Chapter 38: This Mess We're In

Rex spends a lot of time reading to Thessaly. He wonders if his son would have turned out better if he had spent more time like this with him.

Sheridan's heart starts racing when he sees the cop striding toward him. There are any number of crimes he could be arrested for. As she draws closer, he recognizes Chanda, but that doesn't ease his fear. She's a good cop, and she would take him in if she had to.

"Are you going to rough me up a little first, or are you just going to cuff me?" Sheridan asks, using bravado to cover his real fear.

"I'm off duty," she says, "I just stopped by after work to see Thessaly."

Sheridan sighs, relieved. But his heart is still pumping hard. "You look really hot in the uniform, babe," he purrs.

"You're all sweaty," she observes.

"I was just working out, and on my way to the shower when you came in," he answers, "Care to join me?"

"I'm here for Thessaly, not for you," Chanda answers, but she's seriously tempted.

"I won't take long, promise," Sheridan says, nudging her toward the bathroom.

"Don't be too quick about it," she sighs, giving in, "Make it worth my while, at least."

"You got it, babe."

Clean and blissful after her shower with Sheridan, Chanda comes out to chat with her daughter.

 "Be here when I get back?" Sheridan asks her as he rushes by, dressed for 'work'.

"I don't think so," Chanda says, bubble of her afternoon lovemaking burst.

Sheridan would insist she stay, but Demond is waiting on him, and he can't be late.

Chanda can't see any real way out her situation. She has a child she can't simply abandon. And spending time with Thessaly means being around Sheridan. And being around Sheridan always ends the same way, sex followed by regret. She tells herself every time she visits that she won't do it again, but she always does; she can't help it.

Demond Riley has been seen out with Tenille Dorman lately.

Sheridan was elated when she called, asking him to meet her at Cathedral. They hadn't been on a real date since Thessaly was born, since she left him. He's been working to get her back, but he's only been successful in getting her into bed, or the shower, for casual sex. Which he's not knocking, it's just that he wants more, wants what he's wanted since he mer her, for her to live with him, be his wife. If she'll go out with him in public, that could be the first step in making that happen.

When he sees her, he sucks his breath to his teeth. "Hot," he says, "Smoking hot."

Chanda can't help but smile, his appreciation of her beauty is always nice. "This isn't a date," she says, getting right to it, "I need to ask some questions."

Sheridan backs off, his brow furrowed deeply. "This is an interrogation?" he asks, feeling horribly used. She didn't have to get his hopes up this way just to smash them. She could come to his house to question him. Or drag him into the station, anything but this.

"No, nothing official," she says, "It's about my work, but it's personal."

He raises an eyebrow, not understanding. "Let's get a drink," she says.

Sheridan buys her a drink, and waits, guarded, for her questions or interrogation or whatever.

"Demond Riley has been dating my partner, Tenille," she says.

"I have nothing to do with Riley," Sheridan says automatically. She should know better than to think he's going to rat on his boss.

Chanda sighs, tears of frustration forming in the corners of her eyes. "Sheridan, I like to think I'm a good cop. But when it come down to it, I'd do anything to keep you out of trouble. I'm not interested in getting information from you, or going after Riley, or doing anything that might land you in jail," she says, wishing that it weren't true, that she really was the cop she thought she should be, "I'm worried about my partner, and I need you to be straight with me about this."

"Would you really?" he asks, "Lie for me? Falsify reports? To keep me out of jail?" This is all news to him. Extremely good news.

"It's not a license for you to do whatever you want," she sighs.

"I won't abuse it, promise," he says, wrapping his arm around her. He's not interested in making her cover for him, it's the fact that she loves him enough to do it that's making him happy. "Ask your questions."

"Tenille is a good cop. She hated Riley. And she wasn't too keen on vampires. And now she's dating him. I want to know what you know about that."

"Nothing," Sheridan answers.

Chanda pushes his arms off her, "You said you'd answer," she pouts.

"I am answering. Demond doesn't like personal questions, and he doesn't talk about his social life. This is the first I've heard about this relationship," Sheridan says. Chanda looks upset, and, having gotten so much from her tonight, he wants to give as much back to her, so he tries to find something. "Vampires have, like, mind control abilities. And, I know that when Demond was married to your aunt Sundari, he was using her as an informant. So, I'd be careful about what you say or do around Tenille now, if you don't want Riley to know about it."

Chanda is crestfallen. "How do I get her out of his grasp?" she asks.

"I have no idea," Sheridan answers truthfully. "Even with regular people, it's hard to talk them out of bad relationships. If he's mind-controlling her, that makes it even harder."

She's gotten all she can out of him, and has no more questions.

"Let's not waste this," he whispers, leading her out onto the dance floor. "Let's have some fun tonight."

Inevitably, Sheridan ends up pressed close against her, asking her to come home with him. Chanda wonders why she starts out thinking she's not going to let it happen, when she knows she's not going to be able to resist him.

While she's worried about her partner, who may be under Riley's sway against her will, Chanda is also annoyed that no one on the force seems to care much, as they never cared about Riley's marriage to her aunt. They aren't worried about the conflict of interest when a cop is in a relationship with a known criminal, nor do they seem particularly intent on nabbing the town's master thief. Chanda has always felt guilty about her relationship with Sheridan, tries to hide from her fellow officers, but maybe she shouldn't. Sheridan has never asked her for police information or tried to use their relationship in his favor, so why should she worry about what it looks like?

Tonight, when he takes her to his bed, she takes the lead, letting go of any inhibition that had held her back, any shadow of guilt or fear of reproach. And when she's finished and they lay exhausted and entangled, she doesn't get of his bed to make hasty getaway. Instead, she stays circled in his embrace, happy and guiltlesss.

"I love you, Chanda," he whispers in her ear as she's falling asleep, "I love you."

While he was out working for Demond, the burglar who had previously failed to break into his home made a second more successful attempt at stealing one of his great-grandfather Darius' sculptures from the yard. Sheridan was outraged when he came home, and rather than going to bed, he went on the hunt for the thief that would dare steal from him. At dawn he found the culprit, and challenged him.

Very few men are a match for Sheridan. This interloping burglar is not one of them, and is taught a powerful lesson about who runs this town, and who not to mess with.

He's taken care of the problem, but he's deeply disturbed that he wasn't here to protect his family, his daughter.

Sheridan doesn't get much sleep before guests start arriving for Thessaly's birthday party.

He invited Demond as a courtesy, not expecting him to show up, but he did. Sheridan relays the story of the burglar, knowing that his boss doesn't appreciate freelancers in his territory.

"You take care of it," Demond says, "Good job. Let's drop work for now. It's your daughter's birthday." Demond sees uncharacteristically happy today.

Tamsin brings her granddaughter to the cake.

And Thessaly becomes a child.

Chanda steels herself to talk to Riley about Tenille, wanting to help her friend. "She's a good cop," Chanda says defiantly, "I won't see her hurt."

Demond raises his eyebrow at this girl who would dare speak to him so openly. "I would not see Tenille hurt, either," he says simply.

"What are you up to?" Chanda demands.

"Have you asked Tenille what we're up to?"

Chanda flushes, "Tenille won't talk to me about it. But she's a good cop, she would never be with you willingly."

"Or, she's a good cop who's disturbed to find herself attracted to a criminal and is ashamed to talk about it to her partner, perhaps. Don't you have similar issues regarding your relationship with Sheridan?"

Chanda's eyes flash angrily. She's started this deeply personal conversation, and now she doesn't like where it's leading. "Sheridan doesn't have mind control powers," Chanda says.

"You underestimate him," Demond laughs, "You've never seen him pull a con. Your boy is capable of a lot of things you aren't aware of."

Chanda shifts her weight uncomfortably, "Have you mind controlled Tenille? What are you getting out of her?" she asks directly, boldly.

"I have not used my vast mental powers on her, no. I'm not interested in anything I can get without effort, without challenge. That's why I do what I do. And what I get out of it?" he laughs, throaty, "Perhaps I have a thing for handcuffs, or for women in uniform. Or maybe it's the danger of being with a woman who could destroy me. These are questions you should perhaps be asking yourself."

Sheridan hands Demond a glass of plasma nectar. Demond remarks on the exceptional quality of the vintage.

"My parents found it in a tomb in France," Sheridan explains, "What were you and Chanda talking about?" he asks, his desire to protect his girlfriend overcoming his respect for his boss' privacy.

"She's concerned about my relationship with her partner," Demond answers. Sheridan apologizes for Chanda's interference, but Demond raises his hand to stop him. "It's fine," he says, "She cares about her friend. And I care about her friend, as well." Demond takes a long draught of his nectar, "My daughter died recently," he says, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I know, I'm sorry," Sheridan answers, wondering if he should have offered condolences at the time. But Demond was always adamant about not discussing his human descendants, he thought it best not to mention it.

"I wanted to give up on relationships with humans," Demond says, "You get involved, and they age, and die. But have you ever dated a vampire? I tried. Teresa Roth," Demond shakes his head. Sheridan just stands silently listening to his boss ramble. "She's the coldest, meanest bitch I've ever met. My brother warned me, he dated her for awhile. But she's the only female vampire left, besides Marie-Claude, who is married, again, and Constance, who is an elder now and will die before you, even. And my sister of course. " Demond takes another deep draught, and hands his empty glass back to Sheridan, wanting more.

All this personal information from a man who always insists on keeping everything all business is a bit of a shock. Sheridan hands him another glass, wishing he knew what to say. "You'd think a long life would be a good thing," Demond continues his ramble, "But it goes on and on, to no purpose." The vampire claps a hand on his shoulder, "I think I've gone on enough, I'll leave you to your celebration. See you tonight," he says, and leaves with vampire speed.

His daughter takes after Rex, loving to read, so he got her a laptop for her birthday to write her own stories.

Demond's ramblings hit Sheridan's subconscious, and he hugs his daughter tightly, grateful for his life and hers, however short it might be.

The guests have all gone, and his parents have gone to bed. Sheridan will be leaving shortly to meet with Demond, but for these few moments, he's alone with his daughter. He's never faced a challenge he couldn't meet, and he's never been afraid to take anything on, but this, this little girl scares him, because he can't screw this up, and doesn't know what to do to not screw it up. He needs Chanda here, now more than ever.


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Challenge Notes:
The Fighter goal is harder than I imagined. At least, finding reasons for fights that work in the story. I sadly did not get pictures of the burglary that happened that instigated this chapter's fight. I had the air conditioning on and didn't hear the burglar music. Sheridan was at work, and everyone in the house was asleep, so I was looking at the town, when I get the 'there's a burglar on you lot' message.
The burglar snagged one of Darius' sculptures (luckily one I didn't care too much about) and got away without tripping the alarm inside. Tamsin has 'can apprehend burglars' and had it in her queue to fight the burglar, but he got away before she could get out of bed.
So, I moved a homeless Sim who I thought might be the burglar into a house for Sheridan to beat up on. They are vanillas, so it's hard to tell them apart. I think I might have moved in a paparazzi rather than the actual burglar. Whoever he was, Sheridan had a low enough relationship with him to start a fight without too much preamble.
I'm irritated that burglars can steal your irreplaceable items.

SP hooked up Demond with Chanda's partner. I thought that was too funny not to use it. I got the pic of him with Tenille because while Sheridan is pursuing his bodybuilding hobby, I stalk Demond, lol. Well, you don't want a ton of pics of Sheridan working out, right?

Thessaly's child trait is bookworm. She's also got two hidden traits from her mother, burglar and pyromaniac. I have no idea where in Chanda's lineage these traits come from, but Chanda has them and passed them to Thessaly.