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tiesthatbind-tf · 3 years

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A lad finally gets some of that coveted spotlight!

Benjamin Bane (just Ben or Benji, thanks) may be the youngest of the active Autobot team as their sprightly scout who’s got a chip on his shoulder he wants to hurl into the next Functionist or Decepticon picking on him for his size, and who’s been through quite a bit despite his age, if the burn on his left arm, the slide bite on his right hand and the multitude of old cigarette burns he’s reluctant to explain are anything to go by.

When not on the field, he’s an avid dancer (with a love for ballet, something he could only pursue in secret until recently, and something which forms the core of his offensive style) and a good enough artist that he, alongside Mirage, are the two assigned to decorate armor for the team.

His smiley, chirpy facade hides quite a couple of issues, including PSTD and self-esteem issues, anxiety attacks, and an urge to please those he trusts even if it comes at his detriment.

More to his story below. (TW for child abuse)

Benjamin Bane (Bumblebee) would be hard-pressed to come up with a single good memory concerning his biological family during his childhood, and not for the lack of trying.

Born to an upper middle-class family in New York comprising a bullish, hot-tempered police sergeant father and a housewife mother, he grew up in the shadow of the son his father, who came from a family of law enforcers, wanted him to be in order to carry on the family legacy.

That he was a gentle, bubbly, sensitive child who loved following his mother around in the kitchen and spending his free time drawing did not bode well for the image his father wished to portray, and it didn’t take long for the discipline intended to mold him into a ‘man’ to become horrifically physical when he was barely five.

His mother, already used to his old man’s temper and quick hand, would often step in to take the punishment meant for him whenever he did something undesirable, though she couldn’t save Ben from the man’s wrath completely, and by the time he was nine, he was never seen without a hoodie in school and had perfected every excuse he’d been told to repeat when asked why he could not take it off or why he would come in on some days with a split lip.

He was small for his size, quiet, and took great pains not to be noticed, which had the opposite effect of making him the target of every other larger child looking to blow off steam, and he became good at running.

Really good.

There was no running from home however, home where the walls were insulated so neighbours wouldn’t hear what was happening within, and while some days would be better than others, there wasn’t a moment that he didn’t break into a cold sweat whenever he heard his father’s footsteps approaching his room.

With his mother unable to bear more children due to an illness, his father furiously continued with the campaign (sometimes the carrot was used though mostly it was the stick) to mold him into the son the man wanted, so he could make the cut during the streaming process prior to high school where students would be sorted into their future occupational classes.

What support he might have had from his mother in his young years also evaporated, as she pushed him to be the son his father needed him to be to keep the peace, putting the weight of the household’s sanctity on his slight shoulders.

He was forced into marksmanship lessons (where his first attempt to fire a gun went awry and left him with a deep slide bite wound), multiple self-defence classes to toughen him up (helpful for bullies whenever they didn’t come in packs), and a series of workouts to encourage a growth spurt so he could catch up to other potential cadet candidates.

The little sliver of hope that he would be good enough to make the junior police cadets went up in smoke when he was assigned to the manual class instead, owing to his size and his visceral aversion to handling firearms.

Branded as worthless and only good for paying off the ‘debt’ accumulated from the classes his father had earlier forced him into, Ben entered high school with his self-esteem scrapping at topsoil and digging deeper, and had it not been for a chance encounter with another boy who was evading a group of military-classed students intending to instil a lesson about talking back to those higher in the hierarchy, it might have dug itself into a grave.

The boy, who introduced himself as Guillermo ‘Memo’ Gutierrez after Ben dutifully sent the bullies scattering, was also assigned to the manual class and both of them decided to stick together for safety in numbers.

Ben had ruefully accepted his lot in life after years of being broken and beaten down. Memo, however, had a loving and supportive family; this kept the spark of his defiance to the system alive and he kindled it in Ben’s by giving his friend a safe space to escape to whenever the situation at Ben’s home became too intense.

Among Memo and Memo’s family was the first time where Ben opened up about his interests, could speak freely and found acceptance for what he liked and who he was.

The desire to reclaim the things he loved pushed him to seek out part-time work, which he eventually found after befriending a girl, Charlie Watson, who had helped put an end to the harassment he and Memo endured at school by playing the hierarchy to their favour and wielding her Navy ‘prime-pick’ status.

That she actually wanted nothing to do with the class she was pushed into (Navy) and wished to pursue a career in automotives despite parental objections was something that she and Ben bonded over, and she brought him to the scrapyard her uncle ran where he found work sorting out car parts and helping perform repairs.

He began to pursue art and dance in secret with part of his pay (keeping his sketchbooks and supplies at Memo’s place and taking dance lessons under the guise of after-class study sessions), while saving up the rest and planning for the day he would eventually break free of his father, ‘debt’ or no ‘debt’.

During this time, he subtly packed away important items and was careful not to anger his old man more than his mere presence already did on a good day——something which would become increasingly hard when the Clampdown began.

He would hear his father rant over the dinner table about how ungrateful the protesters who were made up mostly of the Manual Class were, how they weren’t worth the safety net they were demanding for the job they were doing, how they needed to know their place.

He would hear, as time went by, about how his father would beat the ones who were arrested, and more than once, how he would be killed if he, as the man’s son, ever did something as stupid and insolent as that.

He bit his tongue through all this and reluctantly refused Memo’s offer to join a peaceful protest for better wages and workplace compensation.

The protest turned violent after police assaulted those taking part however, and as he watched the news hoping to see if Memo was alright, he saw his friend among those who were tossed into the dreaded black vans to be brought over to stations for interrogation.

His father, fielding a call from a colleague about the batch of protesters being brought in, told them to separate the adults from the teenagers, who would be easier to break, and it was at this point Ben’s spark turned into a bonfire.

As his father got dressed for work, he crept into the man’s study and managed to figure out the combination to the safe where the man’s gun was kept, retrieving it and aiming it at the police sergeant who came in and demanded for him to stand down.

Ben, in turn, demanded for his father to call the station and have Memo released, and when his father laughed at his audacity, mocked the way his hands shook while he was holding the gun and threatened to beat him senseless once this was all over, he shot the man close enough to the head to clip an ear to prove a point, before repeating his demand again.

This time, his father complied and called the station to order for Memo’s release; Ben’s relief however was all the momentary lapse of guard that his father needed to rush in and attempt to wrest the gun back, and in the struggle, he accidentally shot his father in the knee.

Under the hail of threats on how he was going to die once his father got hands on him, Ben flung the gun where the man could not reach, grabbed one of the bags he had secretly packed and ran out of the house to the screams of his mother.

He called Charlie and explained the situation to her, as both of them made their way to the station where his father worked to pick up Memo, who was confused about the state of affairs.

At 18 years, Ben was now a fugitive who could no longer go home; Memo brought him to the manual class district where Ben could hide among allies, and it was here that he spent a few months in hiding, disguised as a manual worker.

However, still fully terrified at the thought of his father eventually hunting him down within the confines of the city, he made plans to leave and head to the West Coast, far away from any chance that he would meet his old man by accident on the streets.

To his surprise, Charlie and Memo elected to join him in the move, and the three of them left together on a Greyhound bus; Him to escape his father, Charlie to escape her future with a military complex which her father died for and Memo to protect his family after he was named a person of interest in the protest.

However, they were forced to stop in Texas when police were inspecting passing buses for runaway Cold Constructs. Here, they met Ian Hart (Ironhide), a rancher secretly helping Cold Constructs escape ownership by crossing over into Mexico to start new lives.

Ian, seeing how they ran from the bus, assumed they were young Cold Constructs and immediately took them in and offered them shelter; when they explained their situation, he kept his offer, letting them stay until they had their plans sorted out and paying them for work done on his ranch in the meantime.

All three of them grew fond of him and spent a month working on his ranch, helping out equally between his longhorn cattle and the Cold Constructs who would come in scared, starving, and seeking refuge from bounty hunters looking to bring them back to the establishments they were assigned to.

Someone however, had gotten wind of Ian’s clandestine operation, and the man was arrested during a midnight raid, though not before he flung Ben, Charlie and Memo into a secret basement with three Cold Constructs who he told them to help cross the border the next day.

They did as they were told, but decided to return to the ranch to figure out how to help Ian, and when they came back there, it was to come face to face with two strangers who were also seeking Ian after seeing him on the news.

These strangers introduced themselves as Omar Parvez (Optimus Prime), Jace Zayden (Jazz) and Preston Wan (Prowl), members of a rebellion that had sprung up in the UK, and upon hearing that they had been with Ian for the past month, requested for their help in tracking the man down to save him from a terrible fate at the hands of government interrogators.

Realising that they were now caught up in something bigger than they ever imagined, Ben nonetheless accepted the request, unwilling to stand back and do nothing while a good man suffered.

Youth, size and a lifetime of abuse would not be an obstacle to him helping someone else, especially with his best friends by his side.

#Maccadam #Humanformers #Bumblebee #Optimus Prime #charlie watson #memo gutierrez #Character Art #tw: abuse #tw: child abuse #tw: gun mention

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mauvecherie-writes · 3 years

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The Bodyguard.

PAIRING: Guillermo Sollima x Black reader.

SUMMARY: In the midst of a gang war, you, the daughter of a cartel boss must be moved for your safety. Your father hired a bodyguard for you to protect you during the journey. You just never expected to ever fall for the man …

WARNING: NSFW*** angst, graphic violence, kidnapping, age-gap (over 21), sex.

WORD COUNT: 7.9K

NOTE: This was a piece that I wrote during my wattpad days. I had a massive crush on Benicio Del Toro and I still do, it’s just lowkey lol. I decided to upload this specifically for @anbanananna. She keeps the flame going. PS: I wrote this a very long time ago so it is a bit cringe lmao, please spare me.

The birds chirped lovingly outside of her windows as she woke up that beautiful Saturday morning. The sun was high up in the sky and clear of any type of clouds. It instantly put her in high spirits as YN got ready for her day. She moved swiftly around her spacious bedroom as she moved from her bathroom to her closet to her vanity table. There was no reason whatsoever for YN to get so dressed up but she just felt like doing so. After putting her hair into a high ponytail, she grabbed her phone and left her room. Her spaghetti flower print summer dress flowed behind her as she walked down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen.

She could hear commotion from one wing of the house but she didn't want to bother herself with that. When she entered the kitchen she saw Ramon and his staff working on cooking breakfast but Jade did not feel like waiting. She sat at the kitchen islet and waited.

"Good morning Miss YN." Ramon greeted her.

"Good morning Ramon. What are you serving for breakfast?"

"Today it is going to be very simple, between pancakes and waffles."

"Easy choice. Can I have some waffles please?"

"With all of the toppings?"

"Extra maple syrup please." YN smiled at him before he left her. As she sat at the islet, she scrolled through her phone, replying to her friend's messages and her social media catching up on the latest gossip. As she did so, she didn't notice her father enter the room.

"Good morning mija." He greeted as he placed a kiss onto her forehead.

"Morning papa." She replied to him as he sat beside her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"I'm good. Just waiting on Ramon to make my breakfast. Theresa is coming by later to pick me up so we go hangout with our friends." YN told her father about her day.

"I need to talk to you before you leave."

"Okay papa."

After that, her father left her alone. She was a bit worried about what he wanted to talk about because most of the time, he would just tell her out front. Rafael Estes was her father.

Rafael Estes, the most feared and most powerful drug lord in Mexico was her father. Her mother was his favourite mistress. He never hid their relationship but when she got pregnant with YN, she left Mexico and moved to Brazil. They stayed there until nine years and her mother became ill. Rafael came to their rescue. He moved them back to Mexico and took care of her and her mother until she passed away five years later. YN wasn't his only child but she was the only one who still lived with him. She was twenty-two and she could have left already but she was too close to her father to just leave. She didn't want to take over his empire, that was up to her older brothers to deal with.

YN tried to live her life as normal as possible and that's why she kept her mother's surname. The two didn't even look alike but when they were standing next to each other, you could see the relation. She did all the things girls her age do. She was enrolled into a private university and she had a group of friends and they all knew who her father was. To be honest it was kind of hard to hide because wherever she was, there were some guards around. They never shadowed her but they were always in the background of where she was except when she was at university.

When she finished her breakfast, she went to get her bag and when she entered the hallway leading to her father's office, it was littered with some of his workers. They all respectfully greeted as she passed by. Her father's office door was wide open so she just stepped in. She noticed a man standing in front of her father's desk. From the back she could tell that he was decked out in high tech gear. Instantly, her mind began to race.

"Papa." She spoke, causing both of the men's heads to face her. The first thing she noticed were his hazel eyes. Followed by his rugged, rough beard that was thicker around his pink lips than on his cheek bones. His black hair was pushed back in a messy kind of way that looked like he continuously ran his hand through it. She blushed when he smirked slightly.

She had been staring at him for a bit too long. "Mija sit down."

YN did as she was instructed. Her body was still nerved by the man standing behind her.

"You know I would have never called you in here if I didn't think the issue was serious." She nodded her head. "I never want to stress you with my business but I've been put in a position where I need to let you know some things."

"Is everything okay Papa?"

"Things will be baby. Right now I'm in the midst of a drug war with the Medellin cartel. It's getting a bit too dangerous so I'm going to have to make sure that you aren't caught in the crossfire." He said. "The man behind you is Guillermo Sollima and I've hired him to protect you as he takes somewhere safe."

"What about you?"

"I'll be okay."

"I can't lose you too." YN felt like crying as the realisation began to sink in.

"And you won't mija. But I cannot in good conscience let you stay here knowing people are coming to look for me. I'd rather you bury me and I bury you if the time comes."

"Why can't you come with me?"

"Because these boys think they can run me away and take over my territory. As a good leader, I stick with my men no matter what it is." Rafael said. "The maids have already packed some of your clothes. You need to leave today ...."

Everything was so sudden and YN sat in the chair as she tried to come to terms with what she was being told. It was like everything was in slow motion. She didn't even know when she got out of the seat and found herself walking back to her room. She got dressed in something more comfortable and she kept her hair in her ponytail. She packed some reading books to keep herself entertained. She messaged her friends that they wouldn't be able to talk to her for a while and none of them questioned her and after she turned off her phone.

After an emotional goodbye with her father, she got into the car and they drove away. As she was sitting in the back as tears silently fell, Guillermo watched her through the rear view mirror.

"Everything will be alright." He spoke to her for the first time. She looked at him to find his striking hazel eyes already on her.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you've got me."

And he was right. As they traveled through the length of Mexico towards its south border, there was no trouble. Well there was no trouble that ever came close to YN. Guillermo kept her well away from it. There were times that he would come back to where they were staying with cuts and bruises and she tended to them. Those were their bonding times. He wasn't much of a talker but when he did, she enjoyed hearing his voice. He told her stories of his endeavours across the globe as a service man for the CIA. He didn't hide the fact that he was a contracted assassin for them. He wasn't on any side of the law. He was on the side that paid him the most money. And her father had paid him in the millions to make sure that she got to his private island off the coast of South Argentina.

They were now in Brazil. YN spent most of her days with the locals in the market or in the little apartment they were renting out. They were only supposed to stay for a few days but it had been more than a week now. Guillermo told her that he was having a little bit of trouble with looking for transport but he was working on it. Even though he didn't tell her. but she had noticed that whenever she left the apartment, she had noticed that there were eyes that would watch over her.

Today, she didn't feel like leaving so when she woke up, she took a shower and cooked some breakfast. She looked towards Guillermo's room and she didn't hear anything. She didn't want to disturb him just in case he was in there sleeping. She placed his plate into the microwave and went to sit by the television. She was so engrossed in her show that she didn't hear the front door open and Guillermo stepped into the room.

"Morning YN." He spoke. Jade placed her plate onto the table and turned around.

"Morning G." She greeted him with a smile. But it quickly faltered when she saw him clutching onto his side. "What's wrong?"

"I got into a little fight. It's okay."

"You look hurt." YN rose to her feet and went towards him. He knew not to protest against her because she would just keep on persisting that she help until he let her. He sat down on the couch and as he gingerly took off his shirt, YN grabbed the first aid kit and came back to him.

"You've been in too many fights since we got here. That's not good Guillermo." She scolded him as she began to clean up his wound. It wasn't deep but it still drew a lot of blood.

"I'm sorry mama." He playfully replied. She looked at him through her lashes and those piercing hazel eyes were staring down at her. "Someone said something I didn't like and I just had to set them straight."

"What did they say?"

"You wouldn't want to know. It was disrespectful to you." After that they didn't speak any further until she fully cleaned and covered his wound.

"Well thank you for defending my honour." She told him as she lightly traced the now bandaged wound. Her fingers aimlessly began to trace his tattoo that was on the side of his torso.

"No problem." He mumbled softly. Her touch was affecting him in ways he couldn't explain. He didn't want to openly admit that he was attracted to her but in his mind he kept repeating that she was too young for him. YN didn't seem to care because there were times where they would mindlessly flirt and she seemed to always give in. He stopped the hand that was tracing his tattoo and her eyes averted back to his.

"I'm sorry." She whispered softly.

"It's okay." He told her. He didn't want to let go of her hand. It was so soft in his. She bit onto her lip when she noticed their closeness. Every part of her was telling her to close that gap and kiss him but she didn't want to make the first move.

They didn't need to speak as their bodies did the speaking for them. Guillermo placed his hand on her cheek and caressed her skin with the pad of his thumb. YN found herself shifting her position and sitting on the back of her legs to be closer to his face. She held onto his hand as she waited for him. But it looked like he was waiting for her to consent verbally.

"Please." She whispered softly. Guillermo finally closed the gap between the two and laid his lips onto hers. She didn't expect them to be so soft but they were. Like marshmallows. His mouth tasted like menthol with the slightest hint of nicotine. He held the back of her neck as his tongue invaded her mouth and it caused her to moan softly. Guillermo dominated over her and she found herself getting weak. Their breathing became heavier as their kiss intensified. She was still mindful of his wound but he didn't seem to care as he pulled her onto his lap causing her to gasp.

Without giving her room to breath, Guillermo deepened the kiss. He would nibble on her bottom lip, suck on her tongue and squeeze on her body. She felt like risking it all. Her thighs clenched as he slowed down the kisses. His grip on her neck was still there as he kept her in place.

When he finally pulled away, her chest was heaving up and down as she tried to calm down. Her inner thigh was pressing against his length and she could feel it harden underneath her.

"Your breakfast." She was still struggling for breath as she laid her forehead against his. "Your breakfast is in the microwave." She mumbled as she blushed softly.

"Thank you." He replied, licking his lips, savouring her taste. She didn't want to move so she just stayed on his lap causing him to chuckle. YN squealed as he stood up and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Since you didn't want to move."

YN giggled as she placed her head in his neck. Their relationship had now reached other heights and she didn't want to change a thing.

Her bodyguard was now more than that .....

YN couldn't believe how beautiful Uruguay was. They were at the border of the country with Argentina. Being that Uruguay was a safer country, YN didn't need to hide her face or be cooped up in the apartment. For the two days, she had spent most of her time, getting supplies upon supplies, from canned foods to toiletries. Once they entered Argentina, they wouldn't stop travelling, only to get some sleep, a shower and hot food until they got to the south. The journey was going to be long but YN couldn't wait until she reached her father's island. She was now wearing her natural hair and had no false nails anymore. She also stopped wearing makeup and she felt so good.

Guillermo was sitting on the floor as he cleaned his weapons and packed his ammunition. Luckily enough, YN had not been exposed to any type of gun fire but she knew that he had definitely killed some people for her protection because he often came back with bruised knuckles and a black eye a few times. Her growing attraction to him did not stop, it only intensified. He was leaning against the wall, dressed in a white vest top and his trousers. He was sharpening his knife when he finally looked up and smiled when he saw her looking at him. She was laid on her side on the couch in a soft flowing summer dress.

“Come here.” He said softly as he placed his weapons down and pushed them away at a good distance. YN got up from her seat and to where he was on the floor. She clutched on the sides of her dress as she lowered down onto his lap. Once she was situated, she wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms came to her neck.

"What's wrong mi amor?" He asked her as his thumbs caressed her back.

"I just wanted your touch." She replied as she pulled him up closer to her face which caused him to chuckle.

"All you had to do was ask baby." He mumbled as his lips tickled hers. YN bit onto her lip. No guy had ever made her feel the way Guillermo made her feel. So many times she had chucked it to the fact that they were in isolation together but the feelings she was getting for the man seemed far deeper. This man was risking his life for her protection. But it wasn't just a job anymore. He was doing this because he cared for her and he wanted to see her safe from danger. He knew that they were far from it but he could never be too sure with her father's enemies. The private island was heavily guarded and he knew getting her there she would be out of harm's way.

She dropped her head shyly onto his shoulder. Guillermo placed soft kisses on her skin. He hooked his finger onto the strap of her dress and brought it down. His beard tickled her skin but she enjoyed the feeling. His other hand began to inch her dress further up until his hand was underneath her dress and playing on the hemline of her underwear. YN bit onto her lip as she ran her hand through his hair.

"Please Guillermo." She asked him as she thrusted her hips forward softly onto his fingers. He placed his forehead onto hers as he pushed her underwear to the side and began to rub on her clit. She moaned as her eyes fluttered close.

“Tell me what you want love.” He whispered into her ear as he inched one finger into her.

“I want to feel all of you.” She whispered to him which caused him to groan softly. He pulled down the rest of her dress so that it pooled onto her waist. He leaned forward as he captured her lips. He nibbled onto her bottom lip as he entered his tongue into her mouth. She whimpered as he began to finger her at a steady pace. His fingers were skilled and she could quickly feel her orgasm rising. Guillermo tore his lips away from hers and popped her nipple into her mouth. He yearned for the moment that she would be like this in his arms. He focused on all of the love faces that she made. The tremble of her lips and the scrunch at the corner of her eyes. He loved seeing the way her lips would shape to make those sweet moans that he enjoyed hearing.

"I'm going to cum." She moaned as she grabbed onto the fabric of his shirt and rode his fingers faster. His fingers curled and pressed onto her spot and the other squeezed her ass. "Fuck!" YN cussed as her walls squeezed his fingers, trapping them inside of her. She cried out his name as she exploded all around his fingers. He pulled them out and she took his hand and began licking his fingers clean as she stared deeply into his eyes. It was then when she felt his hardened length underneath the softness of her thigh. Guillermo took his fingers out of her mouth and replaced them with his tongue. He moaned against her lips as the taste of her invaded his taste buds. He stood up with her in his arms and walked to the bedroom with their lips still in contact. When he laid her down, stripping her clothes, his lips and hands were never far from the sweet spots. Guillermo stopped for a while to strip his clothing. YN took in all of his scaring and thought that he was beautiful anyway. He got onto the bed and in between her legs. Facing her beautiful pink pussy budding like a rose, he leaned down and ran his tongue up from her slit to her clit and he did it over and over.

"Oh my god." YN moaned as her eyes closed and she fell onto the bed. Guillermo ate her out like he had not eaten in days. He would pay close attention to her clit, sucking into his mouth and slobbering onto it. He thrusted his tongue into her core and wiggled it. It was all too much for her but she didn't dare pull away from him. In fact, she kept his head in between her legs.

"Oh fuck!" She squealed as her legs shook from her impending orgasm. Her eyes were beginning to cross as her whole body convulsed. Without any warning, she came into his mouth. But he didn't stop. It deepened his hunger. He gripped her thighs and continued licking her. Her clit was extremely sensitive and he used that to his advantage.

She struggled for air as she tugged on his hair and the sheets.

"Baby." She breathlessly let out as her third orgasm was triggered.

"Let it all out sweetheart.” He groaned, biting onto her inner thigh as he replaced his tongue with his fingers. Even though her mouth was wide apart, no noise came out but her cream coated her fingers. Determined to draw another orgasm out of her, he got onto his knees and held one of her legs apart as he thrusted his fingers into her faster and faster.

"Oh shit!" She exclaimed. "Fuckkkk! Papi wait!" She gasped as the strong urge to pee gripped her.

"I'm gonna squirt." She told him and tried to push his hand away but he wrapped his arm around her throat and looked into her eyes.

"Cum." He demanded. YN's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she splashed onto his fingers.

"Yeah, that's it. Make a mess." He told her as her thighs shook in the aftermath. He slapped her pussy which caused her to whimper. He hovered above her and she placed her hands onto his neck and brought him down to capture his lips. She moaned as the scent of her essence filled her nostrils. He held onto the calves of her legs as he dropped his bottom half so that his length was rubbing against her opening before he slowly entered into her and began to thrust at a steady pace.

He swallowed all of her moans. She felt so good. She was extremely wet and gushy. Every time he thrusted into her and pulled out, her cream coated his length. He groaned as she squeezed him tightly.

“So fucking wet. You’re taking me so well Princess.” He groaned as he pecked her lips. His words were turning her on. Hearing him being so vocal about made her smile because he was usually so quiet to the outside world.

"Fuck me harder Daddy." YN told him as she looked up into his eyes. She smirked as she saw his eyes darken. He laid down so that their chests were pressed together. He wrapped his hands around neck from the front and the back as he pounded into her harder and harder. He completely took her breath away. She had no words but she panted and held onto his arms, digging her nails into his skin.

"Is this what you want?" He huskily mumbled into her ear and then nibbled on her earlobe. "Me fucking you deep and hard like this."

"Yes Daddy! It feels so fucking good." She exclaimed. YN couldn't take it anymore but she wasn't going to give up now. "You're so fucking deep, I love it."

Guillermo sucked and nibbled on her skin, leaving marks where his lips touched. Her hands reached out gripping onto the pillows as his hands ran into her hair gripped on it as he fucked her harder and harder.

His thrusts were becoming sloppier and sloppier.

"You're going to cum baby? I feel you throbbing inside of me." She moaned seductively which caused him to grunt. She ran her hands down his back and squeezed his ass as she kissed all over his face as she rolled her hips. "Please cum." She whispered into his ear. "Please cum for me."

That was all it took for him to pull out and let his seed paint her thighs. As he came down, she wiped away the evidence and collapsed back onto the bed, completely sedated. Guillermo laid down beside her and placed a kiss onto her cheek. She turned around and kissed him.

"We leave in the morning." He told her which caused her to nod her head and then slowly but surely fell asleep …

—

Six men were circulating the apartment. They were all ready to enter the building. No words were spoken and as they nodded to each other and then began to walk closer to the entrance.

Three soft knocks came to the door and then a note was slid through the bottom of the door. Guillermo picked up the note and read it. Even though he should be panicked, he didn't need to worry. He had already packed the car, all he needed to do was wake up YN and leave. He put the silencer on the gun and enters the bedroom.

"Princess, wake up. We need to go now." He whispered urgently. YN was a light sleeper so when she heard his voice she got and put on her shoes. They walked hand in hand out of the apartment. Guillermo kept her behind his body as they slowly descended down the stairs. Just as they turned a corner, they were faced with a man in a mask. Guillermo placed the nose of the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. Effortlessly, he took out two other men.

They ran out of the car and he pushed her into the car.

"Hide." He told her. She nodded her head and laid on the floor of the cab of the truck.

Guillermo turned round and went back to the building. When he got back into the building. He found the rest of the men all standing there. He shot one of them through the back of his head which grabbed the other two's attention. One of them punched Guillermo's hand which caused him to drop his gun however he quickly recovered as he poked the man's throat with four fingers, breaking his larynx and crushing his windpipe. As the man struggled to breath, Guillermo bent down and grabbed his gun, shooting the man in the knee and as he fell, a bullet went through his forehead. From the corner of his eye, he saw the last man standing reach for his gun. Guillermo, being quicker, grabbed his knife and threw it. It hit him right into the chest and he collapsed. Guillermo walked up to the man and shot him in between the eyes and then pulled out his knife, wiping the blood on the dead body's clothes.

He walked back out into the car and knocked three times. "YN, it's me."

YN sat up and unlocked the door. Guillermo got in and sat in the driver's seat as YN made her way onto the passenger's seat. "Did you see anybody else?" He asked her.

"No." She replied. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." YN leaned forward and pecked his lips. "Let's get out of here."

Without anything further, Guillermo put the keys into the ignition and turned on the engine. As they drove away Jada interlinked her fingers Guillermo's as they drove away ….

A Year Later ...

YN had woken up that morning and felt like she needed a swim. But not in the pool in the backyard of the house, she wanted to be in the water of the ocean. She put on a simple black swimsuit and made her way out to the beach. It was still the dawn of day and the birds were chirping. She was finally at peace. After months of trying to escape the clutches of her father's rivals, she had finally arrived at the private island. There were a few locals who stayed on it to maintain the place and they had quickly become their friends.

She had become accustomed to the island life and preferred it more than anything. The only thing she didn't like was the fact that as soon she got there, her father demanded for Guillermo. He wanted him back in Mexico for another job. YN didn't want him to leave but she had no control over him because his contract was with her father and not her. They made love all day and all night before he left.

That was about seven months ago and YN missed him terribly. He would sneak phone calls to her quite frequently but it wasn't the same. She wanted to be in his presence. To feel him underneath her fingertips and to hear his voice first hand and not through a phone. Because she missed him, she started causing trouble for the personal security guards she's had since his departure. YN was on her fifth one and she didn't care for him. She would often run away from the home and disappear somewhere off the island for hours. This would cause her father to panic and she'd edge him on to fire them. None of them could match up to Guillermo so she saw no reason for them to stick around.

After her swim, the sun was now in the sky and she walked back to the house. The only people that lived there were her father, the staff and a few of the body guards. She knew that by this time, the house would be alive and buzzing with activity.

"YN!" Her father yelled from the living room as she entered through the kitchen door.

"Yes Dad?" She replied.

"Come here for a second darling."

She walked to the living room and before she could greet her father, she saw Guillermo sitting on the couch. He was leaning forward onto his knees with his fingers intertwined between them. She had to stop herself from running forward and jumping onto him.

"What's this?" She asked.

Her father sighed as he got up from his seat and approached her. "I know that on your journey here, you grew used to having Guillermo around and that it wasn't in my best interest to take him away from you when you had grown to trust him. I know you kept rebelling because you didn't like the other guards that I brought in for you. So I've asked for Guillermo to come back."

YN smiled softly. "Thank you." He kissed the side of her head.

"I'll leave you too to rekindle then. Breakfast will be in thirty minutes."

"Okay."

Once her father was out of sight and far away, Yn was quick on her feet to go to him. He embraced her into his arms and held her close. One hand was on the back of her head whilst the other secured around her waist.

"I missed you so much." She sobbed softly. His cologne engulfed her senses and it felt so good to be in his arms again. He pulled away, just enough to look into her eyes.

"I missed you too." He smiled softly which caused her to smile. "I wish I could kiss you right now." He mumbled. YN bit onto her lip as she felt the same.

"I feel the same way. We should go somewhere. I know a place."

"What time do you want to go?"

"After breakfast. I spend most of my time out of the house. Papa will know I'm with you so he won't question it much."

"That's fine with me."

YN stood on her tip toes and placed a kiss dangerously close onto the corner of his lips. Afterwards she ran away up to her room which caused him to chuckle. Guillermo truly missed her.

It was later on in the day after breakfast did YN and Guillermo leave the compound. They drove to an isolated spot far south from the house. YN directed Guillermo through the woods on a dirt road and eventually came off the road. The further they drove in, the clearer the sound of water became. Soon enough a small waterfall came into view.

"Wow." Guillermo mumbled.

"Beautiful right?" YN smiled as she looked at his awestruck face. She took off her seatbelt and opened the door. "Come on then."

Guillermo followed her action, getting out of the car and locking it behind him. He watched as she stripped down to her bikini and dived in. Her body surfaced and she pushed her hair away from her face.

"You're not going to join me?" She asked smiling whilst biting onto her bottom lip. He took off his shoes and rolled up the bottom part of his trousers. He sat on a rock on the edge of the natural pool and dipped his feet in.

"Come on. I want you in here with me." She said as she swam towards him and got in between his legs. He looked down at her. The water dripped down her chest, following the curve of her breast. He licked his lips as he smiled down at her. She placed her hands on his thighs, pushing herself up so that she was closer to his face. She pecked his lips once and then again, until it became a full blown make-out session. She placed her hands on his cheeks, loving the feel of his beard underneath her fingers.

"Come in with me." She mumbled against his lips. YN moved away from him as got up and began discarding his clothes. Once he had stripped down to his bare body, YN untied her bikini and threw it beside him. He entered the pool and pulled her close. YN wrapped her hands around his neck as he held onto her thighs and wrapped her legs around his waist. She placed her forehead on his as her hands played with his hair.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

"I don't want you to ever leave me." She mumbled as she looked into his light green eyes.

"I won't." His hand came to her upper torso as he steadied her for him to enter into her. YN gasped as she tightened her hold onto him. Her head fell onto his shoulder as she adjusted to his size and began to slowly move on him.

"I love you so much." He whispered. YN took his face into her hands and kissed him lovingly. Their lips moved against each other, moulding together perfectly. Nothing compared to how she made him feel .....

On their way back onto the compound, they could see commotion. People were frantically running around

"What's going on?" YN questioned, her voice coming out softly.

Before anything else could be said, someone came running towards them. Guillermo slowed down the car and rolled his window down.

“Sir! We've been ambushed!”

“By who?”

“I don't know but they've taken the house!”

A fun shot rang out and blood splashed onto Guillermo's face causing YN to scream at the unexpected event. The man fell onto the ground as blood came oozing out of his mouth. Without further thought, Guillermo put the Jeep into reverse.

"Baby." YN voiced worriedly as he drove off the main road that led to the compound.

"Everything is going to be okay. I got-." Halfway through his sentence, the side of the Jeep was struck on his side. The vehicle spun off the road and came to a crashing stop in the bushes. Guillermo has taken most of the impact. His head was slumped over the steering wheel as blood trickled down his face. YN sobbed as she took off her seatbelt and moved to check on him.

"Guillermo can you hear me?" She asked as she felt for his pulse. He groaned in response which meant that he was still coherent.

"I'm going to try and get you out okay?" She announced. As she reached over to unplug his seatbelt, her passenger door opened. She turned to face who the person was that had opened the door. For a second, she had thought someone had come to help. But that all changed when they harshly grabbed her and began to roughly pull her out of the car.

"NO! LET GO!" She screamed as she held onto the handle above the door and tried to kick the stranger. But he was too strong and because of the crash, she was quite weak. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed and continued to scream.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? PLEASE!"

"GUILLERMO!" She cried for him as they dragged her out of the car.

Guillermo could hear her pleading screams and agonising cries. He tried to move but he couldn't. His eyes opened but things were blurred. He tried to call out to her but his speech came out slurred.

"YYY-NN. YN." His eyes stayed open long enough to see the mystery man throw her into the back of a van and drive away. That was all that he remembered before he gave into the pain and blacked out ....

Guillermo was loading his shot gun as he sat in his car. It was hidden in the bushes about half a mile away from the compound where they were keeping YN. After he woke up after passing out, he found out that the remaining Estes cartel had saved him from the wreckage and they had gotten a doctor to patch him up. Even though he was told to rest, he wasn't going to lay down until YN was back by his side.

So he went looking for answers. The streets weren't speaking to him as he was being nice. But he was running out of time and patience. After catching one of the members of the rival gang running his mouth about the ambush, Guillermo was able to torture the information of where they were keeping her.

Normally he would be at ease but he was being fuelled by rage. All sorts of images of them touching and hurting YN were blocking his vision. He placed the shotgun on the passenger seat and checked his assault rifle and his pistol. His knife was strapped safely onto his leg. Once he was ready, he opened the door and made sure that all of his weapons were on him before he left his car.

Two guards were patrolling the main gate of the compound. They were sitting in front of the black iron gate on some deck chairs sharing a blunt. Their guns were on their sides.

"Look at this bitch though. Her pussy is so good. All them fat lips be hugging my dick nice." One of the guards said as he was holding his phone showing his partner a picture of one of his many companions. The partner laughed as he let out a cloud of smoke.

"Can I get with her? I'm tryna see if your words hold weight."

"Ahaha! Of course you can man." He took the blunt from his partner and as he was putting his phone away, he caught sight of a figure walking towards them.

The first guard frowned. "Who the fuck is that?" He asked as he sat up straight with his eyes focused on the walking figure. The second guard followed the sight of his friend and saw the man.

"I don't know. We weren't expecting any visitors today." He said as he stood up and picked up his gun ready to shoot. It was pointed towards the figure.

"Hey!" Then the second guard shouted as he kept his gun up. "Hey! You're not allowed here!"

When they saw that the man wasn't slowing down, the first guard scrambled to his feet, grabbing his gun. But it was too late for any type of action from the men. A rocket was now flying towards them. Before they felt the impact of the rocket head, they screamed loudly. It was inevitable. The rocketed came into contact with the iron gate and exploded.

As the rocket exploded after making contact with the gate, he threw the rocket launcher onto the floor and he took his HK416 into his hands and began to survey the area through the eyepiece as he jumped over the burning bodies. Once he saw that the coast was clear, he walked through the courtyard and bust open through the front door.

YN could hear the commotion in the house. After the explosion echoed through the house she knew something was going down. She hoped that it was Guillermo coming for her but they were in the midst of the drug wars, it could be anyone from the rival gangs attacking the compound.

Her hands were tied behind her back and her mouth was duct taped so that she couldn't make any noise and bring attention to herself. As gunshots rang through the air, YN thought about how she could escape the predicament that she was in.

For the past three days, she had been weak because of the accident prior to being held captive. Now that her energy had been restored, she was able to see and think clearly. Her eyes darted around the room to look anything sharp that she could use to cut the ropes. And to her luck she found shards of broken glass on the floor just below the boarded up window.

"Bingo." She mumbled to herself as she sat up on the mattress. She got up and walked to the window. She then got down onto her knees and picked up the biggest and thickest piece that she could find. Using it as a knife, using the technique that Guillermo had taught her, she cut herself out of the ropes.

In the foyer of the mansion, Guillermo was going through the gang members like a warm knife cutting through butter. Whilst he had one man in a chokehold, he was fighting another who was trying to fight him with a knife. As the man swiped for his face, Guillermo ducked down and punched the man in the stomach. As he doubled down, Guillermo took his pistol from his side and shot him in the head. He then shot the man that was in his arms twice in the chest and let him fall to the ground.

As he was about to walk up the stairs, he felt a bullet hit his chest. His body fell to the floor and he groaned as he felt the pain of the bullet through his bulletproof vest. He turned his body so that he could see the feet of his shooter. He shot at his knees. The man screamed as he fell to the floor. Guillermo shot him through the forehead. He rolled around the corner as he took the bullet off from the vest. He took some deep calming breaths as he loaded his gun and took an assault rifle from a deceased body on the floor. He checked the magazine and saw that it was still quite full.

He could hear the shouting of the men as they looked for him. He heard them going up the stairs which was perfect for him. He quickly got up to his feet and ran behind them and began shooting. The bodies all fell to the floor but Guillermo was still on high alert so as he began to yell for YN, his gun was still high up in position as he looked around making sure that no one was coming for him.

"YN!" She heard her name being yelled. It took her a moment to register his voice. She sat up from her mattress and ran to the door and began to bang on it.

"Guillermo! Baby I'm in here." She screamed as she made as much noise as she could to draw attention to herself. She could hear his footsteps getting faster and louder.

"YN?" She heard his voice on the other side of the door.

"I'm in here. I can't get out." She said.

"There's a padlock on the door. Step back a bit, I'm going to shoot at it."

"Okay." She took a few steps back and she covered her ears as she heard the fast rounds of bullets hit the door. Soon after she heard him kick the door open. Without waiting, she ran and jumped into his arms and captured his lips. He groaned softly as he wrapped his hands around her torso and held her close. He pulled away and laid his forehead on hers looking down into her eyes.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" He asked as he placed his hands onto her face and looked for any type of bruising.

"I'm okay. They didn't do anything to me either than tie me up and put me in this room." She replied. "What about you?" YN asked as she noticed a black eye forming and that he was wincing a little bit.

"Don't worry about me." He gave her a small smile. "Let's get out of here." With that, he handed her his pistol and then took her hand into his.

As they made their way out, they scouted the rooms making sure that there was no one left. Guillermo walked into the kitchen and turned the gas stove on. Once they were outside and at a safe distance, Guillermo looked through the eyepiece to see his target of the stove through the window. He pulled the trigger and moments later, the house exploded.

They walked to the hidden spot where his truck was.

"How long did it take you to find me?" She asked him as they stood outside.

"Not long. It was just the journey that took long." He replied. He tucked her hair behind her ear. She truly wasn't harmed and that gave him so much relief. Just looking at her face he knew how much he loved this young woman. He didn't want to tell her but he had to. "I need to tell you something."

"What?" YN frowned slightly as her back straightened up in alertness.

"They got to your father." He said. There was no mincing of his words. From the beginning they had wanted her father. Even if they didn't get to him, they were going to get to him through her.

"What?" YN stumbled as tears began to cloud her vision.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered as he held her close.

"How?"

"Don't ask me to tell you.” He mumbled. YN buried her head into his chest as she cried for her father. He held her tight as her sobs vibrated through his chest. He wanted to take her pain away but this was something that she had to feel for her to heal. There was no way that he was going to tell her the gruesome details of what the gang did to her father. The details would scar her for life and he was not about to give her that trauma.

As she calmed down, he placed a kiss on the top of her head. She turned her head to the side whilst she was laying on his chest.

YN knew about the life that she was in but it didn't make it hurt any less. Her father had taken her in and loved her unconditionally. He loved all of his children equally and she never felt like he was neglectful. Even though he was ruthless in his business when it came to his family Rafael kept that personality in a box. The pain she felt of losing her father turned into anger.

"I'm going to kill them." She mumbled as she sniffed. "I'm going to kill them all."

Guillermo took her words in. He could hear the conviction in her voice. She meant what she said.

"And we will." he replied. He pulled away from their embrace and looked into her eyes. "I promise we will."

#munteanhore writes #the bodyguard fic #benicio del toro #benicio del toro x black reader #benicio del toro x black oc #benicio del toro fanfiction #benicio del toro one shot #benicio del toro x you

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actordougjones · 4 years

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Helen Chavez 1959 ~ 2020

Sitting in silent conflict today, some numbness, many tears, grief, and the happiest memories that make my heart smile. To lose a close friend (whom I referred to as my big sister for the last 16 years) to complications from covid-19 and other health issues, is a blow I could not be prepared for. Yet to sit with my memories of her is a relished joy.

Many knew her as “Hellmistress” on the Sony Pictures Hellboy message boards in 2003. As I was an occasional visitor in those boards while filming Hellboy, I took special note of the witty, gentle, sarcastic, encouraging posts from this woman I found myself wanting to know more of.

She made her way into those message boards by way of her love for Ron Perlman, as she also was a contributing writer for a site called ThePerlmanPages dot com. But once in there, and once we got to interacting, Helen and I both found kindred spirits in each other, about the same age, about the same irreverent sense of humor.

She jokingly described herself as “windswept and interesting.” When we finally met in person the first time around the premiere events Guillermo del Toro had arranged for these fans of Hellboy in April 2004, I found this description of her to be true. All I had to hear was that Helen had sold a cow to finance her flight from Scotland, and I knew I was right about this one! Yes, she and her husband Mark raised cattle on their rural farm outside Aberdeenshire, Scotland. But she was also a highly knowledgeable archivist at the local museum there. With a thirst for learning, and a lover of history, artifacts, classic film, TV, music, literature, science fiction, and all things geekery, she did indeed earn her “windswept and interesting” title.

(Our first in-person meeting after “Hellebration” 2004 with Sony Pictures Hellboy message board regulars, Left to Right: Maurice Mpayamaguru, Dougie, Pat Paone, Helen Chavez - who was so excited to be having a burger with American ketchup!)

She flew away the next day in 2004, but that would not be the last of this Helen. Upon returning home to Scotland, her friend and ThePerlmanPages creator Pat Paone (who had also been on this trip) said something to Helen that lingered in the air... “After this entire ‘Hellebration’ weekend in Los Angeles, do you realize you haven’t stopped talking about Doug Jones?” which struck Helen odd since she was a devout Perlman fan who was gushing about someone other than Ron after a weekend to celebrate a movie in which Ron held the title character.

That’s when I received an email from Helen proposing an official website she wanted to create for me. So was born TheDougJonesExperience dot com, a site that was lovingly poured over and updated by Helen as her pet project that she never let me pay a dime for, no matter how I tried, from 2004 to 2014, when her own life required her to take pause. That pause from the site included finishing up her Masters Degree, still working full time at the museum, still tending the cattle, and now caregiving to her husband’s failing health ... followed by her own health issues.

She was ever the stoic type, though, who never ever, EVER wanted to be a burden on me, so I would rarely hear of her trials in life unless I told her, “I’m not hanging up until you start talking.” She would always brush off her own issues and turn things back around to doting on me like the protective big sister she loved being. She also took in Mrs. Laurie as her little sister with great pride.

To sum up the amount of life shared with this incredible woman would take volumes. Volumes that could be tied together with one thread.... “cheerleader.” She championed me personally and professionally with the kind of care and tireless energy that gave my own mother and Mrs. Laurie a run for their money!

Her cheerleading came in the form of not only that exhaustive website with endless fan correspondence as she wrote with a voice that was uncannily like my own, then later helping administrate “The Tank” forum on DelToroFilms dot com where “FanSapiens” would gather to chat about little ol’ me, but also trips to see me when I was in the United Kingdom for a fan convention in Birmingham, or a make-up trade show in London. She also ingratiated herself to Guillermo del Toro and was invited to visit our Hellboy II: The Golden Army filming set in Budapest with her old friend Pat Paone, spending a large part of that visit with me through my whole day, from make-up, to the Troll Market set, to lunchtime, to afternoon naps in my trailer for all of us, to touring the city on a rare day off.

(During Hellboy 2 set visit 2007 at Budapest, Hungary’s “Hero Square” pictured Left to Right: Pat Paone, Dougie, Helen Chavez)

And I could never tally up the countless hours of phone chats, messenger chats, book-length emails, where she was often celebrating successes with me, calming my nerves when I had failed, giving me some well-needed big sisterly advice on life, or playfully nagging me to sleep and eat more. Boy, was she ever stern about those last two. If I even hinted that I had been pushing myself too hard, not sleeping enough, not eating right, she would give me “the look.” You don’t want “the look.” It was that raised eyebrows, all-knowing eyes searing into me kind of look, with a probing stare over the top of her glasses into my soul kind of look. You could hide nothing from her when she gave “the look.”

I adored hearing all her tales from her museum, getting history lessons all the while about who used what in what century in what country for what purpose, everything from farm tools to ancient toilet paper. To keep me in her loop, one year for Christmas she sent me some ancient Roman coins, after I had mentioned how I love looking at coins, waving it off with, “those things are so easy to come by.” Her gifts were always accompanied by authentic Scottish shortbread cookies. But my favorite story of hers was the mummy head she had no better place for, so he lived under her desk ... for years. And of course, she named him “Marlon.”

I’ve always been a hugger, but Helen is the one who taught me about “Bosies.” The difference being that a Bosie is a huggle that doesn’t need to end anytime soon, where you envelop the other person in a cradle that makes them feel safe. She was masterful at those Bosies.

I could tell Helen stories for hours, as could so many of you puppies whose lives she touched with her listening skills, mentorship, and her tireless encouragement to keep all of us creatives reaching for our dreams.

(Pictued at “Hellebration” 2008 with “FanSapiens” Left to Right: Tim Rosenberger, Katie McGregor, Helen Chavez, Stephanie Metz, Dougie, Kate Daley, Seth Lombardi)

(Pictured at Hellboy 2 premiere after party 2008 with DelToroFilms regulars; Top row: Paul Kindschi, Gary Deocampo, Maurice Mpayamaguru. Bottom row: Helen Chavez, Dougie)

But I’ll leave you with one last story. It was 2008, and we flew Helen out to Los Angeles (I didn’t want her to sell another cow) to join all the festivities for the premiere week of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and to see the finished product of the film set she visited with me the year before. Everything from having a salon day with Mrs. Laurie to get all done up for the red carpet premiere, and the next day she was sporting a fancy fish-print top to dutifully lead Team Blue (those beloved FanSapiens) at the Del Toro sponsored “Hellebration” party and screening night. Another experience I wanted to give her that week was her first press junket, so Mrs. Laurie gladly went to her own job that day, and Helen went with me down to the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, where many film press junkets take place on a floor full of press suites. These are high energy days, as one after another, TV, radio, print, and dot com journalists interview us back to back all day. Helen watched from behind the monitors with Publicist John, and every time I glanced over, she was just beaming as she gave me a thumbs-up. At the end of this marathon day, we were heading home in the back of the studio-hired limo, and my eyes were getting droopy in the dark. Helen glanced over the top of her glasses with “the look” and said with all the doting mother, favorite auntie, protective big sister she had in her, “Awe, little brother mine, come here.” I leaned my head onto her shoulder, while she pet my hair and told me how overjoyed she was with this phase of my life, and how watching me handle all the press that day made her “buttons burst with pride,” a phrase she used many a time. She always knew how to bring such peace, such calm, such encouragement, such a safe harbor. The next thing I knew the car stopped in front of the house, and I awoke with her still holding my weary head.

Oh how I wish for one more limo ride. One more chance to soak in her uplifting words, so I might know how to handle whatever comes next.

She went by many names -- Hellmistress, Webmaster Helen, or her preferred “Webmistress” Helen, Auntie Helen, Mentor Helen, Therapist Helen, Dear Friend Helen, Big Sister Helen, but there was only one Helen in this wacky world. She leaves a void that no one else can fill. It’s painful how much I miss her already.

I pray the angels gave her a thrilling ride to her rightful place in Heaven. I can almost feel her gaze again right now, as she sits at the edge of a crescent moon, tilts her gaze down over the top of her glasses and gives me “the look”.....

Alright, Big Sis, I’ll eat something and get to sleep now.

#rip #hellmistress #webmaster helen #sister #dear friend

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moonsofmars-writes · 4 years

Text

and in the dark i can hear your heartbeat

Fandom: Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro, Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Jim Lake Jr./Claire Nuñez Characters: Claire Nuñez, Jim Lake Jr. (Tales of Arcadia), Blinkous "Blinky" Galadrigal, Trolls (Tales of Arcadia) Additional Tags: Fluff, Slice of Life, Post-Season 3 (Trollhunters), Canon Compliant, the trolls are going to new jersey, oh my that's a long trip, Poor Claire, claire is tired, Jim is a good boyfriend, jlaire, jim carries claire, because I say so, they are cute, rated T for kissing, blinky is there too, He is trying

Summary: The Trolls are travelling to New Jersey and everything would be great, if only it wasn't so damn exhausting. Or, Claire is tired but will not admit it and Jim tries his best to be helpful.

It turned out that walking for hours every night was exhausting. Claire huffed but kept going, careful not to stumble on a rock or a root; the moon was almost full in the sky but barely filtered between the branches of the dense trees, leaving her and her companions in a thick, cold darkness. They had been walking for a week by now, travelling from dusk till dawn and camping during the day, always making sure to keep away from inhabited areas. Her Trollhunter training had helped her to keep going until now, but she wasn't used to hiking this long.

At her side, Blinky walked carelessly, showing no sign of tiredness. He kept his eyes fixed on the map he was holding, brows furrowed. She considered asking him when he planned to stop, but she quickly discarded the thought. To stop they first had to find a place where the Trolls could camp comfortably, protected by the daylight. That was the reason why Jim had left the group, an half an hour before, to explore the wood that extended in front of them. Besides, Claire didn't want Blinky to worry about her. She was perfectly able to walk another few miles, despite the aching of her legs. Well, or so she hoped. Sighing, she looked down. Her first days had gone better, but then her feet had started to hurt and now her leg muscles contracted painfully every time she took a step. She had even taken out the armour Merlin had made for her - she loved it, really, but it wasn’t made for long trips.

Luckily, her caravan didn’t move too fast. She soon found out that Trolls didn’t tire easily and could keep walking for hours without much effort, but they were slow and there was always someone who got lost or stayed behind, forcing the whole group to slow down or even stop to find them. Out of curiosity, she glanced behind her back, but the thick mass of trees prevented her from seeing much of the long column of trolls. Hopefully they were learning to stick together.

"I found a place!"

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Claire jerked and almost stumbled as she turned around, just in time to see Jim emerging from the wood. She hadn't heard him approaching - how was he getting so good at sneaking up? He smiled at her before turning towards Blinky, "The branches are tight, so the sun shouldn't be a problem, and I found water!" He moved closer and bent over Blinky's map, "It should be ... ah, here," he said, finger brushing against the paper. "A little farther, keeping on the right. We will surely be there before dawn."

"How long will it take?" Claire asked, moving forward to reach for his hand and lace their fingers.

He immediately squeezed her hand back. "At this pace, a little less than an hour." She nodded, holding back a sigh. Her calves would have hated her.

“That will do,” Blinky said, folding the map. His eyes lingered for a moment on the couple and their joined hands, a faint smile curving his lips. “I will inform the rest of the group while you start leading them,” he said, turning around, “I have no intention to waste other time looking for lost fools! Not again!”

Jim chuckled, “Good luck with that.”

“You know you are helping me when it happens!” Binky’s voice faded in the night as he disappeared behind the first group of Trolls. Jim and Claire exchanged a look and giggled, then walked away, still holding hands.

“I guess we are going to spend some quality time chasing gnomes later,” Jim said.

Claire let out an exaggeratedly heavy sigh, “Please, not again! I didn’t bring with me my entire wardrobe, I can’t get another shirt ripped because one of them has decided to hide among brambles. I'm sure he did it on purpose!”

“You could stop by the next town, you know,” Jim said softly, “I could get you close enough before the sunrise and come back for you at dusk. You could buy new clothes, have a proper meal, sleep in a real bed -”

“Hey, I’m perfectly fine sleeping with you guys! And I’m not that sick of camping food yet. Besides, I don’t want to leave you alone during daylight hours.”

“We can handle ourselves for a day,” he made her a confident smile, “no one is going to move anyway. I … I am very happy that you came with me - with us,” he added, his eyes full of affection and warmth, “and I don’t want this to feel like a torture for you.”

“That’s not possible! I -”

“Just think about this, okay? Soon or later you’ll have to get supplies anyway.”

He had a point. Claire nodded, murmuring a small “okay” and squeezing his hand a little tighter. They kept walking in comfortable silence, broken only by the creakings and rustles of the forest and by the distant sound of the Trolls moving and chattering behind them. They must have outdistanced them, and it wasn’t hard to see why: Jim’s gait was fast. Claire found herself struggling to breathe regularly and felt her tired muscles contracting painfully; she wouldn’t have been able to keep up that peace for a long time. She frowned, eyes pointed on the ground, and focused only on taking a step after another, and then again, one step after the other, and again, and -

And then Jim was suddenly slowing down and she could breathe a sigh of relief - at least until he asked, voice filled with concern, “Are you alright, Claire?” When she turned, he was bending over her, eyes wide, “Do you want to take a break?”

“No! Well,” she added, “maybe could you slow down a little? We have left everyone behind.”

“Oh?” His eyebrows rose when he glanced back and noticed that the wood was empty. He immediately stopped and gave her an embarrassed smile, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry, I didn’t notice.”

“It’s alright,” she panted, taking advantage of the break to stretch her legs a little, “We’ll just wait for them, okay?”

“Sure, but what about you? You are tired, aren’t you?”

She bit her lip, looking down. “Just a little,” she admitted, “but I’ll be fine. We are stopping soon anyway.”

He frowned, mouth clenched. “I’m sorry,” he whispered then, “I should have realised it sooner, Since I became … ah, this,” he vaguely gestured at his body, “I don’t get tired as I did before. But you are human and this is not a simple hike in the woods around Arcadia. I should have thought about it. I’m sorry, Claire. You shouldn’t have to -”

“Jim.” She put a hand on his arm and smiled at him when their eyes met. “It’s alright. You had other things to think about. Leading the Trolls it’s been exhausting! Besides, it’s not that bad. Give me another few days, I’ll get used to it!” Hopefully, she added in her mind. New Jersey wasn’t exactly around the corner.

Jim sighed. “I just wish I could make it easier for you! Maybe I could -” He suddenly fell silent and his brows knitted, as he was thinking about something.

“You don’t have to do anything, I don’t want to slow us down even more, or we’ll take forever," she reassured him.

“You are right but, uhm, I thought I,” he cleared his throat, looking away, “I could carry you.”

Her eyes widened as she stared at him. He avoided her gaze, and even though she couldn’t see it clearly, she would have sworn that his cheeks had taken a slightly darker colour. She couldn’t help but grin - he was taller and well, bluer, but he was still Jim. Then her mind registered what he had said. “Wait, what?”

“It wouldn’t be a problem,” he muttered, “I’m not tired at all and I got stronger - I mean, you know I did, I just - I wouldn’t mind carrying you. If you want to.”

“There is no need!” She could literally feel a blush creeping into her cheeks. “I can walk, for another little while.” Her legs didn’t really agree about that, but she knew she would have made it. She didn’t have any other option - or had she?

Jim finally looked at her. “Are you sure?” He asked, tilting her head.

Claire took a moment to seriously ponder his proposal. Would have it been that bad? She was tired and he was offering and she trusted him. He was her boyfriend! And he was without a doubt strong enough to carry her. “We can try for a while if you are really okay with it,” she carefully answered. “But if you start to get tired, I’m walking!”

“I won’t!” He hurried to nod.

A chuckle escaped her lips, “Okay then, Superman! How do you want to do this - Ah!” In the blink of an eye, Jim’s arms were around her and she was lifted from the ground. She yelped and instinctively put her arms around his neck, seeking stability, but there was no need to. His arms felt firm and strong and she simply knew he wouldn’t have let her fall.

“See? No effort!” He said cheerfully, a spark of pride in his eyes.

This time, Claire laughed. “Great job, Trollhunter!” She patted his armour with her palm and took some moments to make herself comfortable in his arms. When she was finally at ease, she glanced over his shoulder and noticed that the other Trolls were finally getting closer. “I suppose we can leave now.”

He turned briefly to check the group and nodded. “Let’s go.”

Claire wasn't used to being carried like that, and at first, it felt - well, new. It didn’t take her long, though, to get used to the pace of his walking and the solid feeling of his arms supporting her body. Resting her head against his chest, she decided that this was nice, actually. And admittedly way more comfortable than using her legs.

During the rest of the trip, they quietly chatted about the people they left behind. Claire showed him some pictures of Enrique she had received from her parents - "I already miss him," she admitted, "he will have grown up so much when we'll come back!" - and then it was his turn to show her all the baby pictures his mother sent him.

"I can't believe your mother and Mr Strickler are really going to raise them all."

"I can't either, but they trying to make it work. Mom texted me to ask if I knew how what exactly she should put in baby food. I've never even tried to make baby food!"

"I'm sure you'd made something awesome if you tried," she laughed, "you are the best chef in Arcadia!"

"You really think so?" He hummed happily before adding with a smirk, "Only in Arcadia?"

She snorted. "Don't get too cocky! My guacamole is still unequalled."

"I've never doubted that!"

Like this, time passed faster. Claire didn’t even notice that Blinky had joined them until the conversation died and she checked again if the other Trolls were still in sight. He nodded at her with a smile and she waved at him before resting her head against Jim’s chest, listening to the comforting thud of his beating heart. This wasn't just nice, it was comfortable, so comfortable that her mind started to cloud and her eyes to close against her will. She tried to keep them open, to keep herself awake tracing senseless patterns on the plates of his armour. With her finger, she followed the edges of his amulet with her finger, again and again, until she knew it by heart and the metal was warm from her touch. She didn't want to fall asleep, not yet. They would have needed help later and she was the only one among them who could walk in sunlight now. So, she definitely had to stay awake. She had to.

She was failing miserably.

When she was about to doze off, her eyes closed and her hands resting on her belly, Jim finally halted. "We are here," he said quietly, probably not to disturb her. Claire heard him anyway and lifted her head, blinking. The wood around her didn't look much different than before, though, she realised looking around, it was a little darker. That would have been helpful at sunrise. “There’s a pool over there,” Jim continued pointing somewhere on their left, “and there should be enough space between the trees for us to sleep.”

Blinky nodded, then let out a sigh, “Now, let’s hope we will be able to camp quickly for once.” Raising his arms he turned around to approach the other Troll. “We have arrived! Now, please, just do as I say ...”

“We should probably help,” Claire said, unable to hold back a yawn. Not that she really wanted to get down, but she knew for sure that Blinky needed all the help he could get.

"Are you sure?" Jim asked, gently putting her down when she moved and supporting her until she stood. "You can go to sleep. I am not tired, I can take care of them alone this time."

"No, it's okay." She stretched and smiled at him, "I feel definitely better now that I got some rest! We will finish faster together."

"Okay, you are right. If you feel like, you can take care of who's already here. I will check the rest of the group to make sure that no one was left behind. What do you think?"

She nodded. "Good plan! But first, let me thank you."

“There is no need to -” he started, shaking his head, but before he could finish she reached for his shoulder with both her hands and dragged him down, making him yelp in surprise. Even like this, she still had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him.

They hadn’t got many chances to kiss since his transformation. His lips still felt a bit different under hers, not quite hard but somehow solid and cool. She traced the profile of his temple and buried her fingers in his hair until she could scratch the base of his horn. Suddenly he pulled her closer and enveloped her with his arms, lifting her little to reach her better. She smiled against his lip, brushing his cheek with her hand. Yes, she was definitely getting used to this.

When they parted, his cheeks were definitely bluer. He beamed at her, scratching her back with his fingers, “Okay, I like this kind of thank you."

“You better!" She grinned, patting playfully his arm, "Now we should go, they will never set this camp without us.”

He chuckled, “I’ll see you later then! Good luck.” He kissed her forehead before disappearing in the wood, quick as a wild cat. Claire stood for a few seconds, staring at the trees, before heading for the rest of the group. Leg pain or not, she thought, this trip was totally worth it.

#trollhunters #tales of arcadia #jlaire #jim lake jr #claire nuñez #toa blinky #trollhunters fanfiction #fluff #mars-writes #these two are cute okay

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celmation-gibson · 4 years

Photo

The First Drawing to post for this New Decade, and it's the Best of the Movies that I've seen in the Cinemas, and one I've heard of for a while. So here are some Favorite Characters of mine that were fun to Draw, along with the Reviews for the Films.

Missing Link - My First movie to see in the Cinemas of this Year, and it's another Laika Classic, and despite being a Box Office flop, It did receive some very Good Reviews from Critics, and even my Foodtown Boss' Grandchildren saw the Film on a Thursday(?) and they Loved it, so I figured I give this film a watch, and I was amazed at the Final result, An Amazing sight to see that some Folks out there don't know what their Missing. It was directed by Chris Butler, who was co-Director of Laika's other projects 'ParaNorman', and it had an Amazing cast such as Mr. Zach Galifianakis (Felix of 'Bob's Burgers' & Lego Joker of 'the Lego Batman Movie'), Zoe Saldana(Avatar, Gaurdians of the Galaxy), & Hugh Jackman (Van Helsing & Wolverine of the live-Action 'X-Men' films). And once again, the Folks of Laika really did some good Work & Commitment in Making this Film, especially when I loved the Film's settings & Landscaping, and the Action Sequences are Phenomenal, especially in those Action sequences when the Ship rotates with the People in it when it was Struck with the Storm's Big Wave, and How Suspenseful it was when the Characters are dangled into Ice blocks or big icicles, and how shocking on how the Villains' defeat of Lord Piggot-Dunceby, his neurotic right-hand man Mr. Collick, and Bounty Hunter Willard Stenk were killed in Cold Blood, cuz I knew that that Ice Bridge in the Film was gonna Break in a Sequence. Plus there were some Cute Humor in the Film as well, especially after when Mr. Link/Susan Roared at a Dog during a Bar Fight, and after a Moment of Silence, the Dog just attacked on of his Men and the Bar Fight continues (that's when most kids in the Auditorium laughed at that part), and how Susan literally thrown some Objects over the Wall. And I'm always fascinated with Cryptozoology creatures such as Bigfoot, Abominable Snowmen, & the Loch Ness Monster, even when they make me think about that 1970's film entitled 'the Mysterious Monsters'. And even if the film was Distributed by United Artists (a Subsidiary of MGM I suppose), it's kinda Weird now now that it was released on DVD and Blu-Ray from 20th Century Fox, even after Disney's Conquest, but can we still call ML a Non-Disney film, even if some MGM films are being released by FOX under a Contract?

Godzilla: King of the Monsters - Well me and my dad certainly love Giant Monster movies when we were Young, and I certainly remember renting every Godzilla movie on VHS back when Blockbuster was still around, and we certainly enjoyed that one 2014 'Godzilla' movie, unlike the 1998 Matthew Broderick one, so we decided to give this new kaiju movie 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' a viewing pleasure, not to be confused with the 1956 Americanized 'Gojira' movie starring Raymond Burr. And i gotta say that it was an Epic Thrill-ride of our Lives, even the monsters we were familiar with were Amazing, Godzilla being all greatly Huge and Buffed-up as always in the USA, Rodan looking a-little Sinister lookin', Mothra playing out like the original 'Mothra' movie, starting off as a larva hatching from her Egg, then Evolving into a beautiful Butterfly-like Moth, then King Ghidorah was so Menacing in this one, and being like Lizzie in 'Rampage', he was such a "Pain-in-the-Ass" character, even once being Nicknamed 'Monster Zero', either that Nickname was also used in Japan, or used for one of Ghidorah's old film appearances in the US, that was double-billed with 'War of the Gargantuas'. I even like how they referenced some stuff from Warner Bros. & Legendary Films' 'Kong: Skull Island', as that films along with the 2014 Godzilla, and this Film are all in the same Universe, Monsterverse that is. And how surprising that there are other Kaijus in this Movie that I'm not even certainly familiar about, like that one Arachnid-like featured titan, or the Giant Ape Body/Mammoth Trunk beast, or another Muto(?), and I am wondering if the Demolished Boston at the end of the movie is gonna be the new 'Monster Island'. The human characters were good, I mostly like every member on the character Dr. Mark Russell's team, they seem likable, and the Cast was great, even after looking at the film's Poster befor we went inside the theater, I saw the familiar name of Thomas Middleditch, the same man who did voices in 'Captain Underpants' & 'Bob's Burgers', doing a Live-action role, and while writing this review, I've discovered some other actress who starred in this film include Sally Hawkins, who starred in the previous 2014 Godzilla movie, and also in Guillermo del Toro's 'the Shape of Water, and the woman playing the daughter in this film, also played in 'Stranger Things' as Eleven. And also I love on how the film as a Newer Version of Godzilla's approach-like film that was used in the old films, and even the end Credits have Cover version of Blue Oyester Cult's classic hit 'Godzilla'. And one of the Film's story plot is Fascinating, like how this Earth was once ruled by Giant Titans, until us small Humans have taken over while most of those Titans went Extinct and hiding in the Earth's Spirit.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 - Well, Illumination has done it again, as it Amuses me once before with 'the Grinch', 'Despicable Me 2', 'the Secret Life of Pets', & 'Sing', they have released a Sequel to my Favorite Secret Life of Pets movie that I saw in theaters back in 2016, and now have it on DVD. And when I heard that the Original voice for Max got replaced with a Guy I know of who has a Great Career in Animation, I was like "Whuuut?", but even after reading what Happened to that one Guy, i figured I'd give this Movie a Watch, since I'll like Patton even more. And I gotta say, this Sequel does have some Cute and Lovable moments in the Film, and those Subplots in the Film are Wonderful, leading up to a Story on how to save a White Tiger cub from a Wicked Ringmaster (voiced by Funny voice man, Mr. Nick Kroll(Sausage Party, Sing, Captain Underpants). And Snowball is more luvable in this one as he is in the first Film (Kevin Hart is so Wonderful!), even teaming up with a Cute/Funny character such as Daisy, a Shih Tzu voiced by Tiffany Haddish (who just did a guest voice role in 'Bob's Burgers'). Also with a Cute story on how Max & Duke's owner fall in Love with a Fun Gentleman and have a Kid together, and I love how the Dogs raised the Boy up, by helping him to Crawl & walk, and have Good Animal Instincts, which makes me think that what if my Sister & her Husband had a Pet Puppy that could be a good a Good Companion to my Little Layla niece. And some of the Parts in the Film have Good humor in it, like did I just heard a Cow say "Rat Turd" in front of an auditorium full of Young children? Plus Mr. Harrison Ford(Han Solo in 'Star Wars' & Indiana Jones) was great as a character named Rooster, who tries to Man/Brave up Max and a few characters, after Max has devoted his Life to Little Liam, which led to the Funny Collar on his head. And I'd figured there was something Familiar about that Young Lamb Cotton's voice in the Movie, as he is voiced by Mr. Sean Giambrone, the voice of Jeff in 'Clarence' & Shermy in the 'Adventure Time' series Finale.

Abominable - Well, Dreamworks has done it again, a new film from a Creative Team was made and about to be released soon, and when I saw the Previews of it for the First time, I thought I wasn't too interested in it, especially with the humorous Blueberry gag parts. But after a while, and see that if it looked cuter as Dreamworks' previous film 'Home(2015)', I thought I give it a go, and hopefully it look way better than that one Weird-Looking film in 1995 called 'to catch a Yeti' starring Meatloaf. But for the 'Abominable' film, since the Movie was getting Good Feedback from Reviewers and Viewers, I was Lucky to watch the Film for myself. The Characters were Cute and Funny, almost like the ones from 'Home', especially with Ethnic Protagonists. And the settings and Designs of Asia in the Open Fields, Forests, and Cities are really nice, wishing I could visit and/or live there. And the Great story is like an E.T. Extra Terrestrial thing, expect that the Heroes goes with the Creatures on an Adventure of a lifetime to bring back the Creature to his Beloved Family that they Tried to protect from any threats what's-so-ever. And there are some Amazing plot Twist among the Villainous Characters, like just when you thought the villain was actually an elderly Man who has been hunting Mythical creatures for rewards, but it turns out that the True Villain was actually a Nerdy Woman who thought was a seemingly-gentle Scientist just doing what's right for the World, who almost Barely looks like a geeky version of Kari McKeen of Disney/Pixar's 'the Incredibles', and when she let down her Hair, she may look like a Devious version of Merida of Disney/Pixar's 'Brave'. The Effects in the Movie is Super Nice & Super Awesome, especially in the Yeti's Humming effects, some Action Sequences, and that one moment when the Heroine's Father's Violin broke, the Yeti fixes it by using his own Hair for the String replacements, and I know from that Moment, with Yi's Musical skills and the Yeti's Powers combined, and when the Hearts are Full, and the Heavens are listening, Magic is bound to happen. And for the one other part when the Heroes are Gazing into the Stars, they say that the Stars could be our Ancestors watching over us, and that if we don't see any Stars in the Sky, there will be always there for us, almost like even if for some Folks lost their Love ones, they will always be there, even if we can't see them. But I'm glad i enjoyed the Movie, and I know that some Tween kid group enjoyed it as well, laughing at some Funny Parts in which i enjoyed, sometimes with the Woofing Snakes, "WOOF, there it is, WOOF, there it is".

the Addams Family - Well, a another Fantastic new Animated feature has been made, and it's based off of what I remember from my Childhood, cuz I do remember watching the early 1990's Live-Action movies of the Creepy Family starrring Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci, before I knew who some of the Actors were, and I remember the Animated Hanna-Barbera Kooky series on Cartoon Network a while back, even making a Spooky Guest appearance in 'the New Scooby-Doo Movies', but I haven't watched much of their old Ookie Live-action series, and the Family I'm talking about is 'the Addams Family'. And I've read a while back that an Animated CGI feature is gonna be released soon, and I knew back there that that would be interesting for me to see, so I've waited several months for the to be released in Cinemas, and I finally got a chance to do so. It was a Fun and Entertaining movie, and surprising it was made Directed and made by the same team who did the 2016 R-rated Animated film 'Sausage Party' starring Seth Rogan & Kristen Wiig, and the Character designs for the Film were to be based off the old design from the Original Addams Family comics in the old days, and with modern help from Mr. Craig Kellman(Hotel Transylvania, Madagascar). And the voice cast is amazing, we got Mr. Nick Kroll(Captain Underpants) voicing Uncle Fester, Chloe Grace Moretz(Kick-Ass) as Wednesday Addams, Finn Wilfhard(IT, "Beep, Beep, Richie") as Pugsley Addams, Charlize Theron(Kubo and the Two Strings) as Morticia Addams, Bette Midler(Hocus Pocus) as Grandmama, Snoop Dogg as Cousin Itt, Elsie Fisher(Despicable Me) as Parker Needler, even the film's co-director Mr. Conrad Vernon as Lurch ("YYYOOOOOOUUUUUUU RRRAAAAANNNGGGG?!", LOL!!!), a priest that presides over Gomez and Mortica's wedding, the spirit that haunted the abandoned asylum that Gomez and Morticia move into (who often threatened them to get out, much to the family's delight, which i find those Parts to be entirely Hilarious, even in the Theater's Booming Stereo), and Dr. Flambe, a Devil-like relative of the Addams family with fire-like abilities. And the Film's Story is very cute, even with the Film's Opening Scenes on the Origin story of the Addams Family and their "Creative Differences" with other Societies, and it gives me some Good comparisons with Sony's 'Hotel Transylvania' as Creepy Creatures who have lived through the Centuries and Years soon get into Modern times and how other people dealt with Beings like the Monsters of HT and the Addams Family and their Clan. And it would be nice if my Parents were watching the Film with me in the Theaters, cuz during the Film's Ending, me and the people in the Auditorium got a chance to sing-along with the Film's Theme Song, and everyone was Snapping their Fingers to the tune. So If you wanna celebrate Halloween in a Great and Wonderful way, I think that this film is for you, and for all you Goth, Emo, and Young-at-Heart Artists out their who would love a Creepy Treat, and just can't wait to get it on DVD. Klaus - To come clear, I've heard about this movie, and I've even seen some Pencil Tests of it way back then, but I've actually never seen the whole thing, or catch it in a Selected Theater, but I really did see the Film's Trailer. And I would say for a 2D, Hand-Drawn, Frame-by-Frame, Animated feature, these people tried to Improve something for the Classic Animation with their Coloring and Shading type Technique, and even though It's a wonderful Improvement, I wouldn't expect some folks to use this kind of thing more often for Future Celmated Features. As for the Voice cast, I already know who Mr. J.K. Simmons is, but I was surprised to read that the voice man for Mr. Jesper Johansson, is also the guy who played the Villianous Gideon Graves of 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' movie.

And sorry if I didn't catch 'IT: Chapter 2' like I did with the first one, But I'm hoping o see some more clips of it online. And I Never had interest in seeing the 2019 'Child's Play', though I still like Ms. Aubrey Plaza & Mr. Mark Hamill. And I had no interest in seeing 'the Angry Birds Movie 2' since I'm never a Big Fan of Thurop Van Orman's creativity. And lastly, I didn't felt like seeing the 'Spies in Disguise' movie ever since Disney's Horrible Conquest of the whole 20th Century Fox media.

#2019 #movies #best of #the addams family #wednesday addams #mothra #godzilla king of the monsters #klaus #susan link #the missing link #everest #abominable #the secret life of pets 2 #snowball #daisy #my artwork #drawing

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baldwin-montclair · 5 years

Text

Baldwin’s Nightingale (Part 8)

Characters: Baldwin Montclair/OC

Timeframe: After the S1 Finale, TV Show canon MOSTLY (some S2 and Shadow of Night).

Summary: Baldwin deals with the fallout of his decision to protect Alisha himself.

Tag requests: @christi14 @poemfreak306 @pookie-cleary

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

———

“Alisha,” Baldwin handed the photos back to Marcus and turned to give her a look of concern, “you need more sleep, it’s still early.”

“I can’t sleep anymore, I need to do stuff. What’s that about?” She nodded to the items Marcus was now hiding in his bag.

“Family matters, very dull and very much not your problem.”

“But-“

“You’re hungry,” Baldwin cut her off walking over to stand in front of her, “you didn’t eat a lot yesterday.”

“I’m not hungry.” She assured him.

“That wasn’t a question.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“Alisha!”

She sighed, knowing that she was pushing against a brick wall. If she was ever to find anything out, she had to abandon this route.

“I guess I could eat,” she relented, “and clearly you both have something to talk about so I’ll leave you to it.” She took a step as though she was headed to the kitchen but he caught her hand.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“To make breakfast. Is it stupid to ask you both if you want anything?”

“I’m more of a liquid breakfast guy.” Marcus joked.

“We’re fine and you are doing no such thing. Go take a long, relaxing shower and I’ll have something you’ll like ready for when you’re done.”

“Go take a shower? Do I smell so bad?” She asked them with a hint of offence.

“If only,” Baldwin mumbled to himself, “now please, do as I ask?”

“I need clothes!”

“Walk-in, first wardrobe on the left, I had some delivered yesterday.”

“You bought me new clothes?”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t choose them, Christina did!”

“I’m such an asshole, I didn’t even ask, how is she?”

“Still a vampire, so mostly recovered. She’ll be by later, wants to check up on you.”

“Good, I’d like to see her, and maybe also see what’s on Michael’s drive?”

“Long day.” Marcus commented.

“One thing at a time,” Baldwin answered pointedly, “go.”

“Yes, my Lord.” She hit back with sarcasm with an awful curtsy.

“Don’t say that, he might like it!” Marcus scrunched up his noise in disgust.

“Might?” Baldwin didn’t look at Marcus but instead gave Alisha a mischievous wink followed by a nod of the head in the direction of his huge walk-in closet.

“She seems better than yesterday at least.” Marcus commented when she was out of earshot.

“It’s been a long, hellish, few days for her. She’s strong, she’ll survive this!”

“Then, what? You just wave her off after her testimony at the congregation? Wish her well and go your separate ways?”

“I can feel you straining for a point Marcus and it’s painful to endure. Out with it!”

“Last night was a mistake! When she does finally go face Gerbert and Domenico, they will smell you all over her. I don’t care how long or relaxing a shower she takes, your claim is very much on her!”

“And I believe I told you not to discuss matters you don’t understand. I have put no claim on her, I have neither fed on her, nor have I possessed her in any other way!”

“You didn’t even hesitate, when Guillermo had her by the throat. I saw it, you didn’t weigh up what killing him could cost.”

“Just because it appears I act without thought, does not mean it’s not happening.”

“I know your mind works fast Baldwin, I’m telling you, there was nothing going on but animal fury. I’ve seen you in battle, and fighting with Matthew but I have never seen that expression before. You weren’t calculating, your brain was not engaged, it was primeval!”

“Please drop the poetic flourish. Like I said, he harmed someone under my roof and protection, yes, I was angry!”

A beep from a cell phone nearby alerted his attention and he picked it up to see the caller ID.

“Fuck,” he swore, “of all the things I don’t need right now!”

“Who is it?” Marcus asked but Baldwin had already hit the button to pick up the call

“Agatha.” Baldwin answered.

“Where is she?” The daemon responded, just as curtly.

“Miss Black is under the protection of the Knights of Lazarus, she will be delivered to the Congregation when it is safe to do so, given the attempt already made on her life.”

“Michael was killed by one of your kind and you expect me to surrender Alisha to your hands. Also, you owe me, unless you’ve forgotten. If it wasn’t for the daemons you’d be a pile of ash!”

Marcus frowned at this overheard statement.

“Do not play games with me Agatha! We both know the only reason you helped me was for your son and his family, all of whom are right now taking refuge in my family estate.“

“Are you threatening them.”

“I am no more a threat to them as I am to Alisha.”

There was a sharp inhale at the other end of the line.

“So it is true? I was told of your indiscretion with the girl by her orchestra master but I didn’t believe it until now. I did think you were above that sort of thing however, keeping a Nightingale is a move Gerbert or Knox would make.”

“Do not call her that!” Baldwin answered sharply and Marcus could swear he heard her heartbeat skip in fright over the bad line.

“What should I call it when a vampire or witch take whatever they want with no regard to the consequences.”

“If memory serves, you actively assisted Matthew and the witch, why are consequences suddenly such a concern to you?”

“Like you said, that affected my family and, from what I saw, your brother genuinely cares for Diana Bishop. I have no issues with her, she can take care of herself and she is not one of my own. Alisha is, and she has no defence against whatever game you are playing.”

“You’ll have to take me at my word that she is safest with me.”

“Is she a prisoner?”

“No.”

“A thrall?”

“I’m not Gerbert.” Baldwin answered through gritted teeth.

“No-one has seen her in the past two days Baldwin.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“Knox has contacted me,” she continued, “with completely fake concern for her. If you don’t provide proof that she is alive and well there is every chance they will take that as pretext to move against you.”

“They?”

“I don’t trust Domenico and Gerbert may well be Satan himself, you at least have a code of honour. The daemons will not move against you in this matter if you promise me, right now that she is both alive and well.”

“She’s alive. Gerbert’s lackey Guillermo almost drained her but she’s mostly recovered from that. She’s lost someone dear to her so, again, it’ll take time.”

“When you arrive in Venice, I want to see her first, before the Congregation!”

“Understood.” Baldwin hung up.

“What was that about the daemons helping you?”

“Gerbert making a power play is what I call a Tuesday, Marcus, it is nothing to be concerned about. He was trying to use my refusal to hand over Matthew and Diana as grounds to replace me.”

“What now, they want to see her?”

Baldwin pulled up the Calendar on his phone.

“They will! There is something I have to do first.”

———

Alisha stepped out of the shower and dried off before dressing and exiting the bathroom to an empty apartment.

She followed the alluring scent of breakfast to the kitchen and found a post-it note beside a silver plate cover.

Eat.

Christina will be over soon. I’ll explain everything later. B x

She wondered what someone who didn’t even eat would need a domed plate cover for.

Entertaining guests, obviously.

Not long after she’d eaten, the sound of the door opening alerted her to the fact she was no longer alone.

“Alisha!” Christina called out.

“Christina.” Alisha followed her voice to the main room and noticed three other women behind her. She moved to hug the vampire but noted her freeze for a second.

“What?” Alisha asked.

Christina just shook her head and pulled Alisha into a hug.

“What’s happening?” Alisha asked, noting the the rack of stunning dresses being wheeled in behind the strangers.

“Baldwin is taking you to a silent auction. He was invited some time ago, had no intention of attending.”

“Why is he?”

“I think he wanted to get you out of the house.”

“Are we ready?” Asked a woman with the measuring tape around her neck and a pin cushion bracelet around her wrist.

———

Brian Cassidy closed the door of his office and the sound of musical practicing a few rooms over.

That’s when he felt it, the cold creeping into his bones from the focal point between his shoulder blades. The uninvited guest was behind him.

He glanced at the door handle, calculating his chances.

“Your dismembered hand would reach the corner of the room before it made it to the handle!” The voice answered his unasked question.

“Step away from the door and turn around, slowly!” The voice commanded, his tone as cold as his stare.

Brian did as he was ordered, his expression one of fear upon seeing the surprise visitor.

“De Clermont,” his voice shook, “here to kill me like you did poor Michael?”

Baldwin gave a theatrical sigh.

“Now, why would I do that?”

“The girl, just like the witch your brother abducted, you De Clermont’s-“

His sentence was stopped by the acute lack of air caused by his being lifted inches from the ground by the throat.

“I don’t hear the phrase ‘you de Clermont’s’ come out of your mouth a second time. Do you understand?”

The daemon nodded and Baldwin sat him back down on his feet, choking for air.

“Who did you have spy on Alisha Black and why?”

“There was no spying,” he explained, “Michael was friend, I was doing him a favour!”

“By threatening her?”

“An idle threat, I assure you. Regardless of her choice, it was important to Michael that she be kept safe!”

“Is that why you told Guillermo?”

“Who?”

Baldwin stared at him for a moment before realising his confusion was real.

“The vampire who killed Michael and almost killed Alisha!”

“Is she alright, where is she?”

“She’s safe, answer the question!”

“Of course I didn’t talk to a vampire. I told Agatha Wilson though.”

“I’m aware.”

“I had to,” Brian answered with mock concern, “fraternising between species is prohibited under the covenant.”

“I get it-“

“Much in the same way that daemons gathering together is also against the coven-“

“You’ve made your point!” Baldwin cut him off.

“And you’ve made that girl a target.”

“Believe me, her life was endangered by whatever it was your friend was involved in.“

“It was always in danger, you brought her to their attention.”

Baldwin’s eyes narrowed in understanding.

“Why would a daemon be a target, what did Michael know?”

“You’ll have to kill me because I would die before I put her in further danger by telling you anything!”

Baldwin cocked his head to the side and approached slowly, like a predator sizing up it’s prey. Despite his fear, Brian stood resolute.

“No matter,” Baldwin shrugged, remembering the drive Michael left Alisha, “you clearly have concern for her. Worth keeping you alive at least.”

Baldwin walked towards the door.

“De Clermont.” Brian called after him.

Baldwin stopped but didn’t turn around.

“As much as I loathe you and your family for your part in the daemons struggles, I care about her more. We’re not capable of standing against your kind or the witches. Agatha means well but you can’t let her take the girl-”

“No-one is taking her from me,” Baldwin cut him off and turned to fix the daemon with a cold stare, “stay in New York where I can find you. If I have to hunt you down I cannot promise to be as merciful! again.”

Alisha glanced down at her plunging neckline, barely concealed by the lace that covered up the bodice part of the dress, with trepidation.

“Am I being auctioned off?” She half-joked.

“Stop it, you look amazing!” Christina scolded, fluffing out the skirts, made up of what had to be thousands of soft black feathers that made up the bottom part of the gown.

“Black tie event, black dress.” Geraldine, the seamstress, explained as she buttoned the last fastening at the nape of Alisha’s neck.

“It’s crazy soft.” Alisha ran her fingers through the feathers.

“Almost done.” Helen, the hair stylist pinned the last braid into the updo she’d fashioned for the event, leaving just two wayward curls to frame Alisha’s face, the rest swept up into a complicated latticework that would be impossible to replicate on her own.

With Christina in front of her, she knew Baldwin had returned with the cold sensation of his gaze upon her.

“Well,” She asked without turning around, “will I do?”

“You’re perfect.” He answered and she noted the satisfied glances between Helen and Geraldine.

They said their goodbyes and well wishes for the evening and left.

“Will there be any other vampires there tonight?” Christina asked Baldwin.

“More than likely.” He admitted.

“Then tell her, she doesn’t know the rules.” She chided him before turning back to Alisha.

“I won’t see you for a few days. I’m heading to London but I’m sure we’ll catch up again soon.” The vampire told Alisha, giving her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze before giving Baldwin a farewell nod.

With Christina gone, they were alone again.

“Look at you!” Alisha grinned, admiring the bow tie and tuxedo combination.

“Trust me, no-one will be looking at me tonight!”

“Where’s Marcus?”

“He had to leave, urgent business at home.”

“Any other nieces or nephews around?”

“Well, there’s Gallowglass. He will be attending this event.”

“So I get to meet more members of the De Clermont Clan?” She smiled.

“In time.”

“Even your infamous brother?”

“Not if I can help it!” He answered decisively, his tone failing to disguise the suppressed shudder.

She frowned.

“You don’t get on?”

“That’s...putting it mildly! Matthew has issues and I have no intention of putting a warmblood in his path!”

She nodded, deciding not to push.

To say she’d figured out how to ‘manage’ him would be wrong but she knew when to retreat from a line of questioning. If she pushed too hard she’d get nothing and he’d be more reticent to provide further detail in the future.

“Sorry,” she gave him a contrite smile, “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“Happily forgiven,” he approached and took her hand in his, “we have to discuss the rules.”

“That sounds ominous.” She retorted, recognising the topic shift.

“I know but it’s actually very simple. Do not offer your hand in greeting to anyone tonight. If they are human, they will offer theirs first.”

“And if they’re a vampire?”

“They won’t touch you.”

“Guillermo did.”

“That was then.” He answered quickly, his thumb lightly stroking her wrist just above her pulse.

“Given what you did to him I can understand someone else been wary about trying the same.”

“There’s more to it than that.” He admitted

“I’m listening.” She prompted gently.

“It’s not easy to explain, its...” he trailed off, trying to buy himself time to think, “vampires are driven by instinct, as civilised as we may appear, and territorial. When Guillermo bit you, he left his scent on you-“

“Do I still smell like him,” she interrupted in a slight panic, “what did he even smell like, is it bad?”

Alisha rubbed at her neck, over a now mostly healed mark.

“That’s weird, it feels...different!”

“I healed the wound with my own blood, just a few drops. It repaired the damage and erased what he did. You don’t have his scent on you, just-“

“Yours?”

He nodded slowly as though reluctant to admit it.

“Last night, I shouldn’t have stayed.”

“I asked you to, and I’m glad you did.”

“You were upset, you weren’t thinking clearly and I should have been. I fucked up, I let you down.”

“So, you think that being an uncaring asshole would have made the situation better?”

“Being genuinely uncaring where you’re concerned would not be possible but, yes, I should have made a performance of it.”

“Do you know why I was so upset last night?” She asked, taking him aback.

“The pen drive, Michael’s name for you. I’m not the most sensitive male you’ve ever met but I’m not completely hopeless!”

“Why last night? Why not the night it happened, before Guillermo showed up?”

“Shock.”

She shook her head.

“No, it’s the same reason I actually managed to sleep last night. It was the first time I’ve felt safe since this whole thing started,” she admitted quietly, “if that’s what being ‘yours’ means, I can live with that.”

“Alisha-“

“We should go.” She stopped him with a hand on his arm, not needing a response.

———

PART 9

27 notes · View notes

tockamybeloved · 4 years

Text

SOLACE: Part IV

Part IV:

The next day Guillermo Lesaro returned to the shore bold enough to step down from the cliff and terry on rocks below. Boots were not suited to this type of exploration and he left his tied with his horse. Placing himself at the tides meant he would not be alone, not be the surveyor, he would have to step into a smaller chaos but he was determined. Enough citizens were taking their air and he would blend in, another soldier patrolling albeit unofficially, the shore. He could not lock himself away on board ship and he certainly could not refuse when Armando volunteered to keep Florentia distracted while he escaped. No, he told himself, he cannot hide forever.

And he was watching her, this windswept and darting girl collecting creatures from the tide pools, debating whether he should speak with her or let her live in the daydream world she was creating.

Fate made that decision for him.

“Excuse you!”

“¿Que?”

“Watch where you are going!”

His feet already cold and unused to the juxtaposition of wet sand leaving imprints and the rocks jagged and slippery, the woman’s sharp voice startled him.

“Pay attention.” To say she was aggravated, shaking her head and waving her hand in his direction, a gull in human form gathering its spoils and passionately vocal about the protecting of her domain was a comparison exquisite. He began to regret leaving the quiet solitude of his post on the cliff. Was it not enough to stand there and watch?

But as she moved toward him, the graceful leaps and jumps from place to place and the way her hair tangled into the ethereal sky…

“Oh!” And she fell back on the sand.

“Excuse me, I did not mean to – It is a beautiful day?”

It was not a beautiful day. It was a cool early morning covered over by high fog and the entire expanse of the sky held the glow of muted golden fire that only the sea could reflect. This was a paradisiacal morning now as he stood over her. The sharpness of his glare, a look so deep and intimidating, yes, deep, her courage fell immediately.

To take his outstretched hand under these circumstances was allowed, even if she did not need the help. She bit her lower lip. “Yes.”

It was a touch. A single touch - to her.

#solace potc minific

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mystblbk · 5 years

Text

Chavela Valdes--Chapter 5

VALENTINA POV

“Wait,” Guille half-shouts over Eva and Lúcia’s chatter, “You’re telling us you both are now in good graces with one another and have decided to work together because Johnny is possibly the one behind dad's murder?”

“Sí.”

I stare at my sister and step-mother nod at the same time with serious looks. With a glance over at Guille’s shocked but relieved expression, I grin and take both women into my arms in a tight embrace.

I laugh, “At least now we’re on the same page.”

Both women laugh and hug me back as tightly. A few seconds pass and then I feel Guille towering over us to join in on our hug from behind me. I feel warmth flood my heart as I feel all last three members of my family together and happy at this moment. My brain reminds me of encouraging words from a girl I met a month ago and my smile grows just a bit bigger.

You were right Juliana.

The moment is broken when Eva pulls away with a chuckle and gives Lúcia a smile before turning to Guille and I.

“So Lúcia and I need to talk to you seriously for a moment,” Eva says, her face turning hard again, “This has now become a family situation that we all have to deal with okay?”

With concern I nod, “Okay, but if Johnny is up to this then we need to be more careful when we talk. Where do we go?”

“Dad’s room,” Eva sighs, “It’s the only place we’ll be safe for this talk.”

I frown, “We don’t even know where dad’s room is.”

Lúcia smiles innocently, “You three don’t but I do. It’s the last place he showed me before the wedding.”

Eva’s face contorts to disgust as dose Guille. I feel a blush go up to my cheeks in embarrassment at heading this as well as grossed out. Lúcia sees our reactions and coughs with burning red cheeks.

“No,” she mumbles with a blush, “I mean he showed it to me because that’s where he keeps all his papers and security cameras. He also wanted me to know where to go in case we needed to hide in an emergency.”

My siblings and I share a relieved sigh then laugh awkwardly. Lúcia sighs and guides us out of the living room and into the winding hallways of our home. We pass the wine cellar and dinner table then stopping directly in front of three large shelves filled with dad’s possessions. Most of the items were from his trips abroad, a gold lamp from Dubi here and a pot of spices from Turkey there. My siblings and I watch as Lúcia opens a small box open then moves her hand inside the box. A small ‘click’ sounds can be heard and the middle shelves push forward to reveal a hidden room.

“Wow,” Guille gasp as we enter the room.

The room is definitely dad’s as I take it in. The walls are forest green with warm mahogany trims. There's a wall filled with books of all kinds across from the door’s opening; a few leather chairs and seats decorate the area along with two wood tables and tasteful table lamps. Further in is a hallway leading into a separate room. From where I can see, this sperate room is the security camera room. There are many monitors, I count ten that are visible, each split screened to separate areas of the house and Groupo Carvajal offices.

“Right then, let’s talk,” Lúcia sighs as she takes a seat on one of the leather chairs.

“Right,” Eva nods, “Guille, Val. This is important for all of us.”

I blink at the two women, each sitting across from the empty couch. Mateo, always the gentleman, stands behind my sister with a hand on her shoulder. Guille pulls my elbow and we take our place across from the two matriarchs of our family. Lúcia looks determined but wary while Eva looks cold and calculating. Mateo on his part look serious and angry, something odd on his usually happy face.

“Lúcia asked me to look into Johnny because he’s been very forward on his attraction to her along with a few off-handed comments she has caught during his advances since papá’s funeral,” Eva beings, “She told me that perhaps he’s the one behind papá’s death. I was skeptical of her but after she told me about him sending Mateo’s group on an interview for a few of Jonny’s friends, I figured it wouldn’t hurt. So, Mateo and I watched him for anything odd while my secretary looked through our bank records from top to bottom."

“And,” Guille pushes, “What did you find?”

“He took out half a million dollars from the company using dad’s name and deposited it into a ghost account,” Mateo says with a frown, “The bank could only get a location for it, as it was only used for withdrawals on a pre-paid debit card. The location was in Mexico City, but in the lower district banks.”

“He hired someone,” I gasp.

Lúcia nods, “That’s what I suspected. I looked through Léon’s files and saw other amounts taken and sent to different accounts but with the same trace number. I just needed Eva and Mateo to confirm I’m wasn’t going crazy.”

“And it looks like this has been going on for some time,” Mateo sighs, “The total amount of transactions equal to five million U.S. dollars.”

Guille let’s out a growl under his breath next to me as I look from Lúcia then to Eva. They stare at me with serious looks until I can’t stand the heaviness of it. I look down to my fisted hands, my green dress crinkling in my grasp.

Papá…

“What do we do then,” Guille growls out, “Call the cops?”

“I already contacted the Detective,” Lúcia says, my eyes still frozen on my hands, “He said he will need further evidence. He will be playing Johnny as his help into looking for what he needs, as a way of tricking him into slipping up.”

“That’s it,” I finally say looking up again, “That will take months! Johnny is not an idiot! He’ll figure something out!”

Eva raises her hand to stop me from shrieking, “We know. That’s why we’re here. Lúcia has a plan, but it requires all of us for it to work.”

I furrow my brows and wait for Lúcia to speak. The oldest woman is looking at the portrait my father had made of all of us, including my mother, that hangs above the couch Guille and I are sitting on. She then sighs again and looks from Eva to Mateo then to Guille and finally to me.

“We have to out him,” she says slowly as she turns to Mateo, “I will have Mateo promoted so he will take over as CIO so he will keep eye on what information is being given and sent between all our sources. Our previous chief has decided to step down as he has been offered a new job in the States.”

Mateo blinks then nods, “Sí, of course.”

Lucia looks to Eva then, “Eva will be placed as CFO, Don Emanuel is due to step down as he does not feel comfortable now that Léon is gone. This way she will be able to keep tabs on all finance matters.” the most

Eva’s expression becomes frozen then she nods slowly, “Okay.”

Lucia turns to Guille next, “Guillermo, you will have to be placed as COO. Mr. Rivera is starting to sway in Johnny’s favor. If I use the dirt on him that I have, he will jump and will allow you to take over. I know you're comfortable just dealing with the paper and not ready to take over all of our branches, but you have to step up. Okay?”

Guille’s face contorts into something unpleasant. It’s as if he tasted something bad and can’t get the taste out of his mouth but still has to look polite. Lúcia then stands and crouches down to her knees in front of him.

“I know,” she says softly, “It’s a lot. You want to be free. You want to explore and see something outside of what your father wanted you to do.”

“How would you know,” Guille huffs angrily, “You don’t know how much pressure—”

“I do,” Lúcia cuts him off, “Léon told me. He was always so proud of you. You are his pride and joy, his little prince that would follow his steps to protect your sisters. His mini-me that shared his love of art and travel. I know it’s a big role, Guille. I know it’s not something you could have wanted but something you were forced into.

"You need to understand that this is bigger than all of us. What your father has built has been under attack by an enemy we never would have guessed. All I ask of you is to help us push this man out and then we can see to moving things along after that. If you enjoy the position then you can keep it. If you don’t, you choose who takes it. Okay?”

Our stepmother’s words seem to sooth my brother as he sighs and nods, “Okay. I understand.”

Lúcia stands with a small smile and takes Guille into a hug as he remains sitting. I watch as my father’s wife kissed Guille on the top of his head tenderly as only a mother would do. As she pulls away I see my brother rub his eyes with his hands with a soft ‘thank you.’

Lúcia then does the same to me, crouched on her knees in front of me with a patient face.

“Val,” she says, “We need your help too, mija.”

I feel dread build in my chest as her clear green eyes hold mine in an encouraging stare.

“You will have to take my position as I will take over Léon’s,” she tells me while reaching out to take my fists in her hands, “I know you’re not ready, mija. I know you have over a year until you graduate. I know you’re the youngest of us and the one with the least amount of life lived. I know you’re our wild mustang but right now I need you to channel that power here. Can you do that?”

I keep staring at Lúcia then look over at Guille then to Mateo and finally to Eva. They all look strong and encouraging, just as the woman in front of me does. I feel a weight on my shoulders as if my father’s hands are on them for comfort. I sigh and nod.

“Okay,” I murmur, “I’ll take over as the Administrative Officer.”

Lúcia smiles and hugs me just as she did with Guille, “I’ll help you, Val. I know you have the heart to take care of people so this will be a great fit.”

“What about school,” I mumble ask.

“We’ll have you take the course online in the evening if you’d like,” Eva speaks up once Lúcia pulls away, “It’s only for a few months until we can get that snake out of here. The same thing as Guille applies to you. If you want to keep the job then you can. If you don’t, I’m sure you’ll help us find a replacement.”

“Okay,” Guille huffs, “But won’t it look odd that the majority of our board will be filled with family?”

“No one bats an eye when its any other company,” Eva smirks, “It will simply read as dad’s last wishes.”

“And it sort of is,” Lúcia says as she turns to one of the books shelves.

We watch as she pulls a thick black book from the center shelf’s center spot. She walks to the coffee table in the center of the room and turns to the middle. There sitting in the pages, is a thick file. She carefully pulls the two tabs off the file and pulls out the papers.

“This is Léon’s will,” Lúcia whispers into the quiet room, “It states that the exact positions I gave all of you be given once to you once he is no longer here. Well, he is no longer here but as the owner, CEO, and Chairman of Grupo Carvajal his word is law. His lawyer has set an appointment with all of the board and majority shareholders for this Friday. He will read it to us all and make it official.”

“So this was going to happen anyway,” I ask with anger, “You played us?”

“No, never,” Lúcia sighs, “It is directed for me or his next in line to give the positions when appropriate. All the shareholders and board members have signed acknowledgment clauses in their contracts, they know its there but don’t know I will act on it.”

“So dad’s word allows you to take over and put us in those positions,” Guille reasons, “We have a claim on the chairs already and you wanted us to accept and not force us into them?”

“Yes,” Eva nods, “Eva and I spoke of this on the way here.”

I nod slowly and allow Eva and Lúcia to explain to us the plan. In two days time, on Friday to be exact, Papá’s personal attorney will read his will in the presence of all the shareholders and board members as well as the family. This will allow Lúcia and him to go forward with setting us all up in our new positions by the end of the day so we can start working officially the following Monday.

Two weeks from then the monthly board meeting with be occurring and Eva will pull a motion to kick Johnny out of his position and give it over to another senior member that had worked hard under Eva and Mateo’s leadership. This man, Enrique Villalobos, has had a wonderful streak of working hard under the Marketing branch for the past five years and is likely to follow direction under my sister and her husband.

The whole situation seems shady to me but desperate times beg for drastic measures. It makes my heart feel heavy at the thought of pulling backhanded shadow deals to take back my father’s company from Johnny. I completely understand what is happening but it doesn't mean I have to like it, especially with the implications of Johnny being the one behind Papá’s murder. The thought of dragging Johnny by his stiff collar to jail is the only reason as to why I’m following with this plan, something that I’m happy Eva and Lúcia both understand.

“Val?”

The soft voice startles me and I look up from my dress to the sound. Eva looks concerned as I stare at her.

“Sí,” I ask.

“I was saying that Lúcia took me to a restaurant she worked at when she met Papá,” she speaks gently, “I liked the food and thought that maybe we should have a Family Dinner?”

I can feel my eyes sparkle as my frown shifts into a grin, “Really? Family Dinner?”

Eva nods with a soft smile, “Sí, all of us. We have to stick together now and what way to start this new beginning then a nice peaceful night out before the typhoon hits?”

My stomach bottoms out at the last bit of her explanation but I don’t allow it to dampen my mood. I smile happily at Eva then at Lúcia.

“Okay,” I nod, “Where?”

“It’s a nice restaurant hidden in the middle of the Mercado,” my stepmother says, “It has traditional Mexican food. Tonight they have a Mariachi band playing.”

“Really,” Guille asks, sharing a look with Mateo, “You think you ladies can keep the peace that long?”

“Yes,” Lúcia chuckles, “Eva and I have come to an understanding. Besides, this is Eva’s idea.”

“Eva’s idea,” Guille, Mateo and I say at the same time with wide eyes pointed at my sister.

Eva scoffs, “Yes it is. It's not out of this world that I want a nice family dinner with all of us.”

The men and I share a look then shrug hesitantly. Lúcia calmly starts talking about the restaurant, how she worked there and how she would take dad after work. I smile as she describes how enamored with the food dad was that he would even ask for catering from there. Lúcia and I spend the day like this after everyone leaves for work, talking about dad’s hidden love for the simpler things.

______________________________________________________________

JULIANA POV

“Okay, so you’re telling us that the girl you went to flirt with is the daughter of one of the richest families in Mexico. You met her stepmom and her sister. You helped her stepmom get some new clothes and now the oldest sister wants you to do the same for her,” Franky asks with furrowed brows, “What kind of novela did you walk into, Texas?”

I roll my eyes as Ray and Ricardo laugh at my annoyance.

“I didn’t flirt—”

“Well you kind of did,” Raùl speaks up with a smirk, “None of us go up to girls and offer them a drink and to listen to their personal problems with no hidden intentions.”

“Oh god,” I grunt in English.

The other boys start laughing as I rub my forehead with the palm of my hand, far away from the pin cushion I have strapped to my fingers. I decide to ignore them and continue fixing up the teal vest I have in my hands. As the silence draws out I get a tap on my shoulder. Hesitantly, I look up to Axel and see him smile at me.

“You’ve done amazing work so far,” he says, “I think you deserve a break now Chavela. Those suits don’t have to be ready until two weeks from now.”

I sigh, “Yeah I know. I just want them done so I can see how they fit on us and fix what I need to.”

Sal grins, “It's fine. Leave them for now. We want to talk about your girlfriend more before show time.”

I glare at him, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“You act like she is,” Ray and Ricardo speak up.

I blush as the boys share a smile and raised brows, “No i—”

“Juliana,” Franky speaks up again, “You have a notebook full of sketches of eyes. Blue eyes.”

“And you go to that park every day,” Axel nods along.

“And when she is not there,” Raul smirks, “She’s at my tio’s place walking amongst the dead looking for Doña Lúcia.”

“Its okay Juls,” Sal sighs, “You like her. Big deal! The point is, what are you going to do when you see her later tonight?”

I look down at the table I’m working on. The teal cloth is bright and cheery in my hands, completely far left form what I’ve been feeling since Miss Lúcia and Miss Eva left this morning.

“No sé,” I huff, “I honestly don’t. What if she thinks I’m trying to suck up to her sister and stepmom so I can hang out with her? I act like a creep already!”

“No Juliana, you don’t,” Sal sighs, “You act like someone that has a crush. And as I said before, it’s okay. Just be friends with her and then let things happen.”

I roll my eyes again, “Nothing will happen. She has a boyfriend.”

“Maybe not,” Raúl laughs, “You said she practically threw him across the street. Maybe they’re not together anymore?”

The twins grin and nod soon followed by the others. I smile at the memory too. That idiot’s face looked crush at the implication of being tossed around by a woman smaller than him. It sometimes flashes in my mind and I have to hold back a laugh. I shake my head and think seriously about Sal’s question.

“I guess I’ll be respectful but kind to her,” I reason, “As for Miss Eva and Miss Lúcia, I guess I can act professionally with them until I get a feel for how I should act.”

Raúl nods, “That’s good. I think that’s a sound decision.”

“And when you need someone to give you pointers on how to get the girl,” Axel grins then points at himself, “You’ve got the best teacher here.”

I guffaw, “What? You're stupid. Last week Carla threw a whole tray of aguas frescas at you after you came onto her!”

The other men laugh at the memory while Axel frowns.

“Yeah that’s true,” Franky chuckles, “Besides, I don’t think our little sister needs your help. She’s got her own fan club remember?”

I groan loudly through the men’s laughing.

“Oh yeah,” Sal smirks, “How could we forget Alejandra?”

“Or Isabell,” Raúl laughs.

“How about Isadora,” The twins guffaw.

“The list goes on and on,” Franky laughs, “I swear you have the whole colonia after you, Chavela!”

The men continue to laugh, this time Axel joining in, while I try to ignore them.

“Remember when Alejandra threw herself into Jul’s arms and ended up on the floor,” Axel shrieks with glee, “Poor girl thought Juli would catch her, but no Juls is too thick headed to catch a hint.”

“Oh yeah,” Ray laughs, “It took us a whole weekend of chamba to convince her that she has a fan club in the first place.”

“Okay,” I huff, “Stop.”

“Nope!”

I groan, “Look! I already told you! I never actually had someone actually like me back in Tejas! If this were a normal occurrence, then I would have known that those girls weren't being just friendly.”

Another round of laughing.

“At least I do now,” I grumble and cross my arms.

“Oh, you do,” Axel asks, “Do tell!”

I roll my eyes, “This girl this morning was hitting on me. I don’t think I made it obvious enough—”

“Is it the pretty brunette from last week,” Sal asks.

I blush and the men laugh again.

“You need to cool off Romeo,” Franky smirks, “We need women too, you know!”

“Don’t worry too much,” Raúl sighs, “She’s just been waiting for her princess to show up again. Lucky for us, she’s showing up tonight.”

“Which means we can have all the broken hearted girls Juls leaves,” Ricardo shouts, “That’s perfect!”

I groan again and start packing away my work. A quick look out the door and I can see that the crowd has begun to take over the restaurant. With a look over at all the band outfits, I decide to go with the classic white and gold combo. I quickly start pulling down hats and outfit sets from their places and hand them to the chattering men. They each approach me and take their things. I smile as they pull the curtain separating half of the room so they can start dressing behind it.

As I pull down my own form the shelves and lay the outfit on the table, I feel electric energy surge through me. Thoughts of brilliant blue eyes and puppy-like smiles make my heart skip with excitement. The giddiness goes away when I remember who is accompanying Valentina.

I glup and mumble under my breath, “A little help here, Santa?”

At my request I feel cold hands on my shoulders for a second. The ghostly action makes me braver instead of hysterical. I nod thanks to La Santa and start undressing from my civilian clothes to get dressed in my performance clothes.

“Alright boys,” Sal speaks up from the other side of the curtain, “We need a good show tonight. Our girl needs to impress her cuñados and suegratonight!”

“And her princessa,” shouts, “We need to impress her the most!”

I grin and listen to my bandmates and brothers hype each other up for ‘Jul’s first impression.’

__________________________________________________________

VALENTINA POV

After a long afternoon of shadowing Lúcia, I finally make my way up to my room to get ready. Eva had told us to dress nice but casual, so I stick to one of my favorite red dresses. After a walk into my closet, I pick my favorite black boots to match my denim jacket and black purse. I smile as I get dressed and do my usual light make up. The motions of getting ready to calm me down and before long I’m done and walking out of my room.

“You look nice,” Guille smiles as I reach the living room, “Trying to impress someone?”

I grin back at him and take in his casual white button up and dark jeans, “I could say the same about you. I don’t know. I’m single again remember?”

Guille laughs, “Thank God! That boy was annoying as hell!”

I giggle with him, “He wasn’t all that bad.”

My brother gives me a look but before he can answer Eva and Mateo come through the front doors. Eva is wearing a nice blouse and jeans combo, in her usual black and white, while Mateo wears his favorite lime green button-up with little pink umbrellas over his tan pants. I smile as my moody sister comes to a stop with her child-like husband next to her, their differences complementing one another.

I wish…

“Well, are we ready,” Eva asks with a soft smile, “I don’t want to be late getting there.”

“We just need—”

“Ready,” Lúcia says as she enters through the kitchen area, “I’m sorry for being a bit late. I was interviewing a new security guard.”

“A new one,” Eva says with narrowed eyes.

“Yes. His name is Jacobo. Camilo’s friend who needs a new job,” Eva nods, “He seems decent enough. I would like you to speak with him first, Eva. God knows Guille will just nod and let him pick a locker.”

Guille huffs and roll his eyes playfully while Eva tilts her head up as if to boast. I smirk and stand up.

“Let’s go then,” I tell them.

A round of nods and we are all walking to the two SUVs waiting outside. Alirio and Juan wait for us next to the vehicles along with a few men. The doors are open and we spit up. Lúcia, Guille and I take the first car while Eva and Mateo take the second. A few minutes later and we’re driving through the streets of our private neighborhood and into the streets of the city. My brother and stepmother talk about business, giving me a few explanations and engaging me when appropriate. I listen and nod, trying my best to catch up with the company’s current state.

The idea of becoming part of the company’s board with my family by my side makes me see the situation I’m now seeing in a new light. The more they talk, the more engrossed I become. In the chair I would be placed in, I would be in charge of the public perspective of the company and also the interworkings of the company with employees. The thought of taking care of all departments' social aspects seems doable to me as I did have a knack of talking to people and getting into good graces. Dad always said I was a charmer like mom, it’s nice to know there someplace I can apply it to.

Before long Lúcia tells me about stories that Dad told her, the humble beginnings of his journalism career and how his dream became a reality. Imagining my father running around with a raggedy notebook and pen over his ear makes me smile with pride for my father. The stories of my dad struggling to fit in after reaching notoriety keep me laughing as its difficult to place my charming and commanding father stumbling through galas and balls.

It's in that moment that I can understand the pride and fierce protectiveness over Grupo Carvajal that the rest of my family feel. Just thinking of how my father’s work over the years had built a media empire, comparable to any other across the world, makes me want to add my own achievements to help the company continue to grow. I become so engrossed with the stories of my dad that I don’t notice that we have arrived until Arilio is opening the car door on my side.

“Aqui estamos,” the guard smiles at me.

I smile back at him and allow him to help me out of the car. I wait nearby and watch as Lúcia follows after me, still wearing her gold-yellow dress, and my brother. I glance over to the other vehicle and see Eva with Mateo quickly approaching us.

“Alright,” Eva nods, “Come on then.”

I follow my family as they walk up the steps of the brick building. The placement of being surrounded by closed up mercado shops reassures anyone that it would have the freshest food anywhere. I look over the area and finally take notice of the large church on the other side of the street. I make a mental note to come back with my camera to take pictures of this hidden place sometime during the day, the colors contrasting in the bright Mexican sun would look amazing on film.

“Yes, all of us please,” I hear Eva tell a waiter once we reach the entrance.

“Well you see I don’t know if I have a spot,” this catches my attention and I look forward and see the young man dressed in white clothes, “You came in a little bit late. Most people show up early to get good seats.”

Eva looks angry but before she can say anything someone taps on the waiter’s shoulder to get his attention. The waiter turns and we can see who is grabbing his attention. A young man, no older than mid-20s, stands there in imposing stature. He’s about the size of Lucho but much more handsome. His tan skin contrast with his white outfit: a white mariachi uniform with gold trim and red tie. His dark eyes stare unwaveringly at the waiter and his patient smile calms the air around us.

“Salvador,” the waiter sighs, “Thank god you—”

“These are special guests Manny,” the young man says with a musically deep voice, “I already told my uncle to save them a good spot. They’re taking the one on the floor—the center table that’s reserved.

The waiter blinks rapidly, obviously confused, but nods slowly then turns to Eva.

“If you can please follow me, Miss,” he says slowly, “I’ll show you to your table.”

Eva stares at him shocked and then turns to the other man, Salvador, “Special guests?”

Salvador smiles, “Yes. Chavela let us know you might come by. I told my uncle to set that table aside for you, Señorita Carvajal.”

“Chavela,” Lúcia asks.

Salvador simply smiles, “I hope you enjoy yourselves.”

With that the mariachi leaves us all stunned as he turns on his spurred boot and walks deep into the restaurant. From my position still half-inside the lobby, I can see the top of his sombrero until he enters a sperate room by the bar area. We stay there standing until Manny the waiter asks us to follow him. We do as he asks and allow him to guide us into the restaurant.

The place is packed with people, mostly women, and a few men. I can’t help but notice that a few give me a vibe I had never gotten before. It’s not an odd or bad feeling, just different. It's as if I know them but not really. I try to put my finger on it until I see a handsome bearded man pull out a fan. With a flick and in one motion it opens, the move is graceful and distinctly womanly as he fans himself with a playfully aloof smile. Next, to the man a few women giggle and start chatting with him about the performers.

I look above the bar as we pass and see two flags hanging over the topmost shelves of liquor. A flag of Mexico is pinned by the topmost points and is connected by the red tip to the left corner of a rainbow flag.

Ah…that explains something I guess…

My siblings and I share a look when Manny leads us to the front of the room towards the stage. The table is large enough to fit us all and one person more. Its place was directly next to the stage, center stage as Salvador said.

“This is yours,” Manny nods to us, “I will get you your waitress. The show begins in ten minutes. Also, the restrooms are over there.”

The waiter points to two doors at the wall opposite the bar then smiles to us softy before leaving us.

“Well this is unexpected,” Lúcia chuckles.

“You don’t know what happened either,” Mateo asks as he pulls Eva’s chair out for her.

Lúcia shakes her head in the negative as Guille pushes her chair towards the table, “No. I have no idea who this Chavela could be.”

“Well it can’t be Chavela Vargas,” Eva scoffs, “She’s been dead for years and I’m sure we’ve never met her.”

I giggle and share a smile with Guille as he takes his seat next to me and across from Mateo. I look over at us and notice with sadness that the seat across from Lúcia would normally be where Dad would sit. My brother seems to understand this as he takes my hand in his and squeezes it softly. I smile at him again and he grins back.

“Buenas noches,” a woman says as she approaches the table.

The woman is a bit older then the other staff we saw on the way in. Her hair is pulled up in a bun with wisps of silver hair sticking out for it. Her kind eyes show a motherly aura to us as she hands us each a menu. As she moves about setting our utensils, I also can’t help but notice she’s not wearing a traditional costume like the other staff, instead of the large colorful folkloriko dresses the other women are wearing, she’s wearing a simpler white one with embroidered flowers on the hemline of her dress’ skirt.

“My name is Anita,” she says, “I’ll be taking care of you. Can I get you all something to drink?”

We each nod and give her our orders. Just as she’s turning to leave us Eva stops her.

“Anita, do you know who this Chavela person is,” my sister asks, “They got us this spot for us. I would like to know who it is.”

The old woman smiles and turns her head to the direction of the stage. I follow her stare and see that the stage now has the group of mariachi on it. A group of five young men stand in the center of the space each wearing white suits with golden accents and ret ties, just like Salvador who is standing in the middle. There are two trumpets, two violins, a guitarist and a guitarrón. The group seems small but from a look around the building, the sound will echo nicely inside the brick structure. The room slowly becomes silent as the lights begin to dim and spotlights are shined onto the group. Anita quickly makes her exit as the men look up at the audience with a smirk and take their positions.

With a united strum, one of the violinists starts playing followed by the other and the others quickly join in. The sound is crisp and joyful, I can’t help smile as they play in unison then abruptly stop. In a swift move, they all part and in the center is a lone figure. The man is slightly smaller than the rest of the men, around my size, and has his head turned down the floor as to not show his face.

De Altamira Tamaulipas

Traigo esta alegre canción

Y al son del viejo violín

Y jarana canto yo

Para las mujeres bonitas

Que son de mi adoración

De Altamira Tamaulipas

Traigo esta alegre cancion

With that last verse the person looks up and I can’t stop my jaw from dropping as I realize its not a man who’s singing.

Juliana!?

My eyes blink rapidly trying to make sense at what I’m seeing while the girl struts to center stage as the musicians start to play again. Just as I’m accepting what I’m seeing, the waiters and waitresses run onto the stage and make a pose surrounding her. The women on stage are in full folkloricooutfits, different color dresses with large arm length skirts and flower pinned hair clips. The men are wearing white shirts and pants with bandana’s for belts and hard leather tap shoes on their feet, they each have their hands behind them but I can see handles of machetes poking out of their hands. Juliana tips her hat forward and I feel heat rise up in my cheeks as she grins with dimples full on display.

When the band picks back up from their pause, they all start dancing around Juliana—Juliana?!—paired up inequally with one man for two women. The sound of their tap shoes hitting hard stone floor resonates beautifully in the space as they all move as a whole. As the song slows downs lightly until its just down beats, Juliana—Juliana?!—joins the dancers tap to the downbeats. The move is well practiced but what catches us all of our attention is how when Juliana—Juliana?!—taps her own foot, the spurs on her boots hit the floor as well and creates a spark that lights up the space like a firework against a dark sky.

The music starts back up as Juliana—I finally accept it's her and not my imagination conjuring her up because of the couple shots I took while in my room—starts singing again. As she does she walks forward with her arms stretched out to her sides until she’s a few feet away from the imaginary stage line. She taps the beat with the strumming of the instruments, sparks flying.

Si la vida es un jardín

Las mujeres son las flores

El hombre es el jardinero

Que corta de las mejores

Yo no tengo preferencia

Por ninguna de las flores

Me gusta cortar de todas

Me gusta ser mil amores

As she sings the first verse, Juliana turns to the dancers behind her and bows lowly. The women playfully bow back followed by the men. As she starts the second verse, another spark from her spurs surprises me. She turns back to the audience and slides her hands down her vest with a charming smirk, all the while her band partners jeering and shouting behind all of them.

The dancers, as well as Juliana, then start dancing, Juliana following the traditional men’s way with her hand behind her back as she follows the choreography, as the woman's skirts flutter around them. First, they tap with the violins' solo then slowly sperate into pairs, allowing Juliana a girl wearing a red dress in the center spotlight. A foreign but familiar feeling of jealousy bubbles up in my chest but I pin it down at the ease of Juliana's dance moves. After all, It seems as if she was born for this because she’s grinning cheekily while not losing her breath and shouting along with the jeering the men do.

The group then slowly separates until Juliana and the men from a group to the right and the women a group to the left. In their separate groups, they face each other and dance in place then slowly go back to their space. At some point, Juliana must have been handed her own machetes because she and the men pull them out and start hitting the blades together under each leg then above their heads. The metal sound goes amazingly well with the metal strumming of the mariachi. With one last run through of her machete routine, Juliana stops center stage again to sing.

Dichoso aquel que se casa

Y sigue la vacilada

Siempre anda jugando contras

A escondidas de su amada

Pero más dichoso yo

Que no me hare falta nada

Tengo viudas why solteras

Why una que otra casada

The dancers continue around Juliana as she goes through her verses and quickly leave the stage and into the darkness as if they were never there. Juliana sings the last note at the top of her lungs with all her strength, the sound and longevity of the notes resonate in my ears. With one last tap, this time with the band as a whole, Juliana bows and the audience around me goes wild.

I’m in too much shock to clap and cheer along. My eyes are stuck on Juliana as she graces everyone with a thankful dimpled grin, one so similar to the one she gave me when I first met her. I watch as she bows again and tilts her sombrero forward. The action is very vaquero and I finally move from my shocked state to grin like a love-struck school girl. I bite my lip and blush as Juliana catches my eye and winks at me before turning back to her band to start up the next song.

“I’m guessing that’s Chavela,” Guille chuckles next to me.

“Her name is Juliana, Guille,” I tell him.

This catches my step mother’s and sister’s attention as she turns away from the stage to look at me.

“You know Juliana,” Eva asks.

I blink, “You know Juliana, Eva?”

Lúcia shocks me even more as she nods, “I met her at the graveyard. I was visiting Léon and saw her playing. I called her and asked her to help me pick out my wardrobe. I liked her style and introduced her to Eva this morning when we ran into each other here.”

My eyes widen at the revelation. I quickly look up to the stage and see Juls singing while plucking on a guitar that somehow magically appeared on her. I stare at her for a while until she seems to feel my stare and she looks over at me. She continues singing but sends me confused looks. I shake my head and give her a comforting smile, one that she answers with a slight nod before looking away again.

“How did you meet her, Val,” Mateo asks in an effort to fill in the confused pause.

I sigh, “I met her a month ago. It was during one of Lucho’s fights actually.”

“Fights,” Guille growls, “What?”

“Lucho was being impossible after dad’s funeral,” I quickly try to explain, “He kept going on about not paying attention to him and we ended up fighting as we left mass that day.”

My brother and Mateo give me expressions of anger. I glance over the other two women and see their concern. I shake my head and continue.

“He told me to get lost and left me there in the middle of the street. It hurt and I didn’t want to bring my problems home so I went to the park nearby and walked around. I ended up sitting on a bench and crying,” I say with a far off look as I remember that day.

Somehow my eyes catch Juliana again and stay there. Her strong presence is comforting as I continue.

“Suddenly some girl stops in front of me then sits next to me,” I let out a grateful laugh, “She asks me if I’m okay and I practically tell her to f’ off. She apologizes and starts to leave. I sort of snap back into reality and call her back.”

I look back to my family and see them all giving me the same look: shocked for my rudeness but happy at my nostalgic tone.

“She ended up making me laugh,” this gains me surprised looks as they recall how num I was following dad’s funeral, “Anyway, we ended up walking around the park and I tell her about everything. She talked me through it until I felt bad about dragging her into my problems and I sort of just left her there.”

My smile is sad and regretfull now.

I hope she didn’t take it in a bad way.

A glance over at the singer and I’m reassured as she catches my stare and gives me another wink. I feel my cheeks heat up as she looks away again.

Wow…

“See Eva,” Guille speaks up and getting my attention, “Silvian was right.”

I frown in confusion as Guille and Mateo start laughing. Eva rolls her eyes and Lúcia just smiles.

“Well at least you came to your senses and left that boy,” Eva huffs annoyed.

“Well I for one approve,” my stepmother speaks up.

My siblings turn to her with shocked faces. I furrow my brows and try to figure out what she means. I don’t get a response as they all turn to me and share a knowing smile.

“¿Que?”

“Nothing Val,” Guille smirks.

_______________________________________________

JULIANA POV

Sal’s ideas goes well if Val’s shocked expression is anything to go by. The boys even let me know throughout our one hour how when she would stare at me. It makes me smile through the whole time we play, a natural one and not the usual forced one. The difference in my attitude is apparent as I strut around the stage and even mingle between the first rows of tables. I try not to linger too much on one table, the last time I did this I had a ton of girls and a few men ask for me after the dinner service was over.

Something I do follow through on more of bashfulness then by a decision is not go near the Carvajal table. I try to ignore them, sending them a smile here or a bow there but not really approaching them. I knew that if I was near them I would either freak out with Miss Eva’s penetrating gaze on me, or I would be too smiley to Val and end up getting a restraining order placed on me.

The later thought seems more of my dramatic thought process as I would find myself looking over at Valentina. Our gazes would meet and I could feel an electric jolt flow through me. Those jade eyes made my heart pound in my ears with excitement at getting her attention. This would make me wink at her or give her a full out grin. I couldn’t help but pray that when she looked away with her bottom lip between her teeth it was with shyness at my forwardness. Her blush basically confirmed it when I caught it a few times she didn’t look away.

By the time we finished, I didn’t feel drained as I normally would but much more energized. I was practically preening when we took our final bow and I could hear Val clap and shout my name from her seat. As I left the stage with my band I look over at her again and see her smiling at me with what I hoped were proud eyes. My heart continues to flutter as I step into our dressing room.

I sigh and lean against the wall with a huge smile and closed eyes. Behind my closed eyelids I relive Valentina’s expressions through the performance.

“Maybe we should change your name to Romero.”

I chuckle and open my eyes to see Raúl smirking at me, his jacket now gone as he unbuttons his vest.

“Sí, sí,” Richardo laughs, “She was practily singing to her princessa all night.

“I wasn’t,” I roll my eyes still smiling.

“But you wanted to,” Ray laughs.

I shrug and they all laugh. Sal pats my back as he passes by.

“We’re going to change, Juls,” nods toward the door again, “Maybe you should go find your Julieta?”

I stare at him then look at the other men. The all greet me with thumbs up and goofy expressions. I laugh and nod.

“Bien,” I agree, “But if that woman somehow finds me—”

“We’ll keep her away Juls,” Franky smiles, “We’ll take care of all of them, but I don’t think it matters much when they see how lovestruck you are with your güerita.”

I laugh again, this time because Franky is using slang about my ‘white girl’ when he’s more white then even I am. I shake my head and walk over to the mirror. I look myself over to see if I’m still looking sharp. A few stray hairs peek out of my tied hair but overall I’m good to go.

“Hey wait,” Axel says as he taps my shoulder.

I turn and see him pull out a gold chain from his pocket.

“This is from us,” he explains, “We got it for you. Everyone in the band has one.”

He hands me the chain and I examine it. The chain is thin and long, enough to dangle right above my belly button, and has La Santa Muerte on the small medallion hanging on it. I grin as I remember the one I had pawned on our way down from San Antonio. I had wanted to get another one and had my thoughts expressed around my friends a few days ago.

“You guys didn’t have to,” I mumble.

“We did,” Axel says, “We each have one. It has the band initials on the back. We hope it keeps you safe.”

My eyes water as I tun the medallion and look at the back, a letter ‘M’ and a letter ‘H’ are perfectly engraved on the back.

“We might be Mariachi los Hermanos,” Sal speaks up again, “But you’re our hermana, Juliana. One we didn’t know we needed.”

I give them a water laugh and move forward to hug Axel then Salvador. The other guys come forward to hug me too. As I pull away from Franky, Sal tilts his head in the direction of the door.

“Good luck,” he smiles.

I nod and give them a final grin before putting on my new necklace. With a final tip of my hat, I walk out the room and head over to the table I had asked to be reserved a few hours ago.

__________________________________________________________

VALENTIAN POV

The constant stare and shared looks my family has during our dinner after my revelation puts me on edge. I quickly find an excuse in the form of using the restroom to get out of there. I sigh as I get to the stalls and lean against the wall. The room is empty as I try to relax now that I’m alone. I walk up to the long mirror and stare at my expression. My pupils are larger than normal as I try to take in all that has happened today.

First, Lucho trys to force me into taking him back during classes. I decide to go home early only to find out I have to take over an executive position at twenty-two years of age. Then I find out that my revenge ridden sister is finally on good terms with our stepmother. Guille suddenly has a girl he’s into and now….

Maybe I do too?

I shake my head and turn on the water. I take a paper towel and let the water wet it for a moment. I pat the wet paper on my forehead then on my cheeks, the heat that had been boiling just under my skin’s surface lingers under my fingertips. My thoughts turn back to Juliana in the white and gold mariachi suit and the heat I’m trying to force away returns.

This is what they were talking about. They could see it so clearly on your face.

“Ay, Valentina,” I huff putting my hands on the countertop, “What is going on with you?”

I shake my head and apply my lipgloss on again before looking myself over and waking out of the restrooms. The small hall leading out to the restaurant was dim and empty when I entered earlier but as I exit a figure dressed in white leaning against the wall makes me jump.

“Did I startle you,” she says pushing herself off the wall and directly in front of me, “I’m sorry.”

I blush as I look at her, “N—no, well yes but it's okay.”

Juliana grins sheepishly at me and I watch as if in slow motion, she tilts her hat forward again in acknowledgment. She then pulls the hat completely off her and I can see her face fully without the hat being in the way. Her hair under her hat is in a bun with silver pins keeping stray strands in their place. She looks so handsome yet feminine that I feel a little jealous at her natural beauty. The feeling goes away as she walks closer to me and grins at me with her dimples on full display. My heart flutters again, this time I finally recognize the feeling.

“So do I get an apology from you now,” she asks.

I blink, “For what?”

“For not telling me how much I actually lost out on that day,” she smirks.

I blink again then laughter bubbles up in my chest. The implication of her loosing out on not mugging me when we met makes me laugh full heartedly. She obviously now knows who I am and who my family is, but her teasing tells me she could care less. By the time I settle down, she’s close enough to touch. I can’t help but reach over and tug at her jacket. The fabric is soft and so unlike the stiffness, it looks to be. I look down at my hand as I start tracing the patterns on her jacket then I look up through my lashes.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, “I shouldn't have left you there without an explaining but I just had a rough day and…I’m sorry. And thank you…for helping me think through all of it. I’m pretty sure I would still be moping around with Lucho attached to me if you hadn’t talked to me that day.”

Juliana’s tan cheeks darken with red as she smiles at me, “Don’t worry about it. We’ve all had days like that. I’m more upset because I didn’t know if you were alright or not.”

My heart squeezes at her words, swooning at how selfless she is.

“Well, I’m better,” I smile.

“So you say,” she sighs, “Something’s up.”

I furrow my brows, “What?”

“I can see you’re concerned, conflicted,” she points out, “Happy to see me of course. But something’s up.”

I scoff at her playfully but nod anyway, “Things have been crazy lately.”

“And I bet that boyfriend isn’t too helpful than,” she mumbles and looks away.

My eyes widen and I look at her expression. It's annoyed and resentful, it makes me sad but also excited as I speak up.

“No boyfriend,” I try to say nonchalantly, “No boyfriend for some time actually.”

Juliana bites her cheek, most likely to keep her from girning, then turns to me.

“Alright, then I guess I’ll sacrifice myself and listen to your problems,” Juls sighs sadly.

I scoff again, “Sure. Sacrifice.”

Our gazes meet for a second then we laugh. Juliana then straightens up and offers her arm. I raise an eyebrow and place my hand on her offered arm. Juls grins and leads me back out to the restaurant. If a smirk somehow appeared on my face as a few of the customer’s faces shifted from eager to upset when they looked from Juls to me, then so be it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18497122/chapters/45518905

#juliantina #amar a muerte #valentina carvajal #juliana valdes #fanfic

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