Disclaimer: Don't own any of The Princess Diaries characters & make no money whatsoever from this - simply having a little fun.


Fallen - part 15

Feeling somewhat jubilant after his confession of the previous night Joseph couldn't stop smiling. He had no real reason for being so happy, she had made it clear last night that it was friendship and nothing more, but somehow… well he wasn't about to accept that laying down. He swirled the coffee in his mug and continued staring out at the garden.

"Hi." She said wearily running a hand through her hair and entering the kitchen.

"Well, hello." He smiled turning from where he stood at the kitchen window. "Beautiful morning."

"What are you smiling about? You look very happy, I'm assuming you slept well." Her voice was empty, unfeeling.

"Very well actually."

She poured herself a glass of orange juice. "You certainly look better." She took a long drink and wearily moved to sit down at the table. "I unfortunately did not sleep so well."

"Oh…" he sat across from her. "Why?"

"Why?" she shook her head. "You know why, I was replaying what you'd said all night."

"Please don't." He said gently reaching for her hand.

She snatched it back out of his reach. "I need some space Joseph. You may stay, we spend time together, but please, there must be boundaries, you're here as a friend. Nothing more."

"All right." He said softly. "All right, I accept that."

They were silent for a few moments, each staring at the table mulling over what they could say next.

"Plans for today?" He said standing up and moving to pour himself more coffee, it was getting harder to be around her.

"Actually I have plans."

"Oh?" He failed to hide his disappointment.

"Yes, appointments to keep, things to do, life just doesn't simply stop because you decide to visit Joseph."

"I realise that."

Draining her juice Clarisse stood up. "I have to go into town, I'll be gone a few hours at the most. If anybody should telephone or call around then I suggest you don't answer."

"Obviously." He shrugged.

"Feel free to take a book, watch television or something."

"I wish I could come with you." He said softly. "See where you go, who you meet, be part of your life."

Shakily she crossed to the sink and rinsed her glass. "What's the old saying, 'be careful what you wish for'." She smiled. "You'd get bored Joseph, I have dull errands to run and bills to pay, nothing remotely exciting."

"But I never do that, call into town to do essential things… never have." He shrugged. "I'll occupy myself somehow."

"I'm sure, I must go dress."

"Have a good day."

"And you."


As Clarisse drove into town she felt awash with swirl of differing emotions. He made her so damned angry, what right did he have to simply drop in on her, to expect her to turn her life upside down to accommodate him? To fill her head with his feelings, his wants and desires, his selfish needs. To expect her to drop everything and fall for him like some dizzy young romantic.

On the other hand she could not, try as she might, rid herself of the strange happiness that was creeping into her skin at the thought that he was at home waiting for her. That she was doing her normal everyday routine but when she returned home he would be there, they would be together, spending the evening together, eating, talking… wasn't it what she had wanted so badly?

She considered calling Rose and seeking advice but decided against it. Things would only become worse if more people were involved, if she kept it between the two of them it would remain contained, controllable. She could allow him to stay a few days, until he was well again, and then she would politely and simply ask him to leave her alone from now on. It wasn't fair to expect more of her, he had no right to.


Joseph spent the day flicking through Clarisse's various books. Try as he might he couldn't settle on one, couldn't concentrate on any of them. He called Richard, simply to check in and assure them he was safe and well. He gave no indication of what was happening with Clarisse. He and Richard had reached a comfortable truce over the issue, Joseph was too old to change his attitude now, he went after what he believed in, and try as he might he couldn't accept that he and Clarisse were finished. There was more there, much more to come.

He was lounging on the couch reading the local newspaper when he heard the door click open and her heels on the tiled kitchen floor.

"Joseph?" She called.

"Yes." He smiled, they had already settled into a routine, so naturally.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet." He replied swinging his feet to the floor. "Errands complete?"

She slipped her shoes off and made her way into the lounge.

"Yes, pretty much. You look well rested."

He raised his eyebrows. "Tired of being inside, I enjoy the outdoors."

"I know, how are you coping without your morning ride?"

He shook his head dropping the paper to the coffee table. "Actually I haven't taken the horses out in a while."

"Why ever not?" She asked lifting the discarded newspaper and folding it neatly before replacing it on the coffee table.

"I don't know, didn't have the energy for it. Did you know Gerald Thompson won first prize in the flower arranging competition last Tuesday?"

"No, who is Gerald Thompson?"

"I have no idea, obviously somebody from your village as he was featured in the village newspaper."

"I hardly read that thing, it's always full of pointless little stories."

"Nice to have it though, a sense of community that seems to be slowly disappearing from our world. It's reassuring to know there are still some places that exist with the old sense of neighbourhood."

"I suppose so. I got scones, jam and cream, a rather unhealthy lunch?"

"It's almost 3 o'clock."

"I know, an early afternoon treat then. You can't visit the south of England and not have Clotted cream with scones."

"I guess so." He smiled contended as he rose and followed her into the kitchen.

"You can make the tea." She said as she took plates from the cupboard.

"All right." He knew his way around the kitchen now and quickly filled the kettle and located the teapot.

Clarisse carried a tray out into the garden and Joseph watched through the window as she laid the tea things out on the table and adjusted the umbrella to shade them from the afternoon sunshine.

Within a few moments he followed her out.

"This seems like the kind of decadence one should enjoy each and everyday." He said as he poured the tea.

"We'd get fat." She smiled as she spooned the cream onto his scone. "It can't be any good for your heart."

He raised his eyes to her face as she continued to spread the cream and, once finished, licked the excess from the tip of her finger. If only she knew what she was doing to his heart.

"There." She smiled sitting back in her chair. "Enjoy, before it melts."

"Thank you my dear. Quite a treat, being here with you, sharing an unhealthy cream tea."

"I'm sorry for being a little off hand this morning." She offered as she added a little milk to her tea. "I convinced myself I could easily rebuff whatever you said to me, that I could freeze you out. It's not that easy when you're actually here."

"I don't mean to make things difficult for you again, to make you feel uneasy. I'm so poor at handling this, I value your friendship Clarisse, whatever happens, I would like that to at least continue."

"As would I." She wiped her hand on her napkin and held it out across the table towards him. "Friends."

He smiled genuinely and clasped her hand; it was the first time she'd allowed him to touch her since he'd arrived. "Friends."


It was Clarisse who suggested they take a walk the following day, it was Tuesday after all and Joseph hadn't left the house or garden since he'd arrived four days ago.

In addition to this yesterday had hardly proven a success in terms of building up and smoothing over their relationship. In fact Clarisse had actually been rather afraid to be alone with him, afraid of what he might say or, even worse, how she might react to what he said.

After breakfast they had separately dressed and Joseph had done the dishes and tidied the kitchen. Meanwhile Clarisse had made sandwiches and packed a light lunch for later in the day.

"Are you all set?" She asked as she opened the fridge and took out two bottles of water.

"I am. Where are we going exactly?"

"I don't know, a walk over the meadows, we can head down to the beach later in the afternoon, it should be quieter then."

"I get to see your beloved home."

"You do, well some of it at least." She snapped her bag shut and turned back to him. "Thank you for doing the dishes by the way, I never realised you were such the handyman."

"I'm not, I am staying in your house though, I feel rather like I'm intruding."

"You have no need to. If I didn't want you here I would no doubt say so."

"That you would. I've never known you to hold back your thoughts."

"Ahh, so you do know me, come on then… if you're ready."

"Lead the way."


Clarisse laid back on the sand, one arm folded beneath her head, legs bent and toes digging into the warm grains she lay on. Joseph glanced at the ground before deciding to sit down next to her.

"Take your shoes off." She said, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I'm not entirely sure it's hygienic…"

"Joseph." She snapped.

"All right. All right." He said obliging and slipping his shoes and socks off.

She laughed outwardly now. "Hinting that my beach isn't clean."

Her eyes were closed and he couldn't help but stare down at her face upturned to the glorious sunshine, a smile on her lips. He longed to tilt his head down and kiss that perfect mouth.

"Perhaps they should ban other members of the public from trampling across it with their noisy children and boisterous dogs?"

"Don't be mean you old grump…" she opened her eyes gazing up at him. "I like boisterous dogs."

"You do?"

She nodded.

He looked down the beach towards the quickly receding shore. "You should get one, company for the house."

"You think I'm lonely?"

He hesitated and turned back to answer her but he found she was smiling at him again. "Very funny madam."

"Oh but you're so easy to wind up, relax a little Joseph, this is supposed to be a holiday for you."

"Yes I guess so, I keep thinking somebody is going to recognise me and we will be hounded."

"That's why you wear the dark glasses… all celebrities do it."

"Oh I'm hardly… now you're teasing me again."

She giggled and playfully tapped his arm. "Yes I am, But Joseph really, I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything but I think it's highly unlikely anyone on this beach knows where Genovia is let alone what it's King looks like."

He smiled; her hand was still resting on his arm where she'd hit him so lightly. "So what you're saying is your country is more well-known than mine."

She sat up slowly, leaning on his for leverage. "Yes, I think I am."

"Why?"

"Because it's mine." She shrugged.

He laughed. "Well I can't argue with that."

Joseph watched as she sat forward, her arms draped over her knees, her neck was getting red.

"You're getting sunburnt."

"Oh I always do, I'm so pale… but it is incredibly hot today."

"It is."

"Where has it caught me?"

"Your neck." He tentatively reached forward and touched the overly pink skin. "Does it feel sore?"

"Not yet, I'm sure it will later." She was rummaging in her bag for something and in a second had slipped a light scarf over her shoulders and put her sunglasses on.

"Now I look like a celebrity too." She quipped.

"Indeed. A better looking one than me."

"Oh I don't know about that." She lay back again. "Do you mind if I read here for a while or are you getting bored?"

"No I'm not getting bored and I don't mind at all if you read. How many books do you have in that magic bag?"

"Just the one I'm afraid."

"Then I might have a wander down to the shore."

"Okay." She glanced down the beach. "It's quite a way out now."

"I know, give you time to enjoy the weather and your book."

As he went to stand he had the overwhelming urge to kiss her before venturing down the beach, somehow he held himself back.

"I should roll your trousers up." She called after him as he walked away.

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he looked back towards her. This felt entirely natural.

Over an hour later Joseph made his way back up the beach towards Clarisse, it seemed to take him longer to reach her and he realised he had walked down to the sea in a diagonal line and was now walking back in a straight one. Therefore when he did reach where she should have been he found he had another ten minutes walk to go.

He approached her from the left and she raised her head immediately glancing sideways to him.

"Ahh, I thought you'd drowned."

"You didn't come to save me."

"Figured I'd give you another half-an-hour then get the lifeguard."

He bent down next to her. "Ohh, damn knees."

"That's age." She smiled slipping her glasses off. "Have fun did you?"

"Very much so. Look, brought you these." He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a selection of shells.

"Why thank you, how very rare."

"They are all original. Besides you won't accept diamonds from me."

She could have responded coolly to his words but instead she held out her hand and gratefully accepted his 'gift'. "I shall cherish them."

He sat down and waited as she marked the page in her book and slipped it back into her bag along with the shells.

"So are you getting hungry?" She asked. "We can start to walk back."

"All right, what time will the sun set?"

"Not for a few hours, did you want to see it?"

He shrugged as she struggled to sit up. She placed a hand on his knee, "I promise we will walk down here one evening so that you can witness the beauty of a south England sunset."

"How very charitable of you my dear."

"Are my freckles out in force?" She asked leaning back on her hands.

"Should they be?" He smiled amused at her absurd question.

"The sun brings my freckles out. That's why I tend to keep out of it."

"You still look beautiful."

She glanced away unable to hold his steady gaze. "Thank you, but I feel you might be biased."

"I feel I might be too, but I stand by it."

She shook her head. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Would you mind?"

"Yes, friends aren't supposed to flirt."

"Then no, I'm merely passing judgement on your pretty freckles."

She laughed. "Ahh, you'll drive me crazy. Come on let's go." She sat forward again. "Ohh, who is going to help who up?"

"If you push me up perhaps then I can help you."

"Oh what a sight" she giggled hoisting herself up to her feet. She brushed her skirt down and replaced her sunglasses on her head. "Are you set?"

"After you."

"I'm not looking forward to that hill near the house, always easier on the way down."

"Maybe you should get the local developers to lower it for you or something."

"Ha very funny… do you think they would, if I asked really nicely?"

"Worth a shot."

The serious tone in his voice caused her to breakdown in yet more giggles and she stumbled a little on the uneven ground.

He caught her from behind, holding her waist.

"All right?"

"Yes." She said formerly straightening herself up, "fine."

She climbed up from the beach a little too quickly and he couldn't help but grimace as she did so, obviously there were some places that a friend just shouldn't touch. Shrugging he hurried to catch up with her, he would offer to cook tonight.


Well how do you think our unlikely couple are getting on?
Please leave me a little review & let me know... x R