Chapter 0.12: Expecting the Unexpected

Ryder tries to relax as he soaks in the hot, bubbly water, but the gorgeous (and stark-naked) woman lounging in the seat next to him makes relaxing seem like a foreign concept. The fact that she's an international superstar doesn't really help either.

"So you, uh, you like music?" Ryder asks nervously.

Carmen rolls her eyes. "I am Carmen Winters. The Carmen Winters, pop diva extraordinaire. What do you think?"

Ryder mutters a soft "Oh," before looking away awkwardly. Noticing his embarrassment, Carmen backtracks. "Not that you would have known that or whatever," she concedes with a fake smile.

"So Ryder," she continues, playfully bumping her leg up against his, "what's a handsome guy like you doing alone on a Saturday night?"

Ryder grins. Flirting he can handle. Small talk... not so much.

The steamy rooftop setting, the tantalizing pulse of the music, the romantic starlit night... Ryder quickly finds himself giving into the evening's temptations. He is so absorbed in the moment that he doesn't notice the dark man approaching them, he doesn't see Carmen angling herself for the best shots, he doesn't hear the quiet click of the camera.

As the club begins to shut down for the night, Ryder pulls away from Carmen.

"When can I see you again?" he whispers quietly.

Carmen grins. She was hoping he would ask that. "What about tomorrow evening?" she replies. "Meet me at the Underground dance club. I promise I can show you a good time," she tells him with a wink.

Ryder has heard enough. He eagerly agrees. Vaguely, he wonders why Carmen Winters, the Carmen Winters, is suddenly so interested in him, but the thought quickly fades. If he really stopped to think about it, he might realize that her new album comes out next week, that his latest blockbuster movie made him a highly sought after celebrity. But the only thing on his mind right now is Carmen's beautifully addicting smile.

"You look amazing," Ryder whispers as Carmen walks into the nightclub.

She smiles and runs her fingers through his hair. "You're not too shabby yourself," she replies.

After a bit of dancing (or in Ryder's case head-bobbing)...

Things begin to heat up between Ryder and Carmen.

"You know what would be fun?" Carmen asks, a mischievous glint in her eye.

As Ryder shakes his head, Carmen pulls him close and motions suggestively to the elevator. Ryder quickly gets the hint and grins at the idea.

Carmen and Ryder both look rather pleased with themselves, albeit for very different reasons.

They agree to go out again the next time Carmen's in town.

A few weeks later, Ryder picks Carmen up in his brand new sports car. He tells himself that he bought the car as a reward for his latest acting trophies, but really he just thinks that women find the expensive red convertible irresistible.

"Nice ride," Carmen comments. "I didn't realize actors were paid so well."

Ryder grins, satisfied. "Thanks," he replies.

For their date, Ryder takes Carmen to the local movie theater to see his latest flick. Half way through the film, however, Carmen starts feeling ill and quickly excuses herself.

Ryder stops her before she leaves. "When will I see you again?" he asks quietly. The paparazzi are beginning to swarm, and Carmen is looking greener than ever.

"I don't know Ryder" she snaps. "In a few weeks, I guess." Before Ryder can even offer to drive her home, she's already gone.

A few weeks come and go, and Ryder doesn't hear a word from Carmen. He begins to think that her reputation as a heart breaker is well deserved when he gets a call. Carmen's voice sounds sharp and edgy on the other end of the line, but he agrees to meet her at a local park that night.

Ryder frowns as Carmen approaches him. Something about her looks different to him, but he can't really put his finger on it. "Why'd you want to meet so late?" he inquires.

"Ryder," Carmen begins cautiously. "I'm- I'm pregnant," she says after a minute.

Ryder looks shell-shocked. "Oh..." he manages to force out. "And it's mine?" he asks the obvious, hoping for a miracle.

"Yes," she replies without hesitation. "Ryder, you don't know how bad this is going to look." Carmen speaks quickly, her voice edged in panic. "I mean, come on. You're married. And I'm single. And this was just supposed to be a fling. And... Oh my God! What are the execs at my label going to say?! I just- I just-" Carmen looks like she's on the verge of tears.

Ryder reaches out to comfort her, but she pushes him away. "Ryder, I need this... event... to look planned. I need it to appear as though we knew what we were doing."

Ryder stares at her blankly, so Carmen continues. "This is what is going to happen. You are going to dump your miserable little wife, and I'm going to move in. I will tell my agent to play up the pregnancy angle, and who knows? Maybe the attention will help both our careers."

"Dump Jane?" Ryder sounds overwhelmed. "But, I love her..."

"Loved," Carmen corrects, her tone uncaring. "You love me now." Ryder opens his mouth to argue, but she cuts him off. "Ryder, darling, we are going to have a baby. This is no time to get sentimental. We need to think about what is best for our careers and ourselves. Jane will get over it. Besides, you couldn't possibly have loved her that much anyway, considering my current condition."

Ryder hangs his head. Carmen's words cut deep, deeper than he would like to admit. But she's right after all. His current predicament is a direct result of his own actions.

Back at home, Jane puts baby Elijah in his crib for the night. She kisses him one last time before heading downstairs. Ryder still isn't back yet, but she's not worried. She rarely sees him these days anyway.

Ryder arrives home and cuts right to the chase. Despite their rocky relationship, his sudden desire to get a divorce takes Jane by complete surprise. She begs him not to do it, to let her stay around and help raise Elijah, but Ryder stoutly refuses.

"We're done Jane!" he shouts. "DONE! I want you out of this house by tomorrow evening!"

She doesn't even wait that long. She packs up her clothes and leaves that very night.

...But not without letting Ryder know how she feels about him first.

Carmen Winters moves in with Ryder and his family the following week. She finds her new home unsatisfactory and doesn't hesitate to let Ryder know how she feels.

Elijah has a birthday, but only Beatrix and Brian are around to celebrate it.

Elijah becomes a child and inherits the rebellious trait.

The day after Elijah's birthday, a strange feeling comes over Beatrix.

She suddenly feels all tingly inside.

Having lived a full and satisfying life, Bea goes with the reaper willingly.

But Brian is not ready to let his wife go. "I was supposed to be first!" he cries. "Take me! Take me!" he begs. But the reaper does not listen. The reaper never listens.

Elijah takes the news of his grandmother's death particularly hard. He was very close to Bea. She, along with Jane, raised him since he was a baby, and now that they're both gone, Eli feels empty. With Brian deep in mourning and Ryder occupied with Carmen and her pregnancy, Elijah turns to his doll for comfort.


Challenge Notes:

Bea died. *Cries* It was completely unexpected too. She was only a few days past her 95 day life span, and she had the marathon challenge completed. Brian is now 12 days past his expiration date, and he's still going strong. I didn't realize how much I liked her until she wasn't around anymore. Sadness.


For Beatrix's generation, I need to take screenshots of the parks she bought for her awesome goal. I was going to feature it in the story, but I got lazy and forgot. I will post some pictures in next update though. Also, now that she's passed on and Carmen has moved in, I will move the family to their wonderful new home (SO EXCITED!). I can't wait to show it off! (Melissa, I will link to your MTS creations page unless you tell me not to. <3)

In case you were wondering, Carmen Winters is cloned from Savannah Sperie from the Sperie Random Legacy, but with some modifications. I tried to go for the modern pop starlet type look, but I'm horrible at tattoos. Please forgive the eyesores that now cover her body.

So, I was intentionally pretty vague about the custody issues regarding Ryder and Jane's split, because I honestly could not think of a reason why Ryder would get custody of Elijah. In the real world (at least in the United States), custody almost always goes to the mom, unless there is some horrible reason why it shouldn't. Even then, the kids usually end up with their mother eventually. But this is the Sims, and I am doing a random legacy, so whatever. It's just gonna have to be a hole in the story I guess.