Chain Reaction Generation One Summary: Part Two

     Graham does eventually tell Brielle about Courtney being his boss. He never tells her what his job actually is, but she's guessed correctly. When he finishes telling her, she starts giggling. Then, she tells him she's so happily relieved that the one woman she'd worried about all this time was also the boss he's been griping about. She's happy.

     Living with Brielle isn't easy for Graham. They have separate bedrooms, but the house has only one bathroom. One day, Graham accidentally walks in while Brielle is in the shower. She doesn't notice him at first, and he looks his fill...well, maybe not fill. She notices him and panics at the lust in Graham's eyes. He quickly apologizes and dashes out of the room, forcing himself to stay put.

     He gets off work early and surprises Brielle. They sit and have a discussion about that morning. Brielle hates how what Fred did to her messed her up. Then, she asks Graham what the good guy would do. So, Graham tells her everything he'd have done had he gotten in the shower with her. They both get really turned on, and in his exploring, Graham discovers Brielle is still a virgin. Then, it hits him just how Fred attacked her. After that, they sit and cuddle on the tiny couch the rest of the evening, getting to know even more about each other.

     Graham takes her on a stellar date and makes it even better by proposing.

     She says yes.

     Graham turns into lovey dovey mushy wuvvikins. The two of them almost make me sick with how they won't stop flirting, etc.
     He casually mentions one night how he'd told his parents they were engaged. Parents? Graham has parents? Uh, yeah!

     Edwin and Sofia Taylor.
     Brielle is a nervous train wreck. She's never had a good parental experience. Graham assures her it'll all be fine because they're his parents.

     Then, Edwin drops the ball and lets on that they know all about how Brielle had lied about her age when they first met, that she was the teenager he got fired for dating.
     Sofia desperately tries to save the situation, telling Brielle that it doesn't matter. They're both so happy to have her as part of their family, and they're happier still that she's made Graham so happy.
     Graham gets furious with his parents when Brielle has to go to the bathroom to compose herself for a few minutes. He's in the process of quietly asking them to leave when Brielle comes out acting happy.
     The tense situation pretty much resolves itself due to the determination of those involved.

    Wedding bells!

     Cheesy bad porn music!

     Back from their honeymoon, Brielle thinks she's getting fat.

     Graham figures it out for what it is. I'd installed a ten percent risky woohoo mod. Well, they did A LOT of woohoo on their honeymoon.

     Brielle does NOT appreciate how the doctor smiles while she's in pain.

     I make like Graham faints during the delivery. The dads going nuts is funny...the first time. After that, it's just annoying.


     Meet baby Ethan, aka monkey boy. (more on that later)


     Graham has to go back to work sooner than Brielle.
     Not too long after he leaves for work (remember this theme I mentioned earlier?), Brielle has a knock at her door.

     It's ALEX!
     They stand on the front porch and talk. He claims he wants to be friends again, but when he hears that Brielle is married, he looks very upset. Brielle can see calculating going on behind his eyes. Then, Ethan cries loud enough to be heard on the porch. Incredulous shock replaces the calculating gleam in Alex's eyes. Brielle has a son?!
     She says to herself that it's like watching a door close inside his mind.


     Alex adores Ethan, saying he'll have Brielle's eyes. He starts calling himself Uncle Alex.


     After putting Ethan back to bed, the two of them go have a seat on the sofa. Alex reiterates his wish to be friends. Knowing and trusting what she saw but still nervous due to the past, Brielle gives him a 'we'll see' kind of answer.

    Graham blows his top when he finds out Alexander Goth was in his house and held his son! Brielle tries to convince Graham what she saw with the 'door closing' behind Alex's eyes, but Graham won't listen. Brielle doesn't understand, or she doesn't try to, just exactly why Graham can't stand Alex.
     Well, I'll tell you straight since I haven't done this anywhere. It's not hard for people to figure out, but Graham is wary of Alex. He knows that if there's ever a chance of losing Brielle to someone, it would be Alex because of the past the man and his wife share. He knows Alex is jealous as hell of him and would still love to take him down but doesn't only because Brielle asked him not to.
     Readers do eventually find out why Graham doesn't trust any Goth any farther than he can throw them. More on that later.
     Graham and Brielle have a real fight, and Graham sleeps on the couch. In the middle of the night, Graham apologizes for not trusting her. After all, she stood by him even when all the voices around her told her he was scum.
     Brielle doesn't apologize, even if her actions are apologetic. Definite flaw in her character.

      It's later. More like, it's better to put this here.
     Graham kept digging for stuff on Mortimer, even though he'd transferred groups at work. (Boy, did that piss of Courtney, and that's all you really need to know about that) He found an offshore account that not only wasn't taxed but had connections to a human trafficking ring. It makes Graham sick to think that his wife was once the man's ward! Mortimer wasn't directly involved, but he was profiting off it.


     Ethan ages to child and turns into a rambunctious little scamp. He claims his best friend is a boy named Branden, but he spends most of his non-school playtime with a girl named Claire. He makes it a game of making her mad because he can make her mad so easily.


     He doesn't like it when she pouts. That's no fun. Most girls are annoying, but Claire usually isn't. The pouting doesn't last long.

    He re-meets Uncle Alex at the park. Alex had texted Brielle to meet him here so they could talk in person. Before, everything's been over the phone.
    Ethan can't believe that Alex's best friend was a girl (Brielle) when he was a kid.


     The three of them sit down to eat. Brielle got a message from Graham that he was going to be late. Alex has a good time telling Ethan about some of the crazy stunts his mom would do as a kid.


     Then, Alex and Brielle go off to talk, and we find out the real reason he wanted to talk in person. He's freaking out because his dad is being investigated by the S.I.M.S. Not news to us, but it's awful news to him. Brielle comforts him as best she can (not her forte), and she hugs him. Alex lovingly hugs her back just as Graham arrives.

     Graham blows his top. (I should've titled these summaries 'over-used cliches') He knows what he saw. He and Alex argue, and then Graham drags Brielle away.

     Then, I totally ignore all the drama I'd just cooked up and decide to move the legacy along. :/
     Brielle gets abducted and sees the future. She's going to have a girl.

     They move.

     We finally meet Branden, Ethan's 'best' friend. Branden likes to complain and point out flaws. He and Ethan laugh that Ethan's room is kinda pathetic since they spent so much on just buying the empty house.

     Graham and Brielle try to get her pregnant, but they're not getting results.

     Of course, that doesn't stop them from trying.

     Graham leaves for work (theme), and Alex comes over. He's started his own company in internet security. Instead of hacking, he works for the good guys.
     He also has big news. He's dating someone.     

     Thing is, that someone is his secretary/assistant. The ethics bother him, but Brielle tells him to stop being a downer. She's happy for him. He roundabout asks her if it's okay that he's dating someone. Of course it's okay!

    Alex stays past his welcome, and he's still there when Graham gets home from work. They have a fight, and Alex hints about his knowledge about Graham's real job.

     Preggers!

     They decide to name her Emily, a name Graham really likes.

     Dr. Smiley again. Graham freaking out again.

     Emily.

     I took way too many pics of Graham in his pj pants snuggling with baby Emily, 'Daddy's little girl.' I couldn't help myself. Something about hot guy loving on his baby that gets me. Probably instinctual.

Anyway, the gen 1 story could stop here, but I wanted to put in an Alex interlude because it will help build the future bits of gen 2. Don't try to think you know what that's going to mean because I'm probably going to shock the stuffing outta some people. At least, it would be really cool if I did. :D

     Mmmmmmmkay, so, first we hear about how Alex will always love Brielle but accepts that she'll never love him back any more than she would a brother.

     This is his mouthwatering (according to Alex) girlfriend, Laura Stinson.

     They go out, and Alex has a few moments where he wonders about her motives. Is she a spy? Is she a golddigger? She assures him she's just her. He wants to believe her.
     Tell it to ya: she's not anything suspicious. I just liked putting that in to throw some people. She's honestly attracted to Alex. Yes, she likes that he has (or has the potential to have) money, but she also thinks he's hot.

     More cheesy porn music!

    Brielle and her family come to the wedding. I like cracking up about the awful, useless caterer through Alex.

     Da dat da dah!

     This is Emily. Gen 2 backs up to right after she's born so as to give it a good 'Ethan' start. She's a genius, and Alex thinks she's a bit odd---but she reminds him of himself at her age.

     Everyone else leaves, and Emily stays, curiously watching the DJ. Alex comes out to dismiss him and sees her sitting there. He sits down next to her and answers question after question, liking her more with each one she asks. He hopes that if he ever has a daughter one day that she'd be like Emily.

Ta da! You survived!!!!
Now, move on to Generation 2!

2.1: The Answer is 42

^^Please, please tell me you 'get it,' meaning the title pun.