Maybe the life of the Curious brothers as well as the life of their sister was predestined by the experience of their father, even if it wasn't too unusual for the Strangetown inhabitants to have a great interest in aliens. Glarn Curious was a young man who had only been married for a short time when he got abducted. The birth of Chloe and Lola led to the break-up of the marriage since neither Glarn nor his wife could cope with the situation.

Strangely enough it was Glarn who left and the twins were brought up by his first wife. Initially she found it hard to deal with the responsibility of having two alien children, already because she had hoped to have her own with Glarn, but ultimately it was him who could not come to terms with them. He visited them occasionally, yet, although she tried her best to convince Chloe and Lola that their father loved them just as much as his other children they never developed a bond.

Glarn got married to Kitty and had four children with her, Jenny, Pascal, Vidcund and Lazlo. He never told them about their other sisters and for a long time they were unaware they existed. Their father was never the same after his abduction - it spurned a desire to have as much offspring as possible among other things - and sometimes he - hesitatingly - told them what he remembered of it, although it wasn't much.

While Jenny was always more family orientated, the brothers had a strong interest in knowledge, especially if it was connected with physics, astronomy and the supernatural. Despite the risk involved their father often felt an urge to watch the sky at night and his sons shared his love for the telescope, which became one of their favourite sources of entertainment when they were old enough to use it.

Pascal once tried to kiss Circe and was rejected (he still believed it was only because Loki Beaker was present at the time). His younger brother Vidcund was more successful. He had his first kiss with Circe and they were going steady for a short time. Then she started going out with Loki and, much to Vidcund's disappointment, married him later.
There weren't many other children and teenagers in Strangetown and they did not get along with all of them. Apart from Loki Beaker there was Buzz Grunt who might have been alright if he hadn't been such a pighead who seemed to believe that physical strength was all that mattered. One day he boasted that he would win even if he fought each of them in a row and he did. He came from an army family and the mistrust and dislike for aliens was deeply rooted in him. The fact that their father had been abducted and their interest in the stars did it not make it easier to become friends.

The first indication that they had a close affinity to the alien race came when Jenny met Pollination Tech at the local swimming pool and fell in love with him. Neither her or anybody else ever found out that he had close family ties with every alien born in the last 20 years, including Chloe and Lola.

Jenny married Pollination Tech, while her brothers lived together in a house on a hill studying science and watching the stars. Lazlo made an exception since his love for knowledge combined with an equal fondness for entertainment and people.

Pascal was the first who found out that the stories their father had told them about alien abductions were true. The night when he realised he was pregnant, the Curious brothers also became aware that just because you were a nerd you didn't have to look like one. It was more than a detail. There was something in the air (apart from aliens) and they all felt strongly that Strangetown was not like it used to be. They decided that it was absolutely necessary to have a check in the mirror, but Vidcund did not get the chance because he was abducted on the same night and did not return for two days.

Lazlo did not worry much about Vidcund. The aliens were said to conduct lots of experiments on the abductees, but Vidcund had wanted it to happen and would surely return soon.
Therefore it was much more interesting to investigate what was going on in Desert City. It was one of the main differences in their life, because until recently Desert City had not really existed. It had a name but had always been a loose assembly of a few towerblocks, a water reservoir and some satellite dishes. Then a coffee shop opened on what was supposedly Desert City's main street, a bar sprang up next to it, then came a stylist, later a restaurant and in their tow a lot of new faces appeared in the neighbourhood. The Strangetown inhabitants guessed that those were the people who lived in the tower blocks and did not have the opportunity to socialise near their home before.

Lazlo came home just in time to witness Vidcund's return. Pascal heard a noise and ran outside. Vidcund looked dazed but smiled happily. His brothers thought they could hear a faint melody and Pascal remembered that he had heard it before and in that very moment there had been a movement in his belly.

It made Pascal wonder if Vidcund would share his fate with regard to the pregnancy, but at the moment there were no signs of it. There were signs of a development in their neighbourhood though. When Lazlo and Vidcund went out one night and saw Jenny talking to General Grunt they understood that old frontiers were breaking away. As far as they knew Jenny and Buzz Grunt had never met - or not often - but he was well aware that she was married to the alien he hated most. First their conversation appeared a bit strained, but it was surprising enough to see them talking at all.

It was stranger still when they spotted the General talking to a half alien later. They had learned eventually that Chloe and Lola were their sisters (Glarn had disclosed his secret on his death bed) and Pascal and Lazlo had seen them in town a few times. Pascal quite liked one of their housemates. He did not get on with people easily and with girls in particular, but Kristen had put in some effort and managed to become his friend.

She had needed patience to reach that level with him. The pregnancy made him moody and he was even less likely than usual to show tolerance regarding topics which didn't interest him. He was glad when this period was over and he was giving birth even if it was a very painful experience.

He could hear more strange music and then the alien baby floated into his arms. His first reaction was horror, disbelief that this creature with the large black eyes was his child, but then she smiled at him and it was all forgotten. When he walked into Lazlo's room to present his daughter he was proud and happy.

Lazlo thought that it wasn't only the happy expression on his face why Pascal looked better than ever before. He had probably profited most from their overhaul. The look he had chosen did not require much care, but was much more becoming. Lazlo could understand why his brother got more attention from women now (although Pascal vehemently negated that this was so).

Pascal found it hard to separate from his little girl, but he needed some rest and so he passed her on to Lazlo. Vidcund had watched the birth but kept a distance since then. The birth of his alien niece irritated him because it made him think about the possible reason for feeling slightly unwell since his abduction.

After Pascal had slept for a few hours he was ready to take over in the care for his daughter and he did so with much love and tenderness.

He thought that Estella was absolutely lovely and that with the exception of her skintone and her eyes showed a lot of his features. Even if he knew too little to compare it, he reacted very different from Glarn to his new role as father of an alien. Estella became the most important sim in the world for him and they developed a close bond when she was still a baby.

When he met Kristen the next time he told her all about his baby. After a while he noticed that Kristen was looking at him very romantically and that she was flirting with him. He had not been very nice to her when she did that the first few times but regretted it now.
He guessed he simply hadn't been familiar with that type of conversation. Women used to be scarce in Strangetown and the few that existed had never shown an interest in him.

There were also rumours that he wasn't the only one Kristen fancied.

So what. For the first time in his life - apart from his puppy love for Circe when he was a teen - he experienced romantic feelings and he slowly accommodated to the fact that a good looking girl wanted more than his friendship.

Almost more fascinating was what was going on inside him. He had a very clear idea who he was and what he wanted. Since he could remember he had liked studying and had never regretted one of the many days he had spent at home, reading, watching the stars or cultivating his skills. He had creative talent and dreamed of writing a great novel.
But here in the shop he dealt with an aspect of himself that had not played a great role in his life so far and the intellect was not much help with respect to the carnal.

'What's up with you?'
'I feel horrible, my stomach is turning and I think I have to throw up again. I already did earlier.'
Pascal quickly calculated how much time had passed since Vidcund's abduction.

Obviously Vidcund had done likewise and come to the same conclusion. They sometimes forgot because they found out so late, but the experience of their father was evidence for the assumption that males abducted by aliens always returned pregnant. He had dreamed of an abduction, the chance to see a spaceship from the inside and had been ready to serve as a test subject for them in return for this experience. The pregnancy had not been on his list though.

'I noticed that you keep a distance to Estella, but Vidcund, listen, maybe your fear stops you from seeing the enrichment you may gain from being a father. I felt horrible during my pregnancy and yet, sometimes when I look at her I remember the moments when she stirred inside me and I think that I would not have wanted to miss the experience. Here, why don't you hold her for a moment?'
Before Vidcund could reply he passed Estella into his arms.
'Uh, I guess there are certain instincts.., was she smiling there?'

'I must admit she is quite cute when you look at her longer.'
'Oh yes she is. Don't you think she looks very intelligent already? Hi Estella, my little darling.'
'Fatherhood has changed you Pascal, sometimes I hardly recognise you. Maybe that's what I fear, that the same will happen to me.'
'There is nothing to fear. Or do you think I have to worry about my mental state?'
'I didn't mean it that way. I just don't like the idea that it happens without me having a say in the matter.'
'Anyway, would you take care of Estella for a moment? I want to make a telephone call.'

He had been thinking about Kristen since he met her in the shop the other day and some of those reflections formed the main motive for inviting her now. He could not understand how he had once managed to be completely indifferent about it, but, to put it blundly, he was very horny.
He was not good at pretense and so what he told her on the phone was rather straightforward.

Afterwards he put Estella to bed and then went outside to wait for Kristen. He was thinking about his daughter and Vidcund and how quickly she had taken to him until he saw Kristen coming up the hill and his mind was once more dominated by the longing which had stopped him from thinking straight in the last few days.
'I warn you, unless I am too late, I plan to steal your virginity today.'
'What makes you think I let you?'
He kissed her ear. 'You are here or not?', he whispered.
'Will I steal yours?'
'I bloody hope so.'

He and Kristen were not very compatible neither in interests or personality, but this was of no importance at the moment and he felt very close to her. Most of his current frame of mind was probably controlled by his dick, though he did not really care. One might call him a nerd, but lately he had discovered that he was far from ethereal.

He felt a bit guilty for the lack of foreplay, but he got too carried away too quickly and all the sexual tension that had been dammed inside poured out in a frenzied action, which was further fuelled by her response, her moans and cries. He imagined that sex could distract from other activities, but further than that it was not known to impair your intellectual functions and .. damn, it was good.

Kristen made a remark and although her smile indicated that it was not meant as criticism he tried to make up for the previous haste with a kiss. Personally, he had not required further stimulation and even if he believed that it could have its appeal to prolong the experience, he had rather liked it short and passionate.

They went into the kitchen where he prepared lunch while Kristen had a conversation with Vidcund.

'Here, she is my niece but your daughter and I am starving', Lazlo said. He had picked up Estella and fed her while Pascal was engaged with Kristen. He was more supportive than Vidcund, already because he was more relaxed with regard to the baby. When he returned from work and became aware that Pascal had company he had wordlessly taken over to grant his brother some freetime. He was also very fond of Estella.

It increased his affection for Kristen to see how she reacted to his daughter. If someone would have been repulsed by her strange appearance he would have noticed it instantly, but Kristen only saw the baby, not the alien skin and eyes. The first lesson he had learned as a father was that from now on Estella would always come first. It was out of the question to get involved with a woman who had objections against his child.
'Oh Pascal, she is cute. The expression she has on her face. I think Curious is the perfect second name for her.'

He fed Estella another bottle and when she was asleep again he and Kristen played chess until he noticed that his desire was not yet satisfied.

He fell in love with her during that second time. He had accepted his destiny which he had once believed was to remain single and share the house with his brothers. Marriage had never featured in his life plan. Even if this had not changed he reflected that it would be nice to have Kristen as his girlfriend.

At the moment his daily routine did not allow him to sleep for more than a few hours and he had to be careful with his reserves. So he said goodbye to Kristen rather than giving in to the temptation to ask her to stay for the night.

A few days later Lazlo met Gerry. For him the best of the recent developments had been the growth of Desert City since he liked to socialise and he often went out for a few hours after work.
When he came into the Come and Go his eyes fell onto a woman sitting at one of the tables. She was so beautiful that he could not stop staring at her.

He went outside to talk to another woman called Holly. She was a very nice sim and he enjoyed the conversation with her. He did not even find her unappealing although she had a rather course face and wasn't pretty. Nevertheless his thoughts kept wandering back to the girl at the table.

He was afraid she would leave before he got the chance to talk to her and he went back to the coffeebar, where she was standing with some neighbours. He approached her and was captured by a sparkling pair of eyes in various shades of brown, although it was her attitude which appealed to him most. The amused expression on her face seemed to reflect her perspective on life and she was confident and open.
'I thought you were staring at me earlier.'
'I hope I wasn't too much of a nuisance.'
'No, not at all. You stuck out to me too.'

They got on perfectly but the whole time he feared that she would leave and finally he asked: 'Would you like to go somewhere else?'
'Are you asking me on a date?'
'Well, yes.'
'In that case: Will you take me out for dinner? I'm starving.'
'Yes, fine. I could do with some food too.'

When they arrived at the Le Manifique Gerry did not stop at the podium with the maitre d'. Lazlo followed her, not quite sure where she was heading, but confident that she knew.

The wiry old lady shouting abuse could not spoil it for him. When he joined Gerry in the photobooth he expected that she wanted to take a picture together with him (they did that too - later) until she removed her shirt and then loosened the belt of his jeans. He helped her with the clothes and then he sat down with her on top. Eventually he lifted her up and she stood pressed against the wall of the photobooth which was shaking dangerously with every thrust, holding on to him, one leg wrapped around his thigh.
'Now that this is done', he said afterwards, caressing her tenderly 'what about the dinner I promised you?'

They had a great time. He had a heavy crush on her and as the evening went on he felt that this was not a one-night affair. Unlike his brothers he had sometimes envisaged to find a girlfriend, but it wasn't desperation why he settled for Gerry so early. He sensed that she was the perfect woman for him.

'Earlier on - I didn't expect this to happen so soon', he told her.
'And? We both wanted it or not?'
'It had crossed my mind. Anyway, I don't think badly of you because of it, quite the opposite.'
'And what are you thinking of me?'

'That you are very special. That I want to see you again. That I care a lot about you even if we met for the first time tonight.'

'Are you serious?'
'Yes, why?'
'I find it hard to understand what is happening to us. As you said we only met tonight, but I feel the same.'

When he returned he found his bedroom occupied by Kristen and Pascal and was glad that he hadn't asked Gerry to come home with him.
Being solo, the invasion of his bedroom did not bother him and he went into the kitchen to get another bite to eat. He was not tired yet, actually he felt very energetic after his date.

It surprised him that Pascal was showing so much interest in sex all of a sudden - he had Kristen over frequently - but he never forgot his responsibilities over it. He and Estella were very close and Pascal sensed when she needed him. He said goodbye to Kristen when she woke up and joined Lazlo in the kitchen a few minutes later to feed his daughter.

It was as if Pascal had learned all that was necessary when he gave birth to her. He had always been practical, but there was another aspect mixing into his care for Estella, a tenderness and warmth that was rather unusual for him. He smiled and talked to her while he was doing his tasks and she loved it.

The following day Vidcund's rounded figure confirmed his pregnancy and being off work gave him the opportunity to invite Circe. Seeing Pascal with Kristen and Lazlo talking very enthusiastically about the woman he met the night before, he had begun to wonder about his own romantic needs, which led him invariably to Circe since it was the only romantic experience he had. He did not know where it stemmed from, but there was a rumour that she and Loki weren't so happy anymore. A good time to renew their friendship.
He had tried to discard it as wishful thinking, but then Circe talked about the time when they were going out and what might have happened if they hadn't split up and it seemed like she was showing an interest in him again. He congratulated himself on inviting her. He felt weak because of his pregnancy and less of a man, it was the type of thing he needed to hear.

First he was startled when Loki Beaker walked into his living room, before he became angry, first with Lazlo, who must have lost his mind bringing Loki back from work and then with Loki (for being himself).
'Hey what's that?! Let's have a look Vidcund, becoming a mom are you?'
'Take your hands off me! It is none of your business.'
The whole situation was extremely humiliating and intolerable. He knew that Loki would immediately grasp that he had an advantage and provoke him - in his own house! - knowing that he could not get into a fight in his present state. He wished he was at least fully dressed, but when Pascal began a conversation with Circe he had used the time for a quick nap. Worst of all, he was on his own.

Pascal was busy with Estella and had no time to join the argument. He did not have the same hatred for Loki anyhow and basically ignored his presence. Vidcund knew that he did not pay much attention to anything else when he was with his daughter.

Lazlo, whose responsibility it would have been to send Loki on his way, seemed to have forgotten all about him. They had talked for a few minutes when he returned from work, but then he made a phonecall to the woman from the night before, who came over shortly after and from then on Lazlo ignored everyone else.

'Oh shit, I just realised that I may have caused serious trouble. I should get up and see how my brother is coping, but it's the last thing I would do right now. I kept thinking about you the whole time while I was at work today.'
He did not know how to express it but maybe it was unnecessary. Although he had not thought about it when he invited her - he had mainly hoped to repeat the experience from the night before - it was like a decision for the future was made when they were lounging on his bed.

'You are wonderful. I am afraid that I will not be able to keep my hands off you for long, but I better check on the household situation now. Make yourself at home. I think I've seen Pascal cooking earlier if you are hungry.'

In fact the other household members had their individual worries to deal with. While Vidcund continued to argue with Loki, Circe had gone into Pascal's bedroom and picked up Estella.
Pascal did not like it at all, even if he could not say what exactly bothered him. First of all he did not trust Circe. Nervous Subject was his friend and what he told about his life with the Beakers - innocently - did not raise his opinion of her. Furthermore he was not used to see Estella in the arms of a stranger and was overcome by an urge to see her with her family and safe.

Circe hesitated to hand Estella to him - which increased his alarm - and only put her back when he began a conversation to distract her from the baby. He was aware that his fear was irrational, but he did not feel comfortable until Estella was lying in her crib again. When he relaxed and paid more attention to what Circe was saying, he began to think that she had changed since he had last seen her, not only in appearance. She was really trying to be nice, even if she still cheated at chess as she had always done.

Estella was best protected in his arms and needed another bottle anyway, so he picked her up and went into the kitchen, where he found Lazlo and the girl he had invited.
'I said goodbye to Loki before Vidcund died of a heart attack. I did not think that he would keep a grudge against him for so long.'
'They don't come across each other often, but Loki used every chance to slight Vidcund, it's no surprise that he hates him. Anyway, where is Vidcund?'
'He went to sleep. He says the pregnancy tires him out immensely.'
'Yes, it is very exhausting', Pascal replied and looked lovingly at Estella.

He had the impression that she had sensed his concern and knew that he would always be there to protect her from any danger, imagined or real. He believed that Vidcund would make the same experience and discover that the suffering during the pregnancy would see a return that made it all worthwhile. Although he never talked about it, he felt that it had been like an initiation, an introduction to the physical world, becoming aware of his body as well as the new life stirring inside it.

Lazlo asked Gerry if she would like a game of chess, mainly to separate from the others. He was very fond of his brothers, but at the moment he wanted to find out more about her or simply admire what he knew so far.

Pascal, who had put Estella to sleep but kept an eye on Circe, cooked spaghetti and then woke Vidcund, who undoubtely would be hungry when he wasn't tired anymore, since pregnancy seemed to be a state where one fluctuated between one or the other.
They were surprised when Circe said she could imagine having children herself, with Vidcund wondering how a woman could be willing to carry Loki's offspring.

The Curious Family pt. 2

When Vidcund grew bigger he began to show more interest in Estella and Pascal did his bit to cheer him up and make him feel positive about his child.
Admittedly he could not relate to some of his problems. He had never seen his pregnancy interfering with his masculinity, which seemed to be an issue for Vidcund.

'Stop me, when you feel I am too intrusive..'
'Goddess! Vidcund, you know I'm not fussy, ask what you want to ask.'
'Am I getting it right? You had your first time in a photobooth? In public?'
'If there would have been more planning behind it, I would have chosen a more private location, but really, I did not think about it at the time. I mean, Gerry was taking her shirt off..'
'Okay, okay, you do not have to go into the details. I'm just wondering.. You know, was it just you and her, that you have something special? Or is everybody much easier about it except me? There is this girl I met a while ago, I had the impression she liked me.'
'I hope she is prepared to take the initiative. If she leaves it to you, you'll never get anywhere.'
'At least I had a girlfriend when I was a teenager.'
'Yes Vidcund, for how long? Five minutes?'

Estella slept until seven when Pascal picked her up and carried her into the kitchen. Lazlo had gotten a birthday cake on his way back from work. She was too young to eat any of it but they formed a circle around it and cheered her into a new lifespan.

Pascal immediately began to teach her the basics.

That she was a toddler opened up a whole new way to interact with her, which was great despite sharing an intuitive understanding with his daughter already.

In the meantime Vidcund - after some further thinking - had made a phonecall and was on his way outside to wait for his guest.

'I'm glad you could make it. It's much better to see you in person than to talk to you on the phone.'
He had met Crystal on one of his first visits to Desert City and had called her a couple of times since. He had meant to be more subtle when he invited her, but there had been more than one slip of the tongue. Surprisingly she still agreed to come over.

Lazlo came out a few minutes later, waiting for Gerry to arrive.

Like the other day they went straight into his bedroom and weren't seen for the next few hours. Theoretically it was possible that sex with someone else could be far better, but Lazlo wondered if he would be able to cope with such an experience. They corresponded so perfectly and it brought them so very close.

'I love you Lazlo. Seriously', she said afterwards.
He wanted to reply but the big grin on his face was stopping him. He found her so beautiful that he could hardly believe that he had sex with her only a minute ago and now she loved him.

Lazlo not only had the advantage that Gerry was about to become his steady girlfriend, Vidcund also had his introversion and reserve to deal with. While he did not differ much from his brothers with regard to his physical needs it was much more difficult to state them, let alone act upon them. That he had been so straightforward towards Crystal earlier intimidated him now and somewhere on the way into the living room he lost his courage. They shared their first kiss though, which for him was already a great leap forward.

He knew that she would have been prepared to go further than that and that it was his own fault that it did not happen. Maybe he would have been more daring if he hadn't been pregnant. What if his belly put her off? What if it put him off and made it appear as if he was unable to perform?
He did not like what Lazlo said earlier, but there was some truth in it.
However, he really liked Crystal and hopefully he would get another chance with her.

Pascal completely ignored everything that happened around him because he was concentrating on Estella. He had always guessed it, but now it became clear that she was in fact an exceptionally clever girl. He had started teaching her her first words, when he noticed that she tried to lift herself up and get to her feet. She learned to walk almost instantly.

Afterwards he fed her some smart milk and continued with her speech training. She did not appear tired at all and her eagerness to learn combined with remarkable energy.

'Of course nobody will believe me because I'm her father, but I think Estella is exceptional', he said to Lazlo when he came out of the bedroom.
'No, I do. You said she has already learned to walk? I think that is very exceptional, she has only grown up a few hours ago.'
'And I'm sure talking will not take her much longer.'

Which was true. The smart milk further increased her learning rate and brought it to such a level that after little more than an hour she was able to speak. Afterwards he let her play with her new toy until she was finally tired out.
'And tomorrow I show you how to use the potty', he told her before he carried her to her crib.

Vidcund found it hard to sleep that night despite his constant exhaustion, because he kept thinking about the opportunity he had wasted and the next morning he called Crystal with the determination to pull it through this time and get her to go to bed with him.
He squeezed himself into his jeans which was not easy since he had grown very large by now and then gave her a call trying to be as seductive as he could.

He could not understand how he managed to miscalculate so badly, believing that he still had some time to wait before the birth. However, just when Crystal arrived a pain went through his body and the baby was making its way into the world.

'Now that was the most exciting thing I've ever seen. I was really worried about you, I would not have known what to do if there had been complications. Giving birth out here on the street! Anyway, congratulations, but I guess this is a bad time for a visit?'
'Yes, I guess so', Vidcund mumbled, mixed up between his wish to ask Crystal to stay and the wish to be with his newborn daughter.

After Crystal left he did not think about her any longer. The birth had been an overwhelming experience and so was holding his daughter for the first time. He called her Lunar.

After getting it once Estella seemed to learn equally fast without the smart milk. Pascal had never thought that he was the type for children, but he loved being with her and being at home.

It was incredible, but he completely missed the birth of his niece and only found out when Vidcund walked into the house with a big smile on his face and the baby in his arm. She looked very different from Estella, almost the opposite.
He had never asked Vidcund about it, nor did he talk about his own experience. He could not remember it clearly, but a few images remained - he sometimes wondered if the conception of Estella had been his sexual awakening - and he would have liked to know if the same had happened to Vidcund and whether Estella and his child shared the same alien parent. It did not look like it.

'Give me a minute Estella, I pick you up when I'm finished.'
With the care for the children time passed quickly and they were almost half way through the autumn or so they said on the weather channel.

'I'm glad you asked me to come home with you.'
'Erm, Virginia don't get me wrong, you're a cool girl..but I just like to bring friends back from work, you know, be friends with my workmates, hang out. I hope you didn't think I had other intentions.'
'No, of course not', Virginia replied, quickly pulling her hand away from his face, which she had started to caress.
'Honestly, you are an attractive woman, it's just that I have a girlfriend. Shall we go inside?'

Vidcund had planned to return to work today, which Pascal thought was a bad idea, believing that Lunar needed him more than the lab.
'So what do you say Vidcund? In my opinion Lunar knows if it's you looking after her or somebody else', Pascal asked when he saw Virginia walking in. He could spot that she was the type of woman which appealed to Vidcund.
'Yes I guess you're right', Vidcund replied with a hypnotised stare at Virginia. He was getting to a point where he found almost every woman attractive in one way or the other. Circe had split up with Loki and he would have tried to get back with her if the reason for the break-up had not been a love affair with Nervous. They were all very astonished when they heard it first, but it sounded like Nervous was happy with her and rumour had it that she was already pregnant by him.

'Hi, are you the woman who recently started in Lazlo's department? You're supposed to be an excellent scientist.'
'Oh thanks, but I think you mix me up with someone else. Quite a few people started around the same time.'
'Anyway I am pleased to meet you. My name is Vidcund and yours?'
'Victoria.'

Vidcund kept flirting with Virginia and Lazlo played with Estella. Pascal figured that it was time to look after his own love life. Since Estella had grown into a toddler he had not seen Kristen much, he and his daughter were awake until late at night and their circadian rhythm had become a bit muddled. Often it was too late when he thought of ringing her.

'Don't you want to come inside? You're getting all wet.' Thinking back about it later it was one of the best days he ever had with Kristen and also the beginning of the end.

The rain turned into a heavy thunderstorm and lightning struck the towers on the roof repeatedly. Vidcund cooked and they all sat in the kitchen with the exception of Kristen who had a look at Vidcund's daughter.

'Why did you put her here? That's Estella's crib.'
'Yes I know. I was playing with her and she fell asleep in my arms. I carry her over in a minute.'
'No, it's okay, Vidcund will do it later', he replied remembering how he had felt when he saw Circe with Estella.
'They are so cute at that age, it makes me wish I had a child as well..'
Was he only hearing it that way or was she hinting at something?

The sex with her was great and they got along well, so it was natural that he had thought about asking her to move in a couple of times.

She was really nice to Estella too and Estella liked her.

And again, the romance.. he was getting used to the kissing and the sex and getting it when he wanted it.

So maybe it was the fact that not even on this perfect day he could make up his mind and ask her why he later thought that the end of their relationship had started then. Kristen never said anything, but he could not get rid of the feeling that she expected an engagement proposal. There were actually a few moments when he was close to do so and every time he hesitated, asking himself if they were compatible in the long run. He was practical, she was materialistic; what seemed like a good combination was not necessarily so.

He was in fact not unhappy with the current situation, where the only females were his and Vidcund's daughter. Vidcund had never developed an equally strong bond with Lunar but still loved her dearly and they had the household well organised and running smoothly.

It was a bit unfair towards her, but some of the doubts with regard to Kristen were probably due to meeting Olive Specter when he went to town one evening. He did not often go out and it was the first time he saw her being young again. Though he did not know her well, he had always been curious about her as everyone thought her a bit of a mystery, even more so after her rejuvenation.
While they talked he noticed her warm and soft brown eyes and had never been quite able to forget them afterwards.

He and Kristen continued seeing each other - it was really not easy to give up sex once he had gotten acquainted to it - and there were more moments when he was close to ask her to move in, but eventually it all faded.

Mostly it was because of Estella and the time he spent with her.

She had learned the main skills and was making quick progress with regard to her speech, but apart from wanting to encourage all her talents he simply enjoyed being with her.

And when she was playing on her own he had begun to work on his novel again. To write a great book had been his wish for such a long time that he could not remember when it started. Maybe in private school since it had encouraged its pupils to be creative (the rest of the education was lacking quality which was the reason why he had not advanced much in his career yet despite his fondness of knowledge). He had abandoned his first project when he realised that he had no experience and no subject, but he felt this had changed by now.

Still, the best moments he had in this period of his life were with Estella and he forgot his other ambitions and longings when he was with her.

Nothing else could compare to the closeness he experienced with his daughter.

When Estella was asleep and he was not, there was Lunar. Although Vidcund was coping well, he tried to help him so that he could get an occasional rest. And like this time passed and without noticing he was seeing less of Kristen than before.
'Isn't it incredible that she is old enough to grow up?', Vidcund asked.
'Are you sure? It seems that Estella was a baby a lot longer.'
'You may be right, but I can feel that she is ready.'

'Don't you at least want to wait until Lazlo is back?'
'He is. I just heard the car outside.'
Indeed Lazlo came into the kitchen a minute later and they all cheered Lunar while she turned into a toddler.

When he saw the expression on Vidcund's face afterwards, Pascal realised that he had probably been - envious was not exactly the right word but still the most fitting - with regard to him and Estella and he was impatient to teach Lunar now.

Which is what Vidcund began to do a few minutes later. While Lunar did not have the same genius as Estella she was still learning fast and you could see Vidcund's pride about her progress. This was definitely an occupation he enjoyed more than looking after a baby.

Pascal watched them for a moment and then sat down to read to Estella until she grew impatient to return to her rabbit toy which remained her favourite.

When Lunar was a baby she had taken no notice of her, but it looked as if she had become aware that there was another child in the house and the sight of Vidcund and Lunar distracted her so much that she forgot about her toy.
'Pascal, come here. Lunar wants to show you that she can walk.' He did not know whether it stemmed from his brother talking so much about Estella's achievements, but Vidcund had developed a slightly competitive attitude and thought that Lunar, while being almost equally bright, was alltogether the sweeter child, in appearance as well as character.

It did not mean that he did not listen to his brother's advice and after feeding Lunar smart milk she learned to talk by the evening of the same day.

'Hi Estella, you feel neglected over your cousin tonight?' Lazlo liked both his nieces although he was probably a little bit fonder of Estella. 'What do you say, shall I read you a story?'
He then turned to Vidcund. 'Lunar is going to fall asleep any minute and I don't mind looking after the two of them. Anyway, Pascal is at home too, why don't you go out for a while? You've have hardly left the house since Lunar was born. I think it would be good for you to socialise with other adults for a change.'

Vidcund accepted his offer gratefully. Contrary to Lazlo he did not need much company, but even he could come to a point where he was longing for diversion and a change of scenery. First he went to the clothes shop in Desert City to get a new pyjama and was in the middle of talking to a rather attractive woman named Jordan when Crystal came in.

He didn't know how it started, Crystal mentioned that she wanted to do something with her hair, however, although he had never done this before he helped her with her styling and enjoyed it because there was something he could do with his hands while he talked to her.
He was embarrassed about their last meeting - how desperate it must have looked to make that call while he was so close to give birth - and at the same time she appealed to him more than ever.
'Here, have a look. Do you like it?'
'Yes! Very nice.'

'I think it doesn't matter. You always look very beautiful.'
'Yes, you think so? I wasn't sure how you felt about me, you only called me once since our last meeting.'
Dammit, he was an idiot when it came to other sims, just as his brothers were hinting at times. He was so concerned what Crystal might think about him that he did not realise that she could draw her conclusions from his silence.

He was most likely the last who understood how much she liked him, but finally he did and also that he could be more daring since she probably waited for it. It was easier said than done, because he had difficulties finding the right words to tell her how he felt towards her, that he really fancied her, that he had been longing for her already when she visited the first time and that he had thought about calling her more than once, but was afraid that she would turn him down.
'I.. mmh, I am not very good when it comes to romance, but I...err, you must not think that I am indifferent, I like you..more, I mean not only as a friend..'
She rubbed her cheek against his and smiled.

He knew that it was time to make the next step and kiss her, but regardless of the encouragement he got he still had to overcome the barriers his character erected for him.

Fortunately his fears and worries could not impair the experience. He stopped thinking about the other sims in the shop when he held her in his arms and revelled in her beauty instead and his luck for being liked by such a woman. His mood - he was already more cheerful than usual because Lunar had learned so quickly - took another swing upward. Tonight he was not prepared to give into fears of inferiority.
'Can I invite you to go somewhere else? Would you go on a date with me?'

He was glad that they were leaving because Loki Beaker came in and he was the last sim he wanted to see right now. Loki did not begrudge him anything and if he noticed that something positive happened in his life, it seemed his greatest pleasure to destroy it for him, usually through humiliation, for which he had a natural talent. Sometimes he wondered if Loki would have ever shown an interest in Circe if he had not gone out with her first.
'Come on, let's go to the Shack', he said to Crystal and steered her towards the door before Loki could notice them.

He felt a bit guilty for staying out all night and rely on his brothers to look after his daughter, but he and Crystal had such a great time that he could not bring himself to leave. They sat in the whirlpool and talked and they kissed a lot more.

And in the evening of that day it finally happened. When he came back he slept, then he fed and played with Lunar and then he called Crystal and invited her. When they were on the bed, he got stuck for a minute and was not sure how to proceed which resulted in falling into a chit-chat about different people they had met in town and him getting afraid that he was about to miss another chance.

'I really like talking to you, but do you really want to discuss our neighbours right now?'
'Oops', she giggled, 'no, I don't. I guess I'm just a bit nervous. I have never done this, should I have told you? I thought you guessed it.'
'I'm the same, but I want you so much. I..', he stopped and decided that it was much easier to kiss her than try to explain his emotions in detail.

Despite being serious and shy, he was not a calm and dispassionate man, actually passion often spurned his actions and could even overrule his diffidence. It worked both ways, he had found it hard to control his anger in the past, but he felt that it also prevented him from being a boring lover, which might have otherwise been the case since he did not see much room for inventiveness in that respect. It was a simple and uncontrolled act, moving and thrusting until it all poured out of him.

He began to think about engagement afterwards. He knew himself well enough to understand that getting it for the first time would not make it easier to chat up women in the future, he might even hesitate to propose it to Crystal again unless his longing grew too strong. He also considered her one of the most attractive women in the neighbourhood and felt it would be stupid to risk losing her while searching for others. Possessiveness played a part in it too. He would have never admitted it in a conversation but he was seeing Crystal as belonging to him now.

Lazlo could not believe his eyes when he saw Crystal coming out of Vidcund's bedroom in her underwear. Score and victory at last!
He threw a questioning glance at Vidcund who ignored it and picked up Lunar to feed her. As much as he had enjoyed the date with Crystal he did not feel too good about leaving her alone the night before.

Especially since he had not completed her training which he did now.

'It's late but the way it is going in our house at the moment, I will likely stay awake for most of the night. Lunar usually doesn't get tired until 3 or 4 o'clock. I would ask you to stay but there is not much point. Is it alright if I call you tomorrow?'
'Yes, and don't forget.'
'No, I won't. I promise.'