I love you, always | Charles Leclerc ✔

12

A few days later, Julie's face was emotionless as she looked at her brother's coffin. Tears were silently dropping, sliding on her cheeks, while she watched her parents talking about what an amazing son Jules was. She tuned out from the speech, instead focusing on Charles's hand drawing small circles on her hand. She couldn't bear listening to her parents acting like the perfect ones while they hadn't even talked to her for almost a year. She tried to, in this moment of recollection of Jules, remember only the good moments. She wanted to remember her brother with only the joyous memories. Once again, Charles didn't let go of her, always touching her, be it with his hand holding hers, his arm around her shoulders or with his head leaning on her. Julie was grateful for his silent comfort, it was exactly what she needed.

She came back to her senses when Charles softly shook her shoulder. She looked around and saw that everyone had stood and started to go outside of the church, except for Sebastian Vettel, Romain Grosjean and Felipe Massa. The 3 of them made their way to the coffin and lifted it on their shoulder. A music started to play, Mistral Gagnant by Renaud, as they slowly walked outside, to the hearse. Charles kept his arm around Julie as they followed the crowd outside. The coffin was put in the hearse and everyone watched as it started and left.

When it was out of sight, people started talking again and Sebastian made his way to Julie, followed by Lewis.

"Hi Julie." Sebastian said.

"Hi Sebastian, Lewis." Julie answered with a sad smile. "I'm glad to see you both even if it's under such sad circumstances..."

The both of them smiled softly at her.

"Daniel is sorry he couldn't make it, he had a family emergency."

"It's fine Lewis, he basically lives on the other side of the world."

A small silence took place and suddenly, Julie was reminded of Charles's presence as he placed a small kiss on her head.

"Oh ! Where are my manners ?! Sebastian, Lewis, this is Charles Leclerc, my best friend. And Charles, well... I'm pretty sure you already know who they are." she said, laughing a little.

Charles shook hands with Sebastian and Lewis.

"Leclerc ? You're in F3 right ?"

"Yeah that's right."

"You've had a great season so far so congrats. I've been following what Jules's little protege had been up to. I can say you've got talent, maybe one day you'll come for our seats." Sebastian said, giving him a wink. 

They then talked a bit about motor racing, until they all had to go to the cemetery to bury Jules. Charles and Julie got into Lorenzo's car with Arthur, Lorenzo driving them all to Monaco's cemetery, while Pascale was riding with her husband. The burial was done in silence, everything had been said at the church. Julie was clutching Charles's hand as his other one drew comforting circles in her back. Gradually, guests were leaving after saying a few words to the family and paying their respect to the grave. Ultimately, there was only the Leclerc and the Bianchi family. Julie's parents, Philippe and Christine, approached their daughter, wanting to talk to her.

« Julie, ma chérie, quand est-ce que tu vas rentrer à la maison ? Je sais que les Leclercs sont gentils, mais ne vas pas abuser de leur bienveillance. Comporte toi en Bianchi. »
"Julie, darling, when are you coming back home ? I know the Leclercs are kind, but don't go and abuse of their kindness. Act like a Bianchi."

At the beginning of her sentence, her tone was gentle, filled with kindness but she basically spat her last one, not wanting Julie to stain their family name. Julie straightened and she looked at her parents with the coldest glare she had ever used.

« Non. »
"No."

« Comment ça 'non' ? Julie tu as intérêt à écouter ta mère, sinon tu auras affaire à moi. »
"What do you mean 'no' ? Julie, you better listen to your mother or you'll have to deal with me."

Her father tried to threaten her but it was useless. What her parents didn't know was that when Julie learned that she had to mourn her brother as he wasn't going to make it, she mourned her whole family, well the one tied by blood. She decided she couldn't count on her parents to act like they should, they hadn't talked to her for months while their other child was in a coma, not caring enough to ask how she was dealing with the situation.

« Non je ne rentrerai pas chez vous. »
"No, I won't go to your home."

« Mais enfin Julie, qu'est-ce que tu racontes ? C'est notre maison, donc la tienne aussi. »
"But what are you talking about Julie ? It's our home, so yours too."

« N'importe quoi, ça n'a jamais été mon chez-moi, seulement le vôtre. Croyez moi, arrêtez de faire semblant et ça ira mieux pour tout le monde. J'ai 18 ans, je suis majeure et je ne veux plus rester avec vous, vous ne pouvez pas m'en empêcher, vous n'avez plus de contrôle sur moi. Maintenant, je vais vous demander de me lâcher la grappe, de ne plus me recontacter parce que clairement ce sera pour le meilleur. Je n'ai pas envie de faire une scène dans un cimetière, donc on va en rester là, vous voulez bien ? »
"Nonsense, it's never my home, only yours. Believe me, drop the act, it'll only be better for everyone. I'm 18 years old, of legal age, and I don't want to stay with you anymore, you can't stop me, you don't have control over me anymore. Now, I'm asking you to get off my back, do not contact me anymore because it'll clearly be for the best. I don't want to cause a scene in a cemetery so we'll stop here, if you don't mind ?"

She gave them a sarcastic and insolent smile, which angered Philippe who prepared to talk back to his daughter. Luckily, Christine prevented him from doing so by putting her hand on his arm. They both shot nasty glares at Julie who ignored them, and they made their way out of the cemetery. 

Pascale went to give a hug to Julie, holding her tightly in her arms. She whispered in her ears that she was truly proud of her for standing up for herself even if it was against the people who raised her. She also said that her door was always open for Julie and she would be more than happy to have her over for longer. Julie quickly accepted, not wanting anything more than to continue living at the Leclerc's.

Finally, everyone gave Julie some space to talk to Jules. Well, everyone except Charles who didn't say anything, he only kept touching her, reassuring her with her presence.

Julie quietly talked to the grave, telling Jules that with him not here anymore, it was a new chapter of her life, one she couldn't be more relieved and happier to start with the people she hold dearest to her heart, with him. Then, as she looked at the graven the sun setting behind it, casting a warm glow on them and the grave, tears started building up in her eyes. Her brain had finally processed that her brother was truly gone, she wouldn't be able to go and see him at the hospital. He was now buried several meters deep, and she would only be able to see him in pictures. Her tears started flowing down her cheeks and she felt Charles sitting next to her, taking her in his arms and pulling her body on his lap, to hold her as close as it was physically possible.

They could now only hope that Jules would be watching over them, protecting them from above.

« Julie, souviens-t-en, je t'aime, toujours. »
"Julie, remember it, I love you, always."