The Broke Legacy: Gen 5.6

[simgaroop]

Previous update: Gen 5.5.

Warning: Graphic violence.








Summer couldn't arrive soon enough.
Not only would we be out of school for two whole months, we'd get to spend them in a place completely different from everything we'd ever seen!
Dad had made all the necessary arrangements for the departure: Airplane tickets (we'd get to fly!), the house where we'd live at until Bianca's birth and the job meetings he still had to attend before he could consider his film officially finished.




So the only thing left was to wait until the classes were over.





We spent our final week studying like crazy.




Of course, Chip and Edward didn't need to study for too long.
Those two were geniuses that memorized their textbooks before I was done with the first chapter of mine. That's not fair!





Cody was also very busy with his studies.
He was getting ready for the entrance exams for College.
He was about to start his Senior year in High School, so it was time to think seriously about his future.





The problem was that Cody still had no idea what he wanted to do with his life.
His long planned project of finishing Great-grandpa Cosmo's robot designs was history for obvious reasons, leaving him completely confused and unsure about he was supposed to be good at.
He just hoped the trip he'd take with his parents to the Twikki Islands (it was his last summer with Grandma and Grandpa, so they wanted to spend some time together before he left the house next year) would clear his mind.




Me?
Aghh... I struggled so much with my studies. I hated Math so much!
I often felt so dumb compared to my genius brother and cousin.




Despite being exhausted from carrying my baby sister inside her tummy, Mom spent many afternoons by my side, helping me with my final homework.




Mom always said I was smart enough to achieve anything I wanted.
You can do anything, Tommy, as long as you work hard enough for it. You've got the spirit and strength to go far with your life. I've got faith in you, honey, and so should you..."

Mom knew the right words to say when I was feeling insecure. And with her help, I passed all my exams with acceptable grades. She was so proud of me...




And so the day of our big trip finally arrived.
We left our house very early in the morning. It was still dark!








Fourteen hours on an airplane (which was awesome, if a bit boring at times) and fourty minutes by car later, we were finally at Takemizu Village. Dad was right, it was completely different from Strangetown. The climate was fresh and the air smelled so different... and there were so many trees and flowers in shapes and colors I'd never seen.
It was as if we had arrived to a whole new planet!




The house Dad rented for our stay was also very nice.




It was much smaller than our place back at Strangetown, of course, but it'd be just the four of us in there... well, until the fifth member of our family arrived.




Mom was exhausted from the long trip to Takemizu Village, so we spent the rest of the day exploring the house and it's beautiful garden.




I also tried to teach Edward how to play baseball.




Errr... emphasis on the word "tried", of course.




My parents, on the other hand, remained inside "getting comfortable", as Dad said.




"Do you feel it?"
"Yes... I can feel her feet! She just kicked you, right?"




"I can barely believe she'll be here in just a couple weeks, Marsha. For me... it feels like it was just yesterday that I read that e-mail in which you told me you were pregnant. I... I've missed so much of this pregnancy..."
"What's important is that you'll be there for Bianca from now on. By the time she's born you'll have finished the post-production of your film and will return to Strangetown with us."




"Yeah, I can't wait for that. This whole directing business has been so crazy, perhaps because it was my first time. I even spent a whole week without sleep when we were filming the final battle! Let alone eating... or..."
"Or getting a haircut, for example. I'd almost forgotten you have black hair!"




"Nah, I'm growing my hair back on purpose. What... you don't like it?"




"Of course I like it! It reminds me when were teens and you kissed me for the first time in your attic. I was so upset when I left your house that day..."




Dad didn't reply. He just kissed Mom, as if he wanted to remind her that, despite all the difficulties they had to sort out in their youth to stay together, they were worth it.

They were finally together. And they had the family they had always dreamed of.
Life couldn't get better...

__________________________________________




The following day, Dad took us to the Dragon Market.




Ed and I watched everything around us in complete awe. The buildings looked even better than they did in the many pictures Dad has sent us in the previous year.




But we weren't at the Market just to look around. We had a mission.
"The film's producer and his wife are coming over for dinner tonight. They're really excited to meet you, so you have to look your best, all right?"








With Mom's help, we bought new clothes. Since we would spend almost two months at Takemizu Village, Mom figured we should try to adapt to the town's customs and wear their traditional wardrobe, for example.
It took her a while to convince Ed and I to do that, though.








Once we were done with our shopping, Dad gave us some money to buy lunch while they looked for a traditional maternity outfit for Mom.
And when we left the market, I saw him.




It was a Ninja! A REAL ninja!
And he was floating above the ground!








I moved a bit closer to watch him, but before I knew it, he disappeared surrounded by a mysterious fog.




It was amazing! I looked around, but there was no trace of the Ninja.
So, I figured he had just flied away like a super hero!




"Where were you?"- asked Ed as I sat down in front of my bowl- "Your rice is already cold!"




"Sowwy, Ebfdie"- I replied, with my mouth full of rice- "I wafsh lookin' a ninfja"
"What?"
I swallowed- "I said I was looking at a ninja! He was just in front of that fountain! And it was amazing, Ed! He disappeared like magic! It must be awesome to have those reflexes and speed!"




"Your imagination was probably playing games with your mind, kid."- said a man sitting next to me.




"Although this village was founded by the Takemizu Clan, it's been hundreds of years since the villagers last saw a real ninja. You must have seen one of those ninja impersonators that wander around the popular attractions. They earn good money posing with tourists like you two."
"See, Tommy? You were just seeing things! Must be the so called "jet lag" Dad was talking about earlier..."

The man's words made sense, of course. Nonetheless, I was sure that ninja was real.
And I hoped I'd get to see him again before I returned to Strangetown.

________________________________

That night, we got ready for Mr. Ishida's visit.




"Awww, Mom! I don't need a haircut!"
"Of course you do, young man! Just look at this mess! If you aren't willing to comb your hair properly, then you should just keep it short. And now don't move! Your father's partners will arrive soon and I still have to prepare dinner."
"Maaaaan!"












Mr. Ishida and his wife, Yuriko, were a very kind couple.
They even wore "occidental clothing" to make us feel more comfortable, or so they said.
Figures, we were doing exactly the opposite!
They loved Mom's roast and spent a long time talking about boring stuff with Dad about finances and costs. You know... grown up stuff.




So, Ed and I found new ways to have fun in the mean time.
"Hey Tommy! Isn't that the Ninja you saw back at the market?"




"Wha...? Really?! Where?!"




"I don't see... ack!"




"Geez, Tom. You need to work a lot on those reflexes if you want to be a Ninja one day! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Look who's talking!"

Mom later told me she used to fall in that trap all the time when she and Dad were kids. I really couldn't believe that my father was as annoying as Ed when he was a boy.




Other than his lame pranks, Ed and I had a lot of fun together that summer.
Dad spent most days out at work, and Mom was often too tired to walk around the village with us. So, we spent those days in our house, playing videogames...




... or that Mahjong game thing Mrs. Ishida sent us a few days later.








Of course, Ed always kicked my ass at that game.
Ha! But you bet I'd get my revenge at "Please Don't Wake the Llama" as soon as we returned to Strangetown. No one had ever been able to beat me so far




And one day, Mrs. Ishida invited us to a Tai Chi lesson.




We had a lot of fun, although it was waaay harder than I expected.
I figured this should be a piece of cake for a real ninja.




By the end of the lesson, though, we'd already gotten the hang of this Tai Chi deal.




Mom often practiced her "breathing" (I don't remember well the term she used when she explained it to me) to make things easier when Bianca finally decided to leave her tummy.




Mom's tummy was so big! Dad said the baby would be born any moment now.
I could hardly wait to meet my little sis!




And Edward, well...
He was still as much of a prankster as he was at home.












"Not a word to anyone, Tom. You didn't see anything!"




In the weekends, though, Dad was free to take us around the village.
Mom refused to stay at home and went along with us. She said the exercise was also good for the baby.




"Whoa, Dad! What is this place?"
"Those are the tea house ruins. It was the royal tea house several hundreds of years ago, until it were nearly destroyed by war. We shot a couple scenes at this location, because it has a great view of the ocean and the horizon. The sunsets are amazing in here..."
"Cool!"




It didn't take us long to see all of Takemizu Village's attractions...




"I wish a long and healthy life for my sons and a safe birth for my baby daughter..."




















I can safely say those were the best days of my life.
I was so happy at the Village, that I almost wished I'd never go back to Strangetown and its problems.




And one night, while we were visiting the Imperial Zen Gardens,




I saw him again!




Yup! It was the Ninja! And this time I had no doubt he was real!




I had to talk to him before he disappeared!




He was very surprised when I caught him.
"The untrained eye lacks the ability to detect the Takemizu clan's speed, let alone to see us in action. And yet you've not only seen me, but you were brave enough to approach me despite your young age. I believe you possess the raw qualities of a true ninja!"




"Whoa! Really? Do you think I'd become a ninja when I grow up?"
"I don't only think it... I can already see it in your eyes. You've got the strength and the will to do so but... I shall test if you also have the knowledge and heart of a true ninja. Tell me, kid, what's more important? To know your enemy or to know yourself?"
"Uh... to know myself?"
"Correct, young grasshopper. It's only through a complete control and knowledge of your own strengths and weaknesses that a Ninja is able to perform their greatest tasks. You've proven me you've also gotten the spirit of a Ninja, so I shall pass on to you the secret technique of teleportation!"
"Whoa! Neat!"




The ninja placed his hand over my chest. I felt strange warmth right over my heart, but it was gone before I could truly acknowledge it. And then I was back to normal.
"Uh... so now..."
"I have passed on to you the technique, so it is now stored in your soul. Now you shall develop and learn it as you grow. That's the true challenge of this technique. But if you need a place to start, take a look at the stars. They shall be your starting point in the path to reach your true self."
"The stars? I..."




"That's the true reason behind my stay in this ingrate town that has completely forgotten my clan. Tomorrow night, a star shower shall illuminate Takemizu's sky. Observe it, and you shall start your growing process, Thomas. Don't forget it!"





"I won't! Uh... wait! How did you know my...?"
But the Ninja vanished before I could finish my sentence.
I was thrilled by this encounter! Was he serious? Did I really have the power to become a true Ninja?!
That'd be awesome! If I were as strong and wise as a Ninja, I could fix everything I'd done in the past! Maybe I could make Buck go back with Rosie and my cousins! Maybe Phi would finally forgive me!
I had to watch that star shower! I had too!

____________________________________












Wow, Tommy! Look at you! One could think you were actually born in this Village instead of Strangetown!"- my Mom joked as I finished serving the tea to my family.




Hey, what's that smile, Tommy? Why are you so happy?"




I looked up at Dad- "I saw him, Dad! I saw the Ninja again!"
"Oh, not again!"
"Quiet, Edward!"





"Are you sure it was a real Ninja, son? Maybe it was one of those Ninjas that work at the tourism spots..."
"Nope!"
"Or maybe it was an extra from my film. I had to shoot a couple extra shots today?"
"No! It was a REAL Ninja! And I talked to him!"




"Oh... and what did he say?"
"He said I had the strength of spirit to become a true ninja when I grow up!"
"Wow!"




"Yeah, Eddie! And that I have to watch the star shower tomorrow night if I want to become one! Hey Dad! Can you take us to those Tea House Ruins? You said the view there was nice!"




"Ummm... yeah, I think I heard from a local that there was a star shower tomorrow. All right, Tom. Tomorrow is Monday, so I have to work with Mr. Ishida, but soon as I come back home I'll take you two to the Tea Ruins. What do you think?"
"Thanks, Dad! You are the best!"

___________________________________




I spent the following day very excited from both the star shower and the Ninja's words. I could barely wait until the night.
Unfortunately, plans didn't come out as I wished.
Dad was extremely tired. He'd had a very rough day at work, and he had a horrible headache from all the stress.




But that wasn't the worst part...
I'm sorry, Tommy. But your Dad is not feeling well. And let's not even talk about poor Eddie..."




"I'm afraid those noodles were too spicy for his stomach..."









"I'm very sorry, Sweetie. I know you were looking forward to that trip to the Tea Ruins... Maybe you can watch the star shower from the garden..."
"Yeah... it's OK, Mom."- but I could barely hide how sad and disappointed I was by this change in the plans.




Mom noticed too, for she suddenly smiled and said.
"I know what we'll do! I'll take you to the Tea Ruins, Tom. It'd be nice to spend some time together before Bianca's birth, and I was also curious about that star shower..."




"Are you sure, Marsha? I... I don't think it's a good idea, Honey. What if your water broke while you two are there or...?"
"Oh, Tim! Don't worry! The Tea Ruins are just a couple blocks aways and I'm feeling fine. If anything happened, I can send Tom here in an instant to let you know."
"Well... if you say so..."
"Good. So, what do you say, Tom? Are you ready to see the stars!"




"Of course I am! Let's go!"

_______________________________________




"Good night, Eddie. Sleep tight..."




"... I left the medicine in the bathroom in case Eddie's nausea returns. There's also a pack of crackers in the kitchen..."




"See you later, Tim."
"Please be careful, Honey."
"Don't worry... we won't take long..."





________________________________




"Wow! Look, Mom! Look!"




"Yeah, Tom, I see them. I'd never seen so many stars at the same time. It really is a gorgeous view!"




"It was so worth it! Edward is going to be so jealous when I tell him...!"
"Now, Tom. Don't be rude! It's not Eddie's fault he couldn't make it here. Speaking of, we should go back to the house."
"All right..."




"Thanks for bringing me here, Mom!"




"You are welcome, Tommy. You know I'd do anything to see you happy..."




SNAP! CRACK!




"Wh... what's that noise?!"




"I... I don't see anything, Mom..."
SNAP! CRUNCH!




"Let's go inside, Tom. Hurry!"

______________________________




"I can still hear those noises, Mom! What are...?"




"Listen to me, Thomas. You go back there and hide behind those cardboxes. I'll go see what's going on..."
"But Mom..."
"Don't be scared, Honey. It must be a band of teens fooling around the ruins. If they are bandits, I'll just give them my purse and they'll leave us alone. Now, please be a good boy and stay here, no matter what..."





"All... all right..."




"M-mom...?"
"Be brave, Tom. Quiet..."
"B-but..."




"Well, well, well... isn't it our lucky day!"
"A lone woman and her sprog!"




"So... is this the right one?
"Affirmative. This is the one we were looking for..."
"Wh... what do you want from us? Money? J-just take my purse and leave my kid alone!"




"Oh, in that case I'm afraid we have a problem, lady. Because, you see... we actually came for your child..."




"Over my dead body!"




"Very well... then that shall be the case...!"




"No! Mommy, no!"




"And as for you little child..."




"...there shall be no witnesses of our mission!"




"YAAAAAARGH!"

_______________________________________________________





Wife of Simmie Award Winner Brutally Murdered at Takemizu Village
by Tiffany Summers

STRANGETOWN.- The film industry was violently shocked this Monday by the brutal murder of Marsha Broke, wife of blockbuster actor Tim Broke, known for his roles in "ARRR! The Search for the Hidden Booty" and "Go Gerbitz! The Musical", and who was wrapping up the post production of his first film behind the lens at Takemizu Village, where the murder took place.

Although it's been impossible to reach either Tim’s spokesman or a member of the Broke family, the authorities in charge of this case revealed during an exclusive interview that Marsha's corpse was found 12 hours after it was last seen, inside the ruins of a former Tea House. The body was lying over a pool of blood, and showed marks of the severe beating she suffered prior to her death, along with a large gash in the middle of her abdomen. Marsha Broke was pregnant with her third child, so initial investigations have concluded that the unborn infant was ripped out of her body after her death, seeing as there was no sign of the baby's body around the area.





It is still unknown the motive for such a cruel murder. The authorities of both Strangetown and Takemizu Village have agreed to work together to look for and capture the ones responsible for this crime.

Meanwhile, the lone survivor of this massacre, eight-year-old Thomas Broke, is still recovering from the severe wounds and head concussion he suffered during the attack. The police expect that once Thomas wakes up, he'll share his testimony for the investigation...

_______________________________________












"Where's Dad? I... want Dad!"
"He's in Tommy's room, sweetie. As soon as he's done and, if the doctor allows it, you might get a chance to see your brother for a little while, all right?"
"I-I don't want him to die, Grandma! I miss Mom and Bianca, I don't want Tommy to leave us to!"
"Be strong, Eddie. He'll be all right... he... he just needs to recover from... what those bad guys do to h-him..."





Since he had learned the tragic news of Marsha's murder, Buck hadn't left Rose Mary's side.

It'd been almost two weeks since that horrible night, and in that time he had witnessed how his former family slowly wilted as the days passed.

Tommy was still in a coma from his wounds, and the doctors were still unsure if the child would recover from the brutal attack... or if there'd be sequels if he did wake up.




"Please, Rosie. Please calm down..."- whispered Wanda in a voice much softer than what Buck remembered. In just two weeks, she had gone from a youthful looking elder to a pale shadow of her former shelf. She looked much older than her age, and she was doing a huge effort to stat strong during his son's darkest times.

If learning the truth about Cosmo's relationship with Olive was a hard enough blow to handle, this was much worse for the former family heiress.




"You've been here for two days, Rosie. You need to rest..."
"But...!"
"Your kids need to see you. And we'll take good care of your brother. If there's new about Tommy, we'll let you know. Buck, could you please take her to see your kids?"




"Of course, Mr. Broke. You don't need to ask..."

______________________________________








"Your mother is right, Rosie. Please, calm down!"
"I-I wish I could, Buck... but this is... this is so wrong! Poor Marsha... and poor Tommy. I can barely imagine what they must have suffered. And my brother... he loved Marsha. You know how much! And if Tom d-... if he d-di..."
"Don't say it, Rosie. He's gonna recover, I know it. But you must be strong, for him. And for Tim. He's gonna need his family's support more than ever. He needs us..."




"Y-you're right, Buck. I-I'll try to stay strong. It's the least I can do for my brother and I..."
"Ms. Broke!"




"Ms. Broke! I'm Tiffany Summers from the Sim Daily. I'm sure you remember me..."
"Yeah... you interviewed back when I began my world tour..."
"That's right. And I'd love it if you'd concede me a few minutes for a couple of questions."
"I... I'm not really in the mood to talk about my career..."





"I know, I know. It's just that..."
"And I'm definitely not gonna talk about my brother and his family. He's going through a hard time and..."
"Yeah, I'm so sorry for that. But Ms. Broke, there are rumors that Marsha Broke's murder was committed following orders of an old enemy of the family. Is that true?"




"What? No! Of course not!"
"Then there shall be a reason behind this crime. Are you aware if your brother was involved in other businesses besides his acting career? Illegal contacts? Drugs?"
"I... I..."




"All right, that's it! You leave Rose Mary alone right now!"
"But sir!"
"You listened to her, you cold hearted bitch! Her family is suffering and yet you have the nerve to come up to her and ask this... this bullshit!"
"But..."




"Listen to me, Summers! And you might like to quote me on this: The Brokes are amazing people. I've known them since I was barely Tommy's age, and all these years they've been nothing but a second family to me. They accepted me... despite being related to an enemy of their race and... and..."
"Sir?"
"And now I realize that... never mind. What's important is that they are good people and I'm sure Marsha's death was just the result of an unfortunate accident at the hands of an evil, sick criminal. Now go away!"




Tiffany Summers turned around and left.
Buck could barely believe what he had done and said.
Without saying a word, Rosie hugged him tightly.




"Let's go home. Our kids are waiting for us..."

________________________________




unsurprisingly enough, Chip, Lyla and Ophelia were extremely sad and worried for what happened to both Marsha and Tommy.




"I hope you won't mind if the kids stay with you for a few more days. If... I mean, when Tommy recovers and comes home, I'm sure there'll be a media circus outside our house, if we consider what happened tonight. The last thing I want for my kids is to suffer that too..."




"I understand, Rosie. And you don't even need to ask. This is their home too... they can stay here as long as they want.




"Thank you, Buck. For everything..."
"You are welcome."
"I guess I should go now..."
"Where?"
"To my house, of course. It's gonna be odd to have it all by myself but.. Dad is right, I need to rest and stay strong for Tim, no matter what happens."




"Call me, Rosie. I'll go to the hospital with you..."
"Don't worry, I will. Good night, Buck."





"Good night..."




Lyla Grunt left the house. She had seen enough.
She approached Buck and took little Monica from his arms.
"Whaaaat... are you doing, Buck?"
"Mom?"




"Thissss... is her home tooo. Go... call her back..."




"My home... is opeeeeen to the people who live inside my sons' hearts... to their faaaamily..."

___________________________________




"Rose Mary! Wait! Rosie!"




"Wh-what's wrong, Buck?"
"Where are you going?"




"I already told you! I'm going home! Is this some kind of..."




Buck took her in his arms and kissed her.




For the first time in more than two years, Rose Mary felt she was where she was supposed to be: Right by his side.




Reluctantly, she broke the kiss and pushed him back.




"Buck?"




"Stay with me, Rose Mary. This is your home. This is where your family... our family lives."
"But..."
"I still need to deal with the past... it'll always hurt, but what's done is done. But now I realize that you were never part of that past. You were always my present..."







"... and I want you to be part of my future. Please... please forgive me..."




Rose Mary smiled- "That's also now in the past, Buck..."
Still holding her hand, Buck took her back to his home.
Their home.
Later, as they lay together for the first time in two years, he promised her he'd never let her hand go away.

And he never did.

________________________________________________







"..."




"... oooo, Marsha!"




"...hat've... done...y...! God! I... ry...!"




"... sorry...es... there's...ing....to...sa...r...."
"Wh... about her...?"




"I trust that y... needed to....r...o."
"Yes, Commander..."




"He's...ive! He's breathing..."
"It's a miracle..."




"Don't worry, little boy. You are safe now..."




*Gasp* Mom!




T-Tommy! Y-you are awake! I-I..."




S-stay there, Tommy! Let me look for a doctor!




I can't, Dad! I've gotta save Mom! Where is she? Where is Bianca?




T-Tommy...




"L-listen to me, Tom. You-- you've got to be strong..."
"You are scaring me, Dad!"




"Your mother... and you. You were attacked by a band of criminals. You were badly hurt when the police found you... but your Mom... and Bianca..."
"What?!"
"They are gone, Tom. They didn't make it..."




"No! NO! You are lying!"




"She can't be dead! She can't! No! No, Dad! Bring her back! We've gotta save her!"




"What are we doing here? NO! We have to go back!"




"Tom...there's nothing we can do..."
"I want my MOM! I want her NOW! DAD! Let me see her, DAD! I.. I..."




"I... I..."




"I let her down, Dad. There were so many...! I want her back, Daddy! I miss her..."




"It's all my fault Dad..."




"Please, Tom. That's not true. Don't say that..."




"I failed Mom... and Bianca... I want them..."




"Mom... I'm so sorry..."



________________________________________
Notes:
- Lots used in this update are the Mercy Hospital by sunni9676 and the Tea House Ruins V by V1ND1CARE, both at ModTheSims2.
- Thanks for reading this update!

Comments

[simgaroop.livejournal.com]

Hee, you caught some of the clues ;)

It's not Calvin, because he's living on Sim!Earth with Helena and Ripp. So that only leaves the other obvious option (see icon ;D).

Thanks for reading!