Generation 5: Chapter one

'Hi' to anyone that is reading this... Here's a little author's note to resolve some confusion that probably everyone has regarding the blog layout and the banner, and the title of this post even.

Okay, so, many months ago I had stopped writing, and I didn't think I would return, like, ever. Anyways, at the beginning of this year I got my computer upgraded, and it was reformatted...and of course, I didn't create a full backup of my Sims.

Saved files is one thing that I lost, as well as some sims that I didn't save in CAH. So, I can't exactly continue where I left off in generation 4.

I decided go ahead with generation 5 - now, I know that leaves a ton of loose ends (I hate those), I am going to try my best to resolve those. In this post there is a subtle explanation, but I will work on a lot more and a better one, once I have more time.

My writing has also changed, TBH (because I have changed a bit in the mean time)...As you will see, the amount of writing has increased drastically.

I do hope you'll have the patience to stick through it though. And one more thing about the sims' appearance...

Being able to play with sims that had crazy colored hair was something that sparked a re-interest of the game and in writing. As I'm gonna be keeping that aspect, expect to see some interesting colors. The photos of this particular post have also been edited, but that's a one time thing though. That's all I have to say for now.

Onward to the chapter~

The stable's walls were adorned with various types of murals, from contemporary style to back in the fifties even. It was my job to clean it all up, since, I had to admit, I was the one that made them. It was an act of boredom, quite frankly, an act I only did when I wasn't attending to my horse named Grace, who was currently nuzzling at my neck, looking for a treat.

"Not now, Grace," I flashed her a quick smile before focusing on the work in front of me. The amount of bubbles the sponge created would be better suited in a nice hot bath than on that ugly wall. Time to get a cheaper type of soap.

Focus, Krissy, the more time you waste here, the less time you get to spend at home, relaxing, cuddled up on the sofa with a nice book, or in front of the TV...ah dammit, I did it again. 

It truly was a bad habit of mine, to spend time reminiscing rather than doing actual work. But it was so much more fun to procrastinate...

If I were to write an autobiography, it would probably be filled with blank pages. There were so many things that I could write, but it made me sad to even think about it.

Krissy Duff. That was the name I went by in the quaint town of Appaloosa Plains. Only two people in the whole town knew that it stood for "Kristine", and that my real surname isn't Duff. My parents, whose surname was Wilson, was caught in a house fire that I was directly responsible for, having been playing with candles, something that I was regularly scolded for doing.  I was five years old at the time, and couldn't comprehend exactly what I had done. I had killed them. People all around me kept saying it was an accident, that I didn't mean for it to happen...

No matter what they said to comfort me, it still didn't bring my parents back from the dead, did it?

In any case, an old couple, Phillip and June Ferrell, took me in as their own. The rest of my family had seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth when I was little. My grandparents, Daniel and Vala Jackson, were still alive, but no one knew how or where to reach them.

Behind me, Grace whinnied unhappily, grasping at strands of my hair with her teeth. "Hey-ey!"  gently tugging my hair free, I turned to face the beautiful black mare that stood beside me, anxious for attention. "Shucks, I wouldn't never forget about you, don't worry," I whispered at her ear, carefully stroking her neck and combing away some of the hair to reveal her pretty face. Yet, she wasn't satisfied with the meager attention I was giving her, whipping her head back and forth, seemingly scared.

"What could such a big animal be afraid of?" I shook my head, starting to braid her hair.

And back to reminiscing about the past.

I still couldn't comprehend how my own family could just disappear. Memories of a conversation I once overheard still lingered in my mind. "It's time for us to move on, Nicolette," my grandfather had whispered to my mom as he embraced her, his eyes filled with what looked like tears. "Sarah's father isn't going to be a bother anymore, he died in jail, where we put him...finally there'll be some peace."

Grace was starting to make me feel uneasy as she clopped her hoof on the ground. "Fine, fine!" I sighed heavily. "Why are you making such a fuss today?"

"Oh, I dunno, maybe because there's something lurking about with purple hair, waiting for the opportune moment to pounce on someone she calls a friend?" an all-to-familiar voice spoke behind me, and I could swear she was grinning from ear to ear.

"Dear lord! What is THAT!" I gasped in mock-horror.

"They call it a fake tan," she sighed begrudgingly, blowing at her fingertips that had most likely just been manicured. All throughout high school, my best friend Cara Bradford had been teased that she as white as a sheet, even though the sun was not shy at shining here. Because of that, people thought she was a loner that was holed up in her house all day. It was quite the opposite actually. She loved going out and having fun, she was just incapable of tanning. "My dad finally gave me his credit card..."

Having a rich family made life so much easier.

Cara had lived in Appaloosa Plains most of her life, but in senior year, her family moved away to a big city, where bigger opportunities awaited her father, who was an entrepreneur or something like that. All I knew was that the amount of numbers that his salary consisted of was enough to leave me dumbstruck for at least a week.

"I thought you and your country folk were supposed to be experts and making people feel welcome," Cara muttered, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. After just a year in the city, she had already lost her accent, though I swore I could hear a faint trace of it mixed up in some of the words. "Is this how you greet a friend that you saw like, a whole year ago?"

Chuckling, I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer for a bear hug. "You have no idea how much I missed you, you crazy chick!"

"Nah, I missed you more."

"I missed you the most."

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"Are we really gonna play that game now?"

"Maybe," we burst out laughing, resulting in another tight hug. "Gosh, it feels like it's been ten years since I last saw you, instead of just one." 

She nodded in agreement. "Sure has. Come, let's find a spot in town that doesn't smell like horse dung...and that has loads of caffeine, maybe. Still a bit jet lagged, but at least we can catch up." As she pulled away, Cara jerked her chin in the direction of where my horse stood. "That girl with dark hair is giving you the evil eye...," she spoke in hushed tones.

I sneaked a look and shrugged. "Teenagers these days, huh? No manners at all."  To think, when we were teens, we had acted the same way, judgmental of everything and everyone around us. We looked at the tacky shoes some people wore, to the rainbow-colored shirts that some boasted with, and not-too-secretly we had laughed about it. 

With no car of my own to drive around town, and with a lack of taxi's available, we had to make due with walking from place to place. A fact that Cara didn't appreciate. Apparently she had blisters on her feet, something she got from wearing high heels and not being used it.

"You can only blame yourself," I winked, ushering her to a nearby coffee house.

"One does not simply show up in a upper-class club with sneakers," she scolded, pointing to my own pair of dirtied sneakers, hardly a spec of its true color visible.

The coffee house was filled with a mixture of aromas that tickled my taste-buds. An assortment of pastries were stacked at the corner of the room, just waiting to be eaten. The assistant waved shyly and pointed at the dishes in front of us. "Can I get you girls anything?"

"Two cup of Joe's would be nice," Cara answered before I could, giving me a shrewd look, as if knowing that I was dying to try out those appetizers. "Decaf for her, regular for me." Seeing that I was about to protest, she turned to me again with a stern gaze. "You're already hyper at the moment...let's not make that any worse."

As we sat waiting for the coffee, Cara whipped a laptop out of her over sized handbag, taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi being offered.

"Look here," she snapped her fingers. "This is the university campus that I'll be going to this year."

She turned the screen slightly, leaving me amazed. On the laptop was a map of the campus, and when you hovered over one of the buildings with the mouse, it showed a picture of the landscape. There were huge buildings, some that looked quite old, which could have been churches, and then loads of modern buildings and dormitories. "Wow, it looks great. Any party clubs nearby?" I chuckled.

Cara pouted. "I'm not going there to party...but yes, there is one or two."

"Which could easily mean more than five."

"Whatever...have you decided where you'll be going? Think you could join me?" she asked hopefully.

That was a question that I dreaded. As much as I would have loved to pack up and go along on a new adventure with my best friend, it just wasn't possible for me in my situation. The only income the Ferrell's had was mister Ferrell's pension which was slowly starting to dry up. It just wasn't in their budget to send me to university. "I would love to, but...you know I can't."

"Nonsense. We could talk to my dad, ask him for some help-"

"No no no, that's out of the question, I don't want your dad to think I'm sponging off of you."

"Well...," she paused a moment, looking for an answer. "What about a study loan? A scholarship? You have options, Krissy. You can become successful in whatever career you choose...why do you want to settle as some pretty country girl with nothing to do, other than ride her horse into the sunset?"

Instead of answering, I stared intently at the coffee machine, watching the black liquid circulating. What she had said hurt, deeply, but it was a question that I had been asking myself for a very long time. I could lie and say that I have to take care of my adoptive parents. I could say that it's too much fuss, it being a lot easier to get a simple job and make a simple living here. To be honest, I didn't want that. I wanted to live the best life that I could, and I wasn't going to get it here.

"I'm afraid," I ended up answering. Fear was my biggest enemy. I feared failure the most of all. All that effort for nothing. If I avoided doing it, I would never have to be afraid.

"Aw, sweetie," she put her arm around me, hugging me gently. "We all are. The world is a big, dangerous place, but sometime or another, we have to face that fear."

After a good amount of catching up, laughing about just how silly we were in high school and a lot of other nonsense, Cara kept pestering saying "hi" to the Ferrell's. When we were juniors, Cara had the habit of coming over to our house every single day to hang out. She had slowly incorporated herself into our family and became good friends with my adoptive parents.

As we made our way to my house, my best friend tied her hair back with a rubber band and whipped out her mp3 player, most likely to inform me of a new song she had heard of.

I was so very wrong.

She had just wanted to irritate the crap out of me.

"So light 'em up, up, up, light 'em up, up, up, light 'em up, up, up, I'm on fiiiiiire..." Placing extra emphasis on the last word, Cara attempted a record breaking note, which was one of the worst mistakes in her life. She almost sounded like a duckling screaming for its mother. Not a pleasant sound at all.

If genies existed, and if I were to run into one and be granted three wishes, one of them would be to forget this very moment and grant my ears some peace of that horrid noise.

"Cara.... I love you and I love Fall Out Boys' music...but...just...no. Don't do that again. Ever."

"You're just mad because you can't even sing, like, at all."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Krissy?"

"Yeah?"

"My songs know what you did in the dark," she whispered another line from the song in a low voice, sounding extremely creepy in the process. I was going to have nightmares.

"Good afternoon, misses Ferrell," Cara greeted loudly as soon as we stepped through the door, slinging a arm around my neck, casual-style. She finally took a hint and ditched the mp3 player as well as the rubber band that held her hair in a ponytail. With no response, I noticed Cara nearly retreating out of embarrassment.

To her relief, I heard June Ferrell call out to us. "Hello, Krissy and..." The crease between her eyes deepened as she tried to remember the face in front of her. "I'll be damned. Cara Bradford. One year later, and you look completely different."

"It's the hair, right?" she mused, tugging at a strand of purple hair. "Yeah, my mom said that it might freak people out a little bit."

"I must say that it suits you. How is your mother, if I might ask?"

"Good, good, she just got out of..." They were in full conversation mode, one which didn't interest me too much, so I excused myself quietly and looked for June's spouse.

Peeking around the corner like a twelve year old poking her nose into other people's business, I spotted mister Phillip Ferrell seated on the couch, a sight that was familiar, as that was where he mostly hung out in the day, watching the sports channel or some other kind of documentary.

We all knew that when he was on his couch, it was best that he not be disturbed. Or if someone wanted to know what it would look like if all hell broke loose, they could go ahead and experience his wrath. For an old man, he still had some spunk.

"Krissy?" I heard Cara call out. "Are we gonna continue that conversation that we had earlier or are you just gonna try forgetting about it?" 

I sighed with a heavy heart, wishing that for once, Cara would throw me a bone and just leave it at that. "You're not gonna let me forget, are you?"

"Nope."

Though it was a well known fact that the Ferrell's didn't have a lot of money, the cottage they resided in was pretty big, with four bedrooms. The house had been one of June Ferrell's biggest investments when she was younger, running a small B&B before she married Phillip. When they adopted me, they put an end to their little enterprise and changed the rooms into suitable accommodations for a child.

Now, thirteen years later, two of those four rooms belonged to me. One served as my bedroom while the other worked as my personal study. No matter how much I had protested, they wanted the best for me, or at least the best they could offer. "We have no need for anymore space," Phillip Ferrell had assured me. "You definitely do...where else would you do your homework?"

Cara would never understand why I wouldn't want to leave these two old people, but I owed them so much, I couldn't just throw it back into their faces, pack my bags and leave.

My best friend skipped up the stairs, surveying the paint spots on the walls and instinctively running to the one where a trail of purple paint was splattered across an oak door.

"You're still obsessed with purple," she winked, pointing at the mess on my door.

"I was an idiot back then," I shrugged.

She was right, though. The entirety of my bedroom was purple, or at least a shade of it, which was in direct contrast with my hair. Who would ever be crazy enough to put turquoise and purple together? Yeah. I was.

"Love what you did with the place," she mused, absentmindedly stroking her hair, probably happy she chose to dye her hair that way. "You should see the new apartment I'm gonna live in after I-"

I nearly lost it then and there. "Cara, STOP." She had made herself comfortable on my bed in the meantime, and look quite chuffed with herself, knowing that she was getting everything that she wanted and just loved rubbing my nose into it. "Why the hell do you feel the need to keep reminding me that you're rich and that I have squat? You're a great friend, truly," I spat back, my words dripping with sarcasm.

"...didn't mean it like that."

"Well that's what it sounds like to me, okay."

The room was silent for too long afterwards. I couldn't just leave...although I strongly wished that I could. As Cara sat on my bed with closed eyes, I busied myself with trivial matters, rearranging my CD's and checking for any blemishes on my face. It certainly wasn't going to be me that was going to break the ice.

"Look...," she breathed. "I'm not trying to remind you that my dad is loaded. I'm just trying to make you realize that you have so much potential. That you CAN move on. So many people get stuck where they are because they feel comfortable...they feel safe. Sometimes you gotta step out of your comfort zone, you gotta do something dangerous...like that one vacation when we were fifteen, remember?"

I couldn't stop myself from smiling slightly. "Shark cage diving...oh God, that was hilarious."

"Uh huh. Last time we're making fun of sharks, right?"

"Yup."

On that particular vacation where I joined their family on a cruise ship, and later for some underwater diving, Cara and I had the nerve to take some bait and antagonize some of the wildlife creatures that were hungry. Of course, that included really big ones, including sharks. My hand was nearly bitten off, but we had fell on the deck of the boat, hysterical with laughter. That was one of the best moments of my life so far, where I actually had a lot of fun.

Fun.

I needed more of that in my life.

"So am I forgiven?" she cleared her throat.

"Um..." So many things were bothering me at that point, I couldn't give her a straight answer. "Do you mind if I go downstairs for a while? I need to talk to my, uh..." It was extremely hard for me to call them "my parents". Sure, they were like parents in every way, caring for me and all that, but I could faintly remember my real ones, and that made a big difference. "You just go ahead and take a nap while I go talk with the people downstairs, okay?"

She yawned before answering. "Normally I'd object, but as you can see, I'm gonna pass out any minute. Just remember to close the door...don't want people disturbing me."

"Sure, sure," I waved as I walked out, closing the door with my one foot and quietly sneaking down the staircase to find the rest of the household.

"Kristine? Sweetheart, is that you?" June's voice reached me from the living room. She was the only one that called me "Kristine". Phillip usually just referred to me as his "baby girl", doting on his daughter like any regular father would. Well, any father that loved his daughter, that is.

"Yeah, I'm here," I called back, leaning against the doorway, trying to make sense of all the troubled thoughts that I had. Should I tell them? Should I just forget about it? No, Cara wouldn't let that happen. What would they even think of the proposal...

"Sweetie...," my adoptive mother sighed, almost knowingly. "Come here," she beckoned, and my feet moved without questioning her order. "I know that face. You're carrying something really heavy on your heart... I'm here, if you want to talk, and Phillip will probably listen if he can tear himself away from the TV for a few seconds."

"I'm not that heartless...," he grumbled, jabbing at a few buttons and finally switched off the TV, which acted as his second wife in a way.

"See? Now, what's going on? Did you have a fight with Cara?"

"Kinda..."

"What was it about?" Phillip interjected.

I sighed, dreading to say the word. "University."

June's face flickered with surprise, then worry, and her gaze flitted to her spouse, the two of them sharing a knowing look. God, I hated when people did that. What, did I have to start learning how to read minds just to be included into a conversation?

Just great.

"We knew this day had to come sometime or another," June finally answered.

"Yeah..." Embarrassment was all I felt at this point. "I told her it's crazy, I don't have the money for it. I'd much rather just stay here, you know."

"Actually...we do," Phillip cleared his throat. "We've, uh, been asking at some banks about student loans...a lot of them were quite forthcoming."

I frowned. "What d'you mean?"

"If you ever want to go study, the option IS available. We love you too much to keep you locked up in here and stuck in this town, Kristine. Appaloosa is a place for peacefulness, which is perfect for us retired folk. But for you, a young girl full of spirit....it's a truly a crime if you don't go and explore the world by yourself.

"...Wow." Shocked would not have been an apt word to describe how I felt. "Flabbergasted" would probably be better suited. They were quite sneaky for old people, being able to keep it all a secret from my nosy personality, which usually uncovered a plot long before it was set to happen. I owed them so much already, and now they were stacking something else onto the heap.

"Can I go out for a while? Just for a walk. I need to clear my head."

June seemed to notice my confusion. "Of course. Should I tell Cara...?"

"No, don't worry, she won't even notice I'm gone."

Most people would frown upon the fact that they just allowed me to go out while it was pitch dark outside. The truth was that Appaloosa Plains was insanely safe. Nothing, I repeat, nothing ever happened that was bad. Gangsters would stand out like a sore thumb and other sorts of criminals would find that there isn't much of value around here. Most of people's belongings were worn out by now, as furniture was another thing passed down in some households.

Everyone knew who you were, who your parents, grandparents and maybe even great-grandparents were also. That's how tight-woven the community was.

So it wasn't too much of a crazy idea to be walking out into the dark by myself.

What I loved most of the Ferrell's home was that it was quite close to the local beach (probably the only beach in town). Being able to kick my shoes out and bury my toes into the sand was one of my favorite ways to make the time pass by.

Skulking behind some bushes that were conveniently located near the beach, I unbuttoned my blouse and slipped out of my pants, revealing the two piece I always wore beneath my clothes. My mood was unpredictable, so it helped to  wear it underneath so I could sneak away to the beach.

The action of tiptoeing implied secrecy - and yet, as I was sneakily tiptoeing towards the water, there was no secrecy. If anyone were to pass by, they would clearly be able to see me.

I hated being so exposed.

How much worse would it be at a university then? Where your school records were probably no secret, and curious students would love to unveil every secret you've ever tried to keep locked away.

That wasn't even the worse part. I still didn't have a clue what I wanted to study. I was quite versatile, which made things so much worse, made me so much more confused...

"What would my mother have said...," I wondered aloud. My true mother was a woman full of wisdom, something she got from my grandfather. Even when I was little, she spoke to me about adult things, theorizing about life and all its mysteries even though I couldn't wrap my head around it all yet.

"It's a good thing your father resigned from his job. Of course, we're losing a bit of income, but he was unhappy... Why do something that makes you miserable? I'm so glad he's going to do something that he's passionate about. I wish..." Most of the conversation I had already forgotten, but at least I remembered the most important part.

And it was that part that made me realized what future I would follow.

Time to get those typing fingers working again

Well, it's been a nice, relaxing four month vacation from Sims and writing...and I believe I have found my mojo again.

I've worked on a couple ideas after my computer got upgraded and I found that I didn't back up everything of my Sims that I should have, so I've thought of some stuff to tie up some loose ends, but I focused more on continuing on to generation 5. It has made me really excited, so yeah, I wanna get back into the writing game!

Problem is...I don't know how many readers I have left after that LONG break. So if you still want to see some of this legacy, pretty please, leave a comment. :)

This is the beautiful simmie that I've been working on, and I love her to bits. <3 This isn't what she looks like anymore (her hair is a different color), but it's the basic idea.

(Feedback would also be appreciated....like I dunno, if I should just give up, move to Wordpress or start something new)

This is goodbye...at least, for a while

Well, I've never wanted to do this, but it's been bugging me for a while, and I guess I have to announce it sooner or later.

I'm not going to be continuing this legacy anymore.

I've hit a patch where I don't want to go through the trouble of taking pictures then writing an entire post...to be honest, I'm tired of the Sims game. I've always liked action/fantasy games more, which is why I'm currently playing World of Warcraft on a regular basis. It just has more to offer than Sims.

I really wanted to go on till generation 5 and end it there (I like the number better), but I just don't have the strength for it now.

Perhaps someday, I might feel the need to write again, which means I'll pick off where I left this generation off. Maybe next year, I'll see if I've changed my perspective.

But until then....goodbye, and I do apologize for not seeing this through.

~Destiny Hailey Rose

Generation 4, Chapter 16: That gut-wrenching feeling when you know something is wrong...

Ever since the day Vala told me she was pregnant, we weren't able to have a normal conversation without it turning into an argument.

It was an odd turn of events, and definitely unexpected. But Vala...she seemed genuinely upset, like she didn't want to be pregnant. I could understand that, she had never been faced with such a thing before. However, to think of having an abortion...was against all my moral values.

"Vala? Are you alright?" I asked her one evening after we returned from watching a movie.

"Oh, I see where this is going," she huffed. "You're gonna find some way to turn this conversation back to my pregnancy, huh?"

"Um...no. You did."

"Let me tell you something..." She seemed at a loss for words, being thrown off by my calm reply. "I hate your perfect composure!" Before I could even grab her hand to stop her, she stormed inside.

What we didn't know was that Mitchell and Darcy seemed to have made our home theirs already, without an invitation. I was okay with it, seeing as Darcy had already stayed with me in Bridgeport. But Mitchell...was a whole different case. He occasionally raided the fridge for all the leftovers of the previous day, leaving us without dinner. 

Sooner or later, I would have to throw them both out. 

"Boy, do you two need a vacation. You looked stressed out...," Mitchell stated, a frown caught between his eyes.

"Not today, Mitchell. The mood isn't good for those kind of jokes, yet."

"Which is why I suggested the vacation!"

"Where's Darcy?" Vala interrupted the bantering.

"Kitchen, looking for a snack for me," he grinned widely.

"Uh huh... I'll start some dinner."

"That's okay, I can do it," trying to be sensitive and getting her back to her usual happy mood, I offered to make dinner without thinking of her reaction to this.

Needless to say, it ticked her off even more.

"Daniel, you're a horrible cook, and I'm not useless. Leave it to me, okay?"

Reasoning with her wouldn't help, and the sad thing was, I didn't know how to help, how to react, or what to say to her when she was like this. Calling my father was not an option as he would have no knowledge of this. My mother had had a lot of problems, having had some kind of amnesia in the past, but nothing like this. Apparently, she had been quite happy during her pregnancy, like my grandmother Kaylin had been, as well as great-grandmother Destiny. It was a family filled with family oriented people.

What worried me was that good family nature would come to a screeching halt.

"Daniel!" Darcy whispered from the kitchen, with an urgency mixed into her voice. "What the hell is going on with her? Did you see her with that knife?! We have a serial killer on our hands."

"No, we don't," I shook my head. At least, I hoped we didn't.

"Then why is she so moody?"

"Well, she's pregnant and she doesn't want to be, I believe."

"And you didn't tell me?!" she yelled, causing Vala to peek over her shoulder. "And you didn't tell me?" she lowered her voice. "I'm your sister, dammit. If you can't tell me, who can you tell?"

"You have a point... It's kind of had a bad effect on both of us. She's not ready for that kind of responsibility, and I'm gonna be a dad while I'm not even married."

"Hey, that worked for our grandmother!"

I sighed. "They at least got married. I'm not so sure that'll happen between Vala and I."

Mitchell's bellowing voice coming from the living room was enough to make everyone in the neighbor jump from surprise, but it made us pay attention to what he was saying. "Hey, guys, Sunset Valley is gonna be on the TV!"

"Ooh, really?" Darcy ran from the kitchen, literally jumping over the couch to take a seat by Mitchell's feet. "This is quite an occasion then."

"What's it about?" I asked out of curiosity, not making an effort to hurry to the lounge.

"Uh, some rich guy is funding a festival here in town. It's just some kind of publicity stunt, if you're asking me."

"Obviously," Darcy agreed.

"Next up: Sunset Valley isn't that quaint, sunny town anymore! CEO of O.M. Industries discusses his plans to turn that lovely place into a Winter Wonderland festival." The news reader delivered the line with a smile, but it made my heart sink. So Oscar McMullen was coming to town? Perhaps our idea of revenge wasn't as far fetched as I had imagined.

"That bastard...," I muttered under my breath.

"'Scuse me? Didn't catch that?" Darcy looked up at me with curious eyes.

"Nothing, I'll explain later."

"You always say that," Mitchell mused. "And you know what? You never end up explaining anything!"

Ignoring his line, I took a seat next to him, eyes pinned on the television. the image of the man was exactly like the one stored in my memory, from the time I was introduced to Sarah's parents. The only difference was that he looked a lot more...sinister than he did a few years ago.

"Sunsey Valley was where my family went during my summer vacation. We share an important past, and I wish to pay my respects to all those good memories. Citizens of this beautiful town, I implore you to come join in the festival of Winter, starting tomorrow afternoon. Those that wish to help set up  tomorrow morning are welcome to do so."

Before he even finished his speech, Darcy switched channels. "It's boring, okay?"

"I was still watching that, you know," I pointed out.

"If you want watch it so much, go search a video of it online," she suggested, continuing to mash the button of the remote until she found a channel with cartoons on it.

Following her suggestion, albeit with a disgruntled mood, I head upstairs in search of my laptop and charger. Something told me I was gonna be up till late again researching.

What I had not foreseen, was that Vala was already in the room. The last thing I wanted now was an argument.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were up here," I quickly turned away from the door.

She jumped from the bed, biting down hard on her bottom lip. When she spoke, it wasn't the tone she had used just a while ago. It was soothing, almost like how I had tried to sound. "Oh no, please, don't go. Can we talk?"

"You know what happens when we talk, Vala..."

"I'm sorry...," she whispered, extending her hand towards my face in an attempt to break the ice. "I can't control myself lately... The emotional side of me, I mean. I'd blame it on hormones, but it's too early for that to happen."

"I want to say that I'm alright with that...but to be honest, it wasn't a pleasant experience, seeing you like that. I can go live with my parents for a while, if you're sick of me around here."

"I could never get sick of you," she pulled me closer for a hug. "Never. So don't go running off with some other bimbo while you got a pregnant girlfriend back home!"

I couldn't help but laugh. She was back to normal, even if it was temporarily. "I wouldn't dare betray you."

"Good. Now,what was the fuss about the television? About Sunset Valley and some festival?"

"Oh, it's.." I hesitated. Should I really involve her in my plans for revenge, while my duty to her was to protect her from her former employer? "You and I are going to the park tomorrow."

"Interesting. I suppose you'll explain the why to me tomorrow while we're driving?"

"You bet'cha."

As we stepped outside the next morning, the grass was covered with a thin layer of snow. It was the first sign we received that winter had officially arrived. With the temperature a lot lower than we were used to, Vala and I dressed up snugly in clothing that she had bought for us the previous week.

"Look over there," Vala pointed into the distance. "Is that the guy you saw on TV? Mister McMullen?"

"That's the one. How about we go introduce ourselves as 'friendly helpers'"?

"I'm always up for acting. Did I ever mention to you that if I hadn't become a criminal, I would have liked to become a part-time performer?"

"Uh, no... But you can talk more about that later. Remember, lets act polite and not kick his butt just yet. We gotta earn his trust...and all that crap."

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you lecturing me while I'm the professional in this case?"

"I don't really know..."

Appearing to be a perfect couple, we approached Sarah's father with smiles on our faces. I suspected that he would recognize me, but I was unsure of Vala.

"He looks familiar..." She whispered, lost in thought.

"Welcome, young couple. Would you be interested in helping us with arranging some of the things that will be included in the festival?"

"Of course, as long as it doesn't require heavy lifting... Daniel's strong, but not that strong. Look at his puny arm muscles!" Vala chuckled.

Oscar smirked. "You should include yourself in that excuse. You never were one to do the hard work, Vala."

Crap. He knows her, thought flashed through my mind. If he knows her, chances are he knows me.

"Y-you know her?" I tried to salvage the situation, to keep the appearance up of being clueless.

"I thought you were a good man, Daniel, seeing as you dated my daughter and all, but if you're shacking up with Vala, you are a pathetic man."

Beside me. I could sense Vala growing uncomfortable. "You know me?"

"Who do you think recruited you when you were a teenager? Now, lets talk, shall we..."

At that moment, I couldn't suppress the bad, gut-wrenching feeling that was stirring inside me.

~♥~

Sorry that it took so long to publish this post, and that it is definitely not one a good one, either, but I'm just a bit tired of this generation, I guess, seeing as I have bigger plans for generation 5.

Thank you for reading, and have a great day!

Generation 4, Chapter 15: Keep your chin up, boy!

It was happening. It was finally happening. For Mitchell's part, I was nervous.

Just a few days after his conversation with me, he got my father on the phone, and confessed his love to my sister and the wish of marrying her. Of course, Richard Jackson was never one to communicate over the phone, and wanted to meet Mitchell in person. However, with the weather conditions being horrible, none of us could drive to Lucky Palms. 

The only solution was a video chat on Skype...and that was one entertaining afternoon.

My father's nose was extremely close to the web camera, as he had tried to get the best view of Mitchell. It was the most threatening look he had ever gave someone.

"You say you want to marry my daughter, puny boy?" For a man that had kept a business-like posture his entire life, it was both strange and hilarious to hear him speak like a true barbarian. At least, to me, it was hilarious. Mitchell was a bit too shaken up to find anything funny at that point.

"U-uh, y-y-yes sir...," Mitchel stuttered out an answer, looking everywhere except at the screen.

"Why are you rambling like a complete idiot, boy? Do you have a speech problem?" my father had fumed.

"Richard!" I heard my mother's all-too-familiar-disapproving tone in just one word. "Don't you understand this is hard for him? It's not like you ever asked my father..."

That had put my father in his place, and after that, he was a lot more negotiable.

Like a complete fool, I stood at the window and peeked at the proposal taking place. I felt like it was my duty, in my father's absence, to see that things go smoothly.

But the urge to jump in and hug my sister, to protect her from someone else, was getting too strong.

"Daniel Grayson Jackson, what on earth are you doing at that window?!" Vala called from the kitchen, hands on her hips, with a irritated look on her face. "Are there naked old ladies walking down the road? You should be ashamed for looking at them. They're not in control of their minds anymore...they say amnesia is a terrible thing..."

"Oh God...," clasping my hand in front of my eyes, trying to contain the laughter that was itching to erupt, I moved to the kitchen, hugging her around the waist from behind as she had turned away from me, subtly planting a kiss at her neck. "For your information, Mitchell is out there in the cold, proposing to my little sister."

"Ah...," she nodded knowingly. "The big brother attitude kicking in, huh?"

"Pretty much."

"Good luck with that."

I sighed, sparing one last look at the window before turning to the staircase. "I'm gonna head to bed. Enjoy your dinner."

That ended up being a lie. As soon as I got to the main bedroom and saw my laptop open at my researching page, I forgot all about sleep and clambered behind the screen.

Hours could have passed, but I was oblivious to most of it, until Vala peeked into the room with a raised eyebrow, all dressed up and ready to go to bed. "I thought you would be sleeping by now?"

"Yeah... I remembered I had some, uh, work to do for tomorrow. You know how hectic a journalist's career can be."

She frowned, and hesitantly went to sit down on the bed. "No, I don't, so please, enlighten me."

Despite the impression she gave people, Vala was really smart, and could usually figure out when someone was lying to her. When she suspected someone of being a liar, she went into full hunter mode, bombarding the individual with questions. I was rather afraid that was going to happen to me.

But I couldn't tell her what I was up to. Not yet.

After Sarah's mother had come all the way to Sunset Valley to incriminate her husband, I nearly became obsessed with finding out all about Oscar McMullen and his lawless activities.

It seemed like mister McMullen was quite good at hiding what he does. If it weren't for the top given by his wife, I would never have guessed what he was capable of.

From what I could find online, he was the head of O.M. Industries, an engineering group that have thousands of registered patents, all contributing to the latest age of communication. What the articles didn't say, was that he had to resort to sinister ways to stay ahead of other companies like his one. On the "about" page of his website, the graphs he had on display showed just how successful he was because of the criminal activities done in the background.

"Daniel?" from the sound of her voice, it was obvious she was getting impatient. "I'm waiting for an answer..."

"Tell you what," after quickly bookmarking the page I was viewing, I closed the laptop and went to sit by her. "Let's go down to the beach tomorrow and chat a bit about all of this, okay? It's really important..."

"Sounds...serious. Daniel, you didn't join any kind of weird cult, did you?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"Okay...," she relented. "Just know that after you've confessed, I have some important news to share as well."

Those words troubled me the entire night, even lingering in my dreams.

When the sun peeked over the horizon, it filled me with the strength to tell Vala the truth about my research. However, as soon as the dark clouds started to swoon in the sky, my courage turned to dust.

Even with the heavy rain, Vala was persistent, and wished to walk down to the beach with me. I dared not deny her request.

Sunset Valley was still new to me in so many ways, especially the neighborhood. To be able to walk around rather than ride in a car all over town, was an enjoyable experience.

"Are you finding this-"

"-magical?" her eyes darted in my direction, face alight with joy. "It's really beautiful here. I think I'll stick around here a bit longer..."

It dawned on me suddenly: That had to be the news she wanted to share. She was going on the run again...but why?

"I think it'll stop raining in a bit, don't cha think?" she turned to me, pointing with her umbrella up at the sky. Her hunch had some merit. The sky was clearing up, and the sun was finally peeking through.

"The weather? Really, Vala? That has got to be the worst opening line to a conversation ever. Whatever is on your mind has got to be a lot more serious than what I have to tell." I chuckled as I spoke, but inside, I was so nervous, I could have had a stroke.

"For the love of all that's holy, Daniel, just spit it out already! I can't come up with any way to ease into the topic, so please, help me out."

"Fine. You asked for it..."

"Yes, I did, so would you-"

"Your previous so-called boss was my fiancée's father. He had her killed."

She gasped quietly and her eyes widened momentarily before being replaced by a mixture of angst and anger. "What?" she choked.

"The head of this crime syndicate's name is Oscar McMullen. His wife sold him out, and she asked me to get revenge, for her sake, for Sarah's...but also for everyone who has had to suffer because of him."

"I... I don't know what to say..." She stepped back, her hand desperately covering her mouth. With Vala, it was always calmest before the storm. For a moment she would be sad, but in the end...

Her eyes flashed with new found confidence and vengeance. "I'm in. Whatever revenge will be taken, I am so gonna a part of it. You need me, really. I have knowledge of the stuff that goes on in there and-"

"Vala, you had me at 'I'm in'. Of course I'll let you help."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer I gave her, she turned to the ocean, picking up a stone from the sand and flicking it across the water. "This kind of ruins what I wanted to tell you..."

"How so?"

"Because you're gonna worry your ass off and keep me out of the fun."

No response. Instead, she ran across the beach and retrieved a float from under a lounge chair and ran back to me. Her strange behavior didn't bother me, until she started undressing into her underwear.

"Uh, Vala..."

"I know, I know, it's raining! But you know what? I don't care!" she yelled, and skipped through the shallow waters with the float in her hands.

"You're absolutely crazy!" I yelled back at her as soon as she started lounging in the deeper waters, looking rather proud of herself.

"And don't you forget that!" I heard the faint answer. "Hey, come and join me. That is, if you have the guts to face the cold..."

That was the card she always pulled in a conversation. Playing on the fact that a guy had to defend his honor...it always worked on me, sadly.

"If my clothing gets stolen, you're buying me some new ones!"

"Fine! Now get over here, for Pete's sake."

The rain did a fair job of flattening my hair against my head before the ocean's water could even try. Just as I was close to Vala, the last drizzle of rain disappeared.

"Just my luck...," I muttered.

"Huh?"

"Never mind... So what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, nothing too big. I have a suspicion that I might be pregnant, which some might think is really serious."

It was hard for me to remain floating in the water. "What?" I echoed her reaction from earlier. "Vala... That's BIG news."

After the shock, other signals popped up in my head. What was I thinking? The baby wasn't mine, probably. We had only been together for a short while, and before that time, she had ample time to explore her other options. So determining the identity of the father could be like searching for a needle in a haystack of infinite size.

"Well, I don't know how to react, to be honest... I wasn't expecting this to happen."

"Oh... I see. So, what are you gonna do about it? How're you gonna contact the father?"

Having turned away from her, I could not see the reaction on her face, but the way she inhaled a deep breath, she did not seem happy with my question. "Daniel, there's no doubt in my mind that you're the father. I wasn't with anyone else in that time frame... Oh, you're so cute when you're worried!" she chuckled, and continued to relax.

If I had been sitting in a chair, I would have leaned against it for support, because all my muscles felt like jelly. I was going to be a father.

Generation 4, Chapter 14: A brief encounter

A/N: Before my computer went in for an upgrade, I wanted to back up my saved files from Sims, but instead, I deleted them... I got a few back, but not Daniel's save file. This is why you'll be seeing a LOT of changes in this new chapter.

But hey! A new chapter after who knows how many weeks... O_o I've been working on this before Seasons came out, and yet, I'm only posting it now...

Yup. I'm really really lazy. Anyhow, please continue!

"Dude, for Pete's sake, get up. It's not even afternoon yet! It's definitely not a time to be sleeping..."

He interrupted me just when I had started to slumber into a deep state of sleep and away from reality. Great. "Hmph. If you're looking for someone to be excited to see that you're back, Mitchell, you're not gonna be getting that kind of attention from me."

I felt his foot hit the couch. "You're a horrible friend," he muttered.

Perhaps I was, but I couldn't help myself at that moment. A lot had been going on recently, and the change of environment was taking its toll on me.

Vala had opened my eyes to the truth, that I had been clinging onto the past. An example of that was to take a job at the art gallery, to be closer to Sarah's favorite things. In truth, I didn't really like the job all too much, as it strayed away from my field of expertise.

So I did what was best for me: I quit my job, and took another as a journalist/researcher of historical artifacts and figures.

The only downside to that was that there were no more available spots for a journalist at Bridgeport's newspaper, but they offered me a transfer to Sunset Valley instead. After a long debate with my sister, who hated seeing me leave her alone, she agreed that it was probably the best course of action. Of course, she also tagged along, now bunking on my couch in the living room at night.

The most interesting aspect of it all was perhaps the fact that Vala and I were now together. As in living together. A couple, or whatever one would call it.

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would end up in a relationship with a person whose personality was the complete opposite of mine.

"You're still standing there, aren't you?" I mumbled into the soft cover of the couch.

"You guessed it."

"Don't you have someone else to bother? Where's Darcy?"

He seemed to pause before answering. "Out somewhere," he cleared his throat. "I sent her somewhere to have some fun, so I could have a conversation with you."

That caught my attention, and nearly had me sitting upright if it weren't for the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Is he not adorable when he's napping? Oh, I could just tickle him..." Vala nearly cooed like an overbearing mother, and I knew she was itching to poke at me. I had become used to her little habits of joking around with me, and to be honest, it was quite entertaining to me.

"Eh, if you say so... But why he would be napping in summer clothes while it's nearly freezing outside is beyond me."

That could easily be explained to him, but I was too lazy to do so. In truth, Vala had been persistent lately that I should not be so serious all the time. Her first attempt at getting me to relax was getting me some "comfortable" clothes. The worst thing about the arrangement was that she made it while it was nearly winter. That was why I was huddled up indoors.

Vala merely laughed at Mitchell's reaction, saved a moment to kiss me on the cheek, and made her way to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Mitchell called after her.

"Unlike some people, Mitchell, I do have a day job," she snickered. "Good luck trying to wake him up." In an effort to impress everyone, Vala got a starting job at the local spa as a receptionist. Her bubbly personality was definitely an asset to them, and apparently, the customers loved her when she wasn't insulting them.

After the sound of the door quietly closing was heard, I slowly eased into a sitting position. Mitchell took it as an invitation that I was ready to talk to him.

When I looked at Mitchell, I was rather stunned by the new look he had adopted. "Dude, what the hell happened to you?" I asked, referring to his gelled-back hairstyle.

"I'm a model in my free time... It required me to modify my look."

"What did Darcy have to say about that?" I raised an eyebrow. My sister was not one to like men who ended up with over-buffed egos, which she had stereotyped as men who followed a modeling career.

Mitchell stared at me with uncertain eyes. "She doesn't know... Other things have been on my mind, which I think is more important than telling her about my new career path."

"Really? What on earth could be more important than your modelling career?" the sarcasm I delivered was not at all concealed. If he was going to mess with my little sister, he was making a big mistake.
"The fact that I'm in love with your sister. So much so that I want to ask her to marry me."

It was hard for me not to be a little bit skeptical. "Seriously? You're ready to put up with all of my sister's crap?"

Mitchell groaned. "Come on, dude... She doesn't have that much baggage. Be nicer to your sister sometimes."

"I'm just kidding... But honestly... I'm shocked. I didn't know things were that serious between you two. I expected a fling that would eventually break off... But now I see I was wrong. I'm sorry to have judged you two so early. Question is, why are you telling me all of this? Shouldn't you be out there with my sister, getting down on one knee already?"

He paused, uncertain how to phrase the words he had in his mind. "That's the thing...," he hesitated. "I'm not really sure how the customs of your family work. Should I ask your father, or ask you, since your dad is too far away? Or should I go all the way to Lucky Palms...?"

He might have said more, but the sound of the front door opening and closing with a bang interrupted the previously relaxed state we had found ourselves in.

"That is the last time I'm ever accepting a request from Vala for a fun filled day at the spa. Do you know what happened? They put me down on a massage table and put hot stones on me! The nerve..."

"Sounds awful," Mitchell sympathized with her, putting our conversation in the past, yet the hint of it remained. He sounded detached and stressed. Perhaps he realized he might have to face my father soon, who was not easy to please when it came to his daughter. Like most fathers, he was overprotective.

"It was...," she nodded, seemingly oblivious to his lack of interest in what she had said. "I still want to make this a memorable day. So, if you don't mind, Mitchell, how about we go out for a drive?"

"I don't know..." Mitchell hesitates, possibly wondering if we still had much to discuss.

"Yes, please, go forth young couple, for I do not wish to be cooped up with a crazy chick that's really pissed off."

"Haha," Darcy eyed me, not in the least humored. "You're hilarious, Daniel. Ever since you and Vala hoo-"

"Okay, time to go," literally jumping off of the couch, Mitchell grabbed his car keys from the table near the door and steered Darcy out of the house without even saying goodbye. I didn't mind his lack of manners at all, since he had spared me from getting into an argument with Darcy. It was a well-known fact that she always won when it came to a verbal fight, mostly because she had a habit of bringing up past occurrences that were embarrassing to me.

I looked out the window, seeing them speed down the road like they didn't have a care in the world.

It reminded me of that one summer in Paris...

With Sarah.

It was pathetic, really, how the memories of her still lingered while I was with someone else. But you couldn't just forget about someone whom you were planning to marry.

That was the kind of person I was. One who found the right girl, and planned to settle down with her, have a family...crap like that.

But with Vala...things weren't going to be the same. No matter how I felt over her, I wasn't sure if she would ever accept a proposal from me. 

Yet again that day, someone was at the door, but this time it was a quiet rapping against the door, instead of it being thrown open and slammed shut again. All of that meant that we had a visitor.

Pushing my recent pondering to the back of my mind, I went to open the door, finding a total stranger on the front porch.

Clearing my throat to catch her attention, I politely inquired her reason for being at my house. "Excuse me, can I help you?"

As she turned to face me, a haunting feeling stirred inside me. Like I knew her. Yet, I couldn't put my finger on it. She did look familiar. Most of her features were, but I couldn't place them.

"You don't remember me?" she raised an eyebrow, unsure if she should be insulted or not. "I'm Cathleen... Cathleen McMullen. Sarah's mother."

It was unreal how, just a few moments ago, I had thought of Sarah, and now all of a sudden her mother stood at my doorstep.

Noisily, I cleared my throat, embarrassed by my own stupidity. "I'm sorry for not recognizing you, misses McMullen. I had only met you twice, and to be honest, I'm horrible with faces..."

She chuckled lightly, accepting my excuse with a wave of the hand, as if saying that it happens to all of us at some point. "It's quite all right, Daniel."

An awkward silence followed. What on earth was I supposed to say to my ex-fiancée's mother who I hadn't spoken to in years? "Sorry to have to admit this, but I've moved on.", or "I'm so sorry about Sarah...it was a great loss for me as well."? No. I wasn't going to bring back such painful memories for her when she might be here for a whole other reason.

But the silence was getting to be too much for me, and I broke it. "So, um...don't you and your husband live somewhere in London nowadays? What brings you to this part of town?"

She cast her gaze downwards, hesitating. "I've come to deliver a warning, and tell you the truth."

It sounded serious, and a little bit too spooky for a normal confession. Something bad was going on, something she had to have kept under wraps for a very long time.

"Okay... Shoot."

"I'm going to say this outright. My husband had Sarah killed."

Of all the things I could have guessed, I would never in a million years have thought those words would leave her mouth.

"E-excuse me?" I spluttered, wondering whether there was something wrong with my hearing.

"You heard right the first time, Daniel," she assured me with a sullen expression. "Oscar, my husband, is in charge of a company. In the day, he's a normal business man, but after hours, or any time he's free, he leads young people to perform crimes for him for a lot of money. That's how his legit company has stayed ahead of the competition."

"But...but...killing Sarah? He had nothing to gain from that!"

"She was moral, like me. But unlike me, she didn't want to keep her mouth shut. She wasn't afraid of him, because she thought he wouldn't lay a finger on him. In the end...he did."

"How could anyone do that to their own flesh and blood...," the shock was too much to handle, and it felt that at any moment, my knees would give out under me and I would lie passed out on the ground.

"When you're selfish, and you fear only for your own life, anything is possible. Daniel, it was clear to me when I saw you at the funeral, that you were going to find out who was responsible for it all. That's why I'm coming to you with this information. No longer am I living in the shadows. I have to make a difference, even if it costs me my life."

She suddenly grabbed my shoulders, looking me squarely in the eyes. "Please... Help me. Help all of us by doing this. That way...many other people can be freed from his influence."

After dabbing a tear away from her eye, she nodded curtly and hurried down the steps, walking down the road. I wondered whether or not she had a ride that would take her away to safety. She was in a dodgy position, and her life was literally hanging in the balance.

For her sake, I was going to get revenge.

A teensy-weensy update on current matters

Not sure if people have noticed, but there have been great delays between my posts lately (or it feels that way to me O.o). I'm here to apologize for that, explain the situation and warn you guys about the future.

I actually have a busy social life now...which kind of freaks me out at times. In any case, it takes up A LOT of time, and it's not something I can avoid.

Exams are starting next week and Friday, so I'll be studying my butt off, which means no PC time until around the end of November, or even after that.

Also... I haven't really been in the mood to play Sims at all. :/ It takes so long to load, that by the time it does load, I don't want to play.

So what does this all mean, in short?

There's gonna be a hiatus. I may be able to get a post out by this weekend or the next, but after that...nothing.

Chasing The Dark will also have to be suspended indefinitely. It's just too hard for me to balance two stories and other responsibilities that I have.

That's all I can say currently. Thanks for taking the time to read!