Hello everyone, thank you all so much for reading and leaving me wonderful reviews on my first chapter back. I appreciate it greatly and can't thank you enough for your continued support, even when I've been away for months you've stuck around and that amazes me so much. I will try and update regularly again like I used too and will try my best to get them back together for you all ;).
Now, I'm not sure if you remember these few lines from a previous chapter (chapter 20 if you wanted to refresh your memory).. but you'll find out in this chapter what they meant.
"You know Clarisse, there is one thing that me and Joseph share, something that you'll never have or take from us."
"Oh yes, and what's that?" Clarisse asked and watched as Liliana leaned closer to her.
"Our daughter," Liliana said, looking into Clarisse's eyes, "Victoria."
"Actually, that is where you are wrong," Clarisse said.
Friday 9th November 2007.
...Continued.
The drive to the hospital was a quiet one, with the both of them not sure what to say to the other after the talk at the restaurant and the both of them praying Mia and the baby would be okay. Eventually, after a drive that felt like it lasted a lifetime they arrived at the hospital and were shown, by Shades, to the room Mia occupied. Reaching the door, Clarisse knocked and waited for an answer.
"Who is it?" Nick called out and turned his head as the door slowly opened.
"It's only me, can I come in?" Clarisse said, looking across the room at him and her granddaughter sitting on the bed.
"Oh grandma, of course," Mia said and watched as she entered the room.
"I got here as quickly as I could," Clarisse said softly as she walked over to the chair and put her coat and handbag down on it before walking over to the bed. "How is everything?"
"Well I've had a scan and everything looks okay, baby has a strong heartbeat and right where it should be at this stage," Mia said.
"Oh that's good news," Clarisse said as she crossed her arms and leant her hip against the bed, "did they say anything about the bleeding?"
"They said it can be normal, but they just want to keep me in overnight to monitor me,"
"To make sure you keep off your feet more like," Nick interrupted and watched as both women looked at him.
"Yes, alright, they are keeping me in to make sure I keep off my feet," Mia said as Clarisse looked back at her granddaughter.
"They did the same to me too when I had a small bleed while carrying your father," Clarisse said with a small nodding motion as they both looked at her. "You see, being a Queen they know that we can't stay off our feet for too long so they keep us in for a day or two to make sure we do as we are told."
"Yeah that's what the doctor said," Mia nodded, "I just hate not being able to do anything when there's so much that needs to be done."
"I know darling, but unfortunately you have to do what the doctor tells you," Clarisse said.
"I know, I know," Mia answered sadly.
"And just remember I'm here if you need any help back at the palace, so you can rest when needed," Clarisse added.
"I may have to take you up on that, grandma," Mia said and looked up at her as she nodded, "thank you."
"Anytime darling," Clarisse said as she reached her hand out onto her granddaughters arm and rubbed it gently.
"Anyway, changing the subject of duty," Nick said as both women looked at him, "now that grandma is here, shall I pop and get us a drink?"
"Oh yes please," Mia said as Nick stood to his feet and leant closer to kiss her, "thank you."
"No need to thank me," he smiled and stepped back to look at Clarisse, "can I get you anything?"
"Oh no, I'm alright thank you," Clarisse smiled and watched him walk over to the door.
"Okay, I'll be back soon," Nick said and disappeared out through the door.
Looking back at her grandmother, Mia watched as she raised her leg up a little and took a seat facing her on the edge of the bed, "I know you had plans today so I hope we didn't interrupt anything important when we called you?"
"Oh no," Clarisse said and shook her head, "you didn't interrupt anything."
"Ok," Mia said and looked down momentarily, "thank you for coming and being here for me, and for Nick too. I know since I have lived here me and my mom have grown apart, but I'm glad I still have you." Mia said sadly and looked back up as Clarisse reached out for one of her granddaughters hands.
"And you always will, well for a good few more years yet at least," Clarisse said, smoothing her thumb reassuringly over the back of her granddaughters hand.
"Thank you," Mia said and sat up to hug her grandmother. "I love you, grandma."
"I love you too, darling," Clarisse said and closed her eyes as she and her granddaughter embraced in a long hug.
Meanwhile, out in the corridor as Nick returned with Mia's drink he was surprised to find Joseph stood talking with Shades. "Joe? What are you doing here?" He said and walked towards them as Joseph and Shades turned to look at him.
"I'm here with Clarisse, how are things? Is Mia okay, and the baby?" Joseph asked.
"Yes, everything is good. Baby's heartbeat is strong and Mia, well they are keeping her in to make sure she rests," Nick answered, "was you out here when I came out of the room?"
"Yes, I was," Joseph said and nodded.
"Oh god, I am so sorry," Nick exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't realise."
"It's ok, but hey I'm glad everything's alright, and congratulations by the way," Joseph said.
"Thanks," Nick said and looked at the room door a moment before looking back at Joe, "did you want to come in and say hello to Mia? I know she would love to see you?"
"Oh I'm not so sure about that, I did walk out on her grandmother remember?"
"Honestly, she will be fine, and besides you know what Mia will be like if she found out you were here and didn't even say hello?" Nick said, and stepped in front of the door while looking back at Joseph. "Come on and say hello."
"Alright," Joseph reluctantly agreed and followed Nick into the room.
"Look who I found outside talking to Shades," Nick said as he walked over to Mia's bed and watched as both women looked over at Joseph standing in the doorway.
"Joe? This is a surprise, what are you doing here?" Mia asked while glancing at her grandmother as she stood to her feet then looked back at Joseph.
"We were at lunch together, you know to talk about things," Clarisse answered as Mia and Nick looked back at her. "He actually drove me here as he didn't want me driving with what was going on on my mind, in case I had an accident."
"Oh god I'm so sorry, I didn't realise you were together or I wouldn't have had Nick call until later," Mia said in surprise as she remembered her grandmother had told her just a short time ago that she wasn't doing anything important.
"Honestly it's fine and I'm glad you did call me when you did and not later," Clarisse said, trying to reassure her granddaughter.
"Ok, I wish you would have told me though that you were with Joe," Mia said and looked up at Joseph, "having brought grandma to be here, I'm guessing you know about the baby?"
"I do, congratulations," he smiled and tapped the side of his nose, "and don't worry, the secret is safe with me."
"Oh I have no doubt that it will be," Mia said and smiled at him, "and thank you."
"Oh there's no need to thank me," Joseph smiled and kissed the side of her head as Clarisse watched them. "At the end of the day, you are still my girls and no matter what happens, that'll never change." He said and watched as Clarisse looked down.
Later That Evening.
Pulling into the drive along side Clarisse's car, Joseph shut of the engine and looked at Clarisse sitting beside him as she unbuckled her seatbelt and picked up her handbag from the floor of the car. "I thought of Harriet today," he finally said and looked up at the house as Clarisse looked at him.
"Me too," she said softly and watched him look back at her, "I think of her often actually but today, after getting the call about Mia my mind went straight to her."
"Me too," Joseph nodded. "I wonder who she would have grown up like," he said after a moments silence.
"Oh you, definitely," Clarisse said confidently while watching Joseph stare out the front car window.
"I would like to think that she would have grown up with your beautiful looks," he said and looked back at her.
"And your demeanour," she added as her gaze met his.
"Oh no," he said and shook his head as he looked away, "she would have took after her mother in everything."
"Oh I don't know, your genes are pretty strong," she said and smirked, "well they are in Victoria and I think they would have been in our girl too."
"But then, so are yours," Joseph said as their gaze met a moment before he watched her look down. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, it's fine," she said and looked back up at him. "Anyway, what are you going to do having missed your flight? Did you find somewhere to stay?"
"Not yet, I'm going to look once I've dropped you off," he said and looked out of the front window once again.
"Well I have a sofa you can sleep on if you like?" She offered as he looked back at her, "I would offer you the other spare room but unfortunately Bethany is occupying it, well she's meant to be but she's currently staying at isabella's but left her stuff here."
"It's alright," he chuckled, "I will find somewhere, I usually can."
"Honestly it's fine, and yes I know that the sofas not very comfortable to sleep on but it certainly beats sleeping in the car if you can't find anywhere to stay," Clarisse said.
"That's true, but are you sure?" Joseph asked and watched as Clarisse nodded.
"Absolutely," she exclaimed, "besides, it's the least I can do after everything you have done for me today, which obviously made you miss your flight."
"I wouldn't have had it any other way," he said softly as their gaze met once more. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Clarisse said and smiled as she opened her car door and climbed out.
"Here we are, two pillows, a blanket and a couple sheets for you to set up a makeshift bed," Clarisse said as she entered the living room and walked over to the sofa. "I'm not sure if Pierre will be home tonight or tomorrow morning but just be aware that he might be about."
"Okay," Joseph said and watched as she placed the pile of bedding down on the sofa and stood back up to look at him.
"Please make yourself at home and help yourself to tea or coffee or anything to eat," Clarisse said and crossed her arms, "there's plenty in there."
"Thank you," Joseph said and looked down at a folded piece of paper he held in his hands.
"What's that?" Clarisse asked and watched as Joseph looked back up at her.
"You want to file for divorce?" He said sadly and watched the look on her face.
"You went through my stuff?" She exclaimed while walking towards him and grabbed the letter from his hands and looked down at it momentarily before looking back up at him.
"I didn't go through your stuff, it was left on the coffee table." Joseph answered.
"This was private Joseph, you had no right to read something that wasn't yours to read," Clarisse snapped. "And to answer your question, yes I think I do."
"Why?"
"Why?" Clarisse exclaimed and started laughing as she shook her head.
"I was hoping we could sort things out, like we always do," Joseph said honestly and watched as Clarisse closed her eyes, shook her head and looked down.
"I wanted that too, I really did," Clarisse said a moment later and looked back up at him, "but I can't keep going through this. You can't just come and go whenever you please whenever something happens, Joseph."
"I'm sorry, it's just..."
"Just what?" Clarisse exclaimed.
"Yesterday you told me that you missed how I used to protect you," Joseph said and watched as she nodded. "Because I've changed, ever since my heart attack I'm not the same man. I was once so strong, confident and would do anything for you, I still would but when I see other men paying attention to you, especially Jaures and Christophe I feel I have to walk away. I think why would she pick me when she can have someone better, someone who is perfectly healthy, someone who can protect her more than I can." He said, tears filling his eyes as Clarisse's heart softened.
"Yes, it's true I have a lot of admirers I always have and I always will, you know that, Joseph," Clarisse said and found herself stepping closer to him and putting her hands up to cup his face, "but just remember, no matter how much attention these men pay to me it's you who stole my heart."
"Yeah, then I go and keep breaking it," he said as he looked into her eyes. "I love you so much Clarisse and I pray that one day you will forgive me for being such a damn fool."