Round Eleven - King 2 - Enjoying the Empty Nest

Note: Sorry that updates are so sporadic. My PC has given up after seven years of loyal service making playing extremely difficult. I hate to abandon a story for the SECOND TIME (eek!) but I'm going to be moving all my Sims stuff to my boyfriend's PC and will probably start over, especially seeing as I've discovered many more resources...

Alima and Duncan's son Gabriel has left for university and they've decided to stop renting and buy their own home. As long as they've got each other there's no time for any of that empty-nest business!

  

Duncan had heard about what was going on between his niece Lilliana and the local lothario Tom Darwin from his step-daughter Athena (Liliana's sister-in-law, confusingly enough) so it was more than awkward when Tom started stopping by. Duncan tried to reason with him, having been a bit of a player in his teens but Tom wasn't hearing any of it.

"Liliana's a grown woman, she can make her own decisions and if she wants to date me that's none of your business."

Duncan cringed. "Just be careful, okay? I don't want you knocking her up, she's got a brilliant future ahead of her." 

Round Ten - King 2 - Keeping Up With the Kids

Alima and Duncan are elders but they're as passionate as ever, and their son Gabriel is readying himself for a life of painting fruit and living on ramen noodles as he prepares for University.

"Oh, hi Jace."

"Hi mom! I didn't wake you, did I?"

"You've never had a bad reason for calling me," said Alima into the reciever. "Or no reason, either. So how's Solveig doing? Did she enjoy the third pregnancy or did she want to punch you into space? And how's my grandson?"

Jace laughed. "She's fine, and so's George."

Round Nine - King 2 - When Everything & Nothing Changes

Alima and Duncan King are approaching elderhood while their son Gabriel is getting into the swing of things as a teen.

"Oooh! That's the spot!" Alima's years were beginning to catch up with her, but Duncan was always there and willing to smooth out the aches and pains in her back.

Round Eight - King 2 - Happy Home

Duncan and Alima King have been through a lot to get where they are today - blissfully married with a son on the cusp of teen-hood, along with Alima's two adult children and four grandchildren. It seems like nothing can get in the way of their happiness!


Alima may have been a grandmother, but it didn't stop her and Duncan from enjoying themselves! After all, they weren't old and grey yet... and they had no intention of stopping when they were, either.

Round Seven - King 2 - A Place Of Our Own

Duncan and Alima King and their son Gabriel have finally moved out of Alima's old home and into a rented duplex next door to newly divorced Adele Darwin and her daughter Maya. Their life is pretty idyllic, but can Alima's cheerful personality break down the wall around Adele?

Round Six - Bhalli - Playing Happy Families

Jace Bhalli and Solveig Tellerman are engaged and settling into life with Jace's mother, step-dad and new baby brother Gabriel. Will things continue to be plain sailing?

Round Five - Bhalli - Adult Life

Jace Bhalli and Solveig Tellerman are freshly graduated from university and have moved into Jace's mother's house. Will they manage to find any space of their own as a soon-to-be-married couple now Alima and Duncan are expecting Jace's new baby brother or sister?


Jace and Solveig were settling in fairly well - he thought the new decoration theme in the house was a bit too minimalist but he supposed he could deal with it - making any changes could come later, when they were a little more financially stable. As long as they had each other, it was all good. Solveig was glad she'd found someone who would give her backrubs whenever she asked and not demand anything in return!


One of the factors that cemented Alima and Duncan's relationships was their love of music, and Alima's burgeoning pregnancy bump hadn't dampened that in the least. They'd made one of the new rooms their own personal rehearsal space and continued to rock out as fervently as ever.


Solveig had to admit to herself that she'd been very worried about the concept of living with her future mother-in-law. She'd met her a few times while she was at university but living together was a whole other matter! What if she didn't think she was good enough for her little boy?... Of course, Solveig hadn't reckoned on having a mother-in-law like outgoing, cheerful Alima, and her ability to corner you then get you into a really awesome conversation. She was still fairly young, after all, and she'd lived a lot on those years!

"I don't want you to ever feel uncomfortable here. This is your house as much as it is mine!"

"Thanks. I just don't want to get in the way, what with the baby and everything..."

"Don't worry about it! You're great fun to have around, not as stuffy as my twins... I'm not sure what happened there. I mean, I love them, but they're a total mystery to me! But you've got a good head on your shoulders. You're ambitious but you're cool."

Being told you were "cool" by your boyfriend's mother was a little surreal.


In seemingly no time at all, Solveig had become an intern at Sim City Hospital. The hours were long and gruelling but it was what she most wanted out of her life - helping others while netting a great paycheck!


Jace had also got a job, in order to prepare for Alima's incoming baby and any future children of his own. He wasn't as ambitious as his fiancée but work as a police officer was just right for him.


Alima gave birth to a healthy and handsome little baby boy, Gabriel King. He was a perfect mix of both his parents, as far as they were concerned!


Alima couldn't find a way to fully express her joy at having a new baby, especially with a guy she truly loved who would always stand by her. She could stare at little Gabriel for hours, just like she had with her twins, amazed at how she'd made such a cute little thing.


Alima and Solveig had indeed become very close friends, always joking and gossiping - about men, as often as not. Rumours about Harvey Darwin had been spreading around the community and they weren't about to pass up any opportunity to talk about that!


Jace had always wanted children of his own, and helping look after his baby brother fully cemented that desire. He willingly got up for midnight feedings, which was more than could be said for Alima. But everyone knew that after years of being a devoted single parent she deserved some rest.


Gabriel soon became a toddler and Alima began thinking about whether she and her "new" family should move out... but there was plenty of time.

Round Four - University - A Beautiful Life

Tom Darwin, Jace and Petal Bhalli, Nathaniel King and Solveig Tellerman are in their final two years of university. Will the relationships between them blossom, and will Tom stop painting and womanising long enough to graduate?


There was a certain routine in their dorm now. The others would study while Tom wooed unsuspecting freshmen and sophomores.

"I can't believe him!" Solveig complained to Nathaniel. "How does he expect to get anywhere in life if all he cares about is getting his leg over?" Nathaniel said nothing, instead contemplating how he was going to move things further with Petal Bhalli.


Tom had indeed fallen off the rails. Instead of going to classes he'd head over to the Student Union or the coffee bar, and as soon as he was done introducing himself to one girl another would make her presence known. He was getting a reputation on campus as a heartbreaker and a layabout but his over-inflated view of himself left him believing he was a casanova and natural genius at art who would get over this whole "academic probation" thing with ease.


Nathaniel didn't need to worry about winning over Petal Bhalli for very long; she made the first move.


And the next move, too! Petal was very forward, a real go-getter, and Nathaniel could see himself marrying her... except for the weirdness that was the fact she was now his step-cousin.


Jace and Solveig were moving forward too, with considerably less weirdness. Jace had known for a while that Solveig was the one for him, and when he proposed she accepted without a moment's pause.


Nathaniel wasn't the only one who'd noticed the messiness on the family tree - Petal was kind of freaked out by it too.

"It's not like you're blood-related," pointed out her future sister-in-law. "There's no laws against it! Plus you already know your mother and your step-dad like him. If you love him, go for it. I want to see you as happy as me and Jace!"


Tom ended up failing out entirely and the school wouldn't keep him on academic probation forever - he had to leave.

"See, if you'd just worked harder - " began Solveig. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going to make it big without a stupid degree, you'll see!"


Jace had told his mother about his engagement straight away, and soon Alima came to visit. She was heavily pregnant now, which weirded Jace out a bit, but he was glad to see that she got on well with Solveig.


Plus it was nice to be able to begin bonding with a new baby brother or sister!


Even though they'd met before and got on pretty well, Nathaniel was nervous about talking to Alima now he was dating her daughter - especially considering the fact that the big baby bump contained his future cousin. But Alima's friendly manner put him at ease and all the oddness finally dissipated.


So much so, in fact, that Nathaniel worked up the courage to propose. He'd liked Petal since they were teenagers, and now they were in love - a perfect story.


Petal accepted with a squeal of glee and a huge hug.


College days can't last forever, and soon the final exams had come and gone and it was time to leave.

"Congratulations on making Summa Cum Laude! A perfect 4.0 GPA!"

Solveig smiled. "You didn't do so bad yourself. Magma Cum Laude! Way to beat all the boys!"

"Yeah, we pretty much rule."


The term ended with sadness as well has happiness. The twins were going to be split up for the first time in their lives; Petal was moving in with Nathaniel and his family, and Jace was going home to Alima and Duncan and bringing Solveig with him.

"Promise you'll call! And come and visit!"

"Only if you promise you'll visit us!"


Note: All Tom wanted to do was mess around with girls and occasionally paint masterpieces - he didn't even roll up wants to influence people to do his work for him! I'm surprised he didn't get kicked out before Allyn, she was actually mildly more hardworking, but hey. As for our two new couples - my family tree's getting all twisted up already, lol.

Round Four - Bhalli - Valentine

Alima Bhalli is suffering from empty-nest syndrome now that her twin children have gone to university, and has invited her fiancé Duncan King to live with her. Things are getting pretty serious for these life-long hedonists...


Alima and Duncan didn't show-boat for their wedding, opting instead to go for the courthouse option. As far as they thought they didn't need a fancy ceremony to prove they loved each other. "Plus, I've got no right to a big white meringue of a dress even if I wanted one!" Alima had said with laughter as they made their plans.


Alima may have initially had her doubts but she knew she'd made the right decision. She and Duncan were made for each other.


With the house to themselves they had a lot of opportunity for newly-wed amorous activities, and they took advantage of that whenever they could!


Money was a little tight, though, so Alima made the decision to sell the car Jace and Petal had built together. It was a heart-wrenching goodbye, to be sure, but they got a surprisingly good deal.


It didn't take long before Alima fell pregnant. It was a little daunting seeing as her other children were already at college, but she was still excited by the idea. She called Petal and Jace to give them the good news and they were initially and understandably shocked and surprised, but the idea of having a new baby brother or sister was intriguing, especially to family-orientated Jace.


Alima was on maternity leave but the bills needed paying so Duncan was working hard. Sometimes that meant Alima had to head to bed on her own as dancing was sometimes a late-night job, but she was too exhausted to do anything but pass out anyway.


Duncan's steadily growing paychecks meant they could afford to extend and renovate the house ready for the new arrival. It was a stylish and minimalist affair and Duncan couldn't wait to put the new nursery to good use!


Notes: Yay, a wedding for Valentine's Day! ...and a pregnancy. Duncan's rolled a have-a-baby want though so it's all good.

Round Three - Bhalli - Leaving Home

Jace and Petal Bhalli are getting ready to go to University, leaving their mother Alima as the sole resident of the house.


"Hi, kids!" said Alima as she got home from work, a smile plastered on her face.

"Hi..." said Jace distractedly while Petal shot her mother a dirty look.

"I love you and everything, but we are TRYING to CONCENTRATE. I need perfect grades before I leave!"

Alima sighed. She would never understand her children's fixation with academia, especially knowledge-seeking Petal.


Soon the dreaded day came when the twins moved out and went to university. Jace was busy packing all their suitcases into the taxi while Alima said goodbye to her daughter.

"Be a good girl! Stay away from frat boys and don't go to too many parties!"

"Honestly, who do you think I am? It'd take a miracle to get me to go to ONE party... Mom! Stop crying!"

"I can't help it! My little babies are all grown-up..."


The house was lonely without the twins and that meant Alima called her fiancé Duncan over even more than usual. She still had a few doubts but now she was all alone they were much harder to pay any attention to - she was finally completely sure she loved him.


Still, he couldn't be there all the time... and Alima was growing increasingly tired of waking up alone.


"I know this is kind of a shock, but... will you move in with me?"

"Of course I will! Jeez, Ali, why would I propose to you if I didn't want to live with you?!"


And so it was that Duncan King finally moved out of his big brother's house and joined the love of his life.

Round Two - King - Family Men

Duncan's courtship of Alima Bhalli appears to be going somewhere despite some trouble on the way. His sister-in-law is expecting her second child and his temperamental brother seems to be getting used to the idea that Duncan's still around - perhaps a little too late.

"Pregnancy suits you," said Adrian cheerfully. "You've got a glow about you."

"Thank you!" Noriko smiled. "I could do with some ice-cream, though... I don't suppose you could go to the store and get me some?"

Adrian sighed. He needed to finish a project for work, but he supposed he couldn't exactly deny his wife her pregnancy cravings. It takes two to make a baby, after all.


His brother Duncan's romantic escapades were going a little better. Alima had really come round to the idea now her kids had expressed their approval, and they celebrated by heading off to Sim City and hitting the clubs downtown.


After a soak in the hot-tub (what kind of a club has a hot-tub, anyway?) Duncan mustered up the courage to do something he'd wanted to do for a long time. He grabbed his jeans, rooted around in the pockets, and produced a diamond engagement ring.

"Alima Bhalli, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

For a moment he thought she was going to refuse. She had a troubled look on her face, as if the decision wasn't as easy and heart-felt as it should have been. But the expression passed in a brief second and she accepted with a smile on her face.

"Of course! But I've got one question - where the hell did you pull that out from?!"

"My jeans! Wow, you've got a dirty mind."


She hugged him tightly. "I love you, Duncan. I know I've not been as warm as I could have been, but - "

"It doesn't matter now. All in the past. What matters is you're showing how you feel now."


Noriko was nearing the end of her pregnancy but her appetite hadn't diminished one bit. Even when she wasn't "eating for two" she LOVED food - it was her second great passion in life after raising children. It was a wonder she kept her slim figure, but she was apparently blessed with a fast metabolism.


True to form, Noriko gave birth just as she was preparing lunch (still in her pyjamas). Adrian was at work and Nathaniel was at school, so it was up to Duncan to rush her to the hospital.


Noriko gave birth to a healthy baby girl she and Adrian named Miranda. Miranda took after her parents equally in looks so far and was an easy and pleasant child to look after.


Nathaniel was excited to have a baby sister and helped out whenever he could. It was a shame he'd be heading off to college soon and missing out on Miranda's early years.


Duncan made time to help out too. Looking at his newborn niece made him realise how much he wanted kids of his own, but considering how skittish Alima had been about the proposal he was worried it wouldn't be any time soon...