A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers... you all rock!

The Princess Diaries don't belong to me!

After Mia left- to find Nicholas and initiate a snowball fight involving them, Charlotte, Lily, Kip Kelly and, with some luck, her Uncle Pierre- Clarisse pottered aimlessly around the suite, taking a shower when the maids were cleaning up from breakfast (she didn't need their sympathetic glances when they collected Joseph's unused dishes OR the knowledge that rumours would soon again start spreading around the palace) and being absorbed (or pretending to be) in a book when they brought in her mid morning cup of tea, yet there still was no sign of Joseph, a fact she continued to brood on as the morning progressed and lunchtime was approaching- would he be back then, or would he stay away?

Her lack of knowledge in knowing what he would do was disconcerting, but it was something she had always loved about him- compared to Rupert and the other men she was acquainted with, he was delightfully unpredictable and he had never felt guilty about standing up to her over the years- she had loved it, even when it had annoyed her, and now... she was afraid of what she was going to say, but she knew she had to hear it.

It was almost lunchtime- when they were due to meet Mia, Nicholas and their previous evening's guests for lunch- when Clarisse, who had been trying unsuccessfully to read her book, heard the suite door open and close softly and she immediately turned around to see Joseph standing there, looking remarkably calm and composed... and holding a suitcase in each hand.

"Joseph?" she gasped, suddenly feeling sad and resigned- he had obviously decided that their relationship wasn't worth saving- but before she could say anything, he gave her a slight smile.

"No, my dear, I'm not leaving you," he correctly read her expression and she let out her breath in relief.

"Then why..." she began before he stopped her with a look and she promptly shut her mouth, not wanting to provoke yet another argument.

"I think that it might be... beneficial...if you and I left the palace and the royal court for a few days..." he began hesitantly, wondering if she would fight him on this but he was surprised to discover that she was nodding vigorously.

"Yes, I think so too... only... where would we go? The beach house, while our ultimate destination, would be too cold and..."

"I already have that all figured out," he said calmly as he moved to join her in the middle of the room. "All we need to do is pack and we're on our way."

"So soon?" she gasped and he frowned slightly.

"Do you have a problem with that?" he challenged, not wanting an argument but wanting Clarisse to realize the seriousness of the situation- he didn't want to lose her, but he also didn't want her to feel as though she was trapped in a relationship she didn't want to be in, particularly with someone who wasn't in the same league of a King. "Tell me now if you don't want to go."

"No, I definitely want to go," she said easily, taking one of the suitcases from his hand (and it was from her luggage, she noticed) and headed towards the bedroom, pausing in the doorway to turn and look at him. "Actually..." she began shyly. "Mia as good as kicked us out a couple of hours ago... apparently, she doesn't want to hear from us for at least a week."

"Really?" he was impressed at his granddaughter's ingenuity. "I think Pierre was trying to do the same thing, albeit more tactfully..." he replied, recalling Pierre's gentle probing earlier when they had met in the library.

0

"Are you and Mother alright?" Pierre began tactfully after a brief discussion on Mia and how they both thought she was going.

"We're fine...in a way..." Joe replied gruffly, mortified that, despite his brave words the previous evening (maybe he had had too much to drink), everyone did know they were having problems... and he shouldn't have said anything. "I really shouldn't say anything... Clarisse IS your mother..."

"Yes, but I am also your stepson and, hopefully, a friend... whatever you say to me won't go any further."

I love your mother... it's just that..."

"She can be a perfectionist at times... but you have BOTH been working too hard," he looked his stepfather with probing eyes and Joseph realized that HE was just as much at fault as his wife. "I haven't been home too long, Joe, but I have heard things...and I have been looking around, watching...including you two."

"Even me?"

"Even YOU, Mr Inscruitable Former Head of Security," Pierre teased. "You are especially easy to read whenever you're thinking about my mother or any issues regarding her."

"I never realized I was so easy to read," Joe grumbled but he wasn't seriously annoyed.

"Only when it comes to Mother," Pierre grinned before turning serious. "So, you and her... what's going on? Last night, you both seemed very tense."

Joseph sighed heavily, slightly embarrased that Clarisse's own son was inquiring about their marriage, but he somehow didn't seem like a son at this moment in time.

"We're having a little trouble," he admitted.

"Most married couples, particularly during the first year of marriage," Pierre looked at him, unsurprised as he sat down on the edge of a nearby chair.

"Well, we've been having problems since October, when she decided to go to Paris with Mia."

"Yes, that wouldn't have been easy on you... but Amelia did need her then, and I believe she did ask her to go."

"Yes, I know- her going didn't bother me, it was that she had made the decision to go without my input... and then after that, everything just escalated," he sighed and looked away from Pierre. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's alright, it's part of what I do," Pierre smiled before he turned sober again. "However, whatever has happened between you and Mama, you need to sort it out... no, don't get defensive on me!" he raised a calming hand to stop Joseph from responding furiously. "

Mother has always been independent and strong- I guess she really didn't have any choice, particularly once my father was too sick to make the decisions, so it will take her time to realize that she doesn't have to make all the decisions on her own... but you were just as bad as her, Joe and there have been several times where I have been tempted to bang your heads together!

You have had to go through so much to be together, and now that you are, you're letting a few silly issues, your pride and her stubborness destroy what could be a very happy marriage! So, I advise you and Mother to get away from ere and talk out your problems- you two are meant to be together," he finished softly with a warm smile, and Joseph couldn't help but smile sheepishly back.

"That's what I was planning on doing... and thank you."

"Good, then go and pack... it may take my mother a little longer..." he smiled briefly before sobering up again. "But as long as you are both serious about fixing whatever has gone wrong, you can sneak out of here while Mia and I distract the guests... and we're both behind you, as are quite a few people."

0

"Pierre was always wise beyond his years," Clarisse said reflectively, her eyes distant as he stepped closer to her.

"He learned that from you, he said gently as she looked at him with wide eyes. "You are very much alike in a lot of ways, even you thought that he was more like Rupert."

"True, I always thought we were similiar... even though Rupert completely disowned him and didn't allow me to talk about him..."

There was a pause, not antagonistic yet not quite peaceful, between them until he finally spoke up in a much gentler voice that he had used previously.

"So... about this trip of ours... do YOU really want to go? We don't have to if you feel uncomfortable about leaving Mia or don't want to..."

"Let's do it," she said with a slightly shy, timid smile, meeting his eyes directly for a moment before disappearing into the bedroom. "How soon do you want me to be ready?"

"How soon CAN you be ready?" he responded as he followed her into the bedroom with the other case, meaning to be teasing and lighten the mood between them, but he was surprised when she paused to look at him with raw, naked emotion in her eyes.

"As soon as possible... the sooner we get out of here, the better, only..." her expression lightened. "Again, where ARE we going?" and he chuckled.

"Again, you're going have to wait and see."

0

An hour later, after packing, swallowing a quick lunch and saying farewell to Mia and Pierre (who had been chatting together with Mia and Nicholas, and gave each other a triumphant look when they discovered Clarisse and Joseph were leaving), they were on the road, accompanied by another car, heading north and sitting in silence, not touching but they both knew that they were more comfortable with each other than they had been in a long time.

It was only almost an hour into their trip when the cars turned off the main road and began heading down the freshly ploughed track and into the woods and she was puzzling about where they were- they were still on palace grounds- but when she saw a wooden cabin fast approaching in her view, she gasped... it couldn't be...

"Are you alright?" he inquired solicitiously and she took a shaky breath in and let it out slowly before she smiled at him.

"I'm fine... fine... but …..how...?"

"As you pointed out, the beach house is too cold and too exposed, the Winter Palace..." he made a face- once the royal court was gone, members of parliament would stay there for their holidays. "And there aren't too many places we can go where privacy is assured with you around, my darling..."

Clarisse blushed at his words and the almost caress in his voice- it had been so long since he had called her that, in exactly that way, and she had missed it.

"...so, this was the closest, most convenient, most likely place where we could enjoy some privacy... unless you don't want to stay, which I understand completely."

"No, no, I want to stay... it's just that there's so many memories here..." her eyes filled with tears- this was the place where Pierre had wrestled with his decision to stay or not to stay to become King; where Phillipe had been returning from on that fateful day in April; and where, after she had decided to leave Rupert for a week after he had yet again cheated on her (and the newspapers were plastering the news on the front pages of all the papers), she and Joseph had spent a week talking by the fire and playing chess, before eventually declaring their love for each other., as well as the other, occasional times when they had visited for the day...

It was Joseph's own personal property, his retreat when he went on his rare vacations, but he had generously allowed the royal family to use it when necessary... and now they were there to repair their fractured marriage.

"Clarisse," he regarded her gently as the car came to a stop. "We don't have to stay."

"I WANT to!" she cried, a solitary tear rolling down her cheek as she met his eyes. "You know how important this place is to me, and how many memories have come from this place... is that why you wanted to come here?"

"Yes," he said finally, softly, his head bowed. "I don't want to pressure you, I never have, but you were always more comfortable here than anywhere else...I know this is where Pierre wrestled with his conscience, where Phillipe spent his last days and where we... we began our own love story,, but I thought...it was simple, it's away from the rest of the world (aside from our ever present guards) and it's ours..." he emphasised that word strongly. "However, if this place makes you too sad..."

"NO!" Clarisse shook her head and reached over to grab his hand. "Her is perfect... this is yours..."

"Ours," he corrected.

"Our little place... it's so isolated and private... just seeing this place has reminded me of just how much we, the Renaldis, owe you."

"You don't owe me anything," he said quickly. "It had been my pleasure to have MY home considered a haven or refuge for your family... I very rarely used it, but I'm glad that others could... and now, hopefully, we will be able to use it as our own getaway."

"But this isn't just a simple getaway, is it Joseph?"

"No," he agreed. "But, it also isn't a refuge from an angry, cheating husband."

"Then what is it?" she challenged him, but instead of being exasperated at yet agains she had jumped to conclusions, he looked at her, unperturbed, his gaze almost caressing her all over.

"It's... it's a place where Joseph and Clarisse can get to know each other again and, hopefully, fall in love with each other again," he said simply and her eyes again filled with tears before he leaned over and kissed her briefly. "That's a good enough reason for being here, isn't it?"

She nodded dumbly, more than slightly overwhelmed at her emotions, the memories seeing the cabin had evoked and the fact that they were finally alone together again (as well as the fact that he had kissed her) before he squeezed her hand, reminding of her of where they were- and that there was another snow fall outside the car, cooling the atmosphere in the silent car.

"Come on, sweetheart," he said in a gentle voice as she (despite what she had said about Queens never sliding), slid over the seat towards him, the icy wind from his open door reminding her of where they were. "Let's go inside... there's a roaring fire waiting for us and, after some tea, we can talk."

"We can?" she croaked.

"We can," he affirmed, brown eyes on blue and they both suddenly felt a twinge of hope- maybe, possibly, things WOULD work out for them and they could make it through this rocky patch... neither of them could bear the thought of the alternative...