Welcome back! As a quick recap to the last part, the following things happened:

*Laurana acted like Bella Swan, much to her dismay. But, she finally came to her senses, went to Veronaville and reconciled with Vaughn Fitzhugh. They got married.*Johnny Smith got harangued by his sister to find someone new. He decided to call Karen.*In a big “IT'S ABOUT EFFING TIME” move, Zane and Tina got engaged. Zane got permission from Spider Jerusalem Vetinari to hold his wedding in Spider's garden.*Rhys Fitzhugh and Eden are quickly becoming the power couple of the celebrity world (I refuse to use the word “Simmywood” as it sounds stupid. However, I am NOT above combining their names and calling them Rhyden because it's funny). But, in a DRAMATIC CLIFFHANGER, Rhys read on a celebrity gossip site that Eden was pregnant. He knew she wasn't, but he got the suspicion that she was trying without even telling him.*Oh. And a lot of my readers laughed at Keith pushing the car into the TARDIS. It really IS bigger on the inside.

Alright, recap done! Let's move on with the show!

***

“Oh my God,” Tina gasped. “Oh my God, Zane, look!”

“Zane! Look at all the flowers! Look! They're beautiful!”

Zane smiled at her happiness. “Look down at your dress,” he said.

Her eyes widened as she looked down at the wedding dress that she hadn't been wearing when she arrived in Spider's garden. With a delighted laugh she spun herself around.

When she had finished, she threw herself into Zane's arms and kissed him over and over. “This is absolutely perfect! Thank you so much!”

He smiled and shook his head. “It wasn't me. I didn't create any of this.” He tilted his head towards the other man standing there. “This is Spider's garden, so it's all him.”

Impulsively, she threw her arms around Spider Jerusalem. “Thank you,” she whispered. “The flowers are beautiful. I can't even begin to tell you how pretty they are or how pretty everything is.”

Spider cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, the dress code was supposed to be formal and what's a wedding without flowers?”

“Thank you anyway.”

“Tourists,” Ruth scoffed loudly.

“Tell me about it,” replied Jezebel. “Hey, Reaper Boy, you're going to have to do so much more to impress us. Just thought you should know,” she teased.

“Hey,” he said with a cocky smile, “don't forget that I can take away clothes as well.”

“Do it,” Ruth taunted.

“We triple dog dare you,” Jezebel laughed.

“You know what? I think I'm going to take the high road today,” Spider said as he began to pour soap into his fountain. “We all know how Zane is about nudity. Don't want to ruin his special day.”

“Yeah, he is one of the more modest Reapers we've ever encountered,” Ruth said.

“I think you're just being a chicken,” Jezebel continued to tease. “Besides, I don't think he'd mind seeing Tina naked.”

“True, but, well, Zane isn't the only person here who might be embarrassed by nudity.”

“This is also true,” Ruth agreed.

Zane held Tina's hands. “Are you sure about this?”

She smiled. “It's not like I can say 'no' at this point.”

“Yes, you can,” he said quietly.

“Zane, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. Not getting married to you would be the biggest one. Come on, I think everyone is waiting to get the show on the road.”

Much to his regret, Zane never remembered what was said during their ceremony. All he would ever remember was how beautiful Tina looked in her dress...

What her hand felt like when he placed the wedding ring on her finger...

And how happy he was when she did the same for him.

Thankfully he would always remember, very clearly, kissing her for the first time as husband and wife.

Oh, and of course, the claps from their friends.

“The judges rate the kiss as only an 8.5, Zane. You're going to have to do better than that!” Jezebel joked.

“Alright! It's time to party!” Spider said.

“Back at our place?” Tina asked. Zane and Spider laughed.

“Why would we go all the way back there when I can imagine an entire reception here?” Spider asked.

Tina smiled with glee as Jezebel said, “Quit showing off, Spider.”

“Hey, it's the bride's day. If it makes her happy, I'll make it happen.”

Zane smiled as his friends teased each other. Pulling out a knife, he said to Tina, “Well, most of this was made by Spider. The cake, however, is from the Mortal Realm.”

“Is it your dads' cake? What's his name again?” she asked.

“Yeah, it's Gilbert's cake. He likes making wedding cakes best.”

He gently fed a bite to her, taking care not to get any on her dress. “How does it taste?” he asked.

“It's perfect, just like everything else today, Zane.”

“Good, I'm glad. I am going to do everything I can to make sure that you'll always be happy.”

After everyone else had helped themselves to the cake, Spider poured some champagne and clinked his glass against Zane's. “You know what? I'm actually very happy for you.”

Zane smiled widely. “Thank you.”

“So, what's her brand of crazy? They all have a bit of it, you know. What's Tina's?”

Zane thought about it for a moment and then said, “Bad taste in men.”

Spider blinked then laughed. “I'll be goddamned. Did you just make a joke?”

Zane just smiled even wider. “I'm going to go kiss my wife,” he said, still unable to believe that this day had finally come for him.

It was the happiest day of his life.

***

In the months following her graduation from college, Karen had undergone a notable change. She had found a job at the movie theater as a projectionist, she had stopped hanging out extensively at the clubs, and she tried to be more thoughtful of other people's feelings. The last part was hard, but at least she tried.

She also casually dated a few of the men around town but there was no spark. It was frustrating for her, but the dating part appealed to the Pleasure Seeker aspect of her personality, and of course, meeting new people was always fun. So, when Johnny Smith called her out of the blue and asked if she wanted to go out for coffee with him, she agreed.

He was likeable enough, so they started seeing each other on a regular basis. He was a bit more conservative than what she was used to, and rather bitter about his divorce, but they had fun. The fact that neither of them were looking for anything serious helped a lot.

It also helped that Frances and Malcolm loved Johnny and they thought that he was a good, stable influence on their daughter.

Peyton also liked Johnny, especially when Johnny didn't mind the Bigfoot's chiropractic administrations.

Visiting Johnny's sister was a bit difficult sometimes, though. Jill and Karen really didn't have a whole lot to talk about, seeing as Jill was a lot more book and family oriented than Karen herself was. Karen also got the feeling that Jill didn't like the fact that she was so much younger than Johnny, and even Jill herself. Karen didn't let it bother her, though. Or at least she tried to not let it bother her. She and Johnny weren't all that serious, so it didn't matter in the long run. Besides, Matthew, Johnny's nephew, adored Karen, so that always made visits to Johnny's family easier.

For the most part, they had some good times together.

They even had some really good times.

But, they didn't really love each other. So, they came to the mutual decision that they should break up and remain friends. They both agreed that the time that they spent together was great and all, but they were looking for different things. It was all very civil and friendly.

“Shit...”

***

“So what's up?” Johnny asked Karen politely. While they had agreed to be friends, things were still a bit awkward.

Karen sighed and tried to figure out how to best break the news. In all her life, she never thought that she would be in this situation. A sudden thought flashed into her mind: she wondered how her mother handled the situation. Karen could barely remember the woman with blond hair, but she knew that, with the exception of the strange dark figure that took her on a horse ride, that there was no male in the picture. She wondered how her mother had told her father that she was pregnant.

She also realized that she would never know that information, so she just said, very straight forward, ”Johnny, I'm pregnant.”

She was quite certain that his green skin paled slightly as he widened his eyes. “W..What? Pregnant? Really? Are you sure?”

Karen rolled her eyes. “Oh, no, I'm totally lying about this. I'm completely faking the sore boobs, morning sickness, and the three positive pregnancy tests that I took. Of course I'm sure, Johnny. What kind of stupid question is that?”

“I didn't mean it like that. I mean, yeah, of course you're sure. I'm just surprised, that's all. Don't worry, I'll do the right thing.”

Karen shoved herself away from the table. “Oh, that's real fucking nice to know.”

“What? What's your problem?”

“'I'll do the right thing' doesn't really inspire confidence. It doesn't matter, I didn't expect you to do anything anyway. I didn't come here to make demands upon you or anything. I just thought I'd let you know so when a little green kid comes running up to you and calling you 'Daddy,' you won't be surprised. Whether you want to be involved with the kid or not is entirely up to you.” She slammed her coffee cup into the sink and got ready to leave.

“Karen, wait. I didn't mean it like that; it came out wrong. Look, whatever you want or need, I'll be there for you and the baby. I really want you to know that. I'm not going to be some creep who just walks out on you or anything like that. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it.”

Karen sighed again. “Well, it would be nice if you were there when I tell my dads about it. Maybe we can do that tonight?”

He winced a little, but then quickly smiled. “Absolutely.”

She gave him a relieved smile.

He pulled her into a hug. “We'll work this out, okay? Everything will be fine.”

***

“Well, I must admit that I'm a bit surprised to see you again, Johnny. Do not get me wrong, but we were under the assumption that you and our daughter were no longer seeing each other. I am pleased to see that it's no longer true,” Frances said. Malcolm, on the other hand, eyed Karen and Johnny with suspicion.

“Yeah, we thought you two broke up,” he said.

Johnny gave them a guilty smile. He had mentioned to Karen earlier that he was pretty sure that her fathers wouldn't break his legs, but he wasn't quite so certain about the Bigfoot. He had then added that, to be honest, he wasn't all that sure that Malcolm and Frances weren't going to break some bone in his body. So, he remained silent while Karen said, “Well, we aren't back together. Not really. It's just that..well, some things have changed.”

“So, you are not together then? That's a shame, but then why on earth did you feel the need to have a talk with us?” Frances asked, oblivious to Peyton's astounded look and Malcolm's sigh.

“You're pregnant, aren't you?” Malcolm asked, getting right to the point.

“Um, well,” Johnny began hesitantly.

“Yes, I am,” Karen said. “I'm sorry.”

Malcolm sighed. “No need to apologize, I suppose. What's done is done and you're both adults. My question is what do you guys plan to do about it? Obviously, Karen, you don't have to worry about finances or anything like that. Your father and I have more than enough money to cover the costs of having a child. We might have to look into getting a new house, though, for more room and such. Oh, and Johnny, you are more than welcome to participate in the child's life. Just by you being here proves that's what you want to do anyway. So, free visitation and all. You don't have to worry about anything as Karen and the baby will be taken care of.”

Johnny looked at Malcolm and then at Karen. “Um, actually, I'd like to do more than just have visitation rights to the child,” he said.

“What exactly is that supposed to mean?” Malcolm asked. “If you want custody, well then--”

Malcolm stopped short when Johnny pulled out a small velvet box. “No, I don't want custody. I want to be part of the child's life on a daily basis.” He looked at Karen and said, “This is what I meant earlier when I said that I would do the right thing.”

Karen opened the box and looked at the engagement ring. “You want to marry me?”

“Yes I do,” he firmly replied. “I want to be a real father to the baby, not just a part time one.”

Malcolm gave her a worried look. “Karen, getting married just because you're pregnant isn't a good reason to get married. Johnny, I like you, I really do, but you two broke up because you weren't compatible! A child will only--”

“Yes, Johnny, I'll marry you,” Karen said.

There was nothing more to say about the issue, so they started making plans for a wedding and new houses they could possibly move into after the baby was born. As the hour grew late, Johnny excused himself to go back to his house so he could start packing. He watched Karen for a moment as she played with her cat, Lulu.

“You aren't allergic to cats, are you?” Karen asked.

“No, I'm not,” he replied, suddenly realizing that there was a whole lot that they really didn't know about each other.

“That's good,” was all she said in return.

He gave her a perfunctory hug. “I should get going. Give me a call tomorrow so we can plan how all of this is going to work out, okay?”

“Sounds good,” she said and gave him a kiss.

After he left, Karen slumped down at the table. “So, how much trouble am I really in?” she asked.

“Sweetie, you aren't in trouble,” Malcolm began, “I'm just worried about the situation. I really do like him, but if you didn't work out when there wasn't a child in the picture, how do you think it's going to work with a child? Kids are a lot of work and can often times cause even more problems. I just--”

“Karen, how fast do we need to plan this wedding?” Frances interrupted.

She stood up as she felt a sudden kick in her stomach. “Um, the sooner the better, I think,” she said.

***

In less than a week, Karen and Johnny were exchanging vows.

They didn't have a whole lot of time to plan a big reception, so it was only Johnny's sister and husband, Peyton, and Karen's parents. There was one additional guest that no one had invited as well, though nobody except for Peyton noticed him at first.

It wasn't until everyone had gone inside for cake and champagne that Johnny noticed Zane. Confused, irritated, and a bit scared, he walked up to the Grim Reaper. “What are you doing here?” he asked a bit defensively. He wondered if the other man had heard about Karen's pregnancy and he wondered how Zane would react to the news.

Zane raised an eyebrow. “I'm here to watch Karen get married. I told you before that she is a person of interest to me.”

Even more defensive, Johnny asked, “And exactly what kind of interest do you have in her? I mean, you don't...” he trailed off, not knowing how to finish the statement.

Zane laughed a little and turned away. “No, it's not that kind of interest. Far from it. Far, far from it.” He shuddered a little. “But if it my being here makes you uncomfortable, I will leave.”

Slightly mollified, Johnny said, “No, you don't have to. I mean, you're already here, so why don't you come inside and join in the festivities.”

Zane gave him a huge, sincere smile. “Really? That would be very nice. Thank you.”

As the two of them walked inside, Johnny asked, “What exactly is your interest in her anyway? Is she...no. She's not...she's not your daughter or something like that, is she?” he asked as he remembered the rumors that went around Strangetown about Olive Specter and the Grim Reaper.

The other man looked down and Johnny noticed that he had started fidgeting with something on his finger. A second glance told him that what Zane was fidgeting with looked an awful lot like a wedding ring.

“I would actually prefer not to say right now,” Zane replied after a moment. “It's very complicated. I will tell you, and Karen, someday. But today is not the day to get into it.”

“Fair enough,” Johnny said. They headed towards the kitchen when he asked, “So, what's your name, anyway? I mean, when Karen and I talk about our wedding in the future, I can't really talk about the Grim Reaper showing up. I have the distinct feeling that she doesn't remember much of that night.”

“No, she wouldn't,” Zane murmured sadly.

“What?”

Zane turned and shook the green man's hand. “My name is Zane. Frances and Malcolm know me, at least a little bit. We've attended the same parties around the neighborhood over the years. I am, without lying whatsoever, a close family friend. And, as a close family friend, I want you to know that I think you will make an excellent father to your future child.”

Stunned, Johnny said, “Y..you know?”

Zane smiled. “Yes, I do. And I think it's wonderful. I love babies and I hope you'll let me meet the child when it's born.”

“Let me guess: you have a special interest in our baby as well, don't you?”

“Yes. Yes I do,” Zane replied with a smile.

When everyone had gathered into the kitchen, Frances called for a toast. “To our daughter Karen, I want to wish you a happy life with your new husband. It seems like only yesterday that we found you, our most precious gift, sitting on our doorstep. I hope that you and Johnny have the same wonderful life that your father and I have had ever since you entered it. My dear daughter, you look absolutely stunning today and I can't wait to see what your new life brings.”

As Frances was saying this, a revelation went through Johnny's mind. He glanced at Zane with a sudden understanding.

Zane, catching Johnny's look, merely smiled. “To Johnny and Karen,” he said with everyone else.

After everyone had finished toasting the newlyweds and some cake had been eaten, Zane found himself face to face with Karen. “I know you from somewhere,” she said. “You're...you're--” she struggled to place his face and then it clicked. “You're that guy who asked me all those questions about how I was doing in school at one of the Lewis' parties, aren't you?”

Zane smiled slightly. “Yeah, that would be me. Sorry for making you feel awkward back then.”

“Oh, God, I was rude to you, wasn't I?”

He shrugged. “Meh, you were a teenager. I shouldn't have been so socially inept. My apologies.”

“No, I'm sorry for being rude.”

Zane just shrugged then he smiled down at her belly. “So, I hear even more congratulations are in order. When are you due?”

“How did you know?”

“Word travels fast. I'm so very happy for you. The baby will be beautiful, I'm sure. How can it not be?”

Johnny watched Karen and Zane with a smile, not noticing the look his sister was giving him. “Johnny,” she whispered, “this is a big mistake. You two broke up. You told me that you had absolutely nothing in common with her. She was just supposed to be a fling; someone to help you get over Ophelia. Now you're married to her? Are you even sure that the baby--”

“Jill, give it a rest, okay? We'll find things in common and we'll work things out, alright? Please, can't you just be happy for me today?”

Jill sighed and gave him a hug. “Okay, John. If you are happy, then I'll be happy for you. I just don't like seeing my big brother get hurt.”

“I know, and I appreciate your concern, really I do.”

“Mom's gonna be mad that she missed your wedding.”

“If you talk to her before I do, tell her that Karen and I will visit her after the baby is born. Oh, and if she asks if I used the cheesecake recipe she sent me, tell her, for the hundredth time, that it's illegal here. If we have twins, it'll have to be all natural.”

Jill laughed. “Will do.”

“How are you feeling?” Malcolm asked Karen.

“Fine. The dress is a bit tight, but other than that, I feel okay.”

Malcolm nodded and opened his mouth to say more, but then thought better of it.

Instead, he kissed her on her cheek. “Good, I'm glad,” he said. “You are a beautiful bride and I'm happy for you and Johnny.”

“Thank you,” she said.

Frances swooped in right after Malcolm and began to pat Karen's belly. “The dress isn't too tight, is it? I'd hate to think that the baby is getting crushed for the sake of fashion.”

Karen smiled. “No, it's not getting crushed. It's more, um, other areas that are feeling a bit sore, but I'll get over it.”

“Well, if you are feeling tired, or faint, or hungry, or whatever, you now have four men here to help you with whatever you need. Just let us know.”

“Thank you, I will, but I'm sure everything will be fine.”

After the reception was over, Johnny found his new wife in her bedroom patting her belly. “Do..do you need anything?” he asked.

She shrugged. “This dress is killing me, but I can't unzip it myself.”

He blushed. “Um, do you need me to help you with that?”

“It would be nice.”

He stood there awkwardly for a moment. Then he laughed, which made Karen laugh.

She stepped into his arms. “Okay, it can't be all that weird for us. I mean, it's not like we haven't seen each other naked before. That's how we got into this situation in the first place.”

“You do have a point.”

“Okay, so stop treating me like someone you just met yesterday, okay? You said that we can make this work and I'm going to hold you to that.”

“Fair enough.”

“Good. Now please unzip my dress, Mr. Smith. My boobs are killing me.”

“As you wish, Mrs. Smith,” he said before he kissed her.

***

Eden was about to go to bed when she heard pounding at the door. A bit surprised by the fact that she had a visitor so late in the night, she hurried to answer it, thinking that it might be an emergency. When she saw through the window who it was, she stopped in a panic. Oh, no, no, no, no, she thought. She wasn't wearing any makeup, she had taken out her contact lenses, and her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. She was not prepared whatsoever for who was actually at the door. It was too late for her to run and change, though, as her visitor had seen her standing there. With a sigh, she opened the door.

“Rhys,” she said, “I thought you had to go to Veronaville for Vaughn and Laurana's wedding. I wasn't--”

“We need to talk. Now. It can't wait,” he said angrily.

Eden sighed again and let him in.

They had barely made it two steps inside when Rhys started in on her. “First of all, are you pregnant? I want to know.”

“What? No, I--”

“But you're trying to get pregnant, aren't you?”

“Rhys--”

“What is up with you?”

“Rhys--”

“I can't believe I actually thought that you--”

“Rhys,” she interrupted, “it's not talking if you won't let me answer your questions.” She turned and walked away from him.

She began to stack some logs into the fireplace as she waited for him to calm down. She heard him sit down on the couch with a sigh. As she played around with the fireplace, she periodically glanced over her shoulder and she'd see that he was either opening his mouth as if to say something, but thinking better of it, or tapping his fingers on the back of his other hand.

When she couldn't stall any longer, Eden stood up but kept her back turned. “What did you want to ask?” she said calmly.

“Are you pregnant? Because if you are, I--”

“Rhys,” she gently interrupted, “no, I am not. And if I were, you'd be the first person I'd tell. I wouldn't let you find out through some gossip site.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “Are you trying to get pregnant?”

Eden closed her eyes. “Yes.”

“I knew it! So that's what all of this has been about. Is that all I am to you? An easy lay and a sperm donor? God damn it!”

She winced at the hurt in his tone. “No,” she said quietly, “that's not all you are to me. You mean a lot more to me than that, you really do. I just...” she trailed off as she began picking at her cuticles. I'd tell you that I love you, but that would just piss you off more, she thought. “You don't understand,” she said aloud.

Rhys slumped down onto the couch. “And what, pray tell, am I not understanding? Because I think I understand quite perfectly what's going on. I get it, you're the heiress. Your number one duty is to bring in the next generation. You decided, without even consulting me, that you were going to use me to accomplish this. When were you going to let me know? What, when the kid had already learned to walk and talk? Because I'll have you know that--”

“No! That's not it all all! At least not exactly how you are thinking. Rhys, yes, I chose you to be the father of this hypothetical child because I like you best out of all the other men I've been with. But I was planning on telling you as soon as it happened. I know how important your children are to you; I wouldn't have kept you out of the loop. But you don't understand. I..I want to get my mother off my back. I need to have a baby so she'll leave me alone. I'm so tired of the constant, 'Eden, you need to get married. Eden, you have to have a baby. Eden, sit up straight. Eden, eat like a lady otherwise people will be disgusted. Eden, it'll be so much easier if you were a Family Sim. Eden, don't look so sloppy because you'll never know what kind of pictures people will take of you. Eden, what would people think? Eden, I don't want you to date that man. Eden, Eden, Eden, Eden! ' I JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!”

She flinched as he strode over to her and grabbed her shoulders, convinced that he was going to start shaking her. Instead, though is face was still angry, his hands just rested on them. “And you think that having a child born out of wedlock will stop that? Look, I have no problems with having children outside of marriage; I really don't and you know that. But considering how your mother is, do you honestly think she'd stop there? It sounds to me as if she'd just find even more things to harass you about. 'Oh, Eden, it's such a shame that the child's father isn't around, isn't it? It's such a shame that this child won't live up to my warped sense of what a normal family is, isn't it?' And what about what she'd say to the kid itself? Did you think about that? 'Oh, it's too bad that your father isn't around. Oh, it's too bad that you don't have a father living here. It's such a shame that you don't have a father who loves you enough to be here with you everyday.' I'll be goddamned if any child of mine is going to be subjected to that.”

Eden felt herself deflate. “No,” she said softly as she began to pick at her fingers again, “I..I didn't think about that. You're right. It would be wrong to put any child we had through that. I'm sorry.”

Rhys sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Ede, did marriage ever once cross your mind? It certainly would cut down on the hassle and there would be nothing your mother could say about it seeing as you'd be doing exactly what she wants you to do anyway. Then we'd have a kid, you'd have a husband and everyone would be happy.”

She wrapped her arms around herself. “No. I don't want to get married.”

He was silent for a long moment before he replied with, “...Why not?”

She sighed. “Because it would just create even more problems.”

He was silent even longer before he asked, “Is it me? Is that the problem?”

“No. It's not you, not at all. It's just that everything would change. I like how things are.”

“How would things change? I mean, yeah, things would change a little. We'd be living together instead of you leaving my place every morning. But honestly, that would be a nice change. We'd both be wearing wedding rings, so that would be a change. But other than that, I don't see what the big deal is.”

“I like being with you. I enjoy your company. I love being around you. You make me happy. That would change if we got married and I don't want that,” she said.

Rhys raised his eyebrows. “Noooo,” he said slowly, “it wouldn't. Ede, you do know that marriage can actually be fun when you're with the right person, don't you?”

For the first time since he arrived, Eden smiled. “What you're actually saying is that I would have a lot of fun being married to you specifically.”

“Haaaave you met me?” he said with a grin. “I'm awesome. I'm dashing, charming, charismatic, and I 'sparkle before the cameras.' The gossip sites all say so. They also mention 'rugged good looks,' but I won't let that sway your opinion.”

Eden laughed outright. “Oh, Rhys,” was all she could say.

His face turned serious again as he held her hands in his. “I'm not joking. We should get married because it would be a lot of fun. Though, I shudder to think how the celebrity sites will combine our names. I'm sensing something like 'Rhyden' in the future.”

Eden smiled wanly. “I don't know, Rhys.”

“You're going to make me beg?”

“No, it's not that. It's just, well, you haven't even asked. 'Eden, we should get married because it'll cut down on the hassle and it would be fun. By the way, I'm awesome,' is what you said. That's how you're asking me to marry you?”

“No, this is how I'm asking.”

He dropped to his knee. “Eden, will you marry me?” he simply asked.

“Rhys, my mother hates you.”

“Do you hate me?”

“No!”

“Good. Because you see, I'm not asking your mother to marry me. I'm asking you.”

She pulled him up with a laugh and they wrapped their arms around each other. Rhys gave her an expectant look. “You haven't answered,” he said.

“Are you sure nothing will change between us?”

He sighed. “Ede, I can't predict the future. But, how about we both try very hard not to let things 'change,' whatever you mean by that. Deal?”

She nodded. “Deal.”

“So...is that a yes?”

Eden smiled. “Yes, it is a 'yes.'

She would have said more, but she became distracted by his lips on hers and by the fact that he had pulled her body closer to his.

It was not an unpleasant distraction.

***

Seeing as Eden only had a couple of days of filming left, she asked Rhys to stay with her, which he happily agreed to. She tried to relax around him, but she still took great pains to eat neatly in front of him and she also made sure that he never saw her without makeup.

But, Eden found that she was very relieved to be engaged. In fact, she was downright happy about it and she was in a very good mood when she had to go to work. The only downside was that she knew her mother wouldn't approve, no matter how much Rhys pointed out that it was her mother that wanted her married in the first place.

He didn't understand. Or, at least, he refused to understand.

Eden had the distinct feeling that none of it was going to go over well with Mary, and that Mary would try to put a stop to all of it.

It was that worry that prompted Eden to say, “Let's get married today,” to Rhys the day she was scheduled to return to Pleasantview.

He blinked. “Today?”

She nodded. “We don't need a big ceremony, do we? Or we could always do that afterwards with family and friends. It's just,” she shrugged. “It's just that I would feel a lot better about going home if I were a married woman instead of just an engaged woman.”

“You think your mother is going to try to break us up, don't you?”

“I know she's going to try; she's been trying to convince me to stop seeing you since the very beginning. It'll just be harder for her to try if we're actually married.” Her face was somber as she looked at him. “Is that alright?”

He dipped her back, which made her laugh. He smiled, pulled her up and kissed her. “It's more than alright,” he said.

They made a quick trip into town, bought wedding rings, and went back to the cabin to exchange private vows.

As Eden held his hand in hers, she couldn't help but feel both nervous and happy at the same time. She believed Rhys when he vowed to be a good husband to her and she knew that she would be a good wife to him. But, with her mother so wholeheartedly against him, and the Romance Aspiration itself, she wondered if it would be enough.

She hoped so.

The entire situation was overwhelming; everything was moving too fast for her. Just a few days before she was seriously contemplating being a single mother and now she was married; married to someone that she knew her mother didn't approve of. Plus, she got married in secret. Even though she was the one who suggested it, she knew that Mary was going to be even more upset.

Surprisingly, though, she wasn't upset about the thought of being married. She sincerely thought she would be. It was her mother that was her biggest concern.

But, before she could give that revelation more thought, the cab to take her back to Pleasantview had arrived. “Are you okay?” Rhys asked as he grabbed one of her suitcases and headed towards the car.

She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

“You guess?”

As they loaded the suitcases into the cab, Eden finally said out loud what was bothering her. “My mother is going to kill me.”

Rhys snorted. “She wanted you to get married. You did what she wanted. Don't worry, she'll have to go through me first.”

“Oh, she will. She'll kill you, then me.”

He rolled his eyes. “Ede, you do realize that I lived through an apocalypse, right? If I could survive that, I can certainly take on your mother. She doesn't scare me.”

“I hope you're right.”

“Everything will be fine,” he said firmly.

***

The trip back to Pleasantview was long and dull, especially since the driver made it very clear that she wasn't going to tolerate any shenanigans going on in the back seat. When Rhys tried to plead that he and Eden were newlyweds, she became even more firm about her rule and threatened to make one of them sit in the front seat. So, they had to be content with snuggling, Eden's head resting on Rhys' shoulder.

Eden fretted about what Mary was going to say and do when she was told that the two of them had gotten married. Rhys had to frequently say variations of, “It'll be fine,” but still Eden fretted.

When the taxi finally pulled up to the house, Eden got out and took a deep breath as she braced herself for what was going to come next.

Rhys wrapped his arms around her. “Why are you so worried about this? Eden, do you honestly think I would let your mother say or do anything to you?”

Eden shook her head and looked at him with sad eyes. “You don't understand. She's not going to say or do anything directly. It's all how she says and does things. She'll say something to you to make you go away. You're competition, Rhys. She's basically had me to herself all these years and she wants to control how she shares me.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Well then my dear mother-in-law is going to learn that she's not going to pull that crap with me. I can do competition and I can be quite good at it. Everything. Will. Be. Fine.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “Trust me.”

The two of them walked into the house holding hands. Mary greeted them with a sigh. “Eden, dear, how many times must I tell you that I don't want you bringing your random boyfriends home? I would prefer to meet them when you are actually engaged.”

Eden and Rhys looked at each other and she squeezed his hand before letting go.

“Actually, Mother,” she said as she showed her hands to Mary, “Rhys and I are married.”

“Married?” Mary said. The dismay in her voice was evident.

She managed to visibly recover as she pasted on a smile. She looked over at Rhys, not noticing the genuine smile her daughter had for her new husband. “So, Mr. Fitzhugh, I see you managed to convince my daughter to settle down. How very...fortunate.”

Rhys' eyebrow quirked as he smiled slightly. “Yeah, we're both pretty happy about it,” he said.

Mary gave him a long, cool look before responding with, “Yes. How...delightful.” They stared at each other for a moment longer, neither one wanting to be the one who looked away first.

Eden broke the silence by saying, “We are both really happy about it. I thought you would be, too.”

Mary was forced to break eye contact first as she turned to hug Eden, “Of course I'm happy for you, dear,” she said in a forced, sing-song voice. “I'm just disappointed that I wasn't present to witness your happy day. Of course that will have to be remedied immediately. We'll have to get you a dress and call the press, oh and dear, you don't mind saying your vows over again, do you? I'm quite certain that your...husband's family and friends would like to be present for your happy day as well, don't you agree?”

“We had both figured that would be the case, so, no, we don't mind.”

“Oh, naturally you have everything figured out, don't you? Of course you do! Anyway, Eden, why don't you go upstairs and change out of that frumpy outfit. I just need to speak to Mr. Fitzhugh for a few moments to brief him on what is to be expected from him as the...spouse...of a legacy heiress. I won't keep him long.”

With a sigh and a last look at Rhys, who had just smiled back at her in return, she went up the stairs.

Mary led Rhys into the living room and she sat down on one of the chairs. Seeing as she didn't indicate to him that he could sit down, he stood over her with his arms crossed. “She's married now,” he said. “And from what I understand, she's now the heiress, not some little kid that should be sent out of the room.”

“Married,” Mary scoffed. “Yes, about that: did you honestly think I would let that fly? I know all about you, Mr. Fitzhugh. I don't know what you did to convince my daughter that you are 'reformed' but she clearly doesn't realize that you are taking advantage of her. Just what exactly did you hope to achieve here? What is it that you want?”

He forced a laugh. “What did I do to 'convince' Eden? Nothing. She already knew about me, and accepted my past. She contacted me, not the other way around. As for what I want? Believe it or not, nothing there, either, at least not in the way that you're thinking. I truly want nothing more than to be married to Eden, relax with some good scotch on the rocks, and, God willing, pass on my awesome nose to our children.”

“I see,” she said slowly. “It's funny that you should mention children. Tell me, Mr. Fitzhugh, have you consummated your marriage with my daughter?”

He blinked at Mary's question. Actually, no, you nosy bitch, we didn't have the time, he thought. “I really don't see how that's any of your business,” he said aloud.

“I know it's very old fashioned, but if it hasn't been consummated then the marriage can be annulled.”

“And you honestly think I would tell you the truth if it it wasn't? Really?”

“Well Mr. Fitzhugh, if you have truly changed then perhaps your conscience will get the better of you. Would you lie if that's the case?”

What self-respecting man would admit to not having sex? Are you really that dumb? He crossed his arms and smirked at her. “If you absolutely must know: yes, it was. Multiple times. Vigorously,” he couldn't help but add at the end.

Mary shuddered and then sighed. She stood up and walked toward the window.

She was silent for such a long time that Rhys thought their conversation was over. He started to leave the room when she quietly said, “Mr. Fitzhugh, I am prepared to sell all of the family businesses and liquidate all of our assets shy of the house itself. The amount of money that the family is worth is just over a million simoleons. I will give you all of that money if you will quietly dissolve your marriage to Eden. The press doesn't even know that you are married, so it will be easy. I don't think that you will be happy here and I know that it chafes Romance Sims, such as yourself, to be tied down. In the long run, it will be easier on everyone, including my daughter, if you accepted my offer.”

He made a disgusted sound and waved away her words. "No offense, Mrs. Devereaux, but not all Romance Sims hate being married. Frankly, I'm insulted that you think I'd just walk away that easily. I didn't marry Eden for her money."

“If not for the money, then why did you marry her, Mr. Fitzhugh? For the power? To have control over the family? Please, enlighten me.”

“Did it occur to you that Eden and I actually enjoy being in each other's company? How about the fact that Eden is happy when she's with me and I like making her happy. Did that thought ever cross your mind?”

“Perhaps you are right, Mr. Fitzhugh; that thought hadn't occurred to me. Well, I certainly hope that you will continue to feel this way about my daughter as it would most unfortunate if she were to mysteriously die like some other wives that we know, hm?”

Mary completely blindsided him with the mention of Lucy, his first wife from another world, another time, another lifetime ago. His mouth dropped open as a million things to say and a million feelings clamored forward.

He forcefully shoved them all down; he didn't like to think about Lucy. He clenched his fist.

“You know what? We're done with this conversation,” was the only thing he could manage to get out.

“Actually no, Mr. Fitzhugh, we aren't,” Mary replied.

“Yes we are, you unbelievable bitch,” he said as he walked out of the room.

He had managed to control his anger at Mary as he entered what was now his and Eden's bedroom. At least, he thought he had managed to hide it until Eden said, “Welcome to my life, Rhys. How long will you be staying?” She had tried to make it sound like a joke, but the sadness in her voice was still there.

With a smile, he pulled her close to him. “Oh, I'm not going anywhere if that's what you're implying,” he said.

“Really? Good, I'm glad.”

“But, there is one problem.”

She pulled away with a concerned look. “What's the problem?”

He widened his eyes. “Well, I had to lie to your mother and tell her that the marriage was consummated. She seemed to be under the impression that she could get rid of me that easily.” He gave a mock sorrowful sigh. “I really hated misleading her though and I would like to make things right.”

Eden laughed. “I will be more than happy to help turn that lie into the truth.”

He grinned widely. “You know what I think your mother would also appreciate? I think she'll appreciate knowing that we're trying very hard to bring in the next generation of heirs, if you know what I mean.”

She did know what he was talking about, and it was a very easy thing for her to do.

***

“It's time for the Pleasantview Action News. Here is your news team, Matt and Jess Picasso.”

“...And the doctor said that it should be all cleared up very soon.”

“That's what you said last time!”

“Thank you for tuning in. I'm Matt Picasso.”

“And I'm Jess Picasso.”

“Coming up at ten thirty: Celebrity Gossip!”

“Is Eden Devereaux's marriage to her infamous and semi-long term boyfriend, Rhys Fitzhugh, true love? Or is it a publicity stunt to cover up a potentially bad reputation? More on that later.”

“But first, is the crime rate in Pleasantview rising? Mayor Goth seems to think so.”

“He had to recently file a police report claiming that his vintage car had been stolen. A security camera caught the criminal in the act and the company who owns the security camera insists that the photo was not doctored despite the fact that it appears that the car is being shoved into what looks like an old fashioned police box! Is it an elaborate hoax? Either way, Mayor Goth asks that if anyone has any information about this theft, to please contact...”

***

After a YEAR of sketching and planning this plot line, it has FINALLY become a reality! I'm so happy! I'm excited to get all the events that will be following in motion. Generation Six! Yay!

Thank you to everyone who put their Sims up for download and for allowing me to use them!

Smoothiequeen/Marina: Rhys Fitzhugh and Spencer Fitzhugh (Fitzhugh Legacy/Villainous Apocalypse)Fireflower314/De: Vaughn Fitzhugh and SimDe (Morgan Legacy)Professor Butters: Max Goodytwoshoes (The Squeaky Clean Legacy)Blight27/Ben: Cassius Marius (10 Caesars Legacy)DrSupremeNerd: Spider Jerusalem Vetinari (The Vetinari Dualegacy)

(Not shown above: Thanks to Doc Nerd for her Simself, and Professor Butters for her Simself)

Thank you so much for reading! Until next time, happy Simming!