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All the planning was in place, everything was set up, and all the children had been practicing for weeks. Joe had of course been practicing with them, helping his class to learn all the songs, and learning them himself in the meantime. Not that he minded being overly busy at all.
Staying busy kept his mind off his past.
It had been a few years since the events that left him practically paralysed by fear for several months, but the memories still haunted him every now and then. Not just the memories of bloodshed and needless violence.
Memories of him .
The handsome man with the scar over his eye. The man who took him from the horror, saved his life, yet also held him captive. He was dark and dangerous, kept him safe and put him in danger in equal measure. Le Chiffre was the name he gave to Joe, though the young teacher was certain that was not his real name. And he was the man who revealed his crimes, confessed to funding the war Joe had been trapped in, the war he had saved him from, before leaving him outside his mother's house, and disappearing.
Vera, his mother, was of course happy to see him again. But Joe couldn't quite work out what he felt about all of it. Le Chiffre had already made up his mind that Joe would despise him, clearly, either that or he despised Joe after their time together. Either way, he hadn't allowed Joe any time to process his own emotions about everything, and whether or not he forgave the mysterious man. Yes, he funded the war, but he also often spoke of the horrid situation he found himself trapped in whilst he had Joe in his captivity. How he hated what he had to do, and hoped he would escape his employers. So he surely couldn't have been all bad.
But Le Chiffre had made all the decisions for him. Including leaving him outside his mother's house, with little more than a farewell.
There was so much Joe still wished he could tell him. Things that haunted his dreams and nightmares. Taunting him with the fact he would never be able to say them. Even now, with a few years separating them, Joe knew he would never forget that man, and everything he did for him.
He shook thoughts of Le Chiffre from his head, and focused instead on the final preparations for his school's Christmas Concert.
He was hanging the decorations around the Hall, with only an hour till the kids arrived, and another hour to do any last rehersals, he was certainly stressed. But at the same time, he was entirely in his element, hanging tinsel around the walls and setting up the stage. Classes ended a few minutes ago but the kids had been sent to their homes for an hour to get ready with their families, and also to give Joe enough time to decorate. He had been teaching all day, so hadn't had chance to decorate yet, so the hour was a welcome grace that he would absolutely not waste. It took about twenty minutes to get the audience section of the Hall ready, and then he set to work on the stage. Once that was sorted he worked on clearing the backstage area, and then setting up the signs for the concert.
This year, he decided he would do all he could to make it extra special, and all the kids and their parents had agreed as well, this would be a fundraising event. And, in a strange twist of fate, the kids and parents wanted to donate to a relief fund for children in Rwanda. At the time they told him their decision, Joe had to hold off a panic attack, but in hindsight it was a beautiful thing these children had chosen to do. So he set up the signs and the collection bucket. There was no entry fee, purely a voluntary donation, all of which would go to the relief fund. Joe took a moment to himself to calm down, and do his best to stop thinking about it all. He was at least glad to be doing something that might do some good for the country and the people he still feels he abandoned, his own abduction regardless. It would most certainly not be enough. But it would be something.
The preparations were completed, so Joe had a quick cup of tea, before checking through the programme for the evening just to make sure he knew how everything was supposed to go. Soon enough, his class arrived, so he led them all to the rehearsal room, and let the parents wait in the hall. The concert was open to the public as well, so Joe was still hopeful they would get some extra donations from family friends of the children, or even just kind samaritans.
He helped the kids to practice one last time, glad they all sounded amazing, before he got them all set up on stage behind the curtain. "Everybody ready? Everybody confident?" He whispered to the group, and was very pleased and proud to see them all nod. "You've got this, and I'm gonna be right down below the front of the stage singing too so if any of you forget any words just look to me and I'll help you, don't worry." All of the kids smiled and nodded, so Joe gave them one last thumbs up before stepping out of the curtain at the side of the stage. The lights blared at him, and it took him a moment to regain his composure with a smile at the crowd. The hall was completely full, with some people even standing at the back, and Joe couldn't have been more pleased. "Thank you all for coming tonight! It warms my heart to see so many of you here! The kids have worked so hard on this, so I'll hand over to them now!" He was going to say something else, but a face in the crowd caught his eye, and halted his train of thought.
A man, with a suit on, dark hair, and a scar over one eye.
Joe froze completely, bombarded with thoughts and questions and confusion. But then, as quickly as he saw the man, he disappeared, at least from view. Joe shook his head quickly, and brought his smile right back. "I present, our Choir of Angels!" A bit of a crass name perhaps, but the kids had picked it, and Joe would never argue with them. Instead he rushed off the stage as the curtains opened, and took his place out of view of most of the crowd, leaving the kids to take center stage as they began to sing.
He sang quietly along with them, helping as best he could with the lyrics, and trying not to think about what he thought he saw. He was probably just seeing things, being this close to his trauma. But it brought back all the things he wanted to say, and feelings he wasn't quite sure how to decipher. So, with all his effort, he tried to erase his thoughts and focus wholeheartedly on the kids and their performance.
They did beautifully. And Joe applauded along with the crowd of parents, so very proud of all the kids as they took a bow, and the curtains closed. He quickly rushed round, congratulating them all and offering hugs to anyone who wanted them before making sure they were all picked up by their parents. He promised them all a party on the last day of school for all their hard work which certainly had them all excited. Joe was so beyond proud of each and every one of them, and was ever so slightly sad to see them go and have this evening end. Well, even after the kids left he still had to check through and take note of all the donations to make sure the right amount was sent to the relief fund. So he did his best to thank everyone as they left, before sitting on the stage with the bucket, and beginning to take note of all of the donations.
It didn't take very long to count the donations, but he was intensely surprised that they had actually managed to make around £150 in donations. It probably wouldn't do much to help in the grand scheme of things, but it was certainly something. For a small children's concert, Joe was almost moved to tears in utter pride, his faith restored somewhat in the human race. There was only one donation left in the bucket, and when Joe picked it out, and glanced at the note attached, he promptly dropped it back into the bucket as if it had burned him.
That handwriting. He had to be seeing things, right?
Carefully, he pulled out the donation again, and read the note properly, tears blurring his vision as he did so.
I wish you knew how sorry I am for all that happened, my dear Joe. But I at least know you will put this money to better use than I ever have. Perhaps this will be a better goodbye than our last. -L.C.
Joe already knew it could be from no one other than his ex-kidnapper. And when he counted how much the man had donated, he was utterly floored. £50,000. Joe had no idea what to do or say, but knowing that Le Chiffre was here, Joe couldn't let this be their last goodbye. The money was a wonderful donation to a good cause, but once again Joe wasn't allowed to give his own response to it, and he hated that with a deep passion. He certainly wasn't going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. So he rushed to put all the money in a safe box inside the school safe, and then ran out of the building. It had only been about ten minutes, so he had hoped that perhaps the universe would smile on him, and the man he longed to see again would somehow still be here.
Finally, Joe was in luck.
He spotted the unmistakable silhouette of the man who hid at the edges of his mind, across the street, just about to get into a car. Tears streaming down his face, Joe knew he couldn't let this chance, possibly his last chance ever, slip through his fingers. So, without caring for his surroundings, Joe began running towards the car.
Straight into the path of oncoming traffic.
He didn't notice the car at all until it was almost on top of him. And by then it was too late. Or at least he feared it would be. Until a pair of large arms wrapped around him and yanked him safely out of the way of the traffic. Joe's heart was racing, but his mind was solely focused on Le Chiffre, even after what just happened.
"Joe!? Are you alright kiddo? Why'd you do that?" Joe recognised that voice, Brutus, one of Le Chiffre's most trusted guards and henchman, a man Joe had befriended during his time with the other man.
"B-Brutus, I-I had to. I-" Joe tried to continue talking, but another voice interrupted him, the accent and twinge of concern filled anger was unmistakable.
"Joe!? What on earth did you think you were doing!? Brutus is he alright? Check him over." Joe whimpered slightly at that order, feeling suddenly guilty for making both of these people worry so much for him. Brutus checked him over quickly, checking his arms and legs for any obvious injury, as Le Chiffre had instructed him to.
"He's all good, boss." Brutus said, but still held Joe's shoulders firmly, steadying him and keeping him still.
"Well let him go then." Finally, Le Chiffre was in full view of Joe, looking utterly vibrant in the evening light. And at that moment, Joe finally made up his mind about all of it.
This man was his everything. No matter what he had done in his past. He meant the absolute world to Joe. And the second he had hold of him, he would never let him go again.
As soon as Brutus released his shoulders, Joe ran forward again, wrapping his arms tightly around Le Chiffre, and holding on for dear life."Don't leave me, please I'm begging you don't leave me. Not again. Please." His tears were still streaming down his face, but he didn't care, Le Chiffre was back in his arms, he wouldn't let them be separated again.
A deep sigh left Le Chiffre, and the sound alone almost broke Joe's heart. "Mr Connor. This is nothing more than Stockholm Syndrome. I should not have come, for that I am sorry. But I assure you that this is simply a trick of the mind."
Everything about that made Joe furious, but in his current state that just made him cry even more. "Don't say that! Any of it! It's not true and you know it! And don't you dare switch to calling me Mr Connor! Don't you dare! This is not a trick of the mind! I missed you! So don't you dare leave me again! Just don't!" Finally, finally, that got Le Chiffre to wrap his arms around him as well, and hold him gently closer. "Please, please just let us see each other again, properly. Please. And before you say anything else horrible this has nothing to do with money. I just missed you."
Le Chiffre let out a gentle chuckle as he held Joe closer. "Oh you sweet thing. I know it's not about the money. I know my darling, Joe. All the selfless charity work you've done and you thought I'd think it was the money? I know it's not that, Joe, I know."
Joe wanted to snuggle closer, but Le Chiffre chose that moment to move them apart, holding Joe firmly by the shoulders. "Then why. Why won't you let us see each other if it's not that?"
Another deep sigh left the other man. "Because I hurt you Joe. Whether you see it or not. I did."
Again Joe felt furious, and more tears streamed down his face, as he pulled away from Le Chiffre's grip purely to make a point. "You're hurting me now! You're hurting me now, Le Chiffre! More than you ever have before!" Part of him wanted to run, but he knew if he did, he would never have another chance. Also Brutus was still stood right behind him, and would probably have stopped him from running in case he hurt himself. So he did all he could, and turned away towards the bulkier man, only to see him glaring at his boss, almost as if in defense of Joe and what he was saying. And that alone floored Joe. He had Brutus' support in this, and that alone meant so very much to him.
"Joe." It was Le Chiffre's voice, far closer behind him than he expected it to be. "You should call me Jean. That's my real name. And I should have given it to you a long time ago." Joe's heart stuttered as he turned back to face Le Chiffre, Jean, and was enveloped in a tight hug. He happily accepted it, burying his face deep in the man's chest. "I'm sorry, Joe. But I see now, I promise. I won't keep us apart any longer, if it is truly against your wishes." The tears returned in full force, but this time from joy rather than despair. "I've missed you too Joe. I'm so sorry. I won't abandon you ever again I promise." A smile spread across Joe's face as he cuddled closer. "But you have to promise me something in return, Joe."
Joe nodded, even though he was still buried against Jean's chest. "Yes, anything."
"Never, ever, do anything so silly as to run into a road over me. Ever again. Promise it, Joe." Jean was very deadly serious, as he gently moved Joe back from him slightly so that they could make eye contact. "Promise me."
"I promise." Joe breathed out, overwhelmed by the intense look he was being given. Still he managed to force out the rest of the sentence. "B-But only if you promise me something too."
"Anything my darling." Jean said, gently stroking a hand through Joe's curls.
"Never keep us apart again. Ever. No matter what." It was Joe's turn to be deadly serious, and Jean thankfully responded seriously as well.
"You have my word, my love. I promise." Jean slipped his hands from Joe's hair down to gently cup his face.
Then he moved forward and let their lips meet gently in their first kiss, just as sweet and loving as both had ever dared imagine.
Once they broke apart, they both just smiled lovingly at each other, before Jean spoke again. "So, my dear Joe, would you like some help cataloging the donations so you may leave for the night? I would be honored if you would come to dinner with me, my darling."
Joe's eyes lit up with pure joy. "Yes! Yes please, I would love that."
So Jean took Joe's hand in his, and they hurried back to the school together to finish up the paperwork so they could go for a nice meal, finally reunited.
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