Jerome's Party-- Chap 1 Episode 19

Michele remembered how hurt her feelings were when everybody forgot her birthday and she didn't want the same for Jerome so she planned a big shindig. Snuck a peak into his little black book. She shouldn't have. Not because she found a ton of girl's names and numbers. No, in fact, it was the opposite. Jerome had devoted so much of his time, love and energy into his family that he had no friends. Michele decided he would make friends! She invited all of his co-workers, all of his acquaintances and, to fill out the room, some of her friends too.

She was sorely disappointed. And extremely agitated. Only two of Jerome's co-workers came-- and two very uninvited crashers.

"Derick, I told you to never darken my doorstep again!"

"Oh yeah Jerome? I've taken a lesson or two since the last time we met. How 'bout I punch you in the nose?"















And what was Lorraine doing crashing the party? She was the one who put Derick up to it.

 "That's right Derick! You give him what-for!"

"Oh no, my Boo! Stop it Jerome, you're hurting my Boo!"

"Oh no, you're hurting my Boo!" Michele mocked. 

Watch the fight? No need for Michele to do that. She knew what her man could do. She also knew that Lorraine was an idiot for inciting this. 

In fact it was Lorraine and not Derick who was the cause of all the strife in her marriage.

"You know what, Lorraine? You've had this ass-kicking coming ever since I was pregnant with Jerchele. I hope you like the taste of my fist!"

And so Jerome passed into adulthood, the candles on his birthday cake unblown. But that is not to say that Jerome's wish wasn't granted.

"And then Mommy went BLASTO and Lorraine said 'My nose! my nose!' And then Mommy was like KIELBASA in the CABOOSIE. . ."

"Jerc, honey do you think that was cool?"

"Mom is way cool!"

"Yeah, Jerchele. Mom is way cool! Did you see how she when she KUNGFOOED Lorraine right in the COCONUT. . . ."

Love Grows Where My Microme Goes. Chap 1 Episode 18

Microme the creative, rambunctious scamp.

Stranger Danger!-- Chap 1 Episode 17

Oh, Jerchele, the much loved but troublesome son. While Jerome and Michele were at the hospital, he decided he it would be super cool to invite his new friend over to see the baby.   The friend he met by the garbage can. He could not understand why his mom freaked out.

"No, Jerc! We are in a happy place.. You will have to go right through me before I let Derick ruin this family's happiness yet again!"

"If that's how you feel about it mom, I guess I will go right through you and invite my new friend inside!"








Jerome, most understandably, was beside himself when he walked into the great room after changing Microme and found him sitting there.

"Why the hell is that man sitting on my couch!"
"Jerchele invited him."

"What? We would that little twerp do a thing like that?"

"Ssshhh Jerome. Jerchele can hear you."
"Yeah? Well I don't give a f. . . . .fig!"










How much can a cheerful foodie music lover take? Not much more, as a semi-reliable narrator can tell you. Jerome tried to be reasonable.

"Michele, you can understand why I want to kill the bastard, right?"

"Jerome, he was poisoned too. Remember?"

Poisoned!

"Jerome," Michele pleaded, "please don't bust a cap in his ass. It'll ruin your career with the PD. Use reason. Use your mind. That's what got you this far in your department."

"Derick, in deference to my wife who I love, I am telling you to get the hell out of my house. Realize that the only thing that is saving you from certain death is that she believes you are a good person who should not be shot straight in the heart."

"There is one thing you must understand Jerome," Derick pointed out, "Me and Michele-- we are soulmates. It is in our stars and in our profiles. There's nothing you can do to change that."

"Look at my wife, Derick. She has just come home with our child. Our second child. Do you really think your so-called soulmate would be spending the last two years having babies with someone else?'

"Michele," Derick pleaded, "you know we are meant to be together. We are one. We are soulmates."

"Derick, seriously. I just came home with Jerome and my baby. Like, an hour ago. I don't have the strength to defend you. Go home. Please."

 Derick could not let got. "NEVER!"

There was no stopping the inevitable. Not even Jerchele could halt the onslaught. "Daddy, no!"

"I will wreck you!!!"

It was no contest. Jerome was fitter, he had training in hand-to-hand at The Academy and, most of all, he was filled with righteous fury. The only thing that stopped Jerome from throwing Derick through the brand new front window was the glimpse he caught of Michele still in her hospital gown, hand on her lower abdomen and Jerchele beside her-- cheering. The boy was cheering! Instantly Jerome knew this was not what he wanted for his son. That was the only thing that saved Derick from defenestration.

It did not save Derick from literally being picked up by his scruff and the seat of his pants and thrown, head first, out the front door. After a second, Jerome walked out the front door- upright. To, in the first place, make sure Derick left and, second, to cool down. When he came back, he quietly walked in on his wife and son. 

"And then Daddy went KAPOW! and Derick said, 'Hey, ow, hey!' and Daddy was like SMACKDOODLE in the NOODLE. . ."

"Jerc honey, do you think that was cool?"

"Dad is way cool!"

"Well, I can't argue with you there, son. Your dad is super way cool. But do you think that beating up people is way cool? Did your father look happy while he was smackdoodling Derick?"

"Um, no."

"And before the fight, you told me Derick was your friend. Do you think it's way cool that someone who you thought was your friend got beat up?"

"Ah, well. . ."

"And do you think it was way cool to not listen to your parents when they warn you about not talking to strangers?"

"He was so nice. And he wasn't really a stranger, was he? You and dad know him and. . ."

"But we warned you, didn't we. He ended up being not so nice after all. He also ended up getting beat up. And your dad? He ended up angry and upset-- and hurt too. The kapows weren't all one-sided."

"Dad wasn't hurt! He's strong and full of muscles. He's inbint. . . invinca. . . unbeatable!"

"There are different types of hurt, Jerchele. Do you know what your dad's most favorite thing to do is?"

"Play Incredible Sports on the computer?"

"No, silly. It's hugging you. And me. And now, Michrome too. And his least favorite?"

"I know that for sure-- mopping the bathroom floor!"

"Nope, but that is a close second. His least favorite thing to do is punching people. And you made him do that. You made the most super cool man in the whole entire world do his least favorite thing ever. That is not a good thing, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"When me or your father tell you something, we do it with love and we do it because we know better. And we do it because WE are the parents here. With that, son, you are grounded. Go to your room."

Hey babe, come here and let me do my most favorite thing in the world!

The Reason For The Move-- Chap 1 Episode 16

You'd think that Jerchele's absolute refusal to do anything at all would be enough birth control for a few generations to come but both Michele and Jerome wished for a new baby. That was the main reason they built the bigger house.

 And boy, did they try.

And try.

AND TRY!!!

The two of them contemplated going to a fertility expert-- they never heard of healthy sims taking so long to conceive. And then, finally---

Yay!

Jerome was ecstatic when he heard the news.

"You mean that's baby fat and not your regular fat?"

They say that each pregnancy is different but polar opposites? With Jerchele, Michele worked until she delivered, only taking maternity leave after the baby was born. This was her plan with this baby, especially since they spent so much building this new home and she was so, so close to another promotion. But she just could not hack it this time around.

So tired, so hungry, so sleepy all the damn time. She was not doing herself any favors hanging around at work feeling so awful. She took maternity leave as soon as it was available. And Jerome? He was her rock.

Helping

Encouraging

Watching

This time he would not be chicken out. He would be there when he was needed!

You need me at the hospital? I'll be at the hospital. I'll be panicking but I'll be there.

I will not run away and hide this time. I will do the dance of joy when our new son is born.














We can do the dance together.

"You sure you should be getting down with your funky self so soon after getting a baby removed from your rib?"











I will not be afraid of my own child this time. This time I'll not wait until he's almost a grown child before I hold him.

"You rest, baby. I got this."

Ah, little Microme. You are such a cutie.

Even your do-nothing brother agrees.











Such a happy family. Nothing, I mean nothing could ruin their happiness!

Let's Get Meta 3

When Michele says her little boy was broken, well, she meant glitched. It started when we upgraded our house. At least I think the poor boy was glitched. He would stand in one spot for hours and hours and hours while his needs decayed. He wouldn't pee his pants or pass out. He'd just go in the red and continue to stand there. I finally had to break the challenge rules and control him.

All that I needed to do was give him a "move here" command. I think any command would have done it, however. Maybe the new house broke his routing or something. This went on until I logged out completely from the game (going to the main menu didn't help) and came back.

The boy still never, ever does his homework.

Jerchele Acts Out-- Chapter 1 Episode 15

The new house. Finally, a family sit down dinner!

For a few precious days, all seemed well with the Gratz-Ann household. Until Michele noticed something. . .

Her little man, her heart and soul and the spitting image of her dear, hardworking husband, was not adapting to the move very well. Instead of happily creating superheros at his ink and paper station, Jerchele spent an inordinate amount of time in front of the TV.

Boom ticky ye ish weeba booba wocken

He never did homework, he just. . . watched TV all day long. It was alarming. His dad tried talking to him.

Son, you don't want to grow up stupid, do you?

Michele sat down for a heart to heart

You had such great aspirations, Jerc. You're going to be the next Torch Bearer. Is it because your nickname is Jerc?

When this produced no results, Michele did the unthinkable: 

And it'll stay this way until you start doing your homework!

But this only produced even stranger behavior.

What the hell was he doing in the shower for 3 hours?

Sometimes he stood, staring into space with a strange, far off look on his face.

Maybe I should take another "shower".

And, one of the strangest things he did was, when he was asked to take out the garbage, he looked into the bin. And looked into the bin. And came thisclose to making in his pants.

Mmm. . . garbage.

It seemed her little boy was broken and  Michele did not know what to do about it. She despaired. 

"Jerchele, please come inside and stop hanging around outside beside the garbage. You never know what sort of unsavory folk hang out around there."

"Oh mommy, not unsa. . . uns. . . uh, mean people. There was a really nice man. He said I should call him "uncle"."

"For God's sake, Jerc. Don't talk to strangers!"