A/N: A bit of angst, but mostly fluff and a bit of smut.


Clarisse sighed as the heat of the water began to soak into her body, relaxing her tension filled muscles. Hearing music coming from the other room, she smiled. Joe was up to something.

"What's that smile for?" his soft voice broke into her thoughts.

"I was thinking of you."

"And just what were you thinking of me?"

"Oh, just how romantic you are and how much I love you," she murmured.

"Are you ready to get out now?" Joe asked, standing with a soft and warm towel held out for her to step into.

Clarisse sighed as she stood up and stepped out into Joe's outstretched arms that immediately wrapped her in the warmth and softness of the towel. "Ooh, nice."

"Very." Joe whispered as he gently began to pat her body dry.

Clarisse closed her eyes on a sigh. This was heavenly. She loved how gentle Joe always was when touching her. Opening her eyes, she looked down at him, her eyes misty. She caressed a hand over his head. "Where is my robe?"

Joe smiled as he finished. "You won't need your robe. Just a towel." He picked up another warm towel and wrapped it around her.

Clarisse arched an eyebrow at him and cocked her head to one side. "And just why do I not need my robe?"

"You will see. Patience, Rissee." His voice was low and seductive.

A shiver ran up Clarisse's back. "I can't wait."

"Come on then, Darling." Joe lifted her into his arms and made his way into the bedroom.

"Oh Joseph," she breathed as she looked around their bedroom. A fire burned warmly in the fireplace. Its soft orange light mixing with the moonlight, streaming in the French doors, was the only light in the room.

Joe kissed her temple before laying her on the bed. "Roll onto your stomach, Darling," he gently instructed her as he unwrapped the towel.

Clarisse smiled. She knew what he was going to do now, a massage. Situating herself on her stomach, she heard him removing his clothes and shivered with the anticipation of feeling his skin against hers as his hands worked their magic on her body.

Joe picked up the warmed massage oil, pouring some into the palm of his hand then rubbing it against the other palm. "Where do you want me to start? Your feet or back?"

"My back."

"As you wish." He smiled as he carefully sat over her on the bed.

The scent of rose filled Clarisse's senses. "My favorite."

"I know. It's always been my favorite too."

She closed her eyes. "Mmm," she moaned at the feel of the warm oil and Joe's hands against her skin.

"I'm sorry for earlier, Rissee."

Clarisse looked at him over her shoulder. "What are you apologizing for?"

"The talk we had out by Joey's tree. It wasn't the proper place for that."

"On the contrary, ooh," she moaned as Joe moved over a particularly sensitive spot on her lower back. "I think that was the perfect place. We have never actually talked about what happened then and why we grew apart. It was something we needed to do, and the best place was right there under Joey's tree. It was, after all, his death that was the beginning of the end of our relationship for so many years."

Moving from Clarisse's arms to her legs, Joe sighed, "Yes, it was. I wanted to hold you so many times over the years when thoughts of our son would invade my memory, but I was too afraid, and we had grown so far apart."

Clarisse sighed when Joe kissed the soles of her feet, signaling that he was finished. Carefully rolling onto her back, she held out her arms to him. "I'll hold you now," she whispered.

Joe moved into Clarisse's arms. "I love you."

With his body cradled in her arms, Clarisse felt Joe relax against her as warm tears dropped onto her chest. "Oh, Darling. You never really grieved for Joey, did you?"

Joe leaned up on his elbow, his cheeks wet with tears. "No. You were in the hospital, so close to me losing you, that all I could think about was praying for you to live. Then, when I brought you back here, I wanted to be strong for you. After we returned to Genovia, I took on all the work that was available and tamped the grief down as far inside as I could."

Wiping the tears from his cheeks, Clarisse moved her hands to the back of his head and pulled him closer. "You don't have to tamp it down now. Even when we go home, any time you miss Joey, come to me and we'll miss him together." She touched his lips tenderly.

Joe smoothed the hair from her forehead, placed a soft kiss on her nose then relaxed back in her embrace, his head resting on her shoulder. Clasping her hand in his, their fingers entwined, he was perfectly content just to be in her arms.

Sighing in pure contentment, Clarisse let her fingers lazily trace over Joe's back as the soft music continued to fill the room. She loved this c.d. and hadn't realized that Joe had brought it with them. The next song was the one they had made love to the night of Mia's coronation.

That night had been much the same as this. Joe had known it was an emotional day for her, and knowing that she was tense, had given her a warm bath followed by one of his wonderful massages. Then, oh yes, then they had made love until the wee hours of the morning.

"Claire de Lune." Joe whispered as his finger drew a path up her arm, over her shoulder, down her neck and over the swell of her breast causing Clarisse to shiver. Gently grabbing her hip, he turned her onto her side so they were facing each other. "Everything will be alright." He held her gaze, his fingers tracing the contours of her beautiful face.

"Really?" she questioned as she moved closer to the warmth of his body.

"Yes, I promise. I've contacted the best men in the business. They'll take care of it. They know how to reach me in Genovia without drawing suspicion."

She nodded her head and sighed as his hand trailed down to cup her breast. "I dread going home. I have this bad feeling that Parliament has done something behind our backs."

"Probably, knowing them, but we'll handle it." Joe kissed her gently, his fingers tracing circles that grew ever closer to her taut nipple.

"Ooh," her breath hitched as he dipped his head and took the rosy peak into his mouth. His tongue could do such wicked things.

Joe, taking one last gentle nip at the flesh he held in his mouth, let it slip free then ran his nose up over the swell of soft flesh, up Clarisse's regal neck until he was staring into her darkening blue eyes. Pushing against her, he rolled them over, positioning himself on top of her.

Clarisse shifted beneath him, her legs moving apart to cradle his lower body. Smiling as she held his gaze, she rested her hand on his neck, gently rubbing it with her thumb. How could just a touch, a look, arouse her so?

"Clarisse, mi amor, mi cuerpo anhela la sensación de su calor que la rodea. Le deseo." His voice was low and husky as he slowly pushed his hips forward, slipping inside the warmth he craved.

Clarisse's body arched into him, a soft moan escaping her lips. "Le deseo tanto, yo me siento como me ardo. Ámeme, Joe."

Her words, spoken in his native tongue, burned through him causing a low groan to make its way past his lips. Wrapping her supple body in his arms, drawing her to him, Joe moved his hips slowly in perfect rhythm with the music that had somehow seeped back into his senses.

Tender, slow and exquisite, his thrusts thrilled her, touching that part of her that was so illusive – her soul. No one had ever touched her soul the way Joe could. He had always been able to break through the defenses she'd built up over the years, touching her soul with his words and gentle care, and now, mmm. Yes, now he could touch her soul deeper with each thrust of his body inside hers.

"Please," she panted out as she felt the now familiar tingling start to spread through her body.

As the music swelled, Joe's thrusts picked up the pace in their rhythm, becoming faster and harder as the swell of the song grew in its intensity. His hand brushed over her ribs, once again claiming her breast, his fingers tweaking the nipple with a slight tug causing Clarisse to cry out and arch into him.

"Esto es él, Rissee... dejó va seguirme," he breathed, his dark green eyes burning into her gaze.

Pulling Joe's face down to hers, Clarisse wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pressed her lips to his as all thoughts left her and her body took over, giving in and following Joe in a shattering release.

Slowly, softly, the music slowed, coming down from its peak as the lovers' bodies followed. Joe, his head resting against Clarisse's, heaved a sigh of pure and utter contentment.

"It does that every time," he finally murmured against the slick skin of her neck.

Clarisse, loving the feel of her husband resting on top of her, wrapped her legs and arms tighter around him when she felt him slipping to the side thanks to the sweat slicked skin of their bodies. "I know," she whispered, her fingers gently combing the hair at the nape of his neck. "I always got goose bumps just listening to the song before because I could feel the passion and knew that I'd never experienced anything like it. But now I have, and so much more." She smiled when he lifted his head and looked at her with love filled eyes.

Caressing the damp hair from her forehead, Joe kissed her
tenderly. "When I would hear Claire de Lune, I always thought of you and imagined making love to you." He wiped a tear that had suddenly rolled down her cheek. "But nothing I ever imagined came anywhere near the reality."

"Oh Joseph," she whispered as more tears slipped from her eyes. "Te amo."

"Te amo... tanto más que lo hice ayer. Mi Rissee... mi esposa." A smile crossed his face as he watched her trying to hide a yawn. Pulling himself from her arms, legs and body, Joe stood up and lifted the edges of the towel to gently pat the perspiration from Clarisse's body. Satisfied, he nudged her to move and pulled the towel out from under her.

Clarisse watched Joe, her eyes drooping with sleep. "Hurry. I'm cold and lonely."

Joe chuckled and dropped the towel to the floor. Climbing back into the bed, he pulled her close and drew the blankets over them. "Sleep well, Rissee."

"Mmm, I will thanks to my lover," she murmured before letting sleep finally claim her.