Abrade - [Charles Leclerc] A Sequel To Corrode

Diciotto

         "Oh my god, mom."

Liam had never felt so relieved before to see his mother again. He fell into her arms as soon as she crossed the threshold. Jules soon joined the hug, and Joanne disappeared between the two brothers. "I'm okay," Joanne reassured them, pulling back to have a look at both of them. "Are you?" she asked. "We're fine," Jules said, looking more tired than ever. The stress was still written on his face, bags under his eyes told the story of a lot of sleepless nights, and his mouth was pressed into a thin line. Liam didn't look much better than his brother. 

"What happened after we left?" Liam asked, looking over at Charles, who was getting rid of his coat. "Joanne killed Armando," he said, causing Liam's eyebrows to rise. It was silent, because it caused Mick and Celia to look at Joanne in disbelief as well. "So, I guess you didn't lie when you said that mom has a better aim?" Liam said, breaking the tension and causing everyone to laugh. "No, I never lie about those things," Charles smiled, wrapping his arm around his wife. "Teresa is sleeping," Celia said, interrupting their conversation. 

"She's okay," she added. "Just some bruises on her wrists and ankles from being tied up. She also has a bruise on her cheek, I think she was slapped in her face a couple of times," she said softly, looking down as she didn't feel at ease to tell it. Charles' face hardened, but he knew it was over now and Teresa was safe. "Let's pack our things and go home, yes?" Charles spoke up again. Mick and Celia went to pack the stuff with the help of Jules and Liam. Carlos, Pierre, Max and the others had gone back to the airport straight after. It didn't take long before the safehouse was empty again. 

Charles locked the door behind him and the alarm scanned his face and his fingerprint before the safehouse was fully locked. He took one of the cars back, with Joanne and Teresa in the backseat. Teresa had woken up when Charles lifted her up, but she hadn't said anything. She had crawled onto her mother's lap as if she were a baby again, happy to be reunited with Joanne. "Why did you decide to come?" Charles asked as he drove the car onto the road.

 "Because I was sick and tired of waiting and letting my brain form silly conspiracies of whatever could happen," Joanne replied. "You were all there, and I was safely tucked away. It didn't feel right," she said. "I gave Mick strict orders to not take you anywhere," Charles muttered. "Yes, but you forget that he also has to obey my direct orders, that's in his contract," Joanne said. Charles' eyebrows briefly rose and fell, because he had indeed not thought about that. "You didn't look like you had the situation under control," Joanne spoke up, looking out of the window while her fingers were moving through Teresa's hair. "I'd lie if I said I had," Charles chuckled. "What would you have done if Mick and I didn't turn up?" She asked.

Charles was quiet for a second. "Someone would have started the gunfight. Go all in and then hope for the best. Sacrifice myself to make sure Jules, Liam and Teresa could run." Joanne swallowed hard. "I don't want you to think about that," Charles said, looking at her through the rearview mirror. "It ended well, for us. Let's keep that the end of the story," he added. Joanne remained quiet. She just wanted to go home and leave it all behind them. 

Over the years she had encountered a lot of these moments, scary things, life threatening things, but now their kids were living their lives and had so much time ahead of them, she didn't want those things to happen anymore. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. From the start of this tense period, the war with the other crew, she hadn't been able to relax, especially not when she felt like she and Teresa were targeted in public.

Joanne and Charles didn't talk for the rest of the ride, but it didn't take long for Charles to turn the car onto the porch of their residence anyway. Charles cut the engine and got out, opening the door of the backseat. Charles lifted Teresa out of the car and brought her upstairs to her room straight away. Joanne followed as soon as she was out of the car too. "Are we home?" Teresa asked, her eyes half open. "We are, baby," Charles replied.