1. Chapter 17 – The Price
Hello dear readers and welcome back to another edition of A Piratical Legacy. If you're new to the legacy, I suggest you read the previous chapters
first or absolutely none of this will make any sense to you whatsoever.
Anyway, on with the show!
NB: All dates are in "Pirate Island Years" (PIY), with PIY 1 being the date Jack first arrived on the island.

2. Before we return to the legacy household, there is one much-anticipated event we must attend: Bart and De (fireflower314, Morgan and Pierce
legacies) are getting married, so let's get this party started!
Despite appearances, the bride has not been gutting the wedding turkey with her bare hands. The dress is pretty, the gloves... er.

3. Even Bart's biological father, Cale, was able to attend. Bart was beyond thrilled. Cale had only been in his life for a very short time, and Bart was
worried Cale would find it awkward to become a father and a father-in-law in such a short period. But Cale was genuinely happy to be there.
"I guess I have to get old sometime," Cale said, running his hands through his now silvered hair. "But hey, don't feel any pressure to start having
kids, Bart! I don't know if I'm ready to be a grandfather!"
Both Pao and Cale laughed.
"Me neither!" Pao agreed.

4. The wedding feast was beyond scrumptious. The dinner was informal, and was held in Bart and De's new dining room. Apparently the members of
the bridal party engaged in some pretty risqué conversation! Marina (smoothiequeen87, Fitzhugh Legacy) and De still refuse to tell me what,
exactly, Bart and Roche were discussing. Still, the entire group was in stitches throughout the meal.

5. There were a few tense moments later in the evening when Cale cut in and asked for a dance with Bart's mother, Ivy, right in front of Bart's step-
dad, Pao. Still, Pao and Ivy were both very gracious and a potential landmine was brilliantly sidestepped.
While Cale cast a few glances at Ivy from time to time, he didn't act with impropriety. Of course, the fact that my hubby and I were there with our
Zotz!ing fingers may have had something to do with his restraint.
Trigger-happy? Us? Perish the thought.

6. In any case, the happy couple partied the night away, though Roche did insist on a dance or two with his new sister-in-law! Don't they look happy?
Smile for the camera, kids!

7. After the guests had left, Bart and De sat down on the couch and decided that there really was no time like the present for starting their family.

8. September 18th, PIY 125 So what's the point of this blog? I guess to chronicle the good times
and the bad as we live our lives together and build a family. Anyway,
Dear Diary, I'll write more later. Now I have to get ready for the wedding!
My name is Marie Mazza, and I'm starting this blog as I move on to a -- Marie
new path in my life. I've been engaged for the past three years and
tonight I'm getting married to the man of my dreams, Roche Name: Marie Mazza
Buccaneer. He's everything I want in a man, and he spoils me Personality: 7/6/2/9/4
terribly. I know we're going to be very happy together. Aspiration: Romance
LTW: Woohoo 20 Sims

9. Roche and his family had moved to a new, much grander home a few hours before Marie arrived on Pirate Island. It was built in an older chalet
style and it had a large yard as well. Ivy and Pao were looking forward to spending their days fishing in the pond out back and cultivating a large
garden once the warmer weather arrived.
It took a good deal longer to get around in than their old house, but then, it was big, and they were getting old.

10. In the basement were two full bathrooms as well as all the skilling items a sim could desire. The only career rewards I have that aren't down here
are the obstacle course (in Roche's inventory until needed) and the music career reward, which was in place when this picture was taken but
removed shortly thereafter. It's very, very annoying as it advertises fun at a very high level and sims mob towards it.

11. There is a large front patio with entry into a large central "hall". Two staircases lead upwards to the second floor from this room. On the right (east)
is a large dining room complete with bar, reached via an arch. The kitchen is located south of this room via another archway, and has a back door
onto the patio. The left (west) wing of the first floor contains the living room and the library/study. The stairs to the basement are in the living
room as well.

12. Upstairs is another large central hall containing some skilling items and the computer. There is another full bathroom here towards the front of the
house. There are four bedrooms on this level as well. The larger ones are meant for the matriarch/patriarch and current heir/spouse, and the other
two are intended to be nurseries.

13. The backyard also contains the very deliberately fenced off cowplant that Roche had grown from a cutting of the one he had in university. It had
matured during his return trip home and was very voracious - but it could be very cute and affectionate at times. Roche had named it Cutlass, as he
and his family are more than a little obsessed with pirates, and Cutlass lived up to his name. He was very dangerous, and only the locked gate
prevented unfortunate happenings.

14. When Bart moved in, the very first thing he did was reacquaint himself with his beloved puppy, Pearl. Pearl was very happy that Bart was home,
but was inclined to be suspicious of Marie - they didn't get along very well.
"All right, Pearl," Bart said as he scrubbed at his puppy's fur, "that about does it. Now you're squeaky clean for the wedding too!"
"Wuf," Pearl said, wagging her tail happily.

15. September 22, PIY 125
Dear Diary,
Can you believe I'm married? Eeek! And now that Roche and I are back from our honeymoon, I finally have time to blog about the big day.
The day of our wedding started off absolutely miserably, with a thunderstorm to end all thunderstorms. Most of the wedding decorations had been
set out the night before, so of course they all got soaked. Worst of all, though, a stray bolt of lightning hit the great evergreen tree next to the
wedding arch and set it on fire! The rain was already dying down by that point so we had to call the fire department to put out the stubborn blaze.
Fortunately, none of the wedding decorations were damaged, but I was pretty upset by the ordeal anyway, and insisted we get a tent for the
wedding itself.

16. That night, as the stars shone down upon us and our most beloved friends and family looked on, Roche and I were married. We pledged our eternal
devotion to each other and meant every word of it.

17. I was welcomed to the family by so many aunts, uncles, and cousins that I began to lose track of all of them! But I didn't feel like I'd truly joined the
family until I was "welcomed" by none other than the ghost of family patriarch Jack Buccaneer himself. While I felt strangely honoured to be
greeted in such fashion, I was very hopeful I wouldn't undergo the experience ever again!

18. Our wedding reception was wonderful - the best party I've ever been to, even if "Grandpa Jack" scared the pee out of some of our guests. I was
happy to see Bart's friends there, too, especially the ones he'd gone to school with in Paris. I don't know a lot of people on the island yet so it was
reassuring to see so many familiar faces

19. And after everyone left, my beloved and I headed directly on our honeymoon - which was absolutely wonderful! I really, really enjoyed relaxing on
the beach with Roche. Unfortunately, our camera broke so I don't have any pictures... but I'll carry the memories in my heart forever.
While we were there we decided to start a family right away. I know that some people say it's best to wait a while after getting married before
starting a family, but honestly I want to get it out of the way while I'm still young. I don't think I'll like being pregnant so I'm anxious to get started
and finished before I'm too old to enjoy life.
-- Marie

20. Right from the beginning of their marriage, Roche and Marie constantly heard from all their friends and family how lucky they were to have such a
strong relationship. While divorce was practically unheard of, few couples had such a strong connection as Roche and Marie did. And they worked
hard to maintain the strength and intimacy they shared. For instance, it wasn't unusual for Roche to stop by the florist on his way home from work
and pick up a dozen roses for Marie, just because. All together now: awwwww!
Yes, Roche and Marie were both working. Roche had a job as an artist because he had a fair amount of creative skill and he still didn't know what
kind of career he wanted for himself. Marie was working as a journalist because she had no artistic skill whatsoever but was a decent writer, and
the job was available. Both of them liked their jobs, but neither really loved them.

21. Bart and De were frequent visitors. Bart was a very serious man, unlike Roche, so he would usually head straight for the chess board in the library.
Roche, eager to spend time with his brother, would suffer through game after game even though he only had a slight inkling of how it was played.
In any case, he rarely won. But I think Bart was a bit prone to cheating.
Pirates. Oy.

22. While the boys played, the girls did too. Marie and De would often get together for a game of darts and gossip about their husbands. As both were
Romance sims, and fairly friendly, they were soon very close and Marie found herself spilling all her secrets to her sister-in-law.

23. October 3, PIY 125
Dear Diary,
Well, I am finally settling in to life as a legacy spouse. I'm surprised by how much work goes into it, really. At least I won't have to pop out baby
after baby! Two babies and I'm done, and Roche said that I wouldn't have to have more than that.
Speaking of my husband, more than once I've caught him playing what he called 'tub pirates' in the downstairs bathrooms. He showed me how, and
y'know... I kind of want to play as well. There's something so ... refreshing about forgetting adult responsibilities and just being a pirate in the tub.
-- Marie

24. October 30, PIY 125 me don't have the best track record as parents.
Dear Diary, Oh, I've also got horrible morning sickness, I have to pee all the
time, and I'm sooo tired. I was right before when I thought I'd hate
I'm pregnant! Can you believe it? Me, Marie Mazza-Buccaneer, being pregnant. This sucks!
pregnant! The way I figure it, I must have gotten pregnant while
Roche and I were on our honeymoon. ... I think I'm going to go take a nap.
I'm pretty excited at the thought of being a parent, but I'm also kind -- Marie
of scared. What if I make a bad parent? Romance-minded gals like

25. Ivy took it upon herself to coddle Marie through her pregnancy, her memory of the experience still fresh in her mind even though Roche was
twenty-eight years old.
"We remember what it was like," she would often say to Marie with a shudder. "We had to have an heir and a spare ourselves, you know. We
wouldn't wish multiple pregnancies upon anyone we like!"

26. "Cheesecake is an old family recipe of ours," Ivy continued as she "Wh-what do you mean?" Marie asked nervously.
plated the luscious dessert. Marie's mouth watered, and she hoped
that she could keep it down. "We thought you knew already," Ivy said slowly. "This recipe for
cheesecake was perfected by our mad scientist brother, Eddie. It
"It certainly is delicious," Marie agreed, taking a tentative bite and causes twins!"
willing her stomach to behave itself.
Marie choked. "Twins?!?" she gasped. "Why didn't you say?"
"It will make sure you don't have to get pregnant again, too!" Ivy said
with a smile. "We are doing you a favor," said Ivy soothingly. "Trust us."

27. Pao was also excited about the prospect of being a grandparent, since De was also pregnant. Between that and the fact that he had a huge yard to
play in, he was beyond ecstatic.
Old people show their enthusiasm in somewhat unusual ways.

28. In fact, his new favorite pastime was sitting out on the patio, sipping his coffee and watching the fall leaves swirl to the ground from the many trees
that surrounded the manor.
Yes, it's a far cry from dancing with excitement, but give the guy a break. Years of service as a minion will do a number on the lower back.

29. Of course, Marie's pregnancy-induced forgetfulness may have had something to do with Pao's reticence to spend much time indoors.
"Marie, honey, you forgot to get dressed again," Roche said between mouthfuls of pancake.
Marie looked down at herself with surprise.
"So I have," she agreed, and patted her rounding belly fondly before heading upstairs to get dressed.

30. December 3, PIY 125
Dear Diary,
My husband cannot get over the thought of being a parent. He talks to the babies constantly - and yes, he was very startled at the thought of twins!
Still, he's taken to the idea happily now that he's used to it. He's head-over-heels in love with them already, I can tell.
Somehow, I don't think he has any idea of how much work twins can be. But my mother-in-law and father-in-law can always help out, and we can
always hire a nanny! Actually, now that I think of it, that's a great idea... I'll have to research some prices online before the little ones get here.
-- Marie

31. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, but one day Marie finally gave in to the urge - she waited until Pao and Ivy were busy and Roche was at
work, headed downstairs and jumped in the tub. Before she knew it, she was tub-pirating like a pro!
"Nice form," Roche laughed. Marie jumped and squeaked - she hadn't heard him come downstairs! "Great-grandpa Jack would approve, I think."

32. "Arr! That I do, mate!"
Pao waltzed into the bathroom carrying a stuffed bear dressed in pirate clothes. Marie was impressed - his mouth wasn't even moving when the
bear talked.

33. Bart and De weren't the only visitors to the Legacy manor, either. All of Roche's Arravast housemates were frequent visitors. Marie liked
socializing with the other girls, who were also quite pregnant with their first babies. The four of them liked to discuss baby names, and nursery
decorating schemes, and to contemplate how well their husbands would take to diaper-changing.
No bonus points for guessing the answer to that last one.

34. December 20, PYI 125
Dear Diary,
I want to name one of the babies Susanna, if one is a girl, after my mother. But when I told Pao, he explained to me that the babies would both
have to be named according to the pirate theme. Pirate theme! I started to cry, dear diary. I've really been looking forward to using that name
since I found out I was pregnant.
Pao is such a sweetie, though - he's the best FIL in the world. He immediately offered to research pirates and find out if there was ever a pirate
named Susanna, or, failing that, a pirate ship with that name. I really hope there is!
-- Marie

35. Bart and De were settling into married life very easily. Bart had gotten a job in the education career, just like he'd always dreamed, and was helping
to set up a local community college right on Pirate Island.
As for De, she harboured dreams of running her own restaurant and maybe even hosting a cooking show, but those plans were on hold until after
the baby was born. For now, she was content to be a housewife.

36. Unfortunately, De's pregnancy was very hard on her. She was very, very tired all the time and one day Bart came home to the sight of her passed
out on the living room floor! Fortunately, she and the baby didn't come to any harm.

37. ... at least, they didn't think De's labor later that night was precipitated by the fall!

38. Baby girl Morgan was certainly born right on time, one hundred percent healthy and adorable. Right from the beginning it was obvious she took
after both of her parents, with Bart's blue eyes and De's brown hair.

39. Bart called the legacy house first thing in the morning to let everyone know of Morgan's arrival. Ivy was the one who answered that call.
"We are a grandmother!" she called happily in a voice loud enough to wake the dead. "Everyone, De has had a girl!"
"What did she name her?" Pao asked. De had talked about lots of names during her frequent visits but she and Bart hadn't let on which name they
were going to use.
"Her name is Morgan, after famous rum - er, pirate, Henry Morgan," Ivy reported. "We are pleased that our oldest son has carried on the piratical
tradition of the family."

40. Marie often wondered if Pao had found a piratical reason to use her mother's name for one of the babies. It didn't look like he was searching very
hard, since she often found him snoozing on the couch in the living room.
Hey, I said, give the guy a break! Let him enjoy his retirement, after a lifetime of helping his brother-in-law shift contraband military supplies.

41. Later that very day, Marie went into labour! Roche, unfortunately, wasn't very helpful.

42. August 3, PYI 126 Susanna."
Dear Diary, "Can we name this one Grace?" Roche asked me shyly as he kissed our
other daughter's forehead. "There was a female pirate named Grace
I am exhausted. But my babies are here! It all happened so quickly, too. A O'Malley, once. She was Irish, and when she was captured by the English,
few intense moments, and it was over. Pao heard me yell when it all started she persuaded Queen Elizabeth to give her enough money to retire from
and came rushing in, but by the time he got there it was done! He had good pirating!"
news for me, too.
I assured him that I loved the name of Grace as well, and as I gazed upon
"I found out that Susanna was the name of a pirate ship! In a pirate named both of our daughters, I felt that our happy little family was perfect.
Thomas Tew's fleet," Pao said, coming over to stare in awe at his
grandbabies. Gotta go -- the girls are hungry!
"That's good enough for me," I said. I held my baby girl closer. "Hello -- Marie

43. While Marie was happy to be a parent, her worst fears were soon realized: she and Roche would have to change the diapers themselves. Ivy and
Pao were happy to take care of little Susanna and Grace in all other things, but diaper duty was something they excused themselves from, claiming
grandparental prerogative.

44. "Who's a sweet little princess?" Ivy smiled as she played with Susanna. "Who's grandma's little girl?"
Susanna gurgled, then burped.
"We are appalled at your lack of table manners," Ivy said severely... and then giggled.

45. "Rest assured this is the best milk money can buy on the island," Pao said as he rocked Grace and fed her with an enormous green bottle. "My
brother-in-law procures only the best for the family."
Grace looked up at him and fluttered her long lashes as she sucked greedily away at the contents of the bottle.

46. Roche and Marie took advantage of Ivy and Pao's babysitting services to go on frequent dream dates. Roche wanted a lot of them, and he'd been
too busy with breaking the curse to date much in university.
Ahh... the curse. Obviously, it was well and truly broken, though the final price remained to be seen. Roche never mentioned it, and Ivy and Pao
never brought it up either. All they knew was that it had obviously been dealt with, since the twins were here.
As for Marie... she had no idea there'd even been a curse, and nobody mentioned it to her. After all, it was over and done with... right?

47. Bart was a frequent visitor as well. Sometimes he and De would hire a babysitter and come for a visit together, and sometimes one or the other
would come alone.
"Look at how sweet she is," he cooed as he held a squirming baby Susanna. "She's only a little bit tinier than Morgan is. I hope the girls grow up
together, like Roche and I did with our cousins."
"We think that would be a great idea," Ivy said, making faces at the baby. "Family is very important. We have always maintained this."

48. "Do you want to hold her?" Roche asked, scooping Grace expertly from her crib and turning towards De.
"Sure," De grinned. "You know I'm a sucker for kids. Both she and Grace--"
"This one's Grace," Roche clarified.
"Is it?" De looked closer at the baby. "How can you tell the two of them apart?"
"I dunno," Roche shrugged. "I just can. Marie and I have always been able to tell them apart."
"Ah, maybe I'll find it easier once they're a bit older," De shrugged. She held out her arms for the cooing baby, who smiled and gurgled happily.

49. "Who's daddy's little girl?" Bart often played 'airplane' with Morgan while De made dinner. It was his way of relaxing and winding down after
work.
"Careful, I just fed her," De called over from the kitchen.
Fortunately, Bart was playing close attention to Morgan and was able to avoid the shower of spit-up milk that followed shortly thereafter.

50. As the first snowflakes of winter fell, the entire family showed up for Morgan's first birthday. Bart rushed outside to greet them and ushered them
into the house.

51. Just as Bart was herding everyone towards the door, Cale impulsively decided to serenade Ivy. While in years past she might have appreciated it...
she obviously didn't anymore.
"Ack! Cale, we must insist that you refrain from such demonstrations," Ivy complained, clapping her hands over her ears. "We think your singing
is atrocious!"
Cale was very embarrassed and wouldn't look anyone in the eye for the rest of the day.

52. Nobody really noticed, though, as everybody's gaze was firmly fixed on little Morgan. Now that she was a toddler it was plain to see that she'd
inherited a lot of features from both parents. Her looks were striking, and she promised to be a beauty when she was older.

53. Mobility followed soon afterwards, and Bart and De could scarcely keep up with their little girl. She was very rambunctious and energetic, and
often tried to slip out into the yard despite the cool weather.
Morgan was a talkative tyke as well, and chattered constantly about the people and objects that passed through her little world. She was especially
fond of her rabbit head and her blocks, and not so much with her xylophone. And occasionally she would fix her parents with a dead serious look
and pose them such questions!
"Why the sky is blue, Daddy? Why your toes have hair on them, Daddy? Why the bunny head rotates without me even touching it, Daddy? Why is
there a man with tiger stripes in the kitchen, Daddy?"
Bart and De were hard put not to laugh, but always managed admirably to hold back their giggles until Morgan's curiousity had been satisfactorily
sated and her attention diverted.

54. Bart and De wanted another child, but realized that De would have to start her career soon, and maybe put plans for another child on hold for a bit.
To that end, they hired a nanny to care for Morgan during the hours when both parents were at work.
Bart, at least, didn't particularly like the crotchety old lady who babysat Morgan, but he realized that she was a necessity if his wife's dream was to
come true. He wasn't ready to retire yet himself, so the nanny would have to stay.

55. Still, Bart was quick to dismiss the old lady as soon as he got home from work, and he looked forward to his evenings with Morgan. In turn, the
little girl adored her daddy and always woke up from her naps at the sound of him closing the front door. It was amazing - she heard him every
time.
"Why does nanny smell funny, Daddy?"
"Er... ask your mother."

56. August 3, PYI 127
Dear Diary,
It has been a long time since I've written - a year, to be exact! But the past year has been so busy, so full of love and happiness, that it's not
surprising that I've not had time to write.
My baby girls celebrated their first birthday today. We decided to celebrate privately, at home, at Roche's insistance. I'm not sure why he didn't
want to have a big family party, but I didn't press the matter. In any case, our girls are getting so big!
I've decided to make this blog public, for all that I rarely update it, just so I can show off pictures of my babies. I've attached them below.

57. This one is Susanna. Isn't she a dear? She definitely takes after her father a lot in both looks and temperament, for all that she's named after my
mother. Roche is convinced that one lock of her hair is a shade lighter than the rest, but I think he's imagining it. While she can be a bit sloppy, she
takes to people nearly instantly, and is always smiling and wanting to play. And she plays hard for a little one! She's always keeping us on our
toes.

58. And this is my other baby, Grace. She and Susanna are nearly twins in the looks department, though she has straight hair and Susanna's is curly.
Personality-wise, though, they are quite different. Not only is Grace neat, she's also very talkative and playful. On the other hand, she's quite shy
with people she doesn't know very well and is a bit prone to biting.
Oh well. I'm sure she'll be broken of that habit eventually.
-- Marie

59. Bedtime became a nightly ritual for the Buccaneer heir, his wife, and their two adorable daughters. Both girls were determined to have their story,
and their kisses, from both parents before they would sleep.
All in all, Roche and Marie felt as though they had been wonderfully blessed.

60. So imagine their shock one morning when Marie got up to get the girls and found that Susanna wasn't in her crib!
"She must have just let herself out," Marie said at first. But searching the house high and low failed to turn up any sign of the missing tot.
Frantically, she ran into the bedroom she shared with Roche.

61. "Honey, wake up!" Marie cried, her voice breaking.
Roche stretched and rolled slowly out of bed.
"What's wrong, honey?"
"It's--it's Susanna," Marie gasped. "She's not in her crib and I can't find her anywhere in the house! Your parents are still sleeping so she's not with
them. Roche -- she's been kidnapped!"
With a choked cry, Roche ran from the bedroom.

62. And as he looked at the family cemetery, the awful truth came crashing down.
There was a new grave, and as he squinted across the pond, his eyes could just barely make out "Susanna"...

63. "Nooooooooooo!!!" Roche cried.

64. In a furious rush he bolted into the basement and grabbed the GrimPhone.
"Give me back my daughter!" he screamed into the handset.

65. In a puff of black light, the Grim Reaper was there.
"Where is my daughter?" Roche screamed.
"YOU KNEW THE PRICE," the cowled figure responded in an even voice.

66. "You gave me no choice!" Roche cried. "Give her back! I'll do anything! If you don't bring her back in the next instant, I'll kill you with my bare
hands, so help me!"
Grim laughed, a hollow, chilling sound. "I CANNOT BE KILLED, ROCHE BUCCANEER. AT LEAST NOT LIKE THAT. YOU WOULD
ONLY BREAK YOUR THUMBS. AND NOW, IF YOU HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY TO ME, I MUST LEAVE. THERE ARE OTHER
SOULS TO HARVEST."

67. "You... you..." Roche choked down a million obscenities and curses. "I'll go. Take me instead. Take me! Just bring back my daughter..."
"NO JUMPING THE QUEUE. A DEAL IS A DEAL," the hollow voice intoned. "THE PRICE IS PAID. NO EXCHANGES OR REFUNDS."
And with that, he disappeared, and Roche collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

68. The mood in the house was a somber one. There was a funeral, and both Roche and Marie went through the motions and tried to convince
everyone that they were fine.
Their dearest friends offered sympathy, and shoulders to cry on, and felt helpless.

69. "Why did he have to take our granddaughter?" Ivy raged at April. She, at least, had no difficulty in letting out her anger and her grief. "Why? We
are old. We would have gone in her place!"
"Oh, auntie," April said sadly. She squeezed her aunt's hand in sympathy, lending her support as Ivy broke down entirely.

70. "Oh, our little baby," Ivy cried softly. She felt numb, and all cried out. With a deep breath, she straightened her back, and threw back her shoulders.
"We must be strong. Our family needs us."
Resolutely, she went and made dinner, and then made everybody eat it.

71. "Roche and Marie are sleeping now," Bart said softly as he his brother's dearest friends sat around the dinner table eating the jello that Ivy forced
upon them.
"That's probably for the best," Nala mewed softly, her tail swishing in silent agitation.
"Do--do you think this has anything to do with the curse?" April asked softly.
"The curse is gone," Benjamin objected. "Roche broke it, remember?"
"But what price did he pay?" April's question hung uncomfortably in the air, until the four of them got up from the table and went to their
respective homes.

72. Life at Buccaneer Manor slowly returned to normal as the days passed - if the loss of a young child can ever be called normal. Roche and Marie's
friends and family visited as much as they could, and that helped. And everybody doted on Grace as much as possible. She wasn't old enough to
understand what was going on, although she asked about Susanna constantly.
"Where Susu, Unca Bart?"
"She's not here anymore, sweetie." Bart sighed. "At least you're young enough to forget." He stroked his niece's hair.
"Airplane, Unca Bart!" the little girl giggled.

73. Roche and Marie dealt with their grief in different ways. Marie joined a support group via her blogging site. Roche... turned to less wholesome
methods of dealing with his pain.
"No narrating. Rum."
The rum is gone, Roche.
"Why's the rum gone?"
You drank it all.
"Then where's the gin?"

74. About the only thing that kept the two of them going, though, was the fact that Grace needed them. For a while, they could scarcely bear going into
her room, but the look on her face when she saw them in the morning made it easier to handle, and as time passed, the pain faded to a dull ache.

75. Still, it was Pao and Ivy who taught Grace most of her toddler skills.
"Where silver spoon?"
"What, honey?"
"Grandma says I was born with silver spoon in my mouth. So it should come out the other side, right?"
"IVY!"

76. In between awkward toddler questions, Pao and Ivy worried about Roche and Marie, but upon this count they felt helpless.
"I just wish the two of them would grieve properly and get it over with," Pao muttered into his cornflakes.
"We couldn't agree more," Ivy said, walking out of the kitchen and joining him with her own bowl. "But what can we do? We have never lost a
child before. We have only lost a husband... or two... and a few other things. But that was long ago. In time, we forgot the pain and remembered
only the love. We hope they can do the same thing, eventually."

77. Marie's recuperation involved drastic effort. She changed her look to one more in line with her husband's family roots, and she took out her anger
on innocent bathtubs that had never done anything to her.

78. "Aaah!" she screamed, more than once, as the rusted pipes failed to repair themselves. "Fix yourselves, frammit!"
The screaming helped, and slowly the pain receded, although the faucet was never the same again.

79. December 20, PIY 129
Dear Diary,
Today marks two years since the day that changed my life forever -- the day that I lost my baby girl. I've been mostly okay for the past little while,
but today it all came crashing back down on me. I spent most of it crying, and Roche and I had a big fight.
We've been fighting a lot. Ever since Susanna died, there's been this tension between us. I think if we could just get past that, we'd be okay, and
both of us would finally heal. But until that happens... I don't know if we're going to make it. I still love him as much as ever, but sometimes I can't
stand to look at him.

80. He's even started sleeping on the couch instead of in our room. He says it's because it's farther from the room where Susanna-- where she died. But
we both know it's because we haven't said a civil word to each other in weeks.
Thing is, dear Diary, I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant again. I hope we can patch things up before the new baby comes.
-- Marie

81. "Pearlie!" Grace squealed, enveloping the big black poodle in a sticky hug.
Pearl wuffed gently, but allowed herself to be manhandled. Grace was Roche's pup, and thus was allowed to run roughshod over the hound. She
was the only one who had that particular privilege, though!
Pearl was worried about her Master, in an abstracted puppyish sort of way. She could sense something was wrong, and would be happy when her
human was himself again. In the meantime she resigned herself to many sticky hugs.

82. "Higher, Grampa!" Grace squealed. Pao was one of her favorite people in the whole wide world.
"Upsie daisy!" Pao laughed as he twirled Grace around the room. He'd dealt with Susanna's death by focusing his attentions harder on his
remaining grandchildren, Grace and Morgan. They were both enough of a handful that he didn't have much time for anything else.

83. As for Marie, she very definitely was pregnant. But she concealed the fact from Roche. As she'd written in her blog, they hadn't spoken in weeks,
pretty much, and she was worried about how he'd react to the news. She hoped it would be positive, but he was still so torn by grief that he could
go either way.

84. As she knew that her pregnancy would soon be obvious even to the oblivious Roche, Marie grabbed a frozen slice of cheesecake from the freezer.
She wanted twins again, though she couldn't say why, exactly, except that it felt right.

85. February 16, PYI 130
Dear Diary,
I've definitely got pregnancy brain again and keep forgetting to wear my clothes. Roche is definitely going to find out before much longer if I don't
say anything - the bump on my belly is getting really obvious. I think I'm having twins again, too.
I need to tell him... but how?
-- Marie

86. As it happened, Marie's problem was soon solved for her. She was having another late-night cheesecake craving and forgot to put on her robe. She
waltzed into the kitchen...

87. ... and there was Roche, making himself a drink at the bar.
"Bit late for that, don't you think?" she said softly.
"It's just juice," Roche said, and turned around.

88. His eyes grew wide as they took in his wife's obviously burgeoning by Roche's sudden joviality, but decided to play along.
belly.
"I'm sorry for ... for how I've been acting," Roche said slowly,
"You're pregnant?" he gasped, choking and spluttering on his drink. looking into his wife's eyes. "I've just felt... so guilty. Like it was my
fault."
"Obviously," Marie indicated, gesturing towards her stomach.
"Oh, Roche," Marie said, her heart breaking as her arms went around
"But--but that's wonderful!" Roche managed. He caught his wife up her husband. Now his tears flowed freely, and she held him tight
in his arms and twirled her around the room. "We're having another until he stopped.
baby!"
"Thank you," Roche murmered, his broken heart finally beginning to
"We're having another baby," Marie laughed. She was a bit confused mend, just a little.

89. April 6, PYI 130
Dear Diary,
Finally, things are back to normal for us. We'll both always love and miss Susanna, but now our hearts can begin to heal.
Last night, Roche and I went our first 'date' since the tragedy almost two years ago. It felt like a new beginning, especially when he wrapped me in
his arms and laid a big ol' kiss on me the way he used to after we got home.
I'm so happy.
-- Marie

90. Grace was definitely growing quickly, and Roche and Marie marvelled at how she changed almost on a daily basis.
"Soon you won't be a baby anymore," Marie said mournfully.
"Not a baby," Grace insisted. "I'm a big girl, mommy! When's my birthday?"
"Soon, dear one," Marie chuckled, rubbing her sore back gingerly. "Very soon. And then a few weeks afterwards, you'll be a big sister!"
"Yay!" Grace giggled, clapping excitedly. "I get to be a boss!"

91. "But for now," Marie continued, scooping Grace into her arms, "you still need your naps if you don't want to be too tired to play later."
"Aww," Grace complained, but within a few moments of her head hitting the pillow, she was fast asleep.

92. "Grandpa, I want a lememememonade stand for my birthday," Grace said determinedly as she plunked away at her xylophone.
"Well, sweetling, we'll see about that," Pao said noncommittally. "But your birthday is coming up pretty soon, isn't it?"
"First it's Morgan's birthday," Grace said seriously. "Then me!"

93. At the other Buccaneer household, Bart and De were preparing to host a birthday party for Morgan.
Well, if you call that preparing.

94. In preparation, they had the whole house papered and redecorated, now that both Bart and De were making a bit more money in their chosen
careers.
Marina stopped off early on the day of the party to drop off a present.
"Sorry I won't be able to make it later," she said apologetically.
"That's fine," De said. "I know Morgan will be sad to have missed you, but I'll pass on your wishes."

95. At the appointed hour, though, everyone else showed up - except for Grace, who had the sniffles.

96. As Morgan jumped from toddlerhood to childhood, everyone gasped in amazement at her resemblance to her father. Now that she was older, it was
very clearly pronounced.

97. "Hey Cale, thanks for stopping by!" Bart grinned. Cale hadn't been to
Pirate Island very often during Morgan's younger years, but he did "Really?" Cale's eyes grew wide. "That's awesome!"
make an effort to stop by every time he was in town, and he
happened to be visiting on Morgan's birthday. "Keep it on the down-low, though," Bart said in a hushed voice. "We
haven't announced it to the rest of the family, but I figure you
"Hey yourself," Cale chuckled. "Wow, she sure is getting big!" probably won't be in town again until after the official
announcement, so I wanted to let you know."
"That's for sure," Bart said proudly. He leaned in closer and
whispered conspiratorily. "She's going to be a big sister in a few "I'm honoured," Cale grinned.
months too, we think."

98. Let's just say that Cale and De have a very open relationship for father-in-law and daughter-in-law and leave it at that. Not always the most
appropriate conversation choices.

99. Morgan was definitely a little chatterbox. After she'd had her
birthday cake, she cornered Ivy and Cale and peppered them with "Well, honey, I work in Paris. That's where I met your Grandma Ivy,
questions, especially Cale. actually."
"Grandpa Cale, how come you hardly ever visit?" Morgan "How come you and Grandma aren't married, Grandpa Cale?"
demanded. Morgan was nothing if not persistent.
"I don't live on Pirate Island, hon," Cale replied good-naturedly. "Because we are married to Grandpa Pao," Ivy explained, and that
was that. Morgan wasn't really satisfied, but she did know when to
"Why not?" Morgan asked. quit... eventually.

100. "Happy birthday, sweetie!" Bart grinned, and handed over a neatly wrapped package to his daughter.
"For me?" Morgan's eyes were very big. "What is it?"
"We suggest you open it and see," Ivy suggested, having wandered over to observe the proceedings.
Morgan tore eagerly at the wrapping paper. "Sweet!" she cried as she lifted a large, plush bear dressed like a pirate out of the box. "A teddy bear!"
"That's none other than Commodore Bear," Bart nodded. "Later I'll tell you all about him."
"Okay," Morgan grinned, tossing her father a thousand-watt smile.

101. For the rest of the party, Morgan cornered Grandpa Cale and peppered him with questions about Paris.
"Have you seen the Eiffel Tower? If you drop a penny off of it and it hits someone on the head, do they die? Are French people really rude? Do
you eat frogs? What's a baguette taste like? Have you ever seen a mime? Do you have to speak French? Can you teach me to speak French? Why
did Napoleon always have his hand in his coat? Why are there so many Japanese chefs who do French food on TV? And why does the lady on TV
on the cooking show die?"
Ivy spent most of the exchange stifling her laughter. Morgan was very definitely infinitely curious.

102. Later that evening, after the guests had gone home, Bart made good on his promise and pulled out the books his great-grandfather, grandmother,
and mother had written about the family history and explained just how Commodore Bear fit into that history. It got a bit complicated when he got
to the bits about ninjas, but Morgan was fascinated, to be sure.

103. "Is it true you're really Great-Great-Grandpa Jack?" she demanded of her new toy once she was upstairs in her room.
"Aye, lassie! Avast ye!" the bear intoned, making Morgan jump in alarm. However, her inquisitiveness could not be denied.
"How'd you end up in a bear, then?" she demanded.
"Arr! Weren't ye payin' attention when your dad explained the whole thing to ya, love?"
"I want to hear it from your mouth," Morgan said stubbornly. "Now, talk!"
"Aye, lass," Commodore Bear said... and grinned. "But me mouth be made of thread."

104. July 18, PIY 130
Dear Diary,
The weather on Pirate Island is very strange. It snowed today!
-- Marie

105. "Come on, Grace," Roche grinned, lifting his daughter out of her crib. "Time to get dressed! It's your birthday, and everyone will be here in an
hour!"
"Yay! Presents!" Grace chortled.

106. "But why I gotta have a bath first?" she asked disgustedly.
"Because you want to be squeaky clean for your birthday pictures," Roche assured her. "Don't you?"
"I guess..." Grace sounded doubtful. However, she loved her baths and Roche had to remind her that it was her birthday party before she would
consent to stop playing with her toys and would get out of the tub.

107. "Marie, you look gorgeous today," Roche said, giving his wife a quick kiss. "And it's a perfect day for a party!"

108. And it was a perfect day for a party, despite the fact that there was snow on the ground in August.
The entire family was in attendance, with most of the women noticeably pregnant again.

109. "All right!" Grace cheered, jumping up with glee after she blew out the birthday candles. "I'm big now! Next stop, Wall Street!"
"Way to go, honey!" Roche and Marie laughed in unison... they exchanged glances and laughed again.

110. "Here you go, sweetie," Pao said, handing a brightly wrapped present to Grace after cake had been eaten.
"What is it, Grandpa?"
"What did you ask me for?" Pao chuckled.
"All right! My own lemonade stand kit!" Grace was ecstatic. "Now I can start saving up to buy a pony!"
"Err..."

111. Now that she was bigger, Grace's parents realized that she needed glasses too, and Grace put them on gleefully. "They look cool!" she crowed.
"She looks a bit like great-aunt Celeste," Roche said to Pao in an undertone. "Thank goodness she doesn't speak in rhyme all the time - d'oh!"
Grace got a new outfit for her birthday, too, from Uncle Bart and Aunt De. "It's just like the one Morgan got," De said.
"Awesome!" Grace said. She raced upstairs to try on her new outfit with her glasses. When she returned downstairs to model for everyone, they all
agreed that she looked like a million bucks.
"You wait and see," Grace declared. "One day I will have a million bucks!"
"Of course you will, sweetie," Pao said indulgently. "Now, hustle along. It's past your bedtime."

112. As the party wound down and most of the guests left, Roche laid a hand softly on Marie's stomach. "I'm glad we don't have to wait long before we
have another baby in the house," he said.
"Me too," Marie grinned.
April chose that moment to say her goodbye as well. Obviously this was a private moment.

113. Roche and Marie sat down on the couch, cuddling happily. But after a few moments, Roche's face was streaked with tears.
"What is it?" Marie asked.
Roche sniffled and wiped at his eyes futilely. "I just wish that Susanna was still here."
"Oh, Roche, me too," Marie said slowly. She laid a comforting hand on his arm. "But you know, somewhere she's looking down on us."
"I know," Roche said. He turned to look deep into Marie's eyes. "Marie, love, there's something I haven't told you..."

114. August 3, PYI 130
Dear Diary,
It's HIS fault! My husband sold our daughter to the Grim Reaper and that's why she's gone! I can't believe it... it's HIS FAULT!
I hate him.
-- Marie

115. Sleep, soundly, Grace. Enjoy one last night before you realize the two people you love most... hate each other.
Can Marie and Roche's marriage survive this blow? What will the new babies be like? Will Grace get along with her cousin? Has Roche really paid
the price in full? Why didn't Anthony appear in this chapter? Why am I letting Morgan write the close to this chapter?
All this and less... next time!