Chapter 2.41- Black Shadow

          “Wait a second,” Tibi’s voice shook as she suppressed her giggles. “Wait wait wait wait wait. Your Roger is older than mom’s Pilar? Like, as in Roger’s aunt is younger than he is?”

          Ottawa frowned at the little half-sister in front of him. It wasn’t that big of a deal to him, but it was almost as if Tib was making fun of their shared parent.

          “Hey, Mom was just a kid when I came along,” Ottawa’s voice held just a hint of a reproach. “She’s still got plenty of time ahead of her.”

          Tiburcia put on a blank face, surprised that her ‘big brother’ (she barely knew him- the blood bond was a mere formality) could gloss over Melly’s many shortcomings. Soon enough Tibi would be a young adult, legal and on her own. When that happy day occurred she would officially, finally, write her mother off. In her opinion, Ignacio was the one who raised her, (with the help of Abuela and Layla,) and was thus the only one who counted.

          Standing in the corner where he could see everything as well as he wanted, Ignacio watched his little girl attempting to talk to one of the siblings she barely knew. At least she had the opportunity to be around Mariah enough that she could say she knew at least one of them.

          And Mariah would be a lot easier to connect with after this. A child has far more attraction for a teenager than a toddler with a somewhat morbid view of life.

          Morbid… Speaking of morbid…

          Why wouldn’t Raul stand still? Act like nothing was going on? Instead he kept fidgeting, clearing his throat loudly, staring a hole in Ignacio’s head.

          The pair had already managed to attract Nalleli’s attention; they didn’t need any one else staring at them either.

          “I swear to PlumbBob,” Raul’s voice was taut. “I swear that you said you needed to talk to me. Now all you’re doing is staring at everyone else in the room. Iggy I’ve lived with you long enough to see you stare at people before, it’s nothing new. If you don’t start talking soon-”

          “Shut up!” Ignacio hissed throwing a sharp look over his shoulder. “Don’t you see Nalleli? She’ll go away faster if she thinks we’re just standing here.”

          “Oooooooh,” Raul sighed. “Yeah, I didn’t see her there.”

          “You’re missing a lot fidgeting and trying to see how hard you can stare at me,” said Ignacio.

          “Well, then maybe we can just slip away?”

          “No,” Ignacio whispered. “Layla would notice.”

          “Then tell me another time.”

          “No!” Ignacio winced, looking around furtively and sighed. Thankful his exclamation hadn’t attracted attention and that Nalleli had wandered off.

          “No, it needs to be now,” Ignacio continued over his shoulder. Why wouldn’t Raul stand next to him? It was weird talking over his shoulder like that.

          “Why now?”

          Sighing instead of answering, Ignacio just shook his head. He couldn’t give his real reasons to her brother, and it saddened him. But telling his brother that he wouldn’t be assisting with his smuggling any longer was best done in a room full of happy, talking, noisy, watching, people.

          “You’ve gained Mami’s attention,” Ignacio had spent weeks trying to come up with what to tell his brother, how to start it. He could hardly march up to him and quit. And what he wouldn’t give to be able to do just that. “And then Mami went and pulled Layla aside and blabbed to her.”

          Raul moved fractionally closer to hear better.

          “They don’t know anything do they?” asked Raul.

          Tiburcia looked through the milling crowd at her Daddy’s taut face. Something was up, but she was too far away to hear.

          “It’s not like they actually know what we’re doing,” Raul said. “I mean, Mami hasn’t touched any of us in ages.”

          “Tha’s not true,” responded Ignacio. “She touched me while Layla was gone and I don’t know what all she got. It was enough to scare my wife though.”

          “Scare your wife! It’s not like we’re doing something horrible…” Raul’s voice trailed away at the quelling look his brother gave him.

          “Quit lying to me,” Ignacio spat. “Mami could only get confirmation of what I know, everything else is guess work and matching the ends of the different paths we choose. But she is damn good with her guesses and her latest guess is tha’ whatever we used to be doing isn’ what you’re doing anymore.”

          Chest swelling slightly, Ignacio’s eyes were slits when his brother failed to contradict him immediately.

          “I want out.”

          “No, no,” Raul’s voice higher pitched than usual. “No, don’t quit. I’ll tell you- I… I got caught.”

          Stomach sinking to his toes it took everything in Ignacio to keep his mouth closed. This wasn’t what he’d been expecting to hear at all. Then the questions began forming and the implications of those three words finally sunk in.

          “I got caught by the Simgolean army one night.”

          Sighing, Raul continued. “They took me into custody right there, brought out a bunch of guys with rifles, said they were going to kill me but they had to wait for this one guy. So I just knelt there waiting figuring the guy was one of those twisted sicko’s who get their jollies watching others snuff it, but that wasn’t it. They’d been watching me and they were going to offer me a deal. But it’s kind of one of those ‘A deal you can’t refuse’ things, because if I’d refused to go along with it they would have killed me.”

          “They wanted me to start bringing in supplies for their army,” Raul continued. “Food to keep them going, blankets, medicine, really it was the same stuff we were already sending over there only the army was going to pay me a lot more for it.”

          “You should have said no,” Ignacio interrupted. “We weren’t doing it for the army we were doing it-”

          “-For the Lee’s.” Raul interrupted the interruption. The Lee’s were the family Raul had stayed with all those years ago. “They said they had the Lee’s in custody. And if I went along they’d take care of them using my supplies just like always, but they would kill them too if I refused. So the Lee’s are alright. And that’s why I can’t say no.”

          “The Lee’s are one family,” Ignacio said. “One. We were supposed to be helping the people, not their government. This isn’t a mercy mission anymore. And how do you know they haven’t already killed the Lee’s just to simplify matters?”

          “You’re not the only one with a brain brother,” Raul growled at Ignacio, his apologetic manner of only moments before vanishing. “I insisted on seeing them that night, and have on many other occasions. And not just one of them, but their entire family to make sure they are well fed and taken care of. I take care of my people.”

          “You haven’ taken care of me,” said Ignacio. “I’m donating fish to a foreign army for free. How does that take care of me or my family? You drive the nicest car in town! How is that taking care of starving people?”

          “You want a cut? Is that what this is about? I’ll give you a cut.”

          “It’s not about money.”

          “Of course not,” the sarcasm in Raul’s words made Ignacio cringe. “It’s never about money. No. What is it about then Ignacio? Because to me this is about life and death. They’ll kill me. They’ll kill the Lee’s. Is that really what you want on your conscience?”

          “It’s not about my conscience,” Ignacio sneered back. “It’s about yours.”

          As he walked away from his brother Ignacio felt like scum. Raul was right that that his life would be on Ignacio’s head now. But he’d already promised Layla he’d get out, and hearing that he was no longer helping innocents caught in a political battle made her right to want him out. Was the cost worth it in the end though? Or had his Mami not seen the correct sim lying dead?

          Behind him, he could still feel the black shadow his brother was. No matter how much he tried to focus on his baby girl and this joy that should be her birthday, the shadow was there. For him, it would always be there now.

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          With only a half understanding of what was going on, Mariah blew as hard as she possibly could at her candles as Layla watched anxiously. Somehow, this was supposed to trigger something magic according to Mommy. Mariah hoped it would make the cake explode.

          Tiburcia looked down at the cake and remembered her last one, how this tiny little mite had arrived on that day. She’d have another cake of her own soon leaving her small sister behind to keep their parents entertained. Or shocked depending on what new tales Mariah might come up with.

          Required Blackmail Shot to show future boyfriends.

          Oh, that hair is for sure going to have to be changed. The Clipping! The Clipping!!

          When her eyes didn’t automatically uncross as normal Mariah got a little flustered and had a mini- princess- tantrum until she could finally see straight enough to walk to her cake without tripping on the edge of the rug.

          Mariah quietly selected the largest slice of cake. The smile she first grew up with had disappeared, replaced by a prim look. Sweeping her gaze around the room, she smirked. There’s no way that cake would feed this many people. And she laughed to herself knowing she had hers, envisioning those remaining brawling to get a slice. It was good to be the queen.

          When Mariah found out there were adults who purposely skipped the cake, while others asked for only tiny tastes and no one had fought she was most disappointed. How rude of them not to think her cake worth fighting over!

          As her family prepared to leave, Sally stopped before Layla.

          “Come by tomorrow,” Sally said, smiling at her cousin. “Roger will be having his birthday and it’s time we caught up.”

          Despite her efforts to the contrary, a single tear snuck out of Layla’s eye. It had been too long since she caught up, really caught up, with those who matter most.

          “We’ll be there.”

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          So there you go. I’m going to pretend it’s not painfully obvious what’s coming up and I’m sure you all will as well. ;) Nah. We all know what’s coming. I’ve been too distracted too really do good work on the smoke and mirrors I prefer to have going so I beg your forgiveness. But things seem to kind of actually be settling back into routine (after nearly 2 months of it) at last which gives me the time to work out some of the kinks a little better. There are bloopers for this one. A lot of them, lol. But with 28 sims in the house you know there had to be a few funny moments, and with Cyrus in there? How can I resist making fun of Cyrus? It’s just so easy sometimes. So go have a peek.

          And for the record- Tibi has 4 days until she moves out as a YA, just for the math freaks out there. ;)

Chapter 2.12-The Harder I Try

          Cyrus’ house did not have nearly enough places to sit. Though, for once, Layla was able to use tact instead of blurting out that eating here would be difficult. Instead she proposed eating out and just coming back here for conversation afterwards. She even offered to pay. That way, the kids would have toys to play with and stay out of the adults’ hair while they talked later. It also meant there wouldn't need to be any clean up afterward. Wasn’t she clever.

          Corinne, however, had cornered Cyrus begging him to read her a book while Olivia expounded on her new job to George. And though Layla embraced to opportunity to talk more with Phedra, the group was fractured where she would have preferred more harmony. There were more Sixkiller siblings in one room right now than there had been since Layla was Corinne’s age. Shouldn’t the three of them be more in sync?

          Corinne refused to hear no and had approached her Aunt Phedra for storytime instead. So Layla made her way over to Cyrus.

          George had spent most of the day staring between his wife and sister in law. Their temperaments were incredibly different. Their coloring was nothing alike. But to him, it was as if they shared the same face. Only Layla’s jaw was stronger than Fay’s. He found the contrast between the two fascinating.

          “Claudia looks like LilyPad,” Layla meant it as a question. She kept confusing the girls’ names.

          “No,” Cyrus chuckled. “You haven’t figured this out yet Aunt Layla?”

          “No,” she sighed. “And it seems like the harder I try the worse I do. I think I called the oldest one Candice a little while ago. That seemed to offend her, so I’m pretty sure I got that wrong.”

          “Watcher help us if you ever have kids, Laydee,” he said. “That is Corinne. And at her very ripe age you really offended her by calling her by the toddler’s name.”

          “I’m not that bad.”

          “Oh, yes you are,” Cyrus rolled his eyes. “But it’s why we love you. ’Cause no one else could stand to have you around.”

          “Hey!”

          “It’s just the truth!”

          “So the Lady Bug kid is Candice?”

          Cyrus’ laughter rang through the room.

          “Laydee, I’m signing you up for a logic course! This isn’t that hard!”

          “Says you,” she retorted. “You live with them. Back to Lady Bug Girl.”

          “Claudia.”

          “Claudia.”

          “Da!”

          “Yes, you sweetie!” Cyrus turned to smile at the toddler who’d responded to her name.

          “So…” Layla shrugged at him.

          “Corinne is the oldest. Candice is pink.”

          “And lady bug girl is Claudia.”

          “-Yes, that’s Claudia.”

          “-DA!”

          “Aunt Layla is just being silly, sweetheart,” Cyrus turned back to his daughter. “You’re ok.”

          “Thank the Watcher Henry is still swaddled in blue or I’m afraid you’d really be confused!”

          “Look, until a short while ago I had no nieces. I had no nephew. I had Galen- which basically means I had Arden- and I had dad with mom’s occasional presence. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this.”

          “You’ll get it,” he patted her arm in a reassuring manner while looking anything but.

          Layla decided to ask if Cyrus had been able to take up fishing again since he’d been in town while Phedra and Olivia chatted.

          George was again comparing profiles.

          The Sister In Law.

          His wife.

          He’d been prepared for the same nose or mouth or something, but these two looked a lot alike.

12

          Sister In Law.

          Wife.

          And nothing of Cyrus in either of their looks. Strange.

          Wandering back to Layla, Phedra went into explaining some more of the expedition she had George had signed up for. Unfortunately, behind her, Cyrus was closely questioning her husband.

Olivia and Cyrus said they would be happy to take care of little Henry until the return of his parents. However, they couldn’t understand how the two had been able to make such a decision. The tight grip George kept on Henry almost confirmed to them that there were misgivings.

          Trying to talk a little louder and more enthusiastically fooled only Layla. Even Phedra’s face showed she felt the sting in Cyrus’ words.

          “So I’ll get to do a lot of solo flying without a scientist on board,” she plowed on, raising her voice a little more. “I’ll have the potential to actually discover an island that no one has ever set eyes on before!”

          Showing her approval with smiles and pats on the shoulder, Layla could hardly tell anything was amiss.

          “It’s going to be hard enough for me to walk away from him in the morning,” George’s deep timbre tones easily carried the short distance to his wife and sister in law. “I know Fay has got to be feeling it even worse.”

          “So will you get to name any islands you do discover?” Layla asked, not noticing how far away her sister was suddenly.

          “But she’s determined. It’s like she’s pushing for this as some kind of punishment for herself. So we’ll go.”

          “Uh, Fay?”

          Drawing a breath Phedra focused again on her sister.

          “I’m-I—I’m-I’m sorry,” she stuttered. “What-what was that?”

          “I asked if you’ll get to name any islands you discover?”

          “Um, I don’t-I, uh-I- I don’t know,” she said. She tried to smile at Layla but it quickly fell, along with her gaze.

          “It’s a big step. And don’t get me wrong, a baby will be nice around the house again, but we just want to make sure you two are really sure.” Cyrus wasn’t about to let this drop.

          “I’m not cut out to be a mom,” Phedra whispered to Layla. “I have no idea what to do when he cries. And he cries so much, and sometimes I just want to get away from him. I need to get away from him. And that makes me the most horrible mother ever and George has no idea. I can’t wait to go.”

          “Hey!” Layla stooped to find Phedra’s gaze, whispering. “Hey, you’re a great mom I’m sure. Look, Cyrus’ girls already like you better because you are a mom.”

          Tentatively, Phedra’s eyes met hers.

          “And you know what? You’ll be back before you know it. And then Henry will have grown out of the baby stage and will be able to tell you what he wants and needs. Then, when he’s grown up enough, he’ll be able to tell his friends all about how his mom discovered ‘Henry’s Island’ and how you named it after him. He’ll be so proud! Just think of it!”

          “Yeah,” Phedra still struggled to find her smile, but she did try to reassure Layla. “Yeah, he’s not going to know we were ever gone. We’ll be back before you know it and he’ll be so proud one day.”

          “There ya go.”

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George really did keep staring between Layla and Phedra. I finally put a stop to it by keeping someone interacting with him as I was afraid he’d end up with Wimbeldon neck. Then, I almost ran into a problem with George and Olivia. Catch it on the blooper page along with a zombie-rific party thrown by Cyrus.

There is a little more of Phedra’s explanation. She's not really sticking around to see if she can deal with it, but being a mom can be an incredibly foreign feeling for some and maybe Phedra can better come to grips with how things have turned out away from Henry. She’s lost her way and is resentful toward a lot of things and people, most of all toward herself. She has handled falling in love, but she really wasn't ready for a baby. She’s got to let go and accept life as it has happened before she can move on. Layla's answer and opinion left a lot to be desired, but Layla had no idea how to respond to that. And that's going to haunt her for a long time. Really haunt her.

This is kind of a two parter also.  Just FYI. There'll be more of this particular scene in a few days.

Chapter 1.28- 3-6am Friday morning

Chapter 1.28-A Thousand Pieces

            Trembling, Cyrus changed into his pajamas. Tears were coursing down his round cheeks. What a horrible night!

            Finally, putting his head in his hands he did his best not to scream from the misery.

            His legs about to give way out of exhaustion, he climbed on top of his bed giving way to silent tears.

            The notebooks his mother had thrown at him he had carefully laid on the nightstand. She had forgotten them in her anger. But Cyrus hadn’t. He used them to prove to himself what a responsible person he really was. He had carefully lined them up, laying them gently down before allowing himself to give in. Before he’d changed his clothes even.

            Cyrus rocked back on his heels, his quiet sobs still making his thin shoulders heave.

            He never should have attempted such a stunt. Never. But as he had seen it he had no other alternative. Now, he wasn’t sure what he could do, and sunrise was only a few hours away and then his problems were merely compounded.

            Trying to breathe a little more deeply to help himself stop weeping he sat back, curling into a ball.

            Galen slept through it all. Peaceful and unaware of tension in his own room.

            Cyrus was so thankful the officers had bought his story, even more thankful that the principal had. But even if he followed through with the principal’s order to write a letter of remorse, after tomorrow afternoon it would all unravel anyway. And then he would be shipped off to boarding school.

            He would never have let Phedra know if he could have helped it. But she had seemed to be on his side, not wanting to go through with the dissection. It could have been so perfect, his cover intact, his mother never knowing that there was so much more going on. If only he had successfully released the frogs, he’d still have the only person who could comfort him right now. He’d still have his Olivia.

            Olivia would understand. She’d know that he had been doing it for her all along.

            For quite some time now, Cyrus hadn’t been attending his AP biology class. His class was scheduled at the same time as Olivia’s free period. 
            The first time he skipped, it had been a thrill, a rush. Though he had had to work extra hard to make up for the absence he found he could do it.

            The second time was worse than the first time. He had almost been sure that the teacher would have noticed a pattern; knowing that he was at school, just not in his class. But the teacher hadn’t reported it.

            And so Cyrus had skipped to hang out with Olivia a third time, which was quickly followed by a fourth. Then he had gotten extra bold. It was then that Cyrus began to skip consecutive days of class. It was at this point that he began to lag behind in work.

            Then the guilt had struck, and he couldn’t face the teacher anymore knowing that he was officially failing a class. And so he had just never gone back.

            He wasn’t prepared for tomorrow’s science fair. Well, technically today’s now.

Attempting to release the frogs had been a final attempt to hide his guilt from the world. It was his effort to cover it all up one last time. It was a final act.

He could only imagine the look on Phedra’s face when she found out he hadn’t been attending class. The triumph she’d display at home. She’d never let him forget that in the end, truly, it was she who was the better sim.

And the more he sat and thought on it all his guilt melted away, replaced by resentment towards his younger sister and his mother.

            His mother had never paid the same attention to him that she’d paid to Phedra. It had fueled her desire to best Cyrus in everything he had attempted. A desire of hers that drove him nuts. Why couldn’t she just leave him alone? Why couldn’t she be her own sim?

            If he wasn’t constantly trying to thwart Phedra’s attempt on his sanity and place in the world maybe he wouldn’t have felt the need to take a break from class. Spending it with Olivia was simply convenient. It wasn’t the only time he could have taken. He could have just as easily have lied about participating in a club after-school and used that time with Olivia instead.

            Well… no… he couldn’t have. Her mother made her come straight home in an effort to ensure that she didn’t spend time with Cyrus. Lily Pad had banned Olivia from seeing Cyrus quite some time ago.

            Why were parents so stupid? Why did they have such stupid rules?

            Intending to glare at the only instance of his stupid mom and her stupid rules in his room he looked at the notebooks on the nightstand.

            In a neat feather-light script they were all labeled. “Important Documents-Identification, Birth Certificates” on one, “Important Documents-Travel” on another, and “Important Documents-Wedding, Death, Adoption” on the last.

            It was this last one that had him especially curious. Adoption? Had Helen had a sibling who was adopted?

            His curiosity aroused, fueled by the adrenaline still pumping through his veins after the events of the night, he grabbed the third notebook leaving the other two on the desk.

            Flipping it open, eyes alight, it took a moment to get through the wedding and death papers.

            He hadn’t known Helen had a sister. He had known about William and Peter, there were pictures of her brothers around the house. But Bernadette was not pictured and had never even been mentioned. Looking closer at the document, it looked like she had died of an illness a few years ago. Peter was listed on the certificate as a surviving relative along with Helen.

            Still flipping, wondering if it wasn’t this Bernadette who was the adoption mentioned, he finally found the dedicated section.

            At first, he thought he was going to be sick. What he was reading could not be true.

            Not wanting to believe it he grabbed the first notebook, flipping through it with such violence that Galen grunted in his sleep at the increased noise.

            Cyrus continued. He couldn’t stop just for Galen. Finding the paper he was looking for he sat back heavily on the bed, rocking. Goosebumps erupted in waves down his body. His breathing ragged, gasping, shallow.

            He never could have believed it. Never. No.

            How could he never have known? And… wait.

            Grabbing the notebooks once more he tore through them furiously again, lining them up on his bed to cross check and reference. Names. Dates. Times. His cheeks burned. Ears flaming as his nostrils flared. Tears again snaking their way down his pale cheeks.

            Suddenly, he jumped up. Putting his clothes back on, he grabbed his backpack opening it with a *rrrrrip of the zipper. Throwing its contents hastily under the bed he pulled a few sets of clothes at random out of their drawers and threw them into the freshly emptied bag. Only when he stood back up, peering at the notebooks did he stop.

            Staring hard, he threw the bag back down. Diving under his bed he resurfaced with paper and pen. Using the notebooks as a writing surface he scribbled a hasty note before tidying the books back up.

            As he exited his room he quietly deposited his bag by the front door, heading for the girls room across the still and dark living room, clutching the notebooks as a life-line.

            Carefully, quietly, he slipped into the girls room. Tiptoeing to Phedra's bedside, slowly, gently, he slid the books under her pillow, leaving them peeking just enough to draw her attention in the morning.

            Praying that Fay makes her own bed the next morning, not Helen, he crossed back to the door pausing only a moment to look at the picture of Buck on the wall. The only person he’ll truly miss.

            It was just past dawn when Cyrus left the house, locking the door behind him. He checked to make sure no one else was about, then hurried off to find Olivia.

            Once he had reached her home, he’d thrown pebbles at her window until she’d peered out, waved, and disappeared again.

            It was only moments between her disappearance at the window and her reappearance at the door, but the intervening time was agony to Cyrus. He was sure she’d be caught by her mom.

            Once she was out of the door enough, a gentle smile on her face, Cyrus grabbed her, almost knocking her over.

            “Cyrus? Whatever is the matter?” she asked coyly, thinking this was a new game for the lovers to play.

            “Everything,” Cyrus replied, shaking her a little to get her to realize how serious he is. “It’s all wrong. Everything. I’ve been arrested, home, been forbidden to see you and now I don’t even know who I am.”

            Olivia pouted at him. He made no sense to her.

            “Really, Liv,” Cyrus said, urgency in his voice. They were losing time. “I don’t know who I am! Buck’s not my dad, Phedra’s not my sister like I thought she was, nothing is the same!”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I mean that Buck isn’t my dad.”

            Olivia was confused. She thought he knew. Lily Pad had told her ages ago. Then it finally clicks.

            “Oh, Cyrus,” she breathed.

            “Run away with my Liv,” Cyrus’ voice was just as breathy, though more full of emotion. He was nearing tears again, and she could see it. “Now, Liv. Right now. Run away with me. Leave it all behind and let’s be together. Right now.”

            For a moment she was torn. But the hurt look and tears swimming in his eyes did the trick. She nodded.

            “Right now,” She answered.

            The tears started again in earnest as they turn away from her house. Putting her arms around him, she guided him to the street.

            Cyrus can hardly hold himself together anymore, and so leans on Olivia as he resumes weeping. He’s going to break. A thousand pieces of him strewn on the lawn and then no more.

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            A few hours later:

The sun is properly up, and so is Phedra. Bounding out of bed she’s ready for the science fair and a chance to show just how smart she really is. It’s also another chance to show up Cyrus one more time.

            Nothing can stop her this day… nothing at all.

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            Aaaaand… Phedra is next chapter. ;D

I LOVE the final pose of Olivia and Cyrus. So bittersweet. </3