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Orlylovesme15
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Re: Stumbling Across Orlando - By comanchero
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
I loved this chapter!!!
Can't wait for moree!!!
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25/Apr/2008, 0:42
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comanchero
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Re: Stumbling Across Orlando - By comanchero
Sorry, sorry, sorry, etc, 100x...This took too long, didn't it? I just didn't have either time or inspiration. Lucky for you, both returned, so, here we go...
Chapter 15a,
Charlie's POV
“That’ll be all. Thank you for coming.”
Orlando’s voice sounds strained, but unwavering. He accepts a glass of water from his press agent and gulps it down. The last hours have wracked havoc on him as well as me.
We’re in the lobby of one of Jacksonville’s most expensive hotels, which Orlando has rented to hold his press statement. Yesterday, after convincing me of his little plan, he got on the phone with anybody he needed. And they’re all here: Fiona, Tim the publishing agent, Douglas the lawyer with his assistant Gladys and Elijah. For moral support.
The press conference went without a hitch and while we’re waiting for the first releases to hit the media, we have some time to breathe. Orlando manages to free himself from Tim’s clutches and heads for me. With a grateful sigh I sink into his welcome embrace.
“You okay, love?” he asks me, concern in his voice and gaze.
“Hanging in there,” I answer truthfully. “How about yourself?”
“About the same. I’m just so sorry.”
“About what?”
“Dragging you into this. I wish I knew a way to shield you from all of this. I wish we would have had more time alone together before my stardom caught up with us.”
It’s very sweet of him, but this entire situation is not of his making and I’m so very angry at my sister there’s not an ounce in me that’s not willing to fight her tooth and nail. I kiss my boyfriend’s cheek softly and he pulls me a little closer in response.
“Orlando…I might not have known exactly what I was getting myself into when I fell in love with you, but I don’t have any regrets. I’m right here with you, every step of the way. This was not your fault!”
He nods in acceptation of my statement and produces a watery smile. “I don’t deserve you.”
I swat his chest. “Bull.”
He grins at that, then groans as Douglas comes strutting over. “Guess it’s time for round two…”
I give him one more quick kiss. “Go get them, Tiger!”
He follows Douglas into a secluded corner and believe it or not, it’s the last I see of him until we crawl in my bed together at 1.30 AM, too exhausted to give each other more than a quick kiss before falling asleep.
Next thing I know, it’s 7 AM and I hear stumbling in the living room. Immediately awake, I sit up, dragging the duvet with me, leaving Orlando exposed. He shivers and opens his eyes.
“Something the matter, love?” Thank God he has the sense to whisper, or his vocal chords are still sleeping.
I whisper back. “Someone’s in the house.”
As if to verify my assumption, I hear shuffling in my kitchen. Orlando nods. “I think so too. You stay right where you are, I’ll go check.”
“What if it’s the paparazzi?”
“If they’re breaking and entering, it’s a crime and we’ll have them arrested. Simple as that.”
He calmly gets out of bed, yanks a shirt over his head and slips out of our room. Next thing I hear is a scream. A girly scream. One I recognize at once.
She’s got some nerve! First she incriminates my man, using her own daughter as bait, then she breaks into my house by throwing a rock through my window (I took her spare keys back the last time she was over) and now she’s the one who starts screaming?
Anger, or better yet, red hot fury quickly replaces any fear I felt and I leap out of the sanctity of my bedroom with claws out, ready to do some serious damage to my own next of kin.
When I enter the kitchen, Orlando is firmly holding onto my sister, hands grasped behind her back. She’s crying and whimpering pathetically and I’m not sure what to feel.
What’s happened to us? After dad left us all by ourselves, never once even acknowledging his grandchild’s existence, I thought it was us, the three Riordan girls against the rest of the world. I mean, I helped her with everything, I even forgave her for stealing my boyfriend!
“Charlie, would you tell your boyfriend to let me go? He’s hurting me!”
“You should consider yourself lucky, very lucky indeed that he’s the one holding you down.”
“What do you mean by that? We’re sisters!”
“After the stunt you’ve pulled you still think I’d take your side? Grow up, Lucia!”
“I would have grown up pretty nicely if you hadn’t always meddled! Big know-it-all sister. Pristine miss perfect. You always had everything! The brains, the looks. And now the big movie star boyfriend. It’s just not fair!”
What is this? Some kind of soap opera? She’s twisting everything around to her own liking!
“How dare you talk to me about fair! You know what’s not fair? Finding your adolescent sister banging your boyfriend and having her rely solely on you when she ends up knocked up! I was such a fool blaming Zach for this. Should have known better.”
Fuming, she raises her head for another round, but Orlando clamps one hand over her mouth.
“Shut up or I’ll put Duct-tape over your mouth. Got it?”
Mumbling and struggling against him, she gives up, letting her head hang down in defeat. She reminds me so much of Tessie in front of the boutique I almost laugh. If only it were funny.
The door opens again and Elijah appears. Quick blue eyes survey the situation and he sighs in understanding. His gaze lands on me. “You guys okay? Anything I can do?”
Glancing at my sister, now sitting on a stool with Orlando keeping close watch, I make up my mind.
“Actually, there is something you can do. Call the police. Tell them we caught a burglar and we want to have her arrested for trespassing.”
Lucia shoots up so abruptly she almost drops off her stool. “What?!”
“You heard me. You wanna play hardball? Then so can I. So here’s the deal: either you make a public appearance in which you take back your accusations and confess you made it all up, or I’m having you arrested, take you to court and take Tessie away from you forever. You hear me?”
“You can’t do that!”
“Watch me. Elijah? Could you give me the phone please?”
He hands me the cordless phone and as I start dialing, Lucia takes the easy way out.
“Stop! I’ll do it. Just don’t take Tessie away!”
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30/May/2008, 10:17
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comanchero
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Re: Stumbling Across Orlando - By comanchero
Chapter 15b
Orlando’s POV
“That’ll be all. Thank you for coming.”
Boy am I glad this is over. One more minute and my voice would have given in. Gratefully I take the water offered to me and eagerly drink it. This has been hell.
Not wanting the entire assembled press junkies anywhere near Charlie’s house, I had my press agent rent out the lobby of a luxury hotel nearby, big enough for this shindig. It took me several frantic phone calls to gather everyone I need, but they all made it, including Fi and Tim (agent and PR), Douglas (attorney, bringing his assistant Gladys) And good old Lij.
As far as press junkets go, this one went fairly easy. I made my statement, told them about the custody plans and now that everything I wanted to get out has been said, I can finally disentangle myself from Tim to find Charlie waiting for me. I hug her to me.
“You okay, love?” I can’t deny I’m worried about her.
“Hanging in there,” She says, sighing. “How about yourself?”
“About the same. I’m just so sorry.”
“About what?”
“Dragging you into this. I wish I knew a way to shield you from all of this. I wish we would have had more time alone together before my stardom caught up with us.”
Of course I knew that our private time was limited, but I never in a million years would have guessed our bubble would burst this soon or in this way. I can only hope she’s still with me. A soft kiss on my cheek is all the answer I need. I pull her even closer
“Orlando…I might not have known exactly what I was getting myself into when I fell in love with you, but I don’t have any regrets. I’m right here with you, every step of the way. This was not your fault!”
She’s so sweet, so accepting it makes me want to cry. Instead I smile. “I don’t deserve you.”
She swats my chest. “Bull.”
Our bliss gets interrupted as Douglas comes strutting over. “Guess it’s time for round two…”
There’s just enough time for one more kiss. “Go get them, Tiger!”
Douglas drags me away to prepare me for whatever comes next and to my big dismay, I can’t even get close to my girlfriend until its way past midnight and all I wanna do is sleep. There’s just enough energy left for a kiss.
My fairly peaceful slumber is disturbed only hours later, as Charlie suddenly sits op, taking all the warmth away from me. The cold hits me and I reluctantly rouse myself awake.
“Something the matter, love?” I whisper, feeling there’s a need to do so, incase something really is wrong.
She whispers. “Someone’s in the house.”
As if on cue, I can hear a muffled sound coming from the kitchen. I nod to her. “I think so too. You stay right where you are, I’ll go check.”
“What if it’s the paparazzi?”
“If they’re breaking and entering, it’s a crime and we’ll have them arrested. Simple as that.”
Being the man in the house, I get up to check what’s going on. And guess who I encounter ruffling through some drawer in the kitchen. Yup, the one and only…
This one’s either foolish or desperate to come over here, but my money’s on the first. How these two girls can be related is a mystery to me, really, and why she’s the one screaming is even more weird. At 7 AM.
Surprised at the strength coming with my outrage, I yank her roughly away from the kitchen cabinet. She continues to wail like I’m raping her or something and it takes all my strength to hold on.
Charlie now enters the little scene and watches in silent amazement as I firmly hold both her sister’s hands behind her back. The creature now only whimpers. Bad actress.
Poor Charlie. After everything she’s been through, having to deal with this one without any kind of support, this was surely not what she deserves from the little demon I’m holding. This is such a farce! And all this time, poor Lucia is playing the ultimate victim in this soap.
“Charlie, would you tell your boyfriend to let me go? He’s hurting me!”
“You should consider yourself lucky, very lucky indeed that he’s the one holding you down.”
“What do you mean by that? We’re sisters!”
“After the stunt you’ve pulled you still think I’d take your side? Grow up, Lucia!”
“I would have grown up pretty nicely if you hadn’t always meddled! Big know-it-all sister. Pristine miss perfect. You always had everything! The brains, the looks. And now the big movie star boyfriend. It’s just not fair!”
I refrain from meddling for now. This isn’t my fight. But it’s ridiculous no matter how you look at it!
“How dare you talk to me about fair! You know what’s not fair? Finding your adolescent sister banging your boyfriend and having her rely solely on you when she ends up knocked up! I was such a fool blaming Zach for this. Should have known better.”
As I feel she want to recoil, I suddenly had enough. So I clamp one hand over her mouth.
“Shut up or I’ll put Duct-tape over your mouth. Got it?”
For a while she struggles against me, but I’m not about to loosen my grip on her, still not trusting her one bit. Though I do know for sure where the little one gets her acting skills Huh, funny.
It is then that Frodo decides to make his appearance. His baby blues quickly glance over us as he tries to assess the situation. “You guys okay? Anything I can do?”
I’m grateful he addresses Charlie, rather than me. She thinks for a moment, than glances over at Lucia.
“Actually, there is something you can do. Call the police. Tell them we caught a burglar and we want to have her arrested for trespassing.”
Huh, hadn’t seen this one coming and neither did the sister. “What?!”
“You heard me. You wanna play hardball? Then so can I. So here’s the deal: either you make a public appearance in which you take back your accusations and confess you made it all up, or I’m having you arrested, take you to court and take Tessie away from you forever. You hear me?”
“You can’t do that!”
“Watch me. Elijah? Could you give me the phone please?”
My admiration grows for her as she punches in some numbers. Lucia finally crumbles.
“Stop! I’ll do it. Just don’t take Tessie away!”
Thanks for your patience...stay tuned for more!!!
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30/May/2008, 10:18
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mzkiwi
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Re: Stumbling Across Orlando - By comanchero
I can't imagine Charlie's sister giving up that easily. It'll be interesting to see what happens.
Glad you're back with an update!
Good job.
---
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself."
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1/Jun/2008, 18:55
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comanchero
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Re: Stumbling Across Orlando - By comanchero
Well, better late than never, right? Sorry, life caught up with me. Sh*t happens, right?
On with the story it is...
Chapter 16a Charlie's POV
After Orlando and I made my sister give a public statement, confessing to the still present press how she made up the entire story, the scandal faded just as soon as it had come up. All journalists left that very same day, looking for another movie-star to stalk.
Fi gave her young protégé a few more days to lay low, supposedly to make sure the storm was really over. But as she hugged both of us goodbye, there was a warmth in her eyes which told me she just wanted to give us some more time to be together before she would have to ship away my man for his next project. I’ll be forever grateful for that gesture.
Orlando, a little jaded by the press mosquitoes since he became a celebrity, has warned me that even though this incident has passed, it can always come back to bite us in the proverbial ass. And even if it won’t, there probably will be something else. I told him I’m not afraid of that, but secretly, he does have me a little worried. What if he’s right? What if this simple ending was too good to be true? What if I’m not as prepared for a real celebrity life as I think I am? I’d hate it to be so, but one can never be sure.
Alas, time doesn’t stop for anyone and after a wonderful vacation, in which he shipped me out to Key West for some leisure time just for the two of us, the fun was officially over. I had to let go of my Orlando for a considerable amount of time and space. His current project is being filmed in London and though he was positively warped about the thought of going home and spending some quality time with his mom and sister, he had tears in his eyes while we said our final goodbyes on my doorstep.
That was months ago and we have to satisfy our need for each other with letters, phone-calls and e-mails. He finally owns his own laptop and though he still claims he despises the thing, I’m glad his sister has found the patience to teach him how to send me an e-mail every once in a while. And I’m also glad I’m in regular touch with her. She’s quite a lady and she loves her brother to pieces. It’s nice to know some sibling relationships still work without a hitch.
Things between me and Lucia are still a bit rocky, though I must say she’s really trying to make amends. A week or so after the crisis died down, I found a bouquet of wildflowers on my doorstep with a simple note of apology and a desperate beg to call her.
I did and ended up inviting her over, letting her neighbor babysit Tessie while we had a long overdue heart to heart.
It worked out quite well as I learned about Lucia’s doubts and worries. And her jealousy of my life, which in her eyes is just a diamond ring away from being perfect. Luckily, I convinced her that, even if that diamond ring would ever be coming, I would never leave her behind like dad did. Maybe it appeased her. At any rate, we’re back to the way we were before Orli even came along.
So this is life. Work, take care of Tessie, an occasional party or drinks with an old friend. And phone-calls or small packages coming from my Orli. Though it’s getting harder to imagine we’ve actually slept in each other’s arms as all that’s left to me is, once again, his picture on the wall. He even missed out on Christmas, tied up in schedules for work. His phone call was friendly, but hurried. Which is nothing new lately. I fought with him about it once or twice, but it’s hard to fight with someone over the phone when the other person simply ends the call whenever someone else needs him. Which led to another fight. Let me give you a quick recap:
“You knew what you were getting yourself into, Charlie. I’m sorry I have to work through Christmas too, but I don’t have much choice.”
“But why won’t you let me come over?”
“Because you told me you hate the cold, because I don’t have time to be with you anyway…I’ll be coming over soon, I promised you, remember?”
“I’m surprised you remember.”
“Please, Charlie, don’t act like that.”
“And here I thought you were the actor.”
I was pissed, disappointed and I let him have it.
“You even promised Tessie. She misses you too, you know.”
“Resorting to emotional blackmail now?”
“Hey, it’s not like anything else seems to work.”
I started crying and his voice softened.
“Charlie love, please don’t cry. Don’t you think I’d wish with everything I had that I could change the situation? But I signed the contract for this movie even before I met you and I can’t back down now. I swear, after this shooting is done, I’ll be back, I’ll let you fly over so you can meet my family…please, don’t lose faith in me. In us. I love you Charlie, I don’t want things to end between us.”
“Sometimes I think they already did.”
He reassured me, for a while at least. But even while I enjoyed watching Tessie play with her new toys underneath the tree and even though I loved the small emerald earring studs Orlando sent me, I can’t help but feel I’m losing him. And if I didn’t have Tessie as a witness that indeed, I did once meet a famous actor and even slept with him (not that she witnessed that of course), I would highly doubt my own senses.
Right now, it’s late January 2008 and it’s in these early winter months that I love being a sunshine state citizen. If there was ever one thing I hate, I would be cold. When we were young, mom used to drag us over to visit her relatives in Wisconsin and I can still remember the heaps of snow and how all my cousins used to love playing in it, partaking in snowball fights or making snow angels. As for me, I could usually be found with my ass in the fireplace, shivering like a popsicle.
In the studio, I read the showbiz news to myself before I have to take it to my audience, like I always do. Normally, I try not to get too involved, unless of course it’s about either Orlando or the Hobbits I’ve met. But when I woke up this morning, there was a nagging feeling tugging at my heartstrings, warning every nerve in my body that something was off. And I wouldn’t like it.
More frantically than normal, I scan the pages, looking for a clue, for anything which could have triggered my creep detectors. But there’s nothing.
That’s when my cell phone rings. A frown appears in my face as I read the caller ID.
Samantha.
Oh God no! Orlando!
With shaking hands I push the button. “Charlotte.”
“Charlie, it’s Sam. I have some disturbing news for you.”
“Orli?” My voice trembles and I bite back a sob. I almost miss the other woman’s reassuring voice.
“No, Orlando’s fine. Physically that is. But something happened. It hasn’t been officially published yet, but we already found out…”
“Heath Ledger was found dead this morning. And Orlando’s not taking it very well and that’s putting it mildly. I think you should come over. He needs you now.”
There’s not a moment of doubt in my mind any longer. Fights are completely forgotten.
“I’ll get myself a ticket for the first flight out I can get.”
Sam’s answer shouldn’t have surprised me. “I’ve already taken care of that. Your ticket should be waiting for you at Orlando Airport. Your flight leaves in four hours. Can you make it?”
Is she kidding me? Of course I can!
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4/Jul/2008, 9:09
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comanchero
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Re: Stumbling Across Orlando - By comanchero
Chapter 16b
Orlando's POV
There’s not much positive I can say about the press, but at least they know when a story has run its course. Lucia’s statement that she made up the entire accusation was enough to make them pack up and chase another unfortunate soul in this business.
Thanks to Fiona, me and my girl were granted just a few more days together. Her reason for being so generous should, as always, come at a price later, but I’m so extremely grateful, I don’t even care all that much how she expects me to pay for her meddling later. In the meantime, I make the most of her offer and enjoy every minute with Charlie to the fullest.
Of course Charlie’s just as relieved as I am and maybe even more so. But I had to burst her bubble just a little. This was her first stint with the less glamorous side of my job, but as long as she’s my girl, it won’t be her last. Maybe it was cruel of me to point it out to her, but I figured she needed a warning before she gullibly steps into the unknown. It’s not that I care all that much about what they say about me, but I’m more afraid of the dirt the might make up around her little person. If only I could shield her forever.
But, like I said, we had some more time off and I didn’t want that one storm cloud to spoil one more precious second. I took her to watch the fabulous sunset on Key West, but after that, it was definitely time to let her go. For quite a while and many miles. I’m going home to London for my new project and even though I absolutely love being close to my family again, I know I’m gonna miss her terribly. I never before cried over letting a lady go, except for this time. It was hard on both of us.
I’m afraid to admit that life on set took over as immediately and completely as it always does. It’s been months since I’ve last either seen or touched my girlfriend and with only e-mail (yes, you heard it correctly, I finally own a laptop and had Sam explain the basics to me) and phone contact between us, it’s getting increasingly harder to fathom I’ve ever really held her, made love to her, stood by her. So far, it seems like she’s more in sync with Sam’s day to day life than with mine.
At least, from what she told me, I figure she and her sister are back on the right track. Just don’t hold it against me if I still have my reservations about Lucia. The flowers Charlie got from her don’t make things right in one go.
But then again, who am I to stand in the way of their reconciliation? Hopefully it’ll mean little Tessie won’t get stuck in the middle.
Oh well, nothing I could do about that anyway. According to Charlie, her baby sister is just jealous of what we have together, wanting that to happen to her too, but worried that being a single mom will scare off any potential beau. Maybe she’s right, I don’t know, I can’t speak for the entire male species. But it’s enough of an explanation for Charlie and maybe we can let it rest now.
It’s so far away now. Life is getting up at ungodly hours, learning my lines, getting on set, into the make-up trailer, etcetera. Some days, I hardly have enough time to eat or even hear myself think, let alone daydream about the fact that somewhere across the world, there’s this woman I care deeply about. Nights are spent in loneliness. No, I’m not cheating on her, I don’t care for flings with any of the willing girls on set, no matter how many times they’re throwing themselves at me. The times I do talk to Charlie, our conversation usually ends up in a fight. Like the one I had when I had to cancel our plans for a little Christmas get together:
“You knew what you were getting yourself into, Charlie. I’m sorry I have to work through Christmas too, but I don’t have much choice.”
“But why won’t you let me come over?”
“Because you told me you hate the cold, because I don’t have time to be with you anyway…I’ll be coming over soon, I promised you, remember?”
“I’m surprised you remember.”
“Please, Charlie, don’t act like that.”
“And here I thought you were the actor.”
She was mad and rightfully so. I still hurt though.
“You even promised Tessie. She misses you too, you know.”
“Resorting to emotional blackmail now?”
“Hey, it’s not like anything else seems to work.”
Damn it. I hate doing this to her.
“Charlie love, please don’t cry. Don’t you think I’d wish with everything I had that I could change the situation? But I signed the contract for this movie even before I met you and I can’t back down now. I swear, after this shooting is done, I’ll be back, I’ll let you fly over so you can meet my family…please, don’t lose faith in me. In us. I love you Charlie, I don’t want things to end between us.”
“Sometimes I think they already did.”
It took every ounce of willpower I had to reassure her. And myself maybe. I never wanted to lose her. I never wanted my career to dictate my life, but the sad fact is that it does. Plain and simple and somehow irreversible. I sent Tessie the biggest gift I could find her and found Charlie a pair of beautiful antique emerald earrings (okay, Sam found them), but I can’t keep bribing her like this. We both know that.
So…here we are. She missed my 31st birthday, though she did send me a gift and a sweet card. I was hoping I could have arranged something different, but we’re so behind schedule…and she’d hate the cold. Florida made her allergic to sleeting rains and snowstorms. I’m thoroughly stuck. I hate it. I want, I need Charlie here with me. Especially now. Now that I think I’m slowly about to lose my marbles. All because of a phone call coming from Fiona.
Whatever it was I figured was important enough to even stop the filming, this definitely wasn’t it. Nobody in their right minds had expected it, had seen in coming. He wasn’t a destructive person. He had so may people around him who loved him. He had a little daughter to love and take care of and spoil rotten and to watch grow. But somehow his life got cut short today.
Heath Ledger. My coworker, a man I became friends with during the filming of Ned Kelly, died in New York this morning. He was not even 29 years old.
My phone’s been ringing constantly since then. But only mom and Sam are with me now.
I need Charlie.
I need her now.
“Sam? Can you call Charlie please? I…please?”
“Sure thing, hon. I’ll call her cell right now”
Sam’s fingers fiddle with her own cell and as it connects, I can only hear my sister’s side of the conversation…
“No, Orlando’s fine. Physically that is. But something happened. It hasn’t been officially published yet, but we already found out…”
“Heath Ledger was found dead this morning. And Orlando’s not taking it very well and that’s putting it mildly. I think you should come over. He needs you now.”
Please, don’t let all the mistakes I’ve made considering her bite me in the ass!!!
“She’ll come, won’t she mum? She has to. She’ll understand.”
Sam answers to my girlfriend’s voice. “I’ve already taken care of that. Your ticket should be waiting for you at Orlando Airport. Your flight leaves in four hours. Can you make it?”
Thank God! Sounds like she’s coming to the rescue.
Reviews welcome as always...  Thank you!!!
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4/Jul/2008, 9:15
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