I failed in my attempt to give up sleeping, but it did turn out for the best. When I woke up, I felt a finger running up and down my cheek. I didn't know who it was, nor did I care until I found out whose finger it was.

"How long has she been like this?" He asked in his beautiful deep voice.

"A couple of days. It seems she's lost the will to live. I don't know why she didn't tell me the two of you had decided to go your own ways."

"Neither do I. She made it quite clear that we are finished."

"But you were so good together."

"Mia, your grandmother is a wonderful woman, but she only cares about herself. All she ever thinks about is me, me, me!"

That is not true! If I only cared about myself, I wouldn't have been lying there in hope that I'd die.

"I think the best thing we can do is get her home."

"But the nurse said…"

"I don't care what the nurse said. Staying here isn't doing her any good, what harm will taking her home do?"

He lifted me carefully into a wheelchair, wheeled me downstairs and placed me in an automobile of some sort, which took us back to the house. He carried me inside and took me up to the bedroom, placing me gently down on the bed and sitting down next to me.

"Clarisse, are you alright? Feeling okay? Need anything?"

I didn't answer.

"Do you want me to run you a bath?"

I remained silent.

"Clarisse, I know you can hear me."

I didn't feel like talking, I was too busy wondering why he was taking care of me all of a sudden. He left the room to turn the taps on and came back five minutes later.

"Clarisse, are you going to let me bath you?"

He took me into the bathroom and removed my outer layer of clothing, like he did last time, although this time he did it very gently. He then placed me into the water. It felt absolutely fantastic and the thought that Joseph was close by made me realise that I was safe. I let the water fill my mouth, because I was incredibly thirsty. Joseph started washing me and I couldn't help but wonder if he was coming back for good. Why else would he have been doing this for me? It's strange, but he didn't say anything the whole time I was in the bath…

He helped me out of the tub and dried me off with a clean towel. He then led me into the bedroom and helped me dress. He left me alone in bed for ten minutes while he went downstairs to cook chicken soup. It smelt heavenly and the taste was even better.

"You must have been hungry."

Finally, I decided to speak, "Joseph?"

"Amazing, she speaks!"

"What are you doing here? Why are you doing this for me?"

"I'm here because your granddaughter tracked me down and told me that you needed help. I am doing this because despite the fact that you loathe me, I still love you and I want to see you happy again."

"I do not loathe you, Joseph. I love you. I've always loved you."

"You have the funniest way of showing it, 'I never wish to speak to you again'. Yep, lots of love there…"

"Why did you leave?"

"Because you told me to."

"And you do everything I tell you to do?"

"Not everything."

"I want you to come back."

"What?"

"I want you to come back here. I miss you so much and I'm a wreck without you."

"Clarisse, you can't just push me out of your life when it suits you and then just pull me back into again when you think you need me. I am not your toy."

"I never said you were…"

"You have to decide between me and yourself!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You think you're the only person in the world that's of any importance!"

"I do not!"

"You do too!"

"I do not!"

"You do too…my point is that if you want to get back together, you are going to have to come to terms with the fact that you are never going to see again. You have to learn that you cannot take your anger out on me. You have to listen to me when I tell you something isn't safe. You cannot go walk-abouts without supervision whenever you please."

"And I understand that now. I'd do anything to get you back."

He got up to leave, but I reached for his arm and pulled him back, "I do not want to lose you AGAIN."

"Then consider this your last warning, one more upset, and I'm gone. Are you going to be alright in here by yourself?"

I straightened up my robe and nodded.

"Then I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight. Oh, by the way, there appears to be a large package addressed to you downstairs."

That was a relief, I had him back and it seemed my package had arrived.

Joseph has this unusual power over me. He can snap me in and out of depression just like that! It's quite extraordinary. I don't know how everything started to go wrong. When I was queen, I would never have shed a tear over anything other than a death, I would never have lost the will to live over one man alone and I would certainly never have begged for forgiveness. Oh well, I'm not queen anymore, Mia is. And what a delightful queen she is too. Such a lovely girl to get her grandmother's husband to come back. I'm going to do my best to keep Joseph by my side because I have come to the conclusion that I am nothing without him. I can hear him snoring in the next room (he must have been tired in order to get to sleep so fast). I have the urge to go in there and snuggle up next to him and listen to all those horrible noises he produces. They may be horrible, but they're mine.


Enjoy! The next chapter will probably be the last. Review please!