text:
Gilded Cage
Author – cornerofmadness
Disclaimer – not ever going to be mine in this space-time continuum. All rights belong to Arakawa et al
Rating – FRT
Pairing – Winry/Greed!Ling (past mentions of Winry/Ed, Ling/Ran Fan)
Time Line/Spoilers – speculative future fic so spoilers for up to chapter 78
Summary – Sometimes Winry is surprised at how much one can have and yet still feel something is missing
Author's Note – Written for the fmafuhq Winry challenge. Hmm I am apparently incapable of writing a pwp for this community. Thanks to SJ Smith for the beta. This is the cut version. The full erotic version can be found on my livejournal cornerofmadness but only if you're one of my friends. It's locked.
Winry curled up on the silk covered window seat, staring out at the sea of pink blossoms. The cherry trees had been in full bloom when Ling had first brought her here. Their soft beauty had been one of the few balms for her injured heart. Now, a year later, she could still admire their beauty. What else was there for her to do? She wasn't allowed off palace grounds. The Emperor's wife wasn't granted much freedom. His people couldn't even understand why she should want to leave the palace but Winry saw it as a cage - a beautiful one with every luxury she could imagine, but a prison nonetheless.
Winry had never imagined her life quite like this. For one, she had never thought Ling had been serious about making her his wife. She had thought that he had only said that to irritate Edward. She let her eyes flutter shut, the warm, cherry blossom-scented wind caressing her through the open window. Ed was the reason she was here. After meeting Hohenheim in Lior, Al, with his father in tow, had contacted Mustang. They still didn't know where Ed was at that point. Hohenheim was certain that they could beat 'Father' but might need one of the homunculi to assist them and Al wanted one of the few people ever to beat a homunculus to help them. Mustang had met them in Central, bearing word that for some reason, Mei had not gone to Xing and Envy had escaped after killing her, taking with it their best hope of getting a cooperative homunculus, until Winry had her brilliant plan.
She thought she could talk Ling into helping, trusting that there might be enough of him left inside of Greed to reason with. With Ran Fan's help, she found Ling but had underestimated just how much Greed possessed him. Winry thought she had secured his help when she reminded him that he wanted to be Emperor and wouldn't it be better to help them beat Father? That way Ling could be free and be in charge, something he currently wasn't. Winry thought that would appeal to him. He would get his kingdom and she would get help in restoring the two lost pieces of her heart.
Ling revealed his hitch just about the time Ed finally rejoined them. Ling would only help if she agreed to be his bride. Hohenheim was fairly certain they couldn't win without Ling's help. Without telling them, Winry placed the brothers above herself but she did rob Ling of the one thing she knew he wanted, her virginity. Ed had a hundred reasons why they shouldn't. She rejected them all. It wasn't how she wanted it to be and more so, she hated that Ed didn't know what motivated it. It might be the only time she could be with someone she loved. They both made love with pain; hers the expected kind, his coming from the angry red scar on his belly and back that Winry couldn't look at for too long because it only served to remind her she had nearly lost Edward again.
Winry had been counting on the protection of her friends to get her out of the situation. It was the sheer horror of that final battle she hadn't anticipated. They got back Al, but not Ed's limbs, not that she expected they would. Ed and Hohenheim had been exhausted to the point of near-coma. Al's body was too emaciated and weak to support him. Even now, Winry wasn't sure he had survived.
The small family had been placed in a ward in the hospital along with Mustang. He was waiting to see if Marcoah's alchemy had successfully reattached the hand he used to create his flames or whether it be a zombie hand, requiring amputation and replacement. Winry remembered that gloved hand whirling through the air like a stick thrown for a dog after Bradley's sword had lopped it off. Roy continuing with his other hand until blood loss claimed him. Scar and Pride had killed each other. After the battle, Riza and Mustang's men had their hands full guarding their wounded.
Ling didn't wait for anyone's recovery. Winry had gone to check on Ran Fan, to make sure she was all right, not realizing just how loyal the warrior was to her prince. When Winry finally shook off the drugs they had used on her, she was far from Amestris. There was nothing left to do but honor her promise and hope for her escape, something that had yet to offer itself. The strange part was sometimes she didn't even want to escape any more. Other than being so far from home, Winry knew her life was soft and good.
Now, she was Ling's second wife. No one was willing to have a blonde, blue-eyed stranger as Ling's first wife, a position Winry had come to realize held much power and honor carrying the title, 'Empress'. That marriage went to a powerful family and an entitled bitch named Bao. The odd thing was that when Ling was Ling, Winry thought he didn't like Bao any more than she did. When he was Greed, he was busy lining up as many concubines and wives as he could muster, ignoring his empress.
Leaving her view of the cherry blossoms, Winry went to one of the few places she was allowed to go without her entourage and guards; While it wasn't her current destination, her shop equaled freedom. She knew it was deemed improper for a royal wife to be working but Ling liked that she had fixed Ran Fan and was willing to help any of his guards. She suspected he just liked seeing her out of the fancy silks her maids dressed her in. The sight of her in her work overalls usually stoked Ling's fire. Sometimes getting work done in a timely manner was difficult. Ling had gone so far as to put a cot in the corner of the shop after once sticking himself in the butt on a piece of sharp metal.
The other place she could go was someplace she wasn't ever quite alone, but that was where she was headed. Winry padded on silk slippers into the royal nursery. She remembered her surprise when Ling said he needed children. After all, she had thought he had wanted his immortality to rule forever. Who needed sons then? Apparently, he did. His people had yet to accept what he had become but his problem was, the homunculus weren't entirely capable of reproduction. Hohenheim wasn't quite the same thing as Ling was now and Ling didn't want to waste years finding out if he might one day be capable. Culture demanded he have children.
Winry shuddered at the memory of the quiet, frightened young man Ling had brought to her and introduced as his brother, Zhou. She had forgotten what Ling had once told her about just how many children the former emperor had. Zhou looked too terrified to tell Ling no and Winry knew she wasn't really being given an option. Ling had decided there would be royal children and he'd be damned if anyone disobeyed. Trapped in a foreign country so far from home, Winry chose a good comfortable life over rebellion. Of course, she was surprised Ling had actually gone through with his plan. He had waffled back and forth between fulfilling his obligations and Greed not wanting anyone to touch his wife. And it hadn't escaped Winry's notice that Bao had been left out of Ling's breeding plans.
Glancing about, Winry didn't see any of the nurses about except one and she was busy with another charge. Winry reached into the cradle and lifted out her four month old son, Jianyu. She wasn't supposed to nurse him, was given herbs to help dry her milk. Wet nurses were on hand so the royal wives didn't end up with misshapen nipples and sagging breasts. Winry didn't care. Having a child hadn't quite been her idea but she loved her son. Winry pushed open her shirt, veiling her actions with long golden hair. Jianyu was nearly as greedy as his supposed father. She stroked his soft black hair as he suckled like he might never taste milk again. Winry glanced back, feeling a hand on her shoulder. The nurse was giving her a pinched look.
"You know we will do that for him. You shouldn't be sullying your hands with work," she scolded gently in broken Amestrian or at least that's what Winry thoguth she said. That was the most isolating part about being in Xing, the language barrier.
"I don't mind. I'm not used to having others do my work," Winry replied honestly. She knew several of her friends would envy her, her cage. It was understandable. She literally had everything she could want except the freedom to leave. She had more beautiful clothes and jewelry than she had known existed, like her favorite jade bracelet carved with dragons. Winry never had to clean or cook. There were even maids to wash and dress her but she avoided them whenever she could. It felt odd having someone attending her every need. "I'm going to take him for a walk when he's done."
The maid sighed but let her be. Ling had made it clear she wasn't to be trifled with. Winry felt the need to stretch her legs. Ling made sure she had the finest foods and all the rich desserts and the sheer amount of food at the banquets had helped her keep on the baby weight. At least she had learned to use the sticks to feed herself without dropping food all over like she had in the beginning. When Jianyu finally decided he had enough and let out a burp loud enough to be heard back in Amestris, Winry wrapped a blanket around him and headed out into the sun.
Jianyu fussed inside his blanket, hating having things covering his face. Winry had been surprised to see just how much personality her son had already. There were things he liked and things he just wouldn't sit still for. Not being able to see was the latter. She took that as a sign of him being curious. What he loved was when either she or Ling came to play with him. There were many things that Ling did that kept her from hating him. From his point of view, he had done nothing wrong in bringing her since she had made the deal, though drugging her and taking her without letting her say goodbye spoke to the fact he knew she didn't really want to go. Still, once here he really did treat her like a queen and only rarely raised his voice to her. To the boy who should have been his son, Ling was nothing but honey and sunshine.
Ling loved holding the child and playing with him. She had seen him in the nursery at night, reading fairytales to Jianyu, or at least assumed they were. Ling spoke in his language to the boy and, for all Winry knew, he was quoting military strategy like Ed always whined that Mustang did. Her heart thudded just a bit harder, thinking of her lost friends. Winry sighed. No, they were children's stories Ling read his son. His face, while he read, was too kind and soft for anything else. The only time Ling really ever got cross with her lately was when she tried to either play with Jianyu when he didn't want her to or not play when he did. That's when she saw the greedy monster lurking within him, the one that couldn't be denied. Winry didn't hate Ling. She cared for him more than she wanted to admit but she hated the homunculus.
Ling was a better father than she had imagined he would be. As much as he was still capable of loving, Winry didn't doubt he loved his child. Jianyu started sniffling against her, prelude to earsplitting shrieks, she knew, unless she found him something to investigate. Winry turned him in her arms under the cherry trees then reached up and stroked the blossoms. "See, Jianyu? Aren't they pretty?"
He reached up with a chubby fist and grabbed a handful of flowers while she held the branch steady for him. Winry kept a close eye on her son before the blossoms disappeared into his mouth, Jianyu's favorite testing ground for all things new to him. Jianyu gurgled happily, tearing the blossoms free. He let them fall like confetti, laughing. He had no idea they were prisoners here and Winry envied him. She couldn't see her keepers. It wasn't as if a guard watched her every move but there were guards on the walls and many other places. More than once she had caught Ran Fan watching from some shadow.
Her name was spoken as soft as the cherry blossoms but it startled her none the less. She had thought she was alone. Ling moved toward her, a gentle smile on his face. When he looked at her with such kindness, it was easy to forget the reality of her situation. "Ling. I wasn't expecting to see you here."
His face twisted up and he looked every bit as young as he truly was. "Court was boring me." Shifting a pack on his back, Ling held out his hands and Winry deposited Jianyu in them, the baby's arms windmilling excitedly as he reached for his father. "How is our boy?"
"Curious as ever," Winry replied as one of Ling's pendants centerpiece disappeared into Jianyu's mouth.
Ling chuckled as he eased the jewelry back out of the boy's lips. "So I see." He glanced over his shoulder and snapped his fingers. A servant Winry hadn't noticed came around a curve in the garden path. "Take him back please," he told the older woman who bowed and obeyed without a word.
"I was going to show him more flowers," Winry protested gently. "Spring is so beautiful here."
Ling took an expansive breath in "So it is but you can show him later." Ling caressed her chin tenderly. "It's been a while since we've kept company."
Winry couldn't help the excited shiver waterfalling down her body, pooling in her lower regions. Greed had a good way of insuring he would get all the sex he wanted. He was so damn incredible at it. At first, Winry had felt embarrassed by her need for him, like a traitor to her heart. After months had gone by, those feelings faded. She was a royal wife now and there was no sense in not enjoying her husband's strong, lean body. She had been surprised when Greed had left her be for four months after giving birth.
Winry remembered a childhood friend who had the misfortune of getting pregnant too young, marrying the young farmer in question. She had barely kept her shudders to herself when Becky had related tales of Allen refusing to wait and how much it had hurt. Greed had at least given her the time to heal, though Winry knew he had plenty of other concubines and wives to keep him busy.
Better were the memories of sex as her belly grew bigger and all the nerves of her body felt like they had been on fire. The sex they had when she had been pregnant had been the best she had experienced. Winry had sought him out almost as much as Ling had come for her. He gathered her to his chest, nuzzle her neck. He smelled of oranges and spices and she wondered what his maids were floating on his bath waters. It was one of the reasons she tried to avoid them. Winry wasn't used to her bath being flower soup. "Where do you want to go?"
Ling slid his arm around her. "For a walk." He led her deeper into the garden to a thick copse of cherry trees. The ground was soft and pink with blossom. Ling set his bag down and opened it. When he pulled out a blanket, Winry knew why he was even carrying the bag in the first place. He had come prepared. Winry helped him unfurl it over the cushion of petals.
Ling ran his hands through her long golden hair. She knew how much he loved it, even if his somewhat xenophobic people did not. Drawing her in for a kiss, Ling slowly sank to the blanket with her. Strong fingers kneaded her shoulders as his hungry mouth, hinting at his namesake, all but devoured her. As Ling's demanding mouth moved to her neck, Winry's head dropped back, letting his suck at her pulse point. Maybe she, herself, had waited too long to feel this again, judging by how quickly wet heat flared inside her, delicious tingling pulsating deep within her.
When she first came to Xing, Winry feared Greed would be rough with her, and occasionally he was acrobatic but mostly, like now, he handled her gently. Ling untied the intricate ties and folds to her silk garment and let it slide off her shoulders.
Ling rolled off her onto the blanket. When he was breathing more normally, Ling caressed her side. "Do you hate me, Winry?"
Surprised by that question at this time, Winry rolled onto her side, wrapping a still quivering, nearly limp leg over his hip. "I don't hate you, Ling."
His purplish-black eyes shone. "There is a 'but' in there." For just a moment his expression hardened and the homunculus peeked out at Winry. "I don't like losing my people."
Winry knew this was one of those times she had to tread carefully with him. "I'm not going anywhere, Ling. I'm your wife and I care about you." No lies there, Winry thought, a bittersweet notion tugging at her. She did care about him. "But I can't help miss my home and my friends. Didn't you miss the royal city when you were in Amestris?"
Clouds of gloom gathered in his face, an impending storm building. "Sometimes I think I shouldn't have made you keep your bargain but I can't help being a greedy thing."
Winry tried to smile but feared it had turned into a grimace at the reminder of what he was. "I know that, Ling."
"It isn't a good trait for a leader," he went on almost mournfully and Winry felt the pull on her heart. She suspected only she and Ran Fan ever heard his fears and worries. They were something Ling couldn't show the world.
"Better than sloth or wrath," she replied, thinking Lust might have been the better choice or pride. A greedy ruler was a dangerous one.
"That is why I rely on you and Ran Fan to help keep me in check."
Winry couldn't help but wonder what he thought they could do if Greed really wanted something. Maybe there was enough of Ling left to keep the monster caged with help. "I'll try."
Ling's finger trailed over her cheekbone, flicking a petal away before he kissed her. "I'm sorry that I've made you so sad."
She nestled her cheek against his shoulder. "I don't mean to be sad. I just miss Granny and my friends."
"You miss him," Ling growled, reminding Winry jealousy went hand in hand with greed.
"I do miss Edward. I won't lie to you, Ling. I grew up with him and Alphonse. And I won't forget what you did to save them." She watched the jealousy bleed away.
"I liked them, too," Ling said, running a hand over her hair. She wasn't entirely sure of that. "I don't want you to be unhappy, Winry."
"Mostly I'm not. I have my workshop. I want for nothing." Except to go home. "And now I have a beautiful son."
His arms tightened around her. "I wish he were really mine." Those words were so faint Winry barely heard them.
There was nothing to be said to that because it would only break her heart more. She simply kissed him instead. Slowly, inexorably, Ling turned it from gentle comfort to demanding, letting Winry know Greed wasn't done for the day. She had no complaints about that.
Winry glanced up from her sketches, trying to gather her thoughts. She knew Ran Fan would love this new arm once she got it done, she just needed to give her brain a rest. Her gaze settled on the koi pond surrounded by willows Zhou had painted. Winry knew Ling had chosen that particular brother to be his surrogate simply because Zhou had no interest at all in ruling. He was a poet and water colorist. Winry loved his paintings and had hung several in her chambers.
Hearing a noise behind her, Winry cast an irritable glance over her shoulder, trying to see what maid was doing whatever chore now. It was so hard to get any peace some days. To her surprise two garden workers, with their large, floppy bamboo hats pulled down so low she could barely see their faces, stood there with a man who looked maddeningly familiar but somehow not right. The two in the farmer's hats were bowed slightly under the weight of the packs on their backs. Her eyes traveled up the silk-clad man's brilliant tunic to the black and chrysanthemum hat on his head. It was his long queue that had thrown her.
Her mouth fell open, blood thundering in her ear, but she snapped it closed when the man raised a finger to his smiling lips. "Is there something wrong in the garden?" she asked just in case one of her maids had seen them come in. She crossed the room, trying not to run, hoping her eyes weren't playing tricks. No, there on his hand was the array scar. Winry stumbled and he caught her. "Mr. Mustang?"
"No, no Mr. Wu," he corrected her with a smile. "And my two servants."
One of them lifted his head so his snarl could be seen under the shadow of the hat. Even with his hair dyed black, there was no hiding Ed's fierce look. She wanted to run to him but Mustang's hand restrained her. She had no idea what he had said to the boys but they kept quiet even though she could see in their eyes that they were fighting not to sweep her into their arms. Al looked so hale Winry could scarcely believe it.
"Be very quiet now," Mustang hissed. "We're going to get you out of here."
"Ling will be in the audience room at this time," she whispered back, holding out a hand to Ed and Al. Their fingers only brushed briefly before she stepped away from all of them. "Men in my chambers won't go unnoticed for long."
"There's going to be a fire," Mustang replied, glancing at the fireplace in her chamber. "Too warm today. Damn. We tried to get here when it was still cold."
"Do you have a workplace, Winry?" Ed asked quietly.
She nodded. "Follow me," she said, thinking she knew what Mustang had in mind. "There's something I have to get first."
"You can't, Winry. If something is missing, they'll suspect you didn't die in the fire," Ed argued, his face tight.
"I have no choice." Winry swept past them into the hall. Glancing about, assuring herself no one was about, she had to fight to not run down the hallway, her would-be rescuers in tow. Part of her felt horribly guilty for what she was about to do. She knew it would cut deep into the parts of Ling that were still human. It was unfair but he hadn't exactly played fair, either. Winry walked into the nursery. She found one of the maids tying a pointed, disc-like, crimson silk hat on Jianyu. They must have been ready to take him outside for a walk. "I'll take him," she announced, seeing the girl's gaze going over her shoulder. Damn, they had followed her into the room. "They're just delivering something to my workshop and got turned around. I'll show them the way. I have some things I need to work on for Ran Fan. I want my son to see how automail is made." Winry winced at the lameness of that statement. Of course, there was every chance the maid didn't understand a word of it but was letting Winry had her way since Ling had instructed them to do that. Winry scooped up Jianyu before the maid could protest and swept past Ed, Al and Mustang, trying not to notice the huge eyes staring at her.
Winry set the pace toward her workshop. Her companions would almost have to run to catch up but they didn't. Of course. Mustang must realize that servants wouldn't generally be running about freely. She pointed to the door to the workshop. "Lock it." She spun around, hefting Jianyu against her hip, staring at the men.
"Winry?" Ed's mouth worked but she could see the words logjamming against his teeth.
"I can't leave my son behind," she said firmly. She hated this was how they had to find out about Jianyu.
"There's no time to worry about it now," Mustang broke in, putting a hand on Ed's shoulder. "Get the stuff out of the sacks. You can talk about this later. Winry, I'll need a saw."
Confused, Winry handed him one from her bench. She watched them put down their sacks. Al took a smaller sack out of his, glancing at his brother as if expecting an explosion. He dumped out the remaining item, something wrapped in butcher paper. Al tore it away fiercely, revealing a boar's head. Winry grimaced at the butcher paper mounds coming out Ed's sack, the rest of the pig presumably.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
Mustang stood on the snout and started sawing the skull into two. "Just watch."
Al held out his hands to Winry. "I'll hold him. You need to put on the clothes we brought you." He nodded to the sack he had taken out first.
Winry surrendered her son and stripped off her silk dress unashamedly. She redressed in the cotton worker's clothing they had brought with them. Folded up was one of the straw hats like the brothers wore. Ignoring Ed's obvious embarrassment, she watched in amazement as Mustang drew something on the bisected skull and his alchemy reshaped it into two vaguely human looking skulls, one large and one infant sized. He drew the symbol on the porcine parts Ed had unwrapped and she was looking at her surrogate and a smaller one for her son. She dressed the pig-woman in her clothing herself. Winry plucked the silk hat off Jianyu and tied it without a word to the pig-baby.
"Looks good," Mustang huffed. "Back door?" he added hopefully.
Winry pointed it out, the jade dragon bracelet spinning lazily around her wrist. Mustang plucked it off.
"Sorry, but this has to stay." He slipped it on his bastardized creation.
"Winry, earrings." Ed held out his metal hand for them.
"I only have the one pair now," she said, taking off the long dangling jade creations and let him shove them into porcine ears. Winry took her son back from Al. Al took a small pouch out of his pocket and shook out something that looked like powdered jet then clapped his hands touching her hair. Winry watched the long strands go from gold to black, effectively disguising her. "And now I die?"
"Indeed you do," Mustang said, edging her towards the door once Al and Ed donned their sacks once more so not to rouse suspicions. He tugged on a glove. "Alphonse, Edward, if you will."
They clapped and the acetylene tanks she used to shape automail ruptured. Mustang snapped and her stand-in was enveloped in flame. Winry darted out the door, Jianyu's howls in her ears. Hating herself for it, Winry ran out into the garden, pinching his nose shut. He would have to quit crying to breathe. Mustang's hand closed over her shoulder.
"Don't run," he cautioned. "Just keep your head down and let me do any of the talking should it become necessary."
Winry nodded, letting Jianyu's nose go. He whimpered but the howls that would alert half of Xing to his presence had died. Silently they followed Mustang to the garden wall. He stopped and said, "I think there's a loose stone."
Winry was about to say she saw no such thing when the wall suddenly seemed to melt and a huge hand poke through. Mustang walked through the opening and the brothers herded her through. Winry tried not to cry seeing Armstrong standing there, a bamboo hat on his bald head doing nothing to disguise him. Armstrong's eyebrows rose at the sight of her and the baby. Just beyond him was a donkey cart. They bundled Winry into it wordlessly, having her lie down with Jianyu so they could be covered by a tarp, and she all but held her breath as it bounced down the incline toward town.
Seamlessly, they abandoned the cart for what looked like a bread truck, climbing into the back of it. "Drive, Maria," Mustang said, poking his head into the cabin. "We got her, Hawkeye." Winry flopped down gratefully against the truck wall, adrenaline leaving her shaking.
Bouncing Jianyu in her arms, Winry barely recognized Riza as she turned in the bucket chair to peer into the back of the truck. Like Ed and Al, Riza's hair had been alchemized black but her brown eyes looked more convincing than the four gold coins that were still staring at her. Winry could feel it. She could also feel the tension draining away as Maria started the truck as a fast clip.
"It's good to see you, Winry," Riza said, her eyes widening at the sight of Jianyu but she didn't miss a beat. "You have a beautiful baby." Even as Winry was thanking her, Riza got Mustang's attention. "We have horses waiting for the desert crossing. But from here, it'll take most of the day to get to that point."
"We'll go as far as we can safely even if it's dark. I don't want to dally. If the Emperor doesn't believe that burnt corpse is Winry and….his son." Roy glanced back at Winry and the baby in her arms. "He might come looking and the last thing we need is a war with Xing if Ling finds out."
"I can't believe you came for me," Winry whispered.
"Of course, we came," Ed said, tearing off his hat and tossing it next to Armstrong who was pressed up near the back of the truck bed. "I hate that it took this long." Winry didn't miss how his eyes cut to her son as he said that.
Al's expression fell at that. "I'm sorry, Winry. That was mostly my fault. It took months for me to really get up and walking. I kept getting pneumonia and my stomach didn't want to get used to food again."
"Al, I don't care. I'm just glad you're okay. I wasn't sure if you even survived. Mr. Mustang, you got to keep your hand," Winry said, brushing at the tears on her face.
Roy flexed his fingers. "Stiff but there. It's getting better."
"And Al, it wasn't all your fault," Ed said, his feet twitching like he wanted to be up on them, pacing. Winry also caught a hint that Ed did think they could have gotten there sooner if Al had only gotten better faster. She didn't envy Ed his torn loyalties.
"We needed to convince Armstrong that we could do this without creating an incidence and Edward wasn't sure he could get you away without causing one since we all know he's very good at putting a stick in a beehive and stirring," Roy said wryly and Ed's hand came up with a reflex obscene gesture.
Winry glanced at Armstrong, wondering what he had to do with anything then it dawned on her. "Oh…your sister." She tried not to shudder. That woman had terrified her.
"She's president now," Armstrong confirmed. "And Hohenheim is working as one of her advisors, for the time being. She is not thrilled to work with an unknown, wanting to use alchemists she knows, me, Mustang, the brothers, but Olivia is not one to toss aside a useful tool. She knows we wanted to leave the country to help you but we will be back to help her reform our homeland."
Before Winry could say anything to that, Jianyu sniffled then let out an ear-splitting shriek that bouncing around the big space of the truck and started tugging on her blouse. She patted his back. "Shhh, are you hungry? Please be hungry. I didn't get a chance to get you any diapers." Winry didn't miss the 'ewwwww' expressions on all the male faces.
"We can donate some shirts to the cause, Winry," Riza said reasonably. "The poor little guy can't go all the way back to Amestris in a dirty diaper."
"What's his name, Winry," Ed edged closer to her, almost shyly. "He can't…is he actually Ling's?"
"His name is Yao Jianyu Urey," she said, opening her shirt. Jianyu latched on with his usual greediness. "And as greedy as he is, sometimes I think he is Ling's, but no, he's one of Ling's brother's. I'm not sure why Ling discounted the traditions of his people so much. They wanted him married and with children."
"He discounted Xing traditions when he formulated his plan for saving his country. Teenaged boys aren't known for their brightness, Winry," Roy said wryly. "Just their convictions that their beliefs are absolutely right and the adults around them know nothing."
She didn't miss the glare Ed sent the older man's way. Well, at least it gave him somewhere else to pay attention to because she was afraid Ed and Al's heads would catch fire, they were so red. "They wouldn't let me be Ling's first wife so technically I'm not the Empress but he would come for me. Ling was just saying yesterday that he didn't like losing his people. He was sad that I wasn't completely happy."
"How could you be?" Ed growled. "There with that…" He floundered and Winry wondered if Ed was actually editing his potty mouth in front of the baby.
"I made the bargain to go with him, Ed," Winry said, deciding to not bring up that Ling hadn't given her a chance to back out. That wouldn't help matters right now. "And Ling was very good to me. He allowed me to work when no one wanted me to. He gave me everything I could have wanted. He never hurt me."
"Winry, you ….did want to come with us, didn't you?" Al asked tentatively, as if wondering maybe she liked being royalty.
Winry smiled at him, shifting Jianyu a bit in her arms. He was getting to be heavy. "I want to go home, Al. I'm just not a princess. I didn't like having maids and I didn't like not being able to leave the palace grounds."
"So, he was keeping your prisoner," Ed said, sounding very satisfied and justified in his rage against Ling.
"Not as such," Mustang interrupted. "That is how it is for the royal wives and daughters. They are never allowed away from their homes, not unescorted. Not all the wives are kept in the Royal City but they are kept in their clan's home. That's how I knew how to get into the palace unseen."
"I was wondering about that. How did you even know where I was?" Winry asked, as Jianyu let go, a very satisfied look on his face. Lamenting the fact she had no burp rag, Winry turned him against her shoulder, patting his back.
"Ling left us a note," Ed growled. "But I couldn't read it. Who knew the bastard could read the language?" He jerked a thumb at Mustang. So much for editing his mouth.
"I would have thought my background somewhat obvious," Mustang replied, rolling his eyes. "Ling said you had agreed to be his wife and you had gone back to Xing. The brothers weren't convinced it was your idea."
"It was," Winry said softly, concentrating on her son and not the brothers with their horrified looks.
"What I never told Ling, because frankly I figured he'd try to kill me as a rival, is my grandmother was his father's full-blooded sister. I'm Yao clan for what that's worth." Roy leaned over and stroked the baby's hair. "Little cousin. My grandmother had no desire to wait around in that palace to be married off to the first important clansman her brother, the Emperor, wanted to make happy. And she had fallen in love with a court artist. Leave it to Grandmother to find a hidden tunnel, presumably an escape for the Emperor, and run off. I knew how to get in but it would have been difficult to take you back down that way, hence having Armstrong out there to shortcut us through the garden."
"Figures he's related to royalty. It explains all his damn bad habits," Ed grumbled, looking like he wanted to hit Mustang just for the hell of it. "Apparently all the Yao clan are dicks."
"Brother! Don't swear in front of the baby." Al shoved him.
"Like he knows what I'm saying," Ed sulked.
"Hang around Shortmetal, little cousin, and your first words will get your mouth washed with soap." Mustang laughed.
Winry couldn't help her own snicker. "You really are his cousin?"
"I have the tattoo to prove it." Mustang smirked at her and Winry thought she could see his relationship to Ling in that smug expression. "For all the good it does, being half blooded and not likely to ever go to Xing to make it my home."
"Tattoo?" Al asked.
Winry hooked a finger in the side of Jianyu's pants and diapers and tugged them down to reveal a small set of symbols on his hip. "Ling said it was how royalty keep down the number of imposters to the throne. It's supposed to be very secret. Maybe if the emperor had a few less wives," she said, surprised at her own bitterness. Winry hadn't realized how much she disliked sharing Ling.
"Oh…well," Al blushed a little more. "The General had a good plan to get you out of there without anyone realizing you were gone."
"It worked to get me out of Amestris when everyone thought I had murdered Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," Maria piped up from the driver's seat, giving her first indication she was listening.
"I hope it works now," Winry said, meaning that. She didn't want to be the reason for war. "We know what Ling could be capable of." She stroked Jianyu's back, turning him around since he was starting to fuss. He didn't seem to like his view of the truck's wall. She glanced over at Mustang. "General?"
"He got promoted." Ed rolled his eyes.
"I wasn't the only one, Lieutenant Colonel Elric," Mustang replied, stretching out on the floor. "Wonder if President Armstrong will allow her military advisor to keep his new look." He played with the end of his queue. "I've grown attached."
"He's just trying to copy greatness." Ed shot back, ticking a finger against his own braid. Winry sighed. Nothing had changed between those two men. Ed looked at her. "Can I hold the baby?"
"Of course. Here, like this" Thrilled Ed wanted to get to know Jianyu,Winry put her son in the crook of Ed's metal arm. "Jianyu likes to be able to see out. He's very curious."
Ed stroked the boy's cheek. Jianyu caught Ed's finger and popped it into his mouth for an experimental suck.
"You have to watch him. He puts everything in his mouth," Winry warned, feeling suddenly worn out as the adrenaline left her. Stretching out like Mustang had done sounded like a good idea, especially if they thought she was going to be riding a horse yet tonight.
"He's heavy," Ed said in surprise. "And he really is…wonderful," he added as if unsure which word to use.
"Thank you, Edward. Thank you all for helping me," Winry said, tears starting to fall.
Ed reached for her, his fingers gentle around her neck as he pulled her in and kissed her wet cheek, an astonishing public display for him. "It's going to be all right now, Winry."
Al came over and hugged her. "We're going to get you home safe," he promised.
"I know."
"You look sad," Al said, settling next to Ed so he could play with the baby's feet. "You'll miss Ling, in spite of what he is, won't you?"
Winry hated the look of anger and pain on Ed's face as he glowered at his brother. Al seemed to undertand her better or was at least able to admit he was aware of her conflicting emotions. "I will. He was good to me," she admitted honestly even if she knew it wasn't what Ed wanted to hear. "He cared about me and he loved his son. Well, as much as he is capable and I believe that he did love Jianyu more than just as 'I'm Greed and he's mine.' Ling enjoyed playing with him, reading him bed time stories." Winry sighed, sagging a bit against Ed's shoulder. "I'm glad to be going home but I'm sorry it will cause Ling this much grief." Winry knew it would. She knew he would cry and then get angry. Winry hoped Ran Fan could handle him like that and help him through it.
"I don't care about his pain," Ed said in a tone that said he had been in enough of his own in the last year. Al shushed him.
Winry took Al's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to let him know it was all right. "I know, Ed. Like you said, it's going to be all right now. I'm going home." A shiver ran through her at that thought. She tried to stifle a yawn.
"We have a long day ahead of us," Armstrong rumbled. "You should try to get some sleep."
Winry liked the sound of that. Mustang was already snoring softly. She envied his ability to tune them all out. "Jianyu is still pretty wide awake."
"We'll watch him for you, Winry," Al said excitedly as he scooped the baby out of his brother's arms.
Ed put his freed limb around Winry's shoulder. "Go to sleep." He pulled her closer and whispered low, "I am never letting you go again."
Winry kissed the corner of his mouth then stretched out, pillowing her head on her arm. Ed nudged her and she rolled over, resting her head on his thigh. She had liked the sound of him never letting her go. She'd worry later about what would happen when the realities she had another man's son sank in. Right now, she just so happy to be going home, no matter the pain this would cause. Winry shut her eyes, trying not to think about the things she would miss about Xing and some of the things she could never tell anyone; like just how much she would miss Ling's hot touch and demanding way he made love. That was a secret she would have to keep always. The tug at her heart told Winry she would miss Ling more than she realized. Bruised, confused feelings aside, Winry knew this was the right thing to do. She was out of her gilded cage and she had no intentions of going back.


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- rack-renter
- noun Date: 1680 one that pays or exacts rack rent
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
Rack-renter — Rack rent er (r[a^]k r[e^]nt [ e]r), n. 1. One who is subjected to paying rack rent. [1913 Webster] 2. One who exacts rack rent. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
rack-renter — [rak′rent΄ər] n. one who pays or exacts rack rent * * * See rack rent. * * * … Universalium
rack-renter — [rak′rent΄ər] n. one who pays or exacts rack rent … English World dictionary
rack-renter — n. person who demands rack rent, one who exacts excessively high rent; person who is subject to rack rent … English contemporary dictionary
rack-renter — ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ noun 1. : one who pays rack rent 2. : one who exacts rack rent … Useful english dictionary
rack-rent — rack renter, n. /rak rent /, n. 1. Also, rack rent. rent equal to or nearly equal to the full annual value of a property. v.t. 2. to exact the highest possible rent for. 3. to demand rack rent from. [1600 10] * * * … Universalium
rack — 1. n. & v. n. 1 a a framework usu. with rails, bars, hooks, etc., for holding or storing things. b a frame for holding animal fodder. 2 a cogged or toothed bar or rail engaging with a wheel or pinion etc., or using pegs to adjust the position of… … Useful english dictionary
rack rent — noun an extortionate rent • Hypernyms: ↑rent * * * noun Etymology: rack (IV) : a rent equal or nearly equal to the full annual value of the property : an excessive or unreasonably high rent * * * 1. n. an extortionate or very high rent, esp. an… … Useful english dictionary
rack rent — noun a very high rent. Derivatives rack renter noun Origin C16 (as rack rented): from rack1 (in the sense cause stress ) + rent1 … English new terms dictionary
rack-rent — /ˈræk rɛnt/ (say rak rent) noun 1. a rent for land equal or nearly equal to its full annual value. 2. an exorbitant rent. –verb (t) 3. to exact the highest possible rent for. 4. to demand rack rent from. {rack1 (verb) + rent1} –rack renter, noun … Australian English dictionary

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Housekeeper in Cambridge
Hi there! I'm trying to get myself out there again looking for house cleaning work. Looking to clean houses few hours a day. Have my own supplies, police and backround checks done and approved, lots of cleaning houses and commercial office and building experience, and looking to start asap! Any mama's, or household owners that are away for the day and don't have time to do their Household Chores, or simply don't' want to do them themselves.. Message me for more info or give me a text/call @ 226-792-...
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Dhanalakshmi Lodge
Call us 1800-300-2400-1 (Toll Free) and Get additional Discount upto 50% for this Hotel.
Door No. 9-4-298/300, 9-4-7, Station Road, Regimental Bazaar, Secunderabad, HYDERABAD, TELANGANA, India, Pin-500003
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About Dhanalakshmi Lodge
Dhanlakshmi Lodge offers accommodation in Hyderabad and is located at approximately 3 km from the Jalavihar Water Park. This lodge is at 1 km from the James Street MMTS Station. Spread across 3 floors, this lodge in Hyderabad houses 17 rooms that are equipped with televisions. Each room has a bathroom with hot/cold running water.
No of floors: 3 | No of rooms: 17
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text:
Scroll down this free list of personal development quotes, to read a few of my favorite positive, motivational quotes. This is only a snippet of my full inspiring collections of 100's more.
I select these quotes based on how true they feel to me personally. They are selected from a foundation of my own values and beliefs, as I see life from my current perspective.
Likely, you might have chosen a range of very different quotes. I am also certain that I have left out many quotes which might have expressed particular truths about our human experience, in a more direct way. I may replace particular quotations whenever I find others, that better express messages of self growth or positive motivational encouragement.
These thought provoking sayings and quotes are listed in random order, so there is no preference value attributed to the number with which they appear. That is done purely for easy referencing. You will spot the most poignant quotation for you, at just the right time for you to need to see it!
|1. View On Life
"The way you talk about yourself and your life - your story - has a great deal to do with what shows up in your day-to-day experience. Your thoughts create filters through which you view your life. If you think of yourself as a victim, you filter all that happens to you through the lens of DDT (Dreaded Drama Triangle), and you find plenty of evidence to support that viewpoint. That's why the orientation you adopt is so important: it exerts a powerful influence on your life direction." David Emerald
|2. Triumph Of Achievement
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly... Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat." Ted Roosevelt
|3. Grown Ups
"Grown-ups love figures. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead, they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him." Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
|4. What You Believe
"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." Mahatma Gandhi
|5. Two Tigers
"An old man said to his grandson, "Boy, I have two tigers caged within me. One is love and compassion. The other is fear and anger". The young boy asked, "Which one will win, grandfather?" The old man replied, "The one I feed"." Indian tale
|6. Winners
"The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them." Denis Waitley
|7. Self Worth
"The story goes that Picasso was sitting at a cafe enjoying the summer morning sun, when a lady came up to him and asked him to sketch a portrait of her. "Oui Madam", he replied, reaching for his drawing book. Within a matter of minutes he had finished the rendition of his subject, and turning the page to show her, scribbled his price for the portrait on a napkin. She exploded! "You must be crazy, asking that much! It took you 3 minutes to draw my portrait!" "Yes Madam" Picasso replied in a slow drawl, "but it took me 40 years to learn how"."
|8. Clarity Of Mind
"What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists ...and it becomes available only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what you want ...and are fully determined not to quit until you get it." Alexander Graham Bell
|9. Begin It Now!
"Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffective. Concerning all acts of initiative there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and endless plans. That the moment one definitely commits oneself then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings, and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius power and magic in it. Begin it now." Goethe
|10. Context Of Life
"View life as a series of movie frames, the ending and meaning may not be apparent until the very end of the movie, and yet, each of the hundreds of individual frames has meaning within the context of the whole movie. View your life from your funeral, looking back at your life experiences, what have you accomplished? What would you have wanted to accomplish but didn't? What were the happy moments? What were the sad? What would you do again, and what you wouldn't?" Victor Frankl
|11. Thoughts Become Destiny
"Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny." Mahatma Gandhi
|12. Universe Of Possibility
"You are more likely to be successful, overall, if you participate joyfully with projects and goals and do not think your life depends on achieving the mark because then you will be better able to connect to people all around you. On the whole, resources are likely to come to you in greater abundance when you are generous and inclusive and engage people in your passion for life. There aren't any guarantees of course. When you are oriented to abundance, you care less about being in control, and you take more risks. You may give away short term profits in pursuit of a bigger dream; you may take a long view without being able to predict the outcome. In a measurement world, you set a goal and strive for it. In the universe of possibility, you set a context and let life unfold." Rosamond Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander
|13. Cause & Effect
"A new psychology needs to facilitate people in understanding that emotions, whether love and appreciation, or anger and anxiety, are all energies that have to be accounted for in the human system. Accounted for means they come under the laws of physics and the law of cause and effect. Each of us personally is accountable for the effects of our emotions and attitudes. Negative emotional energies stack up in the human system, then translate into mental, emotional and physical ailments if not brought into balance." Doc Childre
|14. Urgent vs. Important
"Keep in mind that you are always saying "no" to something. If it isn't to the apparent, urgent things in your life, it is probably to the most fundamental, highly important things. Even when the urgent is good, the good can keep you from your best, keep you from your unique contribution, if you let it." Stephen Covey
|15. Shine A Light
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of god. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us. It is not just in some of us. It is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson
|16. Recognize Your True Dream
"Life is a bunch of accidents that happen to you and somehow you survive them by taking advantage of them and then something magical happens and violá - you have the beginning of your dream. But the accidents are the result of an intention - an intention created from a dream you are passionate about. So passionate, so strong is your passion that the energy of it fuels your intention. And when it becomes so strong that not even the Universe can deny it, that's when the "accidents" take place. The double-edged sword, the element that makes it all happen - that binds it all together - you have to be okay if it doesn't happen! It's the excitment of the possibility of the adventure of the nothingness. You must be willing to trade what you have, that may look great but feels wrong for this nothing that could be something. It's the excitement of having the courage to leave behind what you have for the possibility of what could be. You must be able to let go of what you have. You must not need it or let it define who you are. You must be okay without it and you must be okay if the nothing turns into that - just nothing. You become okay with the decision simply because you made the decision! It's the act of leaving what isn't supporting you for the possibility of something better that makes you like yourself more for simply making this decision. What's my dream? How do you recognize your true dream from all the other wants and desires in your life? If you enjoy the process, it's your dream! If you are enduring the process, desperate for the result, it's somebody else's dream!" Salma Hayek
|17. Persistence
"Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before." Jacob A. Riis
|18. Harmony & Proportion
"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer; since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose your power of judgment. Go some distance away because the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and a lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen." Leonardo Da Vinci
|19. Not Enough Time
"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
|20. You Are Creating
"Realize that now, in this moment of time, you are creating. You are creating your next moment based on what you are feeling and thinking. That is what's real. We can let go of the unconscious belief that being anxious about the past or the future will somehow protect us and instead reprogram our cells with new ways of responding." Doc Childre
|21. Flowing At Ease
"Don't be hard like a rock, be soft like water. Ultimately the soft wins over the hard. Be like water, soft, flowing, at ease. The hardness inside will eventually be reduced to sand, and the rock will completely disappear." Lao Tzu
|22. Daring Adventure
"Security is mostly superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller
|23. Free Spirit
"What is the most important thing that you should do right now? It's easy to figure out the answer - the most important thing is usually the item you least want to do. So jump on it. Get it out of the way. Then go on to the next thing you don't want to do and get rid of that item by completing it. You'll be amazed at how it frees your spirit not to have them hanging over you." Tom Hopkins
|24. Life Values
"When building a main mast, shipbuilders choose the tallest, strongest tree they can find. Then they cut away the surrounding trees, leaving their selection exposed to the elements so it becomes even stronger and more flexible. In life, your main mast is made up of your most cherished values, the ones that won't fail you when the going gets rough. When your sails are set and the fierce winds of life begin to buffet you, your most cherished values remain strong yet resilient. They sustain and give you strength during difficult times." Thomas L. Hardin
|25. Serenity
"God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." Reinhold Niebuhr
|26. Problems
"The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem." Theodore Rubin
|27. Focused Mind Power
"Do not scatter your powers. Engage in one kind of business only, and stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until your experience shows that you should abandon it. A constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it home at last, so that it can be clinched. When a man's undivided attention is centered on one object, his mind will constantly be suggesting improvements of value, which would escape him if his brain was occupied by a dozen different subjects at once." Barnum & Bailey
|28. Make A Change
"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something...almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose." Steve Jobs
Click Here... to read the rest of my quotes and for more inspiration!


text:
Obituary Look up
Expand Messages
- I am seeking someone to look for a death record and Obituary for an ancestor Rebecca Scott- Worden she died 20 dec 1904 in Spring Glen, Ulster County New York.
I am willing to pay for time copies etc. Thank You
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text:
For centuries, people have depended on experienced locksmiths to take care of all of their locks. A locksmith's primary duties include installing, repairing, and maintaining locks and security devices. These days, they also have to be trained with complicated digital locks. They are well-versed in rules and regulations concerning security locks. Customers also need locksmiths to make keys for their homes, vehicles and businesses. Locksmithing is a perfect career for people who are mechanically inclined and love to work on things.
In order to become a locksmith, a person must have the proper training. There are several technical and vocational schools that offer courses in locksmithing. These courses are designed to teach students the essentials of making keys and the mechanics of different locking systems in buildings, vehicles and electronic systems. There are some locksmithing companies who will hire apprentices and will give them on-the-job training for staying with the company.
Some of the skills needed for being a competent locksmith are computer skills, problem solving, and ability to read blueprints. Students should be able to understand how to fix problems with electronic lock systems by examining technical drawings. They will learn how to use the various tools of the trade as well as the rules and regulations concerning where certain locks may or may not be permitted.
There are certain states that have regulations concerning locksmithing with varying requirements for certification. All locksmithing students must be a US citizen or have legal immigration status and must pass a criminal and substance abuse background check. People who are truly serious about the business can get credentials through the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA).In order to get the associations' certification of a registered locksmith, students have to pass a test on their knowledge of locksmithing. Check out locksmith in renton to know more.
Ample opportunities exist for locksmithing careers. These include locksmith companies, security companies and lock supply businesses. Many experienced locksmith take their training and expertise to open their own company. It is a great opportunity for people who have a savvy sense of business and want to work for themselves. There are even opportunities to work in law enforcement.
No matter which direction people choose, locksmithing can be a lucrative and satisfying line of work. Locksmiths get the satisfaction of helping others when they are locked out of their cars and homes. They also provide a sense of security to the community by supplying sturdy locks and security systems.


text:
- Genomsnittlig
- Huvudrätt: £12
- Matkostnad: £25
- Öppettider
- Monday to Friday: 12:00 - 23:00 Saturday: 11:00 - 23:00 Sunday: 12:00 - 22:30.
We had the Sunday roast dinner and can highly recommend. The staff were warm and welcoming.
Brenda Partridge
04 oktober 2016
från London
A buzzy gastropub, The North Star currently features pop-up Ruby Jean's Diner, taking over the kitchen with its American and Korean recipes. There is also a huge beer garden with awnings and heaters, making it perfect for any weather.
American classics from burgers to sticky ribs feature on The North Star Ealing menu, thanks to Ruby Jean's Diner. American recipes like Southern fried chicken with Louisiana or sriacha sauce sits alongside jerk chicken burgers, hotdogs, as well as sides like poutine, corn on the cob and fresh pineapple slaw. There are also Korean street food dishes, like BBQ pork burgers, glazed beef tacos, and pork buns.
Desserts at The North Star London include decadent recipes like the cookie and peanut butter tower with Jude's whiskey ice cream. The North Star has Cask Marque accreditation, and serves small local cask brewer beers and ales, constantly updating its selection.
With a fantastic pop-up street food feel blending with proper London pub comforts, The North Star is a 3-minute walk from Ealing Broadway Tube Station.
The North Star
43 The Broadway, London, W5 5JN
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Kundbetyg för The North Star
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((((* 1 januari 2017 av Tracey Cameron från London Borough of Ealing
Lovely food, I had the cod and chips, best piece of cod I have had in years. Staff very friendly and helpful, great atmosphere, the band were fantastic, would recommend, always a good night in this pub, have been here a few times there is never any trouble, thank you for a great NYE.
((((( 4 oktober 2016 av Brenda Partridge från London
We had the Sunday roast dinner and can highly recommend. The staff were warm and welcoming.
((((* 8 mars 2016 av Biddy Dobson från Horsham
Good food, lovely service, great selection of wine and beer, a very pleasant place to sit and eat, delightfully quiet music
Tyvärr så kan du inte boka The North Star online via vår hemsida
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Restauranger i närheten
169m 12 recensionerPho - Ealing
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210m 19 recensionerFranco Manca - Ealing
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226m 17 recensionerShikumen Ealing
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240m 10 recensionerChimichanga - Ealing
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text:
Timbre Software
A developer of business management software.Speak with a Timbre Software provider
Timbre Software supplies field portable business productivity tools designed to meet the needs and requirements of the construction trades. A Premier Member of the Intuit Developer Network, Timbre Software was named as one of only eight MVP developers at the first annual Intuit Developer Conference in 2002.
With offices in Oregon and Colorado, Timbre Software develops and markets its flagship product, Solstice. Designed specifically for builders and contractors, Solstice provides QuickBooks® users an effective tool to manage their jobs and accounting from the job site and the means to analyze their data for improved job and company performance.
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A software system designed by Timbre Software for construction companies.
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For over 15 years, independent software experts have helped more than 200,000 businesses find the right software for their needs. We'd love to help you, too.


text:
Common Receipt
Standard sales receipt template
Itemized Receipt
Add individual items and tip
Itemized Barcode
Perfect for meals
Custom Logo Receipt
Upload your own custom logo
Sales Receipt
For store and online purchases
Standard Itemized
Itemized restuarant receipt
Taxi Receipt
Transportation by cab or taxi
Simple Receipt
Simple receipt on wrinkled paper
Large Custom Logo Receipt
Use your own logo!
Parking Receipt
Parking garages, parking lots and valet
Special Receipt
Point-to-Point Uber-style receipt
Restaurant Receipt
Cafe, coffee shop, restaurant
Gas Receipt
Receipt for fuel
Coffee Receipt
Coffee shops, cafes, bistros and patisseries
Generic Receipt
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text:
The Ward Museum, Salisbury University Presents:
A Celebration of Local Traditions
May 20, 2017
10 am - 5 pm
Evening Concert with
Randy Lee Ashcraft
and the Saltwater Cowboys
5 -7 pm
Event Happenings
Smith Island Cake Demo, Decoy Carving Demo, Kid Zone, Farmers' Market, Music & Dance Demos, Bird House Building, Native American Traditions, Food Trucks, Local History Exhibits, Artisan Market Place, Demos on the Pond, Local Foodway Demos, Basket & Trap Weaving Demos, Crab, Oyster, & Fish Demos, and so much more!
Confirmed Event Happenings Details
(updated as confirmed)
For more information call
410-742-4988 ext. 120.
Thank You to our SPONSORS!
Maryland Humanities
National Endowment for the Arts
Lower Eastern Shore Heritage
Maryland Traditions
Maryland State Arts Council
Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council
Maryland Heritage Area Authority
Chincoteague Bay Field Station
Salisbury University
1 Fish 2 Fish
Baxter Enterprises, McDonald's
La Tolteca
Charles Brown Glass
Avery Hall Insurance
Farmer Bank of Willards
Bank of Delmarva
First Shore Federal
Mercantile Processing Inc.
Hebron Bank
Fruitland Lions Club


text:
Listing ID 20170608
Listing Price$249,900
Est. Monthly Payment: $1,073.21 See Details
Bedrooms 4
Total Baths 4
Full Baths 3
Partial Baths 1
Square Feet 2,062
Status Active
County Johnson
Year Built 2017
Property Type Single Family/Acreage
Property Sub Type Zero Lot
Great two story floor plan with over 2,000 finished sq ft of living! 3 bedrooms on second level along with the laundry area. Master has private bath and two closets. Open main level plan with gas fireplace in living room. Convenient kitchen with pantry and breakfast bar. Additional bedroom and family room in LL. Great North Liberty location near the new Liberty High School. This home has a full basement. ***All Photos are of a Similar Property.*** ***High School will be Liberty High Fall of 2017.***
{"zipcode": "52317", "price": "249900"}
Down Payment
Credit Score
Loan Amount
Loan Type
Status Active
Property Sub Type Zero Lot
Days on Market 159
Listing Price $249,900
Address 1205 Mary Ln
City North Liberty
Postal Code 52317
Year Built 2017
Bedrooms 4
Total Baths 4
Full Baths 3
Partial Baths 1
Half Baths 1
Basement Bath Finished, Finished Rooms, Full, Walkout
Laundry Type Laundry Closet
Laundry Location Upstairs
Square Feet 2,062
SqFt Above 1502
Finished SqFt Lower 560
Construction Brick Partial, Vinyl
Annual Association Fee tbd
Parking Garage, 2 Cars
Elementary School Penn
Junior/Middle School North Central
High School Liberty High School
Listing ID 20170608
Directions Dubuque St to North Liberty Rd, Left on Tartan, Right on Mary Ln.
Cooling Central
Heating Gas, Forced Air
Energy Related Water Heater-Gas
Interior Carpet
Exterior Deck
Roof Type Composition
Equipment Dishwasher, Disposal, Microwave Built-in, Range/Oven, Refrigerator
Fireplace Type Gas
Number of Fireplaces 1
Fireplace Location In Great/Family Room
Kitchen Level Main
Kitchen Breakfast Breakfast Bar
Living Room Level Main
Dining Room Level Main
Family Room Level Lower
Number of Bedrooms Lower 1
Number of Bedrooms Upper 3
Master Bedroom Level Upper
Number of Full Baths Lower 1
Number of Full Baths Upper 2
Number of Half Baths Main 1
© 2017 Iowa City Area MLS (ICAARMLS)
Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed
Listing courtesy of Mike Bails of Urban Acres Real Estate Corridor
Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed
Listing courtesy of Mike Bails of Urban Acres Real Estate Corridor
Contact - Listing ID 20170608
Cardinal Realty
Iowa City - Coralville - North Liberty
Coralville, IA 52241
Phone: 3194000268
Data services provided by IDX Broker


text:
Let us know when your receive great advice so we can thank our lawyers and point others with similar questions in the right direction.Got it!
i have been sued cause i was in a car crash, with 3 other cars getting into a car accident. due to barrels off a pickup truck falling in the freeway hitting cars for us to slow down. the car infront of me which i hit went in a full stop in the middle of the free way with no hazard lights on. i was not tail gating or was speeding i was going about 60. but he came to a full stop to avoid the barrels which caused me to hit him. to the left of me after the car my accident there was another one. the guy that dropped the barrels out of his car didnt have insurance.... dooes anyone know if there is jail time for this lawsuit? and how much do i have to pay.. will it be more then 30k? i have contact my insurance after the accident. and they payed him whatever i had on the plan. help?
Civil lawsuits result in money judgments, and criminal cases result in sentences that may include jail time.Ask a similar question
We've advised you before that in a civil lawsuit for an auto accident, the only thing the Plaintiff can ask for is money. No jail time in a civil lawsuit.
The most interesting thing about your question is the last sentence: "i have contact my insurance after the accident. and they payed him whatever i had on the plan." Are you saying that your insurance company settled with the driver and he is now suing you? For most of us, that doesn't make sense. Usually, when an insurance company settles with a claimant, it requires that claimant to sign a "release," a legal document which basically says that he can't sue you in court for the accident now that they've paid the money.
If they paid him the money without getting a release, then they are in big trouble and you should consult with an attorney who practices bad faith litigation.
If they paid him the money and he DID sign a release, you should contact your insurance company. They will hire a lawyer and defend you in this lawsuit.
If they didn't pay him the money, only offered it, you should contact your insurance company. They will hire a lawyer and defend you in this lawsuit.
I would suggest that making the same inquiry here on avvo is not a productive way to get the answer you are seeking, for most of your questions just don't have enough facts for a proper answer. If you are really concerned about the issues in this lawsuit, go and meet with a lawyer face to face. It's worth it to pay for an hour of time to get clear answers to your questions. Many lawyers will give you a free consultation.
Last thing: if in fact your insurance company is claiming to have paid the driver and he's still suing you, start a paper trail with your insurance company. In other words, don't rely on phone calls. Write letters and demand that they respond to you in writing. Keep copies of everything.
Good luck.Ask a similar question
Yes, this queston has been asked and answered previously. What you have described is a civil lawsuit-not a criminal matter. Turn the matter over to your insurer immediately to make sure your default is not taken!
The information provided herein does not create an attorney client relationship and is provided for general purposes only. You should consult and retain an attorney to protect your interests.Ask a similar question
As noted by others, you do not go to jail because of a civil lawsuit. If you have insurance, notify them about the lawsuit immediately and they will provide a defense. More than likely, your liability will be settled within your insurance limits.
Good luck.Ask a similar question
I assume you have adequate insurance to cover the damage, thus, if you are sued, your insurance company will defend.
The answer does not create an attorney/client relationship and is for informational purposes only.
Lassen Law Firm
1515 Market St #1510
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Licensed in PA & NJ. 29% Contingency Fee. Phone: 215-510-6755 www.InjuryLawyerPhiladelphia.comAsk a similar question
It is unlikly anyone will do time. You should get your carirer to get a general release from everyone in fact you should demand that that it settle any claims against you for polocy limits.
The materials available at this web site are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this Web site or any of the e-mail links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between Howard Roitman, Esq. and the user or browser. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the firm or any individual attorney.Ask a similar question
The answer provided by Mr. Max Draitser is on the money. He has explained each possibility that I can see. It all comes down to what your insurance company did and or did not do. Insurance companies make mistakes ALL THE TIME. If they paid and did get a release, they must defend you. IF they paid and did not get a release, they screwed up. If they did not pay and should have paid, they screwed up. If the did not pay AND WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO PAY for some legal reason, you should contact an attorney and find out why. Good luck.
This is NOT legal advice rather, it is opinion only based upon the facts as stated. There is no way to know the outcome of any judicial matter at this stage.Ask a similar question
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Detroit, Mich. — With General Motors and Chrysler on the precipice of bankruptcy, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other green California legislators finally relented late Friday in allowing the use of $15 billion of an already-appropriated $25 billion in federal loans to Detroit automakers. The money — only half of what automakers requested — will provide short-term relief to keep Detroit's two most vulnerable car companies out of Chapter 11 until the new Obama administration enters office next year.
Despite widespread concern among auto analysts that bankruptcy would devastate an already crippled U.S. economy, they are also concerned that government aid is a missed opportunity for Detroit to tackle the labor restructuring necessary to make the companies viable in the long term.
As first reported here in National Review Online as well as in the Detroit News, the California delegation had held billions in Department of Energy money hostage to their demands that the money also fund Silicon Valley–based automakers that Green activists insist are the future of auto transportation.
Additionally, the California politicians had demanded that the DOE money only be used by the Detroit Three to retool plants to make smaller, more fuel efficient cars (Pelosi had insisted any automaker relief come from the $700 billion fund reserved for financial institutions). But with the growing specter of GM going bankrupt — and sucking down millions of related jobs in its auto supply and banking chain — the more pressing concern for national Democrats became whether there would be a domestic auto industry left to retool.
A bipartisan deal crafted by Sen. Carl Levin (D., Mich.) and Sen. Kit Bond (R., Mo.) — and backed by the Bush administration — for releasing the DOE money has been on the table since November 20. But powerful Californians have stood in the way. Over the Thanksgiving break, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D., Calif.) wrote Majority leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) declaring that "I do not support disadvantaging the next generation of American automobile companies in an effort to save the first generation."
The roadblock revealed the deep animosity between California and Michigan interests that has been an undercurrent of the automotive debate in recent years, as West Coast greens have blamed Detroit for global warming and tried to force automakers to build more "planet-friendly" vehicles — regardless of consumer demand. As Detroit executives begged Capitol Hill in recent weeks for loan money to weather the current credit storm, California pols tried to attach strings to any loans by insisting that the Detroit Three drop lawsuits against California mileage laws — laws that analysts agree would make it impossible for them to sell cars in California.
The rivalry has increased tensions within the Democratic party, a party once dominated by blue-collar union interests in the Midwest, but that is now run by upper-income coastal greens. That shift was dramatically illustrated last month when California Rep. Henry Waxman — a zealous critic of Detroit — displaced senior Congressman John Dingell, an industry ally, as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
This week's hearings caused the intra-party anger to boil over; Michigan state representative Coleman Young wrote to Nancy Pelosi on Friday: "I have been appalled at the recent congressional hearings regarding the Bailout Plan for America's Big 3 Auto Manufacturers. What is your thinking? Are you trying to kill America?" wrote Young. "Will you decide that Michigan will lead the nation into a full-blown depression? Enough! Get with it!"
Economists across the ideological divide testified this week that Detroit bankruptcies would have a devastating domino effect. Harvard liberal Jeffrey Sachs predicted Detroit Three failures could cost as many as 3 million jobs at a time when the country is suffering one of its worst recessions in 30 years. Pat Anderson, a conservative Michigan economist, agreed that a conventional, "'prepackaged' bankruptcy would be a failure. Indeed, we see no available 'package' for such a huge bankruptcy."
On top of such concerns, Friday's Labor Department report that 533,000 jobs were lost in November seemed finally to move the green roadblock.
"Today's announcement of major job losses and findings from Congressional hearings from the last two days make it clear that Congress must work to provide short-term and limited assistance to the automobile industry," said a resigned Pelosi. Her surrender was no doubt cushioned by the fact that not all of the DOE's $25 billion fund would go to the Detroit Three. Pelosi has been adamant that some of the money also assist struggling San Jose startups like Tesla Motors, which has applied for a $400 million government loan to help in production of its battery-powered sedan.
Assuming both houses pass the $15 billion band-aid (not a given), the question remains whether the Detroit Three are viable companies in the long term. Republican senators like Robert Corker of Tennessee, home to non-union Japanese plants, insist that any relief package contain bankruptcy-like provisions that would force the Detroit Three to make aggressive labor and debt reforms. "Based on the outline we have seen so far, we are disappointed," said Corker.
While acknowledging the difficulty of bankruptcy for an industry with "a franchise and warranty nature," economist Anderson echoes Corker's concern (PDF available here).
In return for the federal money, automakers will have to give the government stock warrants and proof of cost-cutting — including eliminating brands, limiting executive compensation, and banning dividend payments. But gutting the United Auto Workers' notorious work rule and pay contracts to put the companies on an even playing field with non-union Japanese transplants is less likely.
Anderson writes that automakers, "with a significant restructuring, could become quite profitable companies producing a smaller set of vehicles through a streamlined dealer network."
But without concessions from organized labor, it is doubtful that any significant restructuring can occur.
– Henry Payne is an editorial writer and cartoonist with the Detroit News.


text:
About the Book
As I see it...II is a collection of animals, birds, flowers, insects, bugs and prarie landscape photographs all taken in Southern Alberta, Canada.
Features & Details
- Category Arts & Photography
Small Square, 7×7 in, 18×18 cm
80 Pages
- Publish Date Nov 26, 2007
- Tags prairie landscape, southern alberta, horses, birds, raptors, deer, coyoties, eagles
See More
About the Creator
Elfie Hall
Little Bow Resort, Alberta, Canada
Living in Southern Alberta by a lake gives me plenty of photo opportunities. From my house I can watch the Bald Eagles, Pelicans, Ospreys and other Hawks, Coyotes and Deer. Another favorite subject of mine is horses - luckily one of my friends breeds horses and gives me access to them for photography.
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