Slide 1:First Comes Love: A Barsoomian Bachelor Challenge Finale


Slide 2:The occasional crinkle of a turning page and her husband's soft snores were the only sound in the bedroom. Ophelia desperately wished to hear a different sound altogether—the comforting roar of the air conditioning coming to life—but it was no use. The a/c was busted and there wouldn't be any repairman available for a few days. She felt Akor's hand creeping nearer to her stomach again. Lately he seemed to need to have his hand there to fall asleep. Unfortunately for him, extra body heat was the last thing she needed. Without looking away from her page, she unceremoniously slapped his hand before it found its goal.


Slide 3:Akor's eyes fluttered open as he instinctively jerked his hand away. “What was that for?” “Don't touch me. I'm hot.” Akor chuckled and started scooting closer. “You sure are.”


Slide 4:As Ophelia attempted to push her husband back to his own side of the bed, the book she'd been reading flipped out of her hands and hit the floor with a loud enough slap to startle them both.


Slide 5:After hearing her grunt of frustration, Akor allowed her to push him away for a moment. Feeling sorry for her, he asked, “Do you want me to go try to fix the air conditioner again?” “You know it won’t help.” She softened her tone a bit as she turned to face him. “I appreciate the offer, though.” The moment Ophelia no longer looked ready to maim him, Akor began scooting closer. She tried pushing him away again, to no avail. Giving up for the moment, she put her hand on top of his where it was once again resting on her stomach. “It’s almost midnight and it’s still stifling outside. This is way beyond a heat wave; I don’t care what the weatherman says.”


Slide 6:Akor pulled his hand out from under hers and started a quest upward along her body. This time Ophelia didn’t stop him. Encouraged, he smiled at her as he leaned over. “It’ll be fall soon,” he mumbled as he rested his hand on her hip. “And you’ll feel better once you have the baby.” Ophelia scooted down to lay beside him, even while she kept complaining. “You know that fall doesn’t help around here. It doesn’t get cool. Just less hot.”


Slide 7:Akor smiled down at his wife before leaning in to kiss her properly. Despite her discomfort, she smiled back--a moment before bolting upright in surprise.


Slide 8:A strangled gasp escaped from between Akor’s lips. “My nose!” Ophelia watched as he rolled over and sat up, clutching both hands to his face. “What. The. Hell. Phee. Oh, crap that hurts.”


Slide 9:Akor turned his back on her and scooted onto the edge of the bed. Ophelia sheepishly patted his back. “I’m sorry. But, um, didn’t you hear that?” Still clutching his nose, Akor’s reply was muffled. “It was just somebody knocking on the door. Gah.” “But it’s after midnight.” After checking his hands to make sure he wasn’t bleeding, Akor shook his head. “Just go see who it is.” Akor never took his hands from his face or even looked her way as Ophelia fumbled around for her robe and slippers. The knocking got progressively more persistent the longer she took. Finally, she shuffled out of the bedroom and a moment later he could here muffled voices coming from downstairs.


Slide 10:When Ophelia returned, Akor was clutching the side of his head instead of his nose. That was progress, she supposed. “Who is it?” he asked without looking up. “Well, believe it or not, it's your brother.”


Slide 11:Akor laughed softly as walked into the living room. “What's so damn funny?” Djor asked without moving a muscle. Even his jaw was clenched tight. As Akor evaluated his brother's state of mind, a note of concern crept into his eyes. He managed to just keep a smile plastered on as he answered. “Nothing really. That's just exactly how I was sitting about 2 minutes ago.” Djor still didn't move as he replied. “Oh yeah? What happened to you?” “Domestic violence. Phee nailed me in the nose.” “I did try to warn you about her.” It was a joke, but Djor's voice was so monotone that he might as well have been discussing weather.


Slide 12:As Akor moved to sit, Djor finally dropped his hands. He still didn't look up from the floor, however, as he mumbled. “Everything's screwed up. Like really bad.” Akor may not have ever seen his brother like this, but he still knew to tread lightly and not push. He waited a minute for Djor to continue before saying anything. “So do you want to tell me about it or what?” “First, dude, you have got to get me a change of clothes or I'm going to die of a heat stroke.” Akor scratched his head. “Uh, you left some swim trunks up in the guest room last time you were here.” Djor sighed with relief. “Awesome. Meet me in the garage in a minute?”


Slide 13:Just a few minutes later, Akor was rifling through the mini fridge in his garage. “You sure you don't want a beer or something? I've got some juice here too, if you want that.”


Slide 14:Djor sat up a bit. He had been reclining against a metal storage cabinet and enjoying its relative coolness against his skin. “Nah. I'm good. I had plenty to drink on the way home, believe me.” Akor shrugged in accaptence and closed the refrigerator door with a muffled thump. “Suit yourself. So, I have to ask at this point—what the hell are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be back for another day or two.”


Slide 15:Djor looked up at his brother and then at the dilapidated car sitting next to him. “When did you get that P.O.S.?” Akor looked fondly at the rust-ridden vehicle. “Just a couple of days ago. I haven't even started working on it yet.” Djor pushed himself off of the cement floor. After grabbing a wrench, he used it to point at the car. “Well, let's take a look at in then.”


Slide 16:Akor followed his brother and watched while Djor looked at the engine, but he made no real move to help. Djor finally sighed in frustration. “This isn't really my thing, you know. You're going to have to help.” Akor leaned over and picked at the rust on the carburetor. “I'll start helping as soon as you start talking.” Djor ignored him. “You're going to need a new fanbelt for sure. I can see it dangling. What kind of shape is the engine in?” He kept up his commentary on the car until he couldn't take his brother's silence any longer. “Fine,” he muttered, “I'll tell you. Just grab a damn tool and help.” When Akor began helping in earnest, Djor spent some time summing up the first few days he'd spent on the “show.” When he got to Beth's dismissal, the liveliness he had briefly shown disappeared again. “That sucked,” he said, “But it really went to hell after that.”


Slide 17:Beth leaving was the hardest moment yet, but after that was over, the day seemed normal enough. I went for a soak in the hot tub like I was supposed to and waited for Moon and Wren to join me. I hadn't seen either of them after I left Beth, so I had no idea if they even realized it was hot tub time. I didn't really care, though. I figured they'd show up eventually, and until then, I just laid back and tried not to think about much.


Slide 18:I'm not sure how much time I passed like that, but when I opened my eyes and saw Moon sliding into the water, I wasn't surprised. She could never be accused of ignoring me—not that I minded.


Slide 19:Wren joined us just a few minutes later and I watched her settle into the space next to me. No one said a word. Even Moon seemed quieter than usual. How that was possible, I don't know, but I guess that's what happens when there's only one thing on everyone's mind and nobody wants to talk about it.


Slide 20:We figured out something to talk about eventually, though. I don't remember exactly what it was, but I'm pretty sure we didn't just sit and stare at each other the whole time. What I do remember is thinking about is just how different Moon and Wren were from each other. You'd think that since I was supposed to be basing my decisions about who leaves on my own likes, that the final two girls would be kind of similar. But as I watched them, I couldn't think of a single thingthat was the same about these two. Moon was quiet and gentle and held a little bit of herself back with everyone. Or maybe everyone but me, and I have to admit that I liked that idea. Wren, on the other hand, was fiery and hot-tempered and didn't have any patience for fools. She was probably more like me than anyone I've ever met before.


Slide 21:“Why are you looking at me like that?” Wren's question broke me out of my thoughts. “Like what?” I replied. “Like I'm an extra credit question on an algebra exam. What are you trying to figure out?” Fortunately, I was saved from having to answer by my stomach, which picked that moment to growl. I took the cue from my body and gratefully changed the subject. “Right now, all I want to figure out is when we're going to dinner.”


Slide 22:Wren hopped up. “Well, that's easy enough to answer. If you're hungry let's just go eat.” She stopped about halfway to the door and turned back to look at Moon and me. “Are you two coming or what?” Moon nodded and I stood up. “We'll be right behind you.”


Slide 23:The door closed behind Wren as Moon and I hauled ourselves out of the tub. I expected her to turn around so that we could leave, but she just stopped and looked at me. I'm not sure what she was thinking about, but I couldn't help but notice again how beautiful she was against the backdrop of the snow outside.


Slide 24:I don't even think I said anything—I just reached for her. I didn't feel the need to say anything. I looked at her and knew exactly what she was thinking about. I might not have always been able to figure her out, but this time was different.


Slide 25:I pulled her closer and just the feel of her pressed up against me was driving me crazy. I don't think I've ever wanted anyone so much in all my life. So I did the only thing I could think of at that moment.


Slide 26:I kissed her.


Slide 27:Actually, it didn't even stop with kissing. It wasn't until I caught myself tugging on the knot holding her bikini top on that it hit me that we should probably stop.


Slide 28:“Moon,” I said as I pulled away from her, “we should really stop now.” She smiled her innocent smile at me, but I noticed a devious look in her eye. It made me smile back. “Yeah, I know that you know what you're doing to me. You don't have to rub it in.” Moon turned to leave, but I stopped her. “You don't have to wait on me if you don't want, but I'm going to need a minute here.” I couldn't help but laugh when she finally understood and started blushing. I guess she wasn't quite as devious as she thought she was.


Slide 29:I feel like a jerk admitting it, but I hadn't really given Wren a thought until we walked into the dining room. I had no idea how long she'd been waiting for us, but judging by the look on her face, it had been more than long enough.


Slide 30:As soon as Moon and I sat down to eat, Wren got up to leave. I watched as she took her plate into the kitchen and then left the room. She hadn't looked at either of us the entire time.


Slide 31:I looked across the table at Moon. “You know I'm going to have to go straighten this out with her. Alone.” Moon frowned back at me, but didn't even attempt to communicate what was on her mind. “What?” I asked in exasperation, but she just shrugged in response.


Slide 32:I sighed as Moon pointedly stared at her salad. “Moon, look. Whatever I might feel about you doesn't change the fact that this game isn't over. And we all have to play by the rules. And Wren deserves to be treated fairly.” I was hoping that she'd look at me, but she never even glanced my way. “I'm sorry. But you know I'm right. You have to remember that we're still in the middle of a game here.” I guess I was looking for her approval, but it was clear that I wasn't going to get it. We both knew what was going to happen when I went to talk to Wren. And it was just as clear that Moon didn't like it one bit.


Slide 33:But, honestly, it didn't matter what Moon thought. I had to do what I had to do. So after we finished dinner, I watched her go upstairs before I went to find Wren. I found her in the game room, just like I figured I would. “Sorry about leaving you alone for so long earlier,” I said as I lined up my opening break.


Slide 34:“Yeah, I'm sure you are.” “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” “Just stop jerking my chain, Djor. You weren't sorry to spend a little extra time with Moon and you know it. That's been pretty obvious all week.”


Slide 35:I walked by her, but Wren avoided looking at me. I was getting a lot of that this evening. “Are we really going to argue about this again?” I asked. “I'm supposed to spend time with everyone. I was even supposed to spend time alone with Moon today. It just happened at a bad time. I'm not apologizing for spending time with her. I'm just apologizing that we left you alone when we shouldn't have.” “Well, unless I'm mistaken, you were supposed to spend some time alone with me this afternoon too. What happened to that?”


Slide 36:I tossed my cue onto the table and turned to face her. “What do you think I'm trying to do here? It's not my fault if you're ruining it by bitching at me.” Wren's eyes narrowed. “Bitching at you?” she practically snarled as she repeated my words. “Are you serious? You've been spending too much time with Miss Sweetness and Light if you think this is bitching.”


Slide 37:I took the cue out of her hand before she could smack me with it and laid it on the table next to mine. “What I think, Wren, is that you should shut up about Moon and focus on something else.” I wrapped my arms around her waist as I said it. Wren stopped fussing at me, but she leaned back to make sure I could see her disapproval. “You can look at me like that all you want, Wren, but it doesn't mean much when you're running your fingers down my back. Wren's hand immediately stopped their motion. “You're one of the most aggravating people I've ever met,” she said.


Slide 38:There was really only one response I had to that. I flash of guilt ran through me as I briefly thought about Moon, but I squashed it. There was something to be said for following the rules in this case. Not that I needed the rules to want to kiss Wren. I'm not going to lie. I had something special with Moon, but that didn't mean that there wasn't something special with Wren too. They were just different, like fire and ice.


Slide 39:“See?” I asked when she pulled away from me, “I'm not so bad, am I?” At that, Wren finally gave me a real smile. “You have your moments.” Then she smirked at me. “You should try to have them more often.”


Slide 40:We each spent the rest of the evening trying to find some kind of entertainment. It was getting very late when I left Wren and Moon to go work out.


Slide 41:I slipped into my sweats and jumped on the bike, grateful that there was one there at the house. I had a lot on my mind and I needed to focus on something else for a while. Not to mention that there was no way I was going to get any sleep unless I exhausted myself first.


Slide 42:The end of the game was fast approaching. Tomorrow I was set to make one hell of a huge decision. But for those few minutes all I needed to do was peddle.


Slide 43:It was late and the house was quiet when I finally went to bed. I was finally tired enough that I hoped falling asleep would be a little easier. Fortunately, I was right. Unfortunately, it didn't matter anyway.


Slide 44:I was so out of it that I didn't even hear Liv come into my room. She was shaking my shoulder and after a minute I realized that she was practically yelling in my ear. I guess I'm a heavy sleeper. Never thought about it before.


Slide 45:It took a minute for my brain to clear, but I still wasn't sure that I was registering what was happening. “What are you doing here, Liv? And why the hell are you dressed like a lumberjack?” Liv smiled a little, but didn't giggle, which immediately threw off a few alarms. “I've got some information for you. And this was the only change of clothes I could find. It's hard to be sneaky in a dress.” I shook my head to try and get the last of the fog to clear my brain. “Um. Okay. I'll just have to give you that. Information about what?” Liv grunted in frustration. “Our missing memories, silly.”


Slide 46:Now that got my attention. I swung my legs off the side of the bed and waited for her to go on. “Now, you're not going to like this Djor, so just prepare yourself.” At this point Liv put her hand over her heart before continuing, “But I swear none of us had anything to do with it, okay?” Those alarm bells in my head were really clanging now. “Fine, Liv. Just tell me what's going on.” “I'm going to tell you, but first I have to make sure you understand a couple of things. First, do you know anything about the Multiverse Theory? And second, have you ever heard of simselves?” I rubbed my hand across my forehead. I wasn't ready for a physics quiz, but I was trying to be patient so that I could find out what the hell happening around here. So I answered her when all I wanted to do was to tell her to just spill it already. “I've heard of the theory, but I don't know much of anything about it. I don't have a clue what a simself is.”


Slide 47:Liv took a deep breath. “Okay, well, I'm going to have to explain some things, so just bear with me, alright?” When I nodded, she continued. “So, well, the multiverse theory basically says that there are multiple copies of our universe. In some ways the copies are identical, but choices and free will eventually lead each world in a different direction. Now that doesn't really mean anything to us right now, but the important thing is that it's apparently possible for the same sim to appear in different universes. They are basically the same as they ever were, but living a completely different life. Are you with me so far?” I must have said yes, because Liv continued. “Now a simself is basically a sim representative of a controller or god of our world. Apparently it's up to the simself whether they are deity or not, but it doesn't matter because whatever they choose, most of them have a lot of power in our worlds. Still with me?” I looked at her like she was crazy. “If I tell you that you sound crazy, are you going to explain some more?” “Yes, Djor, you have to understand this to understand what's happening.”


Slide 48:I sighed. “Okay, so then let's just say that you're not crazy and that I completely understand.” Liv studied her hand for a moment. “Well, my mom is a simself, so I know a little bit about this, you know.” I'll be honest, I couldn't even really process all of what she was telling me. I decided that I could think through the philosophical mess later. Right now I just wanted to cut to the chase. “Okay. So I'm not arguing with you then. What does it mean and what does it have to do with us?” “Well,” Liv replied, “this is the part you're not going to like. There is a apparently a simself in your world. And she set up this Bachelor Challenge just to find a girl for you. And each of us are copies of sims that exist in completely different worlds from this one. We were brought over just for you.”


Slide 49:That hit me hard. I stood up and walked to the window without saying a word. I thought about Moon and Wren in the room across the way. “So I was tricked into coming here?” Liv nodded gravely. “There weren't any other applicants for this 'show'.” “And the memory loss?” “On purpose so that our past lives wouldn't conflict with our lives here, but leave us with enough to retain our original personalities.” Liv looked even sadder for a moment. “Or because some of us haven't even grown up yet.” I winced and a knot formed in my stomach. “Who?” “Trini, Wren, and Moon. They were still kids in their home worlds.”


Slide 50:When I didn't reply, Liv turned her back on me. “Look, Djor, I know you're upset and it's a lot to take in. But I'm leaving you a disc with the stuff I found. Take a look at it. Some of the stuff we learned about ourselves was really personal, so I didn't put it all on here, but there's enough to show you that I'm telling the truth.” I heard Liv set something on the nightstand, a CD I assumed, but I still couldn't manage to say anything. I wasn't even sure of how I was feeling. Something between rage and depression, I guess. The next thing I knew Liv was at my door. “What are you going to do?” she asked. All I could tell her was that I wished I knew.


Slide 51:I wasn't entirely honest with Liv, I guess, because I did know that I had to see what was on that disc. That's the reason I trudged out in my pajamas through the snow into the interview room. That was the only place in the house with a computer. I don't even think I felt the cold.


Slide 52:Sure enough, it was all there, laid out in black and white: the records of bringing all of the girls into this world, fact that I was the only applicant, and then the backgrounds of everyone I had been in the house with. I dreaded clicking on those files and I deliberately skimmed through everyone else's first before coming to Wren's and Moon's. I felt sicker with everything I read. Wren had been a teenager in her home world, and Moon, well, Liv was right. She was a kid. A sweet, mute, doe-eyed little kid.


Slide 53:I didn't know whether I wanted to break something, puke, or cry.


Slide 54:I'm not sure how long I stared at the computer that night, but I eventually returned to my room, even though I didn't sleep. The crumpled sheets weren't helping me feel any better, which was why I was in the middle of making the bed when Wren walked into the room. The last thing I expected to see that morning was Wren in her underwear.


Slide 55:It wasn't her fault, and I wasn't mad at her, but I still couldn't pretend that nothing had changed. “I can't talk to you right now, Wren.” She surprised me by smiling. “I know you're upset...” My head snapped around. “What do you know about it?” “Liv came to see us last night, too. She didn't think it would be a good idea to let you break the news.” “Yeah, well, so now you know. Everything's screwed.” “I don't think it is. I came to tell you that I don't care.”


Slide 56:“What do you mean that you don't care? How can you not care about this? We were tricked. Hell, you were practically kidnapped.” “Oh, bull,” Wren replied. “I've been perfectly happy here. And so has everyone else. And no matter what age we are somewhere else, we're adults here.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “Or haven't you noticed?”


Slide 57:Since she wasn't letting me avoid the conversation. I quit trying to stay across the room from her. I stopped when she sighed at me. “My eyes are up here, Djor.” “Yeah, well, your eyes are the last thing you wanted me to notice when you put on that number.” For once, she didn't try to snark back at me. She just looked sad for a moment. “Call it a Hail Mary. I'm not dumb and I know that the chances of you choosing me over Moon were slim already. And then all this other stuff came out which makes things even more confusing, but I just wanted you to think about me. I want you, Djor, and I don't care about all the other stuff.”


Slide 58:I couldn't help it. I ran my hand across her cheek. But I couldn't lie. “Wren, you're something special. You really are.” Wren grabbed my hand and pulled away from her face. “But?” I hated saying it to her. “Yeah. But, I have to be honest here.” I started to explain further, but Wren stopped me. “I don't want you to explain, Djor. I just don't want to hear the details.” She turned away from me. “You're choosing Moon. I always knew you would.” “I'm sorry, Wren. I'm in love with her. I can't pretend that I'm not.” I walked to the door on my way to find Moon. “But if it makes you feel any better, none of us are getting a happy ending today.”


Slide 59:I found Moon making her bed. The sun was shining in the windows, making the whole room much more cheery than I appreciated. I watched her for a minute or two before getting her attention. “Baby, I need to talk to you.” She immediately looked up at me and what I saw in her eyes made me feel even worse—which I wouldn't have even thought was possible. As she faced me, her lips were asking a simple question. “You chose Wren?”


Slide 60:“No. No way. Moon, I choose you. You have no idea what you've done to me. I love you. I'd choose you everyday from now until eternity. But that's the problem.” “Why?” she asked me silently.


Slide 61:“Just listen to me. You can't choose me. You were set up. You weren't ever given a choice. How can I force you to be with me, when you've never been given the opportunity to know anyone else? Hell, you were a kid, baby. You don't even have memories from another life to help you. I can't live with that, Moon. I won't do that to you.” She started to say something, but I stopped her. “I'm leaving. I have to go.”


Slide 62:I watched her lips beg me to stay. “Please don't go,” she asked. “I'm sorry, Moon. I'm so, so sorry.” “I love you, too.” That was like a knife in my chest. “You can't know that for sure. And that's why I'm leaving.” I turned to leave the room. I couldn't even look back at her. “Wren's downstairs making arrangements to get to the house with everyone else. You should go with her.” Those were the last words I spoke to her.


Slide 63:As I walked to the taxi I noticed that the sun had been replaced with a cold, miserable rain. It felt appropriate.


Slide 66:“Just get me to airport as fast as you can.”


Slide 67:Finished with his story, Djor glanced at his brother to gauge his reaction. “So that's it. I flew home and came here. I've got no where else to go at the moment. Well, except Mom and Dad's, and that's not happening.” “What happened to the apartment?” “I let the lease run out. I was supposed to be getting a big hunk of money out of this, remember? So now I'm poor and homeless. And I get to be depressed on top of it. All in all, this bachelor challenge idea turned out just great for me, wouldn't you say?”


Slide 68:“Well, you can stay here as long as you need to,” Akor offered. Djor let out a snort. “Yeah, I'm sure Ophelia will love that.” Akor shrugged. “I'll talk to her. What I want to know is what you're going to do about Moon.”


Slide 69:Djor's eyes flicked over briefly to meet his brother's but quickly dropped again. “I'm not going to do anything about Moon. It's a screwed up situation and I'm not going to make it worse.” “But you're not making any sense, Djor. You're being stupid.” Djor was too tired to get angry at his brother. “She didn't get a choice. I'm not going to force her into being with me, which is basically what it would be.” Akor couldn't believe what he was hearing. “Didn't you just spend the last couple of hours telling me that the girl spent the entire week making sure she spend every possible minute with you? At what point do you think she was not choosing you?”


Slide 70:Djor finally looked up. “You know what, Akor? I'm not really in the mood to talk about this right now. I'm going to bed.” “You're being stupid.” “Yeah. Night.”


Slide 71:Djor fell into the bed in Akor's guest room without bothering to change his clothes or even turn back the blanket. Sleep was a long time coming.


Slide 72:It was only a mile or so down the road, but the atmosphere of this household couldn't have been more different. The neighborhood simself was sleeping peacefully, seemingly unaware that her carefully laid plans were coming undone.


Slide 73:That peace ididn't last for long. Lea jumped up at the sound of the doorbell. It seemed even louder against the silence that preceded it. Her husband grunted and cleared his eyes. “Want me to get it?” he asked. “No, hon, that's okay. I have a feeling this one's for me.” He was back asleep before Lea could finish tightening the belt of her robe and she eyed him jealously as she stumbled from the bedroom.


Slide 74:The knocking sounded fairly urgent, but Lea took her sweet time getting to the door. She even took a second to say hi to the hamster. She wasn't being rude on purpose; she just wanted a minute to clear her head so that she could deal with the mess she knew was coming.


Slide 75:“Hi, Mom.” Inga's smiling face and Liz's frown greeted Lea as she swung open the door. “Hi, girls. You're back a little early, aren't you?” Inga's smiled faded. Liz didn't see the need to change expressions. “Well, we had a little bit of a problem.”


Slide 76:Lea looked past her daughters and nodded. “Yes, I can see that you did.”


Slide 77:After Lea had spent some time shooing her daughters from the front porch, she ushered Moon inside and sat her down. The simself sighed as she looked sheepishly around the table. “Just give me a minute to clean up this mess.” As she said it, Lea's eyes flicked upstairs briefly to the location of the sloppy offenders, but she kept any comments to herself.


Slide 78:Lea had no way to know if Moon was paying her any attention, so she just rambled on as she cleaned, trying to cover the awkward silence. “He's really just an idiot, dear. I love him, I really do, but he's clearly an idiot. I thought I set this up so that he might end up happy, but apparently, he's trying to mess even that plan up. You know, I've been willing to go along with just about whatever he wanted, but this is really too much. I hope that you're willing to go after him, because he really does love you. And he might be stupid, but I assume that you love him anyway.”


Slide 79:“You could probably use something to eat after your trip. I'll grab us a snack to eat while we chat.” She paused for a second while she scanned the shelves, but her rambling soon picked up where it had left off. “You shouldn't let him get to you. Well, I mean, you really need to knock him upside the head for hurting you, but after that, I know that he'll come around. Really, there was no good reason for him to just up and leave the way he did, now was there? Like I said, he's clearly an idiot.”


Slide 80:Lea set the plate of chips and dip on the table triumphantly. “There you go. Eat up if you're hungry.” Moon looked from the plate to the rambling woman in front of her. Her face reflected an alternating mix of confusion and hurt, as if she couldn't decide which feeling to focus on at the moment.


Slide 81:Lea looked over at her dog and watched as he attempted to destroy his chew toy. “You see, Moon, Djor is like Mr. Snarfles over there. He's got himself something to gnaw on and he's holding on to it and making a lot of noise. What you need to do is give him something more interesting to chew.” Moon's eyes widened. “Er. Well, you know what I mean. Metaphors aren't always easy to do correctly, you know.”


Slide 82:Moon was looking increasingly lost as the conversation went on and eventually Lea realized it. “Okay. I'll just get to the point, then. First, Djor is a fool, but he loves you. You love him. You're the only person that he's going to listen to.” “Point two, I brought you here with the knowledge that you have some special abilities that I don't generally grant to my sims. I had thought to limit your abilities to make your transition here a little easier.” “Point three, I've changed my mind. Whatever powers you need to bring him to his senses are at your disposal. If you still want him, of course.” Satisfied, Lea popped a chip into her mouth and waited for Moon's response.


Slide 83:Moon narrowed her eyes and appeared to be thinking over the possibilities. Lea was gratified to see that at the very least, the hurt had receded into the background. Finally, Moon nodded slowly, much to the simself's satisfaction.


Slide 84:“Good. First, though,” Lea continued as she rose from her chair, “we need to get you out of those clothes. You'll die of a heatstroke in this weather.”


Slide 85:As soon as the words left Lea's mouth, Moon's outfit changed. Lea looked her over. “That's better, right? Well, if you don't like it you can always change it later. I'm not a boutique, you know.”


Slide 86:Grabbing Moon, by the shoulders, Lea's demeanor turned suddenly serious. “I'm sending you right to his door step. You have my permission to do whatever you need to.” Lea stopped for a moment to consider her statement. “Well, I don't want you to be too hard on him, of course. Not cruel, anyway. But I really don't think that will be a problem with you. I just, well, I always think it's best to say what I'm thinking instead of forcing people to guess. Do you understand?” The lost look had crept back into Moon's eyes, but the poor girl tried to hide it as she nodded agreement. For a moment, Lea was overcome with emotion. Leaning forward to kiss Moon on the cheek, she said, “I'm so glad he chose you, dear. You're going to be wonderful together. Good luck.”


Slide 87:As soon as the words were uttered, Moon disappeared. “Well, Mr. Snarfles, it might not be the fanciest disappearing act ever, but it'll get the job done. Don't you think?” Mr. Snarfles was, of course, completely oblivious.


Slide 88:Djor woke up disoriented. Instead of the soft blankets of the bed beneath him, he was lying on a cold bench. Snow was falling around him. “What the hell?” he muttered under his breath. As soon as the words left his mouth he realized where he was.


Slide 89:Without a warning, Djor was standing ankle deep in snow. He looked around and confirmed that he was right. He was back at the bachelor challenge house. As he looked around, he realized that he was standing next to the pond in the yard of a house hundreds of miles away while in swim shorts in the middle of a snow storm. That's when comprehension dawned: he must be dreaming.


Slide 90:“Hello, Djor.” Djor's head jerked up. “Moon.” He practically breathed her name.


Slide 91:Without thinking or speaking Djor step forward and reached out to pull her into his arms. He never expected her to push him away. Her voice was soft, but there was no mistaking her anger. “Don't touch me right now, Djor.” “Moon?”


Slide 92:She turned her back and walked away from him. “You broke my heart, Djor. And I didn't give it to you lightly.”


Slide 93:Djor reached her and laid his hand tentatively on her shoulder. “This isn't just a normal dream, is it, baby?” Moon hadn't expected that question. “What makes you say that?” she replied.


Slide 94:Djor smiled as he nudged her into facing him. He took her hand and began kissing each knuckle, then her palm, and finally began working his way along her wrist. In between kisses he explained. “Because, I've had plenty of dreams about you this past week, and not one single time did you speak. You definitely were never mad at me.” He paused for a moment to look in her eyes before continuing his list. “And you were never, never wearing any clothes.”


Slide 95:“Djor, I need to talk to you, not have you seduce me.” “I think we could do both. It is my dream, you know.” He looked at the snow falling around them. “Besides, it's cold. We need to keep warm.”


Slide 96:“Is that better?” Moon asked. The snow had disappeared and a fire was roaring beside them. Djor frowned at her. “I guess you're just not going to cooperate are you?” Moon was having none of his nonsense. “Do you love me, Djor?” Djor's frown intensified. “I already told you that I do. It doesn't matter now, does it?” “Why doesn't it?” “Damn it,” he said as a scowl settled on his face. “I already explained. You were forced into this. How can either of us know if you'd ever want to be with me if you would have had another choice? What if you only think you love me because you don't know anybody or anything different? Just how the hell can we live that?”


Slide 97:Moon lay across the rug and folded her hands on top of his. “Do I look like a fool or a child to you, Djor?” she asked him plaintively. His eyes dropped to the ground. “No, of course not.” She squeezed his hand until he looked into her eyes again. “I chose you from the very beginning. I knew that we were meant to belong to each other—in this world, in my world, in any world. If I never meet another man or if I meet a thousand men, I would choose you. You are mine and I am yours. Don't you feel it, too?”


Slide 98:“Moon.” Her name left his lips in a groan. “Do you love me, Djor?” “Yes. You know that I do.” “Then you need to show it. Find me, Djor. Open the door.”


Slide 99:“Moon?”


Slide 100:Djor again found himself alone in the snow. The only sound was the echo of Moon's name as he called for her.


Slide 101:Djor almost hit the floor before catching himself at the last minute. He had awoken still calling Moon's name, her instructions echoing in his head. “Open the door.” Her words didn't make any sense, but in his current state, he didn't even think about questioning them.


Slide 102:In his haste to get downstairs, Djor lost his footing and slammed into the wall. Pain shot through his shoulder and head, but at the very least it did help to clear the fog of sleep from his brain.


Slide 103:Djor had leapt from bed, slid his way downstairs,and slammed his head into a wall all because of a dream. But he realized that he had never truly expected to see Moon until he was looking at her through the dim glass. His brain was still trying to register what he was seeing as he threw open the door.


Slide 104:“Baby? Oh damn, are you okay?” Moon looked up at Djor and gave him a weak smile. “Tired.” He had no idea what she had said. Djor was in no state to read her lips properly, but her smile did help to calm him.


Slide 105:Djor carefully lifted her up. Another dizzy spell hit her, causing Moon to cling even tighter to him. The alternative was falling back to the ground. Perhaps, she considered, manipulating dreams to that extent was a little too much, too soon. As her head slowly stopped spinning, Djor's words began to filter in--not that he was making much sense. He seemed to be apologizing, asking her if she was okay, and berating himself for causing this all at once.


Slide 106:Moon stepped back, but still didn't let go of his shoulders. She wasn't that sure of her balance yet. Djor had stopped rambling and the silence between them was growing. Moon faced the fact that she was suddenly afraid. For the past seven days, she had not hesitated to show this man everything she had felt for him. And he had broken her heart. She had been so sure of his feelings until this moment. Even as he was leaving her, she didn't doubt that he loved her. But here, facing him, doubts came crashing in: what if all this had been for nothing?


Slide 107:She felt a tear slip down her cheek as she pulled away. Djor's expression softened as he reached to pull her back. “I was trying to do the right thing for you, Moon. I didn't want you to feel trapped into being with me.” Moon shook her head in disagreement, but Djor stopped her from trying to tell him more. “I don't care anymore. If none of this had ever happened, I could probably be alone and fine. But I met you. And the time since I left has been the most miserable hours I've ever spent. And you're here and there's no way I could let you go again--if you say you want to stay.”


Slide 108:Djor reached for her hand. “Stay with me, Moon. Tonight, tomorrow night, as long as you can stand to be with me.”


Slide 109:~ Epilogue ~ A Few Weeks Later


Slide 110:The afternoon sun was beating down on the patio of a large ranch in the middle of Strangetown. Akor watched his brother work the controls to his beloved weather machine with a mix of amusement and chagrine. “And what does Moon think about you creating a blizzard on your wedding day?” Djor grinned. “Moon is fine with what makes me happy.” He paused to grunt as he jerked a lever that had rusted in place. “And what makes me happy is her and snow. So today I get both.” Akor shook his head, although the smile never left his face. “I really didn't think I'd ever see this day.” “Yeah, well, I just want to be with her, you know? Married or not married--I don't care. But she wants to get married so that's what we're doing.”


Slide 111:Djor hit a few buttons and waited to see if the machine was going to come to life. Akor laughed. “Yeah, but that's not what I meant. I just can't believe you forked over the money for this shindig.” A grimace crossed Djor's face as he considered that. “Oh. Well, it was part of the deal. They said I would get a partial payment for my time on the show if I throw a big wedding and let them use it for the finale. And let a couple of their people come. I was offered enough to buy a house and pay for all this, so I took it.” Akor looked around. “Why this house? It's huge.” Before answering, Djor gave the machine a satisfied nod as it roared to life. “Moon said it reminded her of home.”


Slide 112:The skies clouded over and began dumping snow by the time Djor left the controls. Akor couldn't help but pull his brother into a hug. “I just want you to know that I'm really happy for you. I love you, man.” Djor awkwardly patted his brother's shoulder. “Alright, alright. I love you, too. But, uh, let's get moving, okay?”


Slide 113:It wasn't much later that Djor was fidgeting in front of the alter while waiting for his bride. “How much longer is she going to be?” he muttered to Akor under his breath. “No idea,” Akor answered. “I got married in front of my fireplace remember?”


Slide 114:“There she is,' Akor whispered. Djor's head snapped up immediately. He felt as if every bit of air had suddenly been pressed out of his lungs. He wasn't nervous, he realized with a smile, he was blown away. He didn't think he'd ever seen anyone more beautiful. And she was all his. Akor broke Djor out of his reverie. “Who is that with her?”


Slide 115:“Hell if I know,” Djor answered. “Maybe one of the show's people. There were supposed to be a couple of them here.”


Slide 116:Moon suddenly found herself standing alone. As face after unfamiliar face turned to watch her, she focused on making it to the end of the aisle. For a moment she wondered if her feet were going to move on their own. Then she happened to catch Djor's eye and he very deliberately winked at her. She returned his smile and gave him a small wave. One breath later, she was walking towards the alter.


Slide 117:The show had most certainly sent two representatives. One of them was watching Moon as she strolled down the aisle. The other was trying to enjoy the festivities in between fidgeting nervously. “Do you think anyone noticed when I slipped in?” Lea asked Orikes. “Nobody's paying any attention to you, Lea. I'm pretty sure you're safe.” “I just don't want Djor to recognize me right now.” Orikes dismissed the concern with a “pssh.” “You should know better than anyone else that you're the last thing on Djor's mind right now.”


Slide 118:Truer words had never been spoken. It would take a lot more than a meddling simself to distract Djor from the woman walking towards him.


Slide 119:Djor took in a breath and considered the woman across from him. He was amazed that fate had sent such a woman into his life. He was even more amazed that she loved him so completely. “Are you ready, baby?” She nodded, but his answer was already in her eyes.


Slide 120:I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then, But sucked on country pleasures, childishly? Or snorted we in the seven sleepers' den? 'Twas so; But this, all pleasures fancies be. If ever any beauty I did see, Which I desired, and got, 'twas but a dream of thee.


Slide 121:And now good morrow to our waking souls, Which watch not one another out of fear; For love all love of other sights controls, And makes one little room an everywhere. Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone, Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown, Let us possess one world; each hath one, and is one.


Slide 122:My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears, And true plain hearts do in the faces rest; Where can we find two better hemispheres Without sharp North, without declining West? Whatever dies was not mixed equally; If our two loves be one, or thou and I Love so alike that none do slacken, none can die. John Donne “The Good-Morrow”


Slide 123:The End


Slide 124:“Is it alright if I squee now?” “Well, as long as you're quiet about it.” Final Scores: Moon: 100 / 97 = 197 Wren: 100 / 84 = 184 I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Angela, Katrih, Circe, Purplebunny, Orikes, Di, and PetTech for lending me their sims for this challenge. This was a lot of fun and I appreciate everyone who was a part of it with me. :)