Dear reader, welcome back to The Bookacy Family Alphabet Adventures, this is chapter 32!

Now what I did last time was a little bit of a nasty trick, wasn't it? *innocent smile* Sorry about that. It's just that last chapter started a chain of events that I've known for a while will happen. Some of this upcoming plot has been in my head for a rather long time, and I'm eager to finally play it out.

So, without further ado, let's get back to our story, first with a quick reminder of what happened last time. And then, the ball is rolling...

Previously on The Bookacy Family Alphabet Adventures...

”Charlie? CHARLIE!”

Meanwhile, outside, professor Eric Dallas was delivering a beautiful bouquet of roses for Cho, as a thank you for their amazing date last night. He stopped to briefly remember the night and cherish the memory.

”What was that?”

It was as if someone had screamed inside.

Again. There was something wrong.

Eric quickly entered through the unlocked door – had he had time to think, he would have found even the gate being open odd, normally it was always locked – and rushed in the direction of the noise.

In the small side bedroom, he first saw the two oldest Bookacy siblings, horrified, uttering incomprehensible screams.

And to his horror, at their feet layed a motionless Charlie, and he realized this could only mean one thing.

He had to do what he could.

Professor Eric put on the strictest face he managed, and barked his instructions.

”Cyrus, get back in your coffin! Now!”

When Cyrus didn't move, he yelled: ”You cannot help him! Back in the coffin! I'll force you in if I have to. Cho, help me!”

And together, they could finally force the fiercely smoking Cyrus back into the coffin.

But for Charlie, it was already too late.

It was early evening, the sun had just set. Sunny Straight rushed for the gate, fear in her heart. She had gotten the phone call she had dreaded for years. Something had happened. And of all nights tonight, when she finally had the cure she had been preparing for so long...

Inside, she found a devastated couple. Marylena was crying uncontrollably, and Baudolino was trying to comfort him, tears streaming down his own cheeks. Professor Eric Dallas was standing by and looking helpless.

”My baby... M-my p-poor little baby...” was all Sunny could recognize from Marylena's sobs.

She couldn't bring herself to ask the question, so she simply looked at Baudolino.

”Charlie”, he croaked. ”He's dead.”

”Dead?” Sunny's voice was just a whisper.

”In the bedroom”, Baudolino pointed with his hand somewhere in general, then kept on holding onto his wife.

”What... what happened?”

It was professor Eric who spoke. ”I believe Cyrus... accidentally scared him to death.”

”From what I could get out of Cho after I made the call, she heard a scream and found the coffin open and Cyrus madly reaching for Charlie. Charlie tried his own pulse, and... collapsed. Cyrus has been like that since he got out of the coffin”, Eric explained quietly, pointing towards Cyrus, who laid curled up on the floor and trembled from head to foot. Cho was kneeling beside her brother, stroking his hair.

”Cho”, said the matchmaker gently, ”let me.”

Cho stepped aside, and Sunny knelt down next to Cyrus in turn.

”Cyrus. I know you are hurting. We all are”, she said quietly, reaching for his arm. ”What happened here today was terrible. But we need you, Cyrus. You have to be strong. I have here something that helps. It doesn't take away the pain, but it makes it a little easier. And I have your cure.”

At this, Cyrus moved for the first time. He raised his head a little and asked: ”You have it?”

”I have it”, said Sunny. ”But take this first.” She put a pill in Cyrus' open hand. ”It'll help you feel stronger and gets you through tonight, gets done what needs to be done.” She turned to look at Eric. ”Professor, could you get a glass of water please?”

In the living room, Carl was trying to hold Claire together, and Ryker couldn't but feel helpless.

”I d-don't g-g-get it. Ho-how c-can so-something like this h-ha-happen?”

”I don't know, Claire. I don't think anyone knows at the moment. That's what uncle Baudolino and aunt Marylena came here to find out.” He was fighting back the tears himself.

”Is there anything I can do?” asked Ryker. He felt that he needed to find something, anything he could do, instead of just standing there.

Carl looked up. ”Can you look after Claire for a while? I think I should call my parents. And yours too if you don't feel up for it”, he added to Claire.

Ryker nodded. ”Of course.”

In the kitchen, Cyrus was back on his feet. Whatever it was that Sunny had given him, was helping enough to put him in action.

”Are you ready?” asked Sunny. Cyrus just nodded.

”Very well, then. This should be strong enough for the bite”, Sunny said and put a small, purple bottle in his hand. ”Drink all of it.”

Cyrus lifted the bottle to his lips and drank, without thinking. He'd been a vampire for a long time and grown accustomed to it, and under different circumstances he may not have minded staying one. But right now, there was nothing he hated as much as being a vampire. He emptied the bottle to the last drop.

There was an unpleasant sensation, the potion felt like burning, and Cyrus squirmed. His family gasped in fear, but Sunny didn't even blink. She'd known this was coming.

Moments later, the transformation was complete and Cyrus stood in front of his family in his fully human form. The silence was filled with shock. No one had seen him as himself since his teenage, and it felt as if there was a stranger standing in front of them.

The illusion broke soon. Cyrus turned to face Sunny. He couldn't manage a smile, but said: ”Thank you, Sunny.” He glanced at his hands. ”I think I'm back to my old self again.”

Sunny nodded. ”Yes, this time the potion seems to have been strong enough.” She turned to face the others. ”Now, shall we sit down?”

And they did. Marylena forced herself to calm down, but her occasional sniffing was still audible. Otherwise the company was entirely silent.

Finally, Sunny spoke up.

”I know we are all hurting. What happened today was horrible and completely unexpected. We're all exhausted, sad and scared.” She turned to address Cyrus. ”But I believe we all need and deserve to know what happened.”

Cyrus stared at the dining table. Horror and guilt were at war inside him.

”I can't explain what happened”, he said quietly. ”But I think... I think it was me who killed Charlie.”

That was met with silence. Cyrus swallowed and moved on. ”I don't know what happened, I only know what I saw.”

”Then tell us what you saw”, encouraged Sunny.

Cyrus nodded. ”I was sleeping”, he started. ”I think I was having a dream. And then...”

”What kind of a dream?” Sunny interrupted.

Surprised by the question, Cyrus looked up from the table. ”Does it matter?”

”I think it might be of relevance”, said Sunny, with a concentrated look on her face.

”Well, I can't remember clearly but... I was in some kind of a house. I remember it had dark colours... And I was sure someone lived there, but I didn't see anyone. I walked from one room to another. One was clearly a little girl's room, but I think it hadn't been used for a long time. And then there was a... maybe a laboratorium of some kind”, Cyrus explained, trying to remember more.

”A laboratorium?”

”Yeah. There was weird looking equipment, some of it looked scientific, some... I don't know, there was something that looked like a cauldron to me.”

”Witchcraft”, muttered Sunny. ”Did you happen to see... a coffin anywhere?”

”A coffin?” asked Marylena, eyes widening with fear. ”You don't think...”

”I have a serious suspicion”, replied Sunny. ”Cyrus, do you remember a coffin?”

”Yes, yes I'm pretty sure there was a coffin... I think I got out of it in the beginning...” Cyrus' eyes showed dawning understanding. This seemed to confirm Sunny's suspicion.

”What else do you remember from the dream? Where were you when it ended?”

”I think... I think I was in the laboratorium or whatever it was. I don't know why, but I was walking in circles, and I think I felt frustrated about something. Then there was a loud noise, a kind of a clank... And the next thing I remember is waking up to Cho screaming”, Cyrus finished.

”Very well, then”, said Sunny. ”Cho, you saw what happened, didn't you?”

”Not all of it, no”, said Cho, shaking her head sadly. ”I was here in the kitchen, writing my assignment, when I first heard a loud clank, and then Charlie screamed. I ran into the bedroom, and the coffin was open, and”, she looked apologetically at Cyrus, ”Cyrus was growling, reaching for Charlie from the coffin. His eyes were open but he looked like he didn't see or recognize anyone.”

”What happened then?”

”I think... I think I yelled at Cyrus to stop it. He... somehow he did. It was quiet again and I asked Charlie if he was okay... He didn't say anything, he tried his own pulse and then... th-then h-he col-collapsed”, finished Cho, struggling to keep her voice steady.

”And that was where I came in”, said Eric without being asked. ”I happened to be outside, delivering a rose bouquet for Cho, when I heard noise from inside. I think it must have been Cho screaming. I rushed in and found Cho and Cyrus standing by the coffin, screaming. Then I saw the other boy, Charlie, curled up at their feet. I don't know how but... But somehow I think I knew...”

”Knew what?” asked Sunny.

”That it was too late for Charlie. That he was... already beyond help. At that moment, I suddenly realized that Cyrus was out in the daylight and...”

Cho shrieked.

”What is it?” asked Sunny quickly.

Cho looked horror-struck. ”Pleading! I should have pleaded! I just stood there and...” her voice trailed off. Tears were silently streaming down her face.

Professor Eric spoke up again, his voice pained.

”It's not your fault, Cho. If it's anyone's then it's mine. I was the one who thought your brother couldn't be helped, I was the one who gave you instructions. I never came to think of pleading. I'm so sorry...”

”No”, said Baudolino firmly. ”It's not your fault, professor. In fact, it's apparently thanks to you that Marylena and I didn't lose two sons today. Thank you, for Cyrus.”

Marylena couldn't find her voice, but she showed her thorough agreement with her husband by nodding vigorously.

”Indeed”, confirmed Sunny, ”it's very very dangerous for a vampire to be outside their coffin at daytime, even inside. What you did, professor, probably saved Cyrus' life.”

Eric did not seem convinced, and Cho looked like she was going to say something, but Sunny ignored them. ”As for Charlie, I am afraid that when vampire magic this strong is involved, any chance of succeeding at pleading would have been strongly diminished in any case.”

”It doesn't matter, I still should have...” Cho started, but Cyrus interrupted her.

”Vampire magic? But... I didn't think I had any particular magic. Was it with magic that... that I killed my brother?”

Sunny sighed. ”First of all, Cyrus, I am quite sure that you did not kill your brother.”

”But...”

Sunny ignored him. ”Technically, yes, it was because you awoke in the coffin and reached for him that he apparently died of fright. But neither of you intended anything like this to happen, it was an accident. There were powers involved that neither of you could possibly control.”

”What do you mean?”

”You were not in control of yourself when Charlie came to open your coffin, and if I am correct, neither was Charlie.”

”So you think it was him? Salahuddin Chamcha?” asked Baudolino, unable to stop himself. Professor Dallas looked confused but didn't say anything. He didn't want to inerrupt or intrude.

”Yes and no”, said Sunny contemplatively. ”Based on what Cyrus and Cho told me tonight, I believe that Salahuddin Chamcha was involved. First of all, Cyrus would never, ever done anything to hurt his brother if he was in control of the situation. Second of all, Charlie, just like everyone in this room, knew better than to disturb a sleeping vampire.”

Baudolino nodded. That was all true.

”Also”, continued Sunny, ”the dream that Cyrus had has raised my suspicions. He saw a coffin. There are some vampires in Alphabetia, but the number is quite limited these days. He saw some kind of a laboratory. From Aadam's descriptions we know Salahuddin has one. And he saw a little girl's room. We also know that Salahuddin has indeed had a little girl living in his house at a time.”

”Marsha”, said Marylena quietly.

”So... you're saying that the house I saw was... Salahuddin Chamcha's house?” asked Cyrus. ”And his actual house, not, you know, a dream house?”

”Yes, I'm actually fairly certain of that”, Sunny replied. ”I believe if you told all this to Aadam, he could probably confirm my suspicions.”

”So, he... he was somehow in control of me? Or my mind?” Cyrus asked, anguished.

”As I said, yes and no. Based on your story, I believe that there was a connection between your mind and Salahuddin's, and that it has everything to do with how Charlie died. However, I do not believe that Salahuddin did this on purpose.”

This was met by stunned silence.

”Why not?” asked Baudolino finally. ”We know he's after the family, we've known all along.”

”That is true”, replied Sunny, nodding. ”If he believes that hurting the family would advance his own goals – bringing Author back – then he has a motive. But here, I believe he lacked the chance. I would find it very unlikely that a vampire as young as Salahuddin Chamcha would be in control of his powers to a level that would allow him to take conscious power of a mind to this degree. Even vampires who have been vampires for centuries and centuries would generally need a long time to consciously practice such a skill.”

”But he was strong enough to give me a strong case of vampirism even though I'm a Grand Vampire's grandson”, said Cyrus.

”That is also true.” Sunny nodded. ”Salahuddin Chamcha has already proven himself to be a very powerful vampire and a very dangerous man. But still, I find it extremely unlikely that he would possess such strong powers and be in control of them. No vampire alive today has been reported to have such abilities, and that includes the Grand Vampires. It is much more likely that this was simply an accident.”

”And even if it wasn't, how could we ever prove it?” asked Marylena.

”Yes, that would also be nigh impossible, unless we had a confession”, admitted Sunny.

”But if we can't prove it was him”, said Cyrus, panic in his voice, ”doesn't it mean that... that it was me? That I'll be found a murderer?”

”No”, replied Sunny gently. ”We all know you and trust you, and are willing to testify for your good nature in front of the jury if it went to that. Also, I could not be set aside as an expert witness, I would be able to tell them that this kind of magic exists. Besides, there have been these kind of accidents before, and they have always been judged as just that: accidents. The blame has never been set on the vampire, as it is known that they cannot prevent themselves from behaving the way vampires behave. There will I believe be some kind of an investigation, Sean and Marsha will alert the police or possibly already have, but you don't have to worry about going to jail.”

When Cyrus didn't look as relieved as Sunny had hoped, she said: ”Cyrus, you are innocent. I know it's hard for you to believe, but really, you are.”

”That's true, Cyrus”, said Cho, who had been quietly sitting in her chair for a long time. ”It's not you who should be blamed. It's me.”

”I should have pleaded”, said Cho, despair in her voice. ”I don't know why I didn't think of it, if I'd just...”

”Cho”, said Sunny firmly, ”stop that. We already went through this. It's not your fault. You can't start blaming this on yourself.”

”That's true”, said professor Eric from his corner. ”I was there too. And I didn't realize to plead either. If it's your fault, then it's mine just as much.”

”And mine”, said Sunny sadly. ”If I had been able to make the cure sooner, Cyrus would not have been a vampire and none of this would have happened. We can all go on blaming ourselves forever, but it's not going to help anyone. It was an accident, Cho.”

”But I'm the heiress! I'm in charge! I should have been the responsible one, and I failed!”

”This has nothing to do with being a good heiress, honey”, said Baudolino. ”Even if you're the heiress, you can't change everything for the better. It's impossible.”

”But this is not, right?” said Cho with sudden enthusiasm. ”This can be fixed!”

”Fixed?” asked Sunny, confused.

”Yes! It can all be fixed, we can bring Charlie back!”

When nobody seemed to get the brilliance and the simplicity of the realization, Cho grew irritated. ”Come on, we all know it can be done! That's what Salahuddin wants too, right? Resurrect my great-grandmother? He wouldn't be after it if it was impossible. And it's been done, I know great-uncle Abraham brought his brother's girlfriend back! I'll just have to find out how and then I can fix this and bring Charlie back!”

Suddenly all the others looked worried.

”What? It's a great idea!”

”Honey...” started Marylena, unsure. ”I know you loved your brother, we all did. And I understand you'd want to have him back. But... it's not that simple.”

Cho was going to interrupt, but Sunny silenced her with her hand. ”Your mother is right, Cho. It's not that simple.”

”Why not?!”

”Well, first of all, resurrection is a complex process, and few have ever mastered it. It always carries a risk.”

”But great-uncle Abraham...”

”... did not manage to successfully resurrect Rebecca. She came back as a zombie. Would you want to risk your brother coming back as a zombie?”

”No, but...”

”Even if Abraham was still alive and could tell you what he knew, even he didn't know how to perfectly resurrect someone. The device he had was faulty, and he only managed to bring Rebecca back as a zombie. The resurrection process is highly dangerous. Some believe that if you are an expert in the paranormal, that is enough to be able to construct the needed device, but that is not true. It takes thorough expertise in both paranormal phenomena and science, and still, nothing is guaranteed. And, there is another reason why Charlie should not be brought back”, Sunny finished in a quiet voice.

”What's that?”

Sunny closed her eyes and sighed. ”Long ago, when your great-grandmother Author was an old woman and knew death was only a question of time for her, she contacted me. She knew that Salahuddin was obsessed about winning her love, and even her death would not stop him. She and I both knew that if he got his wish and successfully brought her back, that would severely violate the deepest laws of Legacy magic, and that would put all of Alphabetia in danger. She was a Legacy foundress, and there is deep magic tied into that. No one knows what might happen if her rest was disturbed. So Author, aware of this, asked for protection.”

”What kind of protection?”

”Gypsy magic protection. She asked me to cast a spell on the family, and seeing no other way to secure her peaceful rest and the future of the family, I did.” Sunny kept a short break. From memory, she repeated what she had said all those years ago:

”This house is the home of the Bookacy Family Alphabet Legacy. Under this spell shall it be, for its generations to come. No outsider shall disturb the peace of the dead of this house, not until this spell is broken from inside the family. Is one not given the protective Aura of Heir or Spouse, when one leaves, one leaves, and leaves for good. There is no coming back, not in one's full form. After a Heir or Spouse has been named, the Aura can never return to its previous holder. In this house, decisions are final.”

”So... This means... For as long as the family members do not bring anyone back from the dead, Salahuddin can't do it either, and so my grandmother's final rest is secured? And heirs and their spouses... what was that about?” asked Baudolino.

”Yes, the spell ensures that if the family does not bring anyone back, Salahuddin's way to Author stays blocked, and the threat to Alphabetia stays at bay”, Sunny explained. ”If a family member resurrects someone fully, then the spell is broken and Salahuddin is able to get what he wants, which would shake the foundations of the Legacy. Heirs and their spouses are placed under a special, protective aura, which ensures that if there is an accident or if Salahuddin Chamcha decides that the shortest way to Author goes via hurting the family, the continuation of the Legacy can be saved by attempting a resurrection without breaking the protective spell. Of course, this still leaves the problem that resurrection is a highly dangerous process.”

”And because Charlie was a spare, he cannot be resurrected, or otherwise all of the city may be in danger”, finished Baudolino in a pained voice.

”Yes.”

”Well then let's make Charlie the heir and bring him back!” said Cho, desperate. ”I don't have to be the heiress, if it means I can't have my brother back I don't even want to!”

”Cho...” started Marylena gently, but she didn't know what to say.

”I am sorry Cho”, said Sunny, ”I'm sure Charlie would appreciate your offer for giving up the heirship for him, he knew how much it meant to you to be heiress. But I'm afraid it wouldn't help him. The aura that is placed on heirs and spouses is protective as in it protects them against the effects of the spell while they are still alive and at the moment of their death. The protective Aura cannot be received after the fact. Not only that, there is also the problem that since you currently have the protection, and if it was now given to someone else, then it could never be given back. And I'm sorry to say this, but unfortunately, as a heiress, be it current or former, you are an extremely desirable target for anyone who may want to harm the family. Giving away the protection would make you extremely vulnerable, and I'm sure none of us want this danger to fall on you.”

”So, essentially”, asked Baudolino, with his mouth dry, ”there is absolutely nothing we can do, but... bury our son?”

”Yes, I'm afraid so”, said Sunny quietly. ”I am so sorry.”

A silence set around the table. There was nothing left to say.

Meanwhile, in Salahuddin Chamcha's residence.

”Thank you for coming on such a short notice, mr. Tellerman. I truly appreciate it.”

Salahuddin had headed for the phone as soon as it was safe to get out of his coffin.

”You sounded like it was pretty urgent. Is something wrong?” asked Komei Tellerman.

”I have... experienced a shock today”, Salahuddin admitted. ”It has to do with a curious dream I had when I had my daily sleep in my coffin. You see, I have been having the same dream for some time now, and it has been bothering me, but never did I assume that it would be more than a dream...”

Salahuddin seemed lost in his thoughts.

”A dream?” asked mr. Tellerman carefully.

”Yes. I kept seeing a house that I could not recognize. I always found myself in the same room...”

”So... You think someone is dead? I mean, dead dead and not just dream dead?” asked Komei after Salahuddin had finished his story.

”Yes, I believe so”, replied Salahuddin and nodded. ”And I believe it is one of the Legacy offspring. When I saw the heiress coming to the room, I realized I must have been visiting the Legacy Greek House. I have never been there in actuality, but according to my sources it is the current residence of the Bookacy youngsters. Also, I know that there are three children, one girl and two boys. The heiress I have seen in photographs, and one of the sons is a vampire; I turned him myself. The dead one must have been the other son.”

”So at least the dream does fit the description”, Komei agreed. ”But you don't know if he's really actually dead?”

”I do not. That is what I would need your help for. I need you to find out if the youngest son is dead, and if so, how it happened. All the information you can get.”

”Alright”, said mr. Tellerman. ”I will be able to find that out for you.” Komei fell silent for a moment. ”Assuming that it's true... You don't seem very upset. I mean... It may have been an accident, but someone is dead.”

To his surprise, Salahuddin smiled a little. ”You are right, mr. Tellerman. I am not very upset.”

When Komei looked surprised, he went on: ”In fact, I was rather shocked when this happened. Someone seemed to have died, and apparently it had very much to do with me. I could not sleep any longer, but it was not safe to exit the coffin either. So, I had time to think. And I realized two things. First, this was an accident. Even if there was a connection to reality and my dream, I did not mean to harm the boy.”

”And what was the other thing?”

”Second of all”, continued Salahuddin, ”he was one of the Legacy children, and it has now been several hours since he died. Surely the family is by now searching for means to produce a resurrection device and the boy is on his way to be resurrected – that is, if he isn't already alive. Surely the Legacy family does not have any issues with bringing a loved one back to life?” he finished bitterly.

For once, mr. Tellerman was utterly speechless.

It was the morning after the accident. It had been a long night, and Cho was very tired, but she'd only been able to sleep for a few hours. She had been awake since before sunrise, and was trying to keep quiet so the others could get whatever sleep they could.

She felt the burning need to do something, but still she was too shocked and numb to do anything. Several times she tried to get up from the couch, but somehow didn't manage to.

Suddenly she heard the door open with force.

Cho turned around in her seat and saw Nicholas bursting through the door. He looked anguished, searching the room wildly with his eyes.

”Cho! Are you... are you okay?” he asked when he saw her. ”I met Professor Eric outside, he told me what happened.”

At this point, he didn't seem to know what more to say. ”I'm so sorry, Cho, I'm so sorry”, he finally said in a whisper. Cho was unable to speak, so she just nodded. Nicholas approached her, and without another word, just wrapped his arms around her.

”Im' sorry I haven't been around much”, said Nicholas when Cho was sitting on his lap on the couch, squeezing him like her life depended on it. ”It's complicated... But I'll try to be here for you as much as I can from now on, okay?”

There was no answer, but for the moment, Nicholas didn't need one. They didn't move for a long time.

During the next few days, Cho spent a lot of time gardening. She needed something to do, to keep her away from her own thoughts. Despite all attempts to assure her otherwise, Cho felt responsible for what happened to Charlie. She was the heiress and she should have done something, anything, instead of just standing there and letting him die.

She spent many hours alone in the garden, and wouldn't let even Claire help her. She didn't want anyone's help, she needed to settle this herself.

But whether she admitted it or not, it was as Sunny had said: there was nothing she could do. At moments when she felt the hopelessness of it all, Cho locked herself in the empty bathroom and cried.

Charlie's funeral was held a few days later, as soon as Baudolino estimated Marylena would be able to handle it. Without his support, she would have no doubt collapsed.

It was a small funeral, with only the immediate family present. For the time being, Charlie was buried on the Greek House grounds, where he had liked it so much. Possibly he could be moved to the family cemetery later, to rest together with the previous generations, but at the moment no one had the energy to arrange for it.

But time went on, and each of the family members had to find ways to cope with their loss. In this, friends and significant others proved to be an invaluable help.

For Cyrus, Chris provided company, someone to talk to and a shoulder to cry on. She was even able to make him smile on occasion.

As for Claire, she found comfort in Trevor's arms.

In general, Trevor, Veronica, Audrey, Chris, Chloe, Nicholas and Professor Eric were seen in the house quite often those days.

One day, Cyrus found Cho sitting idly on the livingroom couch, apparently lost in her thoughts, thoughts that clearly were not pleasant. Out of a whim, he sat down beside her.

”Hey sis. What's up?”

”Nothing much.” Cho shrugged. ”Just... sitting here, doing nothing.”

”I see. You've been doing that a lot lately”, Cyrus said.

”Well... Yeah. Haven't felt like doing much if you know what I mean.”

”I do, trust me, I do. I've been feeling the same way, too”, said Cyrus quietly. ”But you know, just sitting around, doing nothing, it's not going to help any. I know it didn't help me.”

”What do you mean?” asked Cho.

”Well, I mean... First, after Charlie died, I did the exact same thing. I didn't feel like getting out of bed, and if I did, it was only to take care of the absolute minimum of things. You know, eating, using the bathroom, so on.” Cyrus started. ”And that went on for a while. I just didn't care enough to do much anything. But the problem was, it didn't get any better. I'd go to bed, wake up, and still feel as miserable as the day before. And that only made me feel worse.”

”I know the feeling. So, what's the moral of the story, big brother?” asked Cho, and Cyrus could swear she almost smiled for a moment.

”Well, with me, Chris came to my rescue. She realized what I was doing, and she dragged me out of bed, got me doing something again. You know, not big things necessarily, but just doing something. She played chess with me, a game of cards, watched movies... All those things I used to enjoy. And I realized, I still enjoyed those things. They didn't necessarily make me feel good, but well, less bad anyway.”

”So, you're saying...”

”I'm saying that maybe you should try the same approach. Try getting back to the things you used to enjoy, whatever those may be. It's okay to be sad for our little brother, I am, we all are. And getting back to the swing of things isn't going to make it all better immediately, heck, it might never be all better again, not entirely. But it might make it a little bit better, and I think that's already worth something.”

”Doing things that I used to enjoy...” said Cho, in deep thoughts. ”That's a very nice thought and all. I'm just... just not sure if it'd actually work in practice.”

”I know it can be hard to get yourself on the move again, I still have days when Chris literally comes to kick me out of bed, but...”

”It's not just that”, interrupted Cho.

”Then what?”

”It's the things I used to enjoy. I'm not sure if I want to do any of them again.”

”Why?”

”Well you know, I used to be all about dating and guys and stuff. The main thing about is was... well, mostly having fun. Without worrying too much about the future or anything. It was the ultimate way to seize the moment.”

Cyrus nodded. ”I think Charlie lived by essentially the same philosophy.”

”Yeah, well... Since he died, I haven't really been sure whether that is the way I'm supposed to live. If it's in any way justified. You know, something like that could easily happen to me. I could die today, and then what is it that I would have accomplished in life? Yeah I went on dates with guys, spent countless evenings in restaurants, fell in love with many of them, woohooed some. Is that all there is to it? Is that in any way meaningful?”

”Cho, that's something only you can tell. I think it can be very meaningful, but only if you find it meaningful. We all have different goals in life, and someone else won't be able to justify your goals, and they don't have to. I happen to have a lifelong dream of becoming a successful athlete, and maybe you or someone else won't find it a sensible thing to be dreaming of. But that doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is that I find it a worthwhile goal.”

”That's just the thing, I'm not sure that I do anymore. I mean, I'm the heiress, I should be planning on getting married, having kids, probably being successful in a well-chosen career. I should be responsible”, said Cho.

”Look. I'm not going to say that you don't need to do any of those things if you don't want to, as it's true that you're the heiress and you probably have to have some kids at some point to keep the bloodline going. But who says that a heiress necessarily has to get married? Who says you have to work in some pre-destined career? If you don't feel like getting married, or getting married right at this moment, then you shouldn't. Likewise, if you want to work in a certain career, or rather be self-employed, or a stay-at-home mom, then you should do just that. Being heiress or being responsible doesn't mean that you can't do things your way. I know you used to know that, so why would things be any different now?”

Cho sighed. ”It's just that... My current lifestyle doesn't seem very responsible to me right now. I should be doing something that benefits the family in the long run, not something that just happens to feel good to me, right now.”

”Trust me, you can be a good, responsible heiress, and still do the things you want to do. And I don't think there's anything wrong with living in the moment. Charlie did, and I know for a fact that it made him happy. In fact, I think that more sims should live the way he did. Not that they should necessarily date all the time, or go bowling or whatever, just that they should do the things they want to do.”

”So you think... I should go back to dating?”

”Only if that's what you want to do and you still enjoy it. Right now it seems that you don't really know what it is that you want, so you have to find out. If I were you, I'd give dating a try. After all, you used to like it a lot. If you still like it, then great, you've found your answer. If not, well, then you just have to find something else you want to do.”

”But...”

”Charlie wouldn't want you to give up the things you liked because of him”, Cyrus said firmly.

Cho was quiet for a while. ”Okay. Point taken. I think I'll give it a try”, she said finally.

”Great”, said Cyrus, smiling. ”I'm glad you took my advice.”

”Now speaking of advice”, said Cho, ”I heard from Claire that you aren't going to throw a graduation party. What is this kind of talk?”

”Well, I didn't really think that it'd be appropriate, this soon after the funeral, and thought none of us would be in a party mood anyway, so...”

”Cyrus”, interrupted Cho, ”Think of this for a while. And the advice you just gave me. Charlie wouldn't have wanted you to stop doing the things you like the most.”

Cyrus looked dumbstruck. Then he smiled a little and said: ”Point taken. Thanks, Cho.”

”Don't mention it”, said Cho, patting him on the shoulder. ”Now we have a deal. I'm going to settle a date for myself, and you are going to call Mom and Dad and everyone, and decide a date for the party.”

True to her word, Cho arranged herself a date for the next day, with Zeeshan Byall. He seemed a nice guy, and the restaurant had a pleasant atmosphere. Cho herself felt a little rusty, though.

”So... What is it that you do for a living, Zeeshan?” she asked, not being able to find anything more interesting to say.

”Oh, I work in the Law Enforcement career, I've always wanted to be a Captain Hero. A few more promotions to go, though”, replied Zeeshan. ”So, you're still in college, right?”

”Yeah, for a little longer.”

Silence set around them. This wasn't the way things usually went for Cho, not at all. She never had silence problems. It wasn't that she felt shy, she didn't have a shy bone in her body, but somehow she didn't feel like doing small-talk, not with all the unsuitable topics spinning around in her head.

She was starting to feel a little bit worried. What if this wouldn't work anymore? If it just wasn't fun?

The food arrived, and not knowing what else to say, Cho started eating in silence. She felt more and more awkward. But then Zeeshan spoke up.

”Cho.”

She looked up.

”I just wanted to say, I heard about your brother, and I'm terribly sorry for what happened to him”, Zeeshan said. He sounded sincere. ”I mean, everybody knows you're the Legacy heiress, and word gets around fast”, he explained. Cho didn't know what to say, so she just nodded.

”I totally understand if you don't feel like yourself right now, or don't feel much like chatting or anything. It's perfectly okay. Let me guess, you wanted to go on a date to get your mind off things for a little bit?”

”Yeah, well... My brother suggested it, getting back to what I usually do...” Cho fell quiet, feeling terribly inpolite. ”I mean, not that I didn't want to go on a date with you”, she tried to explain.

”Cho, come on, don't worry about it. I understand perfectly what you mean. It's okay”, assured Zeeshan. ”You know what? Maybe we should do it so that I'll try to take the lead and show you a good time, just for a change. Not necessarily the raving, partying kind of good time, just the relaxed, rather quiet kind of good time.”

Cho smiled a little bit. ”I think I'd like that.”

So the evening went on, with great food and friendly conversation, mostly with Zeeshan doing the talking, telling funny stories about things he'd seen at work, interesting stories things and people he'd come across while traveling, and his favorite recipes of making pizza.

For Cho, this was a rather new experience. Usually she was the one to do the most of the talking, taking the responsibility of the evening. It felt surprisingly good to just sit there and listen, not having to say anything really. Just smiling and nodding occasionally were enough. For one evening, it felt relieving to be a spectator.

After the dinner, Cho pulled Zeeshan in for a hug.

”Thank you, for putting up with me being the way I am right now, and for showing me a fantastic time anyway. I really am having a nice time tonight, even though it may not seem that way.”

”You're welcome”, said Zeeshan, squeezing Cho a little tighter, ”It's okay to be feeling bad right now, anyone would in your place. And I'm glad if I can help you feel a little better. Now, I think they have a darts board here, just out back. Would you like to try it out?”

And Cho did. It was a nice couple of rounds, with Zeeshan still doing most of the talking. Afterwards, they went on the back yard to chill out a little bit.

Cho was feeling the most relaxed in days, and to her surprise, she even felt some of the familiar feelings she hadn't experienced for a while. Out of a whim, she wrapped her arms around Zeeshan and kissed him.

It didn't suddenly fix everything, or erase the bad memories, but it made it easier to forget them, if only for a little while.

For that little while, Cho felt almost happy.

Cyrus kept his part of deal as well. He called the closest friends and relatives and told them that he'd have a graduation party after all. It wouldn't be a big party, just a small occasion for them all to get together and to enjoy good food and conversation.

Baudolino and Marylena were naturally present for their son's big day.

”Honey, I'm so proud of you!” whispered Marylena while hugging Cyrus.

”Congratulations”, said Baudolino. ”It's really nice that you decided to have a party after all. Even though we might not be in a hugely celebratory mood, I think a happy occasions like this do us a world of good right now.”

”Thanks”, Cyrus said to them both and turned to hug his father in turn. ”I wasn't sure about this myself, but we talked with Cho and I decided that I should. We only live once, after all.”

”So you're going to go right back to Alphabetia?” asked Chirs when she and Cyrus were dancing together in the livingroom.

”Yeah, right after the party is over I'll call a cab and be gone. I'm all done with packing, so I thought I could just as well get going.”

”Okay, great. I only need to pack a few more things myself. Call me when you're there okay?”

”I will”, said Cyrus smiling.

It was mostly a rather quiet party, but the kids livened it up by some dancing, and after a while also the other guests, including Baudolino and Marylena, joined in. The weather was nice, the buffet was nice, and seeing each other was the nicest. All in all, Cyrus' decision of throwing a party had been a good one.

”So, I think we're about done here”, said Cyrus, squeezing Chris' hands.

”All ready to grow up then?” asked Chris.

”I think so. Are you ready to come live with me?” Cyrus teased.

”I don't think I've never been readier for anything.”

”Alright then. I'll see you on the other side.”

With that, Cyrus quickly pecked Chris on the cheek, and headed upstairs to get his things.

And indeed it was time for Cyrus to grow up. He did so in one of the bedrooms where he'd packed his belongings, then said his goodbyes and headed for the cab. It was time to start a new life.

Time went on surprisingly quickly after that. It wasn't long until it was time for the younger Greek House kids to rush for their final finals, and to pass with flying colors.

Around that time, the Bookacy Greek House Greek House also finally gained a wishing well.

Cho hadn't been very enthusiastic about the garden club inspections anymore, even though she did spend time gardening, trying to forget her feelings via physical work. It was in the end Claire who decided that after all the hard work, they really, really deserved their reward, and called the Garden Club one more time.

And so, after several unsuccessful attempts, about ten minutes before our heiress came back from her final exam after graduating with a 4.0 GPA, Tiffany Zarubin finally admitted that the garden was indeed impressive and rewarded Claire with a wishing well. It was placed in the back of the yard, next to the pond.

Where Claire took care of practical matters, Carl spent his remaining time in college getting to know new someones, new distractions to keep his mind occupied when he didn't want it to wander. He may have been fairly settled most of the time, but every now and then a new distraction was simply necessary. Especially in the recent times.

Cho, for her part, had decided that no matter how sad and depressed she was feeling, Cyrus was right.Sitting at home and moping wasn't going to do any good to anyone, so she'd better find something to occupy herself with. She still wasn't sure if her lifetime goals were well justified for a heiress, but as she was already rather close to achieving them, it'd be stupid to quit now. The sooner that'd be over with, the sooner she could do other, more responsible things as a heiress.

With that decided, she set to her dating with new determination. Next in line was Troy Wilson.

”... yeah, I usually like to go for the dinner. It's a nice way to get to know the other person, and on the side, you get a meal too, a good one if you're lucky.”

”Well I suppose that makes sense”, said Troy. ”This one is quite nice, by the way.” He took another bite of his chicken.

”Yeah”, replied Cho, ”I don't think this place has ever failed me with their chicken. The pork chops aren't always so good here but the chicken is nice.”

After eating Cho and Troy went to see the upstairs, which had some leisulerly activities available, such as karaoke machines, which were unfortunately all taken.

”Well, not that I can sing that well anyway”, grinned Troy. ”I prefer to paint and play the guitar. So what do you wanna do now?”

Fortunately, Cho had an easy answer ready for that.

Between the chatting, flirting and joking, the date was quite successful. Cho and Troy even got a quick turn at the one of the karaoke machines before it was taken over by a crowd of eager townies.

And that wasn't the end of it, either. The photobooth also proved to be a leisure location of its own.

Unfortunately, this particular leisure had some side effects.

This, however, didn't kill the mood for the two, nor did it discourage others from taking up the same pursuits. All in all, a pretty good date.

Even though Cho hadn't had much interest in the wishing well lately, she was gratefult that Claire had taken care of actually getting it. She decided that it was time to try if it was any good, and made a wish for friends.

For friends, as she'd heard stories of unfortunate occurences when wishing for lovers. And friends could always be made into lovers if there was interest.

Apparently the wishing well was as good as it had been said to be, thought Cho. It really did bring instant friends. And in this case, two of the three were of her preferred gender, too. Well, that made things that much easier, then.

Claire, on the other hand, was content that her cousin had found use for the wishing well, but in the end, she didn't have much interest in it herself. After all, she had found that she was simply happy spending her remaining time in college with Trevor. Maybe she was a romancer, but she was beginning to realize there were different kinds of romancers, and perhaps she and her cousin were not the same type after all.

”Well, that was fun”, said Armando Cox, coming out of the photobooth in Bertrand's Botanical Dining.

”Yeah, taking goofy pictures is always a good time”, said Cho, coming right after her date and picking up the photos as the booth spat them out. ”Hey look, that face you're making in this one is pretty hilarious!”

”Well, that's my basic expression, see?”said Armando, replicating the goofy look.

Cho just giggled. ”I bet you have to work hard to hide it. Hey, wanna go for the dinner now?”

And so they went and got seated in a very nice table. After the meal had been ordered, it was time for some light chatter, but that didn't last long.

After a moment a silence, Armando asked: ”Hey, you seem a little quiet for such a talkative and generally bubbling character. Is everything alright?”

Cho couldn't but smile. ”Oh, well, yeah, sorry about that. It kind of happens to me a lot these days. I'll try not to be too gloomy on our date okay?”

”No no, it's alright. You don't have to play cheerful if you don't really feel like that”, said Armando. ”We can take it easy, just talk, enjoy the meal and so. Do you think you want to talk about it?”

Cho smiled again, but this time the smile was rather sad. ”Well... If you want to listen, I could tell you the story. You might already know some of it, I suppose the word gets around. You see, my older brother is a vampire. How he became one is a story of its own, but...”

Cho went on, and Armando listened intently. What neither of them noticed, was that he wasn't the only one.

My my my, look who we have here. If I'm not all wrong, that's little miss Legacy heiress over there, opening her heart to her newest boyfriend. Coming here tonight might turn beneficial after all.

”... and I didn't know what to do, I just panicked. Then suddenly Eric was there, and he told me to help him get Cyrus in the coffin, and I did, he was smoking pretty bad already, but we managed to get him in and he was okay.” Cho swallowed. ”But my other brother, Charlie, he... he died.”

”Oh”, said Armando. ”That's horrible. Really, really horrible. I'm so sorry, Cho”, he said, and looked like he really was.

”Thanks. I appreciate it”, said Cho wiping her cheeks with her napkin. ”You know, the most horrible thing was that I just panicked, and didn't know what to do... I should have pleaded for his life, but... somehow I didn't even think of it.”

Armando looked horrified. ”Oh, yeah, pleading. You know, I wouldn't have come to think of that myself. You were worried about your other brother, and he needed to be helped. It sounds like you and this professor guy probably saved his life. It's not your fault.”

”That's what my parents say, too. I'm just not so sure myself...” Cho said, examining her fingers.

”I completely understand that you're feeling that way. I imagine if it happened to me, then I would too. But really, it's not your fault.”

”Thanks, Armando. I know.”

”You know...” started Armando hesitantly, ”I'm not sure if you've heard what I've heard but... Isn't it possible to bring someone back from the death? I think I've heard this story about this lady, I think she somehow died accidentally and then her boyfriend...”

”Ah, yeah. That'd be my great-aunt Rebecca. Her boyfriend and his brother, both my great-uncles, tried to bring her back, and that sort of worked. She's actually still alive, she's a zombie.”

”Oh.”

”But even if there wasn't the zombie problem, the same thing wouldn't apply to my brother”, said Cho sadly.

Now this is about to get really interesting.

”Why not?”

Cho smiled a sad little smile. ”Well, as you know, we're a Legacy family. And well, due to unfortunate circumstances, there's this guy that's out to get us”, she explained. ”His goal is to bring back my great-grandmother, who was the foundress. Long story short, there's a magical protection on the family. As long as the family members let their dead stay dead, also my great-grandmother stays dead. If we brought my brother back, it'd break the protection.”

”Oh. So he... he has no way of coming back, then?”

”No.”

”I'm so sorry to hear that, Cho.”

But I'm certainly not. ”Mr. Smith” will be pretty happy with me tonight.

”Thanks for listening, Armando. I really appreciate that you want to be with me when I'm like this”, said Cho.

Armando grabbed her hand on the table and squeezed it. ”Anytime, Cho. You have every reason to be 'like this', and if I can do anything to make you feel better, I'm happy to.”

Looks like my work here is done. Better go make the phonecall and tell him I've got some things to report.

Completely unaware that they may have been overheard, Cho and Armando went on with their date. It was time for the after dinner fun and games.

And for a moment, Cho was able to forget her gloomy mood and concentrate on the essential.

In the end, she was quite happy that she did.

Meanwhile, in the Chamcha residence.

”You said that you had information for me”, said Salahuddin Chamcha after inviting his guest in.

”Yeah, I have. I came directly from Bertrand's Botanical Dining, where I heard something that will no doubt interest you. It might not be terribly good news, but...”

”Very well. That was to be expected, and in this situation any information is valuable. What is it that you have found out?”

”... and then she said that they can't bring the dead brother back, because that'd break the magical protection, and 'the guy that is after the family' would be able to bring her great-grandmother back. That's when they stopped talking about the matter, and that's when I left to call you”, finished mr. Tellerman.

Salahuddin was quiet for a moment.

”Very well. Did anyone see you?”

”Plenty of people, it was a restaurant and I wasn't trying to hide. But I don't think anyone paid any attention to me.”

”Excellent.” Salahuddin fell into silence once more.

”So...?” started mr. Tellerman hesitantly.

”Well, I believe this does simplify matters somewhat”, Salahuddin replied slowly.

”Simplify?” asked mr. Tellerman, confused.

”Yes. I have had my suspicions about this matter, and in fact it seems that those suspicions were for the most part correct. The Legacy family has placed a protective spell on themselves, which prevents me from bringing back their ancestor. This is not a surprise to me, I was certain that there must be some kind of protection, and it would rather likely be magical.”

”Makes sense, I guess.”

”Yes, very much so. Now what I did not entirely expect, was the fact that someone from inside the family would have to break the protection for me to be able to bring Author back. It is slightly surprising to me that they should ensure their protection in this way. They must have thought that it would be quite an efficient way to keep the protection in place”, said Salahuddin, perhaps more to himself than to mr. Tellerman.

”But... It is a pretty effective way to do it, right?” asked mr. Tellerman.

”Oh yes, in fact, yes it is”, admitted Salahuddin. ”That is true, with one assumption.”

Mr. Tellerman stayed quiet, waiting for the solution Salahuddin would no doubt soon reveal.

”This plan keeps me from bringing Author back on one condition, and one condition only. I cannot bring her back as long as the Legacy family needs not bring a family member back to life.”

Suddenly mr. Tellerman felt a chill move down his spine.

”And as you have no doubt already understood from what we have observed, the family will not break the protection for the sake of any family member.” Salahuddin continued in a casual tone. ”Thus, there is only one conclusion left for me to make. The family may have thought themselves clever to place this protection, but they should have realized that this will leave me with only one option.”

”The only way left for me to bring back my Author is to ensure that the family breaks the protection from the inside. In turn, the only way for me to do that, is to...”

”Kill a heir?”

”Kill a heir.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

”Hey, Nicholas. Thanks for coming.”

”No problem, anytime. Is everything alright?”

”Oh. Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I just needed to talk to you about something.”

”Alright”, said Nicholas, pondering what this might be about.

”Well, I was thinking... Since I've already graduated, and it's soon time to start my adult life, I'd need to ask you something.”

”Yeah?” Nicholas was suddenly very conscious of his own heartbeat.

”Nicholas, would you placehold for me?”

”I... uh... umm... placehold?”

”Yeah. Well, you know, I'd need someone to do the job, and you're a trustable guy, someone I like a lot. So I thought that maybe you'd want to. And that way, you could grow up after the next generation goes to college, get a real life of your own.”

”I... umm... I... Yeah, well, yeah, sure I'll placehold, if you'd like”, said Nicholas, quickly trying to get his voice sound natural.

”Great!”

”Now, here's some stuff that I thought you might need. Just some basic things, like some of our leftover Greek House pizza, an energizer from my inventory, you know, the miscellany of a Greek House.”

”Uh... Thanks”, said Nicholas and took the package. ”Seems you've been planning this a while then.”

”Yeah, it's been on my mind. Well, anyway, thanks for doing this, Nicholas. I really appreciate it.”

The next morning at the breakfast table.

”So I hear you asked Nicholas to placehold”, started Claire.

”Yeah, I did. He should be bringing his stuff over today I think”, replied Cho, taking another bite of her pancake.

”You know, I'm a little surprised that you did.”

”What? I thought you liked him.”

”I do. In fact, I had the impression that you liked him too”, Claire said dryly.

”What?” Cho was growing more and more confused. ”Of course I like him, he's great! I wouldn't have asked him if I didn't think he was, would I?”

”You really have no clue, do you?” asked Claire, frustrated. ”Nevermind”, she muttered, left her empty cereal bowl on the table, and left the room without another word.

Cho sat in her chair, staring at her half-finished pancakes. What the heck was that about?

In the next few days, Cho spent some time wondering what had caused Claire to burst out the way she had. It really wasn't like her at all. Now she acted almost in her usual way, joking around and generally being friendly, but somehow Cho had the feeling that her cousin was somehow mad at her, but she wasn't sure why. Clearly it had something to do with Nicholas, but that's the furthest she got.

In the meanwhile, she couldn't stop there, when there were dates to be had. So she had those whenever she could.

After all, she was going to be an adult soon, and there was no time to waste.

Back at home, everyone did different things with their remaining time. It was harvest time in the greenhouse, and Carl promised to help with the harvest. He found it rather relaxing, actually.

Claire spent some of her time freed up by Carl's help in the garden by guitar practice. It was fun and she was getting quite good at playing. It'd probably be pretty helpful when going for the Professional Party Guest title she'd always wanted, too.

She and Trevor also took the time to celebrate their success in the finals, and the adult life that was soon to begin.

Cho's blindness to the obvious was bugging Claire, but she decided she couldn't do much about it, not without risking making things substantially worse, at least. So she tried to concentrate on making happy those that she could.

Cho didn't really have much free time, or time that she considered ”free” anyway. She was now rather determined to get to that goal she'd set for herself as a teenager. And the sooner the better.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she was perhaps worried that ”the sooner the better” didn't exactly sound right when it came to something she'd wanted to do for a long time, something she actually used to enjoy more than anything, but she pushed those thoughts back where they came from, and concentrated on the goal.

Not that she didn't enjoy dating, on the contrary. She couldn't remember a single date in her life that wouldn't have been at least somewhat fun.

But no matter how hard she tried – and she tried hard – it just wasn't quite the same as it used to be.

But however she felt, things progressed, and shortly before her departure for Alphabetia, she had managed to gather sixteen simultaneous lovers.

The evening before the grand graduation party.

”Thanks for inviting me, Cho”, said Eric, while the two of them were sitting on the backyard of the Greek House.

”Sure”, replied Cho, ”Anytime. I felt like it'd been kinda long since I last saw you.”

”It's nice seeing you too”, said Eric, smiling. ”How have you been?” he asked, growing serious.

”Well, I guess just about as you'd expect”, she said. ”I haven't really been feeling too good, but I don't think anyone would.”

”You're right, they wouldn't.”

”But you know what worries me?” asked Cho.

”No, what?”

”Well, right now I'm one night away from having to grow up and go back home, take over the family heiress responsibility. And I used to think that I'd be an awesome heiress, that I'd do everything right, and the responsibility would just fit like a glove. Now that it's about to happen, I'm not so sure I should be heiress at all.”

”Now let me guess: you think that if you hadn't been chosen heiress, Charlie could have been heir, and the protection would have allowed to bring him back?” Eric asked, and without waiting for an answer, continued: ”Cho, you know as well as I do that had you not been heiress, the more likely choice for heir would have been Cyrus, not Charlie. He, as you've said yourself, showed interest for the job, whereas Charlie never did. Also, had Charlie been heir, it might have gone differently altogether. Maybe it would've been you the rest of us would be mourning now, because it happened to you and you didn't have the protective aura.”

”I know”, said Cho. ”And it's not that really.”

”Then what?”

”Well, you know, here I am, almost an adult, soon to be head of the family, and how have I spent my life? Having parties, eating in restaurants, meeting guys... I suppose those are all well and fine as such, but have I really done anything? I should be able to provide for the family, but have I spent time figuring out what it is that I could be doing for that? No. I should soon be taking over the family business from Dad, but do I know anything about running a business? No. I should be bringing in the next generation, but do I have a fincé, or even a steady boyfriend? No. I should be responsible not only for my own actions, but for the safety and well-being of the whole family, and was I able to think clear and help my brother when he most needed it? No.”

”Listen, Cho. You're being much too hard on yourself there. First of all, when it comes to your brother, it's a situation where anyone would have panicked. Heck, it would perhaps worry me if you didn't panic in a situation like that. Second of all, not everyone has to live the same way, legacy heir or not. Not everyone has their career plans all laid out at your age, nor does everyone have a long-time relationship plan either, or a plan on the kids. It's okay.”

”But I'm the heiress. It's my duty to have a plan on the kids. If I don't wind up having any, then the whole Legacy will die!”

”Well perhaps you are in a special position due to the heirship somewhat, but it doesn't mean you'd need to get married and start popping out kids the minute you graduate. To my knowledge it's not even necessary for you to get married at all, if you so prefer. And if you do want to get married some day, I'm sure you'll find the right guy. Okay?”

”I guess so.”

Find the right guy... The guy with just the right properties. Everything that is needed from a Legacy spouse.

Perhaps it's easier than I thought.

”Thanks to listening to my whining, Eric. I really appreciate it”, said Cho, wrapping her arms around him.

”Anytime, really. I'm only glad if I can support you in some way, especially now that you're obviously in the need of some support. Hang in there, alright? You'll have better times ahead.”

The next forenoon, it was time for the kids to get ready for the graduation party.

”Oh la la, someone's looking radiant today!” said Ryker teasingly, grabbing Cho's hand and gently pecking it. ”Roof raiser graduation party ahead, I assume?”

Cho smiled. ”Well I sure hope so. At least it's great to see everyone again.”

”Hey Cho”, put in Claire, ”better start getting ready now, if we want to throw that party some time this decade. And quit flirting with our placeholder, you know you aren't supposed to do that.”

”I'm not flirting with him, he's...”

”... he's flirting with you. Yeah, that's what you always say”, Claire said, amused.

”Now that's enough, Cho, go get changed, Ryker, stop being such a player”, Claire commanded, but couldn't help but smile a little.

”Hey, what's a little friedndly flirt between good buddies?” asked Ryker, patted Claire on the arm and headed to help Cyrus in putting away the books.

Some fifteen minutes later.

”Okay, so are we ready? One, two, three, call!”

And so it was graduation party time for the generation C first cousins. We were all really proud of our heiress Cho, for her excellent grades and the large circle of friends (widely defined) that she had managed to collect over tthe years.

Perhaps even Cho herself was able to forget about the unanswered questions and her insecurities about her lifestyle for one day.

She, naturally, threw the party together with Claire, with whom she was perhaps the closest. The two of them had been friends ever since childhood, and today was their big day of stepping into the adulthood, together.

The guests arrived and the party was on.

”Hey, Chip, really good to see you! Thanks for coming”, said Cho warmly.

”Now would I miss my favorite cousin's graduation party?”

”No, because you wouldn't want her upset, because when your cousin is upset, then no one is having any more fun.”

”Exactly. Now I suppose you're having a buffet table here somewhere, maybe let's go fetch some food and catch up? I'm starving.”

Inside, Carl was enjoying his last hours as a young adult with Veronica. Later, he'd lure Audrey away from the poker table for some one-on-one time with her too.

Today marked the end of an era for Carl, but that meant that tomorrow would be the beginning of a new one. Some of his friends and relatives were perhaps a little confused or even worried about what he'd end up doing with his life, but Carl wasn't. He knew things tended to work out, and really, he had had some thoughts forming in his head for a while. It'd all be just fine.

Ryker found Chloe from the crowd almost immediately, and guided her to the hot tub for some alone-time.

Ryker, like Carl, wasn't worried. He may have found Cho an attractive and very likeable young woman – and indeed they did like each other a lot – but ever since he'd gotten to know Chloe, he'd known where his heart truly lied.

All in all, everything went smoothly and everyone had a good time. There was a lot of catching up between the various cousins, and of course there was some dancing. Even the grown-up members of the family joined in, and it was all in good fun.

But all parties come to an end, and at the end of this party, it was time for the Greek House inhabitants, except for Nicholas of course, to grow up.

And grow up they did, in various degrees of inappropriateness in clothing and hairstyles. And with that, they all in turn marched towards the cab and a new life.

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Ryker dialed the security code and entered the gate. It'd been a while since he'd been to the Greek House. He'd visited Nicholas a couple of times, and gotten a few forgotten items, but for a while he'd been busy with work. It'd be good to see his old buddy again, and see if he'd found the book he'd lost in the move.

”Hey, buddy!” Ryker called when he pushed the door open. ”Nicholas, are you home?”

No answer. Perhaps he was outside, or upstairs, and couldn't hear him. Or he could be in class too, Ryker hadn't called and checked if he'd be home. Yeah, maybe he was in class.

It only took a second or two before Ryker started feeling like something was off.

”Nicholas?”

”Nicholas? What the heck are you doing there? You scared me you know, you coulda warned that you were there before I shut the door.”

…

”Nicholas, what is it?”

”Nothing”, said Nicholas quietly. He was sitting on the floor, leaning on the wall, looking utterly miserable. Ryker thought his eyes glistened a little more than they should have.

”Come on, man, don't play games with me. What's the matter?”

Ryker sighed. ”Look, we're both too old for this stuff, right. You sit here all alone, looking like someone just died, won't talk and your eyes are wet. It sure as hell ain't 'nothing'.”

Ryker noticed a cell phone on the floor.

”Hey, is that your phone? Did you get a phone call, is that what this is about?”

”Yeah.”

Ryker was surprised to actually get an answer to that one.

”You got a phonecall? Okay. So what was that about?” Ryker knelt down to better be able to talk to Nicholas.

”Yeah I got a phonecall alright”, Nicholas said with sudden anger in his voice. He took the cell phone and pushed it away. It slid under the pinball machine and Ryker heard it hit the wall with force.

”I got the phonecall I knew that would come and now I hate myself for even dreaming that it wouldn't. Why was I ever so foolish as to...” Nicholas continued his monologue, but Ryker quickly interrupted him.

”Nicholas, what was it about?”

”It was about her, wasn't it?” The truth finally started dawning on Ryker. ”Is she okay?” he hastily added, worried that something may have happened, but knowing it wasn't that.

”Oh she's perfectly fine”, said Nicholas quietly. ”It's me who's all messed up.”

”I just heard that... the woman I love is engaged to someone else.”

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And this, dear reader, is where I leave you this time. Thanks for joining us for another episode of The BookacyFamily Alphabet Adventures, and welcome on board again next time. Until then, happy simming to all!