#and i ordered jewelry from never take it off that's been sitting in florida in preshipment for a week | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

highfivecalum · 6 years ago

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Here With Me {LH} 1

hi guys ok so here’s my new luke fic that’s based off of the book/movie safe haven! some chapters will be very similar to the movie but some are completely different/made up so!! luke isn’t in this first chapter but he’ll be introduced soon soo yeah! hope y’all like plz don’t let this flop

SHE BARELY RECOGNIZED HERSELF when she looked in the mirror. She gulped at her new haircut. Nothing too drastic; a cut just a few inches above her shoulders with the color a dirty blonde, the opposite of her long dark brown hair she had before. It wasn’t crazy, but it was enough for somebody who knew her to do a double take at the girl to be able to recognize her.

“You’re sure you want to do this, sweetheart?” She looked at Ruby through the mirror and nodded her head. She didn’t have another choice. This was the only thing that she knew would keep her safe from him. “You could always go to the police again.”

She shook her head. “The police don’t care, Ruby. I’ve been there. Multiple times. They don’t do anything, it’s never enough.” She thought back to the time where she showed up at the police station, frantic, bleeding from lip and the cops still said it wasn’t enough. The restraining order she tried to get against him never happened. The cops claimed there wasn’t enough evidence, as if the black eyes and blood lips weren’t telling enough.

“Here.” She took out her diamond earrings, took off the diamond promise ring Ben had given her, and took off her diamond necklace. She left them on Ruby’s bathroom sink. “Sell these when you get a chance. When I find a place, a safe place, I’ll give you my address and you can send the money.”

Ruby offered to give her the money in her safe, but she refused. She took out all of the money in her personal saving and checking accounts and while it wasn’t a lot, it was enough to keep her on her feet until Ruby sent her the money and she found a stable job in a safe place. She thought selling her jewelry, although she knew she wouldn’t get as much as she paid for it, would help her out, as well. She didn’t have time to do it herself, not wanting to risk Ben to find her, and Ruby offered her help.

The drive to the bus station was filled with anxiety. Nail biting, leg bouncing, and knuckle cracking, she couldn’t stop. All she could think about was him finding her, showing up to the bus station, stopping her. But that was unlikely, she knew. But still, her paranoia got the best of her.

“Now you call me when you’re settled, okay? I’ll be waiting by the phone until you do.”

“I will.” She put her hood up and got out of the small car, throwing her duffle bag over her shoulder. She took a deep breath, looking at Ruby with an unreadable expression on her face. She would miss Ruby, she was like a mother figure in her life and she knew that she would never see her again. “Thank you for everything, Ruby.”

The door slammed shut and she rushed to the ticket booth. She bought a ticket to the first city city she saw on the board; Bayside, Florida. She quickly slid the money under the glass and thanked the man behind it before snagging it and rushing to the bus.

Once she was settled, she took her hood off and exhaled the sigh she had been holding in for days now. She was finally safe. Or, at least, she thought she was.

***

Neena’s knees were weak when she stepped off of the Greyhound bus she had been sitting on for almost fifteen hours straight. She huffed when her sneaker clad feet hit the concrete and she looked around. The town sign, welcoming her to Bayside, looked like the typical beach town sign with blues and whites and anchors on it.

Neena’s eyes widened in surprise when she looked to her right to see a small bed and breakfast. It was exactly what she was looking for. Sure, she wanted to explore the town some, but she was beyond exhausted and the sun was already starting to set. All she wanted was a good night's sleep.

“Welcome to Bayside Bed and Breakfast!” The older lady behind the counter, whose name tag read Joyce, greeted Neena happily. Neena offered her a small, barely there, smile. “What can I do for you, young lady?”

“Do you have any rooms available for the night?”

Joyce checked the computer and frowned with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry, dear, we’re all booked for the night. The earlier bus that stopped here was full and filled us right up! There’s a hotel just about ten miles out of town.”

Neena blew out a puff of air and nodded her head. “Thanks anyway.”

The bell dinged when she exited the building and Neena looked around. The pier attached to the small restaurant extended far out, further than any pier she had seen, and it was lit up completely. There was a band on the end and she noticed a crowd of people dancing and drinking and seemingly having the time of their life. She smiled subconsciously, trying to remember the last time she danced and laughed so freely like the people she was looking at were.

Neena walked on the semi-crowded beach and took home under the start of the pier just below the many rocks scattered around. She took off her hoodie, already sweating from the Florida heat even though the sun was down, and laid it down on the sand below her. Plopping down, she rested her back on her duffle bag and threw her head back.

She wanted to cry. She was miles and miles away from home, in a new city and state where she knew nobody, where she didn’t even have a house to live in or a bed to sleep in, with barely enough to get her through the week. She thought her plan was foolproof. Boy was she wrong.

“I did not think this through.” Neena mumbled to herself.

Soon enough, the band ended and all that could be heard was the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, and that was enough to lull Neena into a peaceful sleep, even if it was on the sand, under a pier, in a town she was so unfamiliar with.

***

“Hello?” A voice was muffled to Neena. “Excuse me, Miss?” Neena felt a gentle shake on her shoulder and she slowly opened her eyes, not remembering where she was at first. When her eyes opened fully though, she was faced with a girl around her age she guessed and a beach packed full of people.

“Uh,” Neena rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up.

“Sorry to wake you.” The redhead girl giggled. “But I’m out for my morning run and saw you sleeping here. I don’t recognize you much. Are you new to town?”

“Uh, yeah. I am.”

“And… you’re sleeping on the beach?” The girl cocked an eyebrow while Neena nodded her head. The girl pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. “Do you not have a place to stay?”

Obviously not, Neena wanted to roll her eyes. “No I don’t.”

“Did you try the B&B?” Neena nodded her head. “Sold out, huh? Well, I live just five minutes up the street, just near the woods and my house is a little bit small, but I have an extra bedroom. Did you want to stay with me until you’re up on your feet?”

Neena blinked in surprise. Was this girl seriously offering her a place to stay? Neena was sceptical, but she didn’t want to continue sleeping on the beach. She had sand in places that sand should not be and she was craving the feeling of air conditioning. The girl looked normal, mostly, and nice enough, so why the hell not? Neena thought.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course I am. I’m not going to let you sleep on the beach when I have a perfectly good and unused guest bedroom and bathroom in my house!” The girl stood up from her squatting position and held her hand out for Neena to take, which she did happily, and pulled herself up. Neena tied her hoodie around her waist and slung her duffle bag over her shoulder. “I ran here from my house, which is about a twenty minute walk. Are you okay with walking?”

“Yeah. That’s fine.” Neena followed her and they began walking, making small talk here and here to fill the awkward silence between the two of them.

“Oh, I’m Amy by the way.” She laughed and extended her hand for Neena to shake.

“Neena.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Neena nodded in agreement and it fell quiet. She shifted her full duffel bag, switching it from one shoulder to the other and wiped the small sheet of sweat off of her forehead. She put her hair up as best as she could, with it being shorter than she was used to, and tried to ignore the baby hairs that tickled the back of her neck.

“This is it!” Amy singsonged happily and skipped up the stairs. “Oh, by the way, I live with my boyfriend, Michael.”

At the sound of Neena staying in a house with a man that was a stranger to her, she swallowed thickly and nodded, trying not to let it show that she was even more nervous now. She knew not all men were like her ex-boyfriend, but she still wasn’t too keen on being around men she wasn’t familiar with.

“Mikey! I’m home!” Amy called out into the small house, holding the screen door open for Neene who carefully shut it behind her. She took a look around, feeling nostalgic at the homey feel it had and the bright colored walls. “And I brought a new friend!”

“New friend?” A man's voice echoed throughout the house. “We know everybody in town, how are you possibly making new friends?” The man appeared out of the bathroom in a pair of swim trunks and a tank top and smiled at Neena. “Wow, you are new.” Michael laughed.

“She was sleeping on the beach, so I told her she could crash here for a few days until she finds a place to stay. And…” Amy smiled sweetly and wrapped her arms around Michael’s neck. “I was thinking you could talk to your mom or dad and see if she could help her find a place?”

Since the town of Bayside is so small, only one real estate team was needed, and that just so happened to be Michael’s parents. They worked as a team and had their own office in the middle of town and did very well, surprisingly. Not many people moved to Bayside, almost everyone just passing through on the way to their destination, but lots of businesses were interested in the town and expanding their business to Bayside.

“I can ask her,” Michael smiled and gave Amy a quick peck before pulling away and turning his attention to Neena who was standing there awkwardly messing with the strap of her duffle bag that was still hanging on her shoulder. “I’m Michael.”

“Neena.” She pursed her lips.

“I’ll show you to your room.” Michael motioned for her to follow him, since Amy was already hopping in the shower and Neena followed him. He swung the door open, revealing a small room with bright yellow walls, a twin bed in the corner, and a small dresser. Attached to it was a small bathroom and a closet that Neena knew she wouldn’t be using since she didn’t plan on unpacking her things until she found a house of her own. “I hope this works for you.”

Neena nodded her head. “Much better than the beach.” She exhaled a laugh as did Michael. “Thank you, Michael.”

“Course. Get yourself settled and comfortable,” Michael made his way to leave the room, but stopped and spun around to face Neena. “Hey, uh, Amy and I and a couple of our friends are going out for drinks and food tonight. Did you want to come?”

Neena knew she would need to be making friends if she planned on staying for a while, but she wasn’t ready to so soon. She hadn’t planned on meeting Amy and Michael so early on, and she was glad she did, but she didn’t want to overwhelm herself with meeting so many new people at once. Plus, she was exhausted and sleeping on a bed for a change, instead of a bus or the beach, sounded way too appealing to her to pass up.

“I’m good. Thanks, though.”

Michael smiled and nodded his head before exiting Neena’s new, temporary room, and shut the door behind him. Neena fell back onto the bed, the springs squeaking just a little bit under her, and sighed. She was thankful for letting these two strangers-turned-friends stay in their house, but she knew she couldn’t squat there for too long, didn’t want to overstay her welcome. The thought of living alone scared her, with Ben in the back of her mind constantly, but she was starting over. Starting a new life. By herself and she had to get used to it.

***

Taglist: @cosmocalum @wrappedaroundcal @hereforlukescruff @glitterprincelu @astroashtonio @irwinkitten @irwinvalentines @kinglyhood @swiftmusicinmymind @jetblackyoungblood @old-zeppelin-shirt @cantbehandled-ever @in-paper-dreams @kaxseychill @catchinqcalum @roselukes @monsteramongmikey

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theycallmebeccawrites · 6 years ago

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Just the Two of Us: One Shot - All I Want For Christmas is You

With Tumblr holding my original writing blog @beccaheartschrisevans captive (aka flagged as explicit), I have made a secondary writing blog and may end up closing the other all together. In the meantime, I am reposting all of my stories on my new blog.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Nikki Evans (OFC)

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: graphic sex, oral sex

Summary: This story takes place in December 2011 and features Chris and Nikki decorating her Christmas tree during their first Christmas together.

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

Chris & Nikki Just the Two of Us Masterlist | Chris & Nikki Masterlist

All I Want For Christmas is You

December 21, 2011

Nikki Ashworth was in her bedroom changing out of her work clothes when she heard a familiar voice call, "Honey, I'm home!" She let out an excited squeal and quickly finished putting on her sweater before she ran out of her room.

Her boyfriend, Chris Evans, stood right inside her front door with his suitcases at his feet. As soon as he saw her coming, he headed in her direction and they met in the middle with him catching her in his arms when she launched herself at him. Their mouths crashed together as she wrapped her legs around his waist and locked them at the ankles.

"I missed you," she said, after ending their kiss.

"I missed you, too," he replied as he carried her over to the couch. He lowered himself onto the couch carefully and then helped her rearrange herself so they could sit on the couch comfortably.

He had been in Boston four weeks ago for the weekend of Thanksgiving, but with so many family obligations he'd only gotten to stay with her for one night before he'd had to get on a plane to finish filming The Avengers. He'd spent a week, after that, back to LA to wrap things up there for the year. Then he had spent the last weekend and the last couple days in Florida with his mom, siblings and nephews at DisneyWorld. He had invited Nikki to come along, but she and Dana were in the middle of interviews for a new dance teacher for the yoga and dance center they'd opened last winter.

"I'm so happy you're here," Nikki sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder.

They'd been officially dating for five months now and the topic of marriage had already come up a time or two. She didn't know it yet, but he had plans to take their talking a step further. One of which included a diamond ring that was waiting for him to pick up at the jewelry store.

"You're being quiet," she said. "Everything ok?"

"Everything is -" Chris stopped when he caught sight of the monstrosity sitting in the corner of her small living room. "Is that a white Christmas tree?"

"Don't you love it?" Nikki asked. She got off of his lap, crossed the small room and turned on the lights. "It's beautiful isn't it?"

"I know you said you had a fake tree," Chris muttered as he got up and made his way to her. "But I expected something green and with multicolored lights."

"My college roommate and I had one of those, but it was too obvious in its attempt to be real with fake pinecones," Nikki shrugged. "We decided to go for a classic white tree with white lights. We figured why not go all out with the fakeness."

Chris shook his head and said, "When we get married, this thing is going bye bye."

Nikki giggled and said, "It would be silly of me to argue with that when I get to be married to you." Turning her body to face him, she wrapped her arms around his neck then raised herself onto her tiptoes to kiss him.

"How important is decorating the tree?" he asked, a moment later. His voice was a little lower than normal and his eyes had a slight lusty look to them.

"Very, I've been waiting for you to get here," Nikki replied, still a little winded from their kissing herself.

Chris sighed and untangled himself from her before stepping back. "Ok, let's decorate and then we can do a proper welcome home," he said. "Where are the ornaments?"

"In the guest room," Nikki replied. She led him down the hall to the bedroom that had previously belonged to Dana. After her best friend had married Mikey, Nikki had turned the bedroom into a guest bedroom with the most frequent visitors being her younger sisters.

It took Chris and Nikki a few minutes to carry the boxes into the living room. Once they were finished, Nikki excused herself for a minute and Chris used the opportunity to get into his suitcase and grab the small gift he'd bought for her. He quickly shoved it into the small gift bag he'd brought along.

When Nikki returned to the room, she was carrying a small wrapped box and they exchanged smiles after seeing that they'd had a similar idea.

"I'm going to let you open this tonight," she said, holding the gift up. "But not until the rest of the tree is finished."

"Likewise," Chris nodded towards the small gift bad he was holding.

They set the gifts aside and then opened the boxes that they had carried into the living room. As they unloaded them, Chris began to notice that everything was in shades of gold or teal blue.

"Are you sure this is all your stuff?" he asked her.

"Positive," Nikki replied as she hung a small gold bird onto the tree.

"But where is all the color?" he asked. "And the homemade arts and crafty stuff?"

"Dana and I bought this stuff last year," Nikki replied. "I didn't bring any of my colored ornaments back from Florida with me and she took all of hers when she moved out and left me with these." She shrugged. "Besides, we both know my mom wouldn't let me take anything I made as a kid. Just like your mom won't let you."

Chris nodded in agreement.

"Next Christmas, though, Mikey and Dana's babies will be here and then there are your nephews, so maybe we can have them make us some homemade stuff," Nikki suggested. "Otherwise, we'll have to wait for our own kids to come along."

There was a quiet pause as they both thought about their future children. They had talked about kids and how they both wanted a large family, but a number had never been discussed.

Clearing her throat, a moment later, Nikki said, "Let's get the ornaments on the tree, shall we?"

Chris nodded and took his phone out of his pocket. He turned on some Christmas music and then set it next to the gifts to be exchanged later.

They worked side by side for about an hour, sharing stories about Christmases as kids and singing along with the Christmas songs that played. They took the occasional dance break when an old big band version of a Christmas song came and they did their best impression of Phil Davis and Judy Haynes from the movie White Christmas in her tiny living room.

"This is the last one," Chris said, holding a gold snowflake out to Nikki.

Nikki took it and took a moment to find a place for it before hanging it onto the tree. Then she moved over to the presents she and Chris had set aside and grabbed the one for him.

"I want you to open this now," she said, holding it out to him.

Chris took the gift from her outstretched hand and then unwrapped it, finding a small box. He let the paper drop to the floor then opened the box. A smile crossed his face as he lifted a red sparkly ball ornament out of the box. The smile grew larger when he saw the Captain America shield on the side.

"I thought it was fitting for this year," Nikki said.

"I love it," he said. "I can put it on your tree?"

"Yes! Please," Nikki nodded. She stepped aside and watched as Chris placed the ornament on the tree. "Perfect! Now the tree is done."

"Not quite," Chris replied as he grabbed his gift for her then handed it to her.

Nikki reached into the bag and pulled out a small paper bag. She opened the second bag and pulled out a circular piece of wood with a red ribbon. Turning it around, she let out of small gasp when she saw that he'd had their names carved into the 'Our First Christmas Together' ornament. She blinked back her tears as she turned and hung the ornament from the tree.

"Do you like it?" he asked her.

"I love it," she replied after turning to look at him. She licked her lips and then looked behind him at the couch, which was covered in empty boxes. She spotted the Christmas throw she'd put on the back of the couch and an idea came to her. "Help me turn off the lamps."

While he turned off the lamps, she grabbed the throw blanket and laid it on the floor in front of the tree. She then turned on the gas fireplace and met Chris in the middle of the dark living room, a moment later.

"You promised me a proper hello when we were finished with the tree," she told him. The lights from the tree and the flicker of the flames cast light on his face in the otherwise dark room.

Chris smirked and toed off his shoes. He kept his eyes locked on hers as his fingers began to undo the buttons of the flannel shirt he was wearing.

"You just going to admire the view or are you gonna get undressed, too?" he asked as he removed the shirt.

"I happen to love the view," Nikki replied then bit into her lower lip as he pulled his undershirt over his head, revealing his muscular upper body.

Chris dropped his shirts on the ground and then motioned for her to take something off.

Nikki toed off her slippers and then slid her hands under her oversized sweater and grabbed the waistband of her yoga pants and pulled them down with her panties as well. She pushed both down her legs and then lowered herself to the ground in order to pull them off completely. She then leaned back on her arms and crossed her legs as she looked up at him.

Chris's eyes met hers as his fingers undid the fastenings of his jeans. He grabbed the waistband of his boxers as he pushed down his pants. He stepped out of his pants and then pulled off his socks.

Completely naked, Chris lowered himself to the blanket and then pushed Nikki back so she was lying beneath him. He stared down at her for a second, loving the way the light from the tree made her blue eyes shimmer, before he leaned down and captured her lips.

Nikki sighed happily against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck as his tongue slipped into her mouth. Her fingers found the short hairs at the base of his neck and she played with them as they kissed. She pulled away, breathlessly, when she felt Chris's hands pulling up on the hem of her sweater. She helped him out by taking the hem from him and pulling the sweater over her head, revealing a simple white camisole. She pulled that off, too, and then laid back against the blanket.

"You have an amazing body," he murmured as he took in the sight in front of him. "It's perfect. It's beautiful. It's -"

"In desperate need of yours," Nikki cut him off.

Chris chuckled then leaned down and kissed her again. As they kissed, one of his hands traveled down her body and began to play with one of her pert breasts.

As his fingers teased her already aroused nipples, she arched her back, pressing herself into his touch. She whimpered as his lips left hers and then moaned when he trailed a line of hot kisses down her neck and to her other breast. She bit into her lower lip as his velvety tongue wrapped around her nipple and his hot mouth enveloped it.

Chris took his time with her breasts, loving how responsive she was to his touch. He was sucking on her second nipple when he let his fingers travel down to her hot center. He felt her body jerk against his as he fingers found her sensitive nub as his fingers slid past it. He let go of her nipple with a 'pop' and then kissed his way down her torso.

Nikki's legs opened wider as Chris moved down her body and she moaned as his fingers slipped between the folds of her sex. Feeling his eyes watching her, she opened her own and moaned out a curse as he chose the moment their eyes met to slid a finger into her sex. Her lower body rocked against his finger and she whimpered as he slid another finger into her.

Chris watched her face contort in blissful agony and knew she was getting close. He leaned down and slowly circled her clit with his tongue. He moved his mouth down her sex and replaced his fingers with his tongue. Delicious four letter words from her mouth met his ears and he smiled against her most intimate parts.

"Oh, Chris," she cried out. "I'm gonna come!" Her sounds ecstasy mingled with the voices of the choir coming from his cell phone.

He stayed with her as she rode through her orgasm and then he grabbed his jeans to get a condom. He quickly tore open the foil and rolled the latex onto his throbbing manhood. He slipped between her legs and guided himself into her sex. They both moaned as he filled her completely.

"I'm not going to last long," he told her as he leaned down to kiss her. "It's been too long."

"Then give it to me fast," she replied then nipped at his lip. "We'll have time for slow later."

Chris set a pace and she quickly matched it as their bodies moved together. The room was soon filled with the sound of their cries as they both grew closer and closer to coming.

Nikki slipped her hand between their bodies and began to touch herself as Chris pounded in and out of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as they continued and felt her body begin to tense as their combined efforts brought her to the edge of coming again.

"I'm so close," she whimpered. "I want you to come with me."

"I'm there," Chris groaned as his body tensed above her own. His body jerked as he shot his seed into the condom as her walls contracted around him. He continued to thrust as Nikki's orgasm ebbed.

Exhausted and sweaty, Chris slipped out of her and then collapsed onto the blanket beside her.

Breathing heavily, Nikki rolled onto her side and pressed her body against his. She knew that even with the gas fireplace that they'd get cold eventually and have to go to bed, but she was content to lay there with him for a while.

As Mariah Carey's voice filled the room, Chris slipped his arm under Nikki's head and held her closely. His eyes met hers as Mariah sang the words they both knew where true: "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

Want to find me off tumblr? I’m @beccatheycallme on twitter. I also post my stories on AO3.

My tag list is always open, just let me know if you’d like to be added!

#chris evans #theycallmebecca #beccaheartschrisevans #theycallmebeccawrites #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fan fiction #just the two of us #chris and nikki #chris evans x ofc #chris evans x original female character

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donaldresslerfanfic · 7 years ago

Text

Keen.

Rating: M

Warnings: Strong Language, Sexual Content.

Word Count: 2346

Donald Ressler X OC Maggie Waters.

Chapter: Twenty Nine.

Chapter Index

Story on Wattpad

Ressler.

I hung up the call and took a deep breath. Things were spiraling down, and I was dreading the result of this.

It wasn't long before everything settled with Maggie, and after a quiet mission, the investigation against Liz was moving forward.

I was standing in the kitchen island, phone still in hand, looking at the tiles. Reddington had ways to solve this, under the law we could do nothing.

"Good morning" Maggie saluted, walking into the kitchen, she had put on the jacket I was supposed to be wearing, but forgot upstairs.

"Morning princess" she gave me a tired smile while she walked to me, then leaned to my chest, hugging me. I held her by the shoulders and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Want some coffee?"

She nodded, I let her sit in the stool and handed her a cup. I discovered how she liked her coffee, black with two sugars, so now I always put the sugars in and mixed it up a bit before handing the cup to her.

I sat next to her, and took my own cup.

"I got a call from Cooper. The investigation against Liz is going to trial, he's been asked to testify"

"So we're screwed" she confirmed.

"I don't know" I looked at her. She reached the cup to her lips and took a little sip. "maybe we can bypass this thing. Maybe Reddington will fix everything for Liz, we'll have to wait"

"So you're not going to work today?"

"I'll offer my help if there's anything we can to from this side. If not, I'll come back"

She nodded, then leaned to hold my arm, placing her head on my shoulder. I gave her a short kiss on the temple.

Maggie had a little spare room in her house where she had her projects, the ones she did for fun, or under especial requests, after breakfast she said she was going to work a little, and I had to head to the Post office.

When I got there, Cooper was gone, and I had to wait for him to tell me if there was something we could do, find a way to exonerate Keen from this charges.

While I was waiting, I realized that after our fight with Maggie, I would do whatever I could to keep the task force running, because I couldn't afford to lose Mags if it shut down. Whatever I did, I was going to do it to keep my girlfriend. Liz was a friend, but she brought this upon herself, and if I didn't know any better I would've asked her to turn herself in, but I did, and to continue our good work, we needed her.

I saw Cooper arrive, but not Liz. I walked to his office after him.

"Where's Keen?"

"The Judge will determine if her story is deemed the protection of our national security. She has to testify"

"That means you will have to as well"

He gave me a grimace, I sighed and looked away.

"There has to be something we can do"

"I've called Reddington to let him know if the situation, we'll see where this leads us."

I just nodded, if Red had a way, a good way to keep this from happening, I was all ears.

I waited impatiently for him in the upstairs lobby, sitting and thinking how was I going to survive this thing, how was I going to keep my relationship afloat. If Red got away, I would have to go after him, I was on his case. I hated myself, what I had gotten myself into.

He arrived, we talked with Cooper, he gave us his sick idea to help, we accepted.

I was walking him down the stairs and into the elevator for him to leave when he spoke.

"I just got a nice scold from your girlfriend" he said, I frowned at him and pressed the door to open the elevator

"When?"

"An hour ago"

I wasn't going to see him out, but after he mentioned Maggie, I hopped in the elevator with him.

"What did she say?"

"She told me that she hated me, that's understandable"

"And?"

"That you had a fight because of me, which is not understandable. I don't know how but I'm apparently getting in the way of your relationship"

"You are" he gave me a long look then the doors opened again.

"If only you could get off your white horse Donald, your relationship with Maggie would prosper"

"If you're so concerned about my love life you should let me catch you"

He chuckled, exiting the elevator. I remained in the inside.

"Get the minister Donald, Agent Keen can't save herself."

We did as Red asked. And by early in the morning, he told us he would handle everything, we just had to wait for whatever he had in plan to work.

I came back to Maggie's place, she wasn't expecting me and was doing her work in her studio. I made a little detour to buy her a little something. Today was a month since we were dating, and I knew she remembered. With everything that was happening I also knew she wouldn't be in a celebrating mood, but that didn't stop me from getting her a necklace I saw her eyeballing a few months ago.

I remember we were out shopping for Christmas gifts for her to take to her sister's place, and she bought Maddie a nice watch, in that jewelry store she saw the necklace, I told her to buy it, but she didn't wanted to. I've been checking on it from time to time to see if it was still available, and when she and I started dating I called the store to have it reserved for me.

When I got back to her place, I hid the box, then looked for her.

She had her headphones on, and was sitting in a large stood near a drawing table,she had lights on, and was bending a little bit to draw. I knocked on the door loud enough for her to hear me.

She straighten herself and took her headphones out, turning to the door.

"You're back already?" She asked, turning off the music on her phone.

"Yeah, we've done all we can" I said, walking into her office. She covered the drawing and turned to me, standing from the stool. I held her by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

"And Raymond? He can't do anything?"

"He's handling it, as your highness commands" I said motioning at her. She chuckled and held me by the hand, walking outside of her studio.

"He told you that I called him?"

"Yeah he did" she closed the door, then tiptoed to hold me by the shoulders.

"You're free for the rest of the day?"

"I am, what do you want to do?"

"Mmm" she sighed, then let her hands fall from my shoulders and to my tie. "I have something in mind"

"Is the same something I have in mind?" I peaked my hands below her shirt, touching her skin.

She left my tie loose and led her hands to her shirt, pulling up and letting it fall on the floor next to us.

"Yeah, something like that" I said, she chuckled and pressed her naked chest to mine, I leaned down and held her by the legs, pulling her up and walking with her to the bedroom.

We spent our day like that, cuddled up in the bed, followed with make out, sex, occasional talks about nothing, and finally a nap. She had cuddled almost half of her body over mine, but I didn't complain, I was fine like this, holding her to me, our skin touching.

She slept for an hour before waking up hungry, none of us had eaten lunch, but we also didn't wanted to stand up from the bed.

We settled with coffee and decided to have a big early dinner tonight to count as both, I held her to me in the bed again, and we remained laying down.

After maybe an hour passed, Maggie turned on the TV in the room and selected something to watch and pass the time, still laying her head on my chest, she hugged me by the waist and pulled herself closer, I placed my hand on the low of her back and sighed.

I think this was the first time I was actually laying down and doing nothing, I wasn't paying attention to the movie, I wasn't thinking about anything in particular, I was just there, holding my girlfriend close, feeling her body next to mine.

When I looked outside, the sun was setting, Maggie had finished one movie and was watching some news channel.

She looked up at me after a while

"Hope you rested today"

"I did" I placed my hand in the back of her head and pulled her to me to kiss her.

"How about we order in now? I'm starving" she murmured against my lips. I nodded and had to sit up to grab my phone. I ordered Tai, mainly because if I had a pizza I wouldn't have a bag to put the present in.

Maggie had laid on her stomach and was watching her feed on whatever social network she had. Her back was naked and available to me to run my hand on it, wide from her neck downward.

"Where would you like to go on a vacation?" I asked out of nowhere. She turned her head to my with a little frown, locking the phone.

"With you or by myself?"

"With me of course, why would you like to have vacations on your own?"

"Vacations from you" she joked, then laughed, leaning in to give me a fast kiss. "I don't know. Maybe somewhere in Europe, or maybe the Maldives. Or Australia, I love the beach."

"You've never been to Florida? Or Cali?"

"Not on vacation"

The doorbell rang, signaling the food had arrived.

"That was fast" I said, I put on some pants and a shirt while I walked down to get the food.

While walking upstair I placed my gift inside the box and jogged upstairs. Maggie had slipped one of my shirts and was holding her hair up in a pony tail.

I grabbed one of the packs and handed the bag to her, sitting next to her.

"I'm starving" she sighed her hand and pulled out my gift. She turned the black squared box around and looked at me. "What is this?"

"It's a suspicious looking box" she smiled "happy first month"

Her smile vanished, and she frowned at me serious

"What? No, that's two days from now" she turned to her phone and unlocked it to check the date

"It's not, but it's okay Mags"

"Oh my God no" she covered her eyes "I'm terrible I thought it was two days from now. I'm sorry" she whined, I chuckled and opened my pack with food.

"It's okay Mags" I repeated.

"No, I refuse, I must have something to give you" she stood up and walked to her closet

"Maggie it's okay, come here and eat" I watched as she digged into her closet.

"Here, this would do" she pulled out a similar black box with a big smile. It had a red lace around it tying it up with a bow. "fooled you for a second didn't I"

She crawled up to the bed next to me and handed me her present.

"Happy first month baby" she leaned to my lips and kissed me, I wrapped my arm around her waist to hug her.

She pulled back and I held the box, she was knealing next to me expectantly, I undid the lace and opened the box. Inside it there was a watch, I took it out box and held it to the light.

"It's amazing Mags" I slipped off the one I already had and secured her on my wrist.

"It's water proof and high resistance, you can wear it wherever you are"

I smiled back at her and leaned to kiss her lips again.

"Now you open yours"

It was my time to expectantly look at her while she took the box and opened it. I couldn't stop myself from thinking what her reaction will be when the box is a little smaller, when it holds something to bound us together forever.

She opened it, and when she realized what I was she closed it again and gave me a look of disbelief, accompanied with a smile

"You didn't" she opened the box again and carefully took out the necklace.

The pendant did a twirl on its own, coving with little smaller diamonds, in the end there was a bigger green piece.

"Here I'll put it on" I offered. She smiled and giddily turned around, I secured the jewelry behind her neck and gave her a kiss while I was at it. "Now take your shirt off and I'll paint you like one of my french girls"

She laughed and turned to me, she liked it when I could quote back movie references. She leaned to give me one more kiss, and before I let her get on with her food, I cupped her cheek and kept her close to me.

"I know I'm difficult, but thank you for choosing me"

She gave me a little smile and a loving look. Her lips found mine again in a tender kiss, and before she pulled back completely she said

"We're difficult, out situation, but we'll pull through, because we love eachother."

I nodded, then with one last kiss, we had our dinner.

After that amazing night of just being with Maggie, I had to head to Germany with Reddington, that took me a few days.

After that, everything settled, I don't know how but Tom came back, but I suspect that wasn't the reason why the investigation stopped.

For now, we were still in business.

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yesterdaysprint · 8 years ago

Photo

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York, January 16, 1924 and April 21, 1924

You - dirty - fish - peddling - bums

leave - this - innocent - girl - alone - and - get - the - right - ones - which - is -nobody - else - but - us -

also - ask - Bohaks (sp) - manager - did - I - ruin - his - cash - register - also - will - visit - him - again - as - I - broke - a - pefectly (sp)- good - automatic - on - it

we - defy - you - fellows - to - catch - us

the bobbed - haired bandit and companion

20-years-old and pregnant, Celia Cooney (nee Roth, aliases Cecile Cherisa and Celia Sheehan, born on the east side in 1904), the Brooklyn Bobbed-Haired Bandit, and her husband Edward, 25, pulled off roughly a dozen successful robberies in early 1924, between January and their arrest on April 21st. The couple used the same method invariably, with Celia, usually sporting a sealskin coat over a beaded dress, coming in first and asking a question of the shop keeper, and Edward coming in shortly after with a gun drawn in each hand. Victims of the pair claimed the woman was calm and collected while she pointed her baby automatic at them and told them to “stick ‘em up.” The couple would then rifle through the cash register and leave, taking only cash. Edward would borrow various vehicles from his work for getaway cars. Over 150 officers were called in to work the case, while the Mayor claimed that there was no such thing as a “bobbed haired bandit” - she was a figment of the media’s imagination. In March one of their drugstore robberies took place while a policeman’s ball was in full swing right across the street. At almost every scene Celia would drop another jeering note for the police, one read:

“I’ll kill you off one by one if you start out after me. So long boys; don’t forget you will hear from me during the week.”

And another read:

“I regret that I have not had the opportunity of giving you anything to do for the last few days. I have been taking a little vacation. However, I am now back on the job and you will hear from me regularly. I understand there is a new inspector assigned to Brooklyn. It doesn’t make any difference to me. Also I hear that the police have orders to shoot and kill me on sight. That’s all right but the police will not be the only ones to shoot.”

Celia’s landlady, who rented a room to the couple from April 1923 until September the same year, told papers Celia was “hard boiled”, a “wicked woman” and a “filthy tenant” who was “Bad, bad, bad!”. She claimed that Celia would “run around the house nearly naked and barefooted - go to the door that way - and such swearing I never heard in my life. She wasn’t a woman at all, at all - she was a she devil.”

Celia’s employer at a laundry said that she “was short and slender and dark complexioned. She was always prompt in getting to work and a good worker. She went out to lunch and noon and never chummed with any of the other girls, so far as I noticed. Finding out that she is the bobbed-haired bandit is some surprise to me - a knockout.”

Edward’s mother claimed that Edward, a welder for an auto repair shop by profession, would come to her house every morning for coffee before work and while there “We talked about the bobbed-haired bandit and he joked about her and said she was ‘pretty slick’.” Then one day Edward told his mother that he and Celia had to “go away for a time” but they’d be back to vindicate themselves.

Their final robbery, that of a Nabisco office that abutted the property where Edward’s mother lived, went awry when the money Edward expected to be out on a desk, where it usually was, was unexpectedly locked away. Edward had seen, through the back windows of his mother’s home, the money sitting out every week in large stacks on a desk when he stopped by his mother’s home before work. After ordering all the employees to line up against the wall, he and Cecilia turned to look for the cash and couldn’t find it. He lost his head when one of the employees tried to grab Celia’s gun and shot the man, Celia dropped a notebook and they fled without any money. This was the only time the couple ever physically hurt a victim.

Detectives claimed this was another major blunder: they committed this crime in the neighborhood in which they lived. Previous to this, all crimes had been in other jurisdictions.

The couple went on the lam, leading the police on a chase through 13 states before their capture by the detectives in Jacksonville, Florida after Edward sent a telegraph home to his mother, asking for money to bury the baby, a girl named Katherine who lived only 10 days. A short standoff ended when Celia promised the detectives she wouldn’t shoot if they wouldn’t. She claimed that Edward wanted to shoot her and himself rather than be taken into captivity but she told with a smile that “we couldn't quit that way.” Both claimed that they were the one who had shot the clerk at Nabisco, and both claimed they were the mastermind behind the crimes. Thousands stood in Penn Street Station to finally catch a glimpse of the Bobbed-Haired Bandit.

The couple received sentences of 10 to 20 years, the maximum sentence, in and were released after 7 years, the minimum, in 1931. Celia told the judge that she didn’t want her baby to be born in squalor when she pleaded guilty. The state claimed the couple committed at least 15 crimes while the couple admitted to 10. Celia served her sentence at Auburn Prison and Edward at Sing Sing. While in jail Edward lost part of an arm when working a license plate printing machine and received a $12,000 settlement. During the suit against the State, where Celia testified on Edward’s behalf, the couple saw each other for the only time during their 7 year imprisonment. Celia’s brother Owen was shot while robbing a jewelry shop in 1927. After their release the couple had two sons, but Edward died of tuberculosis in 1936. As a single mother, Celia raised their sons in Queens and had to take welfare benefits, but for the rest of her life she stayed on the right side of the law. Celia passed away in Florida in 1992.

A few interesting sidenotes:

A lot of transgender ladies were brought in on suspicion that the bandit could not possibly be a “real” woman.

F Scott Fitzgerald claimed his wife Zelda was stopped and questioned one night by police who suspected she might be the bandit.

Some psychologists posited that Celia’s pregnant state may have been the driving force behind her robberies - because her hormones were out of whack.

In September 1924 a New York producer introduced a burlesque show called the Bobbed-Hair Bandits, which featured “18 of New York’s most beautiful girls” - what, if anything, this show had to do with bandits the notice didn’t really explain, although it claimed there were beautiful costumes!

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hkvoyage · 8 years ago

Text

Fic: Butterfly Wings - Chapter 42 - Epilogue - Complete

Story summary A fashion blog started at University launched Blaine Anderson’s fortune and fame. As Vogue’s new editor-in-chief, he is struggling to find an original angle for an upcoming issue. Kurt Hummel has recently arrived in New York City after finishing high school, and is having no luck building a musical theater career, so he decides to explore another passion of his: fashion. He applies for an internship at Vogue, and Isabelle sees in him the perfect fresh face to liven up the magazine, and convinces him to try out as a model. Kurt meets Blaine, and in spite of their 10-year age difference, sparks fly. Can they overcome misunderstandings and sabotage to find their happily-ever-after? Klaine model AU. Rating for this chapter: General (overall story is mature) Word count for this chapter: 5,679 Can also be read on A03 / FF Masterpost is here. The fantastic artwork produced by Cassie at CC-Graphics can be here. Thank you to the amazing @lilyvandersteen for the beta work and support. ***** “If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story” - Orson Welles

Seven Years Later

“Kurt, you’re not going to believe this. I just got off the phone with Matt Bomer. He wants to commission two bracelets for his and Simon Halls’ wedding anniversary. He said that money was no object.” “When’s their anniversary?” “In May.” “That sounds doable, Tina. As a matter of fact, I’ve been tinkering away at a new design. I’ll send you a preliminary sample next week. Tell Matt that his anniversary bracelet will be part of my new line, but he’ll be the first one – after Blaine, of course – to have the limited-edition bracelet in precious metals. How’s everything else going?” “Our back order will keep the factory going for the next three months. The Pride bracelets are still selling like hotcakes. I’m getting all the quarterly figures together for when you and Blaine visit in two weeks’ time, and I think you’ll be very happy.” After discussing forecasted silver prices and the inferior jewelry findings recently delivered from China, they end their call. After graduating FIT, Kurt had decided to start a jewelry business labeled ‘Buckeye Designs’ and sold brooches on Etsy. His dad thought he had named the business after his favorite Ohio football team. Only Blaine knew the real reason for the name – after all, it’s Kurt’s favorite butterfly. On their wedding day, Kurt surprised Blaine with a bracelet using differently colored precious metals to create a rainbow. Blaine was thrilled with it, but refused to take off his silicone rainbow wristband, and he now proudly wears both. Blaine urged him to sell his version of the rainbow bracelet on his Etsy site. Once Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka bought them, and the bracelets were noticed in a Vogue photo spread, it became an instant bestseller. The demand was so great that Kurt couldn’t keep up. After discussing it with Blaine, he called Tina to enlist her help. Tina immediately quit her job at Vogue – she wasn’t happy there once Blaine had left. She established a workshop in Long Island and ran the company, and it now has its own website and also sells through Amazon. This allows Kurt to focus on creating designs and infusing capital when it’s needed. It also means that Kurt can work anywhere he wishes and set his own hours. It works perfectly into Kurt’s life. Kurt looks at the clock on the workshop’s wall and starts tidying up his area. He’s finishing earlier than usual, but tonight is very special. He walks to the tiny store front and covers the display cabinets. The shop is tucked away in a little back street in Key West’s historical district. It’s one of those places you need to know about, otherwise you’ll miss it. The only reason Kurt keeps the shop is so that he can see people’s reactions to his work first-hand without them knowing he’s the designer. Kurt sends a text to Blaine saying that he’s on his way home and asking whether he should pick up anything. In record time, Kurt receives a reply: Nothing needed except you. Hurry up! I miss you <3 <3 <3. Kurt smiles at the text, wondering how he got so lucky with Blaine. Even after seven or so years together, his heart races at the thought of going home to his sweet Blaine. Kurt locks the front door to his store and peeks into the window display of the art gallery next door. His chest bursts with pride when he sees a few of Blaine’s photos on display. They certainly have fun exploring the Florida Keys and knocking things off their bucket list. Blaine’s passion for photography is still strong and he continues to be inspired by the vibrant colors of Florida’s subtropics. “Kurt! Buena suerte (good luck). Toda la familia (the whole family) will be watching tonight,” the local Cuban cigar and bar owner shouts as he passes by. “Gracias, Martín. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.” Kurt loves that he knows all the local shop owners in the area and that they’re supportive of Blaine and himself. Sexual orientation isn’t relevant in Key West, and the LBGT community seamlessly blends into all aspects of the island’s laid-back lifestyle. When Kurt was finishing his associate’s degree at FIT, Blaine took a one-month job in Miami as a back-up musician for Jason Derulo’s latest album. At the end of the month, Kurt flew to Florida for a long weekend in Key West. They fell in love with the island and the lifestyle, and decided to move there once Kurt graduated. Kurt crosses the street and heads into Kermit’s Bakery. After a thorough taste-testing throughout Key West, leaving no shop or restaurant untouched – and Blaine groaned when there were semi-finals and finals – Kurt reached the verdict that Kermit’s has the very best key lime pie. Kurt had always thought that cheesecake was the best thing on earth, but now he knows better. The rich tangy key lime filling with the crispy base now holds the number one spot. The best part is that Blaine’s lips pucker with every tart bite that he takes, and Kurt knows exactly what to do with those puckered lips – kiss them senseless. Kurt purchases the key lime pie, hoping that the Anderson-Hummel household will have something to celebrate tonight. Kurt walks the few blocks to Mallory Square, the main plaza and the tourists’ focus for the famous Key West sunsets. He walks past El Meson de Pepe, where he and Blaine are the kings of the dance floor every Tuesday on salsa night. Pepe himself jokes that he could charge people to watch them move their hips together. Kurt walks on board the small old ferry and takes a seat on the wooden bench. It’s a three-minute ferry ride home. When they first arrived in Key West, they rented a house in the historical district, but found the island too busy. Blaine had been nervous around so many tourists with cameras. After house hunting in the area, they found the perfect lot on Sunset Island. The 27-acre island is only 500 yards away from Key West, but it feels like another world. There are fifty private homes and one exclusive resort on the island with strict access controls. They purchased a vacant lot on the waterfront and then spent a year building their dream house. As the ferry approaches Sunset Island, Kurt can make out two silhouettes on the dock. When it finally anchors, Kurt races off to be with his family. “Papa! Papa! Daddy said we could visit the butterflies on Saturday!” Kurt feels stubby arms wrap around his legs. Kurt rolls his eyes fondly at Blaine and groans “Not again” before giving him a kiss. Blaine laughs as he takes Kurt’s messenger bag and the key lime pie. “You know you like the butterflies.” Kurt picks up three-year-old Lizzie and tosses her in the air before kissing her. Since the first time they held her, minutes after she was born, she has been the central focus of their lives. When they were looking for a surrogate mother, Rachel had insisted that she wanted to carry their children. They will always be indebted to her for giving them Lizzie and the baby due next month. They get into their golf cart – no cars are allowed on the island. Blaine drives and Lizzie sits on Kurt’s lap. “Tell me the wedding story. Pleaasse, Papa,” Lizzy pleads. Kurt smiles and gives Lizzy a gentle squeeze. Even though he has told the story countless times, she never tires of hearing it. “There was a special area on the beach set up for us, and our closest friends and family. I walked down a white carpet that was covered in rose petals. At the end of the path was a special pagoda covered with flowers, where I saw your Daddy waiting for me. He looked like Prince Charming, wearing a black tux. His hair…” “I know! I know! Grandpa said stuff. Nana cried. You and Daddy kissed. Now get to the good part!” Blaine chuckles, “That was the good part, angel.” Kurt presses a lingering kiss to Blaine’s cheek and whispers, “No, the good part was later that night. Maybe I can give you a refresher course this evening?” “Come on, Papa. Stop kissing Daddy!” “When Daddy and I kissed, hundreds of butterflies were released into the air. They fluttered around us and then flew towards the sun.” Lizzy lets out a big sigh. “I wanna wedding like that. Only I’m gonna be a princess and wear glass slippers. And I’m gonna ride a white horse into a castle.” Blaine stops the golf cart in front of their house and lifts Lizzy from Kurt’s lap. He opens the white picket gate and says, “Come on, princess. Go inside and wash your hands. It’s almost time to eat.” When Kurt joins him on the veranda, Blaine pulls him into his arms and gives him a kiss that he can feel down to his toes. When Blaine finally releases Kurt, he murmurs, “I expect the advanced and intensive refresher course.” They giggle as they enter the reception area. The two-story house is light and airy, with honey-colored wooden floors and ceiling fans throughout. Blaine’s baby grand piano is situated in what is usually used as a formal dining area. Kurt had wanted to make the guest cottage in the backyard Blaine’s special music room, but Blaine had insisted he wanted to play the piano and still be around his family. Amy now lives in the guest cottage, giving them the privacy they need at night for refresher courses. “Dinner will be ready in five minutes,” Amy shouts from the kitchen. She had moved with them to Key West when they built their house. They now have someone come to clean twice a week, allowing Amy to help with Lizzy and keep the Anderson-Hummel household humming along. Even though it’s February, it’s plenty warm enough to eat outside on the patio. Kurt and Blaine have a simple meal of conch chowder and salad, while Lizzy eats chicken fingers, carrots and peas. “I don’t wanna eat yucky veggies!” Lizzy protests as she pushes the plate away from her and pouts. “Come on, sugar plum,” Blaine coos. “Veggies are good for you.” Blaine starts singing as he pushes the plate back towards Lizzie. Grab a plate and add some peas Then a carrot and a broccoli Take a bite, chew it around Lovely taste, crunchy sound Eat your vegetables they’re so much fun to munch! Kurt smiles as he watches Blaine sing and Lizzie quite happily eats all the vegetables on her plate. It’s a well-tuned dance that they play every mealtime. Blaine is about to go into the music studio as Mr. Healthy and record a children’s album. He has composed songs about pancakes, snappy beans, sweetie corn, table manners and the like. Blaine certainly has a way with children, and is very happy staying at home with Lizzy during the day. Whilst Kurt needs to go to a separate and quiet space to be his most creative, his husband is the opposite. Blaine takes inspiration from the little things in their daily life and squeezes in song writing during naptime and weekends. This perfectly suits Kurt – after all, he has a regular tea party with Lizzie on Sunday mornings, complete with scones and cucumber sandwiches (with the crusts removed, of course). After dinner, Kurt gives Lizzy her bath. She has bubbles, color bath drops and rubber toys. It’s almost impossible to get her out, and usually Kurt loves this one-on-one time each day. But tonight, Kurt is working to a strict timetable. He goes through the usual routine, but he does not give in to Lizzy’s pleas for an extra goodnight song. When Lizzy’s eyes shut and her breathing evens out, Kurt adjusts the covers and gives her a peck on the forehead. Kurt quietly leaves her room, closing the door very slowly, and joins Blaine and Amy in the main living area. The large flat-screen TV is turned on to the Grammy Awards. “You’ve got the DVR going?” Kurt asks, plopping down next to Blaine on the sofa. Amy nods and whispers, “Shhh! They’re showing the interview with Rachel when she walked down the red carpet.” Kurt sees a heavily pregnant Rachel discussing her return to Funny Girl after she delivers the baby. “God, Blaine. Rachel’s so huge and there’s still a month to go. Do you think she’s going to have twins?” “That’s not what the scans say, but I would love to have two babies that look like you,” Blaine replies. Blaine is Lizzie’s biological father - it’s so obvious with her curls and hazel eyes. They initially agreed that they would have two children, one sired from each of them. Recently, Blaine has been begging to adopt an older child, someone who could benefit from their love. They agreed to put the discussion on the backburner until their second child is one year old. Kurt knows that eventually they will have a family full of children. The Grammy broadcast returns to the stage. LL Cool J and Ed Sheeran are announcing nominations. LL Cool J rips open the envelope, “And the song of the year is ‘You Move Me’, composed by BK Viceroy.” Kurt leaps into Blaine’s lap, kissing him all over his face, chanting, “You did it! You did it! Oh my god! I’m married to a Grammy winner!” Before they can get carried away, they look back at the TV. Marley Rose is walking onto the stage to accept the award. BK Viceroy asked me to accept this award on his behalf. Personally, it’s been an incredible journey to go from a jazz nightclub singer to performing the song of the year. BK Viceroy is the most talented songwriter I know and composes songs that anyone who’s in love – or wants to be – can really connect with. BK wishes me to thank the love of his live, the inspiration for the song, the inspiration for his everything. BK and I are collaborating on our next album, so watch this space. Thank you. Kurt’s eyes tear up listening to Marley Rose’s acceptance speech. “You know that the song was written about you.” Kurt nods his head, but that doesn’t stop the tears from flowing. ***** One month later “Don’t you cry, my sweet Tracy Michael. Papa and I are going to take care of you and love you until the end of time,” Blaine coos, cradling the newborn baby in his arms. He and Kurt took him from the hospital yesterday, and they’re staying in a self-catering apartment in New York City for another two days. Blaine’s mother has taken Lizzy to Alice’s Tea Cup for afternoon tea, and Kurt is catching up on his sleep in the bedroom. “You’re a real natural,” Michael comments, who’s in the kitchenette preparing the bottle. “I love being a dad, but honestly, I couldn’t do it without Kurt. He keeps me grounded. While I throw myself into the moment, Kurt reminds me about what matters in our lives.” Michael hands Blaine the bottle, which Tracy greedily latches onto. “I’ve always been proud of your accomplishments - at Dalton, Harvard and Vogue. The Grammy award proves that you can do anything that you set your mind to. But honestly, Blaine, seeing you in a loving marriage… watching you raise children… well, that’s in an entirely different league. I wish I could have been the same sort of father.” “Hey, that’s not true. Look at us now. Sometimes a struggle is necessary before really connecting. God knows, that’s the way it was with Kurt.” Blaine takes a good hard look at his father. SONY Records donating a percentage of the sales proceeds from his songs to the Monarch Foundation has allowed them to move along at record speed. After the sixth Monarch House was opened, Michael quit his job at the insurance company. He’s now the chairman of the Foundation and overseas operations in nineteen locations. There are plans to open a Monarch House in Tate, Georgia – the first presence in the South. Michael has been inspirational to other parents of LBGT kids, telling his story of finally accepting Blaine for who he really is. “Hey, Dad…. Once Lizzy and Tracy get older, I’m sure that they’re going to throw a curve ball or two at Kurt and me. Some things that we’re not prepared for and don’t know how to deal with. Could I come to you for advice?” “Yeah, I’d like that. I have learnt a few tricks over the past seven years.” ***** They arrived back in Key West two days ago, and Blaine is relieved that the flight went so well, with Tracy sleeping the full three hours. Lizzie now wants to be a flight attendant, with glass slippers and a tiara, of course. After feeding Tracy, Blaine lays him down gently in the crib set up in the nursery. Even though Blaine had wanted to have the crib in their bedroom, Kurt wouldn’t hear of it. He claimed he needs his beauty sleep and their down time alone. Blaine couldn’t say no to that. Blaine heads to the patio and sits in the lounge chair, and just as his eyes start drooping, his phone starts ringing. “Congratulations, man. How’s my godson doing?” “Tracy is gorgeous, Sam. He has Kurt’s beautiful blue eyes. I pray each night that his eyes won’t change color over the next few months. He mainly sleeps, eats and poops - but that’s how it is the first few weeks.” “Getting much sleep?” “Enough. Amy takes the day shift, Kurt the evenings, and I’m on from midnight till 6 a.m. We’re managing.” “Well, tonight, when you do the midnight feed, you’ve got look at the new story that JiffyFeels started.” “A new story?” Blaine asks. “There’s only one chapter posted so far. Biffy is a shy nerd who gets bullied in high school and works at the local bakery on weekends. Jamie’s a bad boy, and when he gets out of juvie, he’s transferred to the same high school. Jamie’s openly gay, and when he goes to his first class, he sits down next to Biffy and hits on him. Biffy is shocked and brushes off his comments, but secretly he thinks that Jamie is hot. The story’s rated explicit, so I’m sure stuff will go down pretty soon.” “I’ll read it tonight.” “During the 3 a.m. feed, you can read the new one-shot by KrianFeels. It’s 20,000 words and it’s epic. They’ve got this superhero fantasy thing going on in the bedroom, but it’s got a twist. Brian is dressed up as the superhero and is tied to the bed and Kevin is the evil one, having his wicked way with Brian. He…” “Enough, Sam! Don’t spoil it for me. I’m not sure this is the sort of thing I should be reading with a newborn baby in my arms.” “Dude, relax! Don’t you know that Tracy can’t read yet?” Blaine rolls his eyes, because the problem is that certain parts of his body would get far too interested when he’s reading. Even though he and Sam haven’t lived in the same place for years, they still manage to remain close. “So tell me, Sam, how’s the filming going?” “It’s really happening! Everything’s on schedule. Mark September 6th in your calendar – that’s when the pilot is going to air.” Sam’s Surfs!Up webcomic now has over a million followers. When Sam had attended the Swarm Con convention last year, a production company offered a substantial amount for the TV rights. It is now being filmed in LA, and Sam is the lead story advisor. After finishing the phone conversation with Sam, Blaine shouts for Amy and Kurt to come join him. “Two updates, Amy? Where do you find the time?” “For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been a writing ninja. I knew I’d be busy when Tracy arrived. I posted them when Rachel went into the hospital.” “I can’t believe that Sam hasn’t guessed yet that you are both KrianFeels and JiffyFeels,” Blaine remarks. “Don’t tell him, Blaine!” Kurt shrieks. “Naw, there’s no fun in that,” Blaine chuckles. “A superhero bedroom fantasy one-shot?” “Kurt had a stroke of genius to replace the eye mask with a blindfold.” Blaine gives Kurt a pointed look. Kurt blushes and shrugs behind Amy’s back. Once Kurt had found out that Amy was posting smutty fanfic, he volunteered to be her beta. Whenever Blaine finds the two of them in the kitchen, whispering and giggling, he knows that they’re brainstorming new story ideas. It has certainly kept things interesting in the bedroom. Once Tracy starts sleeping through the night, Blaine knows for sure that Nightbird will rise again. ***** Blaine is panting as he enters the house after his run on the beach. He goes to the kitchen and Amy hands him the power smoothie she’s just finished making. “All good here?” “I put down wee Tracy for his morning nap ten minutes ago. I’ll pick up Lizzy from preschool in a couple of hours.” Blaine nods and heads to the patio to cool down and drink his smoothie. As a man in his late thirties, he knows how important it is to keep fit and healthy. Blaine wants to be with his family for a very long time. It was easy to replace morning runs in Central Park with runs along the beach. He keeps up with yoga, which Kurt very much approves of. Now that the ocean is at end of their back garden, Blaine enjoys swimming as well. Blaine admires the lantana shrubs in the garden that are in bloom with red and yellow flowers. Kurt planted them years ago because they attract butterflies. The pool and Jacuzzi look very tempting, but Blaine discards the idea of jumping in. He’ll wait until Lizzie comes home and they can have a swim together after lunch. It’s been challenging to combine parenthood with his songwriting, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. While some of his friends tease him about being a househusband, Blaine wants to be home while their children are still young. Blaine had really enjoyed recording the Mr. Healthy children’s album while they were in New York City, waiting for Tracy to be born. Blaine decided long ago that his music career was going to be spent behind the scenes writing songs for others. The royalties are more than enough to keep them in the lifestyle they want, with regular savings tucked away for retirement and college funds. Blaine writes songs under a pseudonym – he doesn’t want fame or media attention. However, when he came up with the idea of creating a Mr. Healthy album to help parents with fussy eaters, he couldn’t resist singing the songs himself. Lizzy would have been so disappointed if he hadn’t. Blaine mulls over the Skype conversation he’ll have next week with the music producers. He’s looked at their proposals for a tie-in TV program, and it’s a very interesting idea. Blaine is thinking of setting up a production company and hiring someone to create the show. He thinks that Sebastian Smythe might be the perfect person for the job. After his truce with Sebastian, Blaine meets him for lunch whenever he and Kurt are in New York City for Buckeye Design’s quarterly board meetings. Sebastian is still a very generous patron of the Monarch Foundation. Blaine now understands better how he ticks, ever since Sebastian told him how he was outed the summer before high school. Sebastian has said many times that the editor-in-chief job at Elle isn’t as interesting now as it was when Blaine headed up Vogue. Sebastian doesn’t have it in him to keep up a serious rivalry with Isabelle Wright. Maybe moving into television is exactly what Sebastian needs. Sure, he has no experience, but Sebastian is smart and will soon pick it up. His business acumen will help keep the concept on the right path. Blaine chuckles when he thinks that Sebastian has gone through every hot gay male model from New York City to Milan. Maybe hot gay actors will be his next challenge. In whichever direction Mr. Healthy goes, Blaine will make sure that it somehow includes his brother. Cooper met Cassie when she was an extra on The Young and Restless. Within six months, they were married and expecting their first child. Cooper quit the show when their second daughter was born. Cooper’s on-screen wife murdered his character, and it was epic. She served him a strawberry milkshake full of sedatives before bludgeoning him to death with his golf clubs. She then rolled his body up in a carpet and had it placed in their storeroom in their Park Avenue complex. Cooper’s dramatic death scene won him a Daytime Emmy Award. Cooper capitalized on this fame and opened up an acting school in LA, where he gives master classes. He supplements his income by doing voice-overs for Doritos. Blaine is sure that Cooper can supply students to audition for the Mr. Healthy show, as long as they don’t do too much pointing. ***** As Blaine reads the latest Vogue issue, he glances over from time to time at Lizzy cooing at Tracy, who’s in the baby swing. Blaine likes the direction Vogue is going under Isabelle’s leadership – the magazine now has a blend of fashion and thought-provoking stories. “Hey, bud. Can I get you anything?” Burt asks, as he enters the living room. “No, I’m good. Come have a seat,” Blaine replies. Burt arrived yesterday to spend time with his grandchildren. He retired from politics three years ago. Burt still works at the garage, but has given Timmy more responsibilities, allowing him to visit them often. Burt says that Key West is good for his heart. While Kurt thinks that his dad means his medical condition, Blaine knows that Burt means that they’re food for his soul. “Have you heard from Bentley recently?” Blaine asks. “Yeah, we’re headed to Lake Superior in June for our annual fishing trip. It’s the perfect time of year to catch trout and salmon.” When Blaine and Kurt had moved to Key West, Isabelle quickly snapped up Bentley to be her personal driver. “Next year, you two must have your annual fishing trip in Key West. You need to check out deep sea fishing. I want a stuffed marlin hanging outside the guest cottage.” When Blaine hears a ping, he grabs his phone and quickly swipes across the screen, eager to read the text message. I’ll be home in an hour. Can’t wait until you’re back in my arms again - K xxxx Blaine smiles at his phone, knowing that the four kisses are for each person in their family. Over the years, Kurt has become quite the master at cheesy texts. Blaine looks lovingly at his screensaver, which is a photo of him, Kurt, Lizzy, and Tracy the first day they returned to Key West. He snaps out of it when he hears Burt clear his throat. “That was Kurt. He’ll be home in an hour. We usually meet him at the dock, if you want to join us.” “How about I stay here with Lizzy and Tracy, and you go on your own? Maybe take the boat out and enjoy the sunset.” “Are you sure?” “Amy and I will be fine holding down the fort. Go spend some time on your own with Kurt.” Blaine jumps up and nods, before running to their bedroom. He wants to look his best for Kurt. He takes a quick shower and uses a little hair product to tame the curls. He puts on his favorite board shorts and the Surfs!Up T-shirt that Sam gave him last Christmas. It’s a size too small, so it clings to his upper body - Blaine loves how Kurt’s eyes darken when he wears it. He pulls out some clothes for Kurt to wear during their sunset sail, knowing that he won’t want to wrinkle his work clothes. When Blaine returns downstairs, Amy has an ice-chest ready for him. Blaine peeps inside and sees drinks and little containers filled with finger food. He then takes a deep breath to tell Lizzy the evening plans. “Hey, angel. I’m going to meet Papa by myself at the dock today.” Lizzy looks up from her coloring book. “Grandpa told me. We’re gonna play Chutes and Ladders, and then have a special picnic in the backyard. You and Papa aren’t invited.” Blaine chuckles and silently mouths ‘thank you’ to Burt. Blaine grabs two beach towels and drives the golf cart to the main dock. Blaine glances at the time on his phone – there’s still ten minutes before the ferry arrives. Blaine reflects upon their decision to build a house on Sunset Island. When they decided to marry, Kurt had wanted to renovate a large house in the historical district of Key West. However, Blaine wasn’t comfortable with living so close to all the tourists. It would have only been a matter of time before fans would have found out where they live, so Blaine suggested that they look for a place at one of the other Keys. If Kurt had still been the way he was the year they met, he would have assumed that Blaine wasn’t happy with their relationship and was getting cold feet about the marriage, and Kurt would have fled to Lima or far-off lands. Thankfully, Kurt has changed and matured over the years, so he took the time to find out why Blaine felt that way. Kurt came up with the perfect solution of building a house on Sunset Island – it gave Blaine a sense of security, but allowed them to enjoy the Key West lifestyle as well. When they signed the deed to the vacant lot, Blaine knew that they could work through anything. There have been discussions about whether to send Lizzy to private or public school (Kurt won that one – Lizzy’s already on the list for the best private education), and how to keep their careers in check so they don’t rule their lives. What makes their day-to-day marriage work is their commitment to figure things out together. As the ferry is getting closer to the island, Blaine feels butterflies in his stomach. When he sees Kurt leaves the ferry, Blaine’s breath hitches at the beauty before his eyes. Kurt looks incredible and effortlessly sexy in his dress trousers and short-sleeved shirt. There’s a scarf draped around his neck, secured by one of his signature brooches. When Kurt smiles at him, a warm tingly feeling flows through Blaine’s body. There is so much caring and love in Kurt’s eyes. Kurt wraps his arms around him and pulls him in tight, and Blaine’s arms immediately clutch onto Kurt. Blaine can feel Kurt rub his back gently as he nuzzles closer into Kurt’s neck. Blaine sighs, feeling as if he were the one who had just arrived home. When Blaine tries to nibble that spot that gets Kurt feeling good, Kurt pulls back. “Where’s the rest of the welcome committee?” “Your dad and Lizzy are having a special picnic in the backyard. Amy’s looking after Tracy in the house. I’m on strict orders not to come home for at least a couple of hours. Let’s take the boat out to watch the sunset.” “God, that sounds so freaking good. I miss our alone time together.” Blaine drives the golf cart to the private dock where they moor their 17’ sailboat. Blaine plans to go to the Ft Lauderdale Boat Show next year to buy a bigger model that will accommodate their growing family. As Blaine makes the safety checks, Kurt artfully changes into his swim trunks beneath the beach towel. When Kurt pulls on his rash guard swim shirt, Blaine’s eyes rake over his body, loving how it fits so snugly. Kurt is still very careful about protecting his skin from the sun, but has loosened up significantly since they moved to Key West. Blaine loves the freckles that now grace Kurt’s face – they’re like sun kisses for each happy time they’ve had together. Blaine pulls up the anchor and starts the engine until they are a few minutes away from shore. He then hoists the masts up, kicks off the engine and sails towards nearby Wisteria Island. Blaine shares the details of his day and what he did with the children. Kurt confirms that he signed up Lizzy for the summer dance program during his lunchtime. Kurt excitedly talks about the new café that is opening up one street over from his workshop, and Blaine makes a mental note to reserve a table for two on its grand opening day. When the boat reaches the little hidden bay at Wisteria Island, Blaine drops the anchor and hoists down the sails. Blaine pours the mojitos into two plastic tumblers, and Kurt spreads out the food nibblies. Kurt kicks his feet up and scooches along the cushioned bench so that his back hits the end, and opens up his arms. Blaine immediately sits in front of him with their feet tangled together along the bench. He loves it when Kurt holds him like this. “I love you,” Kurt whispers. “I love you too, husband… papa of our children… lover… best friend,” Blaine replies. “When I was younger, I had thought that New York City was the only place for me. But now, I’m living my personal teenage dream,” Kurt sighs. Blaine squeezes Kurt’s arms that are wrapped around him. He’s living his dream as well, and life is good… Life is perfect. Blaine looks at the red burning sun as it sinks into the sea. For all the gay bashers, rivals, spies, and especially the paparazzi… They can’t touch them or what they have. *fin* Author notes Author notes Song Blaine sings to Lizzy at dinner – ‘Eat Your Vegetables’ by Little Baby Bum.

Nine months, 42 chapters, 210k words later… and the story is now completed. This story has been an incredible journey, for Blaine and Kurt, and myself. There will be no sequel to this story. I believe I’ve left Kurt and Blaine in a very happy place. However, I’m open to writing one-shots so please give me any ideas you might have.

Hopefully, I’ve given you many hours of enjoyment reading this story. Please take a minute or two to let me know what you think in a review. Whether you’ve read the Epilogue ten minutes after I posted it or ten plus years later, I’ll read it. If you decide to reblog’, it will also bring a huge smile to my face.

Before I wrote this story, I thought this was my one and only Klaine fic, so I went for the long multi-chapter story with my favorite elements included. Go big or go home was my motto! It turns out, I have another Klaine fic to tell – a Downton Abbey inspired AU. If you’re interested, follow me as a writer to get a notification for ‘Westerville Abbey’. I’ll start drafting it next month and won’t post the first chapter until the story is fully drafted. I promise that you won’t need to have watched Downton Abbey to enjoy this historical AU set in the 1910s in Britain. Look out for it sometime this summer.

Thank you to @lilyvandersteen for her beta work, Cassie @cc-graphics for the fic artwork, @sunshineoptimismandangels for giving me the encouragement to write this fic at the start, and @lady--divine for politely answering random questions and reviewing my first smut scene. I also thank every single person who left a review or messaged me. Your words of encouragement and constructive feedback helped to keep me motivated and wake up early on Saturday mornings to post a new chapter.

#my fic: Butterfly Wings

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lostsynapses · 8 years ago

Text

How to Become an International Gold Smuggler

Harold Vilches, a 23-year-old Chilean, exported $80 million in contraband gold. It all started with a Google search.

As the minutes ticked by on the afternoon of April 28, 2015, Harold Vilches watched stoically while customs officers at Santiago’s international airport scrutinized his carry-on. Inside the roller bag was 44 pounds of solid gold, worth almost $800,000, and all the baby-faced, 21-year-old college student wanted was clearance to get on a red-eye to Miami. Vilches had arrived at the airport six hours early because he thought there might be some trouble—he’d heard that customs had recently seized shipments from competing smugglers. But Vilches had done this run, or sent people to do it, more than a dozen times, and he’d prepared his falsified export paperwork with extra care. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t have any trouble. While he waited, he texted his contacts in Florida, telling them he’d already cleared customs.

The plan was to hand off the gold at the Miami airport to a pair of guards, who would load it into an armored truck for the short trip to NTR Metals Miami LLC, a company that buys gold in quantities large and small and sells it into the global supply chain. The modesty of its shabby office, where a receptionist sits behind an inch-thick acrylic barrier, belies the amount of business that goes on inside. U.S. Department of Justice investigators believe NTR Metals Miami has bought at least $3 billion in South American gold in the past four years, much of it from illegal mining operations, people familiar with the investigation say.

Vilches didn’t need this headache. In just two years he had rapidly risen in the ranks of Latin American gold smugglers. Although he was barely old enough to order a beer in Miami, he’d won a $101 million contract to supply a gold dealer in Dubai. That hadn’t exactly worked out—the Dubai company was after him for $5.2 million it says he misappropriated—but still, in a brief career he’d acquired and then resold more than 4,000 lb. of gold, according to Chilean prosecutors. U.S. investigators and Chilean prosecutors suspect almost all of it was contraband.

That evening at the airport, Vilches employed his standard cover story, saying that the gold came from coins acquired from customers and recast as ingots. The customs officers weren’t buying it. The laboratory Vilches had used to vouch for the gold wasn’t government-certified, they said, and they doubted his claims that the gold had come from coins. Vilches was irate. He couldn’t believe it when the man behind the desk called his boss and then relayed orders from above: If it’s Vilches’s gold, seize it.

Investigators with the Policía de Investigaciones, Chile’s equivalent of the FBI, had been monitoring Vilches for months, intercepting his phone calls and scouring the export papers he’d submitted. The kid was clever, they agreed, but who was he working for? “I thought there was someone behind him, always,” says José Luis Pérez, a Chilean prosecutor on the case.

After the airport officials confiscated Vilches’s gold, they let him go. For the next 15 months, Chilean authorities allowed Vilches to bring illegal gold in and ship it out as they built a case, searching for associates and those above him. They listened in on various telephones, read Vilches’s text messages, and followed couriers. They watched as smugglers brought gold south from Peru, across remote stretches of desert and through valleys in the Andes Mountains, or west from Argentina, driving over the snowy mountain pass in the shadow of 22,800-foot-high Aconcagua, then down to Santiago and Vilches’s headquarters, a place police nicknamed “The Bunker.” Inside, Vilches assayed, weighed, and paid for the gold. He melted it down and recast it as ingots, then flew it, or used a family member to fly it, to Miami.

To their growing amazement, the police never found the larger organization they presumed was supporting and protecting Vilches. There was, as far as they could determine, no bigger fish. Finally, in August 2016, they arrested him. Investigators say they have documented $80 million in gold shipments that moved through his hands via eight shell companies he established in Chile and Miami—and they think there was much more. They charged Vilches and four associates, including his wife and her father, with racketeering, smuggling, customs fraud, and money laundering. None of them have been tried, and the case remains open. Vilches’s wife and father-in-law declined through their lawyer to comment. Today, Vilches lives with his wife in an apartment in a rundown part of Santiago; he’s under house arrest from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

In exchange for his release from jail, Vilches provided extensive testimony that has allowed Chilean prosecutors and the U.S. Department of Justice to try to build a huge, multinational gold smuggling case. Interviews with police and prosecutors in Chile and the U.S. and hundreds of pages of police files describe Vilches’s part in a black market that adds literally tons of illegally mined and contraband gold to the international economy every year.

In the past decade and a half, global gold consumption has risen by almost 1,000 tons a year, to about 4,300 tons, according to the World Gold Council, a London-based industry group. Legal mining operations haven’t kept up with demand, so illegal mines controlled by criminal gangs, from the Amazon to central Africa, help cover the deficit, according to Verité, a nonprofit group in Amherst, Mass., that’s researched the illegal gold trade. A 2016 Verité study found that five countries in Latin America shipped 40 tons of gold from illegal mines to the U.S. in one year, almost twice the legal exports from those countries. South America’s illegal gold mines, most of them in the Amazon basin, are toxic pits in which mobs of laborers use fire hoses and mercury to extract nearly pure gold nuggets from the red earth. According to a finding by the United Nations, the industry thrives on child labor, devastates the environment, and enables prostitution at ramshackle camps around the mines. The gold moves from smuggler to smuggler, then into a network of refiners and traders, all feeding the world’s voracious demand.

Vilches, a city kid, never saw any of this, but he did grow up around gold. His father, Mario, owns a jewelry shop; his uncle Enrique, an evangelical preacher, built Joyas Barón, a chain of 18 jewelry stores. Enrique has more than once attracted the attention of the authorities. In 1998, Chilean prosecutors caught Ecuadorean smugglers with 18 ingots of gold at the airport, and they claimed to be delivering it to Enrique. (He was cleared of all criminal charges after arguing that police set him up.) In March 2015, Enrique was sentenced to five years’ probation for tax fraud by an appeals court in Santiago. Last year tax authorities filed further charges alleging that Enrique had organized an enormous accounting scam and owed an estimated $18 million in back taxes. Speaking on Chilean TV, Enrique Vilches denied all connections to his nephew’s gold smuggling. “I don’t have any commercial relationship with what’s being investigated,” he said. “[There’s] no situation that involves me, therefore I want to remain absolutely separated from this situation.”

By 15, Harold was working for his father’s business. Within a year, his dad was stuffing his backpack with up to 50 million pesos ($78,000) in cash and sending him to the bank to make deposits. In 2013, Vilches entered college at the Universidad Mayor in Santiago to study business administration. He hadn’t been there long when his father had a stroke, and he cut back his classwork to focus on the family business. If he was going to be doing that, he decided, he wanted to do more than buy and sell trinkets. He intended to make some real money, and that meant getting into the bulk gold business.

His first move was to persuade Gonzalo Farias, a metals exporter in Santiago, to take him on as a supplier. In September 2013, Vilches made his first delivery to Farias—6.6 lb. of gold legally acquired in Chile. He made several more such deliveries. But he wanted to be bigger. He went around Farias and cut a deal directly with Fujairah Gold, a Dubai-based company that Farias supplied. In June 2014, Vilches signed a contract to deliver 6,000 lb. of gold over the next 12 months to Fujairah’s head office. The contract began with 90 lb. the first month, then ratcheted up. He didn’t have the money to buy that much gold, so the company gave him access to an account holding $5.2 million. This was his big break—the contract was potentially worth more than $100 million. He stood to make $2 million to $6 million in profit.

This was beyond ambitious for Vilches—there weren’t enough available gold coins and jewelry in Chile to fill Fujairah’s orders. So Vilches decided to become a smuggler. It was easy: He Googled gold dealers in Peru. He found Rodolfo Soria Cipriano, one of the country’s most prolific exporters, according to Peruvian newspaper El Comercial. An answer came quickly. Vilches told investigators Soria promised to set him up with all the gold he wanted if he showed up with the cash. Vilches said he didn’t ask where the gold came from. Whatever its source, he evaded export controls and moved the gold into Chile without paying taxes or duties, prosecutors say.

Soria made introductions to a network of suppliers, with whom Vilches later arranged buys via WhatsApp messages. Once the gold was ready for pickup, he would fly to Arica, in northern Chile, where he kept a Mazda sedan expressly for trips into Peru. On at least 10 trips, beginning in the middle of 2014, Vilches says, he and his father-in-law drove across the border to the city of Tacna, a few miles inside Peru, with the door panels of their car stuffed with cash, as much as $2 million at a time.

Vilches bragged to prosecutors that he moved with ease in the criminal world. With relish, he described making a buy at a safe house in Tacna. While his father-in-law waited outside in the car, Vilches was escorted by armed men through multiple metal detectors and locked gates before arriving at a secure room that held a huge stash of gold. He suspected the house doubled as a cocaine dealing operation, he told prosecutors, but he kept his cool. He tested the gold for purity, then went back outside, packed the contraband into the door panels of the Mazda, and drove back to Chile.

Mining at a government-designated site in the indigenous San Jacinto community in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. Photographer: Tomas Munita/The New York Times/Redux

Vilches began making as many as five gold runs a month to Peru and also hired couriers, who delivered to him directly in Santiago. It added up to enough to allow him to make several successful deliveries to Fujairah using air cargo companies. Then, in August 2014, customs agents at the airport in Arica stopped a pair of his couriers with 105 lb. of gold. The paperwork and the duo’s explanations about how they’d obtained the gold didn’t add up. The gold was seized, and Vilches was looking at his first legal trouble: a tax-evasion case, which has yet to be resolved.

Vilches decided to abandon Fujairah. Fulfilling the contract would require dozens of buying trips or courier runs, and getting the gold to Dubai would involve massive logistical challenges. When the company asked about its overdue deliveries, Vilches invented excuses. But lawyers for Fujairah were convinced he was lying. They suspected he was selling to other companies on the side. Fujairah also came to the conclusion that the gold was illegal.

Almost two years later, Vilches faced his first criminal charges, for fraud and appropriating $5.2 million from Fujairah Gold. Through his lawyer, Marko Magdic, Vilches denied the charges and said the only issue was a breach of contract. Fujairah continues to press claims in court to recover the money.

As his relationship with Fujairah deteriorated, Vilches sought new buyers. He knew some of his Chilean clients were selling the gold he brought from Peru to NTR Metals in Miami. Soria, he told prosecutors, made an introduction. “I was cleared by the company’s compliance committee in more or less three weeks,” he told the FBI. Trey Gum, general counsel for Elemetal LLC, NTR’s parent company, says the company established a relationship with Vilches only after its representatives visited his companies in Chile. “The information NTR Miami received was that Mr. Vilches came from a family of established jewelers with close ties to the evangelical community in Chile,” Gum said in an emailed statement. Soria couldn’t be reached for comment. The offices of his company in Lima appear to have shut down, and its phone numbers are out of service.

Vilches told prosecutors he then went to Florida and met with two NTR executives: Renato Rodriguez, executive sales director for Latin America, and Samer Barrage, who oversees the Miami operation. They sat down together at a restaurant in Coral Gables. “They knew something was up with my gold because it was so pure. ... A few months later I expressly told them it was contraband gold,” Vilches said. He also told prosecutors that Rodriguez and Barrage coached him on falsifying customs paperwork.

None of this is true, according to Rodriguez and Barrage. Standing in the lobby of NTR’s Miami office, Rodriguez says the company trusted the documentation Vilches provided—as did, he points out, customs officials in Chile and the U.S. “All that stuff is made up,” he said. Barrage said in an email: “I want to be emphatically clear at no point did I have any knowledge whatsoever regarding his metal being sourced from illegal mining operations. There was absolutely no coaching or involvement regarding his export process or import process for that matter.”

To maximize the appearance of legitimacy, Vilches wanted to cast his gold into brick-size ingots, with a seal identifying the weight and purity. It was a challenge—he’d watched his father do it, but he had almost no idea how to manage it himself. When he plugged in an imported machine to melt the gold, it shorted out and filled his office with black smoke; he’d neglected to buy a transformer so the equipment would work with Chile’s higher-voltage electrical system. Eventually, Vilches says, he and his father-in-law taught themselves how to make the ingots by watching YouTube videos.

“NTR knows the gold is illegal. It’s cheaper than legitimate gold. That’s the business”

In December 2014, Vilches made his first delivery to NTR Metals Miami, with a suitcase full of gold bars. That was how he capped his first full year in business, during which he shipped 3,119 lb. of gold valued at $57.4 million, export records cited in the criminal investigation show. Chilean investigators later cited 10 shipments from Vilches to NTR as clearly illegal because of falsifications in customs declarations and failure to pay taxes and duties on the initial importation of the gold.

Chilean prosecutors say they have evidence NTR was aware the gold was illegal or contraband based on Vilches’s statements and his telephone, email, and text communications, all of which they’ve shared with U.S. investigators. “NTR knows the gold is illegal. It’s cheaper than legitimate gold. That’s the business,” says Tufit Bufadel, a Chilean prosecutor involved in the case.

In early 2015, Vilches told the FBI, Rodriguez and Barrage summoned him to Miami to make a bold proposal. “They asked me to find a gold supplier in Africa,” he said. According to Vilches, the NTR executives proposed that he try to arrange a 1,000-kilo-per-month smuggling operation.

Vilches was game. If he could pull it off, he’d be moving an estimated $20 million a month in dirty gold. But it was going to be complicated. “What they told me is that, because of compliance policies, they could not receive African gold,” Vilches told the FBI. “So they proposed that I export from Africa to Chile and then send it to Miami to NTR Metals.”

Vilches flew to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where he spent almost a month viewing stashes of gold and negotiating with South African and Cameroon-based traders. He told the FBI he “maintained constant communications with Renato and Samer” about possible shipping routes. But he got scammed out of $300,000 by someone he thought was a supplier. The entire Tanzania affair unnerved him. At one point, he told the FBI, he was accosted by two carloads of armed men—probably government security forces, he thought—and held for hours in a grimy room while being interrogated about his business in Tanzania. He was relieved to escape with his life.

Rodriguez and Barrage denied suggesting Vilches go to Africa. “In fact, in 2015 he asked if we purchased from Africa,” Rodriguez wrote in an email. “I unequivocally told him no and that it was a policy of NTR not to do so.” Barrage wrote: “There was ... no encouragement to source gold from Africa.”

Despite the setbacks in Tanzania, Vilches had a good 2015. He spent his money on a $1 million home adjacent to a lake with lilies and swans. He also invested $150,000 in a fortified building in Recoleta, a Santiago neighborhood where stray dogs roam streets strewn with trash. Graffiti-covered 12-foot walls topped with barbed wire surrounded a two-story building outfitted with Level 5 bulletproof glass and armored metal doors. Steel-reinforced walls and an array of 32 security cameras protected an inner sanctum. The final touch was a pepper spray system. “Even in a bank you don’t see such high-quality protection and security measures,” says Pérez, the Chilean prosecutor.

It was here that Vilches toiled, usually alone, transforming his gold into the standard-size ingots needed to avoid raising suspicions at customs. He marked each with the precise weight and purity and added the seal of Aurum Metals LLC, a company he’d set up in Miami. It was also in the bunker that Vilches stashed cash and falsified documentation for the gold.

Vilches told prosecutors that the NTR executives advised him to make videos of the refining process to better support his claims that the gold came from legal sources. He did that, and his marketing brochures carried photos of himself grinning while pouring liquid from a flask like a high school chemistry student, except that the flask was filled with liquid gold.

NTR Metals Miami is one of the 49 offices of NTR Metals, also known as Elemetal Direct, one of eight divisions of Dallas-based Elemetal LLC. Elemetal Direct sells its gold as 99.99 percent pure bullion—and certified as coming from legal mines by industry groups. Those groups include the London Bullion Market Association, or LBMA, the industry’s self-regulating body, which counts officials from major banks and gold traders on its board. Elemetal dedicates a section of its website to certifications of quality and origin, including a copy of the LBMA’s “responsible gold certificate” from a “third-party audit of the company’s supply chain due diligence.” LBMA spokesman Aelred Connelly declined to comment about Elemetal’s certification.

Another certificate comes from the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, or EICC. It’s for Elemetal’s gold smelter in Jackson, Ohio. To renew the certification each year, Elemetal hires auditors to review purchase and import records, tour the smelter, and interview employees about the source of purchased gold. The mission is to assure that no gold comes from illegal mines that give rise to prostitution, labor abuses, and environmental damage or fund illegal activities or war, especially in Latin America, says Leah Butler, director of the conflict-free smelter program at the EICC. “We know that gold from Latin America is high-risk,” says Butler. She declined to comment on Elemetal, citing EICC rules. The organization “takes allegations of wrongdoing by any smelter or refiner in its program very seriously,” she says.

Amjad Rihan, a former Ernst & Young auditor who specializes in researching commodity supply chains, says it’s easy to fool auditors. Rihan now works for Martello Risk, a London consulting firm that helps companies scour supply lines for illegal minerals. “The problem is these audits really don’t go beyond the paperwork,” he says.

These seals of approval are critical across the industry. Under U.S. and European law, corporations must ensure their suppliers aren’t buying from mines that fund conflict. So they source gold from companies that are certified as having clean supply chains. Elemetal’s certified smelter is a valuable asset that allowed the company to supply 68 Fortune 500 companies in 2015 according to a Verité analysis of corporate conflict minerals reports, which are required under the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act. Those include Alphabet, Apple, GE, GM, and HP, the latest corporate filings show.

According to Gum, Elemetal’s lawyer, NTR Metals Miami stopped doing business with Vilches on June 1, 2016, the day the fraud charge against him was filed, and “reported the matter to appropriate governmental authorities.” Elemetal also, “as a precautionary measure,” ordered NTR Metals Miami to “suspend all operations in Chile pending a review of current risks and procedures in that country,” Gum says.

Vilches’s confessions took on the air of a performance. “All you lacked was the popcorn”

On the night everything began to fall apart, when agents at the Santiago airport seized the five ingots in his carry-on, Vilches immediately called NTR, he told FBI investigators. Rodriguez and Barrage suggested, he said, that he forget about ever seeing that gold again and concentrate on getting the paperwork right the next time. NTR executives “gave me instructions to keep U.S. Customs from realizing my certificates of origin were false,” Vilches said.

It seemed to work, for quite a while. Chilean police were itching to bust him, but prosecutors ordered detectives to stand down to gather more evidence. They were reluctant to give up on the idea of snagging someone higher than Vilches. And so he both imported and exported dirty gold without interruption.

The net began to close in early 2016, when banks in Chile and Miami began filing suspicious-activity reports on Vilches’s huge cash transactions and shutting down his accounts. Then came the criminal complaint involving the Fujairah Gold contract. Finally, police arrested Vilches and seized $300,000 in cash and a small amount of gold from the bunker. Facing a multiyear jail sentence for money laundering and tax evasion, Vilches agreed to cooperate with law enforcement in both the U.S. and Chile. He also dropped out of college. Today, Vilches and NTR Metals are at the center of a sweeping criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, Chile’s National Economic Prosecutor’s office, and law enforcement in Peru and Ecuador, according to Pérez, the Chilean prosecutor. Sarah Schall, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami, declined to comment, citing policy against confirming or denying the existence of an investigation.

In October 2016, FBI agents and prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami traveled to Chile to interview Vilches. After becoming convinced his information was legitimate, they told him he might get immunity in the U.S. from prosecution in exchange for his sworn testimony, people with knowledge of the probe say. As Vilches spent hour after hour in interrogation, FBI agents and Chilean detectives were both fascinated and entertained. Upwards of 15 law enforcement professionals crowded into a meeting room at Santiago 1, a sprawling prison complex, and Vilches fed off the attention. He laughed and seemed to shrug off the seriousness of his situation. His confessions took on the air of a performance, according to one of the investigators present. “All you lacked was the popcorn,” he says with a laugh. FBI agent Lourdes McLoughlin, the assistant legal attaché at the U.S. embassy in Santiago, declined to comment, citing a policy of not commenting on active investigations.

In December the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI brought Vilches to Miami, where he told a federal grand jury that he was coached by NTR Metals Miami on how to set up his corporate structure in the U.S. to handle smuggled gold and then launder the proceeds, people familiar with the U.S. probe say. Elemetal and NTR Metals Miami didn’t respond to questions about an investigation.

Vilches lived large only briefly. He’s traded down to an apartment along Gran Avenida, a thoroughfare in a tough Santiago neighborhood. Because of his cooperation, he’s unlikely to face additional jail time for smuggling. He still faces multiple criminal charges, including tax evasion.

Chilean export regulations have been beefed up in the wake of the Vilches case. One gold dealer describes the new export process as similar to “being told to stand up against the wall and put your hands up.” Customs officials from Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru have visited Chile to exchange information and compare notes. Pérez approves, but he has no illusions. If Vilches, without any particular advantages except his boldness, could get this far in the illegal gold trade, who else could? “I think there are 100 Vilcheses across Latin America,” he says. “It’s easier than it looks.”

—With assistance from Ben Bartenstein

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-03-09/how-to-become-an-international-gold-smuggler

#bloomberg #gold smuggling #global commodities #doj #Chile

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hottytoddynews · 8 years ago

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Jeff Johnson, 55, left a chaotic technology life in Jackson and moved to quaint Oxford, returning to the apparel business.

Johnson wakes up as the birds chirp before sunrise, five minutes to 5 a.m. He immediately feeds his family’s boxer and cat, then sips on his coffee while catching up on the latest business fashion blogs.

“I’m never reading about what the Kardashian’s wore last night, but about who is making money and the big fashion industries,” he said.

He said everyone is looking for discount stores, causing big stores to lose money. Nieman Marcus has Last Call, Nordstrom has Nordstrom Rack, Saks Fifth Avenue has Saks off 5th.

“And obviously the Internet is the great divide,” he said.

After catching up on the latest news, Johnson opens his store, Nella, a women’s clothing store, between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Jeff Johnson in his store. Photo by Addis Olive

His day is packed, making phone calls about products with customers and East Coast vendors.

He pays bills and checks the store’s Instagram to see what items are trending.

“We probably sell five to eight things from Instagram every week,” he said.

After working in the morning, he usually leaves around lunchtime if it’s not too hectic. He usually stays until 5:30 p.m. to prep for the next morning.

Nella is located between First National Bank Oxford and University Sporting Goods. It is an elegant and colorful women’s apparel, crossover store. Johnson said that means any age woman can shop there, from college students to older women.

Johnson was born in Yazoo City and found himself back in Oxford only a few years ago. He attended Ole Miss, was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and worked for The Daily Mississippian. He majored in marketing because “there wasn’t anything like IMC (integrated marketing communications) at the time.”

At his first job, he worked at a big men’s store, similar to Hinton & Hinton on the Square, for 11 years in Jackson.

After 11 years, he got a job in technology at a large company called Ergon. He sold industrial computers to telecom, military, and other big suppliers. He often flew to Illinois for business. That job lasted about three years.

“I kind of had a hankering mid-way through that year to get back into apparel,” he said. “So I kept in touch with the owner of Duvall’s, bought this space, and now it’s Nella.”

The outside of Nella, a women’s clothing store. Photo by Addis Olive

The store was named after Johnson’s little sister, Katherine Ella Johnson, who is 18 years younger than Johnson and currently the Delta Gamma housemother on campus.

“There’s a lot of competition in Oxford,” he said. “But there’s a good pace here. It was a great way to leave Jackson. Jackson and Memphis have similar issues with crime, infrastructure and stuff like that.”

After being in the technology business for so long, Johnson had an epiphany in Nordstrom that he wanted to go back into apparel.

“I walked into a Nordstrom in Dallas,” he said. “It had just been redone, and there was this guy sitting there playing the piano. I looked at my wife and said: “This is kind of crazy, but I think I will go back into the clothing business.’”

Johnson said selling women’s clothing is easier than selling men’s clothing. “The reason I don’t work in menswear is because nobody wears a coat to work anymore,” he said.

Jeff Johnson working with his employer. Photo by Addis Olive

Johnson’s family members help with the business.

“My wife works in the back as a bookkeeper,” he said. “My daughter, who is a senior, works on the floor.”

Johnson is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and helps out with Oxford Square Lines, about 30 stores that put on three free family-friendly events each year.

“We just did our Easter event, and I got a kid from Oxford High to dress up in an Easter bunny suit to take pictures with the children,” he said. “We ended up shooting 11,000 pictures on that Saturday before Easter.”

Johnson’s biggest lesson about women’s apparel is: “Always buy too little,” he said. “You can always call NYC or LA and get something shipped immediately.”

In the early days, Johnson said he would fill out an entire order form, then wouldn’t have any room for the extra clothes in the store.

“Really go slow on inventory and cut lines that aren’t selling quickly,” he said.

Johnson said what makes Nella unique is they try not to carry what other stores in Oxford carry.

Kaelyn Sreenan, retailer at Nella

Kaeyln Sreenan, 21, is an IMC major with a minor in business and a public relations specialization from Jacksonville, Florida, who works at Nella.

“I want to be a self-sustained hard working woman to prove something to myself,” she said. “I would love to work in fashion marketing/PR and or PR and marketing for covering major events.”

Sreenan will have worked at Nella one on June 1st. She said Nella has a great work atmosphere, and she’s happy she came to Johnson freshman year looking for a job.

“When I went to him my freshman year, he told me he did not hire students until their junior year,” he said. “So the last day of my sophomore year, I went to him and said: ‘OK, I’m a junior.’ The next thing you knew, I was working at Nella.”

A typical workday for Sreenan is arriving early to straighten the racks, making sure all tags are tucked in on hanging clothes, and that the jeans are in size order on tables. While straightening the racks, she checks to see what new merchandise came in to become familiar with the brand and the style.

“Then I go on our work computer to look at Instagram and see how our page looks and what other pages are posting,” she said. “We usually try to take some photos to post to our Instagram for the next couple weeks.”

As people walk in the store, she and coworkers engage with customer. Before they close, we always make sure all the racks are straightened and finger spaced apart so it looks good for people walking by at night.

Jeff Johnson and Nella’s Top Ten Fashion Trends for Summer

1. Anything with a raw hem on jeans. 2. Less distressed jeans. 3. Anything that’s the color blush. 4. Lanyard jewelry. You can dress it up or down. 5. $40–$60 sunglasses. 6. Tinsel, a type of fake denim. 7. Floral prints (not Johnson’s favorite, but it sells). 8. Bohemian “boho” type shirts 9. Faux suede sets. 10. Colored anorak’s (jackets) (Johnson’s personal favorite). 11. (Bonus) athleisure.

Kaelyn Sreenan’s Top 10 Fashion Trends For Summer

1. Denim, especially patchwork denim. 2. Small block heels. 3. Stair-stepper and raw hem jeans. 4. Soludos shoes. 5. Comfy, but cute sneakers, with a little height to them. 6. Colorful, bold earrings. 7. Vertical stripes. 8. Nude coloring in everything, especially handbags. 9. Vintage T-shirts. 10. Bigger than your normal size denim shorts that hang on your waist.

By Addis Olive. Read more stories like this on Oxford Stories.

For questions or comments, email [email protected].

The post Oxford Stories: Oxford’s Nella Clothing Boutique Offers 20 Summer Fashion Tips appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

#hottytoddy #olemiss #oxfordms #oxford ms #mississippi #university of mississippi #the grove

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