Steal Your Heart

<< Previous Chapter: Goodbye, Apathy


Song Title: Steal Your Heart by Augustana
Content Warning: strong language, some sensuality

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 "And so, we meet again." Kevin chuckled, although his face soon returned to its usual stoic expression. "What shall we discuss today, Ms. Pinciotti?"

Bonnie had thought over her next question very carefully, unsure of how to say it. She's been preparing for this moment for the past two weeks; cooperating with the nurses, listening to the doctors, and actively participating in therapy. She really did want to get better, even if it meant forcing - or faking - full recovery. Surprisingly, it worked. She willed herself into feeling better, and although she still wasn't eating much, she looked much healthier than she did the day she was admitted.

 "Well, I think my state of mind has improved tremendously since my arrival..." she began, unsure of herself.

"Indeed it has. I'm very impressed."

"Are you impressed enough to let me out early?"

Kevin paused and seriously considered letting Bonnie go, but wondered if the coping techniques she learned during her admission would escape her when faced with real-life issues.

"I'll tell your case worker to let you go if you follow these conditions; one, you will call me immediately if you start feeling suicidal. Two, you will continue to see me twice a week for three weeks for outpatient care, and three; you will avoid negative influences and triggers that will create another episode such as this one. Understand?"

Bonnie nodded her head enthusiastically, and a smile began to creep back up to Kevin's face.

"Well then, I'll schedule a board meeting in about two to five days to discuss the terms of your release, and then you should be free."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Clarke! I promise you won't regret it."

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Ella's eyes opened slowly as she listened to the sound of Eric softly snoring. She breathed deeply, and closed her eyes as she took in this moment. Her heart was beating erratically, but at the same time, it was as soft and slow as a drum.

She quickly pulled her cellphone out of her back pocket and saw that Jordan called her four times last night. She shrugged as she huddled closer to him.

His eyes began to flutter, as Ella watched him in awe. His hair laid perfectly in place, and his chest went up and down steadily. She softly stroked his stomach and caressed his fingers.

"Hello beautiful," she whispered.

"Good morning, blondie."

"You know, I have a new theory...about us." 

"And what would that be?"

"We are very much alike, and therefore drawn to each other. We have the same initials, and we both have ten letters in our full names. We're both famous, rebellious, flirty, terrified of settling down, and snobby."

"I am not snobby," he interrupted jokingly.

"You don't admit it, but you are. You're one of the snobbiest guys I've ever met."

"How so?"

"Remember that time when you would only listen to obscure bands and old music because 'mainstream' music was lame?"

"Well, that was just common sense."

She reluctantly climbed on top of him, as he stared at her with a slightly confused face.

"Well, I'm sick of trying to have a platonic relationship. It's not working. We are doomed to be drawn to and repulsed by each other."

"And what about Jordan?"

"I'll break it to him gently. He hasn't moved on from Bonnie yet, so he probably won't be too broken over it." Eric grinned as Ella kissed his lips lightly and began unbuttoning one of his many shirts.

"Okay, but you have to be gentle with me." he smirked.

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 As the weeks of shooting the film toiled on, Michele became very close with her cast mates; especially with one in particular. Almost every woman in Sunset Valley with a libido felt something for Luke, but she saw more of him than any of those sims could have hoped to see. Underneath the ladies' man exterior, he had a heart of gold and was very considerate. Whenever she wanted to complain about Alex's nosiness, or her growing uncertainty in regards to marriage, he was there with a listening ear.

She hated to admit it, but she was falling for him.

"Well, the view here is certainly amazing." she said with a fake air of confidence, while facing away from Luke. He chucked and said "Well, it would be even nicer if you turned around and actually looked at it."

 She turned around hesitantly as he grabbed her and pulled her closer to him. "See? The view is much nicer now. Or at least, it is for me." he winked.

Michele chuckled halfheartedly and refused to look him in the eye. She never wanted any of this to happen, and she never wanted to break any hearts. She slowly started pulling away from him, but he would have none of it.

 "You okay?"

"No," she sighed. "I can't do this anymore, Luke. I'm just not that kind of girl. I can't live with myself knowing that I'm...I'm betraying someone's trust. I'm sorry."

"Hey now, don't be so quick to end this. I happen to think what we have is pretty special too; just as special as your relationship with Alex, even. It's bigger than us. By becoming one as people, our characters can become one with each other as well. I mean, what he doesn't know won't kill him, right?" he pleaded.

"Luke-"

"Just think about it, okay? Can you do that for me?"

 He pulled her closer to him, even closer than before, and gently kissed her lips while stroking her hair. Michele tried so hard to remind herself of Alex, and the mess she was creating each time she touched him; but it did nothing. She felt absolutely drained of any power to say no.

After he pulled away to check her expression, she quietly smiled and nodded "yes", to approve of the misguided affair. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach for Alex, where the butterflies who favored Luke viciously attacked it. Her entire body, mind, and spirit was at war with itself.

Unfortunately, if prying eyes had their way, Michele and Luke's dirty little rendezvous would soon cease to be a secret.

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 "Left...right...left...right...left..." Clyde chanted in his head. Tonight was the night.

He had finally found the perfect opportunity to ask the girl he'd been in love with since high school on a date, and he didn't want to blow it. So much so, that he had his mother create a new outfit and hairstyle for him. Sometimes, it was great to have a world-famous stylist for a mother, and other times, it hurt more than it helped. His mother's occupation frequently aided high-school bullies with fresh new insults for Clyde, as if they didn't already have enough ammo with his notorious shyness, technophobia, and fear of nature.

But, that was another time. He wasn't in high-school anymore, and neither was she. They were both mature young adults, secretly scared of the world beyond those locker rooms.

 The girl in question was a different case, indeed. She wasn't a popular girl or anything, although she does have famous parents. She was quirky, and intelligent; she had as much brains as she did beauty. And beyond that, she was humble and understated. She didn't care for the flashy life her parents reveled in, and she dreamed of owning land by the sea, where she and her future family could see the ocean from their bedroom windows.

Who knows; if Clyde got lucky tonight, it could be their family living on the seaside property. He was horrible with commitments and children made him nervous, but he'd raise a million kids if it meant seeing a smile on her face.

 "Okay, no pressure." he murmured to himself. He finally arrived at the Dillard abode, with sweat stains under his shirt and clammy, shaky hands. He quickly wiped the sweat on this hands onto his pants and dialed the number on the gate.

"Clyde Pinciotti, here to see Thame Dillard." he mumbled. She quickly skipped out of her house and towards the gate, as he struggled to catch his breath.

 "Clyde! Wow, it's been so long since I've seen you!" she beamed. "So, where's your car?"

"I, um...I didn't bring my car. It's in the shop. My little brother totaled it." he admitted, rather embarrassed.

"I completely understand. I remember when my little sister totaled my car. I never forgave her. No worries, we can just take my car. To the beach we go!"

When they reached Sunset Strand, Thame stared at the sunset in awe. Her eyes began to water slightly as she placed her hand over her heart. Clyde tried not to cringe as nature had a habit of making him physically ill, but when he saw how mesmerized she was, his heart instantly melted and all fear of the unfiltered oxygen evaporated. He quickly went about picking random flowers, and wrapped it up in a plastic film he found in a nearby recycling bin.

 "I know you like nature, so I picked these for you." he mumbled. She stared at the flowers in a complete daze, and brought them up to her nose for a whiff.

"They smell so sweet, just like you." she smiled. "I'm sorry I can't stay out as late as you wanted, photo-sensitivity and all. Maybe we could do this again at a later date?"

"Of course. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking-"

"It's okay. It's been awhile since I've seen the sun from a place other than my bedroom window. I really appreciate it."

"I...it's no problem, really. I just really like you. I think you're amazing, Thame."

"Clyde, you don't even know anything about me." she sighed.

"I know you're smart, and I know you enjoy painting landscapes. I know you can pick up any instrument and master it within a week. I know you love being by the sea, and now I know you love sunsets." Thame smiled as he went through the long list of things he's observed about her, and shook her head in disdain as he managed to completely overlook the most obvious thing about her:

Her skin.

"Clyde...I really have to go." she said urgently as she felt her skin go up in flames. The sun was never very good to her kind, but she wished at this moment she could just stay with him, or even stay alone, and watch the sun set completely.

"Wait- how about we go in the shade? Then you can stay with me, right?"

"...Yeah, I can."

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Sometimes, sims show up in each other's lives for a purpose, unbeknownst to either sim.

Sometimes, they're a healing force...

Sometimes, they're a shoulder to cry on.


Sometimes, they teach you how to be stronger...


Sometimes, they show you just how weak you are.


And sometimes, their purpose isn't immediately known.

But regardless of the purpose, each new experience comes with new lessons to learn, and new sims to teach. The lessons you learn and the sims you meet can greatly influence your life in a positive way...

...but only if you let it.

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Chapter commentary here.                                                 Next Chapter: Everybody Loves Me (coming soon!) >>

Goodbye, Apathy

<< Previous Chapter: Drumming Song

 Song Title: Goodbye, Apathy by OneRepublic
Content warning: strong language

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Kevin's eyelids popped open before his alarm clock had the chance to wake him from his sleep. He smirked contentedly, knowing that he had outsmarted it once again.

He began his morning ritual by stretching, putting on his favorite slippers, and fixing a hot cup of coffee to start his day. He walked into the living room to find his wife hunched over the computer, furiously typing away.

"Christy, why are you up so early? What are you typing?" he yawned. Kevin peeked over Christy's shoulder with great suspicion, which made her guard the screen protectively.

"Well, Sims of the News is looking for journalists, so I'm sending in my application with a sample article about the history of mummies in ancient Al Simharan times."

"Sweetie, I respect your historian background, but Sims of the News is a pretty scandal-based magazine. Isn't that a little too dull to use as a submission?"

"Well, I had a meatier story in mind, but someone won't let me use it." she scowled.

"I'm sorry Christy, but I simply can't let you do that. Anyway, I have to hurry up and get ready. One of my patients still isn't responding to treatment, and she's refusing to talk to anyone." Kevin walked up the stairs to retrieve his outfit for the day as Christy glared in his direction.

"I'm going to get to that story, one way or another." she mumbled.

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"Bonnie, will you please talk to me?"

 "No." she whispered weakly. Kevin couldn't help but smile slightly at her determination not to speak to him. For such a broken spirit, she still had a little fire in her. He sighed quietly as he observed this empty shell of a woman, unable to reach out to anyone and bound by sadness and doubt.

"You're barely eating, Bonnie. I can see your bones." She shrugged weakly and closed her eyes.

He wished he could do something, but there was nothing he could do if she didn't want to help herself. Every day, Kevin sits there for hours with Bonnie, hoping to pull something out of her, but never had such luck. He watched her as she pulled herself up from the ground and sat up on the couch. She shivered slightly, and held her frail arms close to her body.

Bonnie stared at him wordlessly with cold eyes and dried tears on her face. He could only imagine what she was thinking, and how she felt at the moment. Alone, afraid, betrayed...

"You've been here for a week now. Why won't you talk to me?"

 She sighed loudly and put her head in her arms.

"You ruined my life." she whispered harshly.

 "One could argue that I saved your life. Don't be ridiculous, Bonnie. I'm just trying to help you. I'm trying to get you through this. I know you're in a lot of pain..."

"You know nothing of my pain. And who says I need your fucking help, anyway?" she snarled.

"So be it. If I'm not needed, I'll just go."

Kevin got up from his chair and walked towards the door, seemingly unaffected by Bonnie's outburst. Before he opened the door, he checked to see if Bonnie had moved her head.

She hadn't.

With a sigh, he walked out of the room completely and returned home for the day.

 With Kevin gone, Bonnie felt less constricted and suffocated. She quietly and slowly lifted herself up from the loveseat, and wandered around the room. As her eyes glazed over the obnoxiously muted tones, a certain something caught her eye.

Her medical files. A picture of a creepy man she could only assume to be her great great grandfather was pinned onto the file, along with the Pinciotti dissertation Kevin had referred to in a previous session. She sat down and read it, but was disappointed by the lack of new information.

With all these things happening to her and so little information on it available, Bonnie began to wonder why her family was so secretive. And little did she know, she would soon find out.

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 "Hey, I'm home." Kevin chirped. He then grew suspicious as he saw his wife deeply engrossed in a book, and silently prayed that it wasn't some sort of Pinciotti-related biography.

"Hi Kevin. How was work?" she asked mindlessly.

"It was okay...certainly challenging. How's your book?"

"It's great."

"Have you heard back from them yet? It's been a week..."

"They said I was one of the three writers in consideration." she answered in a monotone voice.

"Oh, cool." Kevin wondered why Christy was acting so distant, and wondered if she was indeed studying more on the Pinciottis. "Well," he thought to himself, "Maybe I could guilt her into admitting it."

"Christy, thank you for not using your Pinciotti story. I realize it could have done a lot for you, but..."

"No problem," she interrupted. "Just remember that you owe me." Kevin smiled appreciatively and wrapped his arms around his wife. Maybe he was wrong about her intentions after all.

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"This is wrong."

"I know."

"No, I mean it. I shouldn't even be here."

"I love you."

"What the hell? We haven't spoken in a year and you say that you love me?" Are you drunk, or high on bubbles? What is it with you?! I'm trying to be mature for once in my life."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I missed you, and for some inexplicable reason, I'm drawn to you. And now I"m sitting with you in this dingy motel to try and sort my feelings out."

"What have you got so far?" he asked. Ella sighed as she sat up and leaned against his chest, feeling his breath tickle her neck.

"You're familiar."

"Mm-hmm."

"You remind me of the life I had in Bridgeport, but most importantly, you remind me of home. I miss home, and that's why I miss you."

"That's the only reason?"

"Were you expecting another reason?"

Ella rose to her knees, and Eric quickly followed. He grabbed her lightly by her waist and looked her in the eyes pleadingly.

"I love you. Please stay."

"Don't be stupid, Eric-"

"Please, just stay with me tonight. I won't try anything, I swear." she gently ran her fingers through his hair, and sighed wistfully.

"Even if I believed you, how would I explain it to Jordan?"

"Say you spent the night with a girlfriend, I don't care. Just give me this. As closure."

"Fine, I'll stay." Eric smiled and closed his eyes, feeling Ella's cool hands on his cheek. She smiled back and kissed him gently on the forehead, while staring at his face.

Once again, Ella had made her life more chaotic than it needed to be by falling for a man she shouldn't have fallen for.

Except this time, she didn't care.

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Chapter Commentary here.                                                    Next Chapter: Steal Your Heart >>

Cosmic Love

<< Previous Chapter: Hero/Heroine


Title: Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine
Content Warning: strong language, adult themes

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 "You can speak whenever you're ready, Ms. Cartez." Officer Richards said softly. Ella sat with a nervous smile on her face while twiddling her thumbs.

After four days worth of obsessing over whether or not to turn Mark in to the police, she finally decided to speak out. Ultimately, to prove to herself that she no longer loved him.

"Right, I-I'm sorry. This is just really hard for me right now."

"I understand completely."

"So, if I rat him out, how long will he get?"

"We don't know for sure, but he's wanted for grand theft, kidnapping, and aggravated assault overseas. He's got quite the record on his hands. If we can convict him of those crimes, we're looking at twenty six days in a maximum-security prison."

"T-twenty six days? Isn't that a little harsh?"

"Ma'am, you have to remember that he didn't just hurt you. He's a slippery fellow, we can't risk allowing him to escape." Ella bit her lip in worry, and the police officer sighed. "You're a very valuable witness, and I don't want to have to drag this information out of you. By turning him in, you'd be helping a lot of people. You may even help keep him safe, since I'm sure more than a few 'victims' here would like to have his head. Literally."

Ella sighed and looked back down to her thumbs. Her heart pounded as she contemplated what they would do if she refused to reveal the truth about him. Would they toss her into a cold, dark interrogation room? Would they incarcerate her and torture her until she finally caved? She recalled Mark's threat of revealing Jordan and Ella's night together, and wondered if this was really worth hurting her sister. It seemed that no matter what she did, someone would end up hurt.

After a few shaky breaths, she finally made her decision.

 "Okay, I'll tell you all that I know." she whispered hesitantly.

"Let me start from the beginning..."

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Ella began online shopping for a black tie gala that was coming up in a few months. She had her eye on a gorgeous, floor-length gown and was just about to click "add to cart" when an anonymous person decided to IM her with a "hello ella".

She asked the person who they were, how they knew her IM address. and how they knew her name. Deep down, she knew it was Mark, but she pretended not to know to see if he'd reveal himself or not.

"i told u platinum, dont stick ur nose where it doesn't belong ;)" He linked to a webpage of Sims Magazine, with her on the front page.

And she wasn't alone.

"i hope ur ready for some serious shit to hit the fan, sweetheart <3" the anon replied before logging off.

Ella stared in disbelief. There they were, with all their dirty laundry aired out to the world. Their small flings were no longer a secret; her skeletons have finally made their way out of the closet. Her sister Bonnie would be hysterical, and SimVonne would no longer want her as the face of their new perfume. All of her Bridgeport buddies would know that she stole her sister's boyfriend, just like the attention whore she was.

She tried in vain to fight back tears.

She thought by talking to the police, she would be able to rid Mark from her life entirely; but yet again, he had managed to escape. She didn't have the energy to ask how, because she didn't have the energy to even speak.

She slowly rested her head on her keyboard and convulsed with sobs.

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 Ella stood by the safety of her bedroom door and listened to the heartbreaking sounds of her sister crying and screaming in disbelief. Bonnie was ranting and raving like a madwoman, making no sense at all. She began to cry a little herself, knowing that her sweet sister, the only member of her father's family that liked her, now hates her with a burning passion. She lost a friend. She lost the only person she knew to be "family". She lost a sister. The only person who had ever truly cared about her was now losing her mind because of what happened.

And it was all Ella's fault.

"I've had enough of you! I'm leaving!" Bonnie screamed, wiping away tears.

"Bonnie, take a second to just calm down okay?"

"Calm down? You have the nerve to cheat on me with my sister, and you want me to calm down? I'll show you calm!" She raised a hand to slap him, but slowly retracted it when she realized it might not be worth a lawsuit. Instead, she grabbed a suitcase, shoved all of her clothes into it, and tossed the suitcases down the stairs. She the stormed down the steps and caught Ella's scared eyes.

"Don't you fucking look at me like that, you hussy," she spat. "You may have deceived me, but I know now that you're nothing but a cheap, trashy home-wrecker. Just like your mom."

Ella watched as Bonnie walked out the front door, with the intention of never returning.

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*Later at the Pinciotti Estate*

 "There's my Bon Bon!" Abbot said happily. She was always happy to see her grandkids, especially Bonnie. When she noticed her bags in her convertible, Abbot's face immediately fell into a worried look. "How are you, dear?"

 Bonnie immediately fell into her grandmother's arms and cried. Abbot quietly shushed her as she rubbed her back. "There there, whatever it is, it can't possibly be that bad. Hmm?"

Bonnie nodded and wiped her tears away. "It's not that bad, Bonnie." she thought to herself. "Get over it. Stop your miserable sobbing. You're not a child."

"Where's Mom?"

"Tiffany is at her salon; working, as usual." she sighed as she rolled her eyes. Tiffany dedicated one-hundred percent of herself to her new booming business, Tiffany's Salon. "She thinks that it'll be the biggest and best thing to hit Sunset Valley since Costello built that stadium."

"And where's Daddy?" she said cautiously.

"He's in his office, working on his computer. You're free to talk to him if you wish."

"Hey, twerps!" she chirped while putting on a fake smile. She didn't want her younger siblings to see her in such a fragile state.

"I thought you moved out, Ms. Independent." Clyde mocked. Bonnie rolled her eyes and smacked her brother on the head as she walked by.

"Way to go, sis!" Lorena cheered. Clyde shot her a mean glare and she responded by shrugging her shoulders and tackling his character when he wasn't looking.

"Heey, that's cheating!"

Bonnie entered her father's study and sat down quietly, waiting to see if he would take notice. He didn't. She cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Hello, Daddy."

"Oh hi, sweetheart. Why are you home so early? I thought you were staying with Ella." he asked disinterestedly.

"It didn't work out." she muttered.

"Hm. Bonnie, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What do you think of your mother and I divorcing?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she seethed.

"Bonnie, language."

"Oh really? You're still lecturing me for language like I'm a little girl? Why don't you lecture your bastard child, Ella? She's the potty mouth! What did you ever see in her mother that made you no longer want mine? What did you ever see in Ella that made you say 'yes' when her mother wanted to send her down here? Why does everyone hate me and love her?!" she ranted.

"Bon Bon, where is this coming from? You know you're the family favorite..."

"Don't call me that! You were just asking me what I would think if you divorced my mother. You don't have the right. Maybe things would be better if I just wasn't here!"

"Well, maybe things would be," Jack agreed. Bonnie's lips trembled as she held in her tears.

"Bonnie Pinciotti, I think this discussion is over."

"Yeah, I think it is. Just like my life." she muttered.

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 "Is my Bonnie home? Abbot told me and I rushed home as soon as I could..."

 "Yep, she's home." he muttered, snarling. He didn't understand why Bonnie, of all his children, would snap and accuse him of hating her. He was shocked she would even snap at all. Pinciottis just don't "do" emotions.

"Did you even notice my haircut?"

"Why yes I did dear. What convinced you to chop it off?" Tiffany said without skipping a beat. Truth was, she was so concerned by her daughter's sudden homecoming that she hadn't been paying attention.

"Eh, no special reason, just..." he trailed off as he looked into her eyes. Tiffany was always so beautiful, and so patient with his immaturity. She raised four of his five beautiful children, and still managed to excel in what she does for a living. She was perfect.

Far too perfect for him.

He stood up and pulled her in for a kiss, leaving her bewildered. "What in the world did I deserve to get that? We haven't kissed like that in years," she chuckled.

"I know, and...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."

"That's all fine and dandy dear, but where is Bonnie? I'm really worried about her."

"Last time I saw her, she stormed off into the guestroom."

Tiffany quietly walked up the stairs and into the bedroom, and was horrified at what she saw. The bottle with her sleeping medication was seen under the bed, completely empty, with Bonnie unconscious on the floor.

"Oh, my dear child!" Tiffany whimpered. "What did you do?!"

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Chapter commentary here.                                                           Season 2: The Drumming Song >>