Chapter 1.23: The Attempt

     Rachael and Cerulean talked awhile more about their family histories and stories they had been told over the years.  As they talked Rachael began to feel her eyes droop.

     "Come on love.  Let's get you to bed," Cerulean said before helping her stand and walk inside to their bedroom.

     Rachael was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

     When she woke she saw the numbers on the clock indicated it was seven a.m.  She slept through the night and into the next morning.  As Rachael climbed out of bed she could hear giggles and murmurs coming from beyond the kitchen.

     After a quick stop in her bathroom to refresh herself she went out to find out what was going on.  Walking out of the kitchen she found River and Ochre playing with their toys in their pajamas.

     "Shouldn't you two be getting ready for school?" she asked.

     "Good morning Ray," River said, "it's Saturday so we don't have school."

     Rachael felt her brows climb in surprise.  She had forgotten the weekend was coming up.
She walked over and knelt next to River at the dollhouse,  "Okay then.  How about you two go get dressed and then we'll take a trip to the park.  Does that sound like a plan?"

     "YES!" screeched River as she quickly jumped up from her toys and ran to her room.  Ochre was nearly as quick crossing over to his room.

     Rachael chuckled as she stood up and pulled out her phone.  Pressing the buttons to call Rhonan she waited for him to pick up.

     "Hello?"

     "Hey Rhonan.  It's Ray, I'm taking River and Ochre to the park this afternoon.  Do you want to stop by on your way to work so we can catch up?"

     "Sure Ray.  I'll see you in an hour," and then he hung up.


     The weather was good as always.  As soon as they arrived River and Ochre ran off to join the other children playing on the playground.

     "Hey Ray."

     Rachael smiled as she saw her brother walk up.  "Rhonan," she hugged him as he stopped next to her, "how are you?"

     "Fine," he mumbled.

     She snorted, "Rhonan, you know better than to try and lie to me right.  Besides you are a lousy liar."

     Rhonan ducked his head and shuffled under her searching gaze.

     "You're not taking Patrick's death so well," she finally stated.

     "I know right.  I've been so angry at him for so long but now he's gone.  Before there was always a chance we could make up but now..."

     "Now he's gone and there will never be another chance," Rachael finished for him.

     "Yeah," he mumbled, "I didn't think I would feel like this when he died."

     "I'm sorry you feel that way, Rhonan," Rachael said hugging him again.

     "Thanks.  Look Ray, I gotta leave now.  I start my routine in another hour and I have to get to the club before then."

     "Okay.  Take care of yourself and stop by the house sometime.  You don't have to be a stranger forever."

     "Right," he said taking a step back and leaving the park.  

     Rachael watched him leave before finding a bench to sit on and watch the kids play.

     She smiled as River called out for her to watch her swing across the monkey bars.  Ochre was swinging behind her and Rachael waved to him as he looked over at her.

     The kids continued playing while Rachael watched them.  As she watched them she became aware of a strange sim on the other side of the playground.  He seemed to be watching River and Ochre.

     As Rachael continued to look back and forth between him and the kids she became more and more certain it was her babies he was looking at.

     Rachael pushed herself up from her bench seat and started to walk over to the monkey bars.  While she was standing Ochre had jumped down from the monkey bars and the strange sim approached him.

     Rachael was to far to hear what he said but when Ochre nodded the sim grabbed his shoulder.

     "Mommy," Ochre yelled twisting in the sims grasp.

     "Ochre," Rachael screamed while trying to run around the pirate ship.

     "Let him go," River yelled at the sim.  River jumped down next to Ochre and kicked the strange sim in the knee.

     The sim dropped his grip on Ochre and the two children started running back to Rachael.

     Fortunately all the commotion they were causing had started to attract the attention of other park visitors.  By the time Rachael made it to the children the strange sim had run away.  Other sims stopped by Rachael to ask if her and the kids were alright.

     Rachael ignored them, hugging the little boy to her she checked him to make sure he was unharmed.

     "Are you okay," she asked both him and River who stood beside them.  As soon as she let go of Ochre she hugged River.  "What were you thinking you foolish, brilliant, brave girl.  He could have hurt you both."

     "He was scaring Ochre," River mumbled against Rachael's shoulder, "and me."

     "He scared me too," Rachael confessed.  She stood up and took the children by their hands, "come on.  I think this is enough excitement for one day.  Let's go home and tell Lean what happened."

                                                                            

Random Ramblings

   Finally.  I've had this story line in mind for so long that it's a relief to finally write it out.  So was anyone expecting that?