Aelia went out into the heart of Strangerville to seek out any processed sims. It didn’t take very long to find one- or two to test the vaccine on. Thankfully, Jenny and Nine’s formula seemed to be working, now all that was left was to inoculate herself and the others.
Aelia, Pascal and Cassandra went into the depths of the lab and to the final door, shocked to find what awaited them on the other side...
The three stumbled upon Loki Beaker and Bella herself arguing on the platform before the Mother.
“...This is a breakthrough in science, I won’t let you ruin that!” Loki was spouting angrily.
“This is a living being, you horrid man!” Bella snarled back, but before Loki could retaliate, Cassandra’s scream echoed through the room.
“MOTHER!”
“Leave my mother alone!” Cassandra screamed, causing the two on the platform to spin around in surprise.
“Oh, Cassandra, you’ve come just in time!” Loki sneered, “You’re mother is going to help make history.” He took out a device, pressing a button on it’s surface.
“No!” Bella screamed, but his finger had already hit the button.
Bella and the Mother screamed in unison and the entire room quaked in response. Bella’s clear resistance to Loki’s interference was only able to last so long before her body went slack. With her hands sliding from her face, an angry purple had replaced Bella’s kind eyes.
Loki turned to the group with a sneer, “You should all count yourselves lucky, you’re bearing witness to my legacy!” He laughed, cold and harsh, “I couldn’t control this creature on my own, but your dear mother provided the perfect conduit!” His eyes locked with Cassandra as he pressed another button.
“The last thing you’ll ever see is my victory.”
Cassandra’s own scream was drowned out in the commotion but as she found herself untouched, she raised her voice to breaking.
“MAMA! LISTEN TO ME, YOU’RE STRONGER THAN HIM!”
She hadn’t been called mama in such a long time. Images of a younger Cassandra flooded Bella’s mind, such a clever young girl, her baby.
The Mother screamed again, their shared thoughts shaking the massive creature to her core, a shared motherly love and the want to protect their children at all costs.
Bella’s head jerked back upright and she turned swiftly onto Loki, hand outstretched with a determined anger.
“You will not hurt anyone. Ever again.”
Loki turned away from his gloating to see the petals of the Mother bearing down upon him.
“Wait- what?”
The mother’s bright tendril shot out, ensnaring Loki’s heels and dropping him to the platform with a rough thud.
“WAIT! NO, NO, NO!” Loki scrambled for his device but it had slid away as he had crashed to the ground.
“I OWN YOU I-!” Loki went suddenly silent the mother knocked him against the floor again before lifting him up, a low groan followed as he was suddenly upside down.
In one quick flourish, the Mother pulled Loki in and swallowed him whole.
The Mother then reared up, with one last ear piercing screech before the giant plant slumped over and went still. Bella turned from the scene, her eyes still the same swirling purple.
Aelia and Pascal were bruised but fine, Pascal groaned in the background while Cassandra helped Aelia up.
“Cassie, your mother.” Aelia said in a hushed tone as Bella looked down upon them from the platform.
Cassandra’s head whipped about and she scrambled up the steps, tugging Bella into an embrace before the other woman could get a proper word in.
But when she finally spoke, it made Cassandra’s blood run cold.
“¥ØỮ ΔŘ€ ŦĦ€ ĆΔŞŞΔŇĐŘΔ?”
“What?” Cassandra balked, pulling back to stare into those purple orbs, those were not her mother’s eyes. “What did you do with my mom, what did you do to Bella!?”
“Ŵ€ ĦΔV€ ĐØŇ€ ŇØŦĦƗŇǤ. ŦĦ€ β€ŁŁΔ ƗŞ ƤŘ€Ş€ŇŦ. ŞĦ€ Ø₣₣€Ř€Đ ŦØ ŞĦΔŘ€ Ħ€Ř ₣Ł€ŞĦ ĆΔƤŞỮŁ€ ŞØ ŦĦΔŦ Ŵ€ ΜΔ¥ β€ ₣Ř€€.”
Cassandra’s eyes welled with tears, “What do you mean? Then why isn’t she talking?”
“ŦĦ€ β€ŁŁΔ ĦΔŞ β€ĆØΜ€ €ЖĦΔỮŞŦ€Đ ₣ŘØΜ ŦĦ€ ĆØŇŇ€ĆŦƗØŇ, Ŵ€ ĦΔV€ ŦΔҜ€Ň ĆØŇŦŘØŁ ƗŇ Ħ€Ř ŞŦ€ΔĐ.” The Mother replied, pausing for a moment with a soft frown before adding,
“βỮŦ ŦĦ€ β€ŁŁΔ Ř€ΩỮ€ŞŦ€Đ ŦĦΔŦ Ŵ€ Ŧ€ŁŁ ŦĦ€ ĆΔŞŞΔŇĐŘΔ ŦĦΔŦ Ŵ€ ŁØV€ ¥ØỮ.“
Cassandra bit back more tears as anger simmered, “How do I know you’re telling the truth? I want to talk to her, not you!” She took a shaky breath, “You’re free now so get out of her body!”
“Ŵ€ ĆΔŇŇØŦ-“ The Mother attempted to explain, but Cassandra interrupted, “How can’t you? You possessed her to begin with, why can’t you-”
“It is not that simple, Cassie.” Aelia murmured, coming up beside Cassandra and grasping at her arm comfortingly. “Bella let the Mother in... but she needs a shell to be able to leave.”
“Then... what?” Cassandra mumbled, dejected, “I just found my mother and I can’t even...”
“I have an idea.” Aelia assured, giving both of them a smile, “One that will let you both be free.”
“Ŵ€ ΔƤØŁØǤƗŞ€, Ŵ€ ĆØỮŁĐ Ş€€ ŇØ ØŦĦ€Ř ŴΔ¥ ŦØ Ř€ỮŇƗŦ€ ŴƗŦĦ ØỮŘ ØŴŇ Ø₣₣ŞƤŘƗŇǤ.” The Mother dipped her head to Cassandra who sighed, giving her a weak smile.
“No, I... I guess I understand.” Cassandra replied, glancing to Aelia, “I hope your plan works.”
“This is your plan?” Cassandra questioned.
“Yes, is there a problem?” Aelia replied, checking the calibrations, “It is a cloning machine.”
“Do you even know if it will work on sims?” Cassandra shot back wearily.
“It worked back on Sixam, it should be the same here.” Aelia assured, still looking at her device.
“Should be?” Cassandra pressed, flashing a glance towards the machine, and more importantly, the sim on that machine.
The machine started up and the group held their breath as the scanning light washed over Bella’s body.
The green light faded and everyone turned to the figure now standing next to Bella.
“ŴΔŞ ƗŦ ŞỮĆĆ€ŞŞ₣ỮŁ?” The duplicate questioned in the same deep tone of the Mother.
“I... believe so.” Bella murmured, her voice back to normal as well as her eyes.
“Mom!” Cassandra rushed forward, embracing her mother tightly.
“Oh Cassie, my sweetheart.” Bella exclaimed, squeezing her daughter back, “I missed you so much.”
Before helping the Mother go back home, they made a quick pitstop to the Smith household where a very happy bundle of joy was awaiting them.
(And of course the toddler’s eye colour changed again and I don’t care enough to fix it)
But a phone call quickly sullied the mood as Cassandra's smile vanished as she listened to the person on the other end. "What's wrong sweetie?" Bella questioned as Aelia turned from the happy reunion of Mother and Child. "We have to go home, right now." Cassandra muttered, "Alex says Dina is trying something stupid, I guess she heard you were alive and is panicking."
"Excuse me?" Bella's tone shifted to one of quiet rage, "Lets go, I have a few words I'd like to say to that woman."
Out behind the Goth residence, a hastily put together wedding arch and chairs had been placed, and in the middle stood a dolled up Dina with a broad smile. "Surprise, darling!" She sang to a stunned Mortimer, "I know it's a little unexpected but-" "A little?" Alexander growled, but the sound of angry footfalls turned his attention away.
"You harlot, get away from my husband!" Bella snarled, flanked on two sides by an angry Aelia and an even angrier Cassandra. Mortimer turned swiftly at his wife's voice, a look of pure surprise and relief spreading across his face.
But Dina stomped her foot with a childish little screech as she turned her jealous gaze onto Bella.
"You! How did you come back? I made sure you were gone for good!" Dina screamed, stomping over to Bella in a blind rage. "Did you really think you could keep me away from my husband? My family?" Bella spoke coldly, "You never have been good at seeing the big picture, Dina."
"That's not true, I had it all planned out!" Dina snapped, shoving Bella back, "You never could've gotten out alone!"
"But I wasn't alone, did you really not account for how close my family is?" Bella questioned.
"SHUT UP! I hate you! You were nothing, why don't you just die!" Dina screeched, reaching out for Bella's throat, but a swift punch to the jaw shook the woman from her intent.
"Is that enough for an arrest, officer?" Cassandra cooed, a wicked smile crossing her features as Dina reeled back from the punch. "More than enough, miss Goth, I'm glad I got here just in time." The officer replied, "Didn't miss any fireworks." He then mumbled under his breath.
"Alright, break it up. You're coming with me, miss Caliente." The officer said, clasping a hand onto Dina's shoulder.
"What!? I- oh plumbobs." Dina exclaimed, dropping her fight to try a different approach, "I'm sorry officer, this is a big misunderstanding!"
"Uh-huh, I'd love to hear all about it." The man offered, "Or, you can remain silent, anything you say..."
Nina covered her face anxiously as she watched her sister escorted out of the backyard, but after a quick look at Bella's angry face she scampered out behind them.
"My darling, you're safe!" Mortimer exclaimed, "Do not believe this sham of a wedding, she set everything up herself, I had no idea nor would I have wed that woman!"
"Amore mio, I know, you would not be caught dead in a polo shirt at such an event." Bella smiled, bringing Mortimer's hands up to kiss his knuckles, "I've missed you." Mortimer tugged Bella close, dipping her low, "Not a day went by that I did not think of you, my dear."
After a rather passionate kiss that went on perhaps longer than necessary, Bella peeled herself away from her husband and brought Alexander into a hug. "Mom, I missed you so much!" Alex exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes.
"I missed you too, honey, but don't worry, I won't be leaving any time soon."
As the sun sank low over the horizon, the group stood before Aelia's now completed space ship.
It was time for the Mother to return home.
"ŦĦΔŇҜ ¥ØỮ, ₣ØŘ €V€Ř¥ŦĦƗŇǤ."
"You are welcome." Aelia smiled, "Are you ready?" "I'm not- if that's okay." Pascal interrupted, "I... could I talk to you real quick?" As Aelia turned to him with a curious smile, Pascal elaborated, "Erm, alone? Maybe over here?"
"Oh, of course!" Aelia exclaimed, "We will be a few simearth minutes." She assured the Mother before following Pascal towards the porch.
The Mother chuckled softly and nodded, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
"Okay, I know I should've said something sooner but I was trying to figure out how to put it and-" "Pascal?" "Sorry, okay, uhm. I don't want you to leave." Pascal murmured anxiously, "I know you're dropping her off and all but... what if you don't want to come back?"
Aelia's hearts thudded in her chest, "Why do you think I would not come back? I am a sim, after all."
"No offense, Aelia, but I know that's not true." Pascal replied sheepishly, "You're an alien, aren't you? Maybe not the same as her, but it wouldn't be hard to fly on back home after you were done dropping her off." Aelia stood stunned for a few moments before she was able to find her voice, "How did you know?"
"Ally, my sister's husband is from Sixam, I would be pretty silly not to notice you weren't from around here." Pascal explained with a chuckle. "I suppose that's true, I come from the same hive as Nine." Aelia admitted. "And you are not upset by this revelation?"
"This is a little embarrassing, but honestly, falling in love with someone out of this world is a dream come true." Pascal replied sheepishly, "And that's why I don't want you to leave, if that's what you want. I don't want to force you to stay but-"
"Pascal."
"I was not planning on leaving, not now." Aelia pressed, "I think I've found my home. I love you, too."
Relief flooded over Pascal's features and he smiled, "Good, cause I think I'd have to stow aboard on your ship otherwise."
"Well... I was hoping you would join me, actually. I want to show you my homeworld."
"I would love to." Pascal replied, leaning forward with a kiss that sparked between them, something sudden and subconscious that had them pulling away with giddy laughter.
After returning the Mother to her home planet, Aelia dropped them down into Sixam where Pascal all but scrambled out of the ship so he could take in the beautiful views.
"This is better than I could have ever imagined." He breathed out with a giddy wiggle.
"I have something else to show you." Pascal turned back at Aelia's voice and a gasp caught in his throat, "Oh my Watcher, Aelia, you're beautiful." He reached out, snatching the woman off her feet and lofting her into a tight hug.
She squealed with laughter, hugging him back just as tight, "You are beautiful, as well!"
The two settled into the embrace, all alone in the secluded grove... at least that's what they thought.
"Jump!" Aelia exclaimed suddenly before pushing off the ground with a spill of excited laughter.
"Wha-?" Pascal's eyes widened but he did as he was told, floundering in the open air until Aelia held out her hand to him.
"Sixam's gravity is much different than Simearth." Aelia explained, tugging Pascal closer, "We can float here for about ten seconds and zero point five milliseconds."
Pascal chuckled at the very specific time, "That's a perfect amount of time for this." His head tilted forward, but realized with a gentle bump of Aelia's forehead that his helm prevented a kiss. The two chuckled, resting their foreheads, at least proximately, together as they gently floated back to the ground.
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