The Beaker-Bratford-Martin Household: Week 6

Click here if you want to (re-)read the previous week at his household.

Here is the house where we are going to spend one Sim-week. Let's check on who lives here at the moment.

This is Barry Beaker, son of Loki and Circe Beaker, with his half-Alien daughter B'Elanna.

Jacob Martin, son of Andrew Martin, is now 67 years old.

Monica Bratford, who has been living here ever since she fell in love with Andrew Martin (Jacob's father), is the same age.
The only household member not on Permanent Platinum here is little B'Elanna. You know that I usually do not control my PermaPlat-Sims (except for making them greet other New Maximilianians and having them order groceries for the fridge). But because there is a toddler in the family, I intervene for the little one's benefit so that she does not run the risk of being picked up by Social Services.

Already during the last round, it was obvious that Jacob and Barry can't stand each other. I really don't know why there is such animosity between them; Jacob never wanted Monica for himself (she was his father's lover, after all), and Monica fell in love with Barry only after Andrew's death.

I don't tell the household members to clean, but they are doing quite well on their own accord. On this Monday, Barry first takes the trash out...

...then cleans up Sunday's dirty dishes...

...and fnally, Monica joins him when he cleans the kitchen counters.

*Sigh* These two go from slapping match to shoving show whenever their paths cross! Not the nicest thing for little B'Elanna to witness.

Some devices need repairing, so I make one of the adults call the repair service.

Monica even cleans B'Elanna's potty without me telling her!

In the afternoon, Barry's family come over. From front to back, they are Barry's brother Björn (who married Bottom Summerdream some time ago), their sister Beta, "mother" Circe (biological mother only to Barry, but not to Björn and Beta), Shaun Singles (remember Nervous Subject, who started out his adult life living with the Beakers, before he married Erin Singles - Shaun is one of their children), and last but not least, Loki Beaker.

Beta is a guest anyone would love to invite over: she takes care of the trash on her own accord.

Everyone enjoys large pieces of berry cake. But what is the reason for this family reunion?

It's a double birthday: Barry turns into an Elder...

...and his daughter B'Elanna into a child.

Erin Singles is part of the party, too. Last round, Jacob discovered he has a three-bolt-attraction for her - but she is a happily married woman, and so far, he has not done anything about their threeboltness.

Look at that - now that Barry is an Elder like Jacob, the two men seem to be getting along much better.

B'Elanna has outgrown her crib and is now given Martina Martin's old room. (Martina is Jacob's half-Alien daughter, currently at university.)

It is Tuesday morning, and the good mood between Barry and Jacob seems to last. To be honest, I was getting sick and tired of them arguing and fighting all the time (but I did not do anything to influence their behaviour towards each other).

A thunderstorm lasted until the early hours of Tuesday, and lightning struck one of the palm trees by the house. Unfortunately, the rain stopped just then.

When the schoolbus and the limousine for Jacob's work arrive, I fear for B'Elanna and Barry. Somehow, I manage to make B'Elanna get on the bus.

But Barry clearly does not feel like going to work today. The fire has his full attention!

It was only a question of time...

...until everyone comes running out to the fire. The gardener interrupts her work for the spectacle, too.

Barry dies at 54. But as if that wasn't tragic enough...

...the fire rages on...

...even though the mail carrier seems totally oblivious, in spite of walking right through the smouldering heaps of ashes.

Inevitably, Jacob dies, too; he was 68. I expect Monica to be next, but the fire stops before she is physically harmed.

She even starts on sweeping up some of the ashes!

Actually, she needs food more than anything, but prefers to have a bath.

Poor B'Elanna! She never got a chance to tell her Dad about her first day at school.

Her father's death dominates her thoughts all day.

Monica is now the only adult left in the household, and so it is her job to teach B'Elanna how to study.

On Wednesday morning, B'Elanna is found in a quiet corner, playing with a fire truck, of all things.

After school, Stacy Stacks (daughter of Helena Stacks, and granddaughter of Jane Stacks and Matthew Hart) gets off the bus with her.

Monica is glad to see that Stacy manages to distract B'Elanna from her grief, at least for a little while.

She herself does not fare so well. This is the second time in her life she has lost a man she loved.

It is Thursday morning when I make B'Elanna do some cleaning for the first time.

Monica has been up all night. You can tell she's not well, can't you.

Nonetheless, she makes an effort in cleaning, too, not wanting to leave it all to the little girl who has been orphaned only a couple of days ago.

B'Elanna feels almost happy again when she gets off the school bus today: she has her first A+ report to show! How much happier would she have been if she had been able to show it to her Dad.

Monica now sweeps the remaining piles of ashes on her own initiative.

B'Elanna has invited over Stacy Stacks (not pictured), Fenya Hart (adopted child of Matthew Hart and Jane; her entire family died in a house fire when she was little), Carolina Capp and Stacy's half-sister. The girls enjoy more berry cake.

Some empty bottles have been on the top floor since B'Elanna's toddler time, and finally Monica remembers to clean them up.

B'Elanna starts Friday morning playing with the dolls house I found in Monica's inventory.

Her eating habits are anything but healthy; in spite of a fully stocked fridge, she goes for juice, crisps and cookies most of the time.

She may not be a good role model when it comes to eating and dressing, but she does her best to spend as much time as possible with B'Elanna.

On Saturday morning, she blogs for a while...

...and then retreats to her favourite grieving place again, in spite of the cold.

Winter has begun, and there were several plates of Santa cookies in the fridge. I have Monica serve one today, so that B'Elanna can have them for breakfast.

Uh-oh, it's Dishy Repo Man! Of course, nobody has been emptying the mailbox all week.

Funnily enough, the dining table is the only item the Repo Man takes away.

B'Elanna is by now good friends with Stacy Stacks, and invites her and her sister over for another play date.

Monica serves more Santa cookies (and has some herself).

On Sunday, she takes out her diary and writes down everything that has happened during the week, including Fenya Hart's visit.

Stacy and her sister are over again, and Monica does not tell the girls off when they start jumping on her bed. She is just glad that B'Elanna is able to laugh again.

She ends the week doing some cleaning on her own initiative.

Monica is now 74 and, by the looks of her lifetime bar, won't live very long into the next week. What will then become of B'Elanna? The girl has 3 more days before she'll be a teenager. Is Martina going to come back from college in time, or will Monica live long enough to prevent B'Elanna from being picked up by Social Services?