Title: Discoveries- The Twenty-Ninth Day of the Lusty Month of May

Author: zephiey

Rating: K

Pairing: Joseph/Clarisse
Category: Romance

Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Princess Diaries and its characters are the property of Disney, Buena Vista, and Meg Cabot. I make no money from this work of fiction.

Summary: Mia accidently discovers a few things.

Discoveries


Mia was exploring the Palace once again. This was her third trip to Genovia. As it was summer, the schedule for the Royal Family was light. Just a few meetings during the week, which meant Mia, was free to explore the Palace at her leisure. She walked down the corridor peeking into various rooms before coming to the end of the corridor and the final door. She opened the door, and let out a gasp of surprise at the room.

The walls were panelled in walnut. The furniture was various shades of deep russet and black leather with a few light browns thrown in for good measure. The bookcases and desks were a walnut and oak. Having a mother who was an artist made it easy for Mia to identify the various woods in the room.

Moving further into the room, Mia walked around the large room. She looked at the pictures on the bookcases, some of them known to her and some of them not. Coming across one picture her eyes widened, she suddenly knew whose room she was in, she had to be in Joseph's office.

Before her was a picture of her grandmother, Joseph and if she wasn't mistaken her grandfather; the two men had their heads resting on the shoulders of her grandmother and her grandmother was laughing. The next picture must have been taken seconds after the first. This one showed both men each kissing the cheek of her grandmother. Her grandmother looked…Mia didn't quite know how to describe the look on her grandmother's face but it definitely wasn't embarrassed.

Mia continued to walk around the room, stopping to look at various pictures. She came across a few of her father and her Uncle Pierre. A few of them made her laugh. Many of the pictures had Joseph in them along with her grandfather. Mia hadn't realized how long Joe had worked for the Royal Family. Mia walked around the large walnut desk, sitting down in the desk chair. She ran her hands over the top of the desk. She noticed a pair of sunglasses sitting near the edge and a spark of mischief flared. Picking up the sunglasses, she slipped them on, schooling her features in an expression she had seen Joe don often she leaned back in the chair and pretended she was the Royal Head of Security giving one of his men a lecture.

A noise out in the hall had Mia whipping the sunglasses off and replacing them. The doorknob turning had her looking around frantically and the door opening had her diving under the large desk, tucking her legs into her body and pulling the chair close to the desk.

"After you," Mia heard Joseph's voice.

"Thank you," answered a familiar voice. 'Oh crap…oh crap…Grandma and Joe,' Mia eeped. She threw her hand over her mouth stifling any other noises that might escape.

Mia heard what sounded like shoes dropping and someone sitting down. "Oh that feels wonderful," she heard her grandmother say. Mia heard the clinking of ice in a glass then the pouring of liquid. 'Joe must be getting drinks,' she thought.

"Thank you Joseph," her grandmother said.

Mia heard another set of shoes hit the floor and someone else sit down, then nothing for a few minutes. Finally, she heard Joe's distinct voice.

"How have the lessons and meetings with our Mia going?" he asked.

'Our Mia?' Mia wondered. 'Since when am I our?'

"Wonderful. She is catching on fast," said Clarisse.

"She has a good teacher," answered Joseph. Mia heard Joe chuckle. Her grandmother probably gave Joe that look of 'whatever' she often uses when someone says something she considers unbelievable. Not that she would ever tell her grandmother that.

"Her insights are so refreshing. She sees more than she thinks she does, often making observations that are spot on," said Clarisse.

"Yes, she is extremely observant. She has an innate gift of being able to see what others often take for granted," said Joseph. "If she wasn't training to be Queen I would recruit her to be part of my team. She has the natural gifts that make a good security officer," added Joseph.

Mia could feel the blush spreading across her cheeks at Joe's words.

"I just wish she had more confidence in herself," said Clarisse.

"Don't worry it will come," said Joseph. "I seem to remember a certain young man who had the same self-confidence problem at her age."

"So true," said Clarisse. "Philippe often couldn't see how self-confident he naturally was, but you are correct. Eventually, Mia like her father will realize there is nothing she cannot do. Speaking of sons, Pierre called."

"He did?" asked Joseph.

"Yes, he did. He is coming for a visit in three weeks. He wants to spend some time with Mia. He wants to show her all the secret places within the Palace. I told him Mia has been exploring and has probably discovered all of them by now." Clarisse looked at Joseph with an amused look.

"What?"

"There is something else Pierre wants to do when he arrives, but he isn't sure how to go about arranging it," Clarisse said.

"Do I want to know?" asked Joseph, the expression on his face one of resignation and dread. Knowing Pierre whatever he was planning or wanting to plan would give Joseph logistical nightmares.

"No, I think it would be best if Pierre explained it," Clarisse replied.

Joseph's deep sigh had Clarisse giggling.

'Whoa…Grandma giggles,' Mia thought. 'This is so weird.' Mia heard bodies shifting on the sofa and finally her Grandmother spoke again.

"This is nice. How long do we have before we have to reappear?"

"I told Charlotte I would have you back in an hour. She told me I could have two but I didn't want to take advantage," said Joseph. "I figure this way when I request a three hour block of your time, she will be more amicable to granting it."

Clarisse laughed at Joseph's logic. "Three hours? What would we do for three hours?" asked Clarisse, smiling. Minutes later Mia heard her grandmother say. "Oh, that is what we would do for three hours. I can see why you are so intent on not upsetting Charlotte. Perhaps you can give me another demonstration?"

Mia heard nothing for a minute then she heard a deep groan and Joseph's voice.

"Clarisse if we don't stop now, I won't be able to get you back in the prescribed time and Charlotte will be displeased resulting in her not allowing me to whisk you away when I want."

"Hmm… I suppose," answered Clarisse. "But may I have at least one more kiss before we stop?" Clarisse asked, softly.

Mia's eyes widened. 'Joe…Grandma….kissing…whoa!' Mia was tempted to crawl out from underneath the desk and peek over the top to see but decided against it. She didn't want to be caught. But man, she would love to see the kiss. She had always been a sucker for a good kiss. One of the reasons she loved old romantic movies was because of the kisses. 'Maybe if I…no... No…too easy to be caught,' she thought. Maybe she could see them kissing later. After all, she was here all summer. 'Yea…I can try later.'

Finally, after what seemed like forever she heard Joseph speak again.

"I'm afraid it is time to go," said Joseph. Mia heard her grandmother's sigh of disappointment then heard shuffling and standing. She heard someone walk toward the desk, and then heard the rinsing of glasses. Finally, she heard the door open then close and the faint sound of her grandmother's heels as she walked down the hall.

Mia waited for a few minutes before she pushed the chair out of the way, climbed out from under the desk, peeked over the edge to make sure she was alone then stood. Brushing any dirt off her jeans, she pushed the chair back in and headed to the door. Opening the door slowly, she peeked out; making sure no one was in the hall. Slipping into the hall, she closed the door quietly before walking slowly down the hall.

She smiled as she walked down the hall. She had intended to try to discover some secret rooms today; instead, she had discovered a few new secrets. Ones, if she had anything to do about it would end in a happily ever after for her grandma and Joe.

The End