Round Ten - Nakamura 3

The first thing Yuki did when she and her sister moved into their new apartment was call her girlfriend, Zara. Sure, she still had a few feelings for Ruth Knox, but Zara was her real love.


Junko didn't have any such distractions and was much more concerned with how bare the apartment was. Wasn't it supposed to be fully-furnished?! The landlady had... embroidered the truth a little.


Other things they had to get used to included the fact that their neighbours were a little... peculiar. More than one time they ran into James or Jill flirting with people right in front of their horrified daughters!


Junko appreciated the fact she was now a little more free to go clubbing. It was on one such outing she met Alvin Nott, and sparks flew instantly.


They went on a few dates and both became more and more sure of their feelings; they were in love, something neither of them had really expected.


It wasn't long before Alvin was visiting her at home. He wanted to get to know Yuki and Zara. The four of them had quite a few home-cooked meals together.


Things were going so well that Junko was even beginning to talk about moving in with him.

"Isn't that a bit sudden? I mean, you've gone on a few good dates, and he's come around for dinner a few times..."


"I know it might look a bit quick, but... it's the way he kisses me! It's like we were Meant To Be."

Yuki sighed. The sceptic in her was worried, but she didn't know how much of that was jealousy that she was going to lose her twin to some guy.


But she couldn't avoid the inevitable. Junko went to live with Alvin, and as she waved off the taxi Yuki tried to hide how upset she felt. She wasn't sure how to cope with living on her own. Maybe now it was time to bite the bullet and invite Zara to stay a little more permanently...

Round Ten - Davies 2

There was rarely a time in the Davies household when the phone wasn't ringing, but these days it was for Heaven as much as for anyone else; she would often stop in the middle of helping out with the kids to rush to the phone and talk to Noah.


"You're going to have to watch your kids tonight, I have a date down town," said Heaven a little smugly.

"But - " James didn't want to admit he had no idea how to look after two boisterous girls, but Heaven wasn't backing down.


Noah took her to a fairly swanky restaurant. Sure, his sister was there and Yuki Nakamura couldn't seem to resist stalking her, but when they sat down for a meal it was just them.


The date ended just like all of their days and evenings together - with a lot of kissing. Noah was even beginning to drop hints about getting engaged and Heaven moving in to his place, and Heaven wasn't exactly averse to the idea. She couldn't wait for him to propose!


Heaven may have been over the moon, but Jill was much less so. She was going to lose her free child care! And it wasn't fair at all! How had dumpy Heaven managed to bag a rich guy like Noah Knox? Of course, what Jill failed to take into account was that not only was Heaven prettier than she gave her credit for, she was also hardworking, intelligent and kind - qualities Jill lacked and therefore did not understand the value of.


Leah had developed a bond with Jin Nakamura. He was possibly the most boyish boy ever and she was a primadonna in the making, but somehow they didn't respond to each other with "EW, COOTIES" and were actually friends - mostly because Leah had a little tiny crush on him and would let him go on about whatever he wanted for hours while she listened attentively.


Nicole was another matter. She was much more rough-and-tumble than her sister so theoretically she should have gotten on better with Jin, but they seemed to get off on the wrong foot and never really recovered.


Now that Heaven was busy with her job and her boyfriend the twins were left to their own devices more than ever. Often their parents would forget to even leave them leftovers, which meant frantic snack-food-cramming sessions for the girls. They didn't mind. Cookies and chips were the best!


But the innocence of childhood couldn't last forever. The twins became teenagers and the differences between them became even more pronounced. Nicole was extremely active and had big dreams, mostly about money - being partially raised by Heaven had clearly had an effect on her. She put more effort into exercise, school and career than she did into her appearance.


Leah was the exact opposite in many ways. Sure, her favourite hobby was keeping fit too, but most of her energy went into making sure her hair was PERFECT and socialising - like her mother, she didn't have much in the way of career aspirations.

Round Nine - Davies 2

Heaven had gotten an expensive makeover, courtesy of Jill. She wasn't entirely sure if it suited her but it would do for now - she had more important things to worry about, like finding the job of her dreams so she could get rich on her own terms!


She went on an extensive job-hunt, checking the listings on the internet frequently. Soon she found an entry-level position in the Oceanography career. Perfect!


Nicole had struck up an acquaintance with Caitlyn Straight at school. They had a lot in common - they were both fairly relaxed, messy kids with a love of logic and games.


Leah, on the other hand, was quite the budding little socialite. She was a neat-freak but put it into her appearance rather than chores, and spent most of her time on the phone talking to her many friends.


James reached elderhood but he wasn't worried about it. Jill didn't just want him for his looks, did she? She seemed to approve of him no matter what.


Behind closed doors, however, it was another matter. Jill was still seeing her young man, and James growing older made her a little more bold - and desperate. She wouldn't be young forever either.

Round Eight - Davies 2

Looking after two toddlers was proving more difficult than Jill had anticipated. Didn't they realise she needed at LEAST four hours a day on the phone if she was going to stay popular?!


It wasn't all Jill's lack of maternal instincts, either. The twins were not the easiest children to look after - constantly grumpy, fractious and unpleasant. Sometimes it took hours to get them to go to sleep, and once you'd managed one would wake up and start crying and the whole cycle would begin again.


Jill proposed a solution, and James was all ears.

"We've gotta get out of this place and find a bigger apartment. And get some kind of a live-in nanny..."

"What, like an au-pair?" Visions of blonde European teenagers danced around in James's head.

"...something like that." Jill realised she was going to have to find someone that wouldn't tempt her husband, and someone who'd be cheap enough for them to be able to afford the rent on a larger place. She had just the candidate...


Heaven Louie hadn't heard from her youngest aunt for a while and was surprised to get invited over. Being a fortune-minded young lady who hadn't managed to get a job yet, she was thrilled at the notion of moving in with them, even if it did mean looking after two difficult little girls.


The arrangement worked out perfectly. They moved into the larger apartment and Heaven took to looking after the kids like a fish to water, leaving Jill and James with enough time and energy to work and, more importantly, play.


The twins were soon more fond of Heaven than they were of their own parents, although they had a tendency to grab at her hair.


Jill, meanwhile, was reaping the benefits of not having to act like a mother. She'd had to call off her little "arrangement" with Will Knox due to his wife finding out and needed an outlet. James was nice enough, her husband, the father of her children, all that jazz, but he wasn't exciting anymore. Luckily for Jill, while on her weekly outing to the beauty spa she met someone new. One thing lead to another, in front of onlookers.


They spent the whole afternoon together, lazing around in the hot-tubs.


They would have taken it further than kissing if it weren't for some nosy old busy-body getting all up in their business. It was at that point Jill realised she'd stayed out a lot later than she said she would. She needed a good excuse...


When she got back, Heaven was waiting for her. "You're back late." Luckily, Jill had prepared for just such a situation.

"You're my niece, not my mother! If you MUST know, I stayed out later because I was picking out some new clothes for YOU. That's right, feel bad." She shoved the bags into Heaven's hands and stormed off.


The twins were soon children and ready to start school. Every morning they demanded hugs from Heaven, although Nicole was still attached enough to her parents to know something was missing.

Leah, on the other hand, had no such feelings. She was quick to take out her frustrations at James and Jill by demolishing the doll house they'd bought for her. James just stood by and watched in confusion.


Leah and Nicole may have been twins and they were very close, but it didn't mean they got on all the time. Their distinct differences in personalities meant they sometimes clashed. Nicole was meaner and messier and delighted in tormenting neat-freak Leah.


But even after all their fights and disagreements, they were still each other's best friends.


Notes: Okay, I admit it, a lot of this was me playing around and seeing what I could do with various hacks! Plus it seemed rather in character for Jill and James to call on someone else to do the actual grunt-work of parenting. Leah and Nicole repeatedly spin up wants to torment someone, and always get positive relationship points when they torment each other!

Round Seven - Davies 2

To outside eyes, Jill and James were completely incomprehensible. Two flirty, cheating slackers, married and about to bring two innocent children in the world does seem like a recipe for trouble in anyone's books. But to them it all made sense. Sure, Jill had rekindled her affair with Will, and James didn't look likely to grow out of the mistakes he'd made in his first marriage, but they still loved each other.


Jill was trying to cover up her infidelity by making friends with Elle. Seeing as she'd previously hated Elle and got into several fights with her a more... perceptive husband may have suspected her motives, but "sensitive" and "emotionally intelligent" were not words anyone could use to describe James.

"You're absolutely glowing! Pregnancy suits you!" declared Jill.

"Um... thanks?" Elle was more than a little surprised by Jill's change in attitude, but she was a positive and friendly soul and her endless naivety allowed her to only see good in making friends. Plus she could do with the support of a fellow expectant mother.


James was surprisingly enthusiastic about the upcoming birth of twins considering how negligent a parent he'd been to his already-existing children. He couldn't wait to teach them how to play his synthesiser, and Jill was already talking about enrolling them in dance classes the moment they learned how to walk.


James's star was still rising in the world of parties. He was very close to being able to pack all the odd-jobs in and becoming a professional party guest. Flirting with the young ladies who gave him rides home helped his enthusiasm.


He'd also bumped into an old flame from a few years ago and they'd had a pleasant conversation with more than a little suggestion and innuendo. It put a spring in his step. Of course, he'd have to be careful Jill never saw any of this unless he really wanted a black eye.


Jill ended up going into labour mid-conversation with Elle in the middle of the lobby. James was nowhere to be found as Elle found a telephone and called a taxi to the hospital.


Jill had twin girls named Leah and Nicole. Everyone in the apartment was delighted to meet them when she brought them home; they looked positively angelic, identical blonde girls with their father's very pale skin.


Jill found that, although she was far from a "natural" mother and still not very maternal, caring for little babies wasn't as hard as she'd feared it would be. They were too cute for her to hate them! Plus she made James do all the diaper-changing. That helped her opinion.


Being friends with Elle lead to more than a few awkward situations. She'd visit unannounced and bring Will with her, and Jill couldn't resist being a little tactless.

"How's everything with you and James? Not living up to his reputation, I hope," said Elle delicately.

"Of course not, I know how to keep my man happy. Will would know all about that..."

"What?" Will gulped and Elle looked confused.

Jill smirked. "Being kept happy. You're such a great couple!"

Will sighed. Yep, DEFINITELY playing with fire.


The girls grew quickly. They were still almost identical, with only slight differences in nose-shape to tell them apart. Their personalities were similar too; both outgoing, grouchy, difficult little toddlers.