The Lakshmis are back with Chapter 4 of Apocalypse Please! - Don't Look Back, weeks 12-14. Both Anna and Al are pregnant and everyone is trying desperately to

1. Apocalypse Please! HippieLayla86 Don't Look Back Weeks 12-14

2. Hello everyone and welcome back to Apocalypse Please! For Chapter 4 – Don't Look Back – Weeks 12-14! When we left last time, Anna was pregnant, everyone was doing well with their careers, getting promotions left and right, and Al had an unexpected pregnancy. Besides all of that, we're only 3 restrictions through the 28 total to lift with Anna going after medical, Al going after music, Buddy going after Law and Clint climbing up the Political ladder. Art and Hopelessness were lifted by Mara and Gerry lifted Culinary. The Lakshmis still have a long way to go! The chapter will be narrated by Clint, the second generation heir and if I have anything to add, I'll do so in italics beneath a “---” Thank you for coming back for the newest chapter of Apocalypse Please! Shall we? ==>

3. I was happy to be home when Anna went into labor this morning. She was far more prepared for it than I was, but I was trying to help as much as I could. WEEK 12

4. Anna and I now have a son named that we named Dylan* he has Anna's blonde hair and my brown eyes. --- * Dylan was named after the Belle & Sebastian song “Like Dylan in the Movies” which I took the lyric “Don't look back, like Dylan in the movies” for the title of this chapter.

5. But after giving birth to Dylan, Anna realized she wasn't done!

6. That's right, our wish came true, Anna and I are the proud parents of fraternal twins! Our second born is our baby girl Eileen*. She also has Anna's blonde hair and my brown eyes. --- *Eileen was named after Dexy's Midnight Runners “Come on Eileen” I had really wanted an Eileen the first time I did this naming theme, so I was really happy when Eileen was born!

7. We know it will be difficult raising our twins, but we're very excited to do so. We're very smitten!

8. I've gotten another promotion at work, I've moved on from my days on City Counsel, and I'm now representing the State as a State Assembly Official. When people find out I live in Hiddenbrook, they think I'm kidding, then they see the look on my face and know I'm serious. Some days it's harder than others putting up with people who believe Hiddenbrook is a lost cause. Buddy also got a promotion of sorts and is working as a Family Law Attorney. He really likes it so far.

9. Al's unexpected pregnancy has been stress free for her, and it's been great for us. Auntie Al spends a lot of time with Dylan and Eileen since she's home from work. It's wonderful how she's really taken to them. I think she's starting to get more excited about her little one on the way. --- I got extremely lucky with Al's unexpected pregnancy, it happened to fall during her time off from work so she didn't have to quit her job.

10. Mom is still around, and I think I'm really the only one who isn't too bothered by her ghost. Though I wish she wouldn't spook me while I was trying to clean the house!

11. The twins are dream babies, they sleep through the night and they aren't very fussy. Soon they'll be toddlers and I fear I will miss the easy life they've given me while they're infants.

12. Anna has maxed her logic skill which means she's only one skillset away from her last promotion to chief of staff!

13. Buddy was so successful as a Family Attorney that he is now an International Corporate Lawyer. This means he's traveling more than me now. And he's so well respected that he's really improving Hiddenbrook's image, if he can live here, maybe it's worth while. --- Buddy is now at level 8 of the Law career, it won't be too long now until he lifts that restriction!

14. Anna has been working so much lately that whenever I see her, I can't resist pulling her into my arms. I am a lucky man that my mother befriended such a lovely lady and she chose me as her husband.

15. Al has had her baby, a little girl she named Adia. She looks a lot like Al so far, which has given us no clues to figuring out who the Daddy is. Al knows of course, but she refuses to tell us. Anna thinks that maybe the father has a family of his own and she's protecting him. --- Adia was named after “Adia” by Sarah McLachlan

16. Al is a great mother, and spends so much time with her daughter that none of us are able to cuddle her little baby. I know it must be really hard for Buddy* to be the only one out of the three of us without children, but he puts on a good face. After all, nieces and nephews are family. --- * I find it a bit ironic that Buddy is the only family sim of generation 2 and he's the only one without a child.

17. Tonight is the first time this family has celebrated a birthday, the twin's birthdays. Dad baked* two cakes and also got to help Dylan with his candles. --- * This is the first birthday since Gerry lifted the culinary restriction, so of course they had to get cakes!

18. Our son looks a lot like Anna since Dad said he doesn't look much like any of us did as toddlers. I think his little chipmunk cheeks are the cutest thing in the world. --- Dylan's Personality: Libra 5 Clean, 10 Outgoing, 2 Active, 0 Playful and 10 Nice A good personality for a life with limited entertainment possibilities if I do say so myself.

19. Anna helped Eileen with her candles when she got home from work.

20. Eileen looks a lot like Dylan, and therefore a lot like Anna. She's got the cutest little nose, and the outfit we found for her was simply precious. --- Eileen's Personality: Aries 10 Neat, 10 Outgoing, 3 Active, 0 Playful and 8 Nice The 10 neat and Aries thing don't really fit the norm for what the game calls Aries, but being one myself in real life I like it. Although I am a lot more playful and shyer than that. ;)

21. Anna has maxed her cleaning which means she has all of the necessary requirements for her last promotion. And it couldn't be any closer to being too late, she's only 2 days away from her elder birthday.

22. I've moved up again at work, I've been voted into Congress. I'm hopeful that the closer I get to becoming the Mayor, the more I can help out my town. Buddy also changed jobs* and is now an Entertainment Attorney. He deals with the rich and the famous all day long, and tells them the truth about what's really happening here in Hiddenbrook. --- * Buddy is now at Level 9 in the Law career!

23. Today the chief of staff at my wife's hospital retired, and guess who got his job? Medical Restrictions Lifted That's right, my lovely wife is now chief of staff. This is not only great for her wallet, but now she's got the power to make some changes for the better.

24. “ Once a leader in the medical field emerges from the family and leads the Red Cross restoration effort, clean running water is restored to the region. Supplies of medicine and contraceptives are now available to the people who need it. The Medical restrictions are lifted.”

25. The first thing my wife did after her promotion was get the water tested in the region. It seems the water is no longer toxic and so we've installed a few bathtubs, showers and a dishwasher.

26. Dylan here doesn't know it, but he's receiving a luxury that my siblings and I never got as children – to be clean! I'm really happy that my children won't grow up constantly dirty with no way to become clean, and that they will have access to medicine. Life is slowly but surely getting back to normal here in Hiddenbrook.

27. Once the children were bathed all of the adults took long, much overdue showers. I won't mention the color of the water as it wiped away years of dirt.

28. My father was excited to have a working dishwasher to make cooking even easier with quick clean up. It's wonderful to not be afraid of drinking and using the water.

29. The twins are growing up so quickly, Eileen took her first steps with her Momma today. The looks on both of their faces were priceless.

30. Al auditioned and received the spot as the conductor of the Symphony in the neighboring town. Al seems much happier taking center stage. But I can sense that she still isn't content*. --- * Al is only one promotion away from achieving her LTW of becoming a Rock God and lifting the music restrictions.

31. Dylan is walking now too. It won't be too long now before my twins are children.

32. Tonight we're celebrating 4 birthdays, the first is my wife's birthday. I know she's getting older, but I don't see it. I see the same beautiful woman I married years ago.

33. My niece Adia is now a toddler in pink. Al's got her hands full now with her little one. --- Adia is a Gemini – 5 Neat, 6 Outgoing, 9 Active, 5 Playful, and 4 Nice

34. Then it was Eileen's turn. My little girl isn't as little anymore. She's grown into her looks a bit more and is as happy as ever.

35. Dylan was last to have a birthday tonight, and I must say he looks like a mini male copy of Anna. He is sure to be a lady killer later in life.

36. Now that Eileen is older, I enjoy reading to her even more. She asks me a lot of questions as I read, and shows interest in learning to read for herself. She told me she's very excited to start going to school. I didn't have the heart to tell her that it may not be as soon as she thinks because of all of the snow.

37. Last night, my father sat down with Adia and started to teach her to talk. After he put her down for the night, he got up and started his nightly yoga routine. WEEK 13

38. He was interrupted from his routine that night and my poor little Eileen was right there to witness it.

39. Dad was taken from us tonight, but I feel comforted that he left us with a happy heart and a hope to be with Mom again. I will miss my father, he showed me what it meant to be a father.

40. Dad's death hit us all hard, but we were there for each other in our grief.

41. Our sadness was broken a little with the news of Al's recent success. In her spare time she had been working on an album, and has gotten her album produced and sold. She has quite a following now and has decided to tour. Some of her fans think of her as their goddess.* Music Restrictions Lifted *Al has topped the Music career and has lifted the music restrictions!

42. The biggest change without the music restriction is that it's no longer an eternal winter! In fact, I've decided to do away with winter all together that's how sick of it I'd become! So, now their seasons are: Summer/Fall/Spring/Fall The family had already been able to play piano because of the Art restriction lifted by Mara, but I thought it an appropriate picture to pair with the description of the music restrictions being lifted.

43. Al has taken on raising Adia as a full time gig now that she's content* with her career. Just the other night she finally got Adia potty trained. --- * Al's lifetime want was the become a Rock God, so she's been in a much better mood to help with the toddler skills now that she's perma plat, and she doesn't work much either.

44. I haven't mentioned it to anyone, but I've been making a lot of headway at work. I've been talking with building suppliers and habitat for simanity and trying to encourage them to come to Hiddenbrook. We're still in negotiation, but I think I'm gaining more ground each day. I can't wait until we can expand on our house, as it is we're really cramped and have more people than space for beds. The kids get priority over the adults of course, most nights I only get 3 hours of sleep. --- One of the political restrictions is building within an 8x8 area. Clint is at level 7 of the political career, we're getting close to lifting that!

45. My skills as a negotiator were observed by my superiors, and now I'm working as a judge in the district court.

46. Now that the twins are older, they come out to greet Anna and I when we get home from work. The two of them haven't been able to go to school yet, so they spend their time at home reading.

47. I convinced one of my coworkers to come to my house after work to see Hiddenbrook for himself. Once Benny saw my house, and met my family, he didn't see the big reason why people were staying so far from here. But he is smart enough to know, that once a bad reputation is set up it can take years to rebuild.

48. The weather is starting to warm up* so I've encouraged Dylan and Eileen to get outside and actually enjoy the snow for as long as they can. Dylan did just that today. --- * It's been a while since the seasons changed, but there is still snow everywhere. I'm almost sad to see the stuff go.

49. And that concludes Chapter 4 – Don't Look Back. Join the Lakshmis next time to see which restriction will be lifted next. Will Clint become mayor or will Buddy top Law first? Will the twins get to finally go to school; will the snow ever melt? Thank you for reading, and make sure you check out -- SiMania ( www.z12.invisionfree.com/sim_mania ) to see updates on the family between chapters! Happy Simming! HippieLayla86