Well hey, y’all! Only four years for a new chapter! I had a lot of turmoil including being forced to move from my home, but things have finally settled a bit. I’ve never forgotten the story and keep composing it in my head, so am glad to be back! I’ve actually been working on it again for a while but just doing some editing to the last few chapters. If you are an old reader you might want to revisit them as I changed a few things.





A Pleasant Story

Chapter Thirty-Three

Unpleasant Surprises


Kaylynn swept Mitch into her arms and snuggled him tightly. She couldn't believe that he'd become a child in only a few minutes. Mary-Sue was outside, anxiously awaiting Lilith's arrival. She hadn't seen her since she'd left her at college, and was looking forward to hearing how her studies were going.



Mary-Sue ran to greet Lilith when she came up the walk and gave her a big hug.

"I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed. "How is school going! I want to hear everything!"



Lilith laughed and said, "We talk on the phone almost every day, Mom. I think I've kept you up to date! But everything's fine. I like my classes and I like my housemates. In fact, I brought one with me!"

Lilith gestured and Mary-Sue jumped a bit to realize that she was introducing her to an odd-looking person. Lilith had told her that her roommate was an alien, but she hadn't expected her to be quite so . . . green.



"Mom," Lilith continued, "this is Stella Terrano, my roommate at school."

Mary-Sue extended her hand and shook Stella's and said, "It's nice to meet you."

Stella replied, "Greetings to you, parental unit of Lilith Pleasant. I am much gratified to be summoned to the natal celebration for the brother of Lilith."



Mary-Sue gulped a little, then smiled. "Well come on in and meet him," she said. "And I'm sure he wants to see his big sister, too."

As they moved toward the house, Mary-Sue said to Lilith, "Have you heard from your sister? I invited her, of course, but she said she was too busy studying to come."

Lilith shook her head. "I haven't talked to her since before she went to college. And I don't really expect to hear from her."



Mary-Sue shook her head sadly. "I was hoping a bit of maturity would get rid of some of her resentment. Oh well."

She walked into the house and introduced Stella to Kaylynn and Mitch.

Mitch seemed to take to Stella immediately, and held up his arms for her to pick him up.

"So diminutive a creature I did not expect. This is the initial immature human I have met," Stella said, not unkindly.




Stella reached down and picked him up, then tossed him into the air. Mitch squealed with excitement and Lilith laughed.



"Is he small? What are children like on your planet, Stella?" Lilith asked her.

"Our progeny are incubated in fibrous husks until maturity," Stella said. "Emergence occurs at approximately twice this dimension."

"Fibrous husks?" Lilith repeated. "That sounds . . . interesting."




"Interesting it is, in comparison to universal forms of reproductions. My colleagues have discovered many diverse forms of maturation across the galaxy," Stella explained.

Suddenly a thought seemed to strike her and she set Mitch down. She stood absolutely still until Lilith said, “Are you okay, Stella?”

Stella turned to her and nodded. “I am indubitably well, friend Lilith. A sudden speculation detained my processes of interaction. I am returned to orderly proceeding once again.”




Mitch held his arms out to Stella insistently, and she complied by tickling him.



"Looks like you have a new friend, Stella!" Lilith said

Mitch was squealing happily, then seemed to notice Lilith for the first time and held his arms out to her. Lilith picked him up him and snuggled him and Mitch grabbed on to her and made his cute baby noises.

"I guess he didn't forget you while you were away," Kaylynn told her.

Lilith smiled and asked, "Can I bring him to the cake?"



Kaylynn smiled and nodded to Lilith.

"Gather round--it's time!" she told them.

Lilith held Mitch at the cake as the others began to cheer him into his childhood form.

Stella observed the commotion of the adults, and wondered if it was appropriate to join in. On her planet, the emergence of the young from their husks was a much more somber, though still joyful, occasion.




She shrugged her shoulders and began to holler and blow the noisemaker she found in her hand. She cheered as loudly as the others as Lilith helped Mitch blow out the candles on his cake and then set him on the floor.



Mitch tottered uncertainly, then jumped into his child shape and did a little dance of happiness.




Kaylynn reached down to give him a big hug as all the guests cheered their congratulations.

Mitch immediately ran over to Lilith and asked her to play with him and she took him outside to swing him around as he squealed happily.



"You can't toss me in the air anymore, but this is better!" He declared happily.

Mary-Sue then called everyone to come have some birthday cake. As Mitch waited for Stella to sit next to him, he asked, “Can you tell me about the planet where you come from, Stella?”



Stella nodded and told them, “Many units of distance comprise the traveling time to my planet. To reveal it to humans would be pleasurable, but none have journeyed to the vicinity. The colors it encompasses are not encountered on your world.”

“What’s it called?’ Mitch asked.

Stella paused and Lilith laughed. “Go ahead, Stella,” she said.

Stella then made the odd chirping and whistling sounds that sounded like birds, and Mitch’s eyes grew wide.

“I don’t think I can say that!” he said.

Stella nodded. “Humans falter at reproducing cacophony. Dwelling companion Lilith previously rendezvoused with difficulties of impersonation. Shared amusement ensued.”

Mary-Sue chuckled. “Well, Stella, you are the first alien we’ve met, and it has been a pleasure, and a learning experience!”



Stella was helping to clean up the dishes when Mary-Sue felt a familiar sensation. She stood from the table, twirled, and bloop! It was clear she was indeed expecting.




Mitch ran to her and immediately began to talk to her belly. "Hi baby! I'll be your big brother! Even though I'm not really your big brother! We'll have fun!"

Mary-Sue smiled at him.



The party was over then, and Mitch and Kaylynn and Mary-Sue said goodbye to the girls. Mitch wanted especially to talk to Stella again so he said to Lilith, "Maybe I could come visit your college sometimes."

Lilith nodded. "Sure! That would be fun. I've got exams soon, but maybe next semester you could come."



Stella said to him "Many compliments, miniature sibling of Lilith. It is my optimism that our journeys will rendezvous subsequently."

Mitch looked at her and squinched his eyebrows. "Huh?" he said.

Lilith laughed. "She means she hopes you two will meet again."

"Oh!" Mitch said, "Yeah, me too, Stella!"




Mitch waved goodbye to them, then went back to the dining room to finish the dishes.

Suddenly he screamed and ran to the window. "Mom! Mom!" he yelled, "There's an old man out there!"



Kaylynn jumped up and went to the window with him, but shook her said. "I don't see anyone, honey. Are you sure you saw someone?"



Mitch pointed out and said, "He was right there! He must have run away when he saw me."

He continued, “He looked weird. More weird than Stella from Lilith’s college. She was nice.”



Kaylynn imagined the strange man in her mind.

The next day before school, Kaylynn took Mitch to the mall so he could choose an outfit for himself that he liked. When he emerged from the dressing room, she complimented him on his choice.

"It's like your dress, Mom," he explained. You have angles and I have diamonds and the color is almost the same, sort of."

"Well that's great, honey. As long as you like it!" Kaylynn told him.



As they exited the mall, Mitch suddenly paused and looked back. He'd heard a man yelling behind him and stopped to listen.

"Whatever you do," the man was yelling, "work at it with all your heart as working for plumbob, and not for your simly desires!"



Mitch's jaw dropped and he yelled at Kaylynn, "Mom! Mom!"

But she was already through the mall doors so he ran after her. "Mom! That man back there--the one yelling--he's the man I saw last night looking in the window!"



Kaylynn walked to the door and looked through. The man seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. She hoped he wasn't dangerous; he seemed a bit crazy.



She turned back to Mitch. "I see him honey. If he bothers us again I'll take care of it. But let's get home now."

As they walked home, Mitch stopped in front of an abandoned building and asked, "What's this place, Mom? It looks spooky."



Kaylynn looked at it. "It's just an abandoned building, not spooky. Those trees are dead only because no one has taken care of them."

"Can we go in and look around?" Mitch asked.

"I guess so," Kaylynn said. "Just be careful not to fall through any of the holes."

They stepped carefully up on the porch. Despite the fact that there were gaps in the deck, and missing stairs, Kaylynn noticed that the building seemed to be in pretty good shape--it just needed a bit of work. It must have been beautiful when it was built. She loved the stone and the woodwork on the walls.



They walked inside and looked at the furniture and equipment that was piled up haphazardly in the main room.

"What do you suppose used to be here?" Mitch asked her.



"It looks like a restaurant or a bakery," Kaylynn told him. "Those are food display cases. And those are kitchen counters for cooking."

"It's really cool," Mitch said. "I'd like it if you fixed it up."




Kaylynn nodded, the germ of an idea beginning to form in her mind. She looked through a room to her left and found a dirty and stripped kitchen area.

It needed a lot of work, and she hadn't planned to have her own place so soon, but how perfect could it be? There was a large kitchen, an ample dining room, and maybe in this condition it wouldn't cost too much.



As they walked back outside, Kaylynn took a last look. "It could be really elegant," she thought to herself. "Maybe someday."

They turned to go and continued home.

When they got home, they greeted Mary-Sue and she asked, “Did you and Mitch have a nice outing?"

Kaylynn nodded vigorously, and told Mary-Sue about the strange man they'd seen at the mall. "I had the weirdest feeling looking at him. He seemed really familiar."

Mary-Sue said, "I had the same feeling last night. I'd like to know what he's up to."



Kaylynn hugged Mitch as he headed off to school, then told Mary-Sue, "We saw the neatest place on the way home. It looked like it used to be a restaurant but it was all run-down. I'll have to look it up and find out how much it is and maybe I can save enough to buy it."

Mary-Sue said, "Why wait? You're working and I'm sure you could get a bank loan for it. I could co-sign with the house as collateral."

"Are you kidding?" Kaylynn said. "Really?"



"Why not?" Mary-Sue said. "I've eaten your cooking! I'd bet it will be the best place in town!"

Kaylynn hugged her and then ran to the computer to check the real estate listings and found that it was priced at 23,000 simoleons.




"That's not super-cheap," Mary-Sue said, “but it's manageable. This house is worth 150, at least. Why don't we walk down to the bank right now?"

Kaylynn and Mary-Sue walked over to the Pleasantview National Bank. As they approached the front doors she commented, "Boy, they sure like to make this place look intimidating, don't they?"

Mary-Sue nodded her agreement.



They entered the large, echoing lobby and approached a woman sitting at a desk near the door.

She stared at them with large, odd eyes.

"Hi," Mary-Sue said, "We'd like to speak to someone about getting a loan to purchase property? Can you help us?"

The woman hesitated as she looked them up and down, then nodded.

"You'll need to see Ms. Abbadon, the manager," she said. "She's at the desk at the back of the building. Go ahead."



She gestured with her right hand toward the columns in the middle of the lobby.

As they walked toward the rear of the building Mary-Sue looked up toward the balcony and saw an eerie-looking man watching them.



He looked down at them as well.



Mary-Sue shuddered and followed Kaylynn toward the back of the building.




They neared a luxurious cubicle desk where a thin, pale woman sat.

Mary-Sue approached her and said, "Ms. Abbadon? We wanted to talk about a real estate loan. This is Kaylynn Langerak and I am Mary-Sue Pleasant."



After asking them to be seated, the woman asked, "Pleasant? Are you the wife of Daniel Pleasant?"

Mary-Sue nodded. "I was, but we're divorced now.”



"I am very glad you came in," Ms. Abbadon continued. "We were getting ready to initiate foreclosure proceedings. The mortgage has not been paid for some time."

"What?" Mary-Sue asked, "What mortgage? We didn't have a mortgage."



Ms. Abbadon explained, "Daniel Pleasant applied for a mortgage on your home about three years ago. He'd kept up the payments until fairly recently, but now the loan is in default."

Mary-Sue and Kaylynn both gasped. "How much did he borrow?"



"The amount currently owed is over 100,000 simoleons. I'll need to consult the paperwork to give you the exact amount. But in order to prevent foreclosure you will need to make a payment within the week."

Mary-Sue just stared silently.

Ms. Abbadon spoke again. "Would you like me to check the paperwork? Can you make a payment today?"



Mary-Sue stood, staggered back a bit and swayed off balance. She felt like she might faint. Damn Daniel!

"Can I get back to you? I need to check my accounts."

"Of course," Ms. Abbadon said, "but don't leave it too long. You have four days."

Mary-Sue nodded, and swayed again, and suddenly Kaylynn was next to her, grabbing her arm and leading her to a couch in the waiting area.

"Here," she said, "sit down until you feel better."

Mary-Sue sank onto the couch and shook her head in disbelief.



"I knew he was a liar, and a cheat, but I never thought he'd put us in debt like this. That bastard!"

Kaylynn nodded sympathetically.

"Why don't we go home," she suggested. "We'll figure something out."

Mary-Sue nodded and stood. Her dizziness had passed and now she wanted nothing more than to find Daniel and figure out what he'd done to them.

“Let's go home. I can call Carla. Maybe she can investigate."

They walked out past a man typing at a computer terminal and Kaylynn thought to herself that the people working at this bank sure were strange-looking.



When they arrived home, they found Cassandra waiting for them.




She was delighted to learn of Mary-Sue's condition and immediately began talking to her stomach, as everyone seemed to enjoy doing these days.

Cassandra said, "Remember when we met Cyd at the mall that day? I bet you never thought it would turn out like this!"



Mary-Sue nodded distractedly. "I know, he's really great, but I've got other troubles right now."

"What's wrong?" Cassandra said, "Tell me about it."

Mary-Sue nodded, but said, "Let me sit down. It hasn't been the greatest day."

When they were settled on the couch, Mary-Sue told her about the day's discoveries including Kaylynn finding the old restaurant, and their visit to the bank.



When Mary-Sue told her about the mortgage on the house, Cassandra jumped up and seethed through clenched teeth, "That asshole. Well, don't worry. I am going to take care of this." She pulled her cell phone from her inventory and began to dial.

Mary-Sue began to speak but Cassandra waved for silence.



She listened to Cassandra's side of the conversation curiously.

"This is Cassandra Goth. I want to make a transfer."

"Mary-Sue Pleasant."

"200,000 Simoleons."

Mary-Sue started to object; it sounded like Cassandra was going to give her a fortune! She began to stand but was suddenly startled by Cassandra shrieking.

"WHAT?! He did WHAT?! Oh my plumbob, WHEN!?"

"How much is left?"

"Are you kidding me?"



"All right, tomorrow. See you then."

She hung up the phone and turned to Mary-Sue angrily.

"I've got no money left. There's less than 1000 simoleons in the bank. My Dad depleted our account three days ago. There's nothing left."

"How can that be?" Mary-Sue asked her. "What did he buy?"

"I don't know," Cassandra replied. "I am going home now to ask him, and then meet with our accountan. I can't believe this!"

She took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry," she continued. "I thought I'd be able to help you."

Mary-Sue gave her a hug and said reassuringly, "It's okay--I'm going to call Carla and see if she can investigate, or find out if it was even legal. You go ahead, and let me know what you find out."



Cassandra nodded and left, muttering to herself.

Mary-Sue then called Carla, who came right over and gave her a hug of congratulations about the baby.



Mary-Sue told her about the troubles with the mortgage.

"I can't believe he could even take out a mortgage without my signature--I thought the house was in both our names!"

"Do you think he could have forged your signature?" Carla asked her.

"I suppose so," Mary-Sue replied. "I just find that hard to believe. I never thought he'd steal from me and the twins like that. I even thought you could only get mortgages on large business complexes!"



"Maybe he thought he'd be able to pay it back before you found out," Carla suggested.

"Maybe," Mary-Sue replied. "It's still slimy though. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Daniel was always bad at managing simoleons."

She shook her head and continued. "And now poor Cassandra is having the same problems."

She filled Carla in about what she knew about the Goth family finances.

“I’ll look into it, Mary-Sue. It seems like somebody definitely belongs in jail!”



As she left, Carla thought about what they'd said and thought maybe it would have been better to go outside so the cow couldn't hear them. "Oh well," she thought. "If the Abbadons are behind this, they know about it anyway."

Mary-Sue then called Cyd; she couldn't wait any longer to tell him about the baby.

When he answered she said, "Can you come over? I have some news."



He was delighted to hear from her and said he'd come over right away.

She went outside to wait for him and soon noticed him walking up the sidewalk.



Cyd paused for a moment as he realized she looked different, then began to run.



When he arrived and saw her maternity wear, he immediately began jumping up and down and squealing like an excited kid, then gave her a hug.



"Really?" Mary-Sue asked. "You're okay with this?"

"You bet!" he shouted. "Kids are the best! This is awesome! Hello, baby!”



Mary-Sue grabbed him and kissed him in relief. What a lucky day when she'd met him!

When she released him he looked at her carefully and said, "But are you okay? You don't look happy. Is something wrong?"

Mary-Sue told him all the horrible news about the money and the restaurant and the mortgage. Cyd was sympathetic, but urged her not to worry. “Let’s go lie down and we can talk it over.”

As they got settled on the bed he said, "I have an idea. If I sell my house, there should be plenty to . . . "

"Oh no Cyd, you can't do that," Mary-Sue objected.

He responded, "It makes sense, though. I'm not living there anymore, and the Newson's have a big house. The oldest kids will be going to college soon, and you and the baby could move in with us. Then you could just give this house to the bank instead of trying to pay off Daniel's debt. Or sell it and pay off the mortgage anyway. And there might even be enough to invest in Kaylynn's restaurant."



Mary-Sue thought about what he'd said. Just having him be hopeful and positive made her feel better. But then she stopped and said, "Kaylynn and Mitch. What would they do?"

Cyd didn't hesitate, "They can come too!"

"Is there enough room?" she asked him.

"We'll make room!" Cyd announced.

Mary-Sue grabbed him gratefully and snuggled up close.

"Thank you so much," she told him. "I've been so worried. You make me feel like everything will work out."

"It WILL work out," he said. "We can do it! And we can do other things, too!”

Later, as Mary-Sue settled down to sleep, she felt safe.




Cyd left early to go to work, and Mary-Sue got dressed and went to tell Kaylynn of their plans.

"Are you sure?" Kaylynn asked them. "That's a whole lot of kids in one house. And are you sure you want to sell this one, Mary-Sue?"



Mary-Sue nodded. "I don't really have a sentimental attachment here. It was where Daniel lived. If the girls were still here it might be different, but since they're gone, I think it would be nice to have a new place. With you and Mitch."




Kaylynn turned to Mary-Sue and said, "I don't think I've said this enough. I am so sorry about how our friendship started, but I can't regret it now. I am glad you and the girls became part of my life."

Mary-Sue smiled at her. "I think we'll do okay."