A/N: Thanks to my readers and reviewers- you all rock!
The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!
"I'm sorry?" Clarisse repeated in disbelief, her mind whirling as she struggled to understand what Joseph had asked. "Joseph, what do you mean?"
"I think you know what I mean," he said calmly, his nerves having disappeared the moment he had asked her the question- now it was up to her to respond.
"Well...I...I don't know what to say," she stammered, her cheeks flushing, her heart racing and the room suddenly felt too warm to her... and what frustrated her was that Joseph was watching her, a calm expression on his face- why WASN'T he nervous? Why was SHE, the usually calm and unflappable Queen of Genovia, was the one getting flustered and turning into a stammering wreck?
"Why?" she finally said and he chuckled.
"You're asking me WHY I'm asking you out on a date, or why I'm not reacting like you are?"
"Both," she said, shuffling papers on her desk.
"I'll admit I was nervous when I asked you that- I had been thinking about it for a while but I only had the chance to see you tonight... you have been busy."
"Indeed I have," she agreed.
"So I thought I would do it tonight...as for WHY I asked you, my girlfriend..."
"Girlfriend!?" Clarisse spluttered, her face turning red again. "Girlfriend?! I am definitely too old to be considered a 'girlfriend'- too old... why, I've never been a girlfriend- I was never Rupert's... it's simply ridiculous..."
She would have continued rambling on, her nervousness increasing with every word, but Joseph suddenly leaned over and put a hand on top of hers.
"Clarisse."
"What," she finally looked at him again.
"Be quiet."
She looked momentarily shocked at his words and his audacity, although he didn't seem angry- very few people had dared to say that to her, and Rupert hadn't been as tender when he had done it- but after a moment, his hand still resting on hers, she began to relax.
"Do you really have a problem with me considering you my girlfriend?" he asked soberly- if she was ashamed at the thought of her being his girlfriend...
"No!" she said instantly before smiling. "It just seems like a ridiculous term, that's all."
"Almost as ridiculous as considering ME your boyfriend?" he teased and she chuckled.
"The terms are ridiculous... they don't really apply to us at our age, do they?"
"They might sound strange but, technically, it's true- if we're a couple, we are... boyfriend and girlfriend."
"I could get used to that," Clarisse mused. "So... what was your purpose of asking me out on a...date?"
"Quite simple- our roles in life may be more unusual than most, but I want our relationship to be normal and progress at a more regular pace."
"Isn't it a bit late for that? I mean...we've already shared a few... kisses..." she trailed off, blushing again- WHY was she so embarrassed at the intimate moments they had shared?
"True, but I want us out of the study, out of our titles and responsibilities, and just be ourselves- Joseph and Clarisse, a couple who are exploring their relationship, getting to know each other better, moving forward..."
"Alright," Clarisse suddenly interrupted him. "I accept your kind invitation," she added formally, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I WAS wondering... what are you planning, considering I cannot leave the grounds without being mobbed... and my Head of Security won't be too pleased if that happens."
"No he wouldn't , but I'm sure he'd find a way to help your boyfriend if he could..." as Clarisse giggled at the way he was talking about himself in the third person. "However, you don't have to worry, we won't be leaving the grounds."
"Where?"
"You will find that out on the day/night in question."
"When?"
"You'll just have to wait and see," he said with a mysterious smile, before he lifted her hand to his lips and she thrilled to the touch of his lips on her hand and the fact that they were going to go out on a 'date'. "Anyway..."
"Anyway..." she stalled for a moment, wanting to enjoy the personal moment before pulling her hand away. "We had better be moving on with our work."
"Of course..." he pulled his hand away. "But it's a date?"
He was again a little nervous, but it was Clarisse's turn to reassure him and she did.
"It's a date," she affirmed with a warm smile.
000
The word 'date' remained in Clarisse's mind for the next couple of days- it had been rather difficult to focus on their security briefing after Joseph had asked her, as well as when she was doing her other work (she could only imagine what the members of parliament would say if they knew)- but she couldn't help but chuckle to herself when, the next time she called, Mia practically shrieked that she and Michael were going out on a date that very weekend.
"That's wonderful dear," Clarisse managed to say when Mia finally allowed her to speak- Mia certainly did love to talk, she thought fondly as she listened to her. "Where are you planning on going?"
"We're probably going to go to a movie and have a pizza afterwards," Mia mused. "Maybe Lily and Jeremiah will join us..."
"Oh? Are Lily and... Jeremiah a couple?" Clarisse wasn't used to a teenage girl confiding in her.
"Lily says they're not, but I think so... What do you think?"
"I don't know who Jeremiah is..."
"No, not that! Should we ask Lily and Jeremiah to join us?"
"Well," Clarisse began carefully. "Did Michael give any indication that he would be happy if they joined you?"
"He doesn't know- I figured I'd ask them first."
"I see," Clarisse was decidedly neutral.
"Am I doing the wrong thing?" Mia suddenly sounded anxious.
"I think Michael would prefer, for this time at least, to have only you for company," Clarisse finally said, feeling awkward. "This IS your first date, I assume?"
"Yes."
"Well... I think it should be just you and Michael this time- Lily and her friend can accompany you next time...But I should mention that no silly behaviour..."
"Don't worry Grandma, that's so not going to happen! But you are right- we can be a foursome some other time."
There was a pause, both Clarisse and Mia gathering their thoughts before they spoke again, but before Clarisse could speak up, Mia said:
"Did you and my grandfather ever... date?"
Clarisse was momentarily startled at the question before she recovered enough to respond. "No, we didn't."
"What? Why?" Mia was a mixture of horror and fascination.
"It wasn't done at that time, Amelia- as soon as I became betrothed- engaged, in other words- to Rupert, I accompanied him to official occasions and we did spend some time together...but no, we didn't date..."
"Wow," Mia said after a moment. "Life must have been very different... would you have dated Rupert if you had had the opportunity?"
Clarisse was silent for a moment- she had never considered alternatives in her life, she couldn't afford to (it would have made her too angry or depressed) but now, given Mia's question, she had to wonder...would she have 'dated' Rupert and, more importantly, would she have married him? She could have had a different life, but then she would have missed out on her sons, Mia... and even meeting Joseph...
"I don't know," she began slowly. "I've never really thought about it..."
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked! I'm so blunt sometimes!"
"It's alright... you're like your father in that way..."
"Really?" Mia's tone perked up and Clarisse smiled.
"Really," she affirmed and was about to continue- it was time to talk about Phillipe- before Mia said:
"I'm sorry Grandma, I have to go but we'll definitely talk again soon... how's the email going? Has it been installed yet?"
"We're getting there... I still need to have some lessons in computer technology."
"You'll be fine- Joe and Charlotte will know what they're doing... Oh, I REALLY have to go..."
"Fine... have a good week."
"I will... and I'll tell you about the date the next time!"
00000
"Hi," Mia said shyly several days earlier as she opened her door.
"Hey," her date responded as he stood in the doorway of the refurbished fire house that was her home- and, after a month away, it looked as though they had never left. "Are you ready?"
"Yep, just a minute," she blushed, suddenly nervous- WHY was she embarrassed and nervous? It was Michael, her best friend's boyfriend and she had known him practically forever... they had been friends and now they were boyfriend and girlfriend!
"Are you okay?"Michael asked, looking at her intently. "You look weird."
"I'm okay," Mia said almost instantly. "I was just wondering what Lil was up to."
"She's fine," Michael said dismissively. "Jeremiah was arriving just as I was leaving."
"I knew it!" and Michael grinned.
"So did I... as much as she can deny it..."
"...We will always discover her secrets!" Mia laughed triumphantly before she turned back inside and called: "Mom! We're going!"
"Our cab is waiting," Michael added, but before he could say any more, Mia turned to him with a sheepish smile.
"Uh... Jack and Sam are waiting in the car."
"Jack and Same? Waiting in the car?" Michael sounded puzzled. "Where are they?"
"Down on the street," she waved towards where a dark car was waiting near the curb. "Jack and Sam- two of my bodyguards... they're going to drive us tonight."
"Do they have to?"
"You know I agreed to have protection- Joe would have killed me if I hadn't- but you know... I really didn't want them..."
"Okay," he shrugged, burying his annoyance- he figured he would have to get used to these guys if he and Mia were going out together. "Do they accompany your mother around?"
"There's always someone around for her, but they are usually with me or around me... I'm sorry," Mia said sheepishly- she could see Michael's annoyance at the lack of privacy and she wanted him to know that she hadn't wanted it either.
"It's alright," he gave her a smile and she relaxed as they walked towards the waiting car (and waiting escorts). "I'll get used to it."
"So... what are we going to see?"
"You'll just have to wait and see," Michael smiled mysteriously at her.
0
Despite the awkward beginning, the rest of their date seemed to progress normally (not that she had had anything else to compare it to, Mia thought to herself) and it was only after the movie, when they were eating their pizza at the pizzeria, that Michael asked:
"Did you ever seriously dream of being a Princess?"
"No way! I was more than happy to remain invisible for the rest of my life!"
"So you had no idea that your father was..."
"No- all I knew about him was that he had loved my mother, he paid for my school tuition and he was always so interested in what I was doing- he wrote beautiful letters."
"So you only knew he lived in Genovia?"
"Yep."
"So eventually you would have had to face up to the fact that you were royal."
"Only when I was eighteen, and my father hadn't remarried...but I had hoped that invisibility was part of my life- at least, until I finished high school."
"I don't think that would have been possible... I saw you," and she smiled.
"You are so sweet... but you're right, I couldn't have been invisible forever..."
"And soon you'll probably have more boys lining up around the block to fight for your attentions," he teased.
"No way... you are enough for me," she smiled at him.
"Maybe for now...anyway," he added hastily, in order to prevent Mia from arguing. "... you don't want this Princess thing?"
"No, I want to be a princess- it's something I've come to realise- and I want the responsibility...I want to contribute to my country as well...it's just hard to combine that side of me and the 'normal' side of me..."
"I think you're doing a great job and so does Lily, even if she doesn't want to admit it," he reached over and took her hand in hers. "I knew that you were going to be amazing- and the changes in your life haven't changed you."
"Thank you...about before..."
"Never mind about that..." before he leaned over, wanting to kiss her... but suddenly...
"Princess!"
"Princess, princess, are you out on a date?"
"Princess, is this your boyfriend?"
"Who is he?"
"Princess, are you sure you should be dating... at your age, your father...
"Sir, if you would just move so we could get a picture of the Princess..."
"Wait! Get a picture of them together!"
"Princess..."
"Mr Moscovitz, how does it feel to be dating the Crown Princess?"
"Princess..."
"PRINCESS!"
00000
"Your Majesty?"
"Yes?" she looked up from her paperwork, pleased to see Joseph- it seemed like days, although it only been hours, since this morning when she had seen him briefly, but a lot had gone on since then- namely, talking to her upset granddaughter on the phone about her disaster date.
"How is the Princess?"
"Upset but realistic," she had spoken to her earlier. "Michael, I believe, wasn't too impressed."
"He will have to get used to it if he's going to continue seeing the Princess," was all he said as he stood at her desk.
"That sounds a little cavalier, don't you think?"
"No- if he truly cares about her, he'll have to understand there are additional complications... I understand he wasn't pleased about the bodyguards accompanying them... and then he was angry when they didn't prevent the press attack. He can't have it one way than the other."
"You sound as if you're angry at him... by the way, how did the press manage to find them?"
"Unfortunate timing- someone saw them and called the press..."
"That's to be expected, I suppose," she said with a sigh.
"You're rather blasé about the whole situation, aren't you?" he snapped at her, much to her surprise.
"Excuse me?"
"You're being rather relaxed about this whole situation," he repeated and Clarisse sighed again.
"Joseph, I have NO time to be worried or angry about this situation- yes, it happened and yes I'm not happy about it, but the main thing, for me, is that my granddaughter is safe...not very happy, I'll grant you that, but she's safe."
"Aren't you worried that you're going to get a lecture for sending her back to San Francisco- she could have been protected better here!"
"Are YOU angry at me?" she asked slowly. "I thought you wanted this..."
"I do, it's just..."
"What?" she stood up and moved around her desk.
"I should have been there."
"Joseph," she reached over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "The four men you chose were the best for the situation- you chose them, so I trust your judgement- and it wasn't completely their fault about what happened... I take it that you have already given them a stern lecture."
"Yes."
"I'm not angry at you or them, Joseph- it was an accident, and we all know that the press will try anything to get the pictures that they want... as you said, Michael will have to get used to this if he will continue to see Mia, but we cannot worry about every little press incident that occurs... actually, Mia sounded quite calm about the situation."
"Really?" he looked at her and she nodded.
"Really... and I do appreciate how much you care about my granddaughter...but I also do understand if you wish to cancel our date."
"Sorry?" It was his turn to look bewildered.
"As Michael has found out, it is complicated to be 'dating' a member of the Genovian royal family... and I understand if you wish to..."
"No!" he said so firmly that she stepped back a step. "I don't want that- I am fully aware of the implications of seeing you and I am willing to endure what I have to..."
"Endure?"
"Yes, endure," he said firmly. "I am not going to give up on you or us... for me, this is it."
"It is for me too," she said simply, shyly and there was a long moment when they looked at each other, but he didn't kiss her, much to her surprise. "So... the date is still a date?"
"Absolutely... and it's going to be very soon..." before he kissed her hand, his eyes still on hers, bowed slightly and then left the room, leaving Clarisse smiling- he hadn't wanted to give up, and she should have known that! But now that she did...she felt so much better and was very much looking forward to the date!