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Welcome to the fifth and final installment of "Catch a Falling Star". When we left episode four, Lhuwhon had found a companion, Bettina, only to lose her a short time later when she moved out of the country. Will he be alone forever, or is there someone new for him on the horizon?
I do apologize for how long it has taken me to get this episode posted, but now, without further ado, on with the story.
I do apologize for how long it has taken me to get this episode posted, but now, without further ado, on with the story. Lhuwhon stood back and looked at the community shopping center and green space - his creation. Well, the building was - the landscaping was all thanks to the landscape designer and contractor, a gentleman named Jonathan Moore. They hadn't actually ever met - they'd done everything via email. That had been fine with Lhuwhon - he could write correct Spanish, but he'd never gotten the hang of speaking it. He did business via email whenever he could. He was going to meet with Jonathan today, though, just to do a final walkthrough now that the landscaping was nearly complete...and just to finally meet in person. Lhuwhon got there early and just walked around. Some of the shops were open now - not all, but some. They'd all happily complied with the theme - the shop he was walking past now had decorated with traditional-looking pottery and amphorae, but actually sold a wide range of tableware once you got into the shop. They'd done a wonderful job staying in theme.
As he was walking along his phone rang - it was Jonathan. He was nearly there. They agreed to meet in an out of the way corner of the center - easier to identify each other that way, although Lhuwhon said he would be easy to find, as he was the one with the pointed ears. Jonathan laughed and hung up. Lhuwhon arrived at the designated spot and waited. He'd only been there a minute when he heard a voice from behind him. "Lou?"
He turned to greet Jonathan, and was surprised to see a look of shock on the other man's face right before he practically launched himself at Lhuwhon.
"YOU!" he said, causing Lhuwhon to flinch back in shock and alarm.
"You....you're one of them!"
"One of them what?" Lhuwon asked, genuinely puzzled. "Fourteen years ago, my wife was stargazing....and she was abducted by aliens - aliens who look like you! You aren't Fey at all are you? You're one of them!"
Lhuwhon stared at the man - Jonathan - in shock. "Your wife? Your wife, she was?"
"So you DO know what I'm talking about! Give me one good reason I shouldn't kick you into the middle of next week!" Jonathan said, and then stood there, fuming.
"Because....helped her get away, I did," Lhuwhon quietly said.
"What?"
"Released her from the room where they hed her, I did. Took her back to your house, I did, and deposited her on your front lawn...somewhat roughly. Sorry for that, I am, but fast I had to be." "That was you?" Jonathan said, and Lhuwhon was happy to see that he immediately relaxed.
"Thank you!" Jonathan cried, and Lhuwhon smiled at him.
"So...all right, she is?"
"Yes, she's fine. She has the odd nightmare about it, but she remembers you very fondly."
"Glad of that, I am...much easier to bear, the aftermath is."
"Wait, what *are* you doing here, anyway?"
"A long story, that is," Lhuwhon said, and turned and began to walk to the central courtyard of the center. Jonathan followed. "Like what you did with this, I do - pictured sands, I did," Lhuwhon said.
Jonathan looked at him but apparently decided to let it rest, for now.
"Well, I didn't want people to think about the gladiators. I was going to make it just a garden....but then I remembered that in the old Roman Coliseum they used to sometimes flood the arena and stage naval battles...and that made me think of this."
"Lovely, it is. Serene. Perhaps...some benches here?"
"That might be a good idea. There aren't a lot of places to sit, other than the cafe - I think people will start sitting on the steps once it gets more crowded."
"A good point, that is. Speak to the owner, I will." Lhuwhon sood quietly for a moment, then spoke again.
"Your wife...know her name, I do not."
"Jesca," Jonathan said.
"Jesca...glad she is all right, I am. Tried for insubordination I was, then banished."
"But..."
"No...correct, my superiors were. Insubordinate, I was. Lucky, I was...prospered, I have....but even if I had not, do it again, I would. Honorable, it was. Right, it was," Lhuwhon said. They turned to walk to another part of the center. "Well, I'm thankful...and Jesca is, too. She'd like to thank you herself, I'm sure...and...you could meet Laveda."
"Laveda?" Lhuwhon asked, which made Jonathan smack his forehead.
"Right, how would you know?" he said, and reached into his wallet. "This is Laveda, my daughter. She's thirteen," Jonathan said, and Lhuwhon looked at the picture in shock. The girl...she was one of his kind!
"Implant they did, then. Sure, I never was." "Yes, they did. She has a twin, as well, my son Lionel. He's a bit camera shy...but he looks just like me," Jonathan said.
"So...half-siblings, they are?"
"Yes, we were surprised, to say the least."
"Imagine, I can," Lhuwhon said, looking at the picture again.
"Looks like my former captain, she does," Lhuwhon said, which made Jonathan frown.
"So she isn't yours?"
"No...asked to provide genetic material, I was not. Such is for high-ranked officers."
"I see. Jesca will be disappointed. She thinks of Laveda as yours."
"Honored I would be to have a daughter...they are rare among my kind...but no."
"Jesca and the kids, they'd love to meet you, I think," Jonathan said as he put away the picture.
"Like that, I would," Lhuwhon said.
"Let me talk to Jesca first...but perhaps this coming weekend? I will call you when I have something definite."
"Of course," Lhuwhon said. The two men decided to cut things short, as Jonathan was eager to get home and tell his wife. The next Saturday Lhuwhon nervously approached the house. It looked different when seen from ground level rather than above, he thought. Jonathan was apparently watching for him, as he came out to meet Lhuwhon before he had a chance to ring the bell.
"Hey, glad you came. Jesca's...well, she's nervous," Jonathan said.
"As am I," Lhuwhon said, which made Jonathan nod. "I can imagine. I'm just so glad I found you...this will be good closure for her. She's wondered what happened to you, after."
"Wondered about her as well, I did," Lhuwhon said. He was still a bit overwhelmed by the fact that he'd found the reason for his banishment from his people, but Jonathan did seem to understand that. He met the girl first - Laveda. She seemed to be maturing at normal human rate - a female of his kind would barely be a child by the age of thirteen...but that was likely a good thing, given that she had to live her life among humans.
"I'm glad to meet you...Mom said I look like a pretty typical alien, but she hadn't seen any females, so she wasn't sure."
"Much of your mother, I can see...the ears, the nose...but yes, much like females of my kind, you look, I think. Few females of my kind I have seen."
Laveda gave him a puzzled look, but then remembered that her brother was standing behind her, waiting to be introduced. "This is my brother, Lionel," she said, and Lhuwhon turned to see a young man who was indeed practically a clone of his father.
"Hello, Lionel," he said, and the young man smiled at him.
"I'm glad to meet you - 'Veda doesn't like being the only one of her kind around - don't imagine you have either," he said, which made Lhuwhon smile.
"Perceptive, you are," he said.
"I just listen to my sister...but then she's stronger than I am, so I have to, whether I like it or not," he said with a grin at his sister.
"Ah, yes...higher gravity our home world has."
"Oh, that totally makes sense! I'd wondered why I could lift more than even Dad could...that makes total sense!" Laveda said, and Lhuwhon smiled at her. Lhuwhon saw Jonathan look at the kitchen doorway, then turned and looked. He smiled as he saw a familiar face. She looked a little older than she had, and very nervous, but she did smile as she stepped forward "Jesca...glad I am to see you," he said, and her smile got even wider.
"And I'm glad to know your name, finally...thank you, Lhuwhon. I don't think I ever did thank you..."
"The right thing to do, it was...I could do nothing else."
"I'm sorry you paid such a price for it...."
"Knew the price when I decided to do it, I did," he simply said.
"So...seems like you did all right, though?" Jesca said.
"Yes...although a long story, that is."
"I'd like to hear it," Jesca said. They went downstairs to the den, and sat, then Lhuwhon began to talk. He told them of his life, how he had initially struggled to survive, but then had eventually prospered.
"I wish we had known...we would have helped you," Jesca said.
"Easier, it would have been, but not better, perhaps. On my world...birth and family connections are everything. Here...on my own merit I have succeeded. A career, I have. Hobbies, I have....lucrative ones. Restore vintage cars, I do - sold one just last week, I did. A success, I am. On my home world...a navigator I would have been, forever. A prime male specimen, I am not. Attract a mate...I could not." "Wait, your...our...people pass things through the females?"
"Yes...rare, females are. one in five births, at most."
"Why?"
"Before civilized we became, much competition for mates, there was. Survive to reproduce, most males did not."
"That's strange...here it's the other way. When there is a lot of competition like that, it ends up being a few males with many females," Jesca said.
"Yes, seen that, I have. Think of us like....bees. The few females are the queens. Hold all the power, they do, and the males, the workers, they are. A different planet, it is," Lhuwhon said, and shrugged. "A biologist, I am not." "So, wait...I should have been a boy?" Laveda said.
"No...the males of my kind...many there are who want more power. The captain on my ship...one of those, he was. This is why your kind are abducted and implanted. Fifty percent female, your kind has...wish to breed that in, they do. Horrified, I was, when I found myself on a ship with one of them....but no choice, I had. Go where I was assigned, I must."
"You did the right thing when it counted, though," Jonathan said.
"That I did, and glad I am that my honor I redeemed. Wonder, I do, why no further abductions there have been. Wonder, I do, if perhaps the females discovered the scheme. Hope, I do, that is so. Now...taken enough of your time, I have, and home I must go. Orela is waiting for me," he said, and stood. "Is that your wife?" Laveda asked as she stood, which made Lhuwhon laugh.
"No, my dog, she is. Unmarried, I am," he said.
"Oh...well, if I have any questions about...things...."
"Please, ask. My contact information, your father has," he said. They all headed upstairs and spent a few more minutes chatting, then Lhuwhon said his goodbyes. He did promise to "not be a stranger" - a promise he was glad to keep. He was thrilled to see that Jesca had not suffered any permanent damage from her time with his people...and even more thrilled to see that he was not the only one of his kind on this world. He wondered how much like the females of his own kind she was...that might pose some problems for her later, once she was mature...but they would deal with that if it happened. At least he would be there to explain things if it did. Lhuwhon arrived home and fed Orela and had some dinner, then went online to pay some bills. He smiled as he logged in to his bank account. The payment for the car he had sold had cleared. Even after paying bills, it was so lovely to see six figures there - $102,626. He was no millionaire....but he was a success. The only thing missing in his life was someone to share in his success....but now...well, he was confident that lack would be solved in time, one way or another. And so ends this Rags to Riches challenge. Lhuwhon took 43 days to achieve his goal. Lucky for him his kind is so long lived *cough*elixir*cough* He achieved his goal through his job, growing scads of produce, restoring old cars, and a couple of really fortunate chance cards - his dog got that $10k one and he got a $25k one, as I mentioned in previous chapters.
His story will continue as part of my legacy thread, which can be found on the Community Challenges forum.
http://forums.thesimsresource.com/showthread.php?t=3467338
Thank you all for your wonderful comments on this effort - I continue to be amazed and touched by them. Thank you also to the CC creators who contributed to this. There are too many to mention you all, but I'll at least hit the highlights - Illiana and Wolfsim68, who made the Coliseum shops lot and the Roman baths lot that sits next to it. Thank you also to MsBarrows who made my alien eyes, and Navetsea from MTS2 who made their skin.
Thank you again, I hope you enjoyed!
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17 Comment(s) posted so far
On Oct 26, 2008 shelllharn wrote:
great part well done loved it woooo xx plz read my new part The Pleasant family(What happened next2)
and comment thanx
On Oct 26, 2008 kezsridg wrote:
Great Ending I will definitely be following along in the challenges thread!! I do hope he can find a companion
On Oct 26, 2008 narniana wrote:
LOved It!!
On Oct 26, 2008 rockysgirl wrote:
Wonderful ending!! I can't wait to see where this goes in the legacy
On Oct 26, 2008 cutedazy wrote:
nice!
On Oct 26, 2008 candy820 wrote:
Great Story I enjoyed all of it.
On Oct 26, 2008 jaundyce61 wrote:
Very nicely done, enjoyed it!!
On Oct 26, 2008 Little Cloud wrote:
On Oct 27, 2008 capriMOM wrote:
Bravo!!!!
I loved this story and how it connects w/the other families of Tierra Del Dragon.
I love the backstory on Jesca's abduction being explained.
On Oct 27, 2008 Illiana wrote:
OH Deagh! I SO enjoyed this story! *Sniffle* I think your background of the alien people was amazing, and answered a lot of questions.
I like the attitude of Laveda. Her lack of fear when discussing it her people supports your background of females from his planet. I also like the no-nonsense 'tude of her brother. 
That made me chuckle a little. LOL! I cannot thank you enough for the honor you've given me, and for your talents. You are one amazing writer, and I am glad to have had a chance to read such a wonderful story! 
- Tammy
On Oct 27, 2008 mini me3393 wrote:
What a great way to end it! I'll have to keep an eye on the challenges forum. Hopefully you'll write more stories in the future!
On Oct 27, 2008 skyblue7377 wrote:
super good story
On Oct 28, 2008 SnowiJingleBells wrote:
On Nov 3, 2008 joker52455 wrote:
sorry i'm so late
the finale was great! I'm so happy he achieved his goal 
hopefully the next part will be in soon!
On Apr 1, 2009 Vanilla Sim wrote:
Deagh, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. You are a wonderful story teller. I look forward to reading more about Lhuwhon. I felt like I got to know him.
I actually gasped when he first met Jonathon I didn't want anything bad to happen to him. I love how you turned that first meeting into something wonderful. Thank you for sharing your talent. 
On Apr 4, 2009 YrS92 wrote:
I loved this so much, I'm a bit sad it's already over
On Jun 20, 2009 RebeccaJeanine71 wrote:
Oh WOW!!! I am lost for words, "I am"!!!! I REALLLLLY enjoyed reading this Episode
, even though I realized almost at the end, it was Episode 5, lol...but, oh well...you explained everything in such a way, it was as if I were watching a TV show halfway through the year, where I had to wonder what happened at the beginning, but better 
!!! I suppose when I go back to read Ep. 1, it'll be like I read the 'back' of the book first tee hee 
!!!
!!! You know, it's not often where I find any short story that makes me feel like I'm IN the story, I did feel that in your story 
! I can't wait to read your first 4 episodes now!!!! I just wish I could give you something of mine to read 
, but TSR is taking their time fixing whatever glitch w/ my first chapter of my first story on here 
..., but that's life I suppose!!!
!!!!
Anyway, I love how you had the alien use broken English!!! That was perfect! It was almost a tearjerker in a way too
Have a great weekend, and happy Simsing
-Rebecca (btw I bookmarked ya!!!)