A Legacy by Nicbemused and Simself Nicki Bemused, with possible commentary by other characters.

Fortune’s Fancy-Chapter 1 part 5

Brenda and Bryan are not impressed with their outfits.

With Bryan and Brenda gone, Bastien wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself. He spent some time hanging out at the diner, but it wasn’t as fun without his siblings.

All their friends still came over, even if he could only serve them spaghetti, and not Brenda’s fancy meals, and that helped some with Bastien’sloneliness.

The end of the summer party couldn’t come soon enough for Bastien. Everyone was there, including Chloe, to mourn or celebrate the last weekend of summer.

Toward the end of the party, Bastien noticed that Chloe had wandered off alone and was sitting by herself and staring at the water. He couldn’t resist going over to talk with her.

“Hey.”

“You don’t have to feel sorry for me, you know. I’m not chained to your brother’s memory or anything. I’m over him.”

“I don’t, I mean, I just thought maybe you wanted to talk?” Bastien wasn’t sure how to react to her defensiveness.

“No, you felt sorry for me. Well don’t. I’m over him.”

“OK.” He still wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to talk about his brother with her.

“I’ll prove it.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the photobooth.

Bastien wasn’t sure what had happened, and Chloe had had to leave immediately, so he couldn’t ask her, but he thought it was good?

Bastien hung out at the beach for a while longer with a couple of other teens who’d stuck around and, in the end, he was late enough that he had to sneak back into the house.

He knew that Brenda was probably still up, though, so he called her to tell her about the party and ask her what she thought happened.

“And then she pulled me over to the photobooth and we, um, you know. But she had to go, after.”

“Bastien, you didn’t.” Her brother was an idiot.

“But she wanted to. That’s good, right?”

“Oh, Bastien, it was a party where everyone was feeling sorry for her. Who better to get with to prove she was over it? If you want her for real, you should have said no.”

“You’re wrong. She wanted me, not to prove something to everyone else. I’m sure she was just embarrassed.”

“OK, but just in case…” Brenda went on to lay out the strategy Bastien could use to win Chloe over, despite their stumbles.

Bastien was disappointed when Chloe didn’t get off the bus at the corner the next day after school. Maybe she’d missed it? But then she didn’t the next day, or the next. So he called her, but she never picked up or returned his calls.

Finally, late in the fall, he saw her walking by the house after school. He hurried out to greet her, but she avoided him and kept walking. He had to conclude that Brenda had been right.

Bastien persisted and eventually Chloe stopped.

“Don’t you get it? I don’t want to talk to you? We can’t be friends!”

“Chloe, we were friends before everything happened. I miss talking to you. I promise, I’m not asking for anything.”

“Bastien, I can’t.” Chloe kept walking, but she looked back over her shoulder as she went.

Bastien took that brief glimpse back as a good sign and he kept going out to greet her every day after school. Some days she seemed sad and didn’t want to talk, but sometimes she was willing to stop for a few minutes of conversation before she continued her walk home and, as the year progressed, there were fewer sad days.

Eventually, Bastien noticed that they were finally back to having long, casual conversations, talking about books, and movies, and laughing back and forth with eachother.

He took a chance and invited her in.

“I don’t know. I just. I don’t think I’m ready yet.” She was very serious.

“Well, will you think about it? It’s kinda cold standing out here in the winter, and you don’t even have a coat.”

The next day, though, she seemed to be in an even better mood, and more relaxed than before. She told him about her day and laughed at his jokes. And this time when he asked her in, she agreed .

“Just for a few minutes. I don’t want my parents to worry.”

In the late winter, Chloe surprised Bastien. When he greeted her, she hugged him spontaneously and told him he was her best friend. Bastienwasn’t sure what to do. It felt so good to hold her, but he didn’t want to mess things up again, so he hugged her gently back, told her she was his best friend too, and let her go.

Bastien didn’t want to go too fast, but he still wanted to be with her, so he asked her on outings, but tried to keep it casual.

They spent some time hanging out down at the part with their friends and Bastientook it as a good sign that she started to get shy when their friends left and it was just the two of them there in the dark.

Sometimes they met at the diner and hung out and played video games and danced.

Sometimes they goofed around in the photobooth. He was encouraged when she sat on his lap and kissed him on the cheek while they were messing around, but he remembered what Brenda had said and didn’t push.

And finally, one night, they were hanging out in the backyard, avoiding his extremely embarrassing and romantic parents and listening to the music that was flowing out of the kitchen windows, when she asked him to dance. Instead of their usually fast boogie, Chloe pulled him in close and then rested her head on Bastien’s chest.“Um, Chloe?” This was it, time to take a chance.“Hummm?” She sounded sleepy, content, as they swayed to the slow strains of the music.“I don’t want to mess up our friendship. But I think you should know that I really like you. Umm, romantically.”Chloe pulled her head back to look at him. “Oh. Lady. Bastien. I like you too. What are we going to do?”“We could date maybe?”“You don’t mind that Bryan and I. I mean. I um. I thought you might mind?”“Could we maybe not talk about my brother?”

They’d practically been dating before, but now it was for real. When they went to the diner it was understood that they were there together, and the park was the same. Chloe was always at the house now. And, just before the spring formal, Bastien took Chloe out on a real, formal, date. He’d been saving up and they went downtown to dinner at a fancy restaurant, gone to the movies, hit one of the under 21 clubs, and come back to Enhearten for dessert. The old fashioned ice cream parlor was above the old town square and Bastien couldn’t think of a more romantic way to end a date than slow dancing there, above the city lights.

His parents were gone when they got back and he invited Chloe up to his room. They fooled around some, but Bastien could tell she wasn’t ready, so eventually they stopped and just cuddled for a while. It was painful for him, but he couldn’t stand the thought of her running from him again. It was nearing the end of the year and he felt like he was running out of time.

Bastien wished they could have spent spring break together, but unfortunately the public and private schools had different breaks. However, when Chloe asked, shyly, if he wanted to spend the day at her school with her, he jumped at the chance. Any time spent with her was good time, even if it was in school.

Bastien hadn’t counted on the amount of gossip they’d generate. It wasn’t like they’d been keeping their relationship a secret or anything, so they should have been old news. But he found that they weren’t. In fact, he heard one guy asking Emily if she thought that Chloe compared him and Bryan in bed.

Bastien discovered that the gossip really bothered him, almost as much as the idea that Chloe might really compare him with Bryan when they did go to bed. After all, Bryan had way more experience than he did. Chloe told him not to listen to them.

“Bastien, don’t let them bother you. He’s always saying stuff about people. Lady, they say that girls are bad gossips.” She took his hand and squeezed it.

“But.” He stopped. He didn’t want to actually say that he was kind of embarrassed that they hadn’t woohoo’d again or that he was worried about how he might measure up.

“No. I mean. We haven’t again, but I want to, and I’m not going to compare. I love you.”

“But.” He stopped again.

She looked him in the eye. “What we do or don’t do has nothing to do with Bryan. You are a sweetheart and he’s a total dick. OK?”

“OK.” He wasn’t sure he wanted her to think of him as a sweetheart, but that was better than a total dick.

When they finally did get together after the Prom, Bastien was careful to take as much time with her as he could. He’d read a lot of books over the winter. Honestly he felt kind of weird that Brenda was sending him books like that, but when he mentioned that she told him “Nonsense. Woohoo is part of the natural process and nothing to be ashamed of. You’ll thank me later.” And, when Chloe collapsed back into his bed, seemingly unable to move and told him that she’d never felt anything like that before, he did send a mental thanks out to his sister for the books. He’d never felt anything like this before either. He was pretty sure it was For Real Love.

The near graduates spent most of the end of the year on the beach, doing their best to stretch out the last carefree days of high school before they would go their separate ways to college or the work force. There wasn’t any sitting on the sand staring moodily into the waves for Chloe this year. She and Bastien talked and danced on the sand.

They goofed around and played together in the sun.

And when night fell and the other teens left, they played together in the photobooth. They were both careful not to talk too much about the future, but they were each worrying privately about it. And wondering about the future of their relationship.

Chloe and Bastien weren’t the only ones worried about their relationship. Leif had, with some trepidation, been watching them grow closer over the last year. He wasn’t sure what to make of Chloe moving from his older son to his younger, or Bastien moving in on his brother’s ex. Alex had told them to quit worrying and let them work it out, but he couldn’t. Finally he had asked the girl what she was doing.

“Mr. Destin. Like. I know it seems weird, but I really do love Bastien.” She stopped and blushed. “Um. That thing with Bryan, I don’t know what it was, but I know that it’s really real with Bastien. Like. He’s really real and Bryan. I mean, I know you love all your kids, but Bryan isn’t really real.”

Leif listened to her carefully. She seemed sincere and sincerely in love. “All right, Chloe, I am hopeful that your relationship might be successful, but it would sadden me greatly were Bastien to be hurt.”

“Yes, sir.” Chloe had the grace to finish the game before she ran away.

While Bastien was hard at work creating his relationship, Alex and Leif were intent on rebuilding and maintaining theirs.

Bastien’s friends told him they thought it was sweet that the old people still kissed and stuff, but Bastien was mostly embarrassed and tried to avoid their more overt displays of affection.

In fact, Alex and Leif’s relationship was stronger than it had ever been.

They made sure to take time to be physically affectionate.

And they always made sure to meet for lunch at least twice a week and to keep their communication open and honest.

One day when they met for lunch, Alex told Leif she had something to tell him.

“So, you know how we figured that all the kids would be out of the house soon and we’d be empty-nesters?”

“Yes, I am most anxious to have woohoo upon the sofa again without also having concern about the possible presence of the children.”

“Well, I think we were a bit hasty in our anticipation. It seems we are going to have another baby.”

Leif was thrilled. A bit concerned about their advancing age, but thrilled just the same.

And so, as the winter snow came and went and Bastien and Chloe’s relationship developed, Alex’s baby bump grew larger and larger. By her calculations, she would be due right around the time Bastien was ready to graduate and move to college. As one child left, another would arrive. She didn’t tell Leif, but she was a bit worried about the coming year as well.

Chloe was as worried about the future as Alex was, though for different reasons. She’s assured Mr. Destin that she was serious about Bastien and that their relationship was real, but she’d felt pretty sure about Bryan as well and that had turned out to be nothing. She’d never tell Bastien, but she did compare the two sometimes, she couldn’t help it. Bastiendid come out better in almost every way, but they were brothers and she worried about their similarities even as she reveled in Bastien’s difference from his brother.

As his graduation drew closer, Bastien had pestered Brenda so much with his dithering that she told him that he should go and look inside himself for the answer and then refused to take his calls any more. He finally decided to follow her example and go hiking.

The woods were gorgeous in the spring time and the air was fresh and clean, but he still had difficulty getting his head straight. Finally he sat down on a log by a stream and just stared at the water.

After several hours, and with night approaching swiftly, Bastienfinally figured out what he needed to do. He was a bit anxious, he wasn’t used to asking for things and he wasn’t sure his information was good, but he knew he had to try.

The next-time SimNicki was visiting, he cornered her.

“Ms. Bemused, I have to say that you are looking lovely this evening. You rival even the Greek statues in the Museum of Faux Arts. “ Honestly, he went on for a while with the most incredible Eddie Haskel act. It was kind of horrifying and fascinating at the same time. It was tempting to let him go on, but I have more respect than that.

“Really, Bastien? Really? I’m not a violin, you can’t play me.” Enough was enough.

“Um, I don’t know what you are talking about. Um. I just really admire you.” Bastien was a bit awkward when caught out.

“Spit it out. You aren’t going to butter me up by insulting my intelligence.”

After a bit more hemming and hawing, he spit it out. “Iheardyousometimesgivescholarships. PleasegiveChloeone.”

“Why?” OK, so I was a bit cruel, I already knew what my plans were.

“I love her a lot and you’re a good person and we’ll be totally grateful forever!”

“Have you even asked her if she wants to go to college?”

“I’m sure she does! But she gets upset when I talk about it, so I’m afraid to ask her.”

“You know you’re in a Legacy contract, right? Is she willing to abide by the terms of the contract if you are chosen as heir?”

He looked at me defiantly. “I don’t care. I’d rather have her than the heirship.”

He hadn’t really surprised me, but I was glad he was that invested and saw himself that clearly. “I’ll talk with her.”

So I had Emily invite Chloe over and turn the discussion toward the future and what Chloe wants to do. Did she want to stay in downtown, or did she want to do something else with her life. I stayed in the background and listened as unobtrusively as I could. When Chloe shyly put forth that she’d like to have a chance to attend Simstate, she’d given me the answer I needed.

I eventually invited her back to my office and asked her what she wanted for her future. She fidgeted a lot and seemed uncomfortable on the sofa and I could tell that she wasn’t sure why I was asking. At first she spent some time telling me about how they were all grateful for the new development in the area and the chance for new jobs and expanded life choices but I kept turning the conversation back to what she wanted in life.

“Why are you asking me?!” Chloe seemed upset, but I knew she’d get over it.

“I want to know. I have a bit of a proposition for you.”

“What kind of proposition? What do you want from me?”

“How would you like to see more of the world than just Enhearten and Downtown?”

“What do you mean? I’m stuck here, I can’t even afford University.”

“Chloe, Enhearten will need good, educated people as it expands and I’ve been keeping an eye on students at the public schools to see who might be able to contribute to the community if they are given a chance. You are one of those students.“

“What do you mean?”

“You remember the scholarship that Chris got last year? Would you like one for this year?”

“Oh! My! Lady! Are you offering to pay for me to go to Uni!?”

“Yep, on the condition that you contribute to the community once you graduate. Do you accept?”

“YES! YES I ACCEPT! This is like magic!”

While their parents and siblings were experiencing life changes at home, Brenda and Bryan were settling into dorm life at school. After a mix-up during registration, they were eventually assigned to the Renaissance Dorm, one of the best dorms on campus. The head of campus housing had said, “Of course, we can’t have our young legacy heirs in just any dorm.” Brenda had laughed that off while Bryan had been flattered by the attention. He hadn’t realized that being part of a Contract family was that special.

Unfortunately it had taken some time to get settled and during the process their luggage had gone missing. While campus security was trying to track it down, they were forced to wear some old clothes that had been left behind the year before and cleaned by the dorm staff. The could see why the clothes had been left, what they didn’t understand was why the students had bought them in the first place.

Eventually their suitcases were found and they were both able to change into their own clothes before they settled down to wait for their new housing assignment to come through. Brenda had even decided it was time for a change of hairstyle. The dreads had been good for helping her get in touch with her more earthy side, but she felt confident she could keep in touch with it on her own now. They each agreed that the change of clothes suited their twin much better.

Chris was settling into his dorm as well, and he called Brenda up as soon as he had gotten everything moved in. She was thrilled to hear from him and agreed that they should explore the campus together.

As soon as they hung up, Brenda left to go meet him, they would have more than enough time to do a quick tour before dark. Who cared that it was raining? It was just another aspect of nature after all.

Once it was dark, Brenda returned to what would become a very familiar sight: The cheerleader and the Cow Mascot having a knock-down drag-out in the upstairs common room. Lady only knew what it was about this time, but Brenda suspected it had something to do with the Cow insulting the Cheerleader’s appearance in her swimsuit. At least, that’s what she got out of the Cheerleader’s yelling, “We’ll JUST SEE WHO’S OUT OF SHAPE HERE!”

When the dorms got too loud, Brenda retreated to the Skill Up lounge. It was quieter, though not quite peaceful enough to allow her to practice her meditation. She did find that she loved working out on the ballet bar, it was, in some ways, almost like doing yoga.

And so college life soon fell into a routine. Brenda would go to class, grab some lunch, work out, and then meet up with Chris for coffee and conversation. Or Whatever. Maybe they weren’t going out, but they still had needs after all.

One day late in the semester, Brenda and Chris had just finished up their coffee when Chris told her he had someone he wanted her to meet. She looked over her shoulder and standing behind her was a girl who had classes with Bryan.

“I want you to meet my girlfriend.”

Brenda wasn’t sure what she should do, so she shook the other girl’s hand. “Well, um. Nice to meet you. I guess I should let you guys go on to dinner then.” She waved awkwardly at Chris and left quickly.

“It’s not like I need Chris for benefits.” Brenda thought. “There are plenty of boys willing to give me that. I can just be friends with Chris from now on. It won’t be any different.” But it seemed like the calls to Chris never happened. He always seemed to be busy with his new girlfriend and the boys were there, available, easy. Nobody cared, nobody got hurt, nobody had to think all that hard or work all that hard.

There wasn’t even any jealousy if she chose to flit.

From one to the next. To the next. To the next. They didn’t mean anything to eachother.

It was all a game. A casual bonk from time to time. Who really cared. College was supposed to be fun, right?

There was this one boy, though. There was something…. Brenda didn’t know. He paid her attention other than in a photobooth or hot tub. He seemed to want to get to know her. But what if he did? Did she want a friend to go with her benefits. Another one? Who might end up with some other girl who took all his time?

But he was charming. And he seemed nice. And she was always glad to see him around the dorm. Not that she minded watching him walk away either. Brenda just didn’t know.

Unfortunately, Brenda had been so distracted by her social life that she’d let her grades slip and one day, when she was returning to the dorms after working out, she ran into her advisor. “Brenda Destin? I need to speak with you! Did you know that you’re nearly flunking out of your classes? You need to get a move on if you intend to return to here again next year, young lady!”

Brenda was devastated. She knew she’d gotten a little distracted and she’d asked for an extension or two on a couple of papers, but she hadn’t realized that she was so far behind that she was in danger of flunking out! There was no way she could face her parents or brother after something like that! Especially since it seemed like Bryan was doing just fine. She vowed to do better. She’d go in and work on those papers right now.

And she did. For the next several weeks, she only left the computer to eat, sleep, and shower. No matter how tempting the boys were, how alluringly they tried to distract her, Brenda stayed focused. She finished paper after paper and assignment after assignment and eventually she was not only caught up, she was ahead of her school work.

The next time she ran into her advisor, the conversation was very different. “Ah. Ms. Destin. I want to congratulate you. I was sure you were going to end up on academic probation, but your professors tell me that you are now getting As in all your classes. Good work!” She went away from this meeting smiling.

Brenda had been right. Bryan was doing just fine. The first thing he’d done once they got settled in the new dorm was to get his term papers and assignments out of the way. That way he’d have time to play without worrying about anything.

And play he did.

A lot.

Unfortunately, he forgot to worry about the one thing he had left to worry about. And so he got caught playing.

“I can’t believe you! I’m never hot-tubbing with you again!”

Bryan shrugged, what did he care, no need to get stressed.

But on the way to Bastien’s graduation, Bryan’s outlook changed. Death appeared on his doorstep. Nobody else seemed to really see the problem. In fact, one of his sister’s “friends” even snickered. “Eh, what’d she expect. She was in your room all night long, didn’t sleep, and then she had to run off to class without eating for like the third day in a row. Hoo addict.” But she was young, a dormie! Bryan vowed then and there that Death was never going to come for him!

Brenda tugged on his sleeve. “Come on, Bryan, it’s sad, but we hardly knew her and we’re going to be late to Bastien’s party.” But Bryan couldn’t leave it there. He brooded on Death the whole way back to their parents’.

Bastien, on the other hand, had more pressing worries than Death in the far future. He was worried about his brother and his girlfriend being in the same room together. He couldn’t decide if it would be worse if they fought or worse if they got along and so he worried, worried, worried.

After a lengthy drive, Brenda and Bryan finally arrived. “Wow, mom, you’re really really pregnant!”

Alex laughed, “Yeah, I’ll be lucky if I make it through the party without going into labor.

Her impending due date didn’t stop Alex and Leif from getting down at Bastien’sparty. They weren’t sure what was wrong with Bryan, he kept staring off into space, but Brenda made sure to congratulate Bastien for both of them. “We can’t wait for you to be with us in the dorm! You should see the place!”

Chloe arrived about half way through the party. Bastien was happy to see her, but also wanted Bryan to understand that they were together now. Brenda just wanted things to be relatively peaceful. “Remember, you promised to apologize.”

“Ugh. Do I have to? I can’t imagine what I every saw in her.”

“You promised. We all have to live together next year and I’d rather it wasn’t a slap fest. Violence disturbs my chi.”

“Listen, Chloe. I’m glad you’re over what happened and all. We probably could have handled things better, but we’ve both moved on, so it was for the best.”

Chloe appeared to be speechless.

Worst. Apology. Ever.

Since Bryan appeared to be done, Bastien retrieved his girlfriend, he didn’t want her to get too comfortable around Bryan again. Brenda looked on with approval. She hadn’t been sure that Bryan would even do that much, but things seemed like they would work out.

And shortly thereafter, Alex went into labor with her final baby. At least the party was almost over?

Everyone was thrilled with the arrival of baby Blake, though his timing might have been better.

His parents were especially happy. One last child, born in the maturity and sureness of their love. Even though he was so much younger than his siblings, they intended to savor his growing up period.

Alex insisted that everyone stay around for a few more hours and get some more dancing in. She didn’t want the party to be over just because little Blake had arrived. Unfortunately, this had given Chloe time to thing about Bryan’s Nonpology. “I can’t believe that load of crap. You could have really taken responsibility, but no, you didn’t. I can’t believe the size of your ego!”

“Well, whatever I did, at least I didn’t go on to screw your sister!”

“Framm you! Don’t you dare get self righteous with me! I know about Emily and your brother is twice the man you are!”

Bryan just laughed at her. He knew that he brother was weak and dependent, taking his leftovers.

Honestly, enough was enough. The family was pretending nothing had happened, but Bryan kept trying to go after Chloe. I had to step in. “Bryan, stop it.”

“Who, me? How is this my fault? She started yelling at me.”

“And enough is enough. She’s stopped, you need to stop too.”

“All right, fine.

Thankfully, he shut up and let Chloe get herself back together in peace.

All too soon for Alex and Leif it was time for the end of the party and time for Brenda and Bryan to head back to the University. Bastien would be going with them and Chloe would be joining them the next day, after she’d had a chance to say goodbye to her family and get her things together. Bastiencouldn’t way to get there and he couldn’t wait for Chloe to join him.

And so ends chapter 1 part 5!

With everything going just as it should, how could anything go wrong now?

Will they ever stop dancing outside the icecreamparlor for pretty pictiures? (nope)

Will the yummy bartender join the legacy some day? (probably)