Portal
Home
Latest images
Search
Register
Log in
CindaLoveAdministration
Posts : 5390
Reputation : 899
Join date : 2015-05-16
Age : 58
20180603
Welcome To Strangetown - The Grunt Family
The story of Strangetown's first military family, the Grunts, is a complex but a vital one to Strangetown's history. The story begins with General Chip Grunt and Dr. Missy Grunt.
Their only child, son Buzz Grunt, married his high school sweetheart, Lyla Vandermorgan, upon graduation. After their honeymoon, Buzz enlisted in the Army; though he was interested in medicine because his mother was a doctor and became a medic, his life-long dream was really to become a general, like his father. Almost immediately, Lyla became pregnant with their firstborn, son Tank. With Buzz working hard at his job and being promoted steadily, Lyla still had dreams of becoming an actress and hoped to start acting lessons once Tank started school but that was put on the back burner, once again, after she became pregnant with their second child, Ripp.
A few years later, Buzz had finally became General and with the boys in school, Lyla began acting lessons and she landed a few commercial gigs on radio and television but didn't have any luck with any TV or movie roles. Still, she was satisfied for the moment at least, with what she had accomplished and started focusing on raising her two sons. Pretty soon, she was pregnant with her third child and she hoped this time for a little girl but having a healthy child was all that mattered when their little son, Buck, arrived.
She felt blessed to have a healthy son, who looked just like her. Buzz of course, was elated to have another son; he had hopes that all his sons would follow in his footsteps and become military men. After the boys came home from school and on weekends, Buzz would make them run obsticle courses and jog around the base with him in hopes of strenghthening them and instilling a sense of discipline in them. Lyla, at times felt he was pushing them too hard and the two of them started getting into arguments about how they should raise their sons. She kept trying to make him understand that their children should be able to choose who they wanted to be as individual sims and tried to make him realize that he was pushing away his two younger sons with his extremeness, but to no avail.
Then Buzz became even more extreme, ordering Lyla to stay home and forbidding her to seek any acting gigs or jobs outside of the home. He would lecture her on how to be a "good military wife" and be a homemaker, not even acknowledging the fact that she was already a good wife and mother. It seemed like he was trying to put her "in her place", as if she had crossed some imaginary line, but in fact, he was the one who was overstepping all the boundaries.
As their relationship continued to deteriorate from the constant arguments and all the accusations, it was clear that Buzz was out of control with his attitude and their marriage began to crumble. He was a bully. It began to affect their children, especially Ripp, whose personality was quite like his mother's.
Then one evening, things totally escalated to the point where Lyla felt like she wasn't even welcome in her own home and didn't feel like she was respected or even loved by Buzz anymore. Buzz felt like a complete stranger to her and he wasn't the man that she married anymore. She knew it was over when in the heat of their argument, she asked him if he still loved her. He glanced at her then quickly looked away. His silence spoke volumes to her. That was all it took, and she had had enough. She wanted out.
She looked at him and said "I want a divorce." He quickly looked up, stunned at what she had just said. "What? What do you mean you want a divorce?" "It's over, Buzz. I've had enough and I want out. I can't live like this anymore." With tears in his eyes, Buzz begged her to stay, but Lyla knew it was no use and that she had to get out before things escalated into something worse and she feared for the children.
She walked past him, and stood at the foot of the stairs and looked up at her two oldest boys, who were crouched, peeking out from behind the upstairs wall, listening. She calmly told them to pack a bag because they would be leaving tonight. As Buzz overheard her, he quickly walked over to her and angrily told her that the boys weren't going anywhere. She looked up at him, trying not to choke on her words and told him defiantly, "I'm not going anywhere without my kids!" He looked away for a moment, then back at her and said "You want a divorce? You got it. But you're not taking the kids anywhere. And if you don't leave now, I'm calling the military police and having you arrested for abandoning your children and trespassing." With tears running down her face, she again told him that she wasn't going to leave without her kids. As Buzz proceeded to walk to the phone to make good on his threat, Tank and Ripp, fearing for their mother, called to their mother at the top of the stairs, telling her it would be okay to leave and that they all would be okay. They had been watching and listening to their parents' argument while their little brother was upstairs sleeping. They didn't dare cross their father, but they were ready to intervene and protect their mother if their father decided to go off the rails.
Tank, who was quite a bit like his father, and like his father, wanted to be a general in the military career, walked down the stairs and took his mother's hands in his, looked her in the eyes and in a low voice gently reassured her that they would be okay, explained to her that the best thing to do to diffuse the situation would be to go ahead and leave. Knowing that his father was a very powerful man in the military, he suggested that she get a lawyer and that he would call the JAG Corps himself, if he needed, to plead her case and promised to contact with her in the morning. Ripp came down and begged his mom, "Please Mom, just go before Dad does something crazy." She turned and reluctantly faced Buzz, who was on the phone. "You don't have to call the military police, I'm leaving now", she said. "I just called a cab for you. They will be here in five minutes", he said. She sighed and turned to her two sons standing by the foot of the upstairs and said softly in a choked voice, "I love you both" as she embraced them. "Please tell Buck I love him so much." Then she turned and walked out the front door into the desert night air, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
She stood in front of the house on the sidewalk, waiting for her cab. As the cab arrived and pulled up beside her, she turned her head one last time towards the house and she caught the sad eyes of her two sons looking down at her from the second floor window. The cab came to a full stop and Lyla opened the door and got in. "Where to?" asked the taxi driver. "Anywhere but here", she said, and as the taxi started to carry her away into the night, she closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh and hung her head down as she choked back the tears...
To be continued...
- Spoiler:
Gen. Buzz, retired General of the United States of Simerica, in the military career.
Dr. Missy, retired Chief of Staff in the medical career.
Noodle and Sheba, Chip's and Missy's pets adopted from the animal shelter.
Their only child, son Buzz Grunt, married his high school sweetheart, Lyla Vandermorgan, upon graduation. After their honeymoon, Buzz enlisted in the Army; though he was interested in medicine because his mother was a doctor and became a medic, his life-long dream was really to become a general, like his father. Almost immediately, Lyla became pregnant with their firstborn, son Tank. With Buzz working hard at his job and being promoted steadily, Lyla still had dreams of becoming an actress and hoped to start acting lessons once Tank started school but that was put on the back burner, once again, after she became pregnant with their second child, Ripp.
A few years later, Buzz had finally became General and with the boys in school, Lyla began acting lessons and she landed a few commercial gigs on radio and television but didn't have any luck with any TV or movie roles. Still, she was satisfied for the moment at least, with what she had accomplished and started focusing on raising her two sons. Pretty soon, she was pregnant with her third child and she hoped this time for a little girl but having a healthy child was all that mattered when their little son, Buck, arrived.
She felt blessed to have a healthy son, who looked just like her. Buzz of course, was elated to have another son; he had hopes that all his sons would follow in his footsteps and become military men. After the boys came home from school and on weekends, Buzz would make them run obsticle courses and jog around the base with him in hopes of strenghthening them and instilling a sense of discipline in them. Lyla, at times felt he was pushing them too hard and the two of them started getting into arguments about how they should raise their sons. She kept trying to make him understand that their children should be able to choose who they wanted to be as individual sims and tried to make him realize that he was pushing away his two younger sons with his extremeness, but to no avail.
Then Buzz became even more extreme, ordering Lyla to stay home and forbidding her to seek any acting gigs or jobs outside of the home. He would lecture her on how to be a "good military wife" and be a homemaker, not even acknowledging the fact that she was already a good wife and mother. It seemed like he was trying to put her "in her place", as if she had crossed some imaginary line, but in fact, he was the one who was overstepping all the boundaries.
As their relationship continued to deteriorate from the constant arguments and all the accusations, it was clear that Buzz was out of control with his attitude and their marriage began to crumble. He was a bully. It began to affect their children, especially Ripp, whose personality was quite like his mother's.
Then one evening, things totally escalated to the point where Lyla felt like she wasn't even welcome in her own home and didn't feel like she was respected or even loved by Buzz anymore. Buzz felt like a complete stranger to her and he wasn't the man that she married anymore. She knew it was over when in the heat of their argument, she asked him if he still loved her. He glanced at her then quickly looked away. His silence spoke volumes to her. That was all it took, and she had had enough. She wanted out.
She looked at him and said "I want a divorce." He quickly looked up, stunned at what she had just said. "What? What do you mean you want a divorce?" "It's over, Buzz. I've had enough and I want out. I can't live like this anymore." With tears in his eyes, Buzz begged her to stay, but Lyla knew it was no use and that she had to get out before things escalated into something worse and she feared for the children.
She walked past him, and stood at the foot of the stairs and looked up at her two oldest boys, who were crouched, peeking out from behind the upstairs wall, listening. She calmly told them to pack a bag because they would be leaving tonight. As Buzz overheard her, he quickly walked over to her and angrily told her that the boys weren't going anywhere. She looked up at him, trying not to choke on her words and told him defiantly, "I'm not going anywhere without my kids!" He looked away for a moment, then back at her and said "You want a divorce? You got it. But you're not taking the kids anywhere. And if you don't leave now, I'm calling the military police and having you arrested for abandoning your children and trespassing." With tears running down her face, she again told him that she wasn't going to leave without her kids. As Buzz proceeded to walk to the phone to make good on his threat, Tank and Ripp, fearing for their mother, called to their mother at the top of the stairs, telling her it would be okay to leave and that they all would be okay. They had been watching and listening to their parents' argument while their little brother was upstairs sleeping. They didn't dare cross their father, but they were ready to intervene and protect their mother if their father decided to go off the rails.
Tank, who was quite a bit like his father, and like his father, wanted to be a general in the military career, walked down the stairs and took his mother's hands in his, looked her in the eyes and in a low voice gently reassured her that they would be okay, explained to her that the best thing to do to diffuse the situation would be to go ahead and leave. Knowing that his father was a very powerful man in the military, he suggested that she get a lawyer and that he would call the JAG Corps himself, if he needed, to plead her case and promised to contact with her in the morning. Ripp came down and begged his mom, "Please Mom, just go before Dad does something crazy." She turned and reluctantly faced Buzz, who was on the phone. "You don't have to call the military police, I'm leaving now", she said. "I just called a cab for you. They will be here in five minutes", he said. She sighed and turned to her two sons standing by the foot of the upstairs and said softly in a choked voice, "I love you both" as she embraced them. "Please tell Buck I love him so much." Then she turned and walked out the front door into the desert night air, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
She stood in front of the house on the sidewalk, waiting for her cab. As the cab arrived and pulled up beside her, she turned her head one last time towards the house and she caught the sad eyes of her two sons looking down at her from the second floor window. The cab came to a full stop and Lyla opened the door and got in. "Where to?" asked the taxi driver. "Anywhere but here", she said, and as the taxi started to carry her away into the night, she closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh and hung her head down as she choked back the tears...
To be continued...
Last edited by CindaLove on Tue May 26, 2020 7:37 am; edited 4 times in total
Share this post on:
Comments
Re: Welcome To Strangetown - The Grunt Family
Tue Jun 05, 2018 5:47 amBBdoll3
Cinda, this is an awesome story! Thanks for sharing. Dr Missy is 'Beautiful', and those eyes are "Haunting..." It's like she's looking right thru me!!! 
Tue Jun 05, 2018 5:51 am
BB! I'll be working on part 2 soon...
Wed Jun 13, 2018 6:16 am
I love to see part 2 Cinda, it looks so fun to follow the fam 
Wed Jun 13, 2018 6:19 am
Fri May 22, 2020 12:01 am
Sorry that it has taken two years to pick this back up but I'm finally back into my Sims 2!
Part 2...
"Where to?" asked the taxi driver. "Anywhere but here", she said, and as the taxi started to carry her away into the night, she closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh and hung her head down as she choked back the tears...
"Well, you have give me a location," the cab driver said. "Take me to a hotel - the further from this place, the better." Will do", said the cab driver and proceeded to drive to the other side of Strangetown and dropped Lyla off at a hotel. She checked in and as she closed the door to her room behind her, she leaned back and a dam of tears and pain spilled forth. Sobbing deeply, she crawled onto the bed and cried the remainder of the night until she finally fell asleep just before dawn.
The next morning, Tank was up early to text his mother to check on her. He was a strong, responsible, young man, much like his father was before things changed. He wanted to make sure she was safe and okay and let her know that Buck didn't know what transpired the night before and didn't know she was gone. He told her that he would take he and Ripp to school would tell Buck that she went shopping early and that he would call his Grandpa General Chip to let him know what happened the night before. His grandfather, a decorated general, always told Tank to keep watch on his dad's behavior and to let him know if he ever snapped and even promised Lyla that he would intervene on her behalf in Buzz ever did. And they loved Lyla just like she was their own daughter and had much respect for her and her family. The General and his amazing wife, Dr. Missy, raised Buzz to never raise his hand to women and to respect them, and their son never did hit his wife when he got angry. General Chip often called his lovely wife his Desert Rose as Buzz was growing up and would tell Buzz when he grew into a man and married Lyla that she was his own Desert Rose and to make sure to nurture her in this Creator-Forsaken desert. So when General Chip got the phone call from Tank, he told Missy what they needed to do.
General Buzz awoke from the couch he had crashed on the night before when Buck with Ripp following him came bounding down the stairs. Ripp shushed Buck when he started to hop across the floor to the kitchen as young children often do. As Ripp began to make breakfast for Buck, Buzz slowly raised up on the sofa into a sitting position and asked eyes swollen and squinting holding the side of his head with his hand, where Tank was. Ripp answered, "He's still in the bathroom, what do you want for breakfast?" Buzz answered that he didn't want anything and that he would just pick up some coffee on the way to work, avoiding eye contact with them both. As Buzz raised up off the couch, Buck asked "Where's Mommy?" Ripp quickly answered, " She went early shopping". Buzz quickly glanced over at Ripp and then lowered his eyes to the floor as he walked towards the staircase but didn't say anything. Ripp sighed a breath of relief and finished making breakfast. He told Buck "Eat up so you can hurry up and get ready for school. Tank is gonna drive up to school this morning." Buck looked up narrowly at Ripp and said "Hey, if Mommy went shopping this morning, how is Tank gonna drive us to school?" Ripp quickly said "Grandma Missy picked her up this morning. They're going to that White Sale they're having at Penney's." Buck replied "Oh", and looked back down at the plate Ripp set down before him. "These eggs look too runny," Buck complained. Ripp replied, They're not too runny, they're sunny side up. There's nothing wrong with them so eat up and go get ready or we're gonna be late for school." Buck grumbled and muttered that he liked his mother's cooking better but began eating.
Upstairs, Buzz saw that Tank's bedroom door was open so he peered inside but realized that he was in the bathroom so he walked over and tapped on the bathroom door. "Hurry up and get ready, you'll miss the school bus." Tank answered "I'm almost done, won't take me long to get ready. Hey Dad, why don't I just take us to school this morning. I need a break from those screaming brats on the bus." Buzz answered, "You mean they haven't disciplined those kids yet? I'm gonna have contact the school about that." Tank replied " Yeah, they got lectured but it's never long before they're at it again. Can I drive us to school?" Buzz paused then said "Okay, but don't be late and don't go anywhere else but school." Tank answered "Okay," and flushed the toilet. Buzz walked away to his room and Tank turned on the sink faucet and pretended to wash his hands, thinking 'Whew, that worked, glad he didn't suspect anything.' He was already dressed and proceeded to go downstairs and tell Ripp and Buck he was driving to school and ushered Buck upstairs to get dressed and told Ripp to go warm up the car. Tank quickly helped Buck get dressed and then called out to Buzz in his bedroom, "We're on our way now." Buzz called out to be careful and Tank replied "We will" as he hurried Buck down the stairs with their backpacks. As Tank got into the drivers seat after making sure Buck was strapped in, Ripp asked "Is everything good?" Tank replied "Yes, let's get going." They drove to Buck's school and Tank stopped out front and nodded to Ripp as Ripp ushered Buck into the school. Ripp got back in and Tank drove them to school where parked visiably from the street. Ripp got out and said "Good luck bro." Tank answered "Thanks, we'll meet you and Buck back at home when you get out." With that, Tank drove away.
Earlier...
Lyla jarred awake when her cell phone text notification went off. She grabbed the phone from her purse on the floor next to the bed and saw it was from Tank. She assured him she was okay and at a hotel on the other side of town. He told her he was relieved she was safe and told her that General Chip would activate the plan...
To be continued...
Part 2...
Desert Rose
"Where to?" asked the taxi driver. "Anywhere but here", she said, and as the taxi started to carry her away into the night, she closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh and hung her head down as she choked back the tears...
"Well, you have give me a location," the cab driver said. "Take me to a hotel - the further from this place, the better." Will do", said the cab driver and proceeded to drive to the other side of Strangetown and dropped Lyla off at a hotel. She checked in and as she closed the door to her room behind her, she leaned back and a dam of tears and pain spilled forth. Sobbing deeply, she crawled onto the bed and cried the remainder of the night until she finally fell asleep just before dawn.
The next morning, Tank was up early to text his mother to check on her. He was a strong, responsible, young man, much like his father was before things changed. He wanted to make sure she was safe and okay and let her know that Buck didn't know what transpired the night before and didn't know she was gone. He told her that he would take he and Ripp to school would tell Buck that she went shopping early and that he would call his Grandpa General Chip to let him know what happened the night before. His grandfather, a decorated general, always told Tank to keep watch on his dad's behavior and to let him know if he ever snapped and even promised Lyla that he would intervene on her behalf in Buzz ever did. And they loved Lyla just like she was their own daughter and had much respect for her and her family. The General and his amazing wife, Dr. Missy, raised Buzz to never raise his hand to women and to respect them, and their son never did hit his wife when he got angry. General Chip often called his lovely wife his Desert Rose as Buzz was growing up and would tell Buzz when he grew into a man and married Lyla that she was his own Desert Rose and to make sure to nurture her in this Creator-Forsaken desert. So when General Chip got the phone call from Tank, he told Missy what they needed to do.
General Buzz awoke from the couch he had crashed on the night before when Buck with Ripp following him came bounding down the stairs. Ripp shushed Buck when he started to hop across the floor to the kitchen as young children often do. As Ripp began to make breakfast for Buck, Buzz slowly raised up on the sofa into a sitting position and asked eyes swollen and squinting holding the side of his head with his hand, where Tank was. Ripp answered, "He's still in the bathroom, what do you want for breakfast?" Buzz answered that he didn't want anything and that he would just pick up some coffee on the way to work, avoiding eye contact with them both. As Buzz raised up off the couch, Buck asked "Where's Mommy?" Ripp quickly answered, " She went early shopping". Buzz quickly glanced over at Ripp and then lowered his eyes to the floor as he walked towards the staircase but didn't say anything. Ripp sighed a breath of relief and finished making breakfast. He told Buck "Eat up so you can hurry up and get ready for school. Tank is gonna drive up to school this morning." Buck looked up narrowly at Ripp and said "Hey, if Mommy went shopping this morning, how is Tank gonna drive us to school?" Ripp quickly said "Grandma Missy picked her up this morning. They're going to that White Sale they're having at Penney's." Buck replied "Oh", and looked back down at the plate Ripp set down before him. "These eggs look too runny," Buck complained. Ripp replied, They're not too runny, they're sunny side up. There's nothing wrong with them so eat up and go get ready or we're gonna be late for school." Buck grumbled and muttered that he liked his mother's cooking better but began eating.
Upstairs, Buzz saw that Tank's bedroom door was open so he peered inside but realized that he was in the bathroom so he walked over and tapped on the bathroom door. "Hurry up and get ready, you'll miss the school bus." Tank answered "I'm almost done, won't take me long to get ready. Hey Dad, why don't I just take us to school this morning. I need a break from those screaming brats on the bus." Buzz answered, "You mean they haven't disciplined those kids yet? I'm gonna have contact the school about that." Tank replied " Yeah, they got lectured but it's never long before they're at it again. Can I drive us to school?" Buzz paused then said "Okay, but don't be late and don't go anywhere else but school." Tank answered "Okay," and flushed the toilet. Buzz walked away to his room and Tank turned on the sink faucet and pretended to wash his hands, thinking 'Whew, that worked, glad he didn't suspect anything.' He was already dressed and proceeded to go downstairs and tell Ripp and Buck he was driving to school and ushered Buck upstairs to get dressed and told Ripp to go warm up the car. Tank quickly helped Buck get dressed and then called out to Buzz in his bedroom, "We're on our way now." Buzz called out to be careful and Tank replied "We will" as he hurried Buck down the stairs with their backpacks. As Tank got into the drivers seat after making sure Buck was strapped in, Ripp asked "Is everything good?" Tank replied "Yes, let's get going." They drove to Buck's school and Tank stopped out front and nodded to Ripp as Ripp ushered Buck into the school. Ripp got back in and Tank drove them to school where parked visiably from the street. Ripp got out and said "Good luck bro." Tank answered "Thanks, we'll meet you and Buck back at home when you get out." With that, Tank drove away.
Earlier...
Lyla jarred awake when her cell phone text notification went off. She grabbed the phone from her purse on the floor next to the bed and saw it was from Tank. She assured him she was okay and at a hotel on the other side of town. He told her he was relieved she was safe and told her that General Chip would activate the plan...
To be continued...
Sat May 23, 2020 10:15 pm
Dedicated to the Men and Women of our Military...
The last time we left off, we discovered that General Chip had a plan for a staged intervention in the event that Buzz would ever go over the edge. Today, we are going delve into the reasons why Buzz was the way he was.
The Invisible Wounds of War
Here is the untold story of General Buzz Grunt. As his mother was a dedicated doctor, she was a big influence on him and though he wanted to be a general like his father, he couldn't help be interested in the science of the sim body, so when he enlisted in the army, he trained to be a medic. The time came and the United State of Simerica became involved in the war-torn middle eastern countries, and soon after Tank was born, he was deployed as a medic to Simakistan. The story goes as his unit was ambushed by rebels, his comrades were being hit left and right, and as he desperately tried to save those men, they were tragically lost. The lieutenant colonel in charge called for a retreat but when Buzz tried to carry a barely alive wounded soldier back with them to the rendezvous point, he ordered Buzz to leave him as he believed him and the other wounded soldiers to be dead. Buzz outright refused his order, as it was his oath to do no harm and leave no man behind. As an altercation ensued, the lieutenant colonel knocked Buzz out cold with his baton.
When Buzz came to, he found himself in the chopper with the other soldiers that made it. Buzz started screaming that they had to go back because soldiers were left behind but the pilot was under strict orders to return to the base. When they arrived, Buzz struggled with the medical personnel who tried to treat his apparent head wound and kept yelling about the men that the lieutenant colonel left behind to die. The nurses looked at the doctor who then tried to calm him down by telling Buzz that he believed him and that he could file for an internal investigation after he got some rest but he needed to let the doctor treat him. Buzz calmed down and agreed to let them treat him. Buzz needed a few stitches and had a mild concussion so he was ordered bed rest for the next few days.
The next day Buzz called the JAG Corps and filed a grievance report on the lieutenant colonel's traitorous actions and an investigation was started immediately and soon the lieutenant colonel was court-marshaled, his rank stripped, and was sentenced to prison for his war crimes. But nothing could free the prison sentence that was placed upon Buzz, for nothing could take away the guilt and anguish of never being able to save their lives. It was almost too much pain to bear and he would be forever haunted by the memory of the agonizing cries and screams of the maimed and mutilated soldiers that lay dying on the hot desert ground. He was put on medical leave until his physical wounds healed but meanwhile, his father, General Chip arranged for Buzz to be transferred back to Strangetown base. When Buzz made it back, Lyla tried to be supportive and understanding, but the trauma of war had clearly changed Buzz. At first Buzz tried to fall back into home life the way it was before he was deployed and it seemed like to even him that things would be the same but soon that would change when the nightmares started back, but not before Lyla would become pregnant with their second child, Ripp. The desert of Strangetown reminded him every day of the deserts of Simakistan and that made it all the more difficult. The deep sadness in his eyes made it known that the trauma and scars ran deep.
As the U.S. Army was indebted to Buzz for standing up against the atrocities committed by the rogue lieutenant colonel, they awarded him with a Purple Heart and quickly promoted him to General. He would go on to train recruits and make them battle ready at the Strangetown Military Base and it was something he did well. As Buzz struggled with the pain and memories of the fallen soldiers that he was forced to leave behind, he started to feel like he was losing control of it all. The only time that he felt like he had a grasp onto control when he was barking orders at the young recruits and dealing out punishment, until soon it seeped over into his home life. He had always promised that he would let Lyla take the acting classes that she always wanted and even journalism classes whenever the kids got to be school age but he started demanding she stay at home and be a mother and homemaker. Lyla was so disappointed, but she loved Buzz and because she knew he was suffering, she obeyed him and did whatever he asked of her in hopes that her love and support would help heal him, but it would not, as he had began to shut her out.
General Chip quickly noticed the behavioral changes in his son but was helpless to ease his pain or even desolve the guilt he was feeling. He privately discussed this with Lyla, who cried with relief that somebody knew what was going on even if it was Buzz's own father. The general confronted his son about it and convinced him to get therapy, but after a period of time when it seemed Buzz had improved and the birth of their third child, Buck, the nightmares and nagging guilt began to rear it's ugly head once again. He began forcing his two oldest sons to do military training, forcing them to run miles and run obstacle courses because once again, this made him feel in control again. Time and again, General Chip would influence Buzz to seek therapy, which helped for a while but when the nightmares and enormous waves of guilt would began to wash over him, he would relapse and slowly revert back to his dominating and demanding ways. Lyla began to once again confide in General Chip and Dr. Missy about Buzz's demanding and bullish behavior, because through the years they had proven that she could trust them. She felt like there would be someday be a breaking point; either Buzz would go completely off the rails to no point of return or she would simply have enough and walk away, so General Chip and his own Desert Rose came up with an intervention plan. The General was an intelligent but kind man and Dr. Missy was extremely brilliant herself, so they were going to do everything they could to save their son and save his son's family as well. So when the time came when that phone call came, the General and Dr. Missy set their plan into motion.
The fateful night in question:
As Buzz and Lyla that night got into yet another argument about his controlling and dominating behavior, Lyla had finally reached her breaking point when she lamented that he was no longer the man she married, he angrily shouted "This is who I am, now - get used to it!" She sighed and looked him straight in the eyes and asked, "Do you even love me anymore?" He glanced at her then quickly looked away. She took that and his silence as a no, but in reality, inside he was swirling in a storm of turmoil as he continued to fight to keep in control once again. When Lyla demanded a divorce he was absolutely stunned and proceeded to beg her to stay but she insisted that she wanted out once and for all. As Lyla instructed her sons who were listening from the stairwell to pack their bags, he quickly went on the defense and said, "You want a divorce? You got it. But you're not taking the kids anywhere. And if you don't leave now, I'm calling the military police and having you arrested for abandoning your children and trespassing," in his best intimidating voice...
Lyla left as Buzz commanded, but little did he know that was part of the plan, for Lyla to just leave to prevent an altercation as General Chip and Dr. Missy instructed her along with Tank and Ripp, then they would begin their intervention. While Dr. Missy texted back Tank and called Lyla, General Chip headed to the Military base. Even though he had been retired for only a year, he still had much clout with his former comrades and superiors and he was about to cash in on a favor promised. Meanwhile, after Buzz finished getting dressed for work, he went downstairs and made a cup of coffee. Heartache washed over him when his mind went back to the night before and as he got up off the sofa to head out the door, a vision came across his eyes. In this vision, he saw a woman he didn't recognize with blonde hair standing before him with her back to him. As she turned around, he realized it was Lyla but she looked entirely different and her beauty once again took his breath away. As he gazed upon her smiling face, he noticed that she had a baby in her arms, swaddled in pink. The vision quickly faded away and he fell to his knees and cried out "What have I done!? Have I lost my mind?? Creator help me!!"
He heard a voice within him say, "I am with you, Buzz," and a wave of peace and tranquility washed over him and the guilt and pain faded away. Buzz wept and desperately cried out "What am I going to do?? There was no answer, but Buzz felt the Creator's presence more than he had since he was a boy. His thoughts began to race and he thought, 'I've got to do something to make it right.' He grabbed his cell phone and dialed Lyla's number but she didn't answer. He called again and again, but no answer. Desperately, he drove from hotel to hotel looking for her, but she was not there. Defeated, he drove back home and as he turned the car off in the driveway, he hung his head, he sobbed softly. Then he did the only thing he knew to do: he called his father. His father picked up and listened patiently to Buzz spill out all that happened the night before. When Buzz finished, General Chip said, " Wait there, son. I'll be there in thirty minutes. In the meantime, I don't want you to do anything but wait for me." Buzz agreed and they hung up.
Meanwhile, Dr. Missy had already picked up Lyla from the hotel the hour before to drop her off at the military base and General Chip was at the base talking to an old buddy of his. "That was Buzz, we gotta wrap this up. I can count on you to come through for me?" "Yes," said his old buddy, "Consider it a debt repaid for saving my life years ago. Don't worry about a thing. It'll all come through." General Chip shook hands with the superior officer, and walked out into the desert air. He prayed a silent prayer that Buzz would go along with what was about to transpire. As he pulled up into Buzz's driveway, Buzz got out of his car. General Chip got out and embraced Buzz as Buzz said "Dad". "Let's go inside, son." They walked inside the house and sat down where Buzz told his father about the vision. He blurted out, "What am I going to do, Dad? I've tried to call her but she won't pick up and I couldn't find her. I think I'm going crazy!" "You're not going crazy, I believe you. And you've got to understand that Lyla probably doesn't trust you anymore after what you did last night. You're gonna have to give her her space, now." "But I need to know that she's okay." "She's fine, son. Tank texted me this morning." "You mean you knew about last night already?" "Yes, I didn't want to upset you and when you called I knew that you needed me to be here for you. Now let's cut to the chase; give me all the weapons you have in the house and on you." "I'm not going to hurt Lyla or the kids, why would you think that, Dad?" "It's a safety precaution for you. You know that's procedure," referring to the military's policy when there has been a domestic disturbance. "You know you don't want the military police involved." "No." "I made a call to collect on a favor owed to me." Astonished, Buzz asked, "What do you want me to do?" "I want you to pack some clothes and come stay with your mother and I after you give me all your weapons. Then in the morning, when you get a call from work, you need obey your superior and go in." "Why, what did you do, Dad?" "I kept you from getting fired and from getting your rear thrown in the can for threatening your wife last night. You know that they take that seriously and you know the protocol they take." Buzz hung his head in shame and said "I'm sorry, Dad. It won't happen again. What's gonna happen next?" "You darned right it won't happen again because you won't get another chance to save your family not to even mention your career. If you don't try to work out your problems you're going to lose everything for good." "I know, I know. What do I to do?" "I put my reputation on the line for you and pulled some strings. The army knows what went down last night but as I said, because of a favor owed they agreed not to investigate and get JAG involved. If you don't take this opportunity to get things right in your life, then you're straight outta luck." Buzz sighed and said "Okay, Dad. But what about the boys? Are they coming with us?" "No, they're going to be staying with their mother." "That's it! I knew you know where she is!" "Cool your jets, boy, I don't know where she is staying, she was given undisclosed shelter by the base. You know that it's best for the time being. One day at a time, son. Just keep praying the Creator will help you find your way back." Buzz turned his weapons over to his dad and packed some clothes for his stay with his parents.
The next day, a few military officers arrived at Lyla's and the boys' new living arrangement to take her back to the house to pick up her car and she and the boys' belongings.
Buzz received a call from his superior and was told to come in and discuss the matter at hand. Buzz obeyed and as the superior shut the door behind them for their meeting, he nervously wrung his hands in anticipation. The superior informed him that to avoid an investigation and prosecution and possible expulsion from the military, that he would have to take the offer given to him. He would have to go through deep psychological and behavioral therapy and then a family relationship counseling program ran by the Chaplain services if his wife agreed to not go through with a divorce, but he would be demoted back to Commander as penalty for his actions. Then when therapy was completed, he would be promoted back to General if he accepted a transfer to the Sim City Military Base to head a medical program for fatally wounded soldiers. Buzz leaned forward with his mouth open and said "Fatally wounded soldiers? What would be the purpose in that?" The General leaned towards Buzz and replied, "The military has been working on a top secret medical program that is looking promising that can regenerate damaged organs and tissues and actually bring back the dead fully healed. We believe you are a good candidate to lead this project." Stunned, Buzz replied "That sounds amazing, but why me? I just have medic training, I'm not a doctor." "You're a good General. We know the pain and trauma you have endured feeling guilty for something that was no fault of your own and we believe that this can be a healing experience for you. You may not be able to bring back your fallen comrades, but you can help bring back other soldiers that have been mortally wounded. What do you say?" Buzz said, "I guess I don't have a choice if I don't want lose everything. But what about my wife and kids? Will I get to see them?" "You will not be able to see your wife until you have completed the psychological training granted she has not filed for divorce and only if she wishes to see you. If you begin showing progress in your therapy, you will be granted supervised visits with your children." Buzz agreed to the offer and conditions and began the therapy that would be life changing and sobering the next day. Over the next few months, Buzz improved and was able to have supervised visits with the boys. Though Lyla agreed not to divorce, she legally separated from Buzz as she couldn't trust him just yet. She needed time and proof that Buzz was stable and was the man she was once loved before the war took her husband from her.
A year had passed, and even though Lyla and Buzz were talking once again, Buzz would have to earn her trust again. Her parents paid for journalism and acting classes that she always wanted to take and she even considered moving back to Sim City where her parents lived, where she and Buzz both met and grew up.
- Spoiler:
- Lyla's parents, A.P. and Jacqueline Vandermorgan and their pets, Jasper and Cyan.
But little Buck begged his mom to get back together with Buzz, so she agreed to the Family Counseling. Lyla eventually started visiting Buzz and his parents with the boys and they cautiously began dating again. Though it took time, they eventually made their way back to each other and reconciled. They knew they were lucky because not every married couple makes it. Buzz promised to never shut her out and to never hold her back from her dreams and Lyla promised that she would always be there for him. They decided to renew their wedding vows, had a big party, and went on a second honeymoon to Twiiki Island. When they returned, they moved back to their old house, waiting for the transfer orders from the Military. A month later when the boys got out of school, they made their move to Sim City, where their new life awaited them.
- Spoiler:
To be continued...
Last edited by CindaLove on Wed May 27, 2020 9:16 pm; edited 3 times in total
Tue May 26, 2020 10:48 pm
I absolutely 
your Desert Rose pic. Beautiful! 
Enjoyed your story also. Thanks hun for sharing.
Was very sad for Buzz!
But so happy the family reunited and renewed their vows. Great story, hunni!
your Desert Rose pic. Beautiful! Enjoyed your story also. Thanks hun for sharing.Was very sad for Buzz!
But so happy the family reunited and renewed their vows. Great story, hunni!Wed May 27, 2020 12:50 am
It took me more than a week to make that pic and it'd been waiting in my Blog folder for nearly 2 years for me to write the story but then I got distracted by The Sims 4. 
I wanted to wait for Memorial Day Weekend to post the conclusion but when the weekend rolled around, I realized that had completely forgot to write it!
It took a few hours to write Desert Rose but it took me 6 hours to write The Invisible Wounds of War, way into the wee hours of Sunday morning. I just now realized all the grammatical errors I made and had to correct. I'm still writing 2 backstories of a new family that I think you will enjoy - stay tuned for them!
Wed May 27, 2020 6:29 pm
No problem dear heart. I guess I just overlooked them, as I got what you were saying. I really enjoyed your stories. Loved pics also. That hair color you have for your Sims is amazing. I really love the gray and the way it shines is crazy cool. Now I'm assuming these are from your Sims 2, as you say Strangetown and not Strangeville.
Great job, hun and thanks for sharing. 
I really enjoyed your stories. Loved pics also. That hair color you have for your Sims is amazing. I really love the gray and the way it shines is crazy cool. Now I'm assuming these are from your Sims 2, as you say Strangetown and not Strangeville.Great job, hun and thanks for sharing.
Wed May 27, 2020 9:38 pm
hunni! Yes, this is Sims 2. I mostly use alpha hairs like that for my female sims, some for the males. Those pics are old and I think this time around when I restarted my game, I changed Jacqueline's hair to a new Sims 4 to Sims 2 conversion. I believe the hair above you are talking about is a Newsea hair; his hairs were always shiny, which I usually like.Still working on those other two backstories; they are tied to the Grunt story, so they are sure to be interesting.
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum|
|
|