#Geoffrey was told his friend blue died even it didn’t happen

[dracoisthebae]

The Wonder of a Fairy-tale (Chapter 1)

James Ryan Haywood has felt something inside his mind telling him he doesn't belong here for a long time, telling him he needs to head away.

Gavin Free wants to escape but doesn't really understand why? Will Michael and Jeremy stop him from making such a big decision or will he meet Ryan on the journey of a lifetime? 

Hello, welcome to my new fic! I've been planning this since watching Mamma Mia Here We Go Again so it's been a few months in the making, I'd appreciate any feedback I can get.  

This was it. James Haywood was out of here. Three years of college had left him with a degree and a whole lot of debt, but that was something that future James could worry about. All through his youth James knew that there was no way he would enjoy the life his mother had planned for him, succeed in high school and head over to college where afterwards he could get a respectable job and raise his own family only to have her force his children through the very same thing. Before today he had only ever had slight instances of rebellious behaviour, growing his hair and staying out at night despite the fact that he didn't drink was about as bad as it got. But now, James Ryan Haywood is an adult, legally he doesn't have to live with his mother anymore. So this was it, this was the adventure of Ryan Haywood. He'd taken the decision that with his drastic change in life he was going to go by his middle name. He'd felt that a change like that was necessary to brace himself for what he was about to do.

After his graduation, he returned to his apartment with Geoff Ramsey and Jack Pattillo his two roommates whom he'd spent the last three years with. The apartment itself was quaint, originally sold as a one bedroom but the three of them had managed to fit, had a small kitchen that went mostly unused unless James felt up to cooking his famous enchiladas as well as one bathroom and a storage room. It was a vast improvement to the university digs from the first year. The apartment had a large fire escape attached to it that the three of them referred to as 'the balcony', even taking it upon themselves to move a set of chairs out on it.

"So, what now?" Geoff questioned, he and Ryan had sat out on the balcony while Jack went to grab two beers and a Diet Coke for the three of them. The other two never questioned Ryan's choice to not drink, instead choosing to accept and move along with it. At the beginning of their friendship, Geoff's only comment was that the less than James drank more left for him.

The three of them looked like a strange bunch of men, Geoff having a curly moustache and a fair amount of smile lines despite his age after spending so much of his life giggling, Jack and his big burly beard contrasted by the bright ginger tones within, and James. Ryan, James... he hadn't entirely gotten used to going by his middle name yet, he'd read somewhere that it was something the Welsh did. Ryan looked like somewhere between a frat boy and a hippie, he hadn't yet decided on his 'look' and honestly, he thought he never would. In his opinion, it was better to go off personality than looks.

"I say we just do what we did for the last three years but without the whole education bit," Jack responded, placing the drinks on the table before taking a seat next to the other two.

"What? So stay inside playing video games? Somehow I don't think that would work." Geoff spoke as though the thought of that was impossible despite the fact that they had seen many people do so before. But they had needed to live with their parents.

Ryan took in a deep breath and spurted his thoughts, "I'm leaving." Ryan turned to look at the two other men, the shock and confusion on their facer was clear. Geoff spluttered out the sip of beer he had just taken in.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Jack questioned before Geoff butted in, "James, where would you go? You've just graduated?"

"Greece. I'm going to Greece, I just feel it calling me, You knew this wasn't for me. This life. This city. I've booked a flight to Paris tomorrow and then I'm going from there. I've decided that I'm going to be Ryan Haywood. No James. It's not me." Ryan stood, walking out toward the edge of the balcony and gazing out at the city. "I feel like my life just isn't gonna happen here, not that I don't like you two. You guys are the best friends I could have had, but... I just don't feel like me here."

Geoff turned to face Ryan, his hands had gone up to massage his face, "Right, but why the fuck are you going to Greece? It's a bit far, isn't it? Couldn't you just go to like a national park or something?"

"I don't know, I guess I understand the need to travel. Maybe you'll meet someone. I'm not quite sure why you waited until after a degree and a heck of a lot of debt before travelling the world though..." Jack had moved to stand next to Ryan, placing his hand onto Ryans back before continuing, "So is this a long-term thing or just a holiday?"

Jack had always been the voice of reason amongst the three, ironic considering him and Ryan had very similar voices. Jack also understood the tension between Ryan and his mother.

Ryan turned away from the balcony, "I don't know... For however long I need to feel complete. I wish I understood. It used to be so nice, it used to be so good" Taking the few steps back into the apartment, he began to pack his clothes. "Guys, you made me feel alive, but something died I fear. I really tried to make it out, but there's only so much of this type of life I can take. There's more I know it."

Ryan didn't have much in that apartment that was his, he'd always known that he wasn't going to stay. His bags were almost constantly packed for this very reason. Geoff and Jack had questioned his lack of possessions once or twice, he guessed it was all clicking in his head now. The only reason he came to college was for the sake of his mother. Ryan had always known that he was destined for something more than software development, the thought of working in a small office and doing the same thing every day until he was sixty was horrific to him.

Ryan sat on his bed, closing his suitcase and turning to his two roommates.

"They passed me by, all of those great romances. It’s as if you’re robbing me of my rightful chances. My picture clear everything seemed so easy. And so I dealt you the blow, one of us had to go. Now it’s different, I want you to know..." The two other men knew that Ryan was talking about his mother, he hadn't spoken much about her but what he had said was enough for them to understand that he had been forced into this college and career path.

Geoff moved towards the bed, picking up what was left of Ryans possessions. He could tell that Geoff had warmed up to the idea of Ryan needing to find himself as he began speaking, "One of us is lonely, one of us is only waiting for a call, sorry for himself. Feeling stupid, feeling small. Wishing he had never left at all. We know that you didn't want to come here."

"We just hope that you let us visit," Jack said as he moved over to the other two and helping pack away what little possessions Ryan had.

Ryan moved the last few items into his bag, "I saw myself, as a concealed attraction. I felt you kept me away from the heat and the action. Just like a child, stubborn and misconceiving," He stood up, moving towards the door and motioned to the other two, "Come on, walk with me. That’s how I started the show, one of us had to go. Now I’ve changed and I want you to know." His bag held in one arm, using the other to open the door.

Jack tilted his head to the side while Geoff headed towards Ryan, "You have told her haven't you?"

A great sigh left Ryans throat, "She'll find out, wherever she is. She'll know."

The three college graduates headed out into the damp streets, the recent rainfall reflecting the street lights back into their faces. Ryan knew that the other two would understand everything after a while, it was just the thought that he hadn't planned it despite the fact that Ryan had been planning this for his whole life.

"I have a plan, a loose one, I'm heading to France. Finding a hotel there and travelling. There's this island, Kalokairi. Only accessible by boat, I've been researching it every day in the library. Talking to the geography lecturers. I know that that's my goal." Ryans hair had flopped in front of his eyes, the shaggy locks were something he probably should've fixed before now. The recent sun had highlighted parts of his mane to become a light blonde.

His clothes were another thing, he didn't have many. Loved living a minimalist lifestyle while still having clothes that expressed himself. Brighter tones that played up his blue eyes to a shine that he knew never belonged in Georgia or even America.

"James, do we want to know the name of the game? What's your reasoning? Upturning your entire life for this feeling in your gut?" Jack appeared concerned for Ryan, his eyebrows had knitted together along his forehead.

"Yeah, I get feelings in my gut all the time but its usually just telling me I need to vomit." Geoff barely got through the sentence, giggling halfway and ending with a wheeze.

Jack glared over at him, "Time and a place Geoffrey."

Ryan turned around, walking backwards, "Schoolbag in hand, I left home in the early mornings. Waving goodbye with concern in my eyes. Is it so much to want a different life for your self? I feel everything slipping through my fingers. The feeling that I'm losing myself without even entering the world." His empty arm raised, "I let precious time go by."

"What happened to those wonderful adventures, the things we had planned to do?" The tone in Jacks' voice was honest and confused.

"We can still do all of that, think of all the adventures we can have when you visit, I'll write to you every chance I get." Ryans arms had lowered, a smile gracing his face. "A new place, new people, new adventures."

The main thing that had appealed to him when they had been hunting for apartments had been the fact that theirs was so close to the airport. A quick escape. No time for emotions to get the worst of things. In almost no time at all they had arrived at the airport after walking down the cobbled road, Jack finally accepting what Ryan was about to do.

"We'll be thinking about you." Jack had raised his palm onto Ryans shoulder while Geoff pretended that he wasn't crying his eyes out, "Yeah, you better share everything with us!" He had been so happy when he had finally gained an appropriate amount of facial hair to call a moustache, but now Geoffs moustache had drooped with the frown on his face.

Ryan took a deep breath, he had spent years thinking of this moment and he knew that all the thoughts he'd had didn't weigh up to the real thing. He turned to the two other men, "Bye gents, I'll share every moment with you." Ryan turned to rush up the stairs towards the check-in desk.

The first thing Ryan noted about the airport was that it was bright, almost congratulating him on making the decision. Walking over to the lady manning the desk he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, "Uh hello!"

She looked up, her hair was tied back into a bun and she had a fake smile plastered on her face, "Hello Sir, where are you flying to?" Her hand came out to reach for his ticket, Ryan handed over the blue and white piece of paper that held his fate in its print.

"Ah, Paris. A romantic I take it then?" She looked back up at him, the smile had transformed. Oh... She fidgeted with a loose hair that had fallen out of the hold of her hairspray. Ryan moved a hand up to rub at his neck, this wasn't quite what he was expecting... The feeling in his gut told him to ignore her, Greece was more important, he would find his fate along the way.

"Uh, not really I'm just going around Europe looking for something..." The ticket lady scoffed and handed the ticket back to him, and Ryan said his thanks and went on his way over to security. This was right.

[addicted-to-ragehappy]

Lean On Me [Redux] [Family AH OT6] [Chapter 1]

Title: Lean on Me [Redux]

Pairing: Platonic/Family AH OT6

Rating: K+

Genre: Fluff/Family

Words: 1926

Prompt/Summary: Geoff Ramsey, a single father of four adopted children, is struggling to support his family on just his Rooster Teeth salary. In his desperation to keep his family well-fed and happy, he resorts to taking a night job to clock more hours. However, his state of health is compromised, but he does his best to hide his overworked state from his friends, who only know of his oldest son, Ryan.

A/N: This was originally my friend Milky’s prompt. I’ll keep the original accessible, as I like that one, but this one came out well, too. Hopefully this one will explain things I left out of the last version. Enjoy! ~No One

A/N 2: Anything in italics is either a memory or a thought. It should be fairly easy to distinguish the two.

–

“All right, boys. Mommy’s only going to be gone for the day, okay?”

“But why?”

Griffon chuckled. “Mommy has to go out of town for some work. But I’ll be back late tonight, so I can wake you up for school in the morning. Okay?” When she saw nods from the three toddlers and Ryan, she smiled. “You three be good for Daddy, okay? And when Ryan is babysitting tonight, you listen to him.”

“Okay! Bye Mommy!”

“Bye, my darlings. See you soon. I love you!”

–

“Daddy! Daddy, wake up! Time to wake up, Daddy!”

Geoff grumbled sleepily at the high-pitched voice. He cracked his eyes open to see who was calling to him. “What time is it, Michael?” he asked once his vision focused, revealing Michael’s curly red hair.

“Seven-thirty!” Michael huffed. “We’re gonna be late!”

“What?!”

This… This is how my life has been since Griffon passed away. Before the accident six months ago, Griffon and I cared for three very hyperactive six-year-olds, and a very well-behaved sixteen-year-old. All boys. Sometimes I think Griffon and I were crazy to think we could care for these boys, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I love my boys more than anything. When Griffon was still here, it was a lot easier to care for them; tag teams were the best way. But now… I just have to do whatever I can to make sure they get a good life. I’ll work two jobs, I’ll lose some sleep… Hell, I’d stop eating if it means they’ll be all right. I’ll do anything for them.

Geoff was grateful for Ryan; even though he’d slept in far too late, the teenager had taken charge of the situation, making breakfast for the Lads and getting them ready for school. He patted Ryan on the shoulder as he entered the kitchen. “All right, it’s gonna be another late night for me, boys.”

“But Daddy!” the youngest three whined.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Geoff’s words were filled with a sincere sadness. “But what’s tomorrow?”

“Saturday?” Jeremy responded, though unsure of himself.

“Right! And what does that mean?’

“Game night!” Michael and Gavin shouted in unison, lightening their moods slightly.

Geoff nodded, offering his kids a smile. “That’s right. Daddy has the night off tomorrow, and that means we can have game night! But you have to promise me that you’ll be on your best behavior for Ryan after school.”

“We promise!”

“That’s my boys.” Geoff nodded to them and turned to Ryan. “Sorry I slept in, but thank you for getting the boys ready. You’ll be late for school, so I left a note in your bag.”

“It was nothing.” Ryan smiled in understanding and turned to his younger brothers, who were lined up behind him. “All right, first one to the car gets to have the first pick for snacks after school!”

Jeremy, being the fastest runner, bolted towards the door. “I’m gonna win!”

“Jeremy!”

Geoff laughed, watching the Lads pile into Ryan’s car and bickering along the way. Inwardly, he wished that it could be him driving them to school and picking them up afterward, but rationally, he knew he couldn’t. The money that raising four boys demanded caused him to be away from home a lot. It hurt, knowing that his children went to bed most nights without him there, and he was upset that he was keeping Ryan from acting like a normal sixteen-year-old-boy, but he didn’t know what else to do.

With a hefty sigh, Geoff turned to face the mantel. He locked eyes with the picture of Griffon that sat at the top. She was surrounded by the boys, and wore the biggest smile. “I know you’d do so much better, but I hope I’m doing the right thing…” To avoid another depressing thought, Geoff grabbed his keys and walked out the door. He was not ready to start his day.

–

Geoff loved his job; there was no denying that. Or, at least, he loved working at Rooster Teeth. His nighttime job – a simple 24-hour gas station cashier job – could go to hell, and he wouldn’t even mourn its disappearance. Rooster Teeth was his break from reality; being able to record game videos and ridiculous videos with people he considered family was a second blessing. But lately, with the stress of his home life and his second job, he’d found it hard to enjoy anything he normally liked doing. His voice began to sound drained of life when recording things, and he wasn’t quite acting like himself.

Jack had finally seen enough.

“Geoff, is something bothering you?” he finally asked after finishing a Things to Do. “You’ve been looking really down lately.”

Geoff shook his head. “No, I’m fine, really. Just a bit tired.”

Jack narrowed his eyes in disbelief. “Are you sure? You do know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Yeah, dumbass. And I would tell you if there was something wrong.” Though he made himself look serious, all Geoff wanted to do was break down and tell Jack everything. He feared Jack’s pity, however. His friend had his own life to worry about; Jack didn’t need to worry about Geoff’s as well.

Jack still looked like he was on-edge, but didn’t pursue it further. However, he refused to let it go entirely, and promised himself to take a deeper look later. “All right. Well, come on, then. We have a meeting to go to.”

“I thought that was tomorrow?”

“Well, you thought wrong. Let’s go.”

Normally, Geoff was energetic and contributed a lot to the meetings, but he suddenly felt out-of-focus for the duration, only catching bits and pieces Jack would relay to him. He hadn’t even realized that Burnie was trying to speak to him until Jack prodded him. “What?”

“Geoff, I asked if you had any questions for me, but I don’t even think you heard anything.” Burnie crossed his arms, though his body language spoke of concern. “Are you okay? You seem… out of it.”

“I’m all right.” Geoff took the moment of silence as an opportunity to leave, but regretted his decision as he stood too fast. As the blood rushed to his head and his vision swam, he could have sworn he heard Jack’s voice before he hit the ground. It was only one moment before everything changed into a peaceful, silent black.

–

“God dammit, Geoff!” Jack ran over to his friend, instantly looking for injuries.

“I thought he was looking a bit off today,” Burnie fussed. He watched as Jack lifted the unconscious man off of the floor, and then his face twisted in concern. “What’s wrong? Is he okay?”

“He’s so light…” Jack’s words were barely audible. “I’ve never seen him this thin before. We wrestle all the time; he’s always been a little thin, but not like this.”

Burnie took Jack’s words as permission to come closer, and immediately noticed how worn-down Geoff looked. “He looks exhausted. Do you think he’s having trouble sleeping? Is Ryan keeping him up?”

“I don’t think so. Ryan’s sixteen now, and he wouldn’t lose that much weight from a bout of insomnia.” Jack carried Geoff down to the Achievement Hunter office, laying him out on the couch. “We’ll ask him when he wakes up.”

–

Geoff had just finished recording an episode of Red Vs. Blue when his phone rang. “Hang on a sec, Jack.” He picked up the ringing device. “Hello, this is Geoff.”

Jack watched as Geoff’s face went from cheerful to distraught in the blink of an eye. “Geoff, what’s happened?”

“G-Griffon…” Geoff slowly dropped his phone on the ground. The only sound for a few moments was the light ‘thud’ of the device.

“What happened to Griffon?”

“Car accident…” The tattooed male glanced at his friend. His eyes were brimming with tears. “S-she was on her way back from a job in Dallas, and a d-drunk driver hit her. T… They say she died on impact.”

“Oh, Geoff… I’m so sorry…”

–

Geoff woke to the sounds of typing and computer buzzing. It took him a moment to recall what had happened and where he was, but immediately, he sat up. It caused a faint throbbing in his head, but he ignored it as he looked into the worried faces of Burnie and Jack. “Uh…”

“It’s about time you woke up, Geoff.” Jack looked angry and concerned at the same time.

“I didn’t… I mean…” Without thinking, Geoff rolled off the couch so he could run away, but Jack quickly caught up to him and pinned him to the floor. “Come on, Jack. Get off of me!”

“Not until you tell me what that shit was about, Geoffrey.” Jack’s tone was stern, but he lessened the pressure to avoid harming his already-weakened friend. “And don’t try telling me it was nothing, because ‘nothing’ doesn’t cause someone to faint.”

After sneaking a glance at the time, Geoff went lax in Jack’s grip and sighed. He couldn’t escape now. “Just… Take me home.”

“Not until you-”

“Please, Jack. I’ll tell you later. I promise…”

Realizing that he wasn’t going to get an answer right now, Jack relented and helped Geoff up. “Fine.”

“Thanks.” Geoff glanced over to Burnie, who had been oddly silent this whole time. “Can you… come along, Burnie? You should get an explanation, too.”

“Uh, sure.” Burnie raised an eyebrow. While he was unsure of why he couldn’t be told in the office, he chose not to voice his question and followed the other two outside.

Geoff noticed Ryan’s car in the driveway as Jack pulled in. Without so much as a word, Geoff ran up to the front door, Jack and Burnie in tow. “Boys, I’m home!”

“Wait,” Jack started. “I thought-” Jack was interrupted as three excited toddlers came crashing through the living room, nearly throwing Geoff backwards. Luckily, Burnie was stood behind him, and he helped Geoff stay upright. “So, is this your explanation, Geoff?”

Geoff nodded. “Meet Michael, Gavin, and Jeremy, guys.”

The pieces began to put themselves into place, and Jack smiled. “This must’ve been what Griffon’s ‘big surprise’ was supposed to be.”

“Yeah…” Geoff looked away.

“Well,” Burnie interrupted. “Let’s go inside. You have a lot to talk to us about.”

“I do. Come on in; I’ll be a while.”

–

“Hey, Geoff?”

“Yeah, Griffon?”

“I need you to promise me something.”

Geoff sat up, considering his wife’s dead-serious eyes. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” Griffon chuckled dryly. “I’m nervous about Burnie and Jack meeting the newest members of our family.”

“But…?”

“But I’m worried about a lot more than that.” She looked at Geoff. “I need you to promise that you’ll take care of the kids if anything was to happen to me.”

Geoff blinked. “What brought this up suddenly?”

Griffon sighed. “I’m not going to live forever, and neither are you. But things happen, and I want to make sure that we both make this promise to each other. I promise that I will keep going for the kids no matter what happens, but I need you to do the same.”

“Absolutely. I promise. Do you doubt that I would?”

“No, of course not. I know you’d do anything for our kids. But you feel differently than I do. You’ve got a big heart, Geoff, and sometimes, that’s your biggest weakness.”

“How so?”

Griffon just chuckled. “That doesn’t matter. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For putting my mind at ease.”

[bountyofbeads]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1028011?__twitter_impression=true

New Jeffrey Epstein accuser: He raped me when I was 15

Jennifer Araoz says she was recruited outside her New York City high school to provide sexual massages to the wealthy financier.

By Sarah Fitzpatrick, Savannah Guthrie and Rich Shapiro | Published July 10, 2019, 7:32 AM ET, Updated July 10, 2019, 7:51 AM ET | NBC News | Posted July 10, 2019 | VIDEO PHOTOS

Jennifer Araoz says she was 14 years old when a young woman approached her outside her New York City high school in the fall of 2001.

The woman was friendly and curious, asking Araoz personal questions about her family, her upbringing, their finances. Soon she began talking to Araoz about a man she knew who was kind and wealthy and lived nearby.

His name, the woman said, was Jeffrey Epstein.

The first few times Araoz went to Epstein's Manhattan townhouse, all they did was talk, Araoz said, and the friendly woman came along. Araoz told him about her dream of becoming a Broadway actress and about her late father, who had died of AIDS when she was 12.

But on Araoz's first visit without the other woman, Epstein gave her a tour of his mansion that culminated in a visit to what he described as his "favorite room in the house," Araoz said. A massage table sat on the floor. A painting of a nude young woman hung from the wall.

Araoz would return to that room regularly over the next year, she said, manipulated into stripping down to her panties and giving Epstein massages that ended with him pleasuring himself to completion and her leaving with $300.

In the fall of 2002, Epstein pressured her to do more, Araoz said. He told her to remove her panties. Then he grabbed her 15-year-old body.

"He raped me, forcefully raped me," Araoz told NBC News in an exclusive interview. "He knew exactly what he was doing."

"I was terrified, and I was telling him to stop. 'Please stop,'" added Araoz, now 32.

Epstein, Araoz said, ignored her pleas. She never returned to his home after that day and her life spiraled downward over the next several years as a result of the trauma, she said.

Epstein, 66, was charged Monday with operating a sex trafficking ring in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005. Federal prosecutors in New York say the wealthy financier, who has socialized with the likes of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew, sexually abused dozens of minors and paid his victims to recruit others, allowing him to build a vast network of girls to exploit. He entered a plea of not guilty.

Araoz's account adds a new dimension to the allegations against Epstein: a young girl being recruited outside a New York City school to perform sexual favors for him.

The federal indictment unsealed this week refers to three unidentified victims but none of them is Araoz. She never contacted the authorities to tell her story, but she says she did tell at least four people — her mother, her old boyfriend and two close friends — about the Epstein encounters several years after they occurred.

Reached by NBC News, all four confirmed that she told them years ago that she had been sexually assaulted by Epstein.

"She said that she was raped by Epstein and before the rape she had been giving him massages for a year," said a friend of 16 years. "There's no doubt in my mind knowing her character, the type of person she is, that what she says happened is exactly what happened."

Epstein's lawyers did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

This isn’t the first time that Epstein has been accused of preying on young girls.

He signed a controversial non-prosecution deal in 2007 that allowed him to dodge a federal indictment alleging he abused several underage girls.

Epstein, who ultimately pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting minors for prostitution, has maintained that his encounters with the alleged victims were consensual and that he believed they were 18 when they took place.

Recruited at school

From the start, Araoz loved her high school. The Talent Unlimited High School was a small, specialized school for the performing arts located on E. 68th St. on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

It seemed a perfect fit for Araoz, who longed for a career in theater. She grew up in Queens in a household that had little money. The death of her father, when she was in middle school, took an especially heavy toll.

"I was a little bitter," Araoz said. "I felt a little cheated in life."

It was early in her freshman year when Araoz says a brunette woman in her 20s approached her outside school. She was easy to talk to, and Araoz spoke freely about her struggles and her dreams.

"I was kind of a lost kid and she sensed it," Araoz said.

They had chatted a few times before the young woman ever brought up the name Jeffrey Epstein. She said he believed in helping people and was already supporting her and her family, Araoz said.

"She was saying he's very powerful, he's very wealthy, he's a great guy," Araoz recalled. "He's almost like a fatherly figure to her, which had meaning for me at that time because I was maybe longing for that."

Araoz said the woman showed up outside her school multiple times and even offered to buy her a soda or lunch nearby. "She was definitely trying to get to know me," Araoz said.

Araoz eventually agreed to accompany the woman on a visit to Epstein's home. His townhouse, located less than 10 blocks from her school, was as impressive as the woman had described.

Vast ceilings, marble stairs, artwork covering the walls. "It looked like a museum," Araoz said.

There was a bank of cameras near the front entrance, with mini TV screens showing who was coming and going, she said. A secretary's office was off to the left. Up the hall to the right, there was a cavernous room filled with exotic animal trophies. Araoz recalled seeing a stuffed lion, tiger, even a giraffe – as well as the skins of other animals draped across the floor.

The 14-year-old Araoz and the woman who'd brought her to the townhouse were offered wine and cheese by a member of the staff as they waited for Epstein. When he did show up to greet the pair, he was warm and welcoming, Araoz said.

She recalls him telling her that he had heard a lot about her and felt terrible about her father's death. Epstein insinuated that Araoz was "very lucky to have met somebody like him" and "that he could really help me," she said.

Before they left, Epstein gifted the woman who'd brought Araoz to the townhouse a brand new digital camera. His secretary handed Araoz $300 in cash, she said.

She returned a handful of times with the other woman, and left each visit with $300, Araoz said. Epstein talked about donating money to AIDS charities, which struck a chord for her given her father's death, and wanting to help with her career.

He talked up his contacts in the acting business and mentioned that he owned a modeling agency. Araoz recalls him telling her that "I should be a model and all these things that young girls like to hear."

"There was nothing not to trust at that time," Araoz said. "He was giving me $300, which was a big help for me."

The joint visits continued for about a month, said Araoz. By then, she felt comfortable enough with him to go on her own.

"I thought it was maybe a little odd because I didn't know what he necessarily was getting out of it," said Araoz, who could not recall the other woman's name. "But I said, 'This is a genuinely really nice guy, (a) good man who wants to help me.'"

But the dynamic changed that first time she showed up alone, Araoz said. Instead of talking downstairs, Epstein escorted his 14-year-old visitor onto his elevator and brought her deeper into his seven-story home.

"All the rooms were very grand and had a lot of artwork, a lot of murals on the walls," Araoz said.

He showed her an oval-shaped room with blue walls and likened it to "his favorite room in the White House" — an apparent reference to the Oval Office.

She also saw a bathroom with a tub and a set of prosthetic breasts within arm's length. "It was very odd," Araoz said.

She said they ended up in a small room with a massage table and a bathroom off to the side. A large Sistine Chapel-like mural depicting angels against a blue sky hung on one wall. A painting of a nude young woman with brown hair clung to another, she said.

The new indictment has ignited fresh criticism of Alexander Acosta, who was the U.S. attorney in Miami at the time and is now Trump’s labor secretary.

Acosta, who has long defended the deal, did so again on Monday.

"With the evidence available more than a decade ago, federal prosecutors insisted that Epstein go to jail, register as a sex offender and put the world on notice that he was a sexual predator," he tweeted. "The crimes committed by Epstein are horrific, and I am pleased that NY prosecutors are moving forward with a case based on new evidence."

Epstein is facing up to 45 years in prison if convicted on the new charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy. Mimi Rocah, an NBC News legal analyst who served as a former assistant U.S. attorney in New York, said any new allegations against Epstein could lead to additional federal counts. Child sex victims must be under the age of 28 to pursue state charges in New York.

At a Monday press conference, Geoffrey Berman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, urged any other Epstein victims to contact the FBI.

Araoz said she hopes Epstein spends the rest of his life in prison, and is willing to testify in court if called upon by federal prosecutors.

"He shouldn't be on the streets anymore, period," she said.

When asked why she didn't contact the authorities about the alleged assault, Araoz said she feared the repercussions of going public.

"I was so young that I was worried that somehow I would get in trouble," Araoz said. "I was really frightened of Epstein. He knew a lot of powerful people and I didn't know what he could do to me, and I wasn't sure that anyone could protect me."

Araoz's legal team filed papers in New York state court Wednesday seeking more information from Epstein prior to filing her civil complaint. Her lawyers contacted Epstein's attorneys this past March seeking an out-of-court settlement but the talks broke down, Araoz's lawyer said.

"He injured her grievously," said one of Araoz's lawyers, Daniel Kaiser. "She suffered a horrific event that altered the course of her life forever."

Attorney Kimberly Lerner, who is also representing Araoz, added: "Jennifer is no longer the scared 14 year old child who was victimized by Jeffrey Epstein. Today, she is the brave young woman telling her story to let all the other victims know that they are not alone."

Araoz said she's finally summoned the strength to speak out now to help prevent other young girls from falling into the clutches of predatory men.

But she still harbors guilt over not doing so earlier.

"What hurts me even more so is that if I wasn't afraid to come forward sooner then maybe he wouldn't have done it to other girls," Araoz said.