Clarisse wasn't quite sure how to feel about "Joseph" now. On one hand, he had lied, cheated and landed an innocent man in prison. On the other hand, it had been him she'd shared her love with for all those years. But he didn't tell her he was a no good criminal until now, if she had known, she wouldn't have fallen for him. He was the one who deserved to be in prison rather than living in a mansion and sharing a bed with her. Closing the front door behind her, Clarisse walked to her fake husband's study and stopped at the door – what was she to say? Should she tell him to get out of her house and turn himself in? Should she tell him she thought he'd done wrong but deserved a second chance? No, he needed to be apprehended.

If he hadn't opened the door, she would have walked away without saying anything.

"Do you believe me now?"

"How could you do something like that?"

"I'm not proud of it, darling. I would have told you sooner but I was so afraid you'd hate me."

"That's your excuse?"

"Yes! I fell in love with you and couldn't bring myself to hurt you."

"Well you've hurt me now. How do you explain that?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it!"

"So what happens now?"

"What happens now? You have the gall to ask?"

He looked at the floor knowing full well she was about to inform him that they were finished, their marriage had ended. She would probably turn him in to the police, too.

"Joseph, I've always thought of myself as a reasonable woman and since you were the one who always took care of me when I was sick or upset, I'm going to give you a second chance."

His eyes lit up, "Oh Clarisse, thankyou."

He went to hug her, but she put her hand up, "No, Joseph. Not with me, I'm giving you the chance to run. Run away and never return."

"But-"

"Start a new life, a fresh life."

"What's going to happen to you?"

"I am going to get my husband back."

"Darling are you sure that's wise? I mean twenty-five years in the slammer may have impacted his mentality."

She gave him a disapproving look, "He was the one I fell in love with first, not you and I don't think it matters if he has mental problems. If our love is as strong as it was back then, everything will work out fine."

"If you say so."

As he packed his things, "Joseph" recalled all of the happy memories he had made with Clarisse, he was going to miss her like hell. He remembered how lonely he felt when she went away on a holiday with Amelia for three days, how was he going to survive the rest of his life not communicating with her? How was he going to survive the rest of his life not being with her, sleeping in a bed far, far away? He wasn't going to survive on his own, he was dependent on her love and now he had lost it. She, on the other hand would move on, it's what she's always done. She would have her old love back, she wouldn't be lonely. "Joseph" was amazed at how calmly she was handling their parting, it was as if she didn't care if he left or not.

He wasn't aware of her eyes studying him as he packed, he wasn't even aware she was in the room until he heard her footsteps drowning out as she walked off down the hallway. He wondered whether to follow her, but decided not to when he couldn't think of anything worth saying.

After packing everything neatly and tidily, he studied the suitcase. Millions of thoughts raced through his mind – what was running away going to do? He'd still feel guilty about everything. Suddenly he threw everything out of the suitcase and grabbed a photo of himself with his arms around Clarisse and then went down to the basement to fetch his old I.D cards. He went to see her one more time before he left, she was in her study staring out the window, "Clarisse, I'm leaving now."

She turned her attention to him and nodded, "Goodbye."

"That's all you can say?"

"What would you prefer me to say? Thankyou for lying to me, I really had a blast believing you were really in love with me."

"I am really in love with you."

"If that's so, then why are you leaving?"

"Because you presented the opportunity of escape, but I'm here to tell you I've decided there's no use in running if I'll never see you again. I'm going to set things right."

"Oh? How so?"

"You'll find out sooner or later."

As the door closed quietly behind him Clarisse finally allowed herself to cry, she would miss him just as much as he would her, the only difference is that she wouldn't let it show. Reluctantly "Joseph" started the car and drove down to the prison, enjoying his last moments of freedom. He walked slowly into the grey building and asked for permission to see prisoner 482EG698Y. As he sat down in the cubicle he wondered whether or not he was doing the right thing…of course he was! Her happiness could only come at the expense of his misery. The men that guarded the prisoners all looked at "Joseph" as if they knew him, in a way they did, they had seen him marry the queen on live television. However, somehow he looked familiar to them as someone they had actually met – the man known to them as Steve. "Joseph" waited anxiously for his identical other to appear, it didn't take long, he noticed as he watched the man sit down in front of him. It took a moment for both men to register, after all, it was like staring into a mirror.

"YOU!"

Joseph stood up and furiously pointed his finger at "Joseph" through the glass, "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU LIFE-SWAPPING, WIFE-STEALING SON OF A BITCH!"

The guards ran over to him and zapped him with the tazer, he cried out in pain. "Joseph" clung tightly to his seat, "Would you please calm down and listen to me?"

Joseph swung his arms about and accidentally hit an officer's face, he was zapped further causing him to break down and fall to the floor. "Joseph" watched in pure horror at what they were doing to him, he wasn't wrong to lash out, he was face to face with the man who framed him, but the officers didn't know that. "Joseph" decided that trying to talk to the man directly was of no use - he would take his case straight to the warden.

One week later…

Obediently, Steve allowed the men to escort him to his cell, the place he would be living in from now on, the place he would surely die in. There wasn't much to do in there, except wait for death to come, but how would he pass the time? The cell consisted only of a bed, a pen, some paper – lined and toilet, a shelf, a sink and a functional toilet. He lay on the bed and looked up at the ceiling – so this is how he would be spending his days from now on. Oh well, it could be worse, he could be still living with the guilt of the wrongfully imprisoned man.

Meanwhile, Joseph walked through the lobby of the prison and smiled when he saw his love waiting for him. He eagerly ran up and threw his arms around her, a little too forcefully, "Joseph! I'm very happy to see you, but would you please loosen your grip? I'm suffocating here."

"I'm sorry," he said, releasing her and looking into her eyes, "Oh god I'm so happy I can finally hold you again, it's been too long."

Clarisse was feeling a little uneasy about exchanging such greetings, she had grown apart from him over the years and he was acting as if nothing had happened. He even kissed her, she kept her eyes open wondering when he would break apart, he was kissing her too hard – she didn't remember him being so rough. However, she knew couldn't be blamed for it, prison does that to a man, it makes him not realise his own strength. Walking out into the sunset, he shielded his eyes, he was finally able to properly view the land he loved so much. A sense of freedom washed over him and he smiled genuinely for the first time in two and a half decades. Clarisse led him over to the waiting limousine and motioned for him to go inside, "Shall we pick up where we left off, your majesty?"

Faking a smile, she watched him climb in and then sat down herself, "What made you come back?"

"I realised that you are the one I belong with."

"I'm glad you did."

"So how does it feel…being out?"

"So far it's great, I never thought I would get away from the tortures of prison."

"Was it really that bad?"

"Like a thousand knives stabbing into my flesh all at once, all the time."

She cringed, "Ouch."

"That's why I'm so happy to see you now."

Once again he hugged her, tighter than she could bear, "Joseph please…"

"Aren't I allowed to show my undying affections?"

"You're going to squeeze the life out of me! Have you been working out?"

"Every day. It's occupying and stress-relieving. You need to be strong in there, that's the first lesson I learnt. You never know when someone's going to sneak up behind you and…"

Clarisse lowered her head, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, it's that Steve person's fault. I so want to kill him!"

"Kill Joseph…I mean Steve and you'll end up back in there."

"Which is something I don't want."

"Nor do I."

"Do you mind if I smell your neck?"

She was taken back by that remark, "What?"

He moved his head closer to hers and she became nervous, "Joseph I…think we should take things a little slower."

"Oh of course. It's just I haven't been able to breathe you in for so long and I wanted to see if you still smelt as sweet as you did all those years ago."

"How romantic, at least one thing hasn't changed."

This time she initiated the kiss, it was soft and gentle, he followed her lead, to which she was glad – it meant there was still a chance to soften him back to the way he used to be.

They arrived back at the mansion just before the sky turned pitch black, Joseph marvelled at how large and beautiful it was. The two had a long night of conversations that consisted of what had happened since their last encounter outside of prison walls. Joseph was so excited about sleeping in a comfortable bed, he hadn't experienced sleeping in anything remotely comfortable for many years. Since Clarisse felt strange having him in her bed so soon, she put him up in one of the many guest rooms, however he didn't stay there for long. Quietly he creeped down the hall to her room and went inside, she wasn't asleep either, he noticed as he closed the door behind him.

"Joseph? What are you doing up so late?"

"I can't sleep knowing you're in here alone."

"I'm fine, really."

"Clarisse?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want you to think I'm being pushy or anything, but would you mind if I held you while you slept?"

"Oh…Joseph I-"

"It doesn't matter, can I sleep on your couch? I just want to be near you."

"Oh, come here."

She pulled back the blankets and allowed him to slip under the covers with her, he smiled, it had been so long since he was last this close to a woman. If he was honest with himself, Clarisse was the last woman he ever touched before being thrown in the slammer. She didn't object to having him put his arms around her waist, in fact she put her own arms around him. It was just like old times, but better.

No, it's not finished, I think I'll just write an epilogue and then call it quits. R & R!