Title: Stealing Kisses
By: dragoneye
Rating: T
Written because: I was asked to write a sequel by some crazy people cough Karlee and Sarah and Kate and Kelly cough

Disclaimer: These characters are, quite unfortunately, not mine. They belong to Disney, who borrowed them from Meg Cabot. I only get to play with them…

Author's Notice: I have this thing about starting each new part with the main character (in that part)'s name, so don't think it's bad word choice on my part; it's my thing.

oooo

Clarisse sighed in blissful happiness. Meandering through her expansive gardens while holding her husband's hand was one of her favorite pastimes. She looked around at her surroundings: well-trimmed shrubs, perfectly mown lawns, blooming roses, merrily-bubbling fountains, gardeners carting their tools away as they noticed her approaching, Charlotte walking Maurice, and—

"Clarisse." Joseph's voice broke into her observations. He pointed to the palace door, where she noticed her Head of Security striding towards her aide and her dog.

"Told you so." Clarisse smirked a bit.

Suddenly Joseph grinned. "Wanna spy on them?"

"How old are you, twelve?"

"No, I just want to make sure he's treating her properly."

Clarisse laughed. "You want to see if they'll kiss or not."

"How did you know?"

She tapped her nose. "I know everything."

oooo

Charlotte smiled as Shades walked up to her. "Neglecting your duties?"

"No, just checking up on you." He looked longingly at her.

"What?"

He looked away. "Nothing."

She smiled knowingly. "Shades…"

"Wanna race?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I bet I can beat you to that tree." He indicated said tree.

Charlotte looked down at her skirt and heels. "I don't know…" But then she grinned. She kicked off her heels, bent down to whisper in Maurice's ear, then straightened up and hiked up her skirt. Shades's eyes widened. She punched his shoulder.

He cleared his throat. "Okay then. Ready, set—"

Maurice bounded off with a bark.

oooo

Clarisse heard her dog bark, then looked up and saw him racing towards her. She gasped and pulled Joseph down into a bush next to the tree Maurice was running towards. He protested slightly, saying something about "my knee!", but she hushed him while faintly wondering what, exactly, she was doing.

oooo

Charlotte laughed and sprinted off after the dog. Shades ran after her with a shout. She laughed as she threw out her arms to avoid hitting the tree. Shades nearly crashed into her. She giggled and turned around to face him. "I win!" she exclaimed breathlessly.

"No you didn't."

"I did too, you were all the way back there—" Charlotte gestured with her arms indignantly.

"No, Maurice won."

"Well he had a head start."

Shades let his eyes drift down her body. Charlotte felt her heart pound from something other than physical exertion.

"Actually Shades, I think you won," she said suddenly.

"Me? What?"

"Yes, you." She grabbed him by the tie and pulled him close so his face was millimeters from her own. "You win." She pulled him the remaining distance and crushed her lips to his.

oooo

Clarisse gasped when her normally stoic and composed assistant seized her Head of Security and kissed him. Joseph instantly clapped his hand over her mouth, shushing her while eyeing the younger couple intently. Clarisse thought it wrong to intrude on such a private moment, but at the sight of Shades's hands wandering dangerously high on Charlotte's torso, she could not help but feel amused. But then she realized that she was watching Charlotte and Shades KISS! She should not be watching like they were characters in a movie! Wrenching her eyes away from the spectacle, Clarisse prodded her husband. He turned around and she gestured for him to getup. Joseph's knees cracked painfully as he did. Clarisse grabbed his hand and led him quietly away.

oooo

Mia strolled down the garden path with her arm around her fiancé. Suddenly, she noticed her grandmother and Joseph seemingly sneaking away from something. Mia grinned and dragged Nicholas in their direction so she could see what they were up to. However, she stopped short when she found her Head of Security pressing her aide up against a tree and kissing her voraciously.

"SHUT UP!"

oooo

Shades jumped away from his lover as he heard Mia's exclamation. He looked to his queen, then back to Charlotte. She was blushing profusely and attempting to straighten her shirt and hair. He cleared his throat.

Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte could see Clarisse and Joseph freeze, then look back at her and Shades. She felt herself blush even more.

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP!" Mia was nearly dancing with excitement. Words came tumbling out of her mouth. "I knew when I walked in on you kissing last week it was awesome but now you're out in the open and making out against a tree and probably getting it on when we're not looking and—"

Clarisse couldn't believe her granddaughter was acting so impudently and immaturely. But then she noticed Charlotte's eyes widening in shock and tried to suppress a smirk.

"—and if you get married then would you please still work for me Charlotte and be in Parliament because I'm hopeless without you, and you and Shades are so awesome and you could have SUCH cute kids and you'd be a good mom and—I'll just shut up now…" She looked down sheepishly at her grandmother's firm glare.

Charlotte felt her strength leave her. As if having Queen Mia catch her and Shades wasn't enough, Queen Clarisse had to be there too! She sagged against the tree.

Clarisse cleared her throat. "Well, I think… erm… well then…"

"Sorry bout that," Shades said gruffly. "I'll just… y'know… get back to work…" And he left very quickly, Charlotte staring after him unbelievably. He was just going to leave her there?

Joseph grinned. "I guess I don't have to work about where he goes at night anymore."

Charlotte's head snapped up from where she had been inspecting her bare feet. "Where—where he is at night?"

"Oh yes, why just last night I went to ask him about his security plans for the Summer Festival, but he wasn't in his room. I'll go ask him now." He left.

Nicholas looked around nervously. "I've… I'll… I'm expecting a phone call, gotta go." He left just as quickly as the two men before him.

Charlotte eyed her two queens warily. Her blush had receded a bit since the men were no longer there.

"So Charlotte, how long have you and Shades been—you know—"

She felt the blush return and found she could no longer look at Queen Mia.

"We're not… he's just… nothing happened…"

Clarisse scoffed. "Charlotte, that was far from 'nothing'."

Charlotte inspected her toes. "I don't know why… how much did you see?"

"Everything."

Mia gasped, her eyes widening. "Grandma! You were spying on them!"

"It was Joseph's idea!"

"Oh sure Grandma, blame it on the guy who's not here. Nice."

Clarisse huffed. "Well it was. I was merely an… onlooker."

"Accomplice, more like." Mia grinned and sidestepped Clarisse's swipe at her. Then she got back to the matter at hand. "So, Charlotte, I saw you and Shades kissing the day before Valentine's Day." She laughed at the surprised look on the older woman's face, then told her story. "I went to your room last week to ask you something, I can't remember what now, but I forgot to knock—" Clarisse snorted at this—"oh very ladylike Grandma. Anyways I didn't knock, and I walked in and found you and Shades 'getting it on' on the couch!"

Charlotte blanched. Mia had SEEN them? Oh dear lord.

"And I still think you're a really cute couple." Mia grinned. "He's such a hunk! You're one lucky gal, Charlotte!"

Charlotte let a small smile escape her. "Yes. Yes, I suppose I am."

Clarisse smiled broadly. "What's that song called, 'The Lusty Month of May'? Very lustful for you and Shades, don't you think?"

Charlotte and Mia both gasped, Charlotte blushing again and Mia laughing loudly. "Grandma! That sounds like something I'd say! That was so great!" Then she turned to Charlotte, who looked horrified. "Oh Charlotte, the love between a man and a woman is holy too, don't worry." She hugged the older woman. "Plus, now we can triple-date!"

"Heaven help us," Clarisse said, and the three women made their way inside.

THE END

Well, hope you enjoyed! Reviews are greatly appreciated!