Up from the depths and back to love.

1. The Squeaky Clean Legacy 17.4:
Love, Death, and Love

2. When we last le+ the Squeaky Clean Legacy, our Genera9on Nine heiress
Elaine Goodytwoshoes had just had a disappoin9ng roman9c setback.
Her friends and family were extremely worried about her. Her friend Ian
Legacina rallied around with some emo9onal support, and she returned
to the Legacy house for a course of treatment, including a tonic invented
by Max Goodytwoshoes, ice cream, and kiIens. She is now back at
school . . .

3. . . . fully recovered. In fact, she is considerably stronger than she was
before.

4. See?

5. She has been using her 9me profitably, earning grant money. . .

6. . . . finishing her gold flowermaking badge. . . .

7. . . . .wri9ng term papers . . . .

8. Elaine: OW.
And, of course, being admiIed to the secret society.

9. Over at the boys’ house, there are also Secret Society abduc9ons going on.
Bunthorne: Another abduc9on? You’re not a secret to anybody anymore; why
can’t you just mail people a membership card and decoder pin?

10. The only good side about Secret Society abduc9ons is that once in a
while they provide a nice addi9on to the date pool. Unluckily for
Bunthorne, the dormie he decided was Hot also happens to be Heather
the Eventual Zombie, and she’s earmarked in this hood, so nothing doing.

11. Telemachus has been much luckier with his Secret Society dormie, Asia.
She likes him a lot and she’s cute, if a bit confused.

12. Telemachus, you probably ought to tell her that you’ve got nothing to do
with the aliens from Avatar and that you don’t have a magic tail. I don’t
think your father Ulysses would approve if he thought you were geWng
ac9on under false pretenses.

13. Telemachus: I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the smootching.
He also has a face like a fish, but at least it’s a cute fish.

14. Palomides’ rela9onship with Grocery Girl Stacey Gothier has been going
extremely well.

15. In fact, he threw a party just for her and. . ..

16. Stacey: OMG really in front of all these people?
Palomides: In front of all these people. AND the fish.
Fish: BLORP.

17. Obviously, they’re happy. . .

18. . . . .but I wonder what Elaine will make of it? She just had to break off
her own engagement not too long ago. Won’t this bring back some
painful memories?

19. Elaine: Welcome to the family, Stacey! And Palomides, congratula9ons
on finding a girl who’s willing to put up with you.
Stacey: I love the way he’s so concerned and involved and the way you
never have to guess what he’s really thinking!
Elaine: As I said. . .

20. Elaine did seem interested in geWng to know her future sister in law,
while Palomides let all his guests know how happy he was in his own
special way.

21. It looks as though she’s en9rely over Angus.

22. Meanwhile, over at the chi‐chi French bakery J’Adore. . . .

23. Gilbert: Did Zane say what is the maIer?
Cass: No, but he sounded really sad on the phone. He said he wanted to
talk to you alone and I told him to come right over.

24. Cass: I’m going to check on the marzipan supply in the back. Call me if
you need me.

25. Zane: You know I was going to find out who I really was? Well, it was
bad. REALLY bad.
I know I promised not to tell you or Daddy Cass unless you asked and I’m
going to keep that promise, but. . . .it was bad. A lot worse than I
thought.

26. Gilbert: Pauvre enfant. And you tell this to the pe9te Lenore? She says
to you, you are no longer the man I love, I spurn your advances, do not
darken my door again?

27. Zane: Oh, no, Lenore was great. She said she’d love me no maIer what.
But you don’t understand how horrible the things I found out were.
About my mother. About my father. About me.
It’s not something you could ask anyone to accept, and certainly not a girl
you really love. So I told her . . .

28. Gilbert: Tell me that you did not say you were seeing her no longer for
her own good.
Zane: Well, no, that’s preIy much what I said. How did you know?
Gilbert: Nom de Dieu.

29. Gilbert: Zane, I raise you from a child. Tell me, your Papa Cass and I—we
tell you what to do anymore? We decide what is good, what is bad for
you, and then we make you do it? Is this what we do?

30. Zane: Well, no, of course you don’t, because I’m an ad—
‐‐oh, boy.

31. Zane: You mean that was trea9ng her like a child? I never thought of
that. I just wanted to protect her. Papa. . . You have no idea how horrible
I am; what a monster.

32. Gilbert: You are my son. Our son, and a Jacquet. The Jacquets, we do
not have monsters in our family.
Cass: Except you, when you’re disappointed in the egg supplier.

33. Gilbert: I do not wish to know what you find out. . .
Cass: Me either. If it’s that bad, I don’t need to know.
Gilbert: Zane, you are our good, kind son, and we love you absolutely.
Remember this.

34. Zane: I blew it. She’s never going to forgive me for this.
Gilbert: She loves you, yes? And you can but ask.

35. Cass: Aw, don’t take your Dad too seriously, honey. He’s not really upset
with you. Between you and me, he was just pissed off that he might not
be able to bake you a wedding cake. He’s been coun9ng on it.

36. Gilbert: And this. . . It is for you.

37. Zane: What is it?
Gilbert: It is a gateau au chocolat. Use it wisely.

38. Zane: Um, thanks.

39. Zane: Thanks for everything. Thanks for loving me.
Gilbert: It is a duty remarkably easy.

40. Zane: Thanks for coming to the park with me, Lenore. I wasn’t sure
you’d come.

41. Lenore: I thought maybe you’d have an explana9on for all the stuff you
said. And I hope it’s a good one. “I found myself on the Internet?” “It’s
not you, it’s me?” “You’ll be beIer off without me?” I have never heard
such bullshit excuses in my life. I certainly didn’t expect to hear them
from you, of all people.

42. Zane: Hold it. You STILL haven’t heard them from me. When have I ever
lied to you? Just because a million other guys use those as. . .you know,
excuses, doesn’t mean I would.
It was dumb and I was wrong, and I can see I really hurt you, and I’m so
sorry about that.

43. Zane: I guess I was in shock. I’d just found out that I was dead. I found
out I was Death in person. It was horrible. Of course I had to find out
who I really was and tell you everything. I couldn’t have asked you to
marry me if I hadn’t.

44. Zane: But I guess a+er the way I acted, you wouldn’t want to anymore and I
don’t blame you. I missed you every minute, Lenore. It was so hard not to call
you every day and hear your voice and tell you I love you.
That probably sounded like. . . Like nonsense, too.

45. Lenore: Not so fast, Slick. You’re not going anywhere. For one thing, I
blew it, too. Yeah, I was right to be pissed off, but you’re right. I
shouldn’t have thought you’d make up a bunch of excuses and break up
with me. I should know you beIer than that by now.
Plus, I want you to roll back to the bit where you said you wanted to
marry me.

46. Zane: Of course I want to marry you. I want that more than anything in
the world! You mean I never said that?

47. Zane: I thought you knew. I’ve always known. I’m sorry, Lenore.

48. Lenore: Aw, Zane. You’ve banked up a lot of Boyfriend Points. You’re
allowed to boob up once.

49. Lenore: I missed you every minute, too. I mean, Nausicaa and I have s9ll
been going to par9es and taking Elaine out, but I kept thinking how much
nicer it would have been if you were there.
Zane: Really?
Lenore: Really, handsome.

50. Zane: This isn’t the way I always planned it. I wanted to have a special
proposal—take you out somewhere nice, with flowers. I didn’t think it
would be just talking in the park.

51. Lenore: Tell you what. You can s9ll take me out and I can pretend to be
surprised.

52. Zane clearly thought this was an adequate compromise.

53. See? They’re cool now. In fact, Zane even brings Cass with him the next
9me he visits Goodygirls.

54. Cass seemed to enjoy visi9ng Goodygirls a+er all those years and made
himself at home.

55. Elaine: How does he even do that? I already cleaned up that leaf pile.

56. Elaine has also been making more friends and pledging some more
members to the Greek House. Allegra Gorey and Mar9n Ruben came
along with Jane Stacks, but only Jane is a full‐out member, mostly
because I like her.

57. Nausicaa has been adding to her Dream Dates, all of them with Nino
Caliente.

58. And Lenore Visited Campus, and brought home a cheap gas grill.
And there was much rejoicing.

59. Ian Legacina is a frequent visitor.

60. He’s also good at clearing away unwelcome visitors.

61. And looking good while doing so.

62. See? He is a helpful guy to have around the house.

63. Lenore: Yeah, we all like him.
Nausicaa: Even Lenore, and you know how crabby she is.
Lenore: Hey!

64. And of course, Ian is also always welcome at par9es.

65. Zane: Psst. Parsifal. Seriously, what is going on with them?
Parsifal: Shh. Don’t jinx it.

66. Both college houses go out in big groups to have a good 9me.

67. And again, Ian always seems to be there. There’s never any discussion
about whether to invite him.

68. Elaine: I just like having him around. He’s comfortable.

69. Lenore: Psst, Gawaine. What is she doing all the way over there?

70. Gawaine: I have no idea.
Lenore: There’s only two tables.

71. Elaine: I was thinking of geWng away from the pink princessy look,
honestly. Maybe we should go shopping, Regina.
Regina: You think I’m going to be much of a help there? Well, I can try,
but if I wanted to update my look, I wouldn’t ask me either.

72. Palomides: Isn’t your chair all wobbly, Elaine? Don’t you think they
maybe have beIer chairs at the other table?
Elaine: No, this one’s fine. And I was just about to get up and dance
anyway.

73. Lenore: Huh.
. . . Nah. Not gonna ask.

74. Elaine: Aw, thanks for invi9ng me over, Gawaine.

75. Elaine: I assume all three of you are about to grill me about my love life.
Gawaine: Would we do something like that?
Elaine: You always do things like that.

76. Gawaine: Of course not. We just wanted to show you our new Mah‐Jong
table. Didn’t we want to show Elaine our new Mah‐Jong table, gentlemen?
Palomides: Oh, yeah!
Parsifal: Of course!

77. Gawaine: And right now, it’s for immediate family members only, isn’t it?

78. Gawaine: Isn’t it, Bunthorne?
Bunthorne: Psht, I was just going. You guys are about as subtle as a bag
of hammers.

79. Elaine: Sigh. All right. Go ahead.

80. Palomides: Tiles on the table? OK. You’re a Romance Sim.
Gawaine: You’re not even da9ng. We’re worried that you aren’t happy.

81. Elaine: I think I can manage my own roman9c life for myself, thank you.

82. Boys: . . . .
Elaine: Well, I can!

83. Palomides: Personally, I don’t understand why you aren’t da9ng Ia—
OW, PERCY! That broke the skin!

84. Elaine: Look, I’m glad you want to look a+er me, but I’ve changed a lot
since I broke up with Angus. I don’t want to rush into anything. I was in
too much of a hurry, and . . . and I saw things that turned out not to be
there.
I don’t even know if the kind of love I wanted exists. I don’t want to
make any more mistakes.

85. Palomides: Well, that about wraps it up for us. Percy and I have things to
do. Things. Now.

86. Elaine: Aren’t you going to grill me, Gawaine?

87. Gawaine: Me. Noooo. It’s a tough line to walk, you know, being your older brother. I
feel as though before, with –
Elaine: Angus. You can say his name.
Gawaine: I don’t really like to, but all right. I did too much and not enough. I want
you to be happy, and I don’t want you to get hurt. We all feel the same way. Can you
blame us?
I can keep Parsifal and Palomides from annoying you, but promise me you’ll come talk
to us first, wherever, whenever you need us.

88. Elaine: All right. ‐‐That was it? Really?
Gawaine: Really. Oh, and I just cleaned you out.

89. Zane: Do you like it here? I thought it would be nice to go somewhere we
hadn’t been to before.

90. Zane: You look really, really preIy in that, by the way.
Did you know that when you hold my hand, I just never want you to
stop?

91. Zane: So I brought you a liIle something so you never have to.

92. Lenore: OMG WHAT IS THAT??!!!??

93. Zane: Oh, come on, Lenore. I know I can be an idiot, but I’m not THAT
big of an idiot.

94. Zane: Do you like it, really? I asked my Dads for advice and we looked at
some things, but finally—
‐‐well, that used to belong to Grandmama Denise, and we got it resized.
It was the most special thing I could think of.

95. Lenore: Oh, I love it. ALL of it. The dinner and the dressing up, and . . . .
. . . Oh, my God, Zane, I think I’m going to cry.

96. Zane: Our kids are going to wonder what I said to you to make your nose
all pink. Let’s go home so I can kiss you.

97. This is a drama9c contrast to the way some people behave in
photobooths.

98. Some people including Lenore’s mother Carmilla. She’s been working on
her LTW of Twenty WooHoos and there are some days when it feels like a
lot of work.

99. Professor Rorschach, for instance. Carmilla doesn’t want to see him all
that much but it’s the middle of the night on a community lot, and who
you gonna call?

100. Carmilla: I’m sure nobody will recognize me behind this magnificent
specimen of manhood here.
Eddie Legacy: Well! REALLY!

101. Eddie: She’s chea9ng on Stanley!
Theo: I know.
Eddie: On Stanley! I didn’t know it could be done. Well, I think I’ve
decided to be really quite upset about this.
Theo: Me, too.

102. HAH. Done! Too bad that last one couldn’t be Stanley or Rhys or
someone you liked a bit more, Carmilla. Why were you in such a hurry?
Carmilla: You saw Eddie and Theo. You think they were upset? Imagine
how upset Lenore would be. I’d rather go permaplat while she’s in
college.

103. Carmilla: She’s engaged, you know.
Really?
Carmilla: She says his monster creden9als are perfect, but of course I
want Lucy’s opinion.

104. Lucy: Well, at least he’s a decent monster. We can’t have Lenore
marrying just any old s9nky boy, I mean, if she’s goIa. Psst, Spacely, over
there.

105. That’s the roIen part about being a Servo in a house with a really
popular Romance Sim. The mail is always full of love leIers, and none of
them are for you.

106. Lenore: Don’t be silly, Papa Gilbert, you’re one of the family now. Of
course you’re invited to Grandma and Grandpa’s birthday.

107. Appius and Jane are aging up today. They put it off with elixir at least
twice, but they really did want to Grow Up Well, and finally I had to let
them.

108. Jane’s the first elder werewolf I’ve ever had.

109. And then there is a long and horrible pause as the game decides whether
it will create the graphic miracle that is a Plantsim Growing Up or
whether it will crash. Note Count Whoopie in the background, cheering
his head off.

110. There are a lot of guests, invited and uninvited. The simselves weren’t
invited: they seldom are. Candi just decided she felt like some cake and
walked by today, bringing Ephemeral Toast with her.

111. Achilles and Ulysses are invited, of course.

112. Ulysses: Doc sends her regards, Lucy. You know, I don’t remember if I’ve
been back here since you and Carmilla vamped me! Thanks for making
me your first vic9m, and you know I mean that.

113. You don’t see Max breaking up a lot, but something he and Lucy are
discussing about Doc Nerd really cracks them both up.

114. Max: Grandpapa, I cannot believe that she is as improved in health as
you say. I always said there was a great danger of over9ring her.

115. Cecilia: I do feel beIer than I have in years. Papa was right to take me on
a world tour. The fresh air, the fishing, the flapjacks. . .
Max: I wish you would permit me to take your pulse at least.

116. Cecilia: But I really do feel very well, and I don’t know who you are to be
taking my pulse.
Max: Your . . .physician.

117. Cecil: She has in fact drama9cally improved. I do not know why you
cannot concede this, Maximilian, unless it is because you cannot admit
that I was correct.

118. Cecilia: In fact, I think I will find a nice book to read before bed.

119. Maximilian: I would be happy to be proven wrong. Can you believe
otherwise? I simply believe that you have always had an unrealis9c. . .
Grandpapa, is Mama entering the library?
Cecil: She is. Is this a maIer for concern?

120. Max: Oh, God.

121. Max: Stop her!

124. Max: Wait! Do not. . .

125. Max: Too late.

128. Cecilia: It’s his urn! It has Secundus’ name on it!

129. Cecil: What is the meaning of this?
Max: She knows. At least in part, she knows.
Cecil: And where did you find that urn?
Max: I will explain later.

130. Max: Look a+er her, Grandpapa. Make her lie down if possible.

132. Cecilia: He died, didn’t he?

133. Cecil: Yes, dear girl.
Cecilia: He died a long 9me ago, didn’t he?
Cecil: Yes, dear girl.
Cecilia: Why didn’t I know?

134. Max: This MUST work. This absolutely has to work.

135. Cecilia: Why wasn’t I told he was gone?

136. Cecil: You have been unwell. You have not been yourself for a very long
9me. You must not press further and endanger yourself again.

137. Cecilia: Then where is my boy?
Please do not tell me he is gone, too. Or rather, please do if it is the truth. I
am much stronger. I can bear it.
Cecil: Perhaps a+er you have had some of Max’s remedy. You will find it in the
dining room.

139. Cecilia: Thank you for the. . .
MAX.

140. Cecilia: You have his nose.
Max: Pardon?
Cecilia: You have Secundus’ nose. You are my son, and I did not know you? For
that long?
Max: I am afraid you did not.

141. Cecilia: Oh, my Max. I am so sorry.

142. Cecilia: I missed your birthdays, I missed your gradua9ons. I missed
everything. I will never forgive myself. We will never get those back.
Max: No, I am afraid we will not. Uncle LyIon was correct. Things can
never be as though they had never happened.

143. Max: But we do have the future. . . . Mama?
Cecilia: Max.

144. Max: You know me. You do.
‐‐where is Grandpapa? He ought to be here.

148. Max: Mama? Mama, you must not 9re yourself.

149. Cecilia: I can bear it. I can.

150. Cecilia: And in any event, I must, for what is true is what is true. And it is
true that he is gone.

151. Cecilia: Please do not worry about me, Max. I will never go back to that
place of shadows again.

152. Cecilia: We can all rest now. I owe so much to you, and to Papa. I would
not be well again if it were not for you. I wish I could thank whoever
found poor Secundus.

154. Cecilia: It was you. It must have been you. Are you an angel?

155. Spider Jerusalem: HAH. Lady, you have no idea how far off that is.

156. Cecilia: It is not. You are.

157. Cecilia: You are my good angel.

158. Cecilia: Thank you for bringing my Secundus home to me.

160. Max: The wings are a bizarre and outré touch that I do not recollect
having seen before.
Spider Jerusalem: Hey, you heard your Mom. I did a good deed. I
earned ‘em. There were bells and everything.

161. Max: I suppose, given that my mother’s recovery is par9ally owing to
you, I ought to thank you.

162. Spider Jerusalem: Uh, you know what? Don’t. I don’t want to be
thanked. I just wanted that urn back where it belonged.

163. Spider Jerusalem: It looks nice there, though. All peaceful and
everything.

164. Max: Yes. It is now what it always pretended to be.

165. Max: A tomb.

167. Gawaine: This mee9ng of the Knights of the . .
Parsifal: . . . Oblong Table. . .
Gawaine: . . . Yes, Oblong Table, thank you Percy . . . is now in session.

168. Gawaine: Something must be done about Elaine.

169. Palomides: Well, I s9ll say she should just get with Ian. I’ve always
thought they’d be great together.

170. Gawaine: YES, we know, Palomides, you’ve made your opinion really
clear.

171. Palomides: But it’s different this 9me, really, because I talked to him.

172. Palomides: He said he knows exactly what Elaine’s been through, and it’s
really bad for a Romance Sim like her. He said her world’s been turned
upside down and inside out and he just doesn’t think he should take
advantage of that.

173. Palomides: I said he should just shut up and kiss her already.

174. Palomides: For some reason, he thought that was a bad idea. But I wish
he would, because I really like him.

175. Parsifal: I really like him, too, Palomides.

176. Parsifal: I s9ll feel responsible for how badly Elaine was hurt, though, and
I don’t want her in a posi9on where that happens again.

177. Gawaine: We should have been there for her. It’s what we swore to do.
Parsifal: Yes. There isn’t much for a knight to do these days.

178. Gawaine: I don’t think we ought to intervene.
. . .unless, of course, we really have to and it’s in her best interests
anyway.

179. Parsifal: What? I thought we had agreed to stay on the straight and
narrow road of. . .
Gawaine: Yeah, that ought to do nicely.

180. Gawaine: Great idea. I like it.

181. Gawaine: Just another Ou9ng. Standard issue Pop Sim Ou9ng, we all
love them.

182. Gawaine: Palomides, are you sure about this?

183. Palomides: Oh, for crying out loud, yes! I don’t know what your problem
is, Gawaine. You’re the one who always wants to sing Karaoke. I’m
always rolling the Fear of it and if I can, you can, so let’s get up there and
do it.

184. Elaine: Oh, no.
Ian: What?

185. Palomides: Hello, ladies and gentlemen, hope you’re having a lovely
evening at Midnight Flows. We’ve got a special request for a classic
ballad, so I want to see the lights lowered out there.

186. Palomides and Gawaine:
Why do birds suddenly appear
Every Mme you are near?
Just like me, they long to be,
Close to yooooo. . . .

187. Elaine: I can’t believe them. I cannot believe they are doing this, and I
thought I’d seen it all.

188. Ian: Yes, they’re awful, but Elaine, as long as they’re going to all that
trouble . . .

189. Ian: . . .are you sure we want to waste the chance?

190. Palomides and Gawaine:
Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every Mme you walk by?

191. Palomides and Gawaine:
Just like me, they long to be
Close to yooooo. . .

193. Palomides and Gawaine:
On the day that you were born the angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true. . .

194. Palomides:
So they sprinkled gold dust in your hair and stardust in your eyes of
blue . .
Gawaine:
Brbddyp, brddyp

196. Palomides and Gawaine:
That is why all the boys in town
Follow you all aroun‐NOUN‐NOUN‐NOUN. . .

197. Palomides and Gawaine:
Just like me, they long to be
Close to yooooo. . . .

198. Woo‐ooo—ooo
Close to yoooo . . .
Wooo—ooo‐ooo
Close to yooooo. . .

200. Gawaine: YES IT WORKED.
Palomides: Told you so.

201. Cover picture; “Cupid Finding Psyche,” Sir Edward Burne‐Jones.
Credits:
Thanks to Orikes, Pseudo Legacy, for Ian Legacina; to Peasant007, Devereaux
Legacy, for Zane Devereaux (Marius‐Jacquet); to DocNerd, VeMnari Dualegacy,
for Cassidy, Spider Jerusalem, and her simself; to Candi, whose Gage Uglacy got
a liIle love and to Dicreasy, Victorian Legacy, whose Eddie Legacy and Theo
Harrison expressed disapproval.
“Close to You,” The Carpenters.