Stand By Me
Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't pretend to. I just want to play, and I promise to bring them home safe and sound in time for dinner. Please read and review.
"How was your visit, You Majesty?" Joseph asked Clarisse as he helped her into the back of the limo, then going around to the driver's seat. They were on their way back to the consulate following a visit with Mia.
"I can't convince her to accept the throne, Joseph." Clarisse said wearily leaning back against the seat.
"That's understandable. She's very young, and being a princess would be a very different lifestyle than what she's always known." Joseph said.
"But what young girl doesn't want to become a princess?" Clarisse exclaimed, frustrated.
"One that tries very hard to be invisible. Like Mia." Joseph stated simply. He had decided when they first got into the car, that something else was troubling her, and instead of going back to the consulate as planned, he'd turned the other way, and driven down to the pier.
"Joseph, where are we?" Clarisse asked suddenly, looking past him out the window.
"The pier." He told her, parking the limo in an out of the way spot, and getting out. He helped her out of the car, tucking her arm in his. "What's really bothering you, Clarisse?" he asked her. She sighed, and walked along beside him. He always knew. Joseph had been a good friend to her for many years now, since Rupert first fell ill. They talked about everything, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him just now what was bothering her.
Joseph knew this, and respected her silence. They walked past the fishing boats, past the yachts, and down to the very end of the pier where there was one long empty dock. The next cruise ship wasn't due in for another couple of days, so this part was relatively isolated.
"Joseph, I'm feeling very selfish right now." She said at length.
"I think that's allowed every now and then." He told her, sitting them down on a low stone wall.
"If Mia remains firm in her decision not to accept the thrown, the VonTrokens will take over Genovia." Clarisse said. Joseph could tell that she was trying to build up confidence to tell him what was really bothering her.
"That's true, they will. Unfortunate, but really we can't do anything about it." Joseph said, taking her hand.
"Oh, why is this so hard to say?" she asked, casting her eyes skyward.
"Maybe you're embarrassed. Maybe you're telling yourself that you're being foolish worrying about such things, when really I'm sure you have every reason to worry."
She smiled at him, for being so very understanding. Then she took a deep breath and finally spit it out. "What's going to happen to me? I mean, I can't rule until I die. I'll have to move out of the palace and go…somewhere. Where will I go?" she looked at him, her eyes filling with tears.
Joseph felt, not for the first time, the urge to wrap her in his arms and hold her. This time however, he listened. Releasing her hand, he pulled her against him, holding her tightly. "It will be all right, Clarisse, I promise. We'll find you a lovely house, on the beach if you'd like."
"I'll be all alone. And what about you? And Charlotte? You could lose your jobs if they decide that they want to re-staff the palace." Her tears were falling in torrents now. Joseph pulled her closer, if it were possible.
"Clarisse. Listen to me, darling." Joseph said after a moment. She looked up at him. "I have no doubt that wherever you go, Charlotte will be close behind. She loves you like you were her own mother, and she'd never leave you, unless you asked her to."
Clarisse was silent for a moment, and Joseph wondered if she had heard him.
"And you, Joseph?" she finally questioned, her voice barely above a whisper, afraid of what his answer might be. Clarisse realized then how dependent on his support she had become and she didn't know if she could go on without him.
"What about me? I'll be fine," he told her, not daring to hope that she meant she wanted him to stay with her.
"No, Joseph. I meant…I meant will you stay with me? I don't think…that I could cope without you." She tightened her grip on him, and her eyes pleaded with him.
Bringing his hand up to caress her cheek, he fought back tears of his own. She had said it. She wanted him to stay with her. "Always." He told her, his voice rough with the almost overwhelming emotion he felt. "I'll always stay with you. No matter what."
"Thank you, Joseph." She said, tears threatening to spill over again. "You've become such a constant in my life. I don't know what I'd do without you, I…" she trailed off, realizing that she was babbling.
"Clarisse," he tipped her face up to look into her eyes, keeping one arm firmly around her. "I love you." Gently, he lowered his lips to hers in a slow, soft, kiss. Joseph was about to pull back, thinking that perhaps he had gone a bit too far, when he felt her hands curl around his neck, as she held him tighter and returned his kiss.
"I love you too." She said in a quiet tone when they finally pulled back. Joseph smiled at her, then glanced at the sky where dark gray clouds were gathering.
"Come on, darling. Let's get you back to the consulate before it starts raining. We don't want you arriving at the ball tonight looking like a drowned rat." He told her, pulling her to her feet, and slipping his arm around her waist.
Late that night, after clearing everybody out, and making sure the grounds were secure for the night, Joseph went in search of Clarisse. He found her standing on her balcony in her pajamas and robe.
"You came back," Clarisse said, without turning around.
"Of course I did. I told you when I left you earlier that I would come back to tuck you in," Joseph replied, wandering out to the balcony and slipping his arms around her waist from behind. Clarisse leaned back against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"So you did." She said softly, "Joseph, I want to thank you for finding Mia tonight. You saved the day."
"Anything for you. Though I must admit, I am very proud of that young lady. She's special. Like you." He murmured, resting his cheek against her hair. "Are you feeling better now, darling?"
"I am. The future doesn't seem nearly so frightening, now that I have someone I love who'll always stand by me."
"And I love you. Now may I suggest that you get some rest?" he said, tugging her inside.
She turned in his arms to face him. "Stay with me?"
He kissed her tenderly. "Always."