1.10 - Always on my Mind

  Brendan reads. Anything. Everything. He just reads. It keeps his mind distracted. Soon though he'll either have to go to the library or the bookstore for more. He's read everything on the bookshelf twice.

  Sunday night, the day before the teens start school after summer holidays, Laura sits by the fire. She's got a lot to think about. Officials wouldn't say if they knew who killed her mother, or for what reason, but she has an idea. Things only got weird once she started seeing Cemre. She remembered him whispering something to her about being a witch, but she brushed it off. She certainly didn't care if he could do magic, she thought it was awesome.
  Seeing her so excited about magic when he showed her, led Cemre to a half hearted offer to finding a way to give her the ablity to use magic. At the time, Laura had agreed, if it was possible. Now she wasn't so sure. What if that was the reason her mom was dead? Was it her fault?

  "Laura, dad wants us to head up to bed now," Theo wandered out, plopping himself on a chair across from his sister.
  "I'm not tired," she protested.
  Theo sighed and leaned forward. "I know how you're feeling right now," he stated quietly.
   Laura looked at him with doubtful eyes. "How would-"
  "Hawthorne."
  Pausing for a moment, Laura glanced down in guilt. She'd been so caught up in her own grief, she'd forgotten. Theo had claimed for a while that he loved Hawthorne, then she had stopped responding to his calls and texts.
  "Mom was working a case, I only know because  I snooped through her things when she was out with dad. Three dead witches, and one faerie. All found in the woods, bodies mutilated. No one was sure who was killing them. Since mom was a spy, they sent her in to find out."
  "Did she?"
  Theo nodded sadly. "The Government. That's where her notes ended though. I'm guessing they learned about her, and they killed her because she had knowledge she wasn't suppose to."
  "None of that makes me feel any better, Theo, you suck at this."
  Theo shrugged as he stood up. "It wasn't meant to. Just inform."

  Homework. The bane of every child's day. Cemre got excited when he managed to use magic to complete his homework. Laura and Theo though were stuck doing it the old fashioned way.

  Laura's cat, Fitz, finally aged up into an adult. He is now free to roam the house at will. And get his own toys from the box.

  Theo's Audry also aged up. And now likes to follow him everywhere.

  Field trip! Today's trip was to the police station! Not that Theo or Laura needed a lesson on that, they grew up with their very own. Cemre though enjoyed the trip.

  Theo won this award for being president of the music club at school. They even held a large ceremony to give out all the awards for the clubs. Laura received a participation trophy for being part of the debate club.
 

  Laura took it upon herself to decorate for autumn. Spooky Day is her favourite holiday. She even goes through the trouble of getting pumpkins for everyone.

  Josie is one of Laura's classmates. She asked to come over to get some help with her math homework. Since Laura was smart enough to teach that class herself, Josie thought she'd get ahead and get some help.
  Laura's just upset that Josie copied her hairstyle.

  Finally, Laura is able to Cemre to carve his pumpkin with her. Brendan already did his, humouring his daughter. Theo plonked himself far away from the other two to do his in peace.
  Laura insisted on sitting back to back. "I want mine to be a surprise!"
 Cemre agreed.

  The cat is Laura's creation. The traditional smiley face is Brendan's. The ghost is Theo's. He was going for a scary ghost. And the silly one at the end is Cemre's.
 

  The night before Spooky Day is Cemre's birthday. He makes a simple wish.

  And ages up. Laura makes fun of his hair.

  The next day is the twins. Laura chooses her wish carefully.

  Theo already knows his will come true.

NOTE:
And this chapter marks the end of the first generation. Laura is the heir, and is excited to begin next chapter.
Theo is especially happy to just be left alone with his music.
I always role for each child at the beginning of the generation so I have personalities for each of them. This time, Laura's role fit better for the story in mind, but I hope next generation to do a vote on who will be heir.
If I had chosen Theo as heir, his role would have been the following:

couple
three children
music - rockstar
business
party to remember
no strangers

1.9 - Goodbye... is the Saddest Word

  Unwilling to wait on the main land, Charlotte Crosse made the journey to Cape Garner. She found a small little outcropping that no one seemed to be willing to venture to. She sent one of her men to the local police station, under strict orders to bring someone with him.
  She didn't know why they wanted this woman. To be frank, she didn't care. Her job was to make an offer. That was it. She wasn't high up in the ranks, practically bottom tier. She spent most days in front of a computer screen, going over old files and pulling ones that may still be relevant.

  "I'm so glad you could join us, Isobel."
  "Did I have much of a choice?" Isobel asked dryly. The man who escorted her here was standing a few feet behind her now, after having a tight grip on her arm the entire way there.
  "Not really. Let me introduce myself. My name is Charlotte, I work for the Supernatural Control branch of the government."
  Isobel raised her eyebrows. Supernatural Control was a secret part of the government. An open secret sure, but still a secret. "I see. And you're here because? I'm as human as they come."

  Charlotte laughed. "You are, of course, you wouldn't have been allowed to reach the top of your career path if you weren't. Your husband, Brendan, is human as well. And of course Laura, and Theodore."
  Isobel froze.
  "Your son though, that girl he's been seeing behind your back, Hawthorne. She certainly isn't. And the boy your daughter is sleeping with. Cemre. He isn't."
  "I-" Isobel stumbled over her words, desperate to keep her family safe. "Theo has always been a bit of a different child, he wouldn't chose her over his music, he's too serious about that."
  Charlotte brushed off her words. "I know. It isn't him we're worried about."

  "But, Laura, she's the dangerous one. That witch has come close to convincing her of becoming one of them."
  "Is... is that even possible?" Isobel asked, breathless.
  Charlotte shrugged. "Unconfirmed. If it is though, we need to know."
  "How? You can't possibly think that using my daughter is a good idea."
 

  "If it brings us closer to our goal, then it's worth it. This is why you were brought here, Isobel. You have a choice. You can spy on your daughter for us. Learn more about this boy and how he thinks he can change her. If he has found a way, we bring him in. If you don't find this information out and he succeeds, we'll have no choice but to put down your daughter."
  "And if I refuse?"
  Isobel felt the cold metal of the barrel of a gun being pressed against her head.
  Charlotte smiled. A cold, calculating smile. "Then your family will be joining you soon enough. I suggest you make your choice."
  Isobel knew what would happen if she turned up dead. Brendan, having been paranoid since she'd become a super spy, would immediately move their children to a safe house. They had an eventual destination in mind, though with all the hoops you had to jump through to get there, it would take some time.
  So, Isobel made her choice. She smirked at Charlotte. "I refuse."

  It would be several days before her body was found.

  "Hawthorne, it's Theo again, if you're trying to break up with me and aren't sure how, just send me a text after you listen to this message. It's been two weeks and you've completely avoided me. Enough is enough. I like you a lot, but I don't want to deal with you getting mad over tiny things anymore. I said my music was important, no need to go over the deep end about it. If you don't want to break up, then call me back."
  Theo tossed his phone on the couch and plopped down next to his sister. "Why did I think getting a girlfriend was a good idea?"
  Laura glanced up from her book. "Because you're a boy."
  Theo grabbed the throw pillow from where it rested beside him and tossed it half heartedly at Laura. "I'll stick with my music from now on."
  "Good idea, at least you're good at that."
  Theo grumbled for a few more minutes before he switched the tv on.

  They could always tell when it was their dad who was watching last, the news was on. Before Theo could change the channel, a familiar face popped up on the screen.
  Neither twin heard much, other then that Isobel had been found dead, a bullet shot to the back of her head being the cause of death.
  The door creaked open, and Brendan walked in, looking as though he had aged ten years in a short period of time. He saw the tv, and sighed. "I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you before you saw that."
  "Daddy, what's going on?" Laura asked.
  Brendan wrapped up his daughter in a hug. "Lots of bad things are happening, sweetie. I'm so sorry you got caught up in this. I'm so sorry."
  "Dad?" Theo was hesitant.
  Brendan pulled Theo into the hug. They stood in silence for several minutes before Brendan pulled back.
  "Go pack your bags. Quickly. Laura, call Cemre, I know his parents went missing yesterday, tell him to come with us."

  The house in Deery Meadows had been sitting empty for quite some time. Brendan had hoped it would stay empty. They were safe though. Laura and Theo were safe. Even Laura's boyfriend, Cemre, was safe. They were safe.
  Brendan kept repeating it to himself. He wished it wasn't needed. He wished Isobel was there with him. How was he suppose to go on without her?

  It was Laura's suggestion. They had no body to bury, since they went across the sector line, they  would not allow her body to be sent to them for burial. So they had just a headstone. But it was something.
  Brendan purchased two plots. He fully intended to buried there himself when the time came. For now though, it was something. He ended up sitting for hours talking to Isobel. Laura eventually went home, leaving her father to grieve alone.
  He was grateful for the silence. To be alone. He didn't want anyone to see how much he was hurting, how much he was breaking. He would put the pieces together again, enough to fool his children, before breaking apart each day in front of where he was to put his wife to rest.

NOTE:
I intended to make this longer, mostly to end on a happy note instead. But my game doesn't like me right now.
Here is where my story really begins. I needed Isobel to reach the top of her career before I could start it. The twins have less then a sim week to go before becoming adults. (Out of the 20 days I have it set to).
This time I am not doing a vote on who will be heir. Laura is going to be continuing on this family, allowing Theo to play his music in peace.

1.8 - Summer Vacation

  Isobel celebrated her birthday by herself. She wasn't ready to admit to her family that she was getting older. She wasn't ready.

  Laura had taken to pranking the entire house. Whoopie cushions in all the chairs, spraying taps, dye in the showers. Theo kept getting caught, he was planning a huge attack against his twin. Brendan thought the pranks were funny, not that he'd admit it to his daughter. Isobel just ignored them. She had hopes that her children would grow up one day.

  Laura also continued to improve her cooking skills. She was so proud of herself when she learned to make another recipe.

  Isobel brought home two adorable new members of the family. She was hoping to teach her children some responsibility. The puppy was Theo's new pet, named Audry.

  The kitten was Laura's, named Fitz. Both twins took taking care of them very seriously. The two were probably the most spoiled pets ever.

  The Clark's installed a pool in their backyard. Laura and Theo spent many summer days in the cool water. Mostly challenging each other to see who could hold their breath longest (Laura won every time), or splashing each other.

  Laura started dating this fellow just before school let out for summer. Whenever he wasn't working, he was over at the Clark's house. Theo usually took this time to disappear and go to Hawthorn's house.

  Since Laura's room didn't have a large enough bed, they often stole away into the guest room to have some fun.

  Isobel didn't tell anyone about her midlife crisis. Thankfully her tattoo was not in a spot easily seen.

A/N: I think I have enough pictures for one more chapter. Which is good, because I haven't felt like going into game at all. I haven't felt like doing anything to be honest.

  For those that follow my tumblr, you already heard. for those that only saw my last post where I announce I was pregnant, I will be deleting that bit of text. Not even a week after announcing that, I found out I had a missed miscarriage. I think that I'm finally starting to get better, though still feeling kind of depressed. Hopefully at some point I will get back into things, but don't expect any degree of normalcy from me for a while yet.

1.7 - The Terrible Teens Begin

  Theo decides to make some friends. He finds a forum and begins talking to all kinds of people. He does meet some teens from his own town, and a few from other places as well. It makes him want to travel.

  Brendan decides that his children should learn to drive a car. He doesn't want them to feel left behind when their school mates all know how to drive and they're still stuck walking everywhere.

  Laura, ever the studier, begins her homework the moment she gets home from school. Theo laughs at her as he grabs his guitar to go find somewhere quiet to play. Laura knows that in order to get somewhere in life, she needs to start now.

  Isobel drives the teens to school a couple times a week. She makes them take turns sitting in the back of the cruiser. She hopes that the feeling of sitting in the back makes them never want to commit a crime, she'd hate for one of her children to be forced back there in handcuffs.

  Spending most of his time practicing, Theo is very good at playing guitar. His grades may be low, but he knew that his talent would be more then enough to get him where he wanted to go.

  Finally some of Laura's sky gazing had given her something to work with. She watched the meteor fall and rushed to the location as soon as she could. Now, she just had to figure out how to get it home.

  Also among Laura's skills. Cooking. She wasn't as good as her mother, but she could make a mean eggplant lasagna. Even Theo liked it, and he hated when Laura cooked anything.

  Isobel decided to try her hand at baking. She took her time decorating it, just in time for Brendan's birthday. She took great pride in how good it looked.

  Brendan choked the cake down and smiled at his wife. Laura scraped the icing off and just ate that. Theo spit his back out.
  "Maybe, mom, you should stick to cooking."
  Isobel couldn't blame him. She forced herself to swallow the bite she had.

  Laura finally had the nerve to introduce herself to her crush. Cayenne Evans was only a little bit older than herself. Unfortunately, she already had a date for prom.

  Theo scored himself a date, a girlfriend, and another date in time for prom. Hawthorne was eager to accept all three invites.

  Theo in his finery.

  Laura in hers.

  With the twins out at prom, Brendan and Isobel had a dance of their own.
  "Do you remember our prom?" Brendan asked.
  Isobel laughed. "That was the first time I really noticed you as more than a friend. Who knew someone so quiet would have the guts to spike the punch under the principal's nose!"

NOTE:
I refuse to abandon this legacy.

1.6 - Wintertime

  "No going easy on me this time, Mom!"
  "Of course, sweetie."
  Laura lost. Really badly.
  "Can I win the next game, Mom?'
  Isobel laughed. "But how will you learn if I just let you win all the time?"

  Theo liked to hide in the bushes outside to play his music. There just wasn't enough room in the house.

  Jasmine Quirke, a co-worker of Isobel's showed up randomly.
  "Hey, I'm having a party tomorrow night, wanna come?"
  Isobel accepted more out of pity then anything else.

  They were the only guests that showed up.
  "Of course I brushed my teeth, what do you think I am, some sort of monster?!" Laura had been on the phone with her best friend pretty much since they got home from school.

  Laura and Theo snuck out to build an army of snowmen at the park. They were lucky it was their father who went out to find them.

  Laura's birthday!

  Theo's birthday!

  And Brendan reached handiness level 10! Bringing him closer to completing the perfectionist challenge part of this role.

NOTE:
 Yeah, short chapter. I know. In my defense, this past bit has been insane. My mum got married last weekend, so I was out of town for that. I also got some life changing news that's pretty much leaving me sitting here thinking. Just thinking. About everything that needs to be done, and it's a huge list, and I need to start tackling it, but I'm not sure how. And kinda afraid as well.