Terry Heaven – An OWBC

Chapter 2

By Mzyra

The Cute Will Go On

We start with a few disclaimers!:

a) I got a new laptop and recreated the neighbourhood. I tried recreating the skill points and everything, but… Well you probably wouldn’t notice, to be honest.

b) I’m putting simselves I have (and any people give me) into the ‘hood as townies. They are barely representative of their real counterparts and I apologise in advance for any weird things they do – I don’t control them, and I had the original ACR (no friend zone!) at the time of the first few chapters. Things happened.

c) My narrative style may change around a bit. I do enough plot stuff for my legacy, so this will probably be a bit more observational and comedic. I hope.

And now on with the show…!

Founding life wasn’t quite what Terry Ryman foresaw.

*Sigh* “This wasn’t what I was expecting of my adult life at all… I’m living in a field without even a closed off bathroom, and all I can do until Jan gets here is sew things…”

But then this was Terry Ryman…

“But it’s a beautiful day and sewing is so calming and I’m engaged to the most beautiful, wonderful woman and we’re going to have lots of kids who we’re going to love and cherish and it’ll be so wonderful…!”

And, once his life wasn’t endangered by homicidal relatives (of which he has a surprising number), it wouldn’t take much to make him happy. So he was merely waiting for the day when Jan would graduate and join him.

I’m using empty neighbourhood templates to prevent what messed up my game on my last laptop, meaning that the only sims in the whole neighbourhood are the compulsory handful such as the papergirl, and those I add – (mostly) simselves.

And in the meantime there was plenty of people-watching to do! Well, plenty in terms of the amount of time, not the amount of people. Heaven turned out to be a very under-populated place, which meant that every single passer-by mattered.

Such as the papergirl with the unusual brown eyes.

And the Garden Club lady with the fancy hairstyle.

Of course, Terry was mostly fussed with his own (future) family, but he knew Jan wanted a career, so he made the effort to meet people and form the beginnings of friendships for later.

Not to mention that hunching over a sewing machine for hours on end wasn’t working wonders for his back, so a break was nice.

Another visitor was the elderly gypsy matchmaker, but she didn’t stay for long after getting a look at the non-existence of Terry’s house, probably realising that the chance of him coughing up $5000, regardless of his relationship status, was highly unlikely.

It quickly became evident that there were very few men in the neighbourhood, which therefore apparently meant that simply greeting a female walk-by was an invitation in itself. And what was Terry supposed to do about it? What if the woman felt bad and was embarrassed if he rejected her? So he had to play along. It wasn’t like it was anything serious, and it was just the one woman, right?

Especially since the Garden Club woman seemed to despair at his choice of lawn ornaments.

Though Terry hadn’t thought about what Jan would think of them either yet. They had just seemed… necessary.

The gnome wasn’t very popular either.

“Oh, it’s an OWBC thing, is it? Huh. I think I might investigate…”

“Hi, I’m Terry, I just moved here. Ah, my ‘house’… was all I could really afford…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that – I’ve seen plenty worse. I’m De – one of Jess’ friends.”

“…Jess?”

“Oh, you know, Mzyra.”

“Ohhhh, right. Erm, are there many of her friends around here?”

“A fair few. I expect some of them will stop by sooner or later.”

“Oh. Okay…” Terry wasn’t sure if that was good or bad news…

De was friendly enough and didn’t hit on Terry, so he soon relaxed, although she quickly got pulled into a conversation with the garden club lady anyway…

“Oh my god – I love your hairstyle!”

“Er, thank you… That’s an… interesting outfit you have there? The pink… and the brown-ish grey… yeah. Interesting choice.”

But Terry soon discovered that De may have been the exception to the rule with Mzyra’s friends – another one was quick to hit on Terry. It was all very flattering of course, but he already had Jan and he didn’t need anyone else.

His sewing skill improved quickly though and soon he was producing recognisable and useful things, like an adorably cuddly teddy bear.

And the next day it turned out Terry wasn’t the only man in all of Heaven – there was at least a mailman too. Hopefully Terry and Jan would mostly have boys…

And then there were yet more women, who also apparently knew Mzyra, and somehow had floaty rings invisibly attached to their heads. Apparently on account of being dead. Terry wasn’t sure it would be polite to ask. He also wasn’t sure if he wanted to know…

This nice lady thankfully didn’t hit on Terry, but she still seemed to be a fan of his. Terry didn’t know what he had ever done to earn fans – he certainly wasn’t a celebrity, but people being nice to him was a good change anyway.

Another nice change might have been having a maid so he didn’t have to clean so much, but he just used that time to daydream about how soon Jan would be there and what would happen when she finally was.

But until then there were still more ‘simselves’ to meet and try to fob off. This one was apparently at least part-alien or something, but it still couldn’t make a difference to Terry’s relationship status, so he just blushed and mumbled and stuttered a little, but took it.

As well as not being shy with flirting, the simselves didn’t all have a lot of respect for property either, and Terry’s flamingos were knocked over with an alarming frequency.

“Hey Beth! Come try this – kicking over flamingos is amazing fun!”

And there was still more flirting. Still flattering though it was, Terry really hoped that Mzyra might show up soon so he could get her to tell them he was well and truly taken.

Finally, the day before Jan was due to join him, Terry had the ability to sew his own outfits – that with any luck wouldn’t fall apart a few hours into being worn, and made one that Jan would hopefully like.

As well as a pretty quilt to decorate their house – once they really had one.

The next morning he continued sewing anxiously until-

“JAN!”

“Whoa!” Jan struggled to remain standing. “If you ever decide to do this again, can I please have a warning?”

“I’m just so please to see yooou! There were women everywhere and they didn’t seem to know I was engaged and-”

“Hang on, what…?”

“… I missed you?”

“Er, yes, me too, but Terry…?”

“Is this seriously our ‘house’?”

“… I made us a quilt?”

“Er, that’s very pretty and nice of you, but… walls? Roof?”

“… Over-rated? I love you…?”

Jan sighed. “Don’t worry, I’ll sort this out…”

Well from the sounds of it Terry was just going to be in the way, so he jumped in the bath-tub and played pirates while Jan was on the phone, shooting him exasperated but still slightly amused looks.

And Terry was eventually dragged out of the bathtub to dress appropriately for, and participate in, their not-too-expensive wedding.

With the guests being all the women Terry had met up until then.

“I didn’t know he was engaged! Did you?”

“I had no idea!”

“…I say we blame Jess.”

“Agreed.”

Luckily nobody caused a fuss and the wedding went off without a hitch – randomly falling petals and all – and Terry Ryman became Terry Beckett, finally with a spouse of his own.

“Awwww, it’s so nice that he’s finally happy.”

“Yeah. And he’s bound to have a son at some point, right?”

“It can be gloves-off then, ladies!”

Terry and Jan just remained wilfully oblivious to the women fighting over their hypothetical unborn sons. And that their honeymoon was still going to be on a lot without even a cordoned off bathroom.

And there was still the necessity of running off to meet yet more female walkbys.

“Hi Terry! In a suit…?” This new ‘Amy’ woman smiled brightly.

“Er, yeah, I- I just got married…”

“Aw, congratulations!”

“… You’re not going to flirt with me, are you?”

“… You just told me you got married, why would I….?”

“Heh, er, not everybody seems to get that…” And then he quickly wandered away, embarrassed.

But cake was capable of making everything better, even when being lovingly crammed down your throat by your new spouse, who luckily knows you well enough not to be jealous.

In fact, rather than backing them off, Jan started to befriend some of the ladies herself.

“So, er, how much do you know of Terry’s family history?”

“Well he’s told me that he was the youngest of five children, and he’s kind of implied that there were bad things… And stuff about ghosts and aliens and the grim reaper…?”

“Er, yeah… Maybe you should talk about it. On a day that isn’t your wedding, I guess.”

“I’m sure we will, once he’s ready.”

“… Yeah. Sure.”

And still, let it never be said that Heaven was empty…

“Heeeey, nobody told me I was missing a wedding!”

“Oh man, how much competition are we going to have?!”

“Ah, I’m- I’m not sure this is- is appropriate- for- for a newly married man!”

“Tickle attacks are totally platonic!”

“Are- Are you- you sure?!”

“Yes!”

“O- okay then!”

“Paper!”

“Rock! … Oh man, I suck at this game.”

“Er, Terry?” Jan interjected. “This is still a wedding, you know.”

“But we’re on best six out of eleven and I have yet to get one!”

“You can make it up another time, husband o’ mine.”

Terry sighed, “Oookaaay…”

“Sorry for getting distracted Jan, I just thought I’d better attend to the guests and make friends to help with your job-”

“I know, Terry, it’s okay.”

“But you do look really, really beautiful in that dress. And always, really. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

“You’re not the only one, you know.”

Terry’s swallow was visible, before he continued, a hopeful glint in his eye. “Y- you know, as amazing as you look in that dress…”

“I think we might have to dismiss our guests before we continue to that stage of the proceedings…”

Terry had never been so okay with (politely) asking people to leave in his life.

And then the new marriage was well and truly consummated, even before the Sun had set.

But while more-or-less alfresco consummation had been one thing, when it started pouring with rain, then they knew they really needed four walls and a roof.

Which they surprisingly promptly received, albeit of a very low standard. But then it didn’t feel so incredibly different from the house Terry had originally been born in. And it surely couldn’t be too long before they had money for windows and things.

And, of course, as soon as they had a roof, it stopped raining.

But that gave Terry the chance to use the posh telescope they had chosen to splash out on. It was mostly for Jan, but the stars were pretty, so why shouldn’t Terry use it too?

But there wasn’t a whole lot interesting going on with the stars that night, so Terry snuck back inside and curled up to sleep around an unusually exhausted Jan.

And was awoken by the smell of burning and a very frustrated – and slightly panicky – Jan.

“I can cook! I swear I can normally cook!”

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!” Terry wasn’t exactly in a sensible frame of mind.

Luckily Jan nearly always was, whipping out a fire extinguisher and resignedly getting to work. “I just can’t believe I managed to set breakfast on fire!”

Although they had invested in a fire alarm, but Jan didn’t have the patience for any of that stuff.

“Oh, er, you put the fire out before I got here, huh? Well, um… good. Well done. I’ll just, er, go…”

“I can’t believe there was a fire! In our house!”

Whether Jan had anything to add to this observation was rather off-put by her inability to stop vomiting, which Terry might have noticed better but for the shock.

But Jan tried to overcome her exhaustion and sickness to get back to normal, with the help of the epic fun that looking at hobby plaques naturally brings.

Meanwhile Terry was excited to find a male ‘simself’ person.

“So you’re a guy?”

“Er, yeah…”

“Oh, it’s just I’ve never had other guys as friends before, though I’ve been told I should. And that we should drink beer and watch football.”

“Do you have beer and a TV?”

“Um, not exactly, no… We have instant meals and a hobby plaque though?”

In fact, Jan was so ill and Terry so preoccupied, that one of the walkbys went ungreeted. If Terry had realised, he never would have stopped apologising.

But all too soon the reason for Jan’s illness became certain as stomach expanded with definite signs of pregnancy.

“Hm. The fact that we’re living in a shack with no heating, lighting or floors bothers me a lot more all of a sudden.”

But Jan couldn’t do much about that fact for now, and played it all safe by sticking to salad – prepared well away from the oven and anything flammable – for food, for the time being.

And then there was explaining it to Terry. Which Jan did in the friendliest way possible.

“- but you don’t exactly have to be a doctor to see what’s going on here.”

“… You’re pregnant?”

“Yes. But look! We already have a toy for them. And hopefully we’ll be able to afford a crib and things for him or her. Though we could really do with more money.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. I’m going outside…”

Luckily Terry’s super-special-awesome new guy friend Steve was back again already for the dispensing of advice.

“So, uh, have you ever been a Dad? Because I’m apparently going to be, and, uh… I’m a little terrified?”

“Yeah, my real-self is. But haven’t you ever looked after a child before? A younger sibling or something?”

“Well… I did kind of entirely raise my nephew from birth to childhood, single-handed…”

“So why do you think being a father is going to be any different?”

“Erm… because I might mess it up?”

“Did you mess your nephew up?”

“Errrrm… Hopefully no more than he would have been anyway? His parents were… yeah. It wasn’t good.”

“See? You’ll be fine, Terry.”

“Ah, thanks Steve. You’re like the best friend ever!”

“Er, yeah. Okay. No problem.”

Filled with new hope, Terry spent another night at the telescope, getting so happily absorbed that he half froze himself.

But it wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t go bug hunting the next day! Admittedly, there didn’t appear to be many bugs out with all the frost on the ground…

But apparently the bees in Heaven could survive any and all weather conditions, except possibly being even tetchier than normal.

In the end Terry was happy to get back to bed and get some rest, but it wasn’t for long before Jan was up and screaming in pain through her labour, and far be it from Terry to able to sleep through that.

And not too long afterwards Jan was holding a little baby boy with her skin and brown hair, and Terry’s dark blue eyes.

“Ohhh my god, I’m a father!”

“Shhhh: yes, I know.”

“We have to name him. Something nice. Like… Benevolence!”

Jan looked at him. “Benevolence?”

“Don’t you like it?”

“It… It’s fine, Terry. It’s fine.”

“Hi little Benevolence, I’m your Daddy!”

“Maybe we should give him a shorter nickname? Like Ben?”

“Hmm… Bennie. Bennie Beckett. Sounds okay, right?”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m exhausted and am going back to bed.”

Terry should have been tired too, but he was far too excited by his actual, factual son. Who looked a lot like Tom had as a baby, in all of his colouring, though he’d surely have to look different later. But it was good to realise that he remembered all that childcare stuff from back then. And now he couldn’t put Bennie down…

Because there was always feeding to be doing…

Or bathing, and Bennie loved bath time. And there was nothing more worthwhile to do for Terry than look after his baby son.

Meanwhile Jan had finally gotten a job in medicine due to its plentiful opportunities to learn, good pay, and general ability to help people.

And once she’d come home – and Bennie was asleep – there was still plenty of time for other activities…

But even with the feeding and the changing (and as much of the cleaning as Terry ever though to do), Terry still had a lot of time on his hands. Sometimes he found himself just watching tiny little Bennie sleeping in his crib, feeling warm and fuzzy with pride and happiness and love.

But he managed to snap himself out of it and go back to sewing, especially since it wouldn’t be long until Bennie would be a toddler and need new and proper clothes. So he was good and preoccupied.

Well, mostly. Sometimes a father just needed to appreciate the perfection of his sleeping child.

But birthdays came around far too quickly, and with them came parties, and with those came ‘simselves’. And simselves brought drama with them wherever they went. Whether flirting inappropriately…

Eating food from their fridge despite the known fact that there was going to be cake…

Or out-and-out stealing their things.

“All your gnomes are belong to us. Until you marry us in.”

But hopefully it was worth it for Bennie to have some guests to his first birthday party, though he only seemed focused on Terry when he was brought to the cake.

Jan, meanwhile, had been exhausted and sleeping, but woke up at that exact moment to once again be certain of why. Perhaps Bennie might appreciate the news of a little brother or sister for his birthday?

Not that he’d probably understand just yet, as he became a toddler with a large predisposition to pink and fancy hair.

Changed into the clothes his father had made for him, and a slightly more manageable hairstyle, it was clear that Bennie certainly had his mother’s nose, and possibly lips and jaw, but his eyes were entirely his father’s. And he certainly liked cuddling up to his Daddy.

Though he was more than happy to see newly-pregnant Mummy too, when Jan came out to join them.

“Who’s Mummy’s big boy? You’re going to be a big brother soon, yes you are!”

Bennie just giggled and clapped happily at whatever Jan was saying.

Keen on education as she was, Jan got to teaching Bennie to walk as quickly as possible…

And didn’t let her pregnancy stop her going to work the next day, determined to be productive and earn more money.

Which left Bennie at home with Daddy again, not that either of them was complaining…

And, lacking anything better to do anyway, they quickly stormed through getting Bennie to talk…

And then he rather took to a set of blocks Jan had bought him to play with, since they were educational and all. Bennie loved them, regardless.

And then, surprise of surprises, there existed another man in Heaven! Bringing the apparent total (including Bennie) to five!

A generous man he was too.

“You mean you don’t have a TV?! Here – have this widescreen one I have lying around in my inventory!”

It was promptly sold, but greatly appreciated, and Jaii’s name was put on the list of ‘possible spouses for future daughters’.

The rest of Terry’s time was spent trying to find something to do; befriending wild animals with weird eyes, starting up a little garden for growing fruit and vegetables, tub-pirating, and eventually winding up back with Bennie, helping him play with his toy.

And finishing up teaching him his necessary skills.

And any of Bennie’s spare time from skilling was spent being absolutely adorable with his best friend Teddy.

But they could only remain a three-person family for so long, and one night Jan returned home from work and went straight into labour in the front garden. Terry could hear her from the house, but luckily not quite loud enough to awaken Bennie.

After a little while’s exertion, Jan was holding another little boy, this time with all of her colouring; dark skin, brown hair and green eyes.

But the labour continued, and then she was holding a little girl, with the same dark skin and brown hair, but… brown eyes? That was odd…*

* Make sure you have the right codes for editing genetics in SimPE, kids!

“It doesn’t matter what colour your eyes are, sweetie, you’re still our daughter and we love you.”

Now they just needed to decide what to name them…

And thus Obedience (boy) and Openness Beckett (girl) were brought into the world, and now Terry was bound to have his hands fuller than ever before… And he’d love it, naturally.

~ End of 2 ~