"She's in surgery right now. It doesn't look good she's lost a lot of blood but he's refusing to give up. Come with me to the hospital?" Joe said to Clarisse after he hung up.

"Ok let's tell the others."

When they came down the stairs, Mia was in tears watching the television. The press it seemed hadn't missed a detail of that night's events. She rushed into her grandmother's arms sobbing as if she were five.

"It's all right my darling. Joe, Paul and your Ragu saved me. I'm fine."

"Is Ch-Ch Charlotte ok?"

"We don't know Princess we are going to the hospital now. Charlotte needs everyone together to get her through this. You coming?" Joe said tenderly.

"The car's running." Angelo informed them from the kitchen.

They all packed into the car and set to the hospital each saying a little prayer that Charlotte would make it.

When they arrived at Genovia General they found Dominic pacing in the waiting room. His eyes bloodshot from crying and he latched onto Joe like he was lifeboat. He too sobbed like a child.

"Joe what if she dies? I've loved her for so long I can't think of losing her."

"Hey stop being an idiot, you think she'll let you off the hook that easily? Come on God will see her through this one and then you better put a ring on that finger."

Mia couldn't help but cry more intensely. The sight of a man as big as a mountain sobbing uncontrollably was nearly enough to send her over the edge. Thankfully the surgeon came out of the room.

"Mr. Ragussa? Oh your Majesty." He said slightly bowing to her.

"Yes doctor how is she?"

"The bullet penetrated her chest just two inches from her heart. Luckily it missed the major arteries. She made it through surgery but my only concern is that her body recover from all the blood she lost. Had you not reacted when you did Mr. Ragussa, it would've been enough to take her life. She's in recovery now and asleep. As soon as we get her into a room then you may go into see her. As her husband you have the right to allow in one other person at a time."

The doctor walked back into the room in which he came from and Joe laughed at him for taking on role of Charlotte's husband. It seemed as if things would slowly go back to normal.

A month later...

"What a rock! I knew the man ran a successful business, I didn't know it was a diamond mine." Joe said admiring Charlotte's ring.

She blushed at the comment. Clarisse, Joseph, Dom, Charlotte, Angelo, and Angelo's significant other named Rosie sat at the table talking after dinner. The experience had drawn them all closer. Mia had returned to school but not without a promise that Joe would stay at the palace and come visit her during the year. The day that Charlotte had come home, they threw her a big party and Dom had proposed on the spot. She had accepted only on the basis that he take her out a few times first.

Clarisse and Angelo had spent a lot of time talking and she found him to be a trusted friend. She held no grudge against him for keeping the truth from her but insisted that he speak freely to her after that. Angelo and Rosie became frequent visitors at the palace. She found out that he wasn't a coach but had a strong desire to become one. A week later, Clarisse spoke to the head of the PE department at Genovia Junior High and got him a job as a basketball coach. His dream had come true.

Dominic, Angelo, and Joseph were all given medals of honor for extraordinary bravery and service to the crown. Charlotte was awarded the first ever Queen's National Heroine Medal of Honor for her undercover work and for the injuries she sustained. Despite the fact that she was still Clarisse's servant and assistant, the two become very close and she was only to act formal around guests at the palace.

Clarisse and Joseph had spent the majority of their time in those few weeks trying to fix the things that were broken. It seemed that everything was repaired except for their relationship. Luckily they were never in the same room together for longer than five minutes. Shades had been assigned to guard the queen until Joseph came back full time. No one wanted to push the two into anything too quickly.

Valentine's Day

"Your Majesty I will be gone for the remainder of the day. I promised Angelo that I'd help him finish painting the deck on his new house. I'll have my cell phone on if you need anything."

"Thank you Joseph. I'm sure I'll be quite all right." She smiled sincerely and went back to her paperwork.

The phone rang a moment later. It had to be Mia as Charlotte always asked permission to patch others through.

"Good Morning Darling!"

"Evening is more like it."

"Sometimes I think I'm getting old. I always seem to forget the time difference. To what do I owe the call?"

"I thought I'd call you before Lily and I went out for the night. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh I'd completely forgotten. How thoughtful you are. How is Lily?"

"Great she's trying to convince Fat Louie that her suitcase isn't a new bed."

"Oh how funny! But what's this you're going out with Lily and not Michael?"

"Michael and I decided to keep our dating options open. He's actually in Canada now touring with his band."

"Oh Mia I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. We're better off as friends. My prince charming will come along eventually after all I'm only 19."

Clarisse and Mia chatted a few minutes longer and then she released her to go out. She wished she had remembered that it was Valentine's day perhaps she could give Joseph a gift. She thought it over and then shook the idea from her head. There wasn't any point to showering him with gifts when they still hadn't resolved their differences. She threw herself back into her work for the day and tried to forget about it.

Later that night...

Clarisse closed her book and yawned. She'd been reading for nearly two hours. She'd never admit it to anyone other than Charlotte and Mia but she loved romance books. Not the trashy books that had a Fabio-looking misrepresentation of lust but ones with mystery and true love being set free. She had just finished a rather heated bedroom scene between Roberta and The Count of DuLane. The sensation was still very much alive within her despite the fact that it had been longer than a decade since she'd had a physical relationship.

Clarisse lay down on her extraordinarily large bed, reaching over to light the candle near her. The peach colored satin pajamas enveloped her skin. She wondered if Joseph had returned as he hadn't been there when she went upstairs for the night. Lying there she began to hum a familiar tune.

Who can explain it who can tell you why

Fools give you reasons

Wise men never try

"Some enchanted evening when you hear her laughing, when you hear her call you across a crowded room. Then rush to her side and make her your own. Or all through your life, you maydream all alone."

Clarisse could only think that she was dreaming. A moment later Joseph stepped out of the darkness of her window dressed in his usual black leather jacket and gloves. In his hand one red carnation; Clarisse's most adored flower. He slowly sat beside her but never took his eyes from hers, taking her hand and wrapping it around the stem of the flower and then his own tightly around hers.

"Once you have found her never let her go. Once you have found her, never- let- her- gooooo."

As he finished singing to her he stroked his hand through her soft red hair and pulled her to him kissing her with a passion that was neither forceful, nor demanding. Truly she'd never been kissed that way before.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Clarisse."

"Oh is it?" She teased.

"Mmm hmm. I need to tell you something."

"Oh?"

"I love you. I love you more than a queen, more than a friend, more than is legal in any land of any country. And part of loving you is wanting to show that love to you physically. I've dreamed of making love to you even when it was against God to do it. But I've also realized as time's progressed that I can't force you into anything nor would I want to."

She started to speak but he quickly silenced her.

"Listen, at one time there's a part of me that would've taken you any way I could've had you. If that meant that I could only have the physical side and not your love I would've taken that but there isn't any way my love could be kept at bay. I need you."

"I need you too. I'm just scared of everything. Some might laugh but being a queen is frightfully easy for me. It's being a human, being just a regular woman that baffles me."

"I know that too. So we just continue as friends. Just as close as we were before. I will not hint around romance, nor will I make you uncomfortable with my feelings. When you are ready, if you're ready I will then take this to the next level but I want you to be sure when you come to me. Rest assured my dear that I will not abandon you again so if it takes waiting forever, I shall do it."

She didn't know what to say but she knew he meant what he was saying. Her mind screamed to tell him now but her heart knew she had a long journey ahead. She didn't want to resist him again and she knew that if she gave in now, she'd run later.

"I won't make you wait forever dear Joseph."

"Until then my love. Our love with bask in the shadows and our friendship will gleam in the sunlight."

He kissed her lips one more time and when he pulled away the image in his eyes reflected the promise of tomorrow.

THE END