For a family that contains just two adults, this would seem to be an awfully large home!

As a matter of fact, that's just what Harrison and Celeste Nero were talking about one morning, as they walked into the downstairs bedroom (the fourth in the house).

"I love you, Celeste," exclaimed Harrison, "but...I need to ask you something."

Not paying a lot of attention because of the cat meowing at her feet, Celeste murmured, "Yes...?"

"You know all that space up on the third floor?" Harrison asked.

Looking at him a little strangely, Celeste answered, "Well...yeah...you mean where our bedroom is...where we slept last night?"

"Yes!" beamed Harrison. "I was thinking..."

"...Now, remember, I really love you!"

Celeste wondered what was running around in that brilliant brain of Harrison's.

"See...I thought that we could maybe get some extra money!" Harrison told her.

Celeste was pleased at that thought, but wondered what that had to do with the upper floor.

"I mean, our bank account could use some extra green, don't you think?"

"Yes! I'd have to agree with that!" approved Celeste, even though she knew that there was over $100,000 in their account at the present. She still hadn't figured out what the top floor had to do with anything!

About that time, the phone rang, and Celeste ran to answer it. It was for Harrison, so she cleaned up the kitchen a bit, and spent some time loving Kim, who was out on the verandah deciding whether or not to hop up on the coffeetable.

When Harrison finally got off the phone and came up to the kitchen to fix himself something to eat, Celeste sat down beside him and questioned, "Well...how do you propose to get that extra money? Did you have a magic lamp in mind?"

Unfortunately, right at that moment, three of the neighbors (Penny Pepper, Rufus London, and Kimberley Langerak) dropped by to welcome Harrison and Celeste into the neighborhood. By then it was almost noon, and Celeste still had no idea what Harrison was talking about.

While Penny and Kimberley went into the house to meet Harrison, Celeste got involved in a water balloon fight with Rufus. What fun!

Before long, the activity caught on, and soon Harrison and Penny were engaged in the mock battle as well.

Since Kimberley was busy trying to avoid the cats who had started her allergies acting up, and Rufus had disappeared somewhere in the house, and Penny and Harrison were out romping in the street, Celeste took a few minutes to go upstairs, make their bed, and relax a bit--trying to figure out what Harrison had in mind for making some extra money.

Before long, Harrison joined her. "Aha! I was looking for you!"

"So, Dear, what were you talking about before...you know...about the money?"

"Well, I was thinking...we need to put some money away for a rainy day!"

"We could even put some away for a sunny day!"

"For a SUNNY day?" asked Celeste. "I never heard THAT expression before!"

"Oh...well then..." Harrison grinned. "...just for a rainy day, then!"

"OK, then..." Celeste asked after a few minutes of silence during which Harrison looked just a little bit too pleased with himself. "Just HOW do you figure to DO that...put some money away for a rainy day? Also, just what in the heck does that have to do with this floor of our house?"

"Well, you know all those people who came to visit today?" Harrison asked.

"How could I forget?" Celeste replied. "Some of them are still downstairs, even though it's now TONIGHT instead of today!"

"That Langerak girl acts a bit sick, too--maybe allergies, but maybe something worse!"

"At any rate, she sure is sticking around a lot!"

"Yes, and so are Penny and Rufus! See...that's what I had in mind. I'm wondering...do they have homes to go to?"

"You see, we have all this extra space, and it's all decorated so nicely..."

"Sigh...don't you get it, Celeste?"

She didn't, but she was sure Harrison would explain himself in time. After all, he WAS tops in his field of science!

Harrison got up to go and send the neighbors home, still without explaining his idea. On the way out of the room, he threw in a final word, "I love you, Celeste!"

Thinking over all he'd said, Celeste got up and began to roam from room...

...to room. Finally it hit her!

Running downstairs, she caught Harrison just after he'd made sure Kimberley had left for the night.

"I get it!" she cried!

She grabbed Harrison, and they began dancing to the music coming out of the stereo--right there at the bottom of the cellar stairs!

Then quickly running out to the hot tub, they said goodbye to both Rufus and Penny, after ascertaining from them that, yes, indeed, they DID have homes to go to.

"So...it's agreed?" Harrison asked.

"Yes!" Celeste answered.

"Well ask the next STRANGER who comes by (maybe tomorrow) whether or not he (or she) has a home. If not, we'll extend our invitation for that person to live HERE, and pay us rent!"

Admiring Harrison's idea highly, Celeste showed him so by rubbing his back.

He returned the favor, then they headed for bed. Tomorrow could be a really big day!

Early the next morning Harrison and Celeste tidied up the yard around the house, then indulged in a short water balloon fight, which they called a draw, so they could award each other with a kiss.

Then Celeste went in to begin their morning meal, while Harrison stayed outside with Kobe, trying to teach the command, "Come!" It's a good thing it was fall--a time known to make learning easier in the Sim world, since Kobe didn't seem to want very much to learn that particular command!

It's also a good thing Harrison wasn't hugely hungry, since inside the house, Celeste had gotten sidetracked trying to teach Kim to play dead! I guess Knowledge Sims just naturally feel EVERYONE should learn everything they can at any time!

All right! Kobe has (quite passively) learned to, "Come here!"

The real reason Harrison has remained outside, of course, is to catch the first person who would come walking by, to see if that person would be willing to move in and share the rent! Catching Elise Lam (a local young adult) on her way by, Harrison begins to question her about her life in general. Looks like his questions were getting pretty personal!!!

Elise seemed to be happy to answer...this might not bode well for a landlord-tenant relationship. Hmmmm...

Oh! I see! They were talking about whether or not the cats would ever have kittens! Whew!

Getting down to a more practical conversation, Harrison began to question Elise about her community attachments.

"Are you engaged or married?" he asked.

Wondering if it was really any of his business, Elise assured him she was not.

Elise seemed to be interested in seeing the rest of the property, but Harrison persisted in his questioning.

"Are you seeing anyone special in ANY way?" he asked.

"I mean, are you serious enough about someone to, well, you know..."

"Not that it's any of your business whatosever," Elise snapped, "But, no!"

"See, I have this policy that my boyfriiends aren't allowed to use their hands!"

"Aha! I see! No hands allowed!" Harrison looked pleased, but Elise was getting more and more concerned about his conversation.

Not only was Harrison a bit weird, but he was also boring!

In the face of that rude look, Harrison decided Elise probably wasn't going to become a good tenant for them.

So, leaving Elise to her own devices, he went in to see how Celeste was doing, and found that Kim had just learned how to play dead!

Forgetting to mention that Elise was probably upstairs looking around right at that moment, Harrison enticed his wife into the extra bed for a little fun.

As she happily dozed a little later, he stood looking at her, realizing how much he loved her, but also realizing that he had forgotten about any type of protection. Strangely, he thought he might have heard a little lullaby during those final moments, too!

"Ah well..." he thought. "If it happens, it happens."

Smoothing the covers on the other side of the bed...

...he relaxed for a bit while Celeste snoozed. Suddenly, with a start, he realized Celeste had walked right into the room with them!

She didn't seem to think she was in the wrong at all...just started playing with the cats (who had been present the entire time--maybe they learned something ELSE new).

"Uh...excuse me," Harrison began, thinking to send Elise on her way. Obviously she was NOT tenant material...at least not for THEIR house!

"Hey! No man! Stay away from me!" Elise yelled! "I'm not that kind of girl!"

Laughing, Harrison explained the wholel thing to her, then said, "Goodbye, Elise!" very clearly.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Elise shook hands with Harrison and left the premises.

About that time, Celeste awoke, well-rested and refreshed, still having no idea that a potential tenant had even visited the house!

Aware that Harrison was still in his underwear, though, she teased him into chasing her out into the moonlight...

...then started beating him in a pillowfight!

So went another day at the Nero household, and there was still nobody to move in and share the cost of living with them! I'm not so sure it would even be WISE for them to have anyone move in! Their behavior might not be the most circumspect as landlords!

In fact, they might have to stop doing some of their favorite things...

...like...well...what they were doing right before this! Whew!

Realizing how hungry they were, Harrison and Celeste indulged in some lobster thermidor before going to bed.

Leaving Harrison at the table, Celeste went to use "the facilities." When she got back, he was sound asleep with his face in his food! Poor guy!

Before too long, they were snuggled in bed together.

Monday morning they were up early, ready to start their work week...

...when suddenly Celeste went running into the bathroom.

Following her, Harrison grabbed her and kissed her, realizing what was going on.

It takes someone really in love to kiss someone who's just made THAT mess! Eeeewww!!!

After a long day at work, Celeste brought home a friend--Tree Climber. She'd heard that he lived in a tree house, and wondered if he might want to rent part of their house. However, he informed her he was quite comfortable in his tree house, so Celeste (after getting more comfortable in her new maternity clothing) contented herself with just serving pork chops for dinner. She at out by the pool where it was cooler...

...while Harrison and Tree enjoyed their dinner at the dining table. At least having Tree over for dinner was profitable, since he was able to tell Harrison why the two cats hadn't yet had kittens. As it turned out, both Kobe and Kim were females. No wonder they seemed to be enemies, too!

After a while, Celeste came in and joined the guys as they talked about work. Soon after that, Tree went on home to his interesting abode.

Upstairs relaxing, Harriison mentioned the fact that they still didn't have a tenant.

"True!" said Celeste. "However, we'll soon be filling up the rooms with things like children's blocks!"

"Yeah, and tops!"

"I guess baby things will take up a bunch of space, won't they?"

"Yes! I'm not sure we'll have room to rent out any of the rooms once the children start coming."

After their little talk, Celeste was hungry for...well...she wasn't sure. By the time she got down to the kitchen to see what was on hand, she settled for Christmas cookies. What she had REALLY wanted was cheesecake...maybe tomorrow.

By the next day, however, something drove the desire for cheesecake right out of Celeste's mind. To begin with, she had actually gone to work with Harrison--in her PJs! He got in the car to go to work, and she hadn't realized she'd have the day off from work due to the baby coming, so she just hopped in the car with him, figuring her PJs would miraculously turn to her work uniform, but it didn't--every woman's nightmare--to be out in a public place in her nightwear!

Then after work, Priya Ramaswami came home with her to give her some womanly advice. While they were standing out in the rain talking, Harrison was in the hot tub, when lightning came arrowing down and hit him!

Then, before they could do anything for him, he was hit a second time!

Suddenly the cats were both yowling, Priya was moaning, and Celeste was standing there crying and wondering what to do, when the Grim Reaper showed up, making all sorts of strange noises.

Celeste, full of love for Harrison, and scared that she might get left with the huge house, the mortgage, and a child as well, began to plead pitifully with Grim.

"Please, please, PLEASE give him back to me!" she cried.

After a few seconds of debate with himself, Grim decided to give Celeste a chance. Putting his hands behind his back, he pulled out a shining blue stone and told her she'd have to choose which hand held it. She did it!

Grim bowed to fate, and allowed Celeste to have Harrison's life back.

He then raised Harrison's lifeless body and set him back in place in front of Celeste.

As Grim disappeared, Harrison began to rave about having been saved from death--one of his dearest wishes!

"Yes, dear! I know! You're saved!" cried Celeste.

Suddenly Harrison began to run away from here.

"What...?" Celeste thought as she stumbled and waddled after him.

"Where's he...oh!" More time had passed than she had realized, and once again, Harrison had gone off to work...this time leaving their own car for her to use in an emergency, while he went off in the local car pool.

"Well...THAT's rather anticlimactic!" Celeste said to herself. "Now what am I going to do with the rest of this dreary day?"

Going inside, she decided to fix some meals ahead, so that when the baby would be born, she wouldn't have to cook every day. First she made some chef salads and put them away.

Then she began on a batch of hamburgers.

Restless and ever-conscious of her figure, Celeste then decided to work out...after she moved some of the furniture just a bit. Who knew it would take so much room just to work out in front of the big-screen TV! "Rama Jama!"

After working out, Celeste went out to talk to Priya (who had stayed with her just to make everything was OK, until Harrison would get back from work), to see if she wanted lunch or something. Celeste would have gotten into the hot tub with her, but the instructions for the hot tub said, "No Pregnant Ladies Allowed." She figured it was because she couldn't fit into her swimsuit any longer!

Nope...that wasn't it! The rules for the swimming pool evidently weren't quite so stringent!

So Priya joined Celeste in the pool for a while. Ah! How refreshing!

Now this was interesting! Even after their big talk a couple of nights before, Harrison had brought a single friend (Ted Collins) home from work. Perhaps they still might rent out part of the huge house!

While Harrison ran in to grab a snack, Ted wasted no time. He quickly changed to swimwear and joined the ladies.

All the exercise made Celeste a bit tired, sho she went in to sit for a while. Harrison joined her, and they spent some time deciding whether or not to invite Ted to join their household.

Finally, Harrison went out, invited Ted to join them in the huge house, and Ted didn't argue for more than a second! His first act as a part of the family, was to grab a water balloon and begin to have a mock battle with Priya! He didn't realize yet that Priya is already married. Perhaps someone needs to tell him!

As the water balloons flew outside, suddenly Celeste's water broke, inside.

Within a few quick minutes, she presented Harrison with not just one new child, but two! Interesting, she never did get to eat that cheesecake, and nobody said any strange incantation over her growing middle, either. These twins seem to have simply been one of those off-chances that do happen occasionaly!

Soon Harrison was cuddling Princessa (the first-born twin), and Celeste was crooning to Empiro (the second-born babe). Aaaawww...a little girl for Daddy, and a bouncing boy for Mommy!

While the new parents were settling in with their children, Ted went upstairs and magically converted one of the extra bedrooms into a red and blue nursery. He decided he'd take the downstairs bedroom for himself, and there was still a small guest bedroom upstairs...

...where a nanny could stay if necessary.

Pretty soon, with a little help from Ted (who has obviously handled babies before)...

...Princess and Empiro are settled for the night in their lovely new room...

...Harrison and Celeste are sleeping soundly in their own room (just across the hall from the babies)...

...Ted is asleep downstairs in the basement (with the cats for company)...

...and Priya...well...for some reason she's forgotten she has a home to go to, and has gotten quite addicted to the Nero's hot tub! Not only that, but it looks as if she's about to be joined by a neighborhood prowler! What will happen next?