Fizzie Lizzie: I love football. I am going to a Patriot's game on Thursday night, way excited here.

The Trouble...: They just pick their battles. Which is key to all relationships.

The Sparkling and Rabbit: Thanks for reading.

Dinner was rather uncomfortable. Dad refused to call Michael anything other than Boy. Much like Grandmere. I did not like how he was turning out.

"Boy, will you pass the butter?"

I looked at Michael harshly as if to say ' Hand him the butter and I'll take your gonads'. "Dad, first of all, do not call him boy. At least have the decency to call him young man. Secondly, you do not need any butter. You are bound to have a heart attack if you keep eating like you do."

"She is right, Phillippe. No more butter," Cammie cut in. "And about the other thing. His name, as you know, is Michael."

You know, Cammie might turn out to be okay.

MICHAEL:

Her father refused to accept us as an engaged couple. When the press asked him he laughed at them, "Of course they are not engaged! They only started dating a few weeks ago!"

Mia tried to pretend like it didn't bother her, but I could tell it did. Why wouldn't it bother her? I mean, her father disliked her choice lifemate. If he didn't like me then how the hell would Parliament like me?

"Michael," Mia said a few weeks after our arrival. Late July, peak tourist season in Genovia.

"Yeah?" I asked, thumbing through the latest edition of Technology Today by the pool. I was praying she wouldn't be bringing up the tour once again. We had been having little tiffs about it but she finally agreed that I needed to re-join the group before we got married.

"I um...well, I was looking at the calendar and realized what next week was."

I had as well, but I didn't want to say anything. Joshua's birthday as well as the anniversary of his death. "Oh?"

"I was thinking that maybe I should take a trip to England...to pay my respects and maybe visit with his family. No, I'll have to see them. We're discussing his will."

I noticed there was no 'we' in this idea. I wasn't invited. "Maybe I'll head back to New York to work."

She scrunched up her face, "I guess it wouldn't be very interesting to stay here huh? And I'm positive you wouldn't want to join me in England, right?"

I shrugged, "Well, if you wanted me there then I'll go. But if you'd rather be alone then I can understand."

She played with my leg hairs (my legs were outstretched on a lawn chair), "I want you there...it's just...I dunno. It'd be uncomfortable for you. I want you to feel like you are always welcome anywhere I go. But Lady Bloom on the other hand..."

"Would see this," I said taking her hand, "In bad taste?"

"Yes. And his official will is going to be announced. I don't want her to think that you are money hungry and only around for Joshua's left overs."

I kissed her softly on the forehead, "Mia, Joshua was a great guy, really. But there is nothing he owned that I would ever want. All I want is you. Only you...and world wide fame for Bueller, but otherwise I'm good."

She giggled, "I can't believe it's been a year almost..."

I thought back to a year before. Both our lives were so different. Mine was pretty empty; other than the band. I had no love in my life. But then she came back into my life and everything changed. Everything got better. I was able to write real quality songs. No more angst.

"Mia, I'll tell you this much," I started, "I know it might sound selfish because you have had a tough year, but this has been the best time of my entire life. Before you...I...I was miserable."

Her expression softened, "Michael...Don't make me feel bad-"

"I don't want you to feel bad. I was miserable because I didn't let myself fall in love with anyone else. I knew you had a boyfriend and moved on...but for some reason I couldn't let myself. I didn't really grow up. I was still that twenty year old kid who was in love with his little sister's best friend.

"Now...well, I'm in love with my best friend."

I saw tears streaming down her face, "And she's in love with you...I'm not rushing this, am I?" she asked.

Great. Just as I convinced her it was okay to love me...to love again, her dad gets into her head. "No, baby...maybe I'm the wrong person to ask. But Mia...you know I'll wait for you, right?"

She stared at me for a minute.

"Mia?" I whispered.

"Michael," she started slowly. "Joshua told me to move on. I am moving on. I am going to marry you this year."

She said it so matter of factly. "Are you sure?"

"You are the only person who really helped me through it all. The only person I wanted to help me. I mean, I had plenty of offers...old friends that you don't know...but they didn't know how to really help me. They offered to come to the palace to help me out. You know, take me shopping...vacation in Italy...but they didn't really get me. I mean, if I stayed in one place too long I think I would have gone totally nuts. Going around with you and the rest of the band really kept my mind off of Joshua. And, it allowed me to be with my mom when Cassa was born. I really feel like things happen for a reason. You were here...with me, when Joshua died because you were supposed to be.

"You are the guy I'm supposed to be with. You are the first boy I ever loved. I mean, sure, for a long time I didn't want to admit that I loved you. I didn't really think you could love someone you weren't with. Even when I was with Joshua I still thought about you. I think I never stopped really loving you..."

I looked past her and saw her father walking with Cammie. He didn't look happy. "Mia, I'm gonna go take a shower, okay?"

She looked confused at my abruptness, "Um, okay?"

I called up Nolan and told him I was coming home. "Everything okay with Mia?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I just wasn't expecting you to be coming back anytime soon. I thought you were still kind of in a honeymoon period."

"Nolan, please. She'll be back to tape the video and stuff. What is the rehearsal schedule like?"

"Well...uhm, I don't really know. Tony was taking care of it."

"Oh. Okay. I'll just...uh, give him a call."

"Okay, so I'll see you in a few days? I know this great club-"

"Nolan, I'm not going to any strip clubs with you."

"No, a great jazz club. I think you'll like it."

"Oh...uh, okay I guess. Talk to you later."

I next called Tony, "Hey man, what's up?" he asked with a laugh, "Lilly stop it," he said trying to muffle his voice so I wouldn't hear.

"What is the rehearsal schedule?" I asked straight out. "And what about the video?"

"Schedule?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm coming back to New York."

"Oh, I didn't know...um, we were thinking next Friday at noon. At the Rainbow Lounge. And the video in mid August. We'll have the single out soon."

"Okay. Sounds good," I said writing it down. "How is married life treating you?"

He giggled, yes, giggled. "Not bad. I can't complain really."

I rolled my eyes, "Okay, I'll let you get back to my sister now. Be gentle."

"Aw man, you know she likes it-"

"Shut up. She may be your wife, but she's still my little sister."

"Sorry man. I forget who I am talking to sometimes. Later."

MIA:

"I'll miss you babe," I said as we waited for his plane at the national airport.

"I'll you too sweetie, but come on. You have to do your things and I have my responsibilities back home. You'll come see me in two weeks, right?"

"Wild horses couldn't hold me back," I said with a laugh. It was an expression my MawMaw used to use.

"Good. Call me when you get to England, okay?"

"No problem," I said kissing him.

"And try to avoid arguing with your dad, all right?"

I scrunched up my face, "It's not like I do it on purpose!"

"I know. And hell, when we see each other again we can try to pick a date for the wedding," he whispered.

My eyes widened, "Really? When are we going to announce..." I started, looking around, "You know, that thing?"

He kissed my forehead, "Whenever you think it is right."

"September?" I asked. "Kind of our one year anniversary of sorts."

He made a face, "Anniversary of what sweetie?"

I made a cute face, "Since Cassa was born of course."

It's sick, but I will always connect Cassa's birth to the night Michael and I finally gave into temptation.

"Of course," he said laughing. We both knew what I really meant, but neither would say it out loud. "I better go babe. I'll see you in a few weeks?"

I gave a pout, "Okay, behave...don't go getting anymore tattoo's without me."

He smiled mischeviously, "I'll try to hold back. Bye babe."

"Mia, your old friend Rob came by the other night after the match," Dad told me at dinner the night before I was leaving for England.

"Oh really? How is he doing?" I asked cheerfully. I hadn't seen him in years. Since before I even dated Joshua.

"He's still in town, why don't you go see him tonight?"

I looked at Cammie who looked ready to kill Dad. "Because I am leaving in the morning for England?"

"He was always a nice guy," Dad said, chewing his steak. Although he was a prince he still let his manners go when he was in front of his family.

"Yes he was. Especially when he dumped me because he couldn't deal with my being a princess."

"He was young," Dad argued.

I wiped the corners of my lips and excused myself. What the hell is wrong with Dad lately?

Lars came to London with me to visit Joshua's grave. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked as he drove our unmarked car. I didn't want press to be making a circus of my visiting my dead fiance's grave.

We pulled into the quiet cemetery. I saw families by loved ones graves. "I'll be okay," I mumbled. Memories from last year flooded my mind. I suddenly wanted Michael to be sitting in the backseat with me, holding my hand. Not as my boyfriend or as my fiancé. But as my best friend in the whole world. As the guy that Joshua wanted me to be with after he died.

We pulled into the area where Joshua was buried. I saw people around his grave. Joshua's mother was standing at where I assume his feet are. I slowly got out of the car with Lars's help "Do you want to wait?" he whispered.

I shook my head. "I have to face them anyways," I said, taking some flowers from the car. His favorite, daffodils.

We walked over to the gravesite and his younger sister, Joycelyn smiled at me and gave me a hug. "Hey Mia," she said kissing my cheek.

I offered a weak smile. My insides were churning. I could deal with Joy, but his mother was another story. "Hello Lady Bloom," I greeted solemnly.

She glared at me. Then she looked at Lars who had his arm around me protectively. "Another man again? I thought you were with some musician, not a giant," she said curtly.

I looked up at my loyal body guard. "Who I am dating is really not all that important to me right now. I am here to pay my respects to the man I loved. That I still love."

"I think I am done here, come along Jonas," she said pulling Lord Bloom toward the path back to their car.

"Go ahead there Ellie. I'll be along in a minute. I have to talk to Mia for a minute."

She huffed then walked away.

"Yes, Mr.-"

"Please, we are adults here. Call me Jonas."

"Um, okay, Jonas."

He gave me a hug, "You did a world of good for my boy. You really set him on the right path. You made him happy," he started simply. "And I think that really just irks my wife a lot. That he went to you after the uh...incident in Africa....she felt like you were taking him over. But that was what was supposed to happen. You know? He had grown up and fallen in love. She just didn't want to let go...It's nothing against you..."

"She thinks that you were using him," Joy cut in.

"For?"

"Who knows? She is getting paranoid," Joy replied. "Just remember, we are not all like that."

I nodded, "Um, I guess..."

"And whatever she says tomorrow in the will reading just ignore her. We'll deal with her."

I sighed, "Where is Jonas? I mean, Dr-"

"He's in Latin America right now working with some orphans."

"Oh, that's...great." Figures. Joshua always said that Jonas was way too into his work. No time for his family.

"We'll leave you alone," Jonas said kissing my cheek. "It's good to see you."

I was left alone at Joshua's headstone. I hadn't seen it before. Last time I was here his coffin was still above ground. The dirt was off to the side. His plot was only marked by a little card. "Hey," I said softly.

I waited a second.

"Well, duh, of course you won't be answering me. Happy birthday babe..." I said with my lower lip quivering. I knelt down in front of the stone and fingered the engravements on the stone.

JOSHUA ALEXANDER COOPER BLOOM

JULY 21, 1984- JULY 16, 2011

LOVING SON AND BROTHER

A PRINCE IN OUR HEARTS

Next to his name was a tree. I smiled. We had planned on going on a road trip when we were older, to find all trees he had carved his name in.

Reading the inscription made me sad. People in ten years, hell, even now, people seeing this would not know that he was my fiancé. That he was supposed to marry me, the princess of Genovia. "You would have no idea how life is now," I whispered. "Everything is so different...Dad has gone nuts. He's engaged now, you know...she's great I adore her. But he has gone crazy about me. He's acting like Grandmere."

I started crying a little bit more, even though I heard camera's going off around me from the bushes near by. "Joshua, am I supposed to marry Michael? Is it too soon?" I said very softly so no one would hear me. "I love him...just like you said I did. You were right, as always. And he could take care of me like you did. How you would want me to be taken care of. Okay, so I have a really different relationship with him than I did with you...Lord knows that much. But I do love him Joshua. It's different than with you...not better or worse, but different. You knew who I had to be for the sake of the monarchy, and Michael knows what I could be if I didn't have the monarchy to fall back on. He's given me a real youth. I got my belly button pierced and a tattoo. Shocking huh?"

I patted my hands against my legs in a drumming motion. "Joshua, I have a whole new life now...and I like it. It's a very different way of living than I ever expected. A year and a half ago I was picturing myself as your wife...maybe with a baby on the way...but now," I started staring up to the sky, "Now it's like I definitely want to wait to have kids. I don't want to rush that part of my life. I want to enjoy being twenty five years old. I want to see the world..."