A/N: The original song includes one more verse, which highlights a little more negative element of the person being sung to constantly toying with the other person's emotions. Obviously, that is NOT where I'm going with this, not with Clarisse and Joseph, and the album I first heard it on doesn't include that verse anyway. Though the toying with emotions can still be seen a bit in the lyrics that are included, I'm instead choosing to focus on the positive interpretation of the words - building up what needs building up, and tearing down walls and barriers that need tearing down, causing each other to "give in" to things that are for their own benefits but that they might otherwise be inclined to resist to their own detriment. In other words, while the original song could be an abusive relationship, in this case they're being good for each other not abusing. :)

Joseph was having a terrible day.

It shouldn't be terrible. It should be wonderful. Clarisse was clearly moving forward and finding solutions to what seemed insurmountable problems. As she was wont to do.

But then, that was the very problem. She was wont to surge ahead and seek solutions, always in motion, rarely taking time for herself. It had been a little over a year since she'd been widowed by her best friend, but only months since she'd been through the heart-wrenching pain that no parent should ever experience, the loss of a child. Worse, she couldn't even grieve just as a mother who'd lost her son, she had to also grieve as a queen whose country's future was thrown into upheaval.

And now he was putting the necessary plans into place to see that she'd be able to go, while still in this tender time of healing, to visit the granddaughter she'd never known and present her with a future as princess and queen. It wasn't that he thought there was a different or better way. And he knew that timing was of the essence. No, it was just that he was concerned for Clarisse. He lo - uh, cared. Cared about her, enough to be concerned that she was rushing headlong into something that could turn into further disappointment, at a time when she wasn't really ready, emotionally or psychologically, for dealing with that.

All these thoughts were going through his head as he moved about security getting things ready for his departure, and finalized security plans for the route. He tried to be calm the whole time, but he knew his foul mood was spilling over onto his security team. He would have to ask Shades to give them a little extra something while he was gone - wasn't sure yet what.

When he finally had everything situated, he was exhausted and wished he could be done for the day, but it wasn't even tea time yet, and he was expected to report back to her majesty on how the plans had come along. So he made his way to her office to do just that.

He never got a word about it out. When he was admitted entrance, she glanced up briefly as she said, "Joseph, come in," then did a double-take. "Joseph? Are you alright?" She set down the envelope she was just starting to open and looked at him curiously.

He cleared his throat. "Oh, yes, your majesty, apologies, I just have had a bit of a trying day, but all is in hand and the trip is -."

Her expression was gentle as she held up a hand to cut him off and said, "Joseph, I'm not looking to find out if my chief of security is well enough to brief me on plans for the trip. I'm asking, friend to friend, are you alright? Is there anything you need?"

His heart clenched in his chest, not painfully as it had so many times over the past year as he witnessed her tragedies and sorrows, but this time in pride and - yes, and love, he might as well admit that at least to himself. Heck, just before the most recent tragedy he'd even sort of accidentally admitted it to her so why be stingy with the word in his own thoughts?

He loved her. She had a way of simultaneously building him up and breaking down his defenses. What's more, her very simple concern for him almost immediately put his own concerns to rest. In her grief, her usual concerns for others, on an individual basis, had been put aside, and rightly so. She'd needed to go through her grief, and while part of that for her had been an almost frantic obsession with figuring out how to secure the throne away from the Von Trokens, all her concerns outside herself had been for the country, not for individuals. The very fact that she'd noticed he was upset, ironically, was the very sign he'd unknowingly been looking for that she really was emotionally ready for this.

He realized she was looking at him expectantly and mentally shook himself from his reverie. "Oh, yes. Friend to friend, Clarisse…well, I've had some things weighing on my mind, but I think they're all set now. I guess my mood just hasn't caught up with my mind about that."

She straightened and smiled that smile that got him right through the heart every time. "Good. But if you find you need to talk, you know you can always come to me, right?" At his affirmative inclination of his head, she accepted the topic as complete and moved on. "Now, the trip?"

"I believe everything about the trip is finally prepared." He kept his stern head-of- security face while he said this, but knew his eyes were dancing in delight at his own double-meaning, before he moved to the actual information she needed. "We'll start out toward the airfield at . . . ."

*CJ*CJ*CJ*

Clarisse stood in her office by the window, holding a hand to her stomach in nervousness as she caught her first glimpse of her only grandchild. Oh, she'd seen pictures, Helen had always been very good about sending at least yearly photos. They'd all agreed on the benefits to Amelia if she didn't know her ancestry, but Helen really did understand the sacrifice it was for the Renaldi side, not just as a bloodline but as a family, and she was more than gracious in trying to keep them updated on Amelia's life, even if the girl had never known it.

Yet all those photos were nothing like actually seeing this girl, this piece of her younger son and, in a small way, this piece of her. And this piece . . . oh, it was hard to tell from this second-floor window, but she just seemed so . . . awkward. Uncouth. Nothing like what Clarisse had expected.

"Charlotte, dear, you'd better go down to greet her. Oh, but remember not to mention being in the queen's service, of course! You're just -"

"A member of the Genovian Diplomatic Attache. Yes, ma'am."

Through her consternation, Clarisse still managed a broad smile and a pat to her personal assistant's arm. "You're a wonder, Charlotte. Thank you."

As the younger woman departed, the elder turned back to the window, though her granddaughter was no longer visible through it. Her granddaughter. It's not that she didn't know of the girl's existence all along, but somehow, being moments away from actually meeting her, of her no longer being snatches of stories and school pictures but actually being a real flesh-and-blood human before her, it was . . . weighty, somehow.

"Oh, help," she whispered, casting her eyes heavenward.

From behind her she heard, "You'll be fine." She smiled, feeling Joseph's soft words seep in and relax her muscles. Without turning, she reached her hand back past her head. He put his hand in hers and she pulled it to rest on her shoulder.

"You may be the only one capable of making me almost believe that." She sighed and he squeezed her shoulder lightly. Finally, she turned and gazed up at him. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, his face depicting genuine confusion.

"Take the broken, jumbled mess I am and bolster me into something . . . more. Something functional. Make me believe that no matter what, I can still move on."

He stared at her with a completely blank expression for a moment, before his eyebrows rose in apparent shock. "Are . . . are you serious?" Before she had time to decide whether she was amused or offended by the question, he forged ahead. "Clarisse, you are my rock. You have the power to build me up or tear me down at will, yet always seem to leave me better regardless. I can't . . . I can't compare to your strength, do you know that? If I can offer any guidance, strength, or support in exchange, it's nothing compared to what you give me."

She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the words wash over her, before reaching up to cup his cheek in their now-familiar gesture. "You're wrong, Joseph. I've always had to be rigid and unyielding, but that can lead to being brittle. You fortify me, lend me a strength I've never known. When Rupert passed, it was hard but I knew I still had you. But when . . . ." She swallowed. "When Philippe . . . Joseph, that night was the worst of my life. These months since then . . . I truly don't believe I could have made it without you. I think I would have curled up into myself and given up on everything, leaving the throne open to whomever wished to swoop in and take it. It was you, your unfailing strength and utter refusal to let me give up on myself, that gave me the strength not to give up on my country. To come seek the granddaughter I've never known."

That last sentence started her back out of their moment and she gasped, "My granddaughter! Joseph, I need to get down there." She started to turn from him, but, on a whim, whirled back and kissed his cheek quickly before hastening out the door and down the stairs.

She heard Charlotte saying, "I'll go see if your grandmother is ready," and reached the middle landing in time to respond, "I'm ready now," reverting all her focus to meeting her granddaughter and away from the dear man who had stopped at the top of the stairs, now cupping his own cheek as though to protect the slight lipstick smear she'd left behind.

You're a Builder-Upper

You're a builder-upper, a breaker-downer
A holder-outer, and I'm a giver-inner
Sad but true, I'm a sapper or two
Taking it from a taker-over like you

Don't know where I'm atter
I'm just a this-er, then I'm a that-er
A taker on the chin-er
My, my, my, what a weakling am I
To love you as I do

Just when I'm ready to sob
You hand me a throb
And everything is hunky-dory
And that's my story
Open your arms and I'm a fool for your charms

You're a builder-upper, a breaker-downer
A holder-outer and I'm a giver-inner
Sad but true, I love it I do
Being broken by a builder-upper like you
Like you
Like you