The Smallwood Family Legacy Generation One: A Sims 4 Story

The Smallwood Family Legacy: A Sims 4 Story

Chapter Three: Bleak Future

Life without Vivaan is hard! I weep by his grave daily! I have been neglecting Buzz I know, and I made him a promise too...a companion for me and one for him! Well I got mine, even though he was torn away from me, I got him for a little while. Now I must keep my end of the bargain for Buzz...

Betty joins our small family, only problem is she is aggressive and I must try and deal with that. She's here on a trial basis, she gets along fine with me but Buzz...not so much!

I have to walk them separately as Betty wants to attack Buzz and not in a good way! I like her, but if she cannot connect with Buzz then I will have to think long and hard about her future in our house!

I bump into a young woman, vampire, on my walk. She smiles at me as if she knows me but I've never seen her before in my life! "Hi!" She beams and waves, "I am so sorry for your loss!" Her face turns solemn and she looks down at the ground. "Viv was a great guy!" She is the second person I have heard call Vivaan 'Viv'!

"I'm sorry..." I stammer, "...h-have have we met?" She tuts and smacks her forehead, rolling her eyes,

"Noooo sorry, how silly of me, I'm Lilith Vatore!" Vatore, as in Caleb?

"My brother Caleb would really like to see you, he's scared to come by your house in case he upsets you but...he really, really wants to see you!" She winks, says her goodbyes and walks into the night.

So, Caleb's sister! Funny they don't look at all alike, perhaps they were turned by the same vampire? Caleb wants to see me, I know where he lives, do I really want to go over there? I guess I owe him that much, after all he was very kind to me when I first arrived even after I chose Vivaan over him!

I take Betty back home and head over to the Vatore household. I hope that the dogs don't kill each other while I am out! Caleb's home is less elaborate than I expected, at least from the outside!

Once I muster up the courage to ring the bell, Caleb appears at the door and beckons me inside with a Cheshire Cat grin. But just like his sister, his smile turns to sorrow, "I am so sorry about Viv!" His voice breaks, they really were good friends. "I see he left you something behind though?" He nods towards my ever growing belly. I suppose he did leave me something! "Come, let's have a game of chess!" What is with these Forgotten Hollow vampires and chess???

I indulge him, we play for a while. He does most of the talking, about Vivaan and their glory days! "It was Viv who wrote up the contracts for humans to consent to biting! He really had a bee in his bonnet about it, he felt that humans had rights too and we should respect that!" My heart swells at the thought of Vivaan the activist! "I really loved him you know..." He chokes back a sob, "...loved him like a brother!"

I cannot take any more, I jump up to leave and startle Caleb in the process. "I have to go now Caleb, sun will be up soon!"

"You could stay here, I have a spare room...in fact..." His voice trails off and he blushes, "Trixie, I am very fond of you..."

"No..." I mumble as he carries on regardless.

"...very fond, I have been since we met and if I was to lose you to anyone then I'm glad it was Viv..." He clears his throat and his face remains crimson, "...please, let me take care of you...for Viv...and for his child?" I feel light headed, I want to lie down, "It's what he would have wanted! I promise you and the baby will want for nothing, you will have your own room and I will provide everything you need!"

"Caleb, are you joking?" This hurts his feelings, no he is not joking and his face tells me everything I need to know!

"Trixie, the child needs a father...I know I can never replace Viv but..."

"You're either joking or you're crazy!!!" I laugh nervously, "This baby is Vivaan's, dead or alive that will never change!"

"I...I know...I just..." I stop him right there.

"Goodbye Caleb!"

"Trixie..."

"GOODBYE...Caleb!" I try to leave but his pleading eyes distract me slightly.

"Okay, I apologise if I offended you, it wasn't my intention believe me! Just...consider it?"

"I really have to go!" Is all I can say...

I'm starving for plasma and the sun is up! I am furious at Caleb! How could he even ask me something like that??? I have 20,000 simoleans left to me from Vivaan plus 2,000 of my own...yes I know it won't last with a baby and two dogs and no job!!! I'm not stupid!!! GOD AM I HUNGRY!!!

 I can't get anyone under my thrall to drink, I am too weak from the sun!!! They won't even consent because I am a stranger in town...

 I'm burning, I'm starving, and I am eating for two!!! This is it, I am going to die like Vivaan! Our baby will never be born!

Even the men I have befriended in town won't give me even a thimble full of their blood!!! Dominic Fyres looks at me as if I am some kind of dirty vagrant begging for money!!!

 Finally, after a short shelter in the public toilets in the park, Silas Nunez falls under my spell and I am able to drink enough plasma to get me home safely, although the flames on my back are another issue!

I feel guilty, he's been such a good friend and neighbour to me, and I leave him comatose in the middle of the road!!! But I have to get home before I am toast!!!

Later that evening at sundown, Vladislaus Straud pays me a visit. He is mourning one of his children. "He was like a son to me!" I hear him weeping outside.

"My dear, I am sincerely sorry for your great loss!" He whispers as I go out to greet him. "Oh my..." He gasps at my round abdomen, "...you are with child!!!" He didn't know?

"Yes, second trimester!"

He seems utterly mesmerised by my bump! "A grandchild!" Well, if you like! "Sweet Trixie! Let me help you raise this little miracle!" Not you as well!!!

"Master Straud, I..."

"Ohhh please, Vlad!"

"Um, Vlad, I..."

"Trixie! We have never had a vampire child before! A baby born from two vampire parents! This is...well it is wonderful and also a first in this town! We must celebrate!"

"Vlad..."

He carries on his ramblings, he has designs on my baby! "Vivaan was a wonderful underling! But he lives on in you my dear girl! And you and your child shall come and live with me, we shall rebuild the clan! We shall become powerful once again!" I do not like where this is going!

"No!" Is all I can mutter.

"My dear sweet Trixie, Vivaan has left a hole that your child must fill!"

"I have to go inside now, goodnight!" He begins to weep again,

"Ohhh Vivaan, my child of the night, my friend and trusty companion!" I leave, I cannot take much more of this! Vivaan and I planned to raise this baby as normally as possible! I won't join any clan, I will not be part of this!

Eventually he leaves, and I am left to think about both Vlad and Caleb. Fighting for my child! What is this? Are they competing to see who can win this war and using my baby as a bargaining chip??? I am so sad, not only about this vampire war, but the fact that I have to give Betty back! It's not working with Buzz and I am heartbroken!

But he came first so we say goodbye to Betty and it's back to the drawing board! As I bath Buzz, I think about the future in this house, across the street from Caleb and down the road from Vlad! Should I leave this town completely???

I am in my third trimester, and I am so frightened! Vlad has been sending letters begging for me to join his clan! He rambles on about the baby as if he or she will be the second coming! A vampire fetus! The letters are becoming more and more sinister and creepy!

I think about Caleb, all he said was he wanted to take care of us. He has never contacted me since that day, unlike Vladislaus Straud! But can I truly trust anyone in this town? They seem to have their own agendas, but if that is true, I cannot seem to find Caleb Vatore's!

I adopt another dog, Buzz is getting lonely, she's a puppy this time and her name is Heidi! Here's hoping that we'll have better luck with her than we did Betty!

Despite being aggressive, she is getting along with Buzz so far! Plus she sleeps a lot so that helps!

Caleb appears outside one evening, I open the door and see him standing in the middle of the road, I cannot ignore him! So I greet him with a small smile, however he has no smile for me, he is sad! "Caleb..."

"Oh Trixie you're almost fit to bursting!"

"Yes, any day now!"

"Would...would you like to have a feel?" At first he is surprised, but then he smiles excitedly and apprehensively puts his hands on my belly.

"Oh wow! He's kicking!" I giggle at his excitement. "This is awesome!"

"Yes the little beggar keeps me up most nights kickboxing!"

"I...wanted...I wanted to apologise for my behaviour when we last spoke!"

"Caleb no, it is I who must apologise!" His eyes burn into mine, if he does have an agenda then I do not see it! All I see is sincerity!

"I still want you to live with me and Lilith! You and the baby! I love you Trixie, I've always loved you! I watched you fall in love with my best friend and...it hurt very much!"

"Caleb I'm so sorry that I hurt you..." He cuts me off.

"No don't be, it hurt but not as much as losing Vivaan! I would rather he was here preparing for the birth of your baby than...but he's not so please! Let me honour him in death as he did me in his unlife!"

"This is your room, I bought a crib for the baby I...hope you don't think me too presumptuous! It was just wishful thinking that you would take me up on my offer!" Well you presumed right because here I am, doing just that! I am afraid of Vlad and Caleb has gained my trust!

I will miss my little home, but at least I am safe here. Lilith comes into my new room and embraces her brother, "So Trix how do you like it?" She seems happy to have me here, almost as much as her brother. I try and sound as cheery as possible as I reply with my back to her,

"It's lovely, I will be very comfortable, thank you!" But my face says something else entirely!

I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my womb, it makes me cry out! Lilith looks at me with concern, "Trix are you okay?" It seems I moved in just in time as a puddle forms at my feet and the baby has decided it's time to come out!

After a long, hard labour, my daughter arrives! I name her Vivaana after her father...she smiles at me as if she has been here before! Dear, sweet, beautiful Vivaana Smallwood! You are all I have left of your father, I pray that you grow up to be strong, wise and beautiful just like him!

She knows nothing of Vladislaus Struad or Caleb Vatore! All she knows is that I am her mother and she is loved, from the moment I discovered she was there in my belly, she was loved!

Caleb appears, he wants to have a look at the baby! He breezes in all excited, and then he becomes rather flustered. "Oh I..." He doesn't know where to look, he obviously hasn't seen a mother breastfeeding her child.

"Hello Caleb, Vivaana is hungry! Yes you are!" His face always seems to glow red when he is in my presence, and he goes all shy!

I put Vivaana down and she is asleep almost immediately, with her little belly full she is content. Caleb shrugs and smiles at me, "Oh well, plenty of time for snuggles I suppose. Let the newborn sleep!"

"Vivaana!" Caleb chuckles, "That's just so fitting Trixie, it really is!"

"I just looked at her and it popped into my head!" He pats me awkwardly on the shoulder,

"Viv would have really got a kick out of it!"

Caleb leaves me to rest, I listen to Vivaana breathing and it soothes me, but I cannot rest! All I can do is gaze into her crib with awe! I am so blessed to have her, despite losing her father, I am still so very lucky!

Caleb sends me downstairs for something to eat, to keep my strength up he says. Meanwhile he stays with my daughter. I think I may have a rival for his affections. All joking aside though, Caleb is quite taken with her!

I am settled in now, me and Buzz and Heidi...and of course Miss Vivaana! I am starting to see Caleb in a different light...I found him handsome once, perhaps I may again!

I have become more open to his advances of late, I want to see where this goes but I am afraid of hurting him. I must tread lightly, very lightly! It is true that we are progressing quite well, he is good to me and to my daughter...but I keep a secret from him! One that I am afraid will break his heart...

...I visit Vivaan often, Caleb allowed me to relocate his gravestone so that Vivaana has somewhere to go to think of her father. But it is I who thinks of him more often than anyone! I wish for him to come out so that I can tell him all about our amazing little girl! I tell him how much I love him still, how his death has destroyed me and I may never recover. Caleb must never know how truly broken and tethered to Vivaan I feel...

...he must never know! But things have a way of coming out!

To Be Continued...