Apocalypse Please!

I think her name was debra

Week 22

HippieLayla86

Welcome back to Apocalypse Please! Please pardon the long hiatus, I didn't
mean to keep everyone on their toes for so long! I've been working on some
joint legacies that kept pushing this off (don't get me wrong I love playing
them!) the Encores, Opuses and now I've got my hands on the Sitcoms. But I
decided to make some time for the Lakshmis in Hiddenbrook.
I think a little recap is due - Last chapter, generation 4 heir Frank had just
met and fallen for Debra Peters (from my previous Peters Apocalypse
challenge), but they were trying to take things slow since Cam had only just
recently broken Frank's heart, and Debra was new to all of this. So Frank
was keeping his news from his parents, but quickly regretted it when Benny
(his father) died without knowing his son had moved on from his first
heartbreak.
When we last left it was Tuesday again, meaning Frank could finally call
Debra, invite her over and introduce her to his mother, Eileen, and brother,
Isaac.
This story is told from Frank, the heir's perspective, if I have anything to
add I'll do so at the bottom of the slide. If our other narrator is speaking,
the font will be in purple, now let's continue shall we?

I'm home from work with another promotion! The old Police
Chief has retired, and I was given his job. I was thrilled
because it seemed like I would finally be able to implement
getting fire detectors, but I can't what more could I
possibly do to protect Hiddenbrook than be the police
chief?

Putting my work worries aside, I practically ran inside to

make a phone call. You see, it's finally Tuesday and the
lines are briefly open for the day.
Hello may I speak to... oh okay thanks... I'm so glad
Tuesday is finally here, are you ready to come over?

I know I told Debra I wanted to take things slow, but when I

saw her, I just couldn't help myself.

Oh Frank, I'm happy to see you too! Debra said giggling as

I lavished her with affection. Frankie, you haven't told
your mother about me yet, or introduced me, shouldn't we
do that first?

As it so happens my dear, I
asked mother to come outside,
she should be over here any
minute.
Okay, now I'm nervous...
No need to be nervous Debra,
she's going to love you...

Just like I do

Frank honey, who's this charming young lady I saw you embracing a moment ago?

Mom this is who I've been telling you about, Debra, this is my Mother
Debra: Right then Frank's Mom pulled me into a tight a hug, talk about a friendly
greeting!
Mrs. Lakshmi, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Debra Peters. I'm a friend of your
son's
Mrs. Lakshmi laughed, Friend my dear? I think you two are much more than
friends. You must be the reason Frank has had such a smile on his face lately...

Debra, I'm going against

everything I said to you last
time we saw each other. But I've
lost my Dad since then, and I've
realized life is entirely too short
to be without the one you love.
I can't just see you on Tuesdays
anymore...

I know we don't have

electricity, and I know you'll
miss your family, but Debra, I
can't live without you.
Debra: So my sweet friend
asked me to move in, and move
in I did. I brought Barbara Anne
my cat with me too.

I am thrilled to be starting my
life with Frank and his family!
Though I must say, no
electricity has been strange
adjustment for me. I can't
believe how much I've taken it
for granted...

I thought originally that since

my Grandma Ivy had restored
electricity to half of
Hiddenbrook, maybe I should
too. But the closest job posting
to her career in Science was
Natural Science, and being a
Tuesday, I had to take it before
it was gone...

Frank works long hours. He's

very dedicated to figuring out
how to get smoke detectors
back in Hiddenbrook. He
thought becoming Police Chief
would give him enough
influence, but it just hasn't
worked out yet.

Eileen, Frank's Mom, is very

smitten with Barbara Anne. I'm
happy that she is finding
comfort in my dear cat since
she lost her spouse. I'm sad I
will never get to know Frank's
father. Though with all of these
urns laying about, maybe he
isn't too far away...

Law Enforcement Restrictions Lifted :

Once a brave hero from the family emerges, the streets are
cleaned up and order is restored, allowing police and
firefighters to once again help people. The Law Enforcement
restrictions are lifted. The smoke detector and burglar alarm
may be purchased and used, even if the Science restriction has
not been lifted. Frank is now permaplatinum as well! The first
sim since Mara and Alison, he is now Captain Hero.

Notice my proudly displayed fire detector! This should

help keep premature sim death at bay.
Frank came home today and said he had finally figured it out to get
home protection for all of Hiddenbrook without all of it having
electricity, he had to think outside of the box. He said he's met some
really influential people, and was finally able to retrieve the fire alarms
that we need. I still don't know how he's going to make this work
without electricity, but he said he's got it all figured out.

I have some big news too, I was promoted to an Animal

Linguist after my first day of work! I had hoped that Natural
Science would help me bring electricity to this side of
Hiddenbrook. I guess I should have known that with the
label Natural science I'd be more likely to study animals,
and you know, nature... I was a bit down when I came
home, even with the promotion, but Frank was really happy
to see me, and then proud when I told him my news.

While I was in college, I had

hoped to become a Game
Developer, that dream seems a
bit unrealistic now though in my
current life. So because I had
dreamed of software and
technology and computers, I
had a bit of studying to do for
my job.

I've noticed that Frank is

sometimes jealous of my college
education, and I can see that he
has a hard time relating to his
brother Isaac sometimes because
Isaac doesn't want to go to
college... But Isaac has figured
out what he wants to do, and it
doesn't require a degree.

Frank: It has been such a joy to have Debra living here with us. So one beautiful
sunny afternoon, I met Debra outside when she got home from work, and pulled
her in for a kiss. As I held her in my arms, I made a decision.

As each day passes, I am more sure about my love for you. My life and my losses
have taught me when love is real. Debra Peters, will you make me the happiest
man in all of the world, and marry me?
Frank, of course I will! Yes, yes, I will marry you.
Oh Debra, you've made me so happy! Debra, will you marry me now?
Um... Frank, I already said yes... Debra was chuckling as she answered me.

I know, I mean, right here, right now. Let's get married. Today is perfect, let's
take advantage of it.

Debra: And so we got married.

Isaac and Frank's Mother, well
my Mom now too, came outside
to witness our happy day.
We can't have wedding parties,
or even an arch, so I knew
Frank was right when he said
we needed to take advantage of
the beautiful day.

Plus, I was ready to become

Mrs. Lakshmi.

Our perfect day was ended in the perfect way for a newly
wed husband and wife.

Barbara Anne has always been a special cat, but I had no

idea she was so fierce. Normally a small cat would shy away
from the wolves in our neighborhood, but Barbara Anne isn't
afraid. She is ready to protect our home, and has actually
beaten Olive here in a fight. Oddly enough, the two of them
play together now. We're lucky to have such a great cat,
maybe she learns some of her tricks at work?
--Barbara Anne is in the security pet career.

Married life is wonderful. Though I will say, it isn't ideal to

sleep in twin beds on the third floor of our home most
nights. Along with no electricity, the Lakshmi ancestors are
very active at night.
--Paranormal was lifted in the second generation of my
Peters apocalypse challenge that Debra came from, so she's
never had to worry about ghosts confining them to one
floor at night.

On a night with no activity from Frank's relatives, I was

woken up by something else. That's right, I'm expecting!
And it couldn't have happened at a better time. I have some
days off at work, so I won't have to quit my job!
--With the slacker restriction in place, if you miss work for
any reason you have to quit your job. And once they quit, a
sim can't take a job in the same field again, so pregnancy is
a bit of a timing challenge.

Isaac may not need to go to college, but I think I can see

him regretting his choice a little bit when night comes
around. His brothers may not have the most fun at college,
they have their limitations there too, but at least they don't
have to worry about Lakshmis from the other side coming
to say hello

Frank: Ever since I became Police Chief I knew I had to take

to the skies to get things fixed. I haven't told Debra, but I
was contacted by SimCity to try out a suit that helps me fly,
so I'm able to fight crime from the sky... that's how I was
able to get fire detectors for Hiddenbrook, because I'm the
one responding to them.
Now I find myself drawn to the night sky as well and I'll
spend hours gazing through our telescope.

I've become more accepting of Isaac's decision not to go

to college. He's growing up so quickly, and though I had
wished he was with Henry and Gideon in school, it's
nice that Debra has gotten to know him as well.

I am very proud to be protecting Hiddenbrook. I'm trying to

be discrete about my methods, but I'm not sure how long I'll
be able to hide my secret from my family... I don't know if
they would agree with my reasoning or if they would try to
talk me out of my daily work.

Though I'm pretty sure Mom saw

me leave this morning...

And I'm also pretty sure she had

a smile on her face. She knows
how much the loss of Adia shook
us all, and how I had promised
that that fate wouldn't fall upon
anyone else. I hope she is proud
of me.

These pictures are here

because I still can't believe how
tough Barbara Anne can be. She
is a staunch protector of the
Lakshmi home. She puts other
sims family's dogs to shame.

But she is a forgiving cat.

She always befriends the

wolves, but only after she's let
them know that she's the boss.
Too funny!

One of my fellow fighters Andrea has convinced that my

family should know what I do at work. So she came home
with me today. I suppose she is right, my family should
know what I'm up to in case anything should happen to me.

As Andrea and I walked into the house poor Debra was

asleep in her meal. Debra's pregnancy has really taken a toll
on her. We're both eagerly awaiting the birth of our child so
she can get some relief. At least when the baby is out, we'll
all be able to take turns nurturing him or her.

After kindly waking her up, Debra was able to listen to Andrea and I explain what
we actually do every day.
So you mean to tell me, you're up there flying around with the aliens?
Debbie, you're such a kidder. I think if aliens existed Andrea or I would have
flown into one by now.
Frank, I wouldn't be so sure Andrea chimed in, Do you really think we'd
stumble upon them? I'm sure they wouldn't want to be seen until they were
ready

After dinner Debra went up to take a bath and go to bed.

The baby was really demanding all of her attention.
As Debra was getting ready for bed, I went out onto the
balcony to gaze at the grand sky and millions of galaxies.
Debra really had me going with that alien bit.

As I looked into the skies, everything seemed to be

different tonight. One moment I was looking into the eye
piece, and the next minute there was a blinding light all
around me... what in the world could be going on. After all,
it was the middle of the night, and we don't have
electricity! I was a bit baffled.

This light was illogical. I was standing beneath part of our

roof. The telescope wasn't out in the open...

I tried to look for the source of the light, but all I could see
was the wood boards above me. I was starting to get a little
freaked out. Maybe I should go inside?

Before I had the chance to run

inside, my feet started to leave
the ground!!
Debra!! Debra come quick!

The only thing that I could get a

handle on was my telescope
and it's made from all fixable
parts, so of course they pulled
apart on me...
Dear gods! What on simland
could be happening???
Debra!! I love you!!

Debra: I had just gotten out of a long bath when I heard

Frank shouting from the balcony below. I ran out to the
balcony. And where I know Frank had been standing a
minute ago, he was nowhere to be found...

As I looked around I started to panic, Frank had screamed that he loved me... but
where had he gone, would that be the last time I heard his voice??
I was becoming hysterical - Frank!? Frank darling! Where are you? First lightning
and now, well I don't know what why is Frank so unlucky with the sky?
Debra are you okay? Andrea came running out, apparently she hadn't left yet.
Oh Andrea what could have possibly happened? Did you see what happened? Oh
Frank!
Debra, take a deep breath. I didn't want to tell you this before, but you were really
onto something at dinner. I've seen things while flying around, and they weren't jets.

I didn't know what to think about these objects, I'm not a scientist or engineer, I
couldn't figure out what they were but that didn't mean there wasn't a logical
explanation for them.
What are you trying to say Andrea? The tone of Andrea's voice was beginning to
upset me more.
Debra I know this sounds crazy, but I think there really are aliens. And I hope for all
of our sakes and especially Frank's that they're just curious about how we've suddenly
taken to the skies. But you need to be careful in your condition, a premature labor is
the last thing we need right now, so come inside and I'll wait with you. Frank is a
fighter, he'll find a way to come back to us.

I went inside but I couldn't relax. My husband had

disappeared and his many relatives had decided to come
out tonight. The house was full of unrest.
The only calm amongst us was our cat Barbara Anne. She
came home with a note saying she had received another
promotion. She is now a guard pet... it seems Frank could
have used her more at home tonight than they did at work!

Alien Restrictions Lifted :

Earthlings are seen as quite primitive. It is a culture that still thinks digital
watches were a pretty nifty idea. Pathetic.
Sim City has been using Alien Technology for over a year, gained from the
crashed remains of an alien saucer. With the labs and factories that held this
technology destroyed in the blast, the alien discoveries are once again a
mystery.
With Frank's abduction, he has gained access to alien technology, but time
will only tell if there are any side affects from this trip...

Yes, that means aspiration rewards ie smart milk - are

free reign again well, except for smart milk which is
restricted by Oceanography... Poseiden is apparently
angry at Hiddenbrook, but that's another story for
another chapter...

Frank: All of a sudden the ground was before me, and it was
hurtling closer to me too quickly for me to do anything.
My head was foggy, my vision was blurred and there was a
loud humming noise above me.
The sky was radiating blue... wait... am I falling?

I hit the pavement with a large

thud. Thank goodness my head
fell in the sand... though my
knees will be hurting for days.

What in the name of the gods

could that loud humming noise
be? Why was everything so blue?

As I stood up, my knees weren't

the only thing that was sore.
Oddly enough my back... and
my... well... everything hurt.

The humming noise was coming

from behind me, I slowly turned
and looked around...

In an instant everything came back to.

I was abducted.
Aliens are real.
Aliens are not gentle.

The humming noise faded away.

The saucer must have taken off,
but I couldn't bring myself to look
back at it...

My Mom, Isaac and Barbara

Anne had run outside. The
humming was apparently louder
to them than it was to me, they
gripped their ears in pain.

All at once, I wanted to know more. Why had they chosen

me? What were they planning?
For someone in law enforcement, I surely didn't do too well
with observing my surroundings this entire time.

Oh Frankie dear! We thought we

had lost you! Debra was
hysterical. But I was able to get
her to go to bed. I was worried
the baby would come sooner than
it should because she was so
upset.... But my dear! My dear
Frankie, come here son

Mom stood there holding me for

what seemed like an hour. And
Isaac came over too and just
patted me on the back. I think
he didn't know what to make of
it. And really, neither did I. As I
climbed into bed with Debra, I
was very much wishing all of
this was a bad dream.

As I was falling asleep I tried to wish it away. Debra woke

up and mumbled in her sleep, I guess aliens are real

Debra: Frank slept for a long time

after he got home. I on the other
hand was up and reading with a
fury to find out more about what
all had happened to my dear
husband.

Henry happened to call that

morning and Eileen was relieved
to tell him about what had
happened. They had a lot of
catching up to do. They must
have a different phone schedule
there at LFT than we do here in
Hiddenbrook.

Frank has been home for a day now, and he's been trying to focus on what he can
control. He has been feeling a bit ill lately, but he is remembering more about
the incident piece by piece. It turns out he was sent home with invaluable
knowledge from our friends in the sky, and he just needs to be willing to think
about it to gain that knowledge.

Life has certainly been very different since I left college. I love my husband, and I
love his family, but I do miss my family. And selfishly, I do miss the luxuries I had
become accustomed to. I didn't realize how much more difficult it could be to pass
the time and amuse myself without electricity.
--Debra is a pleasure sim, and with no electricity it is very difficult to keep her
aspiration high. To make things more challenging her LTW is to go on 50 dream
dates. And since Intelligence and Show Business restrict dates she will likely never
achieve her LTW.

During dinner the day after

Frank's abduction things were a
little off in the Lakshmi
household. I tried to break the
tension with some humor, it had
never failed me before.
So I guess aliens are real huh?

I guess so... I wonder why

astronauts haven't seen them
before? Why Frank?
Hmm, not sure, maybe they
were jealous that he could fly
too?

But in all seriousness, are you getting excited about your

upcoming birthday Isaac? You'll finally be able to pursue
your dream and go into Oceonography.
It feels like it will never get here, but yes, I am really
excited about it. Plus, the sooner I get a job, the sooner
Frank will stop judging me for not going to college... I just
don't want that life.
Oh Isaac, I think Frank is starting to come around about
it...

Before I could finish my sentence, Isaac and Tosha ran outside.

I walked out to see that my mother in law was leaving us that night.
--Eileen the ever happy family sim didn't complete her LTW of 6 grandkids, the poor
thing never even got one. But she did reach the maximum lifetime points and
therefore received a platinum grave. Eileen's lift of Education was a very pivotal
restriction, especially in conjunction with her husband's military lift. She will be
missed. Oh, and I'm also glad she passed away outside! Less hauntings maybe.

I feel so bad for Isaac, I never knew how lucky I was to have
both of my parents still. He's just a teen and has lost both
of his parents, meanwhile mine are very alive and well.
His friend Tosha seemed a bit shaken up about it too. I
didn't stay outside for long, because I wanted to make sure
I could be there the moment Frank woke up to comfort
him... I know how devastated he was when he lost his
father, I know this will be very hard for him too...

Ever since Frank got abducted

he's been exhausted and hungry. I
keep joking with him that he is
acting more like a pregnant sim
than I am!

I had tried to stay by Frank to

be there when he woke up, but
of course pregnancy called and I
had to run to the bathroom... it
was there that I found out I was
actually going into labor!

The delivery ended up being easy,

and before long I was holding our
beautiful baby boy in my arms.
Frank and I named him Jonas.

I was overcome with joy, and

just wanted to hold little Jonas,
but I couldn't, because I still
felt like I was in labor... what in
the world could be going on?

Frank must have heard me giving

birth the Jonas, and he arrived
upstairs as I was having more
pain.

It turns out that Frank and I are

doubly lucky, I also gave birth to a
beautiful baby girl! I guess I
shouldn't be shocked that we had
twins, afterall I'm a twin, and my
mother has a twin... nonetheless I
am thrilled to have little Kate
Eileen in our lives!

--Jonas is named after My Name is Jonas by Weezer off of their Blue album. This
has always been one of my favorite songs, as Weezer is one of my favorite bands.
Kate is named after Kate by Ben Folds Five from Whatever and Ever Amen. If
you haven't seen Ben Folds live, and you enjoy a good show I heartily
recommend seeing Ben Folds. He is an incredible musician, and even though I've
seen him numerous times, any time he performs near me, I make it a point to go
see him.

That night Barbara Anne also came home with good news.
Our amazing cat has received yet another promotion. She is
now a Sniffer I mean I get what that means, but couldn't
they come up with a better title? We were told she needs to
learn to play dead, good thing she already knows how! My
pride for Barbara Anne is immense, I can't even imagine
how great I'll feel when Jonas and Kate grow up and
achieve great things...

Frank and I are so smitten with

our darlings. I know our lives may
not be perfect, and others may
think we live a quaint life. But
our babies have clean, warm
water for baths.

And nutritional milk to drink.

And lots of love to last them a
lifetime and back.

Though I will say that Frank has been acting a bit odd since
he was abducted...
Frank: I don't know how much longer I can keep my
suspicions from Debra... I don't know how she'll take it...

And that's all for now for the Lakshmis

thanks for reading Chapter 11 of
Apocalypse Please! - I Think Her Name Was
Debra. Boy week 22 was a long one, and I'll
warn ya, so are weeks 23 & 24! I wasn't
expecting to lift the alien restriction so
soon, but I'm happy to have it taken care of
:) Of course we know Frank will have an
(hopefully) adorable alien baby soon, but
I didn't anticipate what else would
happen to the Lakshmis... things are
about to get a little more interesting!

SiMania

(www.z12.invisionfree.com/sim_mania)
Happy Simming! HippieLayla86