Episode 61. Warning Signs
Robin was unusually quiet during breakfast, Ann started to worry.
“Rob, is everything alright?”
“Yeah, why you ask?”
“I don’t know, you look worried. Is it because of the baby? Do you think we won’t be able to support him or something?”
“It’s not the baby”.
“Then what is it?”
Robin told Ann about his relationship with Juliette, that he had met her at the University, that she had broken up with him due to a misunderstanding and that she lived there, in Aurora Skies. Of course he omitted to mention her name to avoid future problems or unpleasant encounters. This made Ann a bit uneasy, but she was smart and self-confident, so she recovered quickly.
“Well, that girl is a fool for letting you go. Now there’s no way I’ll let her get close to you. And you better not get near her either, cause I’m a very jealous woman, you know. I don’t appreciate being cheated.”
“Believe me, you have nothing to worry about”.
“Good”.”
Ann was tired so she took a nap, Robin got to work while his head spun.
“The baby is gonna be here in a few months, Aurora Skies is a small town, everybody will notice, including Juliette. I wonder how she’ll take it? Well, she knew this would happen eventually, so the right thing is to marry Ann, but… should I notify Dustin?”.
Episode 62. The Great Step
A FEW WEEKS LATER…
“What do you want it to be, a boy or a girl?” Ann asked.
“I have no particular preference, any of the two will be fine”.
“Really? I thought you wanted a boy to continue your last name”, Ann joked.
“Well, a girl would also carry my last name, wouldn’t she?”, Robin joked as well.
“True. Oh, by the way, we haven’t picked a name yet”.
“We’ll think of one later, we have plenty of time. One thing for sure he/she will need me to be their legal father”.
“Are you by chance suggesting that…”
“Yes, let’s get married, Ann”.
“What? Rob, I don’t know what to say”.
“Well, what about ‘yes’?”.
Robin cleared his throat and got on his knees.
“Ann Elizabeth Conners, will you marry me?”, he asked as he put a ring in Ann’s finger.
“Sorry, I’m not sure if this is how it’s done”, he apologized.
“You did perfectly”, she smiled.
“And yes, of course I will marry you! Oh, Robin, you make me so happy. I know I’ve said that like a thousand times, but it’s true, and I love you so much”.
“I love you too, Ann”.
Episode 63. Private Wedding
“Robin, are you completely sure of this?”
“Of course I am, and you?”
“I certainly am, but – what about your family and friends, why didn’t you invite them?”
“I don’t have a family, I lost my parents when I was a kid”.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that”.
“It’s okay, I was a baby then, I don’t remember anything. As for my friends, I only have one here and I don’t think he’d like to attend. What about your family and friends?
“My parents are divorced. They can’t see each other without starting a fight, so I thought it was best to do this without them. My friends, they live far from here, plus they don’t believe in social conventions”.
“They’re ‘rebels’, I get it”.
“Okay, so it’s just you and me. More than enough, don’t you think?” Robin said.
“That’s right, but before we go on there’s something I want to tell you”.
“I’m listening”.
“You know I dream of becoming a renowned music composer and…”
“I know, dear, and you’ll be able to pursue your career. We’ll both take turns to take care of the baby. I’ll cook, we’ll hire a maid to help with the cleaning or even a nanny if necessary”.
“Oh, Robin, really?”
“It’s a promise. Like I said, we’re in this together”.
“Well, with that already cleared up, I think we can proceed”, Ann said cheerfully.
“I agree. Except that I don’t know how to do this”, Robin answered blushing.
“Don’t worry, I’ll guide you, just repeat what I say…”
“Robin, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness, with it I commit my heart to you, today and forevermore”.
“Ann, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness…”
“… with it I commit my heart to you, today and forevermore”.
“I now pronounce us husband and wife”, Ann concluded.
“Great, may I kiss the bride already?”
“Yes, please”.
“…”
“Congratulations, Mrs. Crane”.
“That sounded beautiful”.
“You are beautiful”.
❤️
Episode 64. Decisions
“Dustin, finally! Why did you take so long?”
“Sorry, I got off work late”.
“That’s okay. Did you find out what I asked for?”
“Yes. Robin returned to Aurora Skies a few days ago”.
“And? Did you tell him?
“Er – no”.
“No? Why? We agreed that you’d arrange a meeting so I could tell him about Rowan”.
“I know, but I’m afraid I ran into some bad news”.
“Oh, Robin won’t talk to me, is that it?”
“Uh, not exactly”.
“Dustin, I don’t understand you, please elaborate”.
“You see, I called him as you asked me, I was going to pass your message to him, but then he told me he had met this girl at the University. Her name is Ann Conners, they started to date, then they decided to move in together and…”
“So Robin has a new girlfriend, what else?”
“Well… a few days ago Ann told him she was pregnant, Robin thought he should do the right thing and proposed to her. They got married yesterday”.
Juliette was speechless, trying to process what she had just heard. Dustin went on:
“I hate to say this, but I told you so. I warned you Robin would go ahead with his plan, with or without you, and he did! Now he’s married and is going to have another baby without knowing he already has one, his true firstborn. I’m sorry but this is on you, Jul, you should have told him everything from the beginning”.
“I know it’s my fault, you don’t have to remind me. I acted out of pride and rectified it too late, now there’s nothing to do”.
“Of course there is. You can still tell him about Row. He could do something, even if it’s only giving him his last name”.
“No, thanks. He rushed to marry someone else, that means his love for me wasn’t that big. All he cared about was his damn mission!”
“Come on, Jul, you know that’s not true. Robin loves you; he told me himself”.
“And so why did he marry that girl? Was it some kind of revenge?”, Juliette asked on the verge of tears.
“Of course it wasn’t a revenge, Jul. True, your rejection hurt him, but if he had known Rowan existed, he would’ve fought for both of you, I know. Something made him act in this hurry, perhaps something related to the future that he couldn’t talk about. You know the rules, Dad taught them to us, remember? A time traveler can’t reveal some things as that could change history causing catastrophic consequences”.
Juliette had to sit down for a moment to catch her breath.
“I know the rules, and I respect them”, she answered, “All I asked him for was time to advance in my career, but he said there wasn’t any time left”.
“Maybe it’s true. Maybe something terrible will happen in the near future, like a nuclear war, a deadly disease, a giant asteroid crashing into the Earth, or an alien invasion!”
“Dust, please…”
“It’s true, any of those things would be a threat, not only for Robin’s offspring, but for us and the whole humankind. Maybe that’s why he’s been in such a hurry”.
Juliette took a minute to think. Dustin remained in silence, waiting for her answer…
“If we’re all going to die within 30 years, then what good would it do to Robin, or to any of us, to start a family?”
“I don’t know. There must be a reason, but that’s not what matters now, it’s Rowan. Robin has to know about his existence. Why don’t you follow the plan and tell him once and for all?
“He married someone else, they’re expecting a baby. Let that child be his heir now, Row and I will continue on or own”.
“Now you’re being stubborn”.
“I’m just being cautious”.
“If a threat is waiting for us in the future, I don’t want my son to travel there. I’ll raise him without Robin’s help, here, in 2015”
“You can’t be serious”.
“I am. And we won’t speak about this subject again. Needless to say, you can’t tell Robin anything.
“Aurora Skies is a small town. He’ll discover it for himself sooner or later. And I’m not sure he’ll forgive you for not telling him”.
“That’s my business, I’ll handle it. You go ahead with your wedding plans, marry Judith, live your life and let me take care of mine”.
Dustin heaved a sigh.
“Okay, I guess I’ll never convince you, so I’m leaving”.
“Just please, consider moving back home with me. This apartment is cold and bare, and you shouldn’t be alone at a moment like this. Call me anytime you’re ready and I’ll come to pick you up”, Dustin said and left the house.
Once alone, Juliette recognized her mistake for the first time.
“Dustin was right, If I had told Robin the truth from the beginning none of this would be happening”.
Dustin’s voice sounded in her head again: “You can still tell him that Rowan is his son. He may be able to do something, even if it’s only to give Rowan his last name”.
“Sorry but no, Dust. Robin has a family already, he got what he wanted, I’m not that selfish to go and wreck his home. I chose my destiny when I rejected him, I’ll take the consequences of my own decision”.
On his way home, Dustin made a decision too.
“That’s enough, sister. Robin has to know. If you won’t tell him, I will”.
Episode 65. The Baby is Coming!
Robin postponed his trip to the Future and stayed in Aurora Skies to keep Ann company during her pregnancy. Meanwhile, he dedicated himself to improve his Inventing skill in the old workbench he had just gotten.
“Hmm, this is a very rudimentary tool, but I might learn something interesting by using it”.
Ann is enjoying her maternity leave, during which she continued practicing with the guitar to get better at her job in the Music Career.
And a few months later…
“Robin!!”
Yeah, the baby is coming. Robin got ready to take Ann to the hospital. Although it’s completely a new experience for him, he didn’t seem nervous or scared.
Ann seemed very calm too.
“Sure you don’t want me to drive?”, Robin asked when he saw her take the wheel.
“No, thanks. I’m not sick, I’m just going to have a baby. I’m a strong independent woman, I can do this”.
Having said this, Ann herself drove all the way to the hospital.
“Strong and independent, huh? Well, forgive me for asking”.
“You’re forgiven”.
Episode 66. It’s a Girl!
Robin spent long hours waiting at the Aurora Skies Cure-All Collective Hospital.
The baby finally arrived. It’s a girl!
“I knew she would be a girl; her name will be Jessica”.
“Jessica, that’s a lovely name. Hi, Jessie, I’m Robin, your father”.
Robin is so happy because at last he has started his dynasty.
(If he knew Jessica isn’t his only descendant…)
Ann is learning the basic mom tasks, like bathing and changing Jessica.
“Ready! Who’s mommy’s cleanest and prettiest baby?”
It’s an exhausting work, but Ann is willing to do anything to spend more time with Jessica.
And with her beloved Robin too. They’re both so happy with their little daughter!
“Sure you don’t mind being away from your job for so long?
“Of course I don’t, I can practice at home and my job will be waiting for me when I go back in a few months”.
“Thanks, Ann. For our beautiful daughter, and for caring about her”.
Episode 67. Back in Business
For a few months, Robin stayed in Aurora Skies with his family, helping Ann to take care of Jessica.
Thanks to him, Ann was able to practice guitar, write music and catch up with her work.
Until it was time for Robin to return to his business in Oasis Landing. Now he’s back in 2054.
“Yay, modern life at last!”
“Modern life” has things not so modern, of course, like having to grow his own crystal plants. A hard task, but fruitful at the same time, cause it is because of these crystals that he can create trait chips to build his plumbots.
And Plumbots bring great profits when they’re sold at the Bot Emporium.
It’s time to go out for another day of work in Oasis Landing, but…
“Where are Bethany and Five?”
“Maybe those two ran away and started a new life without me? That would be the best for them, but first I have to adjust Beth’s trait chips”.
Episode 68. The Barren Wasteland
Before arriving to the Barren Wasteland, Robin found a rare unknown seed.
“Cool, this one will be useful for my horticulture experiments”.
Once at the Wasteland, he picks up more nanites for his trait chips.
Some are rarer and more difficult to find than others, but today he was lucky.
On a hoverboard is faster than on foot. It saves him a lot of time.
“Yeah, more crystals!”
At the Crash Site…
“That’s alright, little ones, come with me… But – what am I doing, talking to nanites? I must be going crazy! That’s your fault, Beth. Where the hell are you?”
The Wasteland is huge and there’s a lot of land left to explore, but Robin is exhausted and worried about two things, or rather, two people: Bethany (although she’s not really “people”) and, of course, Juliette. Has she found out already? Has Dustin told her?
Episode 69. You got Mail
By dusk, Robin is back home.
“Oops, I forgot to check my mail”.
“Not many people use the regular mail these days. Almost all my friends use a holo-projector or the e-mail. Let’s see… Yep, there’s something here.
It’s a wedding present from Judith. The note says:
“Hi, silly, since you were an idiot and got married without inviting me, I send you this, so you know I’m still your friend”.
“Well, how thoughtful of her. Oh. There’s another letter here”.
“Oh, no, it’s from the Labs. I’m so stupid, I forgot to call them to cancel and they’ve used my DNA!”
“Dear Mr. Crane,
Your baby engineering is in progress, our volunteer will visit you soon. Congratulations!”
“This can’t be! I don’t need to engineer a baby anymore. I have to call this off, I’ll talk to the volunteer as soon as she gets here”.
Episode 70. Office Drone
The night has fallen in Oasis Landing.
Bethany is back and has asked Robin for an Office Drone trait chip, cause she wants to look for a job.
“Can plumbots have jobs? I thought they could only compete at the Bot Arena, but who knows”.
“Whatever, if I create the new trait chip, I’ll have an excuse to adjust her chips and take out the Capacity to Love one. Beth won’t even notice”.
“Five? It was about time! Where have you been? And why did you disappear without telling me?”
“Five and Bethany, on a trip to Lunar Lakes”.
“Lunar Lakes?? Not with my money, I hope”.
“Five has savings”.
“Savings? Alright, I suppose the competitions at the Arena pay off well. Anyway, let’s tune you up, it’s been a while. I’ll upgrade you to High Tech level. Bethany will like that”.
“Bethany not like Five. Bethany in love with Robin”.
“Oh, nonsense!”
“Bethany in love with Robin”, exactly what Robin didn’t want to hear.
“I must change Beth’s trait chips ASAP. I’ll do it when the Office Drone chip is ready. Beth won’t have Capacity to Love anymore, but she will be competent for almost any job without the daily stress of the professional life”.
“And I’ll add a Limitless Learning chip too to compensate the downgrade. That will speed her skill learning and help her get a better job. She’ll be happy, she’ll forget about me, problem solved. I will fix the issue with the RS Labs as well before I return to 2015”.
“Why is everything so complicated in the Future? Shouldn’t it be the opposite? Perhaps I should forget about everything: my mission, my career, and stay in the Past for good? Ah, if Emit could hear me now!”
Episode 71. Who Wants a Body Massage?
Another sunset in Oasis Landing.
Robin is back from the Wasteland, he dropped by the Bot Emporium as well to buy some materials, like processors and those things. Now he’s about to have a delicious key lime pie for supper.
Bethany is back too, she went for a ride around town for a while, then she attended the plumbot competitions at the Bot Arena, her favorite entertainment.
As she got in, she caught Robin unguarded (as always).
“Who wants a body massage?”
“Beth, no! Put me down, please!”
“Forget it, you’re incredible. Ah, I really needed this…”
“So, Robin missed Bethany?”
“Yeah, there’s no doubt I missed your massages. Thanks, Beth”.
“You’re welcome. Need anything else?”
“Er… no. I must go back to my work. Good night, Bethy”.
“Ah, Beth, we need to stop meeting like this. I mean, the massage is great, but I admit I’m liking it more than I should, which is definitely not okay”.
“I don’t know what’s happening to me. Each time I come to Oasis Landing my feelings for Bethany grow. This can’t go on, it’s not healthy!”
“Now more than ever I gotta hurry and remove that chip from her. That’s the only way I’ll get some peace of mind”.
Episode 72. Adjustments
“Alright, Beth, it’s time”.
“Your new trait chip is ready, I’ll do the adjustments if you let me, it won’t take long”.
“NO. Bethany do not want adjustment. Bethany’s fine as she is”.
“Come on, Beth, you want the new trait chip, don’t you? Then allow me to do my work”.
“Beth said NO. ¡ZZZAP!
“What the…?”
“Beth, WTF? That was rude!”
“Robin was rude”.
“I was not. I just wanted to install your new trait chip”.
“Robin lying”.
“Okay, I give up. We’ll do this some other day, but you’ll have to allow me, or you won’t be able to get a job”.
“Bethany wants a job”.
“Bethany is sorry, didn’t mean to hurt Robin”.
“Apology accepted, now tell me, why did you do that? That’s not like you”.
“Five said Robin married”.
“That’s true, I got married with Ann and we have a daughter now, her name is Jessica. You and Five will meet them soon”.
“Robin married, Bethany sad”.
“Beth, I’m sorry, really”.
“Now, I need you to understand that I am not a single man anymore, you and I can’t continue to… (Jeez, where do all these paparazzi come from?”)
“Body massage!”
Robin was distracted by the paparazzo and Bethany caught him by surprise again.
“Beth, stop! I’ve told you that… Ohhh.”
“Is Robin relaxed now?”
“Oh, yes I am. And I see you’re no longer angry. But I’m serious, Beth, you have to stop. I got married in the Past, and in the past people are committed to their spouses, so no more body massages, no more spark kisses or any of that stuff. And you’ll have to let me change those chips. It’s for your own good, understood?”
Bethany didn’t understand, but Robin changed her trait chips anyway. Five followed her to try to comfort her.
Episode 73. Small Revenge
Robin decided to forget about his problems and had some fun with the Gyroscopic Conductor for a while.
“Five has so much fun with this, let’s see what it does”.
“Oh my God, is this thing safe?”
“What was that noise? It’s picking up speed, I don’t like it. I have to stop it now; I just don’t know how”.
“Hey, Beth! Do you know how to stop this?”
“Beth! Didn’t you hear me? Don’t just stand there, do something and help me out of this thing!”
“She left. She didn’t even care! I’ll have to get out by myself”.
“I’m out, phew! Here comes Five, a bit late, I guess. Ah, I should’ve known Beth wouldn’t help me”.
“And here I was thinking plumbots weren’t resentful. Yeah, right… Ouch”.
“I understand Beth’s anger, I just didn’t think she was the vindictive type. This can’t go on, I’ll talk to her, just not now. I’ll wait for the right time”.
Episode 74. Changes
Robin was very well paid for his latest creation, Alpha, now he’s created Gamma, a Next Generation plumbot.
“Oh, yeah, he’s perfect. They’ll love him at the Emporium”.
Gamma made good friends with Five and Bethany. He’ll live with them until Robin has installs all the necessary trait chips. By the way, Bethany seems to be in a better mood, but she still won’t talk to Robin. It’s weird not to have her attention, but maybe it’s better this way.
Five and Bethany had been working together in the garden. They are best friends already.
Later, they recharge batteries side by side while Robin enjoys his dinner.
Another day has gone by without a word from Beth…
THE MORNING AFTER
“Beth, listen, I know you are mad at me, but things are the way they are and you’ll have to accept them or I won’t be able to take you with me to Aurora Skies”.
Beth doesn’t answer, she just gives off sounds in her other language, the one she uses to communicate with Five and Gamma.
“Beth? Please, give me a sign that you understand me”.
In response, Beth gives a happiness beam to Robin, a plumbot friendly interaction and the undoubted proof that her anger is gone”.
“Wow, just as I thought, plumbots are not resentful”.
“So, you’re no longer angry with me?”
Bethany thinks before answering and then…
“Bzzz-zzzip”.
“Beth, what did I tell you about spark kissing?”
“Spark kiss, goodbye kiss. Last time. Robin can make changes now”.
“Thanks, Beth. I’ll never forget you, I swear”.
“Beth won’t forget Robin either”.
In the evening, as a goodbye date, Robin and Bethany went together to a club. They played pool, had drinks, danced, and… well, they had a great time.
When they returned home, they watched the stars and the sunrise together.
First thing in the morning, Robin made the due changes to Bethany’s trait chips. She no longer has the Capacity to Love, but their friendship is intact. Now Robin can take her and Five with him to Aurora Skies as a part of his new family.
Episode 75. So Long, Oasis Landing
It’s the last evening before their departure from Oasis Landing. Robin took the opportunity to perform a horticulture experiment with the seed that he just found, which sadly wasn’t successful this time.
As for Bethany, she found her dream job that morning. She will be able to start working upon her return.
“Well, at least things went well for someone here.”
That’s all for today, tomorrow Robin will be back in Aurora Skies with only half of his problems solved. He fixed Bethany, but the issue with the baby engineering labs remains. Truth to be told, there isn’t much he can do about that now.
Robin’s DNA has been implanted in the volunteer. The experiment is at an early stage, but there’s no way to stop it. Anyway, he’ll talk to her at his return to see how they can handle this. One more baby is on its way, it’s not just anything, he’ll have to tell Ann about it.
To top it off, looking at the Oasis Landing’s population records, Robin noticed that there aren’t any Crane descendants registered. No one named Crane on the list. That’s impossible. He has a daughter now!
“Well, maybe Jessica didn’t have children, or maybe she registered them with her husband’s last name. Or… she didn’t make it to 2054? No, this can’t be. Something’s very wrong, I must talk to Emit, he’s the guardian of all times, he must know what happened to my descendants. Dammit!”
At night in the Dream Pod he had only disturbing dreams, that must have been due to all his concerns.
“Jeez, when will my problems end?”
He went to sleep in the sofa, he felt much better there.
Bethany, on the other hand, she was in such good mood that she took one last flight around the city before getting in the battery charger.
It’s the early morning, time to start their trip to the Past.
So long, Oasis Landing…
Hello again, Aurora Skies!
💙
Episode 76. Return to Aurora Skies
The first thing Robin did upon his return to Aurora Skies was to move with his family to a bigger house in a nicer area near the sea. The ocean is one of the things Robin loves the most from the Past, although he’s still scared to get in the water.
Anyway, the Cranes are living in their beautiful and comfortable new place.
Robin is happy to hold his little daughter again. At least for a moment, the problems of the Future seem far away.
Ann can take a rest at last and study to continue improving her skills.
Robin is here to help her with the housework and with Jessica’s care, but he seems worried.
Of course he is, he has to tell Ann what has happened in the Future. Not the Bethany part cause that is solved now. The RS Labs however…
“Ann, can we talk?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Well, something happened in the Future that I think you should know”.
“Is it something bad?”
“It depends on how you see it”.
“Okay, go ahead, tell me”.
MINUTES LATER
“Wait a minute. ‘Baby Engineering’? Is that even possible?”
“It is possible in the Future. You just donate your DNA, they combine it with another one from a volunteer and… well, it’s a complicated process. Believe me if I had known you before, I would’ve never resorted to such thing. But I was desperate back then, so I signed a contract with the labs”.
“Can’t you cancel it?”
“I tried, but the process had already started. I’m sorry, Ann, the last thing I wanted was to complicate our lives like this”.
“And what are you going to do now?”
“Well, there isn’t much I can do, except that I’ll have to take care of the baby”.
“You’ll have to?”
“I mean, I don’t have to adopt him, but I’m required to support him. And… I must accommodate the volunteer during her pregnancy”.
“Accommodate her, you mean in your house?”
“I know it doesn’t sound good, but those are the rules”.
Ann was angry for a few days, during which she hardly talked to Robin. She didn’t know what to make of the situation. What if Robin was lying and such labs didn’t exist? What if he didn’t have a “volunteer” but another wife in the Future? After all he traveled there a lot. But if he was cheating on her, why would he tell her all this? Wouldn’t it be easier to keep it a secret? Besides, Robin wasn’t a liar, he had always told her everything about the Future, so he was probably telling the truth this time too.
“Alright, I believe you and forgive you, on the condition that this issue does not interfere with our marriage”.
“It won’t, I assure you. Everything’s gonna be fine, you’ll see”.
“I hope so, cause I have something to tell you too. It’s good news”.
“Oh, did you get a promotion?”
“Much better”
“…”
“I’m pregnant again!”
“W-what?”
“Yes, love, we’re having another baby, aren’t you happy?”
“Of course I am, but…”
“I thought we had enough with Jessie”.
“Well, I thought that, after having a girl, it would be lovely to have a boy too, don’t you think?”
“S-Sure, but now I’ll have three babies, counting the one with the volunteer, I mean”. I’ll have to work the triple to support them.
“And? Is that a problem? You just said that issue wouldn’t interfere with us”.
“And it’s true, it’s just…”
“Come on, Rob, say it’ll be okay”.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll just have to work a little more, it’s no big deal. I will install the workshop here and I’ll bring my two plumbots to help in the house and with Jessie”.
“Then you are happy?”
“Yes, dear I’m very happy… What do I do now? I wanted a child, now I’ll have three! True, I wanted a progeny, I still do. But it won’t do any good to have a family if they won’t make it to 2054. Now more than ever I must talk to Emit, I must make sure that Ann and all my children get to the Future alive”.
“Robin? Are you sure it’s alright?”
“Yes, dear, I am”.
And he was… until he got a text message from Dustin, telling him they should talk about something urgent.
Episode 77. Juliette’s Secret Unveiled
“Well, here I am. What is it?”
“Hi, Rob, thanks for coming. I called you because we need to talk”.
“About what?”
“About Juliette”.
“Juliette? Did something happen to her?”
“No, no, she’s fine”.
“Is she here?”
“No, and she doesn’t know I summoned you. What I’m going to tell you is supposed to be a secret between her and I, but…”
“The way things are going, I decided not to keep quiet anymore”.
“Will you stop beating around the bush and spit it out at once, Dust?”
“O-kay. Would you like to sit down?”
“Thanks, but I’d rather stand, I don’t have much time, you know?”
“Alright, I’ll try to be brief then”.
“If you don’t mind”.
“You see, shortly after you and Juliette broke up, she… discovered she was pregnant”.
“W-what? Juliette pregnant? But why didn’t she…?”
“Tell you?”
“Well, she was in a bad place at that time, she was still mad at you, her pregnancy caught her by surprise, and she didn’t want anyone to know, not even our parents, cause she hadn’t decided yet if she was keeping the baby”.
“But she did. Didn’t she?”
“Of course she did, but she chose not to tell you and made me promise I wouldn’t tell you either”.
“That’s why you didn’t answer my phone calls”.
“You have all the right to be angry with me, but please understand I didn’t want to lie to you. Believe me, I tried so many times to convince Jul to tell you herself. She finally accepted and said she’d tell you everything after your graduation, but she changed her mind when she found out you had gotten married”.
“That’s when she decided to raise the baby on her own”.
“Oh, my…”
“You know Juliette, she’s prideful, stubborn and very insecure. But one thing’s for sure: she still loves you, I can tell. She really wanted to have your baby and raise him along with you, but finding out you had married another girl just tore her apart and… well, this was the result”.
“Dammit, Dustin, I don’t know what to say, except that I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I never wanted this to happen”.
“I’m sure you didn’t”.
They both remained silent for a moment. Robin had to sit down to keep himself together.
Episode 78. Be Careful What You Wish for
“This is f*** up. I thought Jul didn’t want to hear from me, so I moved on. If I had known that she was pregnant I would’ve married her, even before graduation!”
“Ah, I can’t believe this is happening”.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before, but, like I said, Jul wouldn’t let me. If I betrayed her was with the hope that something still could be done”.
“Nothing can be done. I can’t leave Ann, much less now that she’s pregnant again”.
“Again? Really?
“Yeah, she told me just yesterday”.
“Wow, you took this legacy thing too literally, didn’t you?”
“I wanted a lot of children, yes, but I didn’t think I’d have so many so soon”.
“Well, like they say: ‘Be careful what you wish for”.
“I should’ve been more careful, and Ann could’ve asked for my opinion on this”.
“Yep”.
“Anyway, what’s done is done, Ann’s my wife and our kids are my responsibility, I can’t abandon them”.
“I get it, but what about Juliette? You’re not going to let her down either, are you?”
“I don’t want to, but I promised to Ann that I’d stay away from her”.
“Ann knows that you and my sister…?”
“I told her everything before we got married. I told her as well that it was over, but… obviously is not”.
“Why didn’t Jul tell me? Why? If she had I would not be in this mess now”.
“I’m truly sorry, Rob, I wish I had spoken earlier”.
“None of this is your fault, Dust. It’s mine only, I ruined it by rushing to get married. And that’s not all. I made another mistake, a terrible one”.
“W-what kind of mistake?”
“The same I made with Ann, only it was with someone I don’t even know yet”.
“I don’t understand, can you explain yourself?”
Credits and thanks for the poses in this episode:
Emo Male Set 2 By Bee (Poses 32, 33, 35 y 38)
Troubled Pain Pose Pack by blamsart (Poses 3, 4 y 13)
Episode 79. A Complicated Legacy
“After Juliette and I broke up, and before I met Ann, I was desperate. I wanted to start my dynasty right away, so I decided not to wait until I was married to have a child and, when I returned to Oasis Landing, I signed a contract with the RSL”.
“The RSL? What the hell is that?”
“Reproductive Solutions Labs, a Genetic Engineering Laboratory, they create babies like I create plumbots. All they need is a DNA sample and a mother volunteer”.
“My goodness”.
“I gave them my DNA sample, they said they’d contact me when they had it all ready. I met Ann sometime after. I was so excited that I forgot to call the RSL to cancel the contract. When I returned to Oasis Landing after the wedding, there was an e-mail from them in my mailbox. They had found a volunteer and they had started the process”.
“And now you’ll have not two, but three babies”.
“Which will become four when Ann gives birth to her second one”.
“I feel for you, Robby. That’s a lot to take in, especially if you’ll have to support the four of them. Or… if you need to choose a heir”.
“My business is going well, just a little bit more work and I’ll be perfectly able to support all of them. About the heir… I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it”.
“What really worries me are the mothers of those kids. Ann specially; she knows about the RSL, but if she finds out about Juliette, she’ll never forgive me. As for the volunteer, I still don’t know who she is, but she surely won’t like the situation either”.
“Juliette’s the one that worries me the most. If I had known about her pregnancy, I would’ve run to her side since the beginning.”
“Well, you know now”.
“It’s a little too late, isn’t it? I already missed two years of our child’s life”.
“It’s not that late, you can still go up and meet him”.
“Him? Is he a boy?”
“Yes. His name is Rowan. You’re gonna love him, he’s your living portrait”.
Credits and thanks for the poses in this episode:
Troubled Pain Poses by blamsart (Pose 4)
Emo Male Poses By Bee (Pose 39)
Episode 80. A Light of Hope
“Are you sure Juliette won’t be mad if I visit them?”
“Why would she be mad at you for caring for your child? If anything, she’ll be mad at me for breaking our code of silence, but I’m sure she’ll appreciate your interest in Rowan. Plus, you both will be able to talk and clear things up… If you’re not mad at her yourself, that is”.
“Why would I be mad at her? Juliette did what she thought was right. To be fair, I wasn’t totally honest with her. I was selfish and thoughtless. Sadly, I realized that too late. All that’s happening to me I brought it on myself, and I well deserve it”.
“Come on, bud. Don’t be so hard on yourself”.
“It’s not being hard, Dust, it’s just the truth”.
“Anyway, I must go. Thank you for telling me the truth, although I don’t know what to make of it. Perhaps it’s best if I stay away from Rowan. I just hope he and Jul can forgive me someday”.
“Come on, Rob, don’t give up so easy, at least give it a try! Look, Rowan’s birthday is coming. Julie’s going to throw him a little party with only the family. If you could drop by you’d have the perfect opportunity to make things right.
“Make things, right? How? I’m still married, I can’t offer them anything!”
“And I don’t know either what I would say to Juliette”.
“You can tell her that you support her, that you’ll be there for her and Row whenever they need you”.
“Well, that much would be true”.
“See? That’s a start. You don’t need to promise her anything, just let her know you care”.
“I don’t know if that’ll be enough.”
“It is. For now.”
“I’ll send you a text message later with the exact date and Julie’s address, okay?”.
“You mean the secret address you refused to give me before?”
“Yeah, yeah, that same one. Now tell me, will you attend?”
“I’ll be right there, I promise”.
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