Helena's story: Part 2

[simgaroop]

With Ripp gone, Helena couldn't think of a valid reason to stay in the desert.
With a baby on the way and the last warning Ripp had made before his departure, she knew that it was time to go back to Strangetown.
She now had a new life to take care of, and it soon became her priority.

She arrived to Strangetown just in time for Hobbes and Marsha's wedding.
She wanted to surprise her family in such a special event... although she was worried about her brother.
To her surprise, Tim and Marsha ran away... after Hobbes left the bride to join Calvin on their mission to Graslax.
Uncle Andrew was so angry at their sons, and specially Tim, that he got into a huge fight with her parents.
Puck, Wanda and Andrew, who had been so close during their lives, stopped talking to each other for good.
It was a very tense day for the Broke family, so when Buck asked her about her unborn child's father, she quickly changed the topic.
There'd be time for that later...




Helena had earned a large amount of money from her paintings, so she bought a small house in the middle of Strangetown's Road to Nowhere.
After spending a year in the desert, Helena wanted to be surrounded by the lush vegetation she had seen in the exotic places she had visited.
So, she opened a flower shop, and it quickly became a hit among the town's residents.




But most importantly, the shop was a safe place in which her son would be born and raised, despite the absence of his father.




Helena worked hard for the rest of her pregnancy.
She made good use of her charisma to lure all kind of new clients into her business.
But she wasn't precisely interested in selling plants to them.

She became good friends of several clients and, just as she had done during her journey, she told them everything about the Graslaxian mission.
Some people rejected her ideas and there were others who became incredibly angry at her.
But there were a few who not only listened to them, but even became interested in joining forces with her.


(by strange_tomato)


No Graslaxian ever imagined that someday, there'd be humans who'd agree to be abducted!


(by lovelysims)



(by wolfsilveroak)


Humans who'd seek the aliens on their own.


(by mysimagination)


Humans who'd consider their abduction a true honor and a source of joy.


(by cambritariatale)


And whose families would support during the difficult process of raising an alien baby.




And that was enough to make Helena happy.
"Take good care of them, Calvin. The future is in their hands..."

_______________________________




Helena's mission was interrupted one night, as she was working on her flower arrangements.




After being the inspiration behind several half-breed births, it was finally her turn to raise her own.




She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who inherited his father's pale skin and his grandmother's blond hair, besides Helena's eyes and nose.
She named her Pippin, which meant "The Traveller", just like his parents.




Raising a baby alone was much harder than Helena expected.
She was often tired and she no longer had the time to talk with her clients or to work on her flowers.




With time, though, she eventually got used to her new life.
She hired help for the shop, so she now even had time to go back to her paintings.





Eventually, she also went back to her clients and little by little, convinced some of them to at least accept the alien citizens.


(by strange_tomato)


After dealing with Pippin, though, she realized the importance of creating a support circle for the human parents, so she founded the "Strangetown's Alien Parenting Society" with the help of a few of the more experienced parents she had met during her life.





She also found the support of the families, who also began to actively search the aliens.
They knew they wouldn't be pollinated like the young and male members of their species, but they still wanted to get in contact with the Graslaxians.
Anything to provide their green babies with an education as complete as possible.



(by dothesmustle)


Young,


(by skittlebox)


Old,


(by skittlebox)


Male,


(by knightlylegacy)


Or female.
Rich or poor.
No matter their sex, age or social position, all kinds of people were called by the Graslaxian.
Helena knew that Calvin (and now Hobbes) were behind these abductions.
And she knew that these abducted humans would pass along these messages on their own, creating a social network that'd slowly change the world's opinion about the aliens.
It'd still take a while, but Calvin and Helena's dream was finally becoming true.

____________________________________




After spending most of his life at Strangetown, General Buzz Grunt was able to detect every single change in this place.
So, when he returned from a long journey to Twiki Islands (as a present from his sons for his 80th birthday), the first thing he noticed was the odd flower shop a few blocks from his home.
Curious, he took a peek inside the shop, not knowing that he'd find more than plants in there.




The place was filled with people checking out the complicated flower arrangement on sale.
He could listen to their chatter as they compared the different options.
"Will these flowers last longer than this? Will this arrangement endure Strangetown's heat?"
But what really brought his attention were the cries of an infant coming from above.
He knew it was wrong to barge into a house uninvited, but he couldn't help it.
Some strange force pulled him inside and before he knew it, he was going upstairs.




The General froze as he found the source of the crying.
A small baby, currently being calmed by the soft singing of his mother.




Helena didn't notice the General's arrival, until she put Pippin back on his crib.
"What the...?"




"I... I'm sorry... It's just that I heard your son crying and... wait a minute... are you Helena... Puck's daughter?"
"That's right, General. I've just returned from my mission."
"Yeah... Buck told me about it. I'm glad to see you safe..."




"I'm glad to be back too, General."
Buzz couldn't help it but notice how much Helena resembled her Grandmother, Chloe Curious. The shared the same bright hair, open smile and laidback attitude. And as he watched her move around the nursery, he was reminded of the last time he had seen Chloe and Buck Strong: They were playing in the backyard with their infant son, Puck.
He sighed: He'd lost so many dear people during his life, like Buck, his wife and now Ripp... it was as if he were cursed...




"General? Would you like to meet my son?"
"Uh... No, no... Don’t worry, Helena. It's all right..."
But Helena paid no attention and took Pippin out of his crib.




"He's beautiful..."
"Thanks, General."
"What's his name?"
"His name is Pippin... Pippin Grunt."




"What did you say?"
Helena winked and pointed at a painting that hanging behind Buzz.
The General almost lost his breath as he saw Ripp's eyes, the same shade of blue as Lyla's, looking at him from the picture.




"Oh... Ripp..."
"We need to talk, General."
"I know..."




Helena explained the circumstances in which she had met and lived with Ripp.
She couldn't talk much about his job or his mission, for she ignored most of the details, but that wasn't important.
What mattered was that Ripp was fine and that he missed his family.




"He asked me to give you this letter, General. He says he's sorry for making you worry..."
"That stupid boy... always a troublemaker... always causing me grief..."
But deep inside, the General couldn't be prouder of his son's achievements.

_________________________________




Since that day, the General (and later Buck and Tank) became frequent visitors at Helena's place.
The spent as much time as possible with little Pippin, for it was also a way to also spend some time with a part of their lost brother.




A year went by, and soon Pippin grew into an adorable toddler.









From his father, Pippin had inherited his friendly and playful personality.
It was hard to see this kid in a bad mood.
























From his mother, he had inherited her artistic vein, and soon it was common to find him drawing on his activity table or "singing" the many Graslaxian rhymes Helena had taught him on her free time.




Besides the changes expected on a growing toddler like Pippin, life at Helena's place kept the same rhythm as always.
Her business was becoming notorious around town, and she eventually got a good review from the Garden Club that was published in the newspaper.







Of course, the review brought even more clients to the store, and with them more people to convince to join the Graslaxian mission.


(by swhedonberry)




(by comagirl_)



__________________________________




Five years later...




By the time Pippin was six, Helena's influence around Strangetown was a force that should be taken seriously.
Thanks to her words, more than a hundred people had been abducted at Strangetown (and neighbor towns), and 26 alien kids had been born.
And unlike the world in which Calvin and her had been born, these kids were now supported by a close community that'd teach them the alien culture well.




For the first time in years, Helena no longer had to worry about her mission.







Although she still used her charms to lure a couple clients now and them...




Just as he had been as a toddler, Pippin still shared the love for art with his mother.




And, contrary to Helena's wishes, he was now showing some of his father's... less attractive atributes.




Helena's life was simple.




Helena's life consisted on Pippin, and Pippin alone.
But that was about to change.

___________________________________




One night, just as Pippin had gone to bed,




Helena was working as usual with her flower arrangements.
And then, a loud noise startled her.
CRASH!




"Who's there?"




"Pippin? Are you awake? I told you to go back to bed!"




But her son didn't respond, and soon the loud crash was accompanied by a set of footsteps.
Helena knew that there was a band of burglars around Strangetown.
She was a strong woman, but she was afraid of not being able to protect her son.
Nonetheless, she tried hard to not seem scared.




In that moment, the front door of the shop was opened by force.
"What the...?"




"ARRRRR! Earth-matey! Captain Grunt has arrived!"




"Dammit, Ripp! Have you forgotten how to fucking know a door?! You almost gave a heart attack!"




Ripp didn't say anything.
He just took Helena in his arms and gave her a warm hug.
"I'm so glad to see you are safe, Helena..."




"Where have you been, Ripp? And what's with the stupid looking outfit!"
"Hey! Don't diss the Captain's uniform! It's made with the best fabrics from Mondrelia!"
"Captain?"
"Well, it's a long story, Helena... but let's just say that I'm the leader of the Space Pirates of the Third Orbit. We travel around space looking for booty and protecting the alien and human population from those who are against the merger between both races."
"What about your other job?"
"Oh... I still cooperate with Captain Smith now and then, but that's not what matters for now. I've got a surprise for you!"
Helena raised an eyebrow- "Really?"




"That's right, sweetheart! I know you've developed a sudden interest in flowers, so here's a rare specimen, the Moon Rose."




"Oh, thanks! It's beautiful! Than..."




"Nope, don't say anything! I'm not done yet! There's still another... small surprise."




Ripp took out a small, spherical gadget. "OK, matey, she's waiting inside the store. Get your ass down here right this instant!"
"Yes, captain!"




Before Helena could react, the door was opened for the second time.
And when she saw his face, she almost forgot how to breathe.
"Calvin...?"




"Wow, Broke! That only took you forever!"
"Shut up, Grunt! Someone had to hide the ship first!"




Helena threw her arms around Calvin and hugged him tightly.
She felt inside a dream. She had already lost all hope of seeing either Calvin or Ripp again.
But they were back!




"I've missed you, Helena. I'm so proud of you..."
"Don't leave ever again!"








Ripp thought it'd be wise to give some space to the lovers.
Besides, he had someone very important to meet.
"Hey there, Little Captain. I'm home..."
_________________________




Calvin and Ripp explained Helena the adventures they'd had together the last few years.
"After my team kicked those anti-alien force's asses and recovered the Graslaxian coordinates, I was abducted by this moron and his crew."
"We saved your life, Grunt!"
"Only because I saved YOUR planet first!"




"At first, we wanted to take Ripp back to Earth, but P.T. 56 was against it. He knew that Ripp was related to the Grunts, former alien enemies and decided to keep him as an experimental subject with him. Just like they kept our Grandma Bella..."
"Of course, there was no way I'd let these nut jobs keep me as a prisoner. I was planning a spectacular escape that involved a couple bombs and some laughing gas... but then Calvin and Hobbes freed me."
"Hobbes distracted P.T. 56 while we stole a replacement ship from the garage and escaped. I just hope Hobbes is safe, wherever he is now..."




"Nah, Hobbes is a badass. I'm sure he's kicking 56's butt back at the Mother Ship. He'd been a good member of our crew..."
"Yeah, Ripp and I became pirates. It took us a while to find and steal a map with the directions to Planet Earth, though."




"But what matters is that we're back, Helena! I told you I'd do anything to make you happy, remember? And if this loser is all you need to reach that goal, you bet I'd bring him back home!"




"Mommy? Why are you up so late?"
"I'm sorry for waking you up, Pippin..."
"Who are you?"
"Well..."




"You are Daddy, right?"
"Eh... yeah..."
"Cool! My Dad is a pirate! But it sure took you a long time to come visit me!"
"Don't worry Pippin... this time I'm here to stay... I promise..."


________________________________________




Calvin and Helena fulfilled their College promise the following night.







With Ripp and Pippin as their only witnesses, they got married in a small ceremony in the backyard.










They spent the night playing "Don't wake the Llama" together.
For Helena, there was nothing more important than her family.
No party or fancy celebration could compare to them.




Calvin and Helena convinced Ripp to stay with them.
Even if he weren't Pippin's father, he would still be considered an important part of their family, no matter what everyone else said.




It took both Calvin and Ripp a while to get used to life on Earth, but a few months after their return, things took a normal course.
They ran the shop together.
Helena was in charge of the flower arrangements.




Calvin worked as a cashier.




And Ripp quickly became the shop's best salesman.
He could convince anyone to buy anything.







But before that, he got in contact with the General and his brothers.
After several years apart, the Grunt family was whole again.
He wasted no time catching up with them... and bragging about the awesome adventures he had during his absence.




He also spent a long time with Pippin.
He wouldn't admit it, but he was afraid he wouldn't be a good father.
Only time would tell if he was making a good job or not.




Calvin was invited to the Llama Drama's, and he quickly returned to his greatest passion: Music.








Soon, Helena had great news to share to the family: She was expecting her second child.







She gave birth to a green baby who looked just like her father, Calvin.
She also inherited Cosmo's blond hair.




They named her Fantine.

________________________

The years went by...




















Fantine was loved and cherished by everyone in the family.
It didn't matter if they were related by blood or not.







In Fantine's mind, there was a mommy, two daddies and a brother.
She couldn't imagine a different kind of family.

______________________________________




"I see you've gone back to painting..."
"Well, as much as I love working with my flowers, I prefer to work with watercolors. Actually, I'm creating a special piece for the Fifth Anniversary of the "Strangetown's Alien Parenting Society""
"Cool! I can't wait to see it finished!"
"You'll be the first time to see it, I promise."




A couple weeks later, Helena showed Ripp her finished painting.
"So... what do you think?"




"I don't think I understand the concept behind this painting, Helena..."




"What's there to understand? I think the idea is quite clear. My work is an homage to all those who've worked hard to promote the integration of the alien and human population. It doesn't matter if you are male or female. Poor or rich. Alien or human. We are all part of this world and therefore we all share the responsibility of creating a better future for our children."




"Yeah, yeah... I understood that part!"
"Then, what's wrong?"
"You said you were inspired by your surroundings so... I see that green guy was inspired on the original Pollination Technician..."
"Correct..."
"And the woman was inspired by some lady Buck and Rosie met some years ago..."
"Willow Nigmos... such a beautiful woman. It's a pity she was murdered that way..."
"Those bastards! So..."
"Yeah?"
"Is that guy in the middle supposed to be me?"
"Mmmm... perhaps..."
"Are you out of your mind? I sure as hell don't look so... uh... so... greasy... "




"I don't know Ripp... every time you return from your missions..."




"You kind of look like that, don't you think?"
"I told you, Helena! When I'm patrolling the space, I don't have time to take a bath! Damn!"




Unlike Calvin, Ripp still "worked" as a Space Pirate now and then.




With the help of his space communicator, with which he kept close contact with Hobbes, he patrolled the Solar System once a month, looking for anti-alien bands that could harm the population of the Earth and Graslax.




With time and close distance, the emotional boundaries between Ripp and Helena disappeared.
Calvin had no problem with this new situation, for he knew that Helena's heart was large enough to love both of them at the same time.
Most people didn't understand their way of thinking and often criticized Helena's actions.
Calvin, Helena and Ripp didn't care.








Helena got pregnant for the last time a couple years after.
She gave birth just as Ripp returned from another trip around space.




Helena's already large and unusual family welcomed three healthy babies that night.




Turin







James




And Lyndi.




Their genetics clearly might show who the "real" father of the triplets is, but it doesn't matter anymore.
__________________________




The triplets have just turned two.




Pippin has just turned 13 and is eager to start Junior High along with his cousin Nick.
(and to woo a few girls, with Dad Ripp's counseling).




Fantine is seven.




Just like Pippin and Fantine, the triplets will be raised by two fathers, one mother and two siblings.
A family as unusual as their story.
As long as they grow healthy and surrounded by love, nothing else matters.

The End


________________________________________
Notes:
- First of all, I want to thank everyone who helped me with the abduction pictures in this update. Free Time has borked the abductions in my game, so I'm currently unable to force them with my townies and I needed a few pictures for this story. I'm flattered by the speed and amount of help I got from the community.

Full credit for the abduction pictures go to:
aeiounasims
gotaluvsims2
simnels
skittlebox
strange_tomato
serenitysims82
dothesmustle
comagirl
swhedonberry
wolfsilveroak
aeiounasims
rainbowflyer
mysimagination
aeiounasims
lovelysims
knightlylegacy
kingmike1224
cambritariatale
tarynrx
abbycat90

You are all awesome. Thanks for sharing your pictures!

(By the way, I've just read that there's a patch for Free Time that addresses this abduction issue. Let's see if that's true or not).

- With the exception of Fantine, Helena's pregnancies were the product of ACR and its "Risky Woo Hoo" feature.




The good part of having a house with two romance sims and a pleasure one is that none of them ever threw a jealousy fit. I guess it's because the three of them are now BFF, although Pippin was a bit angry when Helena married Calvin.

- Ripp's LTW is to reach the top of the Adventure Career (become Space Pirate). I really had to make a lot of stuff up to explain such a weird career path. I guess I should spend more time at PMBD, because I have no idea how to "imitate" the pirate talk :P.

- Helena's "masterpiece" is a painting from strange_tomato 's "Strangetown: Here we come" story. Of course, those three are Ripp, Johnny Smith and Ophelia Nigmos. If you like to read stories about the Strangetown characters, be sure to check hers out!
Calvin and Ripp love to “criticize” that painting… and they always sigh after they are done. What a couple of snobs! (Actually, I’ve never seen a sim like a painting in my game!)
- These were the last pictures I took before my original Strangetown blew up. Currently, I only have Helena installed in my new game. I'm gonna miss Calvin and the rest of the guys :(.

- Pippin's name comes from a name generator. I was looking for "literature names" (to follow Helena's trend) and the first name that came up was "Pippin Johano". Johano is the Esperanto form of "John" and Pippin means "Traveller" (and it comes from LOTR, of course). It's a very fitting name for Ripp's son, right?

- And now some pic-spam of Helena's kids (plus adult versions):

Pippin










Fantine







Turin







James








Lyndi




As soon as my box.net account lets me upload them, I'll share the links to get them at my "Downloads" page.
Thanks for reading Helena's story.
See you later! :)

Comments

[simgaroop.livejournal.com]

Oh! I didn't notice the underscore when I saved your picture! I apologize.

I'll fix it ASAP, and thanks for letting me use it! :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/comagirl_/]

Haha no worries! It's weird since it's on the end (:
I'm glad I could help!