

  Luna was more than ready for her birthday, and happily embraced it.  Her teacher, Mr. Landgraab, after catching Luna painting on the hallway walls for the bazillionth time, said she had artistic talent, and if she would quit painting on inappropriate surfaces, when she got older, he would let her join the exclusive Art Club.  She was totally stoked over that, and she would make sure he kept his word.  Or he would certainly regret it. 

  Jack thought birthdays were bothersome.  He was right in the middle of a very important experiment, he didn't have time for the nonsense.  Time or not, his body didn't listen, and forced him to stop, so that the birthday could commence.

  He still wasn't happy about it though.

 

  ______________________________________________________________________________________

Notes:  Hooray---I am getting close to catching up!  That means that I'll be able to play my Kahekili family again, lol  I've been making myself wait, and try to catch up story wise first, but then I end up playing a good dozen or so different saves/challenges, which I quickly grow bored with.  I miss my Kahekili family. =)

  And looky here---another happy chapter!  Two in a row!  Woot!  The trips have a pretty happy childhood overall, and they are very close to their Dad. (Stark contrast to Ivory's childhood, and even Colin's.) Not much about the older kids in this chapter, but next chapter we'll see what they are up to.  This one was about Colin and the trips mostly.

  Also, I think I managed to convey that their childhood was longer than 7 days, haha

  Colin is struggling a little bit, even though he doesn't consciously remember Ivory, part of him does still remember.  So while he wants to have a relationship ( and remember what sex was, lol  I thought that would be a fun irony for him, haha  I'm so mean!!), he just isn't able to get past whatever the block is.  Janet is no loss though, she was very mercenary, and she wasn't really interested in playing mommy.  She would be the type to try to ship them off to military school or something, lol  Not that Colin would ever allow that. =)

 Luna is quite serious about looking for information about her mother, and Skylar will help.  It affects them the most, Jack has his head in his books and experiments, and can't be bothered by such silly nonsense.

  The next few chapters---everyone might change clothes/hairstyles a bit.  Sorry about that, but as I stated last chapter, it was during all this I discovered I had huge game issues, which ultimately I ended up using Porter and rescuing sims.  I thought it might be a CC problem for a while, so I was dumping CC, and made a general huge mess out of everything, lol  Not just once, but three times!  Oy vey!

  This was the birthday that killed the save though---here are some outtakes to illustrate this, lol

  Yes Luna---I was quite tired of it all too!  So if her proportions (pic above) looked a little off--it was totally the game's fault!  She does make a pretty cute midget though, lol

 

No matter how many times I tell him how dangerous it is, Jack insists on being his own lab rat.

    This just goes to prove, that Luna is the shortest of the three, lol  Here Skylar grows long and lean, easily towering over her shorter sister.

 

   Thanks for reading!  Next chapter---they were terrors as toddlers, rambunctious as children, what will they be like as teens?  And how does Colin deal with---*gasp*---boyfriends?!

Chapter 77: Midnight Hollow

 Warning: Language

   Colin took a deep breath of the early morning air, as he stared at the scenery in front of him while seeing nothing at all.  It seemed he couldn't run from his past, he was known even here.  Sh*t, who had known that he had already traveled here?  Apparently he had never f*cking divulged his travel plans with anyone, ever.

  The town itself wasn't too f*cking bad, a little dark, a lot depressing... Colin definitely knew next time he wouldn't f*cking let a grieving man pick the next place to move to.  Sh*t, where else would his Dad move to?  This gothic mournful town was the perfect f*cking place for grieving, and what it didn't have in atmosphere, it made up for in attitude.  Everyone pretty much left them the h*ll alone.   Except for him, f*ck, "Stupid f*cking females." he muttered.

  Why the f*ck they continued to chase after him he couldn't understand.  They all operated under the same f*cking delusion, that he would suddenly wake up and want to spend the rest of his life with them.  Hello?  He didn't f*cking remember them, and he wasn't too f*cking impressed with what he saw now.   How in the h*ll had he handled their attention before?  No matter how many times he said h*ll no, it was like they f*cking heard h*ll yes!  He shook his head.

  Had he f*cking led them on last time he had been here?  He just couldn't remember, and it was d*mned frustrating.  He couldn't remember the half a dozen businesses he apparently owned here either, sh*t, one of which was a strip club and gambling den.  D*mn, he had apparently slept with all his stripper employees too.  Who the h*ll hadn't he slept with?  He shook his head again.  He had been a f*cking prize idiot.  At least he had given his brother a reason to laugh, the sh*thead, he thought sourly.  Brothers.

  At least Midnight Hollow had the Hollow River, and Hollow Lake, so he could still f*cking find work as a lifeguard.  Downtown Midnight Hollow was nestled up against the foothills, hiding in plain sight.  Colin would have rather had lakeside property, then be f*cking landlocked like they were, he could barely see the lake.  He f*cking loved the water, that and the house they had f*cking rented was too d*nm small.  His Dad had claimed he hadn't known anyone was coming with him when he had first rented the house.

 

  That was one of the first f*cking things Colin had taken care of.  He bought a huge piece of property right along Lake Hollow's shoreline, it cost him a f*cking pretty penny, but he didn't care.  He would have water, and plenty of f*cking space to build a huge a*s house that would hold the whole family, comfortably.

  "Hey Dad!"  Colin turned to see his oldest bounding towards him.  He f*cking hated the weird a*s sh*t his son kept doing to his hair, but he did his best to ignore it.  Hair was the least of their f*cking problems.

  "The bus will be here in a few moments, but Grandpa wanted me to remind you that it's Toddler Reading time at the library today." 

  Colin noticed the glint of humor in his son's eyes.  "Are you sh*tting me?"

  Jake held his hand up.  "Scout's honor."

  "You know that only works if you're a scout right?"

  Jake grinned.  "I swear Dad, that's what Grandpa said.  He claims the triplets need to get out of the house for a bit."

  Colin was thrilled to see Jake smile, and at him, f*ck!  His life must be pretty f*cking pathetic that Jake smiling at him would make him this f*cking happy.  Pathetic or not, his son had f*cking smiled at him, the first time ever!  "Ah h*ll, Grandpa just wants some peace and quiet for a while.  D*mn, I don't think I have enough hands for those three.  Skye is the only one that sticks close by."  Colin frowned.  Skylar was the cuddle bug, Luna the adventurer, and Jack was a master of cause and effect.  He pictured the three of them at the library and groaned, which earned him another f*cking precious smile from Jake.

  "Oh and Dad?"

 

  "Yeah?" Colin answered, distractedly.  His mind was still on three f*cking toddlers destroying the Public Library.  Maybe he should buy it first?

  "I have Debate tonight...can you..."

  "I'll be there, unless your siblings f*cking kill me today, and tear down the town around our f*cking ears."

  Jake smiled.  'Great!"  He hesitated, then said, "I'm glad you'll be there tonight Dad."

  "Me too."  Colin smiled back at him.  Colin watched Jake head off towards the bus, before heading back inside the house.  Two smiles, h*ll yeah, now that was f*cking progress!! Then he noticed his daughter, and what she was doing.  "Luna, don't poke the doll's eyes out."

  Luna looked up, mid-poke.  "Baby eye Dada!  Baby eye!"

 

  "Yes, that's the doll's eye.  Stop poking at it, that thing is ffff...creepy enough without you picking the eyes off of it.  Dad!"  Colin hollered.  "How the hhh...am I supposed to take these three to the library by myself?"  Sh*t, no answer.  Colin trudged up the stairs, and found his Dad and Grandad in heavy conversation.  D*mn, he didn't want to interrupt that.  Well, he would just have to f*cking suck it up, at least they were all walking.  Even if it was in f*cking different directions.

  The huge crack of thunder nearly made him jump out of his f*cking skin.  He looked out the window in dismay to see that the sunshine that had been there two minutes ago was no the f*ck where to be seen.  He heard the hail tinkling against the window.  Sh*t, that was all he needed.  With a sigh, he walked back down the stairs, he needed to f*cking lasso three kids.  He'd f*cking have better luck trying to lasso three greased pigs.

  "Jack Jack, come on buddy, don't pull those curtains down again."  Jack turned around, and clapped his hands in glee.  "Kutens Dada!  Kutens fall!"

  "Yes they fall, now don't touch them you little...imp." 

  It took an hour but he f*cking managed to wrangle three squirmy bodies into jackets, hats and gloves; get them belted into carseats, and get them safely inside the library.  He felt like he had just accomplished the f*cking twelve labors of Hercules.  Sh*t, he was already f*cking exhausted.

  "Pincess Dada!  Pincess!"  Skylar demanded.  Colin groaned inwardly.  Skylar couldn't get enough of f*cking Princess stories.  Jack and Luna were contentedly chewing on the same book, so Colin grabbed the first Princess book he could find and sat down beside Skylar.  She curled up close to him, and pointed at the picture.  "Pincess.  Me."

 

    "Yep, you're Daddy's Princess."  Colin began to read the story, "Once upon a time there lived a Princess named Rose.."

  "No no Dada!  Pincess me!  Me!"

  Colin rolled his eyes.  "My apologies your highness. Once upon a time there lived a Princess named Skylar..."  Skylar sucked on her thumb as he read the story.  "..and then Princess Skylar lived happily ever after with her Prince.  The end."

  Skylar patted him.  "Dada pince.  Me pincess.  Pincess happy Dada?"

  "Hmm," Colin pretended to think.  "Happy with her Prince Dada forever and ever, yes I think she is."  Colin tickled her, and Skylar broke out into giggles.  Suddenly Colin noticed that the library was awful quiet.  Sh*t!  He looked to where Jack and Luna had been just a few minutes before.  D*mn, where the h*ll did they go?  He listened for sounds of chaos, and when he heard bookshelves crashing, he knew where the f*ck Jack had gone.  "Sh*t."

  "Dada say bad wood!  Bad wood Dada!"

  "Dada's sorry, now come on little girl, let's go find your naughty little siblings."  He spied Jack right away, he was sitting in a pile of books happily clapping away, but where the f*ck was Luna?  Colin headed for Jack, but some f*cking female suddenly stood between him and his son.  What the f*ck??

  "Colin, I had heard you were back in town.  How come you haven't looked me up?"

   "Lady, I don't know who the h*ll you are, now get out the f*ck out of my way."

  She didn't move.  "That doesn't bother me the least little bit.  I could refresh your memory."  She coyly suggested.

  Colin gritted his teeth.  "Get the f*ck out of my way now, I need to get my kid."

  "Oh, that precious little boy is you.." 

  She squeaked when Colin forcibly moved her out of his way. "I'm not f*cking interested in you, f*ck no, not in a million f*cking years."

  "You'll call me then?"  She called out after him.  Colin ignored her, and picked up Jack.  The Librarian came towards him with a soaking wet Luna.

  "Does this belong to you?"

  Colin sighed.  "Yes."

  "She was flushing all sorts of things down the toilet.  Every single one of the toilets here are now clogged."

  "Sh*t."

  "Bad wood Dada!  Bad wood!!!"  Colin closed his eyes.  Sh*t.


~<>~


"Happy Birthday to Luna, Skylar and Jack!  Happy Birthday to you!!!"  Colin could uncover his ears now that the song had been sung.  Thank God it was the triplets birthday, he had f*cking survived them as toddlers, though barely.

  Luna, being the most impatient, had her birthday first.

 

  Followed by Skylar.

 

  And then Jack.

 

  Any slight f*cking hope he had held of having some peace and quiet now that they were older, was instantly quelled.

  "No, I get to sleep with Daddy!"  Luna yelled.

  "Nuh uh, I get to sleep with Daddy!" Skylar yelled back.

  Colin groaned.  Females, they were going to be the f*cking death of him yet.


~<>~


"Hey Rhys!  Glad to see that you made the move too."

 

  Alder hadn't seen Rhys in a long time.  Rhys had kept his distance after Alder's father Reilly had died.  Alder still missed his Dad, but it sure was good to see his Dad's best friend again.  "You shouldn't be such a stranger."

  "I made a promise that I intend to keep, it would be hard to watch over you guys if I lived in another town.  Besides, "  Rhys shrugged, "as if that wasn't reason enough, I married Rosina, and she couldn't bear to be parted from her family.  So here I am."

  "Rosina?  Really?"  Alder grinned at him as he patted Rhys on the back.  "Why you old dog you...marrying someone centuries younger than yourself!"

  Rhys grinned back.  "She isn't quite that young!"


  "My name is Luna, what's yours?"

  "Tttttanner." the boy said shyly.

  "Do you want be my friend?"

  Tanner stuttered in surprise. "You want to be my friend?" 

  Luna scratched her head.  "Yeah, why wouldn't I want to be?"

 

"Well, ccccause I stttttutt...I can't say my wwwwords right.  Oooother kkkkids ccccall me stttupid."

  "Well, that's stupid."  Luna declared.  "You shouldn't listen to stupid kids.  My Daddy says I'm a smarta*s, so that means I'm smart, and I don't think you're stupid at all.  So there."

  Tanner's eyes shone.  "Yyyyesss, I'll bbbe your ffffriend."

  Skylar whooped.  "Yahoo!  We're going to be best of friends, I can already tell!"


  "Hey Marcy, do you want to see the video of when all of my kids were sick?  Someone was puking every five minutes, it was a fff--nightmare, but makes for a great video!"  Colin said enthusiastically as he pulled his phone out.

  "Eww, no, gross!"

 

  Alder placed his hand on Rhys' forehead.  "Hmmm, I'm sensing something here..."

   "I'm sensing something too.  I'm sensing a nutcase."

 

  "Hush now Rhys."  Alder teased him.  "I'm sure I could read your mind like you can read mine, just give me a minute!"

  "If you pull that freezing ice cold trick again on me Alder, I swear I'll..."

  Alder gave his practiced innocent look.  "Me?  Surely you jest, I gave up pranking ages ago..."

  Colin started to ask, "Hey Jake, do you want to see..."

  Jake laughed.  "I stopped saying yes to that question from you a long time ago."

 "What?  I don't know what the h*ll you're talking about."  The f*cking sad part was, Colin really didn't know what the f*ck he was talking about.

  Jake shook his head then said with a slight grin.  "In so many ways, you're still you, that's all I'm saying."

~<>~


 Luna called out,  "Tanner!  I need your help!"  

  "Wwwwwhat nnnnnnow?"

  "Don't give me that look Tanner!  We couldn't possibly get in trouble this time, it's for a humanitarian cause!"

  Tanner smiled weakly at his best and only friend.  Luna made his life tolerable, she made him laugh, she didn't laugh at him or at any of his ideas, she would even add in some of her own!  And she would beat up anyone that dared to try to bully him, she sure packed a wallop, he thought admiringly.   It didn't take long before all the bullies steered clear of him, and his bullying troubles were now a thing of the past.  His life was a thousand times better since she had decided to be his friend.  He would follow her anywhere, and often did, straight into trouble.  Now if he could just get rid of his stutter.   "Wwwwhat aaaare wwwwwe ssssaving nnnnnow?" 

  "Frogs."

  Tanner's eyes widened.  "Ffffrogs?"

  Luna nodded.  "Tanner, they're going to get dissected!  They could be Kermit's babies!  We have to save them Tanner!  We have to!  I've got the key to the Science room..."  Tanner didn't even ask how she ended up with a key to the Science room, sometimes he was better off not knowing.  "...and the cages are not locked, so all we need to do is sneak into the school."

  Tanner glanced around him.  "Bbbbut mmmmy sssister iiiiis hhhhere."

  Luna rolled her eyes.  "Your sister is on her phone, she wouldn't notice if the Apocalypse happened!"

  Tanner smiled.  "Tttthat's ttttrue!" he agreed.

  "Come on Tanner, I know a good way into the school, and no one will even see us!  For Kermit and Mrs. Piggy!"  Luna cried out.

  Tanner copied her, a little less enthusiastically.  He noticed that none of the older teens were paying them much attention though, many of them were used to Luna's exuberance, and were simply glad that she was leaving them alone for once.

 

  It was the last quarter, only minutes to go until the end of the game...

  When his phone rang, Colin answered with a distracted, "Yeah?"  Then he sat up, the game forgotten.  "What the h*ll?"  He growled.  Luna!  "I'll be there in five minutes.   Yes, Officer,  I f*cking understand, okay?  Sh*t."  He hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket and keys and ran out the door.  Luna was so...grounded...for the rest of her life...if he didn't kill her first.


_________________________________________________________________________________________

Notes: Short chapter!  It was either that or one really long chapter, and I decided to go ahead and split it into two.  This way I can pretend that I actually had 2 whole chapters planned with Skye, Luna, and Jack as children---most times I do tend to skip the child age in my stories, lol  Usually it is because I am so focused on my heir, that I tend to forget about the kids (who are only kids for 7 days), and I don't take very many in game pics of them.

  I'm liking this new version of Colin, I've had so much fun writing him as an involved parent, what he could have been before, if he hadn't been all mixed up.  He still has some Colin attitude, though, it's just directed differently.

  He's still working on his relationship with his older kids, but he's pretty close with his younger three, which are a handful, haha!  Being the progeny of Colin and Ivory, they had to be a handful!

  Colin rolled social bunny, and while I don't always show the outings, he does go out once a week, this chapter he attended a party put on by the Nightblossoms.  Rosina is the daughter of Alyssa and Paeris---and yes, Rhys did marry her, the old dog!  Alder alternated between mind melding with Rhys, and playing pranks on him, lol  Colin kept showing gross videos to anyone that would look.  Turana and Johnny (Tanner's mom and dad) kept woohooing, haha.  It was quite the party!

  Luna was actually born as a mermaid (I had a whole story I was going to do with that), the only triplet to be a mermaid, but that occult seemed to severely glitch my game so much, I finally made her just human.  Poof for that idea, lol  This is when I started having severe game issues, and I thought my game was broke, because after the triplets aged up to children, the in game clock stopped working.  Do you know how hard it is to play with the in game clock broken?  Nothing works properly, school, work, anything that relies on the time.  The game itself played fine, I could send the sims anywhere, and they would go.  It was baffling.  I ended up using Porter in the end, and starting a new game.

  Some pics that shows how things were horribly awry!

  The game also aged them up in the wrong order, which irked me, lol

  Thanks for reading!  Next chapter will be more fun filled parenthood (and probably the triplets age up to teenagers---what will Colin be like when his daughters want to date?)  =)